HDR Photos: What Does This Acronym Mean?

What HDR photos mean

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. Now that you know what the acronym means, what exactly is HDR photography? Put simply, it is a process that allows you to capture a wide range of brightness levels in a single photo. This means HDR images can show detail both in very bright areas — such as a sunny sky — and in very dark ones — such as shadows — resulting in a more balanced image that comes closer to what the human eye can actually see.

How it works and why it matters

When you look closely, HDR photography is an impressive blend of computerised technique. It works in a simple way: the software takes several photos at different exposures and combines them to create one balanced image.

This process makes it possible to preserve detail and colour throughout the photo, preventing bright areas from becoming, as photographers say, too blown out, and dark areas from becoming too blocked up. As you can imagine, this technique is especially useful when you are taking photos in challenging lighting conditions, such as landscapes with bright skies and dark ground, or indoor scenes with bright windows.

HDR Photos on iPhone and Smartphones: How to Use Them to Your Advantage

If you own an iPhone or a recent smartphone, it is very likely that your device already includes an HDR feature built into the camera. At this point, getting high-quality HDR photos only takes a few taps:

• turn on HDR mode by looking for it among the icons in the camera app or by checking the settings menu;
• keep your phone as steady as possible — perhaps by using a handy tripod — to avoid blur;
• shoot in situations with strong contrast between bright and dark areas, because that is when HDR mode works best;
• check the result and aim for balanced images that do not look overly bright or excessively dark.

Now that you understand how HDR photography can add a touch of class to your images and enrich them with the details that make all the difference, you have everything you need to take even more memorable photos! And if you feel like getting creative, take a look at the endless playful possibilities we offer on our website and turn your selfies or group shots into fun personalised sticker albums.