More and more people ask me how I get such HDR photos and why I have such a strange processing "algorithm". I decided to make a separate topic in which I will try to answer these questions.
1. Theory
What is HDR and why is it needed?
HDR - High Dynamic Range, or in Russian Wide Dynamic Coverage. dynamic range measured in " exposition steps" (EV). An exposure shift of 1 EV means a 2x change in the amount of light hitting the film or digital matrix. For example, if the shooting parameters calculated by the camera are 1/50 sec (shutter speed) and f/8 (aperture), then +1 eV exposure compensation will result in shooting at 1/25 sec and f/8 in aperture priority mode, or 1/50 sec and f/5.6 in shutter priority mode.
Very often I see photographs with broken highlights and failed shadows, and almost always the authors of these photos claim that " so it was". The problem is that the dynamic range ( DD) of the human eye (the ability to see details in both highlights and shadows at the same time) is (for different people in different ways) about 20 steps, which significantly exceeds the DD of digital camera sensors.
It's sad, but DD Canon"ov is a little behind Nikon"ov. In principle, this is not "fatal" if you shoot several frames for HDR"a, which is usually done. But, having a camera with a wide aperture, you can get a pretty high-quality pseudo-HDR from one frame and at least a couple of my last shots from Prague can serve as confirmation of this.
Why is HDR needed? Then, in order for the photo to be the same as the shot scene was seen by the eyes of the photographer, i.e. details were visible both in the brightest areas and in the darkest.
HDR "a has both fans and opponents ... some people like such photos, but some do not. In my opinion, high-quality HDR looks gorgeous! The undoubted master in this area is Trey Ratcliff. By the way, from birth he is blind in one eye, but this does not bother him in any way!
HDR or not HDR, that is the question! If the scene being shot has a lot of contrast in highlights and shadows, then it makes sense to take several photos with different exposures for the HDR assembly. Such an example could be a night city or abandoned buildings. If the dynamic range of the scene is not large, then HDR may be superfluous.
2. Practice
What is needed to create an HDR photo? It is necessary to find an interesting place and grab a tripod if handheld shooting is difficult due to slow shutter speeds. Many digital cameras can remove the so-called Exposure Bracketing, which will allow you to shoot a series of frames at different shutter speeds, the first of which (depending on the camera settings) will be very dark, the middle one will be normal and the last one will be very light.
I read somewhere that it is desirable for HDR image assembly programs to have, say, 5 bracketing frames in one stop steps, rather than 3 frames, but in 2 steps. Since the exposure step on my D800 is 1EV, I usually shoot 5 frames of bracketing.
For those who shoot Nikon it might be interesting to watch a video on how to set up a camera that will shoot the entire bracketing series by itself with a single press of the shutter button. This trick is indispensable when shooting at night on long exposures- even if you shoot from a tripod, the constant pressure of your finger on the shutter button at shutter speeds of 20-30 seconds can lead to a slight shift / shake of the camera and a damaged frame.
If the spread between light and shadows is large, then sometimes I shoot 9 frames in order to "capture" as much as possible useful information like in the next two photos.
3. Processing
For those who speak English, I want to advise you to read the book, I read a lot of interesting things in it. Concerning " What is the best build program to use?"I think many will agree that Photomatix Pro is the best. Photomatix can work both independently and as a plug-in for LightRoom"a and Aperture. A big plus of this program is the ability to use presets, of which there are a sufficient number in the open spaces Internet.
I will try to describe my processing step by step.
1) All RAW "s (if someone else shoots in JPEG" ah - quit this business and switch to RAW "s) I import into LightRoom;
2) and setting the same White Balance for all frames (sometimes there is a slight discrepancy in WB);
3) Sometimes on some frames I move the Highlights & Shadows sliders;
4) I send all frames to Photomatics. 
