The software I will be demonstrating for making HDR images is Photomatix Pro. There are other pieces of software out there, but I have found Photomatix to be the easiest to use.
Step 1
Take bracketed photos of your subject. You can find the bracketing option in your camera settings. On a Canon it is called 'AEB' (Auto Exposure Bracketing), on a Nikon I think it is called 'Multiple Exposures'. Canon cameras take 3 bracketed photos, but only a minimum of 2 are needed. Although not strictly necessary a tripod is recommended for best results.
Step 2
Load up Photomatix and click the 'Load Bracketed Photos' button (hold down Ctrl to select multiple files). Only two bracketed photos are required as a minimum, but three are better. Click OK.
Step 3
On the 'Preprocessing Options' dialogue window make sure the 'align source images' and the 'crop aligned images boxes are checked. I generally find the align by 'matching features' to be the best option, but if you find the final image is not aligned try by 'horizontal and vertical shift'. (If you have used a tripod there should be no alignment issues).
Step 4
This stage of the process is difficult to teach. I would recommend choosing a result from the preset pictures at the bottom that looks close to your desired and then tweak it from there. I usually find that the colours are a little over saturated so I decrease the saturation and luminosity by a small amount.
Make sure you have the 'preview' box checked so any adjustments that you make can be seen (if your computer is slow you may wish to keep this unchecked, checking it only as needed). The best way to learn about what the individual settings do is just to play around with them and get a feeling for how they affect the picture.
Step 5
When you are happy click the 'process' button. (Again this stage can take a few minutes on slower computers).
The final result is a blend of the original pictures with the foreground, subject and background all correctly exposed.
It is worth noting that if anything moves within the frame while you are taking the bracketed photo there will be some blur in that spot in the final result. For example if you are taking a picture with some trees in the frame and the leaves/branches are moving in the wind, the leaves will be blurred.
Photomatix can be downloaded here: http://www.hdrsoft.com/
To learn more about other options available for making HDR images, or tips and tricks for Canon EOS DSLR cameras (including how to take bracketed photos) please visit my website: http://www.usemycanon.com/
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