How to create HDR images using only Photoshop layer masks
Creating an HDR image is typically involved with a quite time-consuming workflow that consists of merging, tone-mapping and post-processing, possibly spanning several different software programs. But especially if you are creating a night HDR, there is a much simpler and quicker way of doing it, and your final image will also look more natural. In this excerpt from my video course Mask It Like a Pro! I will show you this technique that works by creating luminosity masks straight from the images themselves and using these masks to reveal only the well-exposed parts of your exposure series.
Hands-on Photo Tip: Photomatix Pro 5 ‘Fusion Real-Estate’ Method
Real estate photographers are confronted with many situations where they need to capture the interior of a room and the view out of the windows in a single image. This is where HDR techniques can really help you capture such a scene and present this entire tonal range in your final image. However, real estate photos have to be as natural as possible. Therefore, tone mapping approaches are dismissed by most real estate photographers because getting a natural look with them is difficult. Photomatix Pro 5 now has a really effective and simple new method called Fusion/Real-Estate that lets you take full control over the tonal range of your images while keeping them as natural as possible. This video shows you how easy it is to apply this new method.
Hands-on Photo Tip: Creating Truly Realistic HDR Images with Adobe Camera Raw
In this Hands-on Photo Tip, I will show you a really cool way to create a realistic-looking HDR image with a completely non-destructive workflow. We're going to use a feature in Photoshop CS6 that allows you to merge your source photos and bring the resulting 32 bit HDR image into Adobe Camera Raw (or Lightroom) to tone map it.
Photomatix Pro 5 – How to Use the Contrast Optimizer
The Contrast Optimizer is probably the most important new feature of Photomatix Pro 5. It's a new tone mapping method that is tailored to produce more realistic results than the well-known Details Enhancer.
Photomatix Pro 5 – Review of the new features
In this video, I will take a look at the features of the brand new Photomatix Pro 5. HDRSoft has released the long-awaited version 5 of their HDR software Photomatix Pro (still in beta as of this writing). And there is a number of new features for enthusiasts and professionals that can make your HDR post-processing a lot easier and more effective. I will review the new features and give you some information on how to use them in your HDR work.
Manual HDR Bracketing Explained
Using Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) is sometimes not sufficient or simply not available in your camera. In those cases, you have to take your HDR exposure series manually, but doing so is a daunting task for many photographers. In this tutorial, I describe a manual HDR bracketing technique that helps you get the perfect exposure series for every conceivable scene. It is simple and reliable, and you don't need any math that goes beyond counting to three.
