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Definition
HDR (High Dynamic Range) refers to images, displays, and video that capture or reproduce a wider range of brightness levels than standard dynamic range (SDR). HDR content preserves detail in both very bright highlights and deep shadows simultaneously.
In photography, HDR typically refers to a technique where multiple exposures of the same scene (bright, normal, dark) are merged to create a single image with detail in both shadows and highlights. Smartphone cameras automate this process — most modern phones capture several frames and merge them in real-time. The result looks more natural to the human eye, which can perceive a much wider dynamic range than any single photograph can capture.
HDR displays (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision) can produce brighter highlights and deeper blacks than SDR screens. While a standard monitor might reach 300 nits of brightness, an HDR display can hit 1,000-4,000 nits in highlights while maintaining near-black shadow levels. This requires both hardware capability (local dimming, OLED, or mini-LED backlighting) and HDR-encoded content. HDR content uses wider color gamuts (like Rec. 2020) and higher bit depths (10-bit or 12-bit) to represent these extended brightness and color ranges.
Web support for HDR is growing. AVIF and JPEG XL image formats support HDR natively. CSS media queries (prefers-color-scheme, dynamic-range) can detect HDR-capable displays. However, most web content is still authored for SDR, and ensuring consistent appearance across SDR and HDR displays requires careful color management. For photographers sharing HDR work online, converting to a tone-mapped SDR version remains the safest approach for maximum compatibility.