20 Beautiful HDR Pictures
There are some photography techniques that really give me the goose bumps, but the good ones. HDR is one of those techniques... and you'll probably love these as much as I do.
"In computer graphics and photography, high dynamic range imaging (HDRI) is a set of techniques that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures (the range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDRI is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to shadows." - From Wikipedia.
What I've read on some foruns is that a program called Photomatix does the job... Does anybody have already used it? I'm looking forward to it. Well... either way, if I don't get to use it, I'll probably find out how to simulate that effect on Photoshop. All this pictures are from a Flickr HDR Group.
Don't forget the visit 20 Beautiful HDR Pcitures - Part 2 and the new Outstanding HDR Night Pictures!! ;)
Learn how to create HDR images
We have a tutorial showing how to create HDR Photos, click on the link below to check it out






















Thank you for sharing. Thats photos supper examples.
Nice work ,great collection. Thanks for the share.
Bravvo! Thank you for sharing them with us!!
HDR photographs - or more accurately in these examples exposure blending because they're not real HDR images :) - anyway, when they're done well and done subtly the results can be amazing. But that's the get for me, doing it subtly enough to bring out some extra detail in the clouds or shadows etc, but not so much as a lot of these do as I think they just end up looking way too over processed and fake.
I think it's just personal taste in the end, so I'm not criticising anyone's work - I'd have just held back a bit and kept a lot more contrast in most of the images.
The project’s official name is “JVM Language Runtime”, rather than “Java Language Runtime”, and it’s intended to target *all* varieties of languages for the JVM. And yes, the name is a direct nod to the DLR (Dynamic Language Runtime) for the CLR, which is both a good idea and a good name. But we’d like to be all-inclusive, providing tools and frameworks for all varieties of languages. And rather than starting right away building a common base all languges must conform to, we’ll generalize existing solutions to common JVM language implementation challenges, drawing from the large existing base of already-implemented languages for the JVM.
Hahaha... when will people notice that there are more people on the team? ;p
This is a great collection of photos! I wish I got more into photography before I graduated college... maybe I'd be better today!
Great car photography here. You can really see the passion. I really love it when photographers give life to inanimate objects like cars.
WOW!!!
How pretty pics!!
Thank you for sharing them with us!!
Nice to see a lot of people coming from this website to my photo. The fifth from above. I have to admit I don't use HDR software anymore because I think there isn't enough personal control. I'm planning to write a tutorial how to create a much more realistic and personal HDR image. Just using layers.
Great website.. will add it to my faves!
These images are fantastic and you should seriously think about registering at the Saatchi online art gallery and see if you can sell your work on there, it is free to show your work on the Saatchi website as far as I know.
I was never a fan of hdr images before,but these are just amazing. It's just too bad that some people abuse this technique,thinking it will make up for the lack of photography skills
This item is only up here because this is San Diego Comic Con convention week(with that very weekend coming up),otherwise this most revealing news(that Geroge Lucas suggestively admits that Han Solo actually did shoot first) is very irrelevant to me.
all is wonderful love the pictures
These are really unbelievable. This motivates me to pursue my Minneapolis skyscape.
I wasn’t blaming you, it was my (sometimes lack of) English - not my native language. Glad I got want you meant in the end (and also everything from your latest link).
great photos! gave it thumbs up on SU
i love HDR pictures
littlegod
Hymmm.. Very Nice. ßlaCK!! :)
Wow! Those images are great! Thanks for sharing!!!
These images are fantastic, you should seriously think about registering at the Saatchi online art gallery and see if you can sell your work on there, it is free to show your work on the Saatchi website as far as I know. They are also hosting a competition for artists to make a piece of art using adobe software and offering 2k and to display the winning design in the gallery in London, looking at what you have done I think could be worth your while t give it a go.
Regards Dave (UK Gent)
i need a better camera... i´ve been saving since 1990 but they just get more expensive...that and the fact that i only earn 4 bucks...at a month...that´s a joke if you didn´t notice.
Greattttttttttttttttttttttttt Job
good stuff
keep it up
wow..very nice images..from where you get those?
vps very good mesaj thank you
I have used Photoshop CS2.In file menu there is a drop down menu for automate.In that you find an option for making an HDR.For This there must be three photos to combine and make a HDRI.The three photos are combined and the new photo or HDRI has a depth of 32 bit.The result is quite good.The three photos must havesome difference which you want to highlight e.g. difference in exposure,ambient light,etc.
