“Super Wides” Then HDR
HDR Image
This commentary will be my first of many written contributions to the ever changing world of photography. Change is inevitable but we still need to be critical at changes and the consequences they bring. At what point does the camera stop and the computer take over? How do we keep the definition of photography with this evolving technology?
Thus my title for this commentary – is it Photography or Digitography? (an Ellynism by the way. Not in the dictionary…yet!).
I have no real issue with Digitography BUT I do believe we need to differentiate. As a photo educator who is teaching a new generation of students who know more about photo manipulation than camera operation I feel distinguishing between the two terms is necessary!
High Dynamic Range is a relatively new technique that can be seen as a band Aid for the shortcomings of a digital camera’s sensor to record an acceptable range of tones. HDR reminds me of super-wide pants in the late 70s. The style caught on quick and everyone had to try them, wear them and then eventually cut them up into rags for cleaning our Gremlins.
By 1978 everyone had super wides on and the school dance floor had turned into an ugly scene. The pants didn’t seem to fit everyone as envisioned. The crowded dance floor became inflated and cliche with the dangerous amount of fabric! Slowly we began to see the width of our pant legs shrink back into a more practical width. 
Like pant leg width, high dynamic range technique is a trend. The idea of what HDR could bring us “now converted” digital photographers seemed very ideal at first! Having to work with sensors with an exposure latitude range even more challenging than slide film, it would seem liberating to be able to combine several exposures of the same composition into one super wide toned image.
But like the super wide pants trend, we tried, clichéd and are now starting to step back from HDR and re-thinking the exposure techniques we learned in the old skool. It is my hope and belief digital sensors will continue to advance and there will be no more need for the super wide range of HDR!
I think its a great work & it certainly will make many realise that how precious their love is.
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
http://www.ellynism.com – cool!!!!
Are you from San Diego?
I am not from San Diego originally but I live there now. Why do you ask?
Thank you for your nice complement! Keep checking for new work and articles!
Thank you for the complement! Keep checking for new work and articles!
E: While I’m sure I’m ‘wrong’ in the actual sense of things, I don’t see HDR as a solution to a ‘problem’. The work I’ve seen has been much more ‘digital’ then anything you could easily get back-in-the-day. I personally REALLY enjoy most of the over the top HDR work…but it’s certainly not for everything.
Dunno, I think it is a valid technique, but like everything should be used in moderation. I wouldn’t want everything to be manipulated to that level, but some things are just plain very very cool.
Much ♥!
t
Thanks for your insights Todd. If you check out the techniques at http://www.cambridgeincolour.com you can see that HDR came around around long before any HDR software and was indeed intending to make up for the lack of tonal latitude of digital sensors. Film does not have the ability to capture the tonal range we can see. I am not against digital experimentation such as HDR and I really enjoyed wearing my wide legs for awhile there. I just feel a need to educate people on the differences between photography and digitography.