If HDR was made from several frames and there are moving objects, I control how well Photomatics "suppressed ghosts" (Ghost removal). There is an opportunity to manually specify "problematic" areas and usually Photomatics "crushes ghosts" very well.
5) There I get a result that suits me, I save it. LightRoom automatically "clings" the result, which is almost immediately "sent" to Photoshop;
6) In Photoshop I clean various "garbage", I correct the geometry;
7) I use it very often Nik Color Effect Pro -> tonal contrast and Darken&Lighten Center;
8) I often apply noise reduction to the sky Nik Dfine;
9) Save and return to LightRoom;
10) "Adjustment brushes" in LightRoom" are very powerful local correction tools. Therefore, I almost always finalize the frame in LightRoom "e using corrective brushes in various modes (darkening, brightening, Highlights, Shadows, Clarity (both plus and minus), Sharpness and Noise). I have a lot with them easier to work with than with adjustment layers and masks in Photoshop.
11) I export the result (usually 1400pix in width), look at it and periodically find some flaws, return to LightRoom or Photoshop, eliminate them, export again, look and ... and often this process is "look-see-finish "It can drag on for a long time, until everything suits me.
12) Very often I wait until the next day and very often I finish something the next day.
Well, here is my process of processing photos ;-)
4. Video footage
This section will be of interest to those who are "friends" with English and those who want to "deepen" their knowledge in the field of HDR. I highly recommend watching all the videos.
All successful experiments in the field of HDR !!!
Automatic creation of HDR photos is possible in Adobe Photoshop since version CS2. If you're using earlier versions of Adobe Photoshop, you might want to try making an HDR photo manually using the partial layer erasing method I described in Better if the original images were taken using flash bracketing on a tripod, otherwise you'll have to come up with some way to mask the overlapped layers. plots or will be engaged in the manufacture of pseudo HDR
What is HDR and pseudo-HDR photography
You probably got photos in which there is either a very light (whitened) sky? Sometimes it turns out the other way around - the sky is worked out normally, but the landscape itself is dark ... The fact is that the matrix of a modern digital camera is far from always able to adequately convey the entire scene being shot and the photographer often has to sacrifice some details - or the sky comes out completely white without clouds, or the dark parts of the scene being shot are sacrificed: o (
A long time ago, when there were no digital cameras, and the photo-exposure meter was far from being available for every photographer, beginners (often experienced photographers) took several frames of the same subject with different ones, so that later, after developing the film, choose the best frame. Modern digital cameras allow you to automate this process - such a function is called automatic (AEB) or exposure bracketing.
4. Convert to HDR
Now it remains to click OK and start creating an HDR photo. In this case, Photoshop will return the finished HDR photo to its usual window.
So, we got a 32-bit image with extended dynamic range. Before saving, we convert the image to 8 bit:
Image > Mode > 8 Bits ⁄ Channel...
Photoshop offers us some settings for the photo (hover over and get the translation):
This window provides four methods for converting a snapshot from 32 bits to 8 bits. Some methods allow you to correct curves, but this is for advanced users. For beginners, I advise you to limit yourself to the option shown in this illustration - in extreme cases, move the engines a little Exposure (Exposure) and Gamma (Gamma)
Saving an HDR photo with 8-bit color depth
You can apply all the features of Photoshop to it.
Such high-contrast backlight shots are excellent candidates forHDR processing, but it's always easy to overdo it. Our final result shows proper restraint, producing a rich image with good dynamic range.
We've all heard this marketing gimmick: HDR has solved photography's last greatest problem by producing beautiful, lifelike images with high contrast. In most situations, it is impossible to capture the full range of tones that we see with our own eyes in one photograph. You can bring the result as close to reality as possible using exposure bracketing and combining images in special software.
Do you believe in it? Many of my students do not. They are interested in the potential of HDR photography, but are not happy unnatural results and give up because of the boredom and complexity (not to mention the cost) of learning new programs.