You can fake bracketing exposures with images that have movement (people, vehicles, animals) in Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, or any other decent image editor and get acceptable results using Photomatix. These, with very, VERY few exceptions, are NOT acceptable. I don't want my images looking cartoonish. Not all images are suitable for HDR conversion, as you can see above. And Jesus Christ...if you ARE gonna try it, try and do it right. Go to Flikr ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/hdr/ ) and see some more examples of how NOT to do HDR. It was funny at first...now it just looks stupid.
Thanks for photo. Realy beautiful!! i add to my stumble pages. ? account name pdks.
oka
I Love the posts. The are the reason why man can see the beauty of Life, for the those who believe this God's pics
Beutifull fotos.
HDR is nothing unless you can view the before and after...
20 HDR before and after photographs
Hope this helps those who want to get into HDR or just admire it like me.
Thanks
The Floating Frog
Overdone, overdone, overdone! There's such a thing as reducing the overall contrast TOO much. Someone said the other day, "HDR is the new Star filter". Indeed.
HDR is very useful for bringing the dynamic range closer to what the eye sees - but overdone, it just looks fake, and not compelling.
wow love it!
they really are awesome pictures and omg 4597 diggs to this picture its well deserved i love some of photos and wish if they come widescreen as wallpapers i am thumbing up on this one :)
WOW...What wonderful pictures! They are awsome, Thanks for sharing! Nice!
caricatures
love animation
a -caricature
i like allmost every work from U. Thanks for hours of tutorials. stay tuned.
this is totally awesoooooooome... ten thumbs up for this collection bro :D
Very nice collection, wish to see more!
Hey guys, thanks for the Great graphics.
Add my favorite photos and blog
http://www.ezgieren.info/blogumun-yeni-kategorisi-resimler/
Very nice collection.
very very nice HDR photo.
Very Beautyful.
http://www.ootytour.com
i insterested and will bookmark it, thank
Super! thanks for sharing.
Elinize kolunuza sa?l?k evlatlar. On numara olmu?. Bende zaten Fiyat adl? sitede kulland?m bunlar?. Saolun.
Very few of these are what most people would call 'beautiful'. They look fake or like bad illustrations.
beautifulllllllllll......................................................
I really like Photomatix, but i find that it falls very short on so many photos i have, which is where Artizen HDR comes into play for me. Not only does it do all of my HDR work for me, but i can work with all of my RAW's and us it as my RAW converter.
Stunning photos. Thanks for posting.
okok!???????????
hey that's great job...
keep it up
Oh my goodness... these graphics are excellent quality!!!
Awesome photos, if they're not be modified.
Stunning photos - wherever they came from :)
Wow, these graphics are amazing. Thank you for posting these.
amazing pictures
hguhf
Very cool pics!!!
i just discoverd hdr and tried the photomatix on one of my photos and it came up delicious with only three photos in landscape but i did not overdo the conversion i think some of the photos are overdone this make them to cartoonish
but still arty i think i will use this a lot now
this may be a new era in photography along with digital
I do like many of these HDR images, but they do look a bit weird. They look like they've been solarized. Most of what I've seen so far are very surreal images, rather than an image with more headroom to capture shadow and highlight details.
In many of these pictures, the light levels seem off.
Anyway, they are cool images.
B&W HDR

Nice pictures you got here.
Thanks!
Wow.. very awesome pictures...
all pictures are very beautiful.
and the second one is my favorite picture.
Marvelously stylized photos! The stylization adds a new dimension to the same old so-called realistic photographic styles. Realism is not real to begin with. So why bother? Here, the hard-color-contrast stylization deepens the meaning of the photos transforming whatever subject is focused on into icons. BRAVO!
I am an amateur photographer and very passionate about my work. I havn't given photoshop much thought until lately, and I keep seeing all of the wonderful things people are doing and then I find these AWESOME works of art and I want to create work like this also. I would love to know more about this style of work! It is mind blowing what you can do with an ordinary picture. Thanks for sharing these works with us, and for opening my eyes to something new!!!
Wow, absolutely mindblowing.
I think its time I gave this a shot!
Thanks a bunch for the tips and advice.
Awsome !!
terrific !!
so fucking great pictures
Venice Italy
simply mind blowing!!!!
thanx man
http://www.sicakblog.com
http://www.atesliblog.com
awsome pictures whoow!
These are great! thanks for sharing. I'll have to learn more about this.
Wow. that audi is really impressive... I would love to have that car.
