Federal Plaza Chicago
The day was just a bit overcast and there was a slight Autumn chill in the air. I planned a whole day downtown to photograph because I really wanted to work with HDR (high density range) images. The technique allows one to expose for the full range of highlights through shadows by making three or more exposures, some under-exposed, others over-exposed and one as a normal exposure. In this case, I shot three exposures at the same f stop but at different shutter speeds. Exposures were in a 5 stop range–2 stops under, normal, and 2 stops over. Images are then combined using HDR software.
The resulting image is, to my view, striking in its depth of tonal quality. The inside of the post office in the lower portion of the image is detailed while the highlights of the central building also maintain a depth of detail that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.
HDR lets me capture what I see in ways that let me envision the final image before I shoot. HDR is, to digital photography, what the Zone System is to black and white darkroom photography. The ability to see an image as it will be printed in its final form is nothing short of extraordinary. And all this can be accomplished and saved for future printing with precision. The results don’t vary from print to print. I, for one believe that Ansel Adams would have endorsed HDR as the Zone System for digital photography.
