HDR photos the easy way from one shot. High Dynamic Range photography vs pseudo-HDR: studying and trying

A quick guide to creating high dynamic range photos. The article discusses the main points of HDR shooting - choosing a scene, setting up the camera for shooting with bracketing, a short overview of programs for HDR stitching, and alternative methods expanding the dynamic range, working with filters, as well as shooting HDR panoramas and working in the multiple exposure style. The material is designed for beginner amateur photographers who know how to use a digital camera and have the skills to process images on a computer.

What is HDR?

Every amateur photographer who is interested in landscape photography faces the same problem - photographs of a picturesque place or city landmark are often far from reality and turn out either overexposed or, conversely, too dark.

In the first case, in the picture the sky with clouds is greatly overexposed or absent altogether; in the second, the sky is well detailed, but all other details of the landscape are so dark that they are practically invisible. Trying to change the exposure settings does not change the situation in any way. The fact is that, unlike photographic equipment, the human eye is capable of perceiving a wider range of brightness gradations.

The answer must be found in the limited dynamic range of modern digital cameras. The camera's light meter measures exposure either in light areas (sky) or, conversely, in dark areas (buildings, trees, ground). Therefore, the only way out of this situation is to shoot in exposure bracketing mode and then combine the images in a graphics editor.

Technology HDR(High Dynamic Range) combines the light, mid and dark tones of a series of images into a single high dynamic range shot. Most often, the photographer does this using a special computer program; Some cameras have similar functionality built into them; they allow you to take HDR photos without using a computer.

In order for the program to correctly combine the images, it is very important that they are as identical as possible and differ only in the exposure parameters. When shooting handheld, even on a bright sunny day with a fast shutter speed, it is not always possible to hold the camera still, which leads to a slight shift, as a result of which the final HDR image will be blurry. Shooting from a tripod will help - the photographer will receive a series of images that, in theory, should match perfectly. However, in practice, the same pictures will only be taken in a deserted place with complete calm - the wind sways the branches of the trees, passers-by, passing cars, as well as birds and other objects get into the frame. In this case, software algorithms take over to help fight blur; in the language of the developers, this technology is called Ghost Reduction, or “fighting ghosts.”

If you don’t have a tripod with you, or the shooting conditions do not allow you to tinker with it (during an excursion, or if shooting from a tripod is prohibited), it is quite possible to shoot in bracketing mode handheld, if you find good support and hold the camera firmly.

Another option for creating HDR is to process one image taken in RAW format in 2 stages: first, a virtual copy of the file is made, then in one image they work with highlights, in the other with shadows, after which the two files are merged into the final image. And finally, another technique is to create a “pseudo-HDR” from a single file using processing in a specialized program, such as Topaz Adjust.

In any case, competently stitched HDR images look very impressive and undoubtedly attract the attention of viewers.

Should you take a regular photo or shoot HDR?

Determining whether a scene is suitable for HDR is very simple - just take a test shot of the landscape you like in creative mode, for example A, and immediately evaluate the result on the screen. Is the sky overexposed and the shadows in the picture littered, while in reality everything around looks stunningly beautiful? You can safely shoot HDR, this story is just our case.

Oddly enough, storm waves with a