Imagine an approach to HDR that was cheap, used software you already know, worked non-destructively, and produced the most realistic results. Do you think this is some kind of trick? Not at all.
The solution is simple - you need to use Lightroom. All of his usual tools work for HDR in the same way as for regular RAW shots. All your edits are non-destructive, which means you can change your mind and re-edit the same file as many times as you like. Image adjustments in Lightroom do not affect pixels. Instead, it changes the set of instructions that the program uses when exporting a photo as a JPEG for web publishing or TIFF for printing. These instructions can be changed at any time.
Lightroom is relatively cheap and has a lot of features beyond HDR. Best of all, the results are better than with Photomatix Pro 5, HDR Efex Pro 2, or HDR Expose 3. In our case, the easy way is the best.
However, there are a couple of little tricks. First, you need to use Lightroom version 4.1 or higher. Earlier versions cannot work with tone-mapping (a technical term describing the editing process) of 32-bit files. To understand the second trick, you need to know a little more about how HDR works.
The process starts with an autoplug. It is advisable to put the camera on a tripod so that the pictures are the same in everything except exposure. I usually take five photos one stop apart, so my exposure ranges from two stops below the optimal value (EV -2) to two stops above (EV +2). The next step is to combine all these photos into a high dynamic range 32-bit TIFF, which brings us to the second trick. Versions of Lightroom 5.3 and earlier cannot create 32-bit files from a snapshot set. To do this, you need to use additional software.
However, there is a simple solution. You can create this file with Photoshop CS5 or higher, Photomatix Pro, or HDRsoft's Merge to 32-bit HDR Lightroom plugin.
- Translator's note- in the sixth versionLightroom now has a fusion featureHDR. To use it, you need to open the moduleDevelop, select the necessary snapshots, then open the context menu and in the sectionphotoMerge to find the required function.
- Get good local contrast in highlights and shadows to maintain a realistic look.
- Definition (Clarity is a great way to breathe life into areas that look flat, but don't go overboard. quantities (Amount) within 10-30 is usually enough. Remember that with this tool you can use Regulatory brush(Adjustment Brush) to limit the effect to the desired areas.
The simplest solution is the Merge to 32-bit HDR plugin available at www.hdrsoft.com. After installing it, simply select all the pictures in Lightroom, right-click, then select Export > Merge to 32-bitHDR(Export > Merge to 32-bit HDR). In the dialog box that pops up, I always check the box Noise reduction(Reduce Noise).
Also, if any objects (e.g. tree branches) moved while shooting, select Reducing halos(Remove Ghosts). Check the box alignment(Align Images) if shot handheld or on a shaking tripod. After you click on the Merge button, the 32-bit TIFF will automatically open in the Lightroom window.
If you already have Photomatix Pro, then you don't even need a plugin. Just open the program separately (not through Lightroom). Click the button Upload photos(Load Bracketed Photos). In the window that appears, check the box next to Show 32-bit raw image(Show 32-bit Unprocessed Image). Set the settings described above in the same way as the plugin, then click Merge(merge). If choose Show Options ( Show Options) for the Remove Ghosts tool, you will be able to specify the areas where you want to remove moving objects.
This is a more advanced technique than what is available in the plugin. You can also select automatic cleaning. If there were no moving objects in the pictures, it is better not to check the box. When the merging is complete, go to the menu File > Save As. Select the Floating Point TIFF format and click OK. You can close Photomatix as we will be using Lightroom for tone mapping. Import the saved TIFF file into Lightroom.
If you save it in the source folder, as I usually do, it will be enough just to right-click on the folder name in the panel Library(Library) and select Synchronize folder(Synchronize Folder). Make sure the checkbox Show import dialog (Show Import Dialog Before Importing) active. When a new window appears, deactivate all Develop presets and click Synchronize(Synchronicize).
FROMHDR is very easy to overdo, especially when trying to bring out details in shadow areas. Let the shadows be shadows and stop in time. We need a realistic final result.
