Question: Process for combining images where exposure is different

[BBushe]

I actually went for the bundle, as it was not a huge difference in price. I also went to the purchase page via a link on antoher page, and got a 10 USD discount. Mike, maybe you should look at doing something like that, though I guess this is a curvemeister website, so you may not want to advertise other plugins?

The product is very useful for landscape scenes and I got some good results very quickly indeed from single raw images. Created a -2, 0, +2 ev version of the image, then in Photomatix  generate an HDR version, then tone mapping to create a final version.

Still used curvemeister to finish it off though ;)

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Sounds interesting, Brian.  Perhaps you could post some of your images, or make them available in the gallery for the rest of us to look at?

I have no problem with advertising other plugins on my site, and I do so to some extent using Google Ads.  It might be of interest to have curvemeister discounts for some products.  I don't have any experience in this area - if anyone knows how to accomplish this, I'm all ears.

I'd be interested in seeing some images, and perhaps any discussion of the process you typically use.  It sounds like you can get some benefit starting with a single raw image.

Mike

[mikemeister_admin]

Mike, this is a image I took last year. I had recently purchased the camera and was using jpeg fine and braketing exposures one stop each way from center just to see results. This a.m. I used Photomatix "exposure blending" technique to combine two images which were -1 and +1. The process I used only allows two images. There are other selections available which allow more images with greater latitude. This is my first attempt using the program so I am starting with the "easiest" process. I then made some adjustment using Curvemeister. I am somewhat impressed as I have many images where the range from shadow to highlight is too great for a good exposure of both. Since I only took one image the highlights are lost, otherwise they would be pretty good images.
Joe S

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This is a beautiful image, Joe. 

On opening it in Photoshop, I was surprised to find bright red colors in the rocks that did not show up in the original image.  I've enclosed a screen shot - is this how you intended the image to look?

The image contains an Adobe RGB embedded profile, which would subdue the colors somewhat.

[mikemeister_admin]

Mike, the image as it comes from the camera is 45 x 34 inches, res72 and sRGB. After processing in Photomatrix it is 10.88 x 8.16, res 300 and RGB. When I look at the image that I sent that is in my file the reds are somewhat brighter than when I view the same image in the forum. Why would that be?
The real scene was not as red as you have it (at least that day). The day was rather subdued. The image was taken on the north side of Bryce. What is interesting is that the other side of canyon has some areas that are almost as red as you show it.  Quite a difference that day from one side to the other.
Joe S

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Mike, the image as it comes from the camera is 45 x 34 inches, res72 and sRGB. After processing in Photomatrix it is 10.88 x 8.16, res 300 and RGB. When I look at the image that I sent that is in my file the reds are somewhat brighter than when I view the same image in the forum. Why would that be?
Joe S

The image you posted is an Adobe RGB file.  It looks fine on the web, but it will look more saturated in Photoshop and Elements than on the web, because the embedded Adobe RGB profile tells Photoshop to interpret the colors that way.

[BBushe]

Sounds interesting, Brian.  Perhaps you could post some of your images, or make them available in the gallery for the rest of us to look at?

I have no problem with advertising other plugins on my site, and I do so to some extent using Google Ads.  It might be of interest to have curvemeister discounts for some products.  I don't have any experience in this area - if anyone knows how to accomplish this, I'm all ears.

I'd be interested in seeing some images, and perhaps any discussion of the process you typically use.  It sounds like you can get some benefit starting with a single raw image.

Mike

ok, I'll have to work out how to post the images!

even with the tripod the trees in the background of my test shot blurred, which led to nasty looking artifacts (bad bokeh?) but it was quite windy. I guess still days, or with less trees in the background the multi-exposure should give great results. I was happy with the ones I got from a single raw image however.

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If the images are not too big, you can go to the curvemeister gallery and upload them. - Mike