How to make HDR Images

Capture and merging brackets

Preparing your camera for the best HDR landscape captures

1. Bracketing
   Setup your camera to bracket 3 or more images. Try using the setting EV "+/-" 1 or 2
2. White Balance
   Set your white balance to whatever the scene requires. Do not use auto.
3. Mount the camera on a tripod.
   Having a stable base for your camera is very important and means less alignment issues in post productions. While hand-held HDR is very possible, and many people create very successful images with this technique, having a sturdy tripod will give you the greatest chance at nailing that landscape shot.
4. Cable Release
   Attach the Cable release, or set the camera to use the self timer. You do not want to touch the camera at all.
5. Switch the camera to aperture priority and make your aperture F8 This step is only to give you a direction in where to begin, let me add that some people prefer to actually shoot at smaller apertures, experiment, and adapt this step to your workflow.
6. Meter the scene by half pressing the shutter release button, then remember what shutter speed number gets displayed.
7. Switch to manual, and set your shutter speed to the number you just saw. Leave your aperture at F8.
8. Shoot
   Now, just take your series of photographs! You have successfully just captured a set of even exposures that will merge into an HDR image!