Is this HDR?

[janok]

I had some discussions on the net with people who know the definition of «true» HDR. This picture is taken with 5 shots – and blended together in CS5. The basic idea is to get the sunrise colors on the sky together with the silhouette of the tree. Ideally this could be achieved with one shot, but I needed the manual blending to get this effect.
So my question is: Is this a HDR picture?


Sunrise Oslo downtown by janokiese, on Flickr

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

I had some discussions on the net with people who know the definition of «true» HDR. This picture is taken with 5 shots – and blended together in CS5. The basic idea is to get the sunrise colors on the sky together with the silhouette of the tree. Ideally this could be achieved with one shot, but I needed the manual blending to get this effect.
So my question is: Is this a HDR picture?

r

For you to produce this result, you utilized all the methods of "true" HDR, which is combining multiple exposures into one image to capture a higher dynamic range than one exposure could produce alone.

This is a HDR image. But, it doesn't look like one.

 

[janok]

Actually I didn’t use all 5 exposures to make this picture, it came out of the program (magic lantern) on the camera – I just wanted to hear out others opinion, several people I discuss with have very strong opinions on what and how a HDR-picture should look like.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Well I suppose the question is did you combine multiple exposures into one image to capture a higher dynamic range?

 

[Rephargotohp]

Is what you produced "as the eye would see?"


and before you even answer that, I'd say it's more HDR than most things that are called HDR

 

[Bynx]

If that same image could be achieved with a single shot then its not an HDR image. If you can achieve that nice subtle change in color exactly as we see it here, with a single shot then its not an HDR. But if you cant get all that info in the sky from a single shot then it is an HDR which just hasnt had the shadow area addressed. Its a nice shot whatever anyone wants to call it.

 

[Compaq]

I thought a true HDR image had something to do with bit depth. The tone mapped image we normally come up with is just a "representation" of the true HDR image.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

If that same image could be achieved with a single shot then its not an HDR image. If you can achieve that nice subtle change in color exactly as we see it here, with a single shot then its not an HDR. But if you cant get all that info in the sky from a single shot then it is an HDR which just hasnt had the shadow area addressed. Its a nice shot whatever anyone wants to call it.

This

 

[Compaq]

This is a good read on the matter:

HDR images in photography - About Dynamic Range, Tone Mapping and HDR Imaging for Photography

 

[Joel_W]

Actually I didn’t use all 5 exposures to make this picture, it came out of the program (magic lantern) on the camera – I just wanted to hear out others opinion, several people I discuss with have very strong opinions on what and how a HDR-picture should look like.

To me an HDR image is the result of a combination of layering several photographs into one final version to achieve a better dynamic range. Whether one strives for a realistic or surrealistic results is a personal decision. Personally, I strive for more realism, but that's just me. So your example photograph meets my criteria of a HDR Image.