Black and white photography, celebrated for its nuanced beauty and rich tonal range, thrives on today’s modern High Dynamic Range (HDR) computer screen technology. In this tutorial, I will teach you how to use the latest monitor technology to craft stunning High Dynamic Range (HDR) black and white images using Adobe Lightroom Classic.
Click here to download the examples in this video and play along! (Subscribers Only)
Important Viewing Advisory
To appreciate the full impact of Lightroom’s new HDR Editing Mode, please watch this lesson on a recent model smartphone, tablet, or computer display using the Google Chrome web browser. The latest generation of computer monitors and smartphone screens can showcase a vastly expanded color and tonal spectrum.
Older displays, and other types of web browsers, may not accurately reproduce the expanded tonal range needed for this technique.
HDR Mode Editing Is Different
This lesson is NOT about the often-artificial “HDR look” of the past. At no point in this tutorial am I going to use Lightroom’s Merge to HDR command or any other tone-mapping feature. Set your old expectations about “HDR” aside please, and let me show you how to craft nuanced, impactful monochrome images that utilize the full dynamic range of a modern display.
The Revelation of HDR Black and White
Traditional Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) editing inherently compresses the vast tonal information captured in our raw files. HDR Editing Mode unlocks this hidden potential, allowing for brighter highlight details and a richness that adds depth, clarity, and dimension to your black and white photographs.
Don’t let your stunning black and white images languish from the limitations of yesterday’s display technology. It is time to experience the HDR / XDR display revolution! Learn how to make your black and white photos pop with detail and impact on modern screens.
Click here to see a gallery of High Dynamic Range black and white images edited with these new techniques.
