Capture a classic view
Extend your dynamic range
1 Take several frames Use a tripod and set manual (M) mode, then work out an exposure for the overall scene. Once done, under-expose the scene by altering the shutter speed in order to record detail in the brightest highlights. Alternatively, set aperture-priority mode and enable your camera’s Bracketing function, then take a series of three or more bracketed exposures. 2 Blend the exposures There are lots of dedicated HDR programs you could use to blend your exposures. Photoshop features the excellent Merge to HDR Pro command (File > Automate > Merge to HDR Pro). Select the files you want to blend then use the sliders to control shadow and highlight detail. Done subtley, it can result in really naturallooking images that don’t look over-processed.