You have seen the photos, the colors more vivid and contrast around the clouds more pronounced. The effect can be done by taking a light and dark image, then merging the two together. This method takes a few seconds as you have to take two pictures without moving. Another option is through apps like Dynamic Light. The application, along with providing many other filters, can enhance a photo to may pretty dramatic images.
This effect doesn’t work well for all images and there are folks that don’t like the over ‘sharpness’ of HDR. Where you will notice the biggest impact is in photos that has very light detail. These will be brought forward to be contrasted against what was the front most details of the untouched image.
Dynamic Light auto applies a light HDR upon opening an image in it.
Beneath the name of the filter is a dial to adjust the percent of the filter being applied. Roll it to the right to apply more, to the right to lighten the effect.
The Dynamic Light app will work on images taken with it or from the iPhone’s Photo Library. The Fx button holds many more tuning filters. Tap to choose a filter, each can also be adjusted through the dial.
If you like the HDR effect and don’t think the default Dynamic Light enhancement is enough, just choose the ‘Overcooked HDR’ filter.
One of the filters Dynamic Light offers that you will see a lot on Instagram is Orton, which can be applied with the original image color or convert to Black & White.
While adjusting any image, it’s easy to loose track of what you started with. Dynamic Light offers a button bottom center that moves the view from Original image, to a split screen and back to the image with filters applied.
The dial along the left edge of the lower section of Dynamic Light can be used to adjust the light source area. A great tool for bringing up a darker area that you need to show.
Saving the image has the option of saving the original and altered image which is a handy feature if you took the picture with the app.
Finally, with Dynamic Light’s Overcooked HDR and Orton color applied… took an image of a dark day at Starbucks to a shot that goes POW!