Can you shoot HDR for scenes with moving water, like waterfalls?
Asked 10/1/2013
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I know HDR is straightforward with static subjects, but can it work for scenes that include moving water such as waterfalls or streams? If traditional multi-exposure HDR causes problems because the water changes between frames, are there workable alternatives?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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AFAIK, no you cannot do that with one camera.
Even if you have two DSLRs (with exactly the same lens), due to a very slightly viewing angle, you may need some adjustment in Photoshop to overcome potential artifacts.
People use the same technique to capture HDR video, if you search youtube you might be able to find how they set it up to minimize view angle differences.
You can also "fake" HDR with one Raw file, since Raw has more dynamic range than the JPEG output. Simply shoot in raw, output two JPEG from the same RAW, one -2 one +2 then merge as HDR. It will not be as good as separately captured image, since the true dynamic range did not really increase much, if at all.
Originally by user6745. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6745
13y ago
0
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Yes, but with limits. Traditional HDR made from multiple exposures is difficult with moving water because the water changes between frames, which can cause ghosting or artifacts. With one camera, that usually makes true multi-shot HDR unreliable for waterfalls or streams.
There are a few workable alternatives:
- Long exposures can make the water look smoother or mistier, and this effect may be acceptable or even attractive in waterfall scenes.
- Shoot RAW and recover highlights/shadows from a single file. You can also make multiple tone-mapped versions from one RAW and merge them, though this is not the same as gaining the extra dynamic range of true bracketed HDR.
- A camera with strong sensor dynamic range can reduce the need for multi-shot HDR in the first place.
- In specialized setups, multiple matched cameras can capture different exposures at once, but alignment is tricky and not a typical solution.
So: true bracketed HDR and moving water don’t mix well, but single-RAW processing or embracing the blurred-water look are practical options.
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