HDR help

Ok, I've been trying to do this for a few months on and off now.

Between photomatrix and CS3 I cannot get a HDR to turn out decent. Usually ends up looking just horrible and over gamma-ed.

The range of pictures show up in ps as -3.91 up to +2 in 5 frames. I've been reading different tutorials and finding more information but still no luck!

The set of 5 images should make a MUCH more dramatic shot but

this is a final product...

Try doing the following:

1. Make a duplicate layer of your image. Layer > Duplicate Layer

2. Convert the new layer to a smart object. Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Object

3. Apply local contrast to give the image a little more "pop". With the duplicate layer still selected, apply local contrast using USM. Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask.
Amount = 50, Radius = 50, Threshold = 0 (adjust amt and radius to suit your taste).

4. If you used the values I specified, you'll find that the yellow part of the sky got blown out. Fix that by masking the USM out of that area as follows:

a. With the Layers palette open, click on the Smart Filters mask icon which is just below the duplicate layer you created in step 1 above. When the mask is selected, you'll see a border around the mask icon.

b. Select a suitable brush from the Brush tool palette and using a Black foreground color, paint over the yellow and orange part of the sky and the trees. For best results, use a soft-edge brush.

Ok, that helped with the looks a good bit... here is the result. I did not put much effort into the masking with the blown out portions. Main efforts are trying to figure out the HDR... Thanks Leo!

here are the five pictures i'm trying to use

When you convert from 32-bit to 16-bit, instead of keeping the HDR conversion Method at Exposure and Gamma, change it to Local Adaptaion and then try playing around with the tone curve, like how I did below, to get a better "starting point".

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I really appreciate your patience with me Leo!

hallbilly wrote in post #3374190
I really appreciate your patience with me Leo!

http://i10.photobucket​.com …9/hallbilly/HDR​try013.jpg

It is getting better... I don't know if it is possible, but this is what I'd like to achieve out of it. Well similar results...
I just threw three shots together real quick to show what my eyes seen.
http://i10.photobucket​.com …llbilly/hdrthat​idlike.jpg

You're almost there with the first image in your post above. You just need to apply some contrast to the foreground of the image and then darken the sky using the Levels (or Curves) layer adjustment tool. Apply a mask to the levels adjustment so that only the sky is affected.

I believe that was the trick! Don't know how I couldn't think to do that. Thanks man!

Now, it is very close to what the actual scene looked like!

Glad you got that sorted out. And the final image certainly does look a lot nicer and more natural looking.

Thanks! For another question... why does certain parts of the picture, mainly the sky, get different hues... like the green/gray part in the cloud?

hallbilly wrote in post #3376887
Thanks! For another question... why does certain parts of the picture, mainly the sky, get different hues... like the green/gray part in the cloud?

I'm thinking it's probably because the sky is made up of parts from the different frames used to create the merge. Take a look at colors in the sky in the darkest and the 2nd darkest frames. The 2nd darkest frame has some yellow in the sky that will result in the green you see when mixed with the blue in the darkest frame.

Leo - Awesome work, a great post, and I'll take this to the waterfall shots and post.