Creating an HDR image isn't just about capturing a wider range of light—it's about achieving control over detail and exposure that your camera can't manage in one shot. Whether you're working in challenging lighting situations, like interiors with bright windows or landscapes with intense contrasts, HDR blending can significantly improve your final images.
Coming to you from Aaron Nace with Phlearn, this practical video demonstrates exactly how to use Lightroom Classic to easily combine images taken at different exposures into a single HDR photo. HDR, or high dynamic range, helps you preserve both the highlights and shadows that your camera struggles to capture in one shot. Nace explains that cameras, despite being advanced, often fail to handle scenes where the contrast between bright and dark areas is extreme. He shows precisely how to overcome this limitation by shooting multiple images—typically one correctly exposed, one underexposed, and one overexposed—then merging them. What's especially useful is his breakdown of how you can automate this process with exposure bracketing, simplifying the task even further.
Nace demonstrates the simplicity of Lightroom’s HDR merging process clearly. Starting with two raw images—one exposing correctly for the bright outdoors, another properly capturing the indoor scene—he shows how Lightroom combines them into a single, balanced photo. The software's "auto-align" feature corrects minor camera shifts, while "auto settings" optimizes the initial exposure adjustments automatically. He also clearly explains Lightroom's "de-ghosting" feature, a setting that's essential when elements in your frame move between exposures—think trees swaying gently in the breeze. Setting de-ghosting to medium is generally a reliable starting point.
Using Lightroom's HDR merge creates a final image packed with both indoor and outdoor details without complicated manual blending. This is particularly useful in architectural photography, where maintaining detail both inside and outside is key to professional-looking results. While HDR blending can also enhance landscapes significantly, photographing people with this method presents challenges due to inevitable movement. However, it’s still achievable if your subject remains extremely still during the bracketing sequence.
Beyond the basic merge, Nace takes you into Lightroom's Develop module, where slight adjustments can refine your merged photo further. Tweaking shadows, highlights, and overall exposure can enhance the final look without overwhelming complexity. Adjustments made post-merge give you even greater control, ensuring the final photo accurately represents your vision. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Nace.