"enhanced images" ... you mean not really what it looks like, more like photoshop, not the real thing --- Dont get me wrong im sure you have to be good a adding effects, but dont tell me it is a even better picture. For art pretty cool, for photography they kinda suck
I find this site: www.hdrcreme.com
HDRcreme is the first HDR photo gallery that let you share photos, explore and learn about High dynamic range imaging. HDRcreme is a free image hosting service.
Great selection, I like it!
How are they able to capture movement in an HDR photograph? specifically the one with the planes, the beach, the cattle, and the smoke?
i've been expirementing alot, but i'm unable to successful capture any motion.
any help would be awesome
Wow. Some of those are pretty fun! Nice concept. Amazing work!
These are just awesome! (like drupal!)
forgot one
There is an art to using HDR without going overboard. I think a lot of people do over do it. When it comes to portaits, HDR, shouldn't be used. It makes people and animals look more like aliens then earthly creatures. Here are some realistic HDRs, which are what I prefer.
Nice pictures you got here. This pieces motivate me more to continue learning.
Thanks!
Great work. Some of the images can really be used for wall poster.
Great pics and thanks for sharing. As for that coffee, I wonder if you've got a tastee for Kenyan coffee?
I love them!
Those who say these pictures don't look real... Could you please let me know why do all pictures have to look real????
I have to say that there are a lot of techniques to make better image and HDR can be one of these but all of these example are horrible over done. They are dramatic but really are not that interesting once you get over the extreme contrast.
If you are going to highlight HDR images, you might want to try to find ones that are well done as opposed to these that are done using default settings and create really false looking images.
It's just like wearing too much make up - it does not look natural and it does not look attractive.
amazing work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How old is the fire truck at the very top of the set???? Ity looks kinda 80's feel on it.
_________________________
Audi 100 Parts | Audi 100 Catalytic Converter
Pah! Most of them are taken from the smashing magazine post - and what a surprise, just 3 days after they posted it.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/03/10/35-fantastic-hdr-pictures/
They don't look real - they look like videogame graphics.
I like them, it's just that... they look all fake, and not real. Except for that photo someone posted in the comments - that one looked real.
Tonemapping for live!
Before & After magazine has been sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990. It's a nice car!
____________________
My Ford Parts
terrible masking (to say the least)... a huge pet peeve. ____________________
My Toyota Parts
You don't necessarily need an expensive digicam to be able to pull off nice HDR pictures. The key thing is being able to take a picture in several exposure settings so a tripod would be the most beneficial tool. So take a picture, properly exposed, then take a couple that is on the underexposed side and a couple on the over exposed side and then HDR them together. Also, it helps a lot if you camera can shoot RAW, as sometimes you can HDR from 1 RAW photo pretty well. All you have to do is 'develop' your RAW images in different exposures and then use the results as your HDR source images. It's great fun. Also, great pictures - keep up the great work! Yep! he's right! _____________________ My Truck Accessories
You don't necessarily need an expensive digicam to be able to pull off nice HDR pictures. The key thing is being able to take a picture in several exposure settings so a tripod would be the most beneficial tool. So take a picture, properly exposed, then take a couple that is on the underexposed side and a couple on the over exposed side and then HDR them together. Also, it helps a lot if you camera can shoot RAW, as sometimes you can HDR from 1 RAW photo pretty well. All you have to do is 'develop' your RAW images in different exposures and then use the results as your HDR source images. It's great fun. Also, great pictures - keep up the great work! Yep! he's right! _____________________ My Truck Accessories
You don't necessarily need an expensive digicam to be able to pull off nice HDR pictures. The key thing is being able to take a picture in several exposure settings so a tripod would be the most beneficial tool. So take a picture, properly exposed, then take a couple that is on the underexposed side and a couple on the over exposed side and then HDR them together.
Also, it helps a lot if you camera can shoot RAW, as sometimes you can HDR from 1 RAW photo pretty well. All you have to do is 'develop' your RAW images in different exposures and then use the results as your HDR source images. It's great fun.
Also, great pictures - keep up the great work!
Hey guys, thanks a lot for the comments... we have a new post on hdr photos, HDR: Superb HDR Pics of Grafitti! Check it out! http://abduzeedo.com/superb-hdr-pics-grafitti
you got a cup of colombian coffe, would you send me some tutorials or anything like that? I'm a begginer and wanna practice :)
Really nice picture of the firetruck. Sort of reminds me of Dodge Trucks specifically my Dodge Ram. Keep it up!