If necessary, you can create a 32-bit TIFF with Photoshop, but I don't recommend doing this if there is a sun in the frame. In my experience file that the result is a strange almost unremovable banding, while the Merge to 32-bit HDR plug-in or Photomatix do not have such artifacts. But just in case, I will give an algorithm for working for Photoshop.
First go to Lightroom Options using the menu Edit > Options(Edit > Preferences) and select External editing(External Editing). Select TIFF from the formats drop-down menu, as PSD files will not work for this procedure. Select all the desired shots in Lightroom and go to the menu Photography > Edit In > MergeHDRPro'sphotoshop(Photo > Edit In > Merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop).
When the dialog box opens, opposite the line Mode(Mode) select 32 Bit. All editing options will disappear and the picture will look terrible. Don't worry, just click OK and Photoshop will create a 32-bit file. Save it. No need to change the name or location, it will appear in the directory next to the original RAW files.
- Translator's note- it may seem to you that it is meaningless to describe so many methods for combining images to work withHDR. However, each of them has its own characteristics and advantages, so the question of choosing an instrument, as always, remains a matter of personal taste.
Tone mapping in Lightroom
Regardless of the method by which you obtained the 32-bit file, the next step is to open it in the Develop module. First of all, the Exposure slider now shows +/- 10 exposure stops instead of the usual five. While you don't have to go to that extreme, it gives you an idea of how wide a range of light intensities a 32-bit file is.
I usually start with a slider exposition(Exposure) to adjust the overall "feel" of the image, the balance of highlights and shadows, without worrying too much about losing data at one end of the tonal scale. More often than not, 32-bit TIFFs have a "heavy" feel with very strong shadows, so I start by lightening them up a bit.
- Let the light areas remain light. Allowing bright areas to become almost white will increase realism.
- Keep texture enhancement under control. Creating an undesired "grunge" look immediately indicates that this is HDR.
- Let shadows remain shadows. Leave small areas completely black by increasing the dynamic range of the shot and making the highlights appear brighter due to the contrast.
Moving on to sliders Shadows(Shadows) and Glare(Highlights), I start with careful movements. Values greater than 50 for the former will make the shadows flat and unrealistic. Taking too bold steps with Highlights is less likely to lead to problems. Keep in mind that the presence of small absolute white and black areas makes the picture more realistic. Light colors appear brighter next to stark blacks, enhancing the dynamic range present. Most high-contrast shots have an element that has the highest possible light tone, but is not blown out to white. The sun itself is an exception; it is always completely white. The need to keep some areas black and some almost white is the main reason for using sliders. black(Blacks) and White(Whites). I prefer to set the Lightroom background color to white so that I have something to compare the highlights to. To follow my example, go to the menu Edit > Options > Interface(Edit > Preferences > Interface) Also keep an eye on the histogram as you make changes. This is your best assistant, who will tell you what is happening in the picture.
Most 32-bit images benefit greatly after adding contrast to the panel tone curve(Tone Curve). This emphasized the midtones and made the photo more lively, while also enhancing the highlights and shadows. Instead of go back, try to correct the situation with gradient filter(Graduated Filter) and Adjustment brush(Adjustment Brush), which will help preserve the local contrast of the desired areas better than global corrections with Shadows and Highlights.
The Merge to 32-bit plugin has the ability to boost saturation. If your picture is too colorful, reduce the Saturation by 5 or 10 points.
Using Lightroom to work with HDR will allow you to get cleaner, more visible details, even with the darkest and brightest areas that are preserved in the RAW file. This approach creates a memorable, vibrant and high-contrast shot better than any other, and works great for landscape photography.
This guide was originally written by me for Photoshop CS3, but over the course of a couple of years, the developers have released some big updates to Photoshop, and they have innovations related to HDR, and now Photoshop CC is available to us.
