Sure, HDR is hot and trendy.  Everyone is experimenting with it.  But there are four negatives:

• Ghosting: the HDR programs do attempt to handle ghosting (objects in one photo which are not in the other photos or have moved to a different location).  FDR Tools does the best at handling it, as shown in Part 2.
• Noise: HDR programs reprocess an image to a very high degree.  With all that manipulating comes the introduction of noise.  Sure you could run the images through Noiseware or DeNoise before they are processed in HDR, but that just adds another step.  Processing the HDR images afterwards seems inevitable.
• Softening: Of course there will be shifting in hand-held photos.  But, even photos taken on a tripod can shift slightly.  When these images are combined through HDR, these shifts can cause softening in a previously sharp image.
• Missed shot: maybe the camera malfunctioned or maybe someone blocked the shot entirely.  Missing that additional shot happens.

So what can you do? Try LightZone.  In my previous posts, I wrote about faking HDR with LightZone.  So, I thought I would compare the real HDR images with ones faked in LightZone.  Below are screen captures from LightZone for both photos.  Just by adding a few of LightZone’s built-in filters, you can easily recreate the same HDR look.  It can take some experimentation, but the final results are amazing!

Statues HDR Test Photo

People HDR Test Photo

Of course, once you get started with LightZone, it’s tough to stop experimenting.  Stacking filters is part of the fun.  And, because LightZone updates so quickly, you can see the results immediately.  Just watch some of their video tutorials to get the idea.

Best yet … LightZone is currently on sale for $99 (that’s 50% off)!