How to Do HDR in CS5?
High Dynamic Range or HDR photography combines several exposures of the same shot to create a composition with a wide range of tones; the result is an image with a complex level of detail in both shadows and highlights, which is typically not achievable with a single exposure. Adobe Photoshop CS5’s “Merge to HDR Pro” feature allows photographers to create HDR images without any manual layering techniques.
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Instructions
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Take the Exposures
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Set the camera on the tripod and compose the shot.
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Press the camera’s shutter button halfway to auto-focus on the scene. After the camera has focused, switch on manual focus mode.
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Turn the camera’s auto-bracketing mode on, if applicable. If not, set the camera to manual mode and meter the camera to a "+0" exposure. Press the shutter button to take the shot.
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Re-bracket the camera to "-1" exposure if you are using manual mode. Change only the shutter speed; do not change the aperture value, as this will change the depth of field. Press the shutter button to take the shot.
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Re-bracket the camera to "+1" exposure if you are using manual mode. Press the shutter button to take the shot. You now have the multiple exposures required to make an HDR image.
Create the HDR Image in Photoshop CS5
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Launch Photoshop CS5.
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Click “File,” then click “Automate” and then click “Merge to HDR Pro.”
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Select “Browse” and navigate to the directory where your exposures are located. Select the images and click “Open.”
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Click “OK.” Photoshop CS5 will import, convert and merge the images. A preview screen will appear.
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Click the checkbox next to “Remove ghosts” to fix any ghosting in the image. This is especially useful for scenery that changes between shots, such as swaying leaves.
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Adjust the gamma, exposure, detail, shadow and highlight sliders in the “Tone and Detail” panel to your preference. You can also adjust the edge glow, which designates how much glow there is on the edge detail of all objects in the scene.
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Click “OK” to create the HDR composition.
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Tips & Warnings
HDR images work best with scenes that have a high tonal range, such as compositions with lots of shadow and highlight detail.
Use a shutter release to eliminate any vibration or movement that can occur when pressing the shutter button.
Record your images in RAW mode if your camera supports it. RAW files allow you to make white balance and exposure adjustments during post-processing.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