I studied the differences in the versions - old and new, and decided that it was time to update the manual. This tutorial will work for all versions, including CS6 and CC:
What is HDR and where can this technology be applied?
In this tutorial, we will look at the theory and practice of HDR - photo. HDRI ( High Dynamic Range Imaging) was originally used in 3D, but is now being fully applied in photography. The essence of the technology is to obtain several images with different exposures and combine them into one 32-bit image.
The camera allows you to reflect a limited number of tones in one photo ( we call this dynamic range, the range of tones that can be captured between pure black and pure white). That is, we cut off some of the elements of the photo when we set the exposure on the camera.
We measure it to display the most important elements of the scene. For example, let's take a look at a series of shots I took on the Bradbury Bridge ( Bradburry) under construction in Los Angeles. The central image, shot at a normal exposure, shows the camera's capabilities well in terms of the amount of detail that is rendered.
Note that outdoor detail is lost because there is so much light. And the details on the railing of the stairs are also lost, because it is very dark there. When you look at reality with your own eyes, you see much more detail than in a photo precisely because the human eye transmits a greater range of tones than a camera can reproduce in a single picture:
The solution to the problem is to take more than one shot by bracketing. Take a photo with a normal exposure ( central photo), then with a lower exposure (photo on the left) to capture details outside the window and with a higher exposure; the photo on the right is for detailing the shadow. And finally, we combine these shots into one to get an image with a large range of tones.
In this guide, I will show you how to do all of the above in the least amount of time.
Photo Tips
First we need to capture the sources on camera. Technically, this translates into the need to take at least two shots with different exposure settings to create HDR. Personally, I achieve good results with three shots. I like to do bracketing in 2 stops.
Yes, I know this is more of a bracketing than most people are used to working with. But for the types of HDR images I love to create ( mostly urban landscapes), this value is the most suitable. If you are photographing people, it may be worth reducing the difference in exposure between shots to one stop.
And sometimes you need to take more than 3 shots with different exposures. It really depends on the contrast of the scene. In the Bradbury construction example, I took a series of shots of Los Angeles from inside a dark building on a sunny day through window panes. It took me as many as seven photos, 2 stops apart, to capture the full dynamic range of the scene.
In some cases, such as foggy weather, it is possible to capture all the tones in a scene in one shot. But again, mainly for HDR photography, 3 shots are necessary and sufficient. I put the camera settings in auto bracketing mode and take pictures with an exposure interval of 2 stops, one at “+” and one at “-”.
Note that only the shutter speed changes. If you change the aperture value, the depth of field will also change, resulting in an unnecessarily "blurred" final image. Use a tripod if possible, otherwise lean against a wall or something stable to prevent movement between shots.
Note: For true HDR, don't use a single raw image and expose it with different settings. That is unnecessary. The same result can be achieved by extruding shadows and highlights using Camera Raw or Lightroom.
This method is called single shot HDR ( Single Image HDR). This is the so-called pseudo HDR. You will not be able to do HDR - an image from a single SDR snapshot ( standard dynamic range). What is it like " stereo sound from one speaker". There simply is not enough digital information. This is pseudo HDR and should not be confused with true HDR.
HDR guide in Photoshop
Step 1
Let's start with three images. One is normal exposure, one is underexposed, and one is overexposed. In this particular case, I used 2-stop bracketing. Since I shoot a lot of cityscapes, I get by with two feet, because the subjects are mostly flat surfaces, and stripes and pasteurization are not a problem.
If you are shooting round or curved surfaces, you may want to lower the bracketing interval to get smoother transitions. Keep in mind that you will most likely get a lot of tonal matches, as a good DSLR camera can capture about 11 stops.
I set the bracketing interval on my camera to 2 stops. Then I set the shooting mode to "queue". When I hold down the shutter button, 3 photos will be taken at once. I shoot in RAW for as wide a dynamic range as possible. You can create HDR even if your camera doesn't support RAW, but keep in mind that JPG is an 8-bit file.
