How to Make a Portrait HDR

Making an HDR Portrait with Your DSLR

• 1

  Access your camera's HDR mode. On DSLRs equipped with such an option, the mode is accessed using the digital interface and button control pad. If your camera is not equipped with HDR mode, enable the Exposure Bracketing function and Continuous Shooting mode. This mimics HDR mode, providing three images of the same subject taken at varying exposures. For best results, bracket your exposure by at least 1 EV (exposure value) intervals.

• 2

  Position your model as desired. Select a backdrop which will be accentuated by the HDR effect, such as a dense green forest or a beach shoreline at sunset. For studio shoots, select a backdrop and lighting arrangement that will complement your model's skin tone. Preview your shot by glancing through your camera's viewfinder.

• 3

  Look through the viewfinder and compose your shot. Depress the shutter button halfway to lock focus on a particular area of your subject's face, usually the eyes.

• 4

  Press and hold the shutter all the way down while the three exposures are made. Grip your camera firmly and tuck your elbows into your body as you shoot to prevent the camera shake that leads to blurred edges in your resulting images.

• 5

  Review your work using your camera's LCD screen, specifically checking the histogram for clipped highlights or shadows. Take several shots from a variety of different angles to ensure that you obtain useable results.

Making an HDR Portrait with Image Editing Software

• 6

  Open the portrait using your preferred image editing software. Many recently released programs come equipped with an HDR toning option, such as Adobe Photoshop CS5 and GIMP. If your software does not offer an HDR toning option, plug-ins are typically available from the manufacturer's website or as third-party options.

• 7

  Select "Image" from the top toolbar and highlight "Adjustments." Click "HDR Toning" or a similarly titled option from the drop-down menu that appears. As interface varies across software programs, refer to the "Help" option at the top toolbar if you are having difficulty locating the HDR option.

• 8

  Add a slightly glowing edge to your model's jaw, eyes and lips by moving the slider notch on the "Edge Glow" bar to the right. Increase the intensity of the glow by moving the notch on the "Radius" bar. Depending on the software you're using, the terminology of the software in this and the following step may vary.

• 9

  Refine the tones and detail in your portrait by adjusting the notches on the "Exposure," "Detail," "Shadow" and "Highlight" bars. Enrich the colors by increasing "Saturation" and "Vibrance."

• 10

  Save your image once the desired effect is achieved. Preserve the original file by renaming your image prior to saving.