Mountain-Light
This location is in Wales, even though I used a two stops Grey Graduated filter I could not get any detail in the sky. So, I decided to bracket two images with two stops difference and still keeping the graduated filter in place.
The result were the two images above. The exposure range was greater than the six and a half stops the Canon 40D can record detail. Both images were treated the same in the raw converter. While the extremes between dark and light are not too great it serves to illustrate the Photoshop technique I use.
Combining Bracketed Photos
Step-1 , - Load both images
Step-2, - Paste the darker image on the light one. In the example above the sky was loaded on top of the image with the white sky.
Step-3, - Add a layer mask. (Photoshop 7 ) On the layers pallet it's the second icon on the lower left.
Step-4, - Click on the background layer, the bottom layer, and press CTRL-A, then CTRL-C.
Step-5, - On the layer pallett press ALT key and CLICK on the mask white rectangle in the layer-1, (sky ) .
Step-6, - Press CTRL-V.
Step-7, - Select FILTER/BLUR/GAUSSIAN BLUR, select 40 for the radius.
Step-8, - Click on the background layer - that's it.
Step-9, - Before flattning the layers a number of adjustments can be made. The background layer can have a CURVE adjustment layer and/or other adjustments. The final action is SHARPENING
The result were the two images above. The exposure range was greater than the six and a half stops the Canon 40D can record detail. Both images were treated the same in the raw converter. While the extremes between dark and light are not too great it serves to illustrate the Photoshop technique I use.
Combining Bracketed Photos
Step-1 , - Load both images
Step-2, - Paste the darker image on the light one. In the example above the sky was loaded on top of the image with the white sky.
Step-3, - Add a layer mask. (Photoshop 7 ) On the layers pallet it's the second icon on the lower left.
Step-4, - Click on the background layer, the bottom layer, and press CTRL-A, then CTRL-C.
Step-5, - On the layer pallett press ALT key and CLICK on the mask white rectangle in the layer-1, (sky ) .
Step-6, - Press CTRL-V.
Step-7, - Select FILTER/BLUR/GAUSSIAN BLUR, select 40 for the radius.
Step-8, - Click on the background layer - that's it.
Step-9, - Before flattning the layers a number of adjustments can be made. The background layer can have a CURVE adjustment layer and/or other adjustments. The final action is SHARPENING
How to Increase Dynamic Range
Landscape and Wildlife Photography
