<strong>Dynamic Range: What is it and how does it improve photography?</strong>
In the recent times, the technological advancement has been such, that even the modern-day cameras like DSLRs and smartphones are equipped with tools that can help click high-quality pictures, using multiple photographic features and involving great details. However, most people, including grown-ups and youngsters, despite being passionate about photography fail to click high quality photos as they are often unable to understand dynamic range in-built in a camera. But the good news is, youngsters are curious minded and can often learn new things faster than adults. This is why showing them how to use the dynamic range in a right way will not only help them improve their overall photographic skills, but also make their photos stand out. Here is everything a budding photographer needs to know about photography.
What is dynamic range in photography?
Generally speaking, dynamic range refers to the ratio between the largest and smallest values of a changeable quantity of an entity. But in terms of camera settings, dynamic range refers to the range of visible lights in a particular photographic scene. It is usually measured through an entity called ‘stops.’ Alternatively speaking, dynamic range in a camera is the number of stops it can process between the highlight and the shadow region of an image. A naked human eye is able to visualise 10 to 14 stops, beyond which the highlight may be blown out and shadows might appear to be dark and muddy.
What is the advantage of dynamic range?
Modern-day high-tech cameras are capable of producing more dynamic ranges than the naked human eye can perceive. In fact, the more dynamic range a camera is able to capture, the more detail will be available while editing a photo. Usually, a competent photographer is someone who is able to identify a better dynamic range and then use it as an advantage to adjust the luminance of a shadow and the intensity of the highlight in a particular image, that makes all the details stand out.
How to capture a better dynamic range to improve photography?
The most common and well-proven way to derive a better dynamic range in a photo is to simple shoot it in a RAW format. RAW refers to a method of photography in which a camera captures everything that passes through its image sensor without any compression, noise reduction, exposure compensation and so on. This means that while editing, one can adjust the colour, contrast, background and even white balance of the photo. Unlike JPEG, JPG and similar formats that focus on saving space, RAW doesn’t discard, instead, capture maximum available details. This is why RAW images are usually larger in size than other format images. In modern day digicams, DSLRs, and smartphones, the camera settings include this RAW format, that youngster can activate from the settings to click RAW images.
Apart from incorporating the RAW format while clicking photos, handling the camera’s exposure to light also gives out a better dynamic range. The key is to keep the exposure in the middle when an image has both highlights as well as deep shadows around. This will make the photo look better and help adjust details during editing such as clarity, saturation, brightness and others.