Great work - some of your stuff is especially good. What are you using? I am using Photomatix. I am a bit of a beginner, but really enjoying HDR. Here are some of my efforts (most, but not all, not all are HDR): http://www.flickr.com/photos/eldubyer/. Please feel free to comment on my stuff, as we can all benefit from tips and advice. For the meantime, keep up your great work - it's an inspiration!!
very beautiful pictures. thanks. ;)
good photos...
Absolutely Beautiful, it's like opening your eyes for the first time, so much clarity and contrast. Great pics, cool concept.
What I find amusing is the fact that so many of you are disrespecting others artistic expression. We should embrace different techniques and styles, even if they look "fake". As a highly trained photographer, who shot for YEARS with nothing automatic (my first camera was an Original Nikon FM circa 1977, purchased in 2000), I had to learn the art of photography. Now with the advent of Digital I think branching out and experimenting is definitely an advantage and great fun. There are so many styles and techniques and perspectives to visual media. Perhaps we should see the beauty in an image rather than spout ignorant, tasteless comments because something isn't in the style we prefer.
Dude.. they're not bad at all.
"Most of these shots are so ugly. Might as well take your picture and throw em in a microwave.
* puke"
Or he can take your Picture and post it here, You alone tops all these in ugliness, Get a life.
Nice pics man, don't listen too people here who can't even spell their own name... They're all uptight because their parents don't love 'em
I think your photos are tremendous. I have doing photography for years but am new to HDR, any tips on shooting people this way?
HDR has gotten me back into photography again. I love it.
...and as Presell was saying... what is a nice camera to buy with a +/-2 auto bracketing
http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/ProductDetail.page?pid=25235
..this is nice but I'm on a budget!
I think the pictures are very well done - you have definitely peaked my interest. I am new to photography and am amazed by all of the tools that can be utilized to increase the aesthetic value of the shots. The links and info provided by the folks who added comments that actually matter will be put to good use as well.
Please ignore the negative feedback from the self important "art critics" out there; it takes real brains to give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.
Thank you for sharing your talent and allowing others to share theirs and their information!
I think most of you are off your rocker. These aren't fine art photography pieces. Most of these photos with HDR effects applied to them would best be suited for magazines. I agree some of them are ridiculous and have no or next to little balance (coliseum) , but some of them would work well.
Kitsch is the word that first comes to mind when viewing these images. It's one of the reasons that sites such as Flickr can be very tedious to go through. Ahhh Yuck!!!
This is absolutely HORRIBLE. The only good one is the last b/w the rest are kitsch crap. HDR can be good if when you look at it you cant tell its HDR. But most of these are absolutely horrible. This is not photography. Thats why its probably on a blog about DESIGN.
OH MY GOD
I just pucked in my mouth
How much does a good HDR program typically cost? Great pics, BTW!
For those of you interested in HDR. There's a free programme available for download called FDR Tools. You'll find it at: http://www.fdrtools.com/front_e.php
Oh so fake! The point of HDR is to make high dynamic range scenes look more REALISTIC...the way your eye sees the scene when you took the shot. Some of these shots look like they should be in a comic book.
So awesome!! I am going to list this post in Computer Link Magazine next issue!
Sweet. Most all of these look like a video game. Where can I purchase a Wii that will connect to my scooped out eye sockets?
eshehtrshrt
Here's a great tutorial of a fake HDR effect using Photoshop: http://www.nill.cz/index.php?set=tu1. They also offer an action including the same steps.
Fabio: Parabéns pelo excelente blog! Congrats for the awesome blog!
Hi Andrew
I found this handy: http://stuckincustoms.com/2006/06/06/548/
Loving HDR, is there any tutorials on how to go about it? i'm fairly new to photography?
Simply beautiful. Thanks
Great Photos!
And one of mine.....
Oh yes - in response to the blogger, I use photomatix. I actually bought the thing, so much did I like it. The beta version of the new version is worth getting (esp if you're on vista).
It's nice for boosting single pics too - I've made the colours really pop out of previously dull pics before.
Also, having AEB on all the time is great (for landscape stuff) - as even if most of the pics will make crap HDRs, you have three exposures to work from, so are less likely to have a pic that fails because of poor exposure.
And... ahem... one of mine :)
I was never a fan of hdr images before,but these are just amazing. It's just too bad that some people abuse this technique,thinking it will make up for the lack of photography skills
cheers,
Dmitri
Apart of the different taste people show in HDR-photography it shows once again in the comments that people posting anonymously are to be considered real trolls. Not having the guts to provide a name or link to one's website speaks for itself. Guys and dolls: you're discrediting yourself! @abduzeedo: again a nice (polarizing) post - keep it up...
