From Don Peters/ DPA instructor in Chicago

To view more of his images please visit http://digitalphotoacademy.com/portfolio/donald-peters/

Hot air balloons are undeniably colorful (and shapely) subjects to photograph, but in the light just minutes after dawn they looked flat against the still dark background.   I was able to solve the problem again by using HDR, taking a rapid series of 5 shots, with in-camera adjusted apertures, to gain a much broader range of light than would be achieved with a single exposure.    The final result was an image much brighter and more vibrant than what I saw through the viewfinder of my camera.   Often, especially in landscape photography, I’ll make shots in both “normal” and HDR and later review the results to decide which is most compelling. (Nikon D300 (on tripod) with 18-200mm Nikkor lens at 18mm, ISO 400, 1/250, 5 exposures bracketed +/ .7 f stop, then post processed in Photomatix).