Make sure you shoot in aperture priority or manual mode. You need to bracket the shutter speed, not the aperture. If you change the aperture, then the depth of field will not be constant, and you will get additional blur. Also, avoid the movement of objects in the photo or get "ghosts" - parts of objects that appeared in only one photo, which will lead to the appearance of unnecessary details in the final photo. If you look at the three images I used, you can see a lot of detail in the middle one.
However, shadow detail is lost on boats and city lights are too bright, which also leads to loss of information. The left image is underexposed to capture detail in the bright part of the scene ( buildings in the background).
The photo on the right is overexposed 2 stops to get shadow details like boat hulls and water reflections:
Step 2
So, it's time to combine these photos into one 32 bit image.
Go to menu File - Automation - Merge to HDR Pro (File>Automate>Merge to HDR Pro). This menu is available in versions of Photoshop CS2 - CS6 ( in CS2 there is no auto-alignment, but instead the "Merge to HDR" command in versions older than CS5).
Select all images or an entire folder. I put each set of photos in a separate folder, so I use the "Folders" value. Choose a photo to merge. Enable auto leveling ( Auto Align) in Photoshop CS3+ versions. Click OK. ( Photoshop uses auto leveling technology that allows you to create HDR images without a tripod.):
Step 3
Your images are now merged into one. You can exclude some photos by deselecting the green checkbox next to the frame. If unnecessary details appear there due to the fact that the camera moved during the shooting process, check the box “ Remove ghosting" ( Remove ghosts).
When you are working in 16 or 8 bit mode, the settings will look like this, and if in 32 bit, then like in step 4:
Step 4
The result of the merging is a 32-bit image. Change the mode to 32 bits. You can see the available tones by dragging the " Viewing white point settings» ( white point). Note that the slider does not change the image itself, it is only meant to show the full range of tones, because the monitor is not able to convey all the details of a 32-bit image at once:
Note: Photoshop CC has a new option "" (""). CS6 didn't have this option. If you are using Photoshop CS6 or lower, skip to step 5.
If you have a CC version and there is a checkbox next to " Full Rendering in Adobe Camera Raw”, then dragging the slider will not work. Turn this setting off and you will be able to drag the slider bar. However, when this option is enabled, you will be able to use Camera Raw for toning instead of the HDR Pro settings. In this case, go to step 8b:
But I recommend that you explore both methods as they each have their own benefits. Toning in HDR Pro (Step 5+) gives you more control and allows you to create a surreal effect. ACR( Camera Raw) will help you achieve a realistic HDR effect without much effort.
Step 5
Shading can be done right away, but I prefer to save the 32-bit negative first. Click "OK" to merge the 32 bit image. Now you can save the file. Save as psd , tif or EXR .
If you are working in 3D and want to add IBL lighting to HDRI, then save the file as EXR ( for Maya and more software to work with 3D that supports this format).
Step 6
Depending on how you want to use this image, you need to convert it to 16 or 8 bit. When converting, the so-called interpretation of the photo takes place. The reason for this lies in the fact that there are many ways to process a photo.
Whereas in a 32-bit image we have a huge dynamic range, but after conversion it will not be available. Based personal experience, I advise you to always work with the 32 bit version and then convert it. Avoid resaving a 32 bit image. This is your original image and we may have to go back to it many times.
On the menu " Image > Mode» ( Image>Mode>) select 16 bit (or 8 bit ). Now let's experiment with the settings. Let's start with the Tone and Detail part. This is where almost all the creativity of the HDR creation process lies. ( If you want to make settings without conversion, then select the menu item “View - 32 Bit Preview Options” (view> 32 Bit Preview Options). You can use several Photoshop tools in the menu Image> Correction (Image> Adjustments menu). The most significant setting here is “ Exposure" ( exposure control).
