When Photoshop is done processing the HDR image you’ll be taken to the standard Photoshop window where you can begin post processing your photo. Once you’re done tone mapping, click the Create HDR image button to let Photoshop process your HDR image. When it comes to color with HDR, Photoshop handles it in a very dull way, at least within the tone mapping window. Trying to create anything dynamic with the tone mapping options provided only gets you unwanted results, especially when adding saturation to the image. Photoshop produces more realistic images best. The tone mapping options in Adobe Photoshop CS5 is very limited but there’s enough to produce some decent HDR images. In this window you can let Photoshop remove any ghosting in your image by clicking the Remove ghosts check box. When Photoshop has finished merging the images you’ll be taken automatically to the tone mapping window. To merge your exposures simply click the OK button. You can do this by clicking on the check box on the bottom left of the window. When you’ve loaded all your exposures you have the option to let Photoshop Align your images.
#HDR ADOBE LIGHTROOM 5 HOW TO#
However there is a way around that, I’ll explain how to later. You must load 2 or more exposures, Photoshop will not allow you to create an HDR image from a single file. Once you have Adobe Photoshop open all you need to do is go to the top menu click on File/Automate/Merge to HDR Pro… this will give you a window where you can load your exposures. But as much as it has improved, it still doesn’t compare to the other HDR programs.Ĭreating high dynamic range images with Adobe CS5 is pretty easy.
#HDR ADOBE LIGHTROOM 5 UPGRADE#
In the latest updated version found in CS5 the Merge to HDR tool went through a big upgrade with some much need features. The original HDR features found in the older versions was something not even worth mentioning because of it’s lack of functionality. Adobe might be the leader in image editing but their HDR capabilities fall short compared to the other HDR programs that I’ve tested.Īdobe Photoshop CS5’s Merge to HDR function is an upgrade of the original HDR tool provided in Photoshop CS3 and CS4.
#HDR ADOBE LIGHTROOM 5 SOFTWARE#
Adobe Photoshop is the leader in image editing software so it’s no surprised that Adobe has their own process for creating high dynamic range images. Take a look at Trey Ratcliff’s portfolio to see some good examples.Posted Ma– Adobe Photoshop CS5 will be the eleventh HDR software to be tested and reviewed by Captain Kimo. When it’s done right, it can be beautiful. Some shadows and highlights are necessary in order to perceive depth. If it’s over-saturated, hyper-realistic or blurry it’s very unappealing. Some people dislike HDR because they have only seen it when it’s very overdone. Keep in mind that if there’s movement your camera shutter speed will need to be fast. The important thing is to balance the increase in detail with a realistic view of the scene.īacklit or high contrast scenes can benefit from using HDR as well. That’s one of the greatest benefits of HDR-the additional details. Just like with interiors, when it’s not possible to get the correct exposure in the sky and in the terrain at the same time, combining several exposures into one can have much better results. If it’s bright and sunny outside the camera will either expose correctly for the shadows and blow out the highlights, or expose correctly for the highlights and lose details in the shadows.Īnother scenario where HDR photography works well is landscapes. One of the best uses for HDR is for photographing architecture, especially interiors. By using HDR in post processing, we can create an image with more detail in both the highlights and the shadows and that is much closer to what the eye sees. When we look at something, our eyes see a much wider range of light and dark than a camera can capture. What is HDR or High Dynamic Range? Dynamic Range is the variation from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows in a scene.
But if you take those sliders too far it can make the highlights gray and the shadows noisy.Īnother solution to the problem is to create an HDR image. With the shadow slider you can lighten the shadows to get more detail. You can use the highlight slider to take down the highlights and bring back some detail. Software like Lightroom is able to do a lot when it comes to fixing a photo that is either over or under-exposed. Do you expose for the shadows and blow out the highlights? Or do you expose for the highlights and lose everything in the shadows? It really just depends on your personal and artistic preference. Photographing a high-contrast or backlit scene can be challenging.