Natural HDR editing for landscapes and interiors

HDR blends multiple exposures to keep detail in highlights and shadows. Done badly, it looks gray, haloed and surreal.

Capture well

Bracket 3 to 5 frames at 1 to 2 stops apart on a tripod. Keep aperture and ISO fixed.

Merge in Lightroom

Select brackets, right-click and choose Photo Merge > HDR. Enable auto align and deghosting for moving elements like trees or water. The result is a DNG with expanded range.

Edit like a normal photo

Start with exposure, then lower highlights and lift shadows, but leave contrast. Real scenes have dark areas.

Avoid the HDR look

• Halos around edges: reduce clarity and local contrast
• Gray whites: set a proper white point
• Muddy shadows: keep some deep blacks
• Oversaturation: lower vibrance

Manual blending

For the most natural results, blend exposures manually in Photoshop with luminosity masks, revealing the best parts of each frame.

Lightroom’s HDR output

Lightroom can export true HDR images for compatible screens, where highlights glow brighter. It is an emerging option for web galleries.