The HDR Toning dialog box opens ( Toning Dialog box) (or "HDR conversion" (HDR Conversion) for versions below CS5). Most The best way to make the settings correctly is to set the gamma value first, then adjust the exposure value. If you need a very contrasty image, reduce the gamma value. For less contrast, increase. Finally, adjust the exposure to get the desired brightness:
Step 7
Change the way method) in meaning " Local Adaptation» ( local adaptation). There are 4 available methods in total, but only 2 of them are available for user customization.
With the help of local adaptation ( local adaptation), you will have access to several additional toning settings. The use of curves is desirable as they can help you fine-tune the parameters. If you are familiar with curves, turn this setting on.
Don't be afraid to cut off the histogram a bit because you're working with a lot of dynamic range. Keep the details of the image clear, but don't forget to add shadows, otherwise the photo will look flat and unnatural.
edge glow
Once you've set up the curves, start adjusting the radius ( radius) and intensity ( strength) to avoid ghosting in the photo. ( On poorly made HDR images, you will notice ghosting at the edges of contrast areas.). The Radius controls the blur mask, while the Intensity setting determines the amount of the effect applied.
Tone and details
Gamma: This is where you control the contrast. Extreme values wash out details or highlight them very strongly.
"Exposure" (Exposure): Overall brightness control.
"Details" (Detail): Here you adjust the sharpness of the image.
Additional settings
Shadow: Restores detail in the darkest parts of a photo.
Highlight: Restores detail in the brightest parts of a photo.
"Juiciness" (Vibrance): This setting makes the photo more colorful without over-saturating it.
"Saturation" (Saturation): Increases or decreases the total amount of color. Be careful not to oversaturate the overall picture.
Click OK to apply the settings:
Step 8
We got an HDR image. Photoshop is a great tool for creating realistic HDR images:
Step 8b
HDR, Lightroom and Camera RAW (Photoshop CC)
A new feature added in Lightroom 4.2+ and Camera Raw in Photoshop CC is the ability to work with 32-bit images. This is great because you can use the brush to fine tuning areas of photography, working in a 32-bit environment. The image below shows the result of working with a brush in Lightroom. Notice how I was able to process the image. ( The same is possible in ACR).
At step 4, we are in the Merge to HDR dialog box (Merge to HDR):
- Select "32 bit" from the "Mode" drop down menu ( mode) if something else is selected;
- Check the box next to " Full Rendering in Adobe Camera Raw» (“ Complete Toning in Adobe Camera Raw”). The button in the lower right corner will change the name from OK to " Tone in ACR»;
- Press the Tone to ACR button. The image will open in Camera Raw . You can apply all settings in Camera Raw, but only with the benefit of working in 32-bit. HDR - The image you get will have much more detail in light and shadow. ( Use the options for adjusting the settings for shadows and lights). You can also refer to the ACR manual;
- Click "OK" when finished;
- The image is still in 32-bit mode. If you're going to be toning, you can go back to step 5 and do it in advanced mode in Photoshop. By the way, you can do double toning.
If you are satisfied with the result and do not intend to continue processing the image, convert the image to 8 or 16 bits. Select a menu command Image - Mode (« Image>Mode>”) 8 or 16 bits. A pop-up window with settings will appear. To keep the same settings that were exposed in Camera Raw, choose the " Exposure and gamma» ( Exposure and Gamma). Set "Exposure" ( exposure) to 0 and "Gamma" ( gamma) to a value of 1. Click OK. The image is ready!
Note: If you can't open the HDR toning settings ( toning tools) in Photoshop CC, you need to follow additional steps. Select the menu item " Editing - Settings - File Handling» ( Preferences>File Handling).
The option is called " Use Adobe Camera Raw to convert from 32bit to 16/8bit» ( Use Adobe Camera Raw to Convert Documents from 32 bit to 16/8 bit”). If it is enabled, in the menu " Image - Mode» ( File>Mode) you will see Camera Raw . Otherwise, Photoshop will use standard HDR rendering methods.