- an introduction

Apple has a unique policy - and if people disagree about it - regarding updating and upgrading its products, focusing on software and not on hardware, so when we compare the iPhone with some other mobile devices, we will find that many of them outperform it with hardware features such as camera resolution in mega pixels, memory size, bluetooth, etc.

But Apple's focus on the software and its continuous development made it outperform all of these devices with two features, all of which are from the software core, not from hardware:

XNUMX- Compatibility: between the software and the hardware as a result of their conformity and manufacture by one company, and this high interoperability made those devices not suffer from those usual problems that we see in the rest of the devices as a result of the conflict and the difference between the device, the operating system and the programs.

XNUMX- Ease of use: the so-called UX or the user experience, which allowed a wide spread of the iPhone among all categories and a great distinction between other devices.

And with the new software update for iPhone No. 4.1, which we have presented to you A complete guide Around it. Apple came with a new software feature that some thought would only come with a change in hardware, as it relates to the iPhone's camera, which is the HDR or shortcut feature from High Dynamic Range or High Dynamic Range imaging, which is simply and briefly a change in the lighting and colors of the image in order to get closer to reality. More and more, as “the human eye can see a range of colors that the cameras cannot capture, so some use high dynamic image technology to bring the captured images closer to the realistic colors.” This is done by combining a set of images captured with different lights from the camera and then producing a new image that is accurate And higher clarity and great conformity to reality, by adjusting the image brightness in an intermediate state between extreme darkness and extreme brightness and showing the missing details.

- HDR history

This technology or this type of file is a need that photographers have had to, beginning in 1850, to improve illumination in seascapes, but the real development of it was in 1930 by Charles Weisscoff, who used several layers and exposures of images to produce his image of a nuclear explosion published on the cover of Life magazine.

Then this technology was really known in 1980 by George Ward as the founder of these files, and then Paul Debyvik came to be the one who applied it using graphics techniques on the computer to produce colors with true accuracy.

Commercially, Photoshop was a pioneer in 2005 in applying this technology to it, and then Apple came in 2010 to include it inside the iPhone.

The importance of HDR

There is no doubt that the production of high-resolution and close images is the goal of every amateur and professional photographer who acquires the best cameras and various technologies for him, and the iPhone comes as the first initiator in the mobile market to include this technology in his camera and thus he is pulling more segments of amateur photographers to use the iPhone and be satisfied with it In their shots.

From a technical point of view, the importance of HDR technology lies in giving real physical values ​​to the image in terms of luminance and light ray as we see it in reality, and this is what makes the difference in it from the traditional images that were taken.

Also, when you try to take a picture on a sunny day and because of the light, your photo is liable to lose parts of its details due to the contrast of light from one side to the other and the different degrees of light on those details and from here came HDR technology to adjust this contrast and produce an image with real details. The right, with its details after it was captured in HDR, and how it differed from the image on the left, in which the details (such as the details of the sky and clouds) were absent due to the light:

How does HDR work on iPhone:

We have to note that this new feature and coming in the new update of iPhone 4.1 only works on iPhone 4, but since this feature is software, there are paid applications in the software store that enable you to take advantage of this feature by taking two pictures with two different lights and then merging and processing them, but These programs only process a maximum of two images, and one of these programs is an application Per HDR Or, Photoshop can be used to process captured images and generate an HDR image

As for iPhone 4 owners, taking a picture with this technology is very easy, by using the original camera program and operating the HDR upper button, and note that the flash will be stopped at that time, and if you want the flash to work, the HDR work will be disabled

After turning on the HDR in the camera and capturing the image, the captured image will be saved in two copies per day, the first images are normal and the second processed by HDR Watch them and notice the difference between them.

When should you use HDR

The truth is that the use of this technology does not suit all shooting situations, but the shot and light must be well estimated before using this technique and then decide whether or not to use HDR, and this matter is known to experts in photography and its arts.

The best situation for using HDR is when the scene to be photographed has parts that are very bright and others are covered by a lot of darkness, then you can use this technology to take a picture that balance between intense brightness and extreme darkness and the missing details appear in both parts. By experimenting, you will definitely know that.

HDR photo samples

In the example the article is illustrated, and I have tried here to bring the best image that expresses the great benefit that this technology brings to your photos taken on the iPhone, which we review as follows:

  • Notice in the following picture how all the details behind that guy appeared with HDR after they were completely absent due to the light when not in use:

  • Note in the following picture how the level of lighting in the sky and the ground improved after using HDR, so that some details appeared in it:

  • And notice in the following picture how the colors are closer to nature than the picture, meaning that it is real and not artificial:

- Your experience with HDR

If you are a user of iPhone 4 and have upgraded to the new update No. 4.1, then you may try this new feature and shoot in HDR mode.

Information: Tell some developers that they have enabled HDR for iPhone 3G and 3GS devices. All you have to do is wait for the jailbreak and you will find in Cydia a program that does this service for you.

Tell us about your experience, what did you think of this technology, and how it served you as an amateur photographer? Show us some samples of your photos through it.

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