How to merge photos in CS3 using HDR

Taking several pictures with different exposures could be merged using Adobe Photoshop CS3, yielding to a stunning image showing extra detail and color.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A camera(preferably one with AEB and Continuous Shooting settings)
• Adobe Photoshop CS3

1. Take several(3 shots recommended) pictures of the same subject, same setting, with different exposures, with your camera by using the Auto Exposure Bracketing and Continuous Shooting Mode settings on.

2. 
    

   Upload these images to your computer, and open them in Photoshop by clicking on File>Automate>Merge to HDR. Have the Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images box checked. Click Ok when you're done choosing your files. Let Photoshop process the image, for this may take several seconds, depending on how well your computer could handle several files/programs at once.

3. 
    

   A new window shows on screen, and a raw HDR image is displayed. Mess around with the levels adjuster to the right to suit your desired settings, but be careful in doing so- a little bit of adjustment goes a long way! Once done with this, click on the Bit Depth drop-down box, and choose 8 bit or 16 bit as your option(especially if you want your file to be compressed and saved as JPEG). Click on Ok when the exposure settings suit your needs.

4. 
    

   Once the image finishes processing once again, another HDR conversion window should appear. If nothing shows up, it means the Bit depth was not adjusted. If that happened, click on Image>Mode>8 bits or 16 bits/channel. Go ahead and experiment with the Exposure and the Gamma of the image by having the Method drop-down box set to Exposure and Gamma, and by tweaking the sliders little by little, for slight changes on the sliders contribute to big results for the image. Click Ok when satisfied.

5. 
    

   (optional)You could try messing with the picture differently by having "Local Adaptation" as your Method instead of "Gamma and Exposure". Do this by clicking on the drop-down box and choosing Local Adaptation as your setting. Once you do that, click on Toning and Curves to bring up the Curves adjustment option. Play around with the curves, but, once again, do it slowly and be careful!

6. Feel free to save your image if you're satisfied with the results, but we could add a little more appeal to the photo by adjusting it even more. Do so by click on Image>Adjustments. There's a plethora of settings you could play around with, but I recommend using Shadow/Highlights, Exposure, Photo Filter, and Selective Color, to name a few.

7. By now, your image should reveal details previously unseen by the camera under normal settings. The overexposed and underexposed areas of the image are now dealt with. Feel free to save your image. You now have a photo with with correctly exposed areas and details. Now you're good to go!

Tips & Warnings

• Photographers and photo editors use HDR images to bring details and colors out. If we're not completely satisfied with the results, we adjust the shots even more- or better yet, we exaggerate it. A lot of photographers take several shots of the same subject just so they could post process it later and turn it into an absolutely surreal photograph.
• In Step one, BE SURE to stay steady when taking your photos, or better yet, use a tripod. We wouldn't want misaligned photos. Photoshop CS3 attempts to automatically align these shots, but oftentimes photoshop does not yield to wonderful results.