Merged HDR highlight control?

Question

I am experimenting with merged HDR photos and looking for guidance on controlling the highlight areas?

I am using the 3 image 2 stop bracket setting. All the merged photos have the highlights slider pushed all the way to the left leaving very little room to lower the highlights? When I look at the three images I can see there is a lot more leeway in the highlights than what I am left with in the merged HDR.

Is there any way to have more control over the merge that just allowing LR to do its thing? Or am I missing something about how to post process a merged HDR image in LR?

Thanks,

Henry

GoldingD · Accepted Answer

I assume you are really taking about editing AFTER the merge, when you edit the resultant image.

If the highlight sliders get cranked all the way to 100% but you think more can be done (and in a HDR that is very likely). Then apply an adjustment brush and accomplish additional mods.

One very useful tip is to use the gradient adjustment in a non standard way. Select the gradient brush, click near one of the corners, just inside of the frame, drag out diagonally to outside the frame. If you show the overlay, you will see that the entire image is equally masked (the gradient portion is outside of the frame). You now have a nice entire image mask. Notice that the sliders now show more range.

Ok, pictures worth more than words, about 6:15 into this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D_HdnwX_9a0&time_continue=375

Yes, you could use the normal adjustment brush, I just find the above quicker.

richardplondon · Answer

The basic tonal adjustments applied before merging have no effect on the merge.

When processing the results of this merge, basic tonality should IMO be first established with Exposure and Contrast. In effect, this is like altering the settings of a virtual 'camera'.

With this type of image format, many more exposure stops of adjustment are provided by LR, reflecting the very wide range of scene-referred brightness values which may be present. And many, very different, output-referred representations can therefore be produced.

Highlights, Shadows, Clarity etc can be applied onto your chosen pictorial representation, in the normal way.

But those tools cannot carry out the initial 'heavy lifting' that builds this representation. They can only 'tweak' that, after the fact.

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded