CS2 Merge to HDR command, what am I doing wrong?

[jsinon]

I'm trying to try my hand at HDR and I keep getting an error message saying there "isn't enough dynamic range to create a useful HDR image". I've been using a twice processed single image if that makes any difference at all. Here is the image I was playing with(this version has had the exposure brought down a little). I was trying to bring out the blue in the sky (-2 stops ) and bring out the shadows ( + 1 1/2 - 2 stops ) and merge the two. No matter how many ways I set the exposure I get the same message. I may spring for some HDR if I absolutely have to, but if I can get what I already have to work that would be preferred. Please help.


Jeff

[bfreas]

You'll need to do a "Save for Web" in Photoshop to kill the EXIF data when saving the different exposures.

Photoshop reads the camera data in the EXIF and it sees that they both used the same exposure settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) so it thinks there isn't enough dynamic range for a useful HDR.

[jsinon]

Thanks for the reply. I was wondering if it had something to do with all the images originating from the same image.

[canonloader]

Well, it does. That's what he just said. Each copy you make, still has the same EXIF data attached, and that's what CS2 is reading when it loads them. It thinks it's loading the same image. While you did change them, you did not change their EXIF Data.

[René Damkot]

Alternatively (if you don't want to save a jpg, using save for web), open a blank document, and copy the file into that. You'll also loose the EXIF, but can use tif.