Nice top 20! The firetruck is definitely well done!
Incase anyone wants to view more HDR photos, I have plenty of them on my site.
Nice selection ;-)
Here's one of mine :
I am hooked on HDR. I know from experience that some images work better than others. It is all trial and error. I love the effect because it takes photography to another level of creativity. Maybe that is why some don't like it. It is all subjective in the end. I have quite a few HDR images posted on my blog. If you would like to look please follow this link http://slgphoto.aminus3.com
I think that maybe most ppl on here might just be jealous that they cannot produce such creative images...This is about artistic ability and creativity...There are many aspects and ideas about photography, I have learned to respect and appreciate them all.
I love these series of photos!!!
You get a large coffee from me!!!!!
I'm still debating whether to buy the HDR program or not. Probably not. My sample tries turned out looking like cartoons or illustrations. So I think you have to use HDR very sparingly unless you want that effect. I especially like the cow and the airplanes shot although to me they don't look like "real" photos. However, a lot of the photos here already have good composition and would stand alone as excellent even without HDR. Hats off to Greg who outlined how to get the effect in Photoshop. Thanks, Greg. I'll give that a try.
Most of these shots are so ugly. Might as well take your picture and throw em in a microwave.
* puke
After going through these images, I expected the vast majority to have ultra-high definition images linked somewhere on the page -- so far, only found a couple worthwhile ones which were higher than 1600x1200 resolution ... oh well ...
These are beautiful! Now, where's the time saving .torrent file to download the lot, so I can add them all to desktop background rotation ...
Nice photos. A couple are too much. But I quite like most of them.
Fix your links to porn off here.. for goodness sake, if you are going to blog and let people comment; at least clean out the crap and spam!
Wow great shot between them, not all. Some are a little bit to much for me...
They look horribly fake. More like illustrations than photos. That's fine for a specific effect, but for most photos you want natural colors. HDR is best when it's used subtly to enhance photos which would otherwise be impossible with one exposure: blown out windows, for instance. I've seen it used wonderfully in a few photos in a church where the stained glass was always blowing out. The final result looked natural and real. The photos above might look cool now, while the technique is new and fresh, but they're starting to look dated and unoriginal. Too much focus on the color saturation and not enough focus on actually taking good pictures.
The end result of a perfectly executed HDR image is that the viewer should not be aware that it has been manipulated.
It should look like a photograph that has a lot of detail in shadow and highlight area but not overdone to the point that it looks unreal.
You can certainly push it past reality at which point it becomes an illustration (and there's nothing wrong with that).
But those who use the technique well, use it in moderation.
One excellent use is in extending the range of interiors that have blown-out window highlights. The eye can see both the room details and the outside details but both cannot usually be captured together on an image unless one lights the interior. HDR can do this easily with a series of exposures from about minus 2 to plus 2 in one-stop increments.
Once the novelty of this technique wears off, we will begin to see a more realistic use of it. Until then, brace yourself for some bizarre images (not all bad, BTW).
An application (other than Photomatix) is FDRTools which we use on our DSLR Photography Workshop Cruise (http://www.dpcorner.com/cruise).
terrible masking (to say the least)... a huge pet peeve.
Funny when sissies make sissy comments about HDR images.
Sure there are bad images, but making them surreal is in the control of the artist.
What if he really intends to show it that way, artistically?
Not the best selection though, except maybe
for the WW2 like image, not the usual stuff you can find anywhere.
Yuck.
HDR: read HDR Capture, Compressed dynamic range results = ugly and unreal looking pictures.
IMO (obviously)
Here's another one they missed:
disappointing selection of images.
Here's one they missed.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjoes_photos/2152843748/in/set-72157603784...
One coffee for you from Ukraine ;)
I'm truly fascinated by HDR photography. But I have to admit that there are not much good examples around. Some of your findings I truly like, but most of them are to much of a trick. Almost like a photshop action. I'm working on some of my own. And I have to admit isn't easy.
Fantastic collection. Thank you!
amazing!!
These pictures do not look good. The color is totally oversaturated. It's not natural at all.
How is this supposed to be good? Try taking real pictures, it's much harder.
Dont like this at all.
MSG for Presell
The 350d can bracket at +/- 2 but I'd seriously consider a 400d now the 450d has been released. The 400d has much better features over the 350d for not much extra cost.
Paul