HRD #3 - High Dynamic Range Underwater

High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a hot new technique as we have written about before (Click Here for the first article). However, I have never seen one done Underwater. Here is what I think is one of the first ever true HDR photographs taken underwater. It is the Fire Engine in Dutch Springs Pennsylvania.


It is the product of three photographs, one underexposed by two stops, a "correct" average exposure, and one overexposed by two stops. The exagerated illustrative effect is enhanced by using PHOTOMATIX Software. Photomatix is a Photoshop plugin that is designed to do "tonemapping" with an HRD image. There is a the second post on HDR here you can use to review the exact Photomatix settings.


You can theoretically do HDR handheld, but you should use a tripod for best results. The software will be attempting to line up the three images you are generating. Any position variation will produce blurs. I use an SLR GorillaPod screwed into the bottom of my housing STROBE ARM TRAY. The GorillaPod is mostly non-corrosive except for the mounting screw. If your housing does not have a tripod screw, you may need to do some Jury Rigging here as I needed to drill a hole in the housing STROBE ARM TRAY and machine the threads using a Tap & Die. SERIOUS NOTE: I DID NOT DRILL A HOLE IN THE HOUSING!

Click here to see a larger version of the Fire Truck and more HDR.

Want an SLR GorillaPod? Click Here.
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