An introduction to the ‘High Dynamic Range images: part two’ tutorial

This is the second part of a multi-part tutorial on creating High Dynamic Range images using Photoshop and Photomatix Pro. In this part we take a detailed look at how you can use Photomatix Pro to create and tone map your images, using both the Tone Compressor and Details Enhancer methods. The bulk of this tutorial is taken up with working through the various settings you need to adjust to produce your tone mapped images, but we also include two example images, both of which were produced using the Details Enhancer method. See below for further details.

The specific topics covered include:

Shooting for HDR
Creating HDR images with Photomatix Pro
Tone mapping: an introduction
Photomatix Pro: tone mapping using the tone compressor
Photomatix Pro: tone mapping using the details enhancer
Using the Details Enhancer: example #1
Using the Details Enhancer: example #2

This tutorial contains 6092 words, 93 illustrative images and screen grabs, and has received 9 comments.

Please note that this tutorial requires Photoshop and Photomatix Pro.

Photoshop files included with this tutorial

Each of our tutorials is based around a series of layered Photoshop files, at the resolution originally posted on chromasia, which you can download after you subscribe to the tutorial. The images used for this tutorial, and a brief description of each, are included below.

Example image 1
In this example we will be working with a tone mapped image created from a bracketed sequence of seven original exposures – shot from -3 EV to +3 EV.

The bracketed sequence used for Image 1

-3 EV	-2 EV	-1 EV

	metered exposure

+1 EV	+2 EV	+3 EV

Example image 2
In this example we will be working with a tone mapped image created from a bracketed sequence of four original exposures – shot from -4 EV to +2 EV.

The bracketed sequence used for Image 2

	-4 EV		-2 EV

	metered exposure		+2 EV

What our subscribers have said about this tutorial

"Another superb tutorial David, clear, concise and perfectly described. Definitely one of the best ever on HDR and Photomatix."

Rog

"Great work David, you are a great teacher, this is a great one, i'v been doing HDR for almost a year and did learn some interesting facts. I really enjoy the way you explain the concept and your examples are wonderful, BRAVO!!! and thank you."

Mike

"Thanks David!! Great information, appreciate your time and effort putting these tutorials together. Much better than others I have gone through."

Gary Hopkins

Content overview (the rollover graphics and embedded videos are not illustrated)


page 1	page 2	page 3	page 4	page 5	page 6

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Further information

To find out more about our other individual tutorials please click any of the following images. Alternatively, you can visit our main tutorials page for further information on: our annual subscriptions; our forthcoming issues; and our current members’s offers. You can also read through our sample tutorial on Tonal Range and the Curves tool.



			Mini-PSDs We introduced our Mini-PSDs in February 2010, and release a new image every week. Click here to see the full list of Mini-PSDs and find out more about this feature.						Critique Slot Screencasts Our Critique Slot Screencasts provide our members with an exciting opportunity to get detailed and constructive feedback on one of their own images, gain an insight into how other members postprocess their images, and see how I might have processed that particular image. Click here to find out more.

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