35 Fantastic HDR Images
Applied carefully, High Dynamic Range-technique (HDR) can create incredibly beautiful pictures which blur our sense of the difference between reality and illusion. In graphics HDR imaging is a set of techniques that allow a far greater dynamic range of exposures than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to the deepest shadows. This is usually achieved by modifying photos with image processing software for tone-mapping. And the results can be really incredible; in fact, many artists and designers come up with some pretty fancy results.
Further Reading on SmashingMag: #
- (Really) Stunning Pictures and Photos
- 50 Beautiful Examples Of Tilt-Shift Photography
- 50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Photo Tutorials
This post covers 35 extremely beautiful and perfectly executed HDR-pictures. Some of them might look surreal, too colorful, even magic or fake, but they are not — keep in mind that they’ve all been developed out of usual photos, and not a single image is an illustration.
Please notice:
- the selection isn’t supposed to be complete which is why we encourage you to post links to further excellent HDR images in the comments to this post;
- there is no ranking, all pictures have been selected due to their outstanding quality and excellent execution;
- you can explore further works of the designers and photographers we’ve featured below by browsing through their sets on Flickr;
- all screenshots are clickable and lead to the pages from which they’ve been taken.
Fantastic HDR Pictures #
![HDR images](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/9047032c-25cc-4b6d-aa12-922e49f8b648/hdr-10.jpg)
![HDR images - Dranesville Tavern](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/7202fb18-7cc9-499f-9ec5-0ea44206be0c/hdr-76.jpg)
![HDR Photos - untitled](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/234f987f-1d7b-405a-af94-b5a5fee9c658/hdr-11.jpg)
![HDR Photos - A postcard for the Margarita island](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/bd58671a-07b8-4f56-b544-e7daff89ff6c/hdr-49.jpg)
![HDR Photos - One Night in Bangkok](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/8dbcbfff-9ca3-409a-b189-3597aaf20d32/hdr-6.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Caracara takes off](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/3e9c515f-7637-484e-b49a-8414d2aa0e56/hdr-96.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Los Tres Magia](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/27880ad0-5f15-4d02-914c-20d13aa91283/hdr-103.jpg)
![HDR Photos - 871 @ Sattahip Naval Base (Thailand)](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/07c74374-2cb8-4a13-9fe3-963690e51ff9/hdr-115.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Golden Gate HDR](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/6464492f-bd3e-4c11-ba50-8971de1de548/hdr-67.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Inverted Vertigo](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/c1e537fe-1928-445c-bb33-8470e554d26a/hdr-9.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Helix Nebula Over Paris DRI](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/60139105-9ed0-4d7c-b01a-cd5200f9339d/hdr-99.jpg)
![HDR Photos - From above...](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/d960b10c-155b-4834-9fc5-dd5b444d2fc7/hdr-38.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Catedral de Malaga 2 (HDR)](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/077fa3e7-a238-4aa6-aae4-0298273841db/hdr-46.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Sparkle in Her Eye - HDR](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/8c11aace-3627-4247-b796-4627a11ce9a7/hdr-105.jpg)
![HDR Photos - The Solitude of the Fisherman](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/98f0e150-614d-4558-8036-56773843b4a0/hdr-44.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Greece is the word...](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/38f9918a-5c78-4c79-b7c0-251ed922395c/hdr-68.jpg)
![HDR Photos - My own peace of mind - HDR by *equinoxe7 on deviantART](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/75828677-0d02-4bd6-af57-94a20e1ba85b/hdr-82.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Devil Hotel](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/5a6ced0b-f93b-433a-bfd1-becb6fa8109d/hdr-101.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Home_is_where_the_cello_is](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/67114c85-ae5e-430b-9fef-274a752403e5/hdr-20.jpg)
![HDR Photos - The Veins of Bangkok](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/f00408c1-1886-4df0-bf39-bf44772f16b3/hdr-59.jpg)
![HDR Photos - captured emotion](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/36180dae-71ca-47a4-b8fe-326a34bd9ef8/hdr-102.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Heart of Satan - What it looks like when fireworks explode inside of a storm cloud over a river](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/20969679-2077-4cdc-aa09-e66be8463376/hdr-29.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Bridge](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/738cc0d0-0a3c-4462-878f-4edbbbfa273f/bridge.jpg)
![HDR Photos - foggy wood (Published in March 08 National Geographic)](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/928decbe-9a50-4711-a77d-e5b6356b0ade/hdr-75.jpg)
![HDR Photos - City at 60 degrees North / Icebreaker Krasin](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/f48e18ad-828a-4b23-99ae-330a964aad0b/hdr-12.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Mistral Action](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/463fc399-4a04-4200-ac47-7e49a5ceadca/hdr-19.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Breakwater @ Pirita](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/9898b909-db43-4c77-8085-ec327d76112c/hdr-22.jpg)
![HDR Photos - : Photo by Photographer Maciek Duczynski](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/dfad1be3-6fc6-49b5-bdb8-fb52eab3fcbc/hdr-64.jpg)
![HDR Photos - A Mushroom with a view](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/6e19f6c8-c051-434f-83f8-142c2783725b/hdr-112.jpg)
![HDR Photos - ECO Lake](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/4a0d572d-b435-4585-b8cc-0a450affa645/hdr-27.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Icy Landscape](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/aee60626-f15b-4361-a37b-b88914f5f150/hdr-13.jpg)
![HDR Photos - A cokin sunset](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/ddc70a5a-1d2c-4147-b4c2-8f581d9ac811/hdr-31.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Clark Quay Reflected](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/259f4a3b-0130-45ff-aeb0-618372da0525/hdr-47.jpg)
![HDR Photos - I have sailed the seven seas ...](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/9c2e1025-ec67-4c0a-8aab-0f2e31eb4f98/hdr-8.jpg)
![HDR Photos - The Aliens Have Landed](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/e5c510b8-6c05-4df0-8e16-722f960993e8/hdr-17.jpg)
![HDR Photos - City of lights](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/43347889-bfb1-4a2c-a915-8be38efaf46d/hdr-57.jpg)
![HDR Photos - Flickr: Discussing Your Best HDR Sunrise or Sunset in HDR Unlimited](https://archive.smashing.media/assets/344dbf88-fdf9-42bb-adb4-46f01eedd629/3913761f-1060-4d74-9e04-1da47493f2ea/hdr-32.jpg)
— Comments 345
thanks a lot!
So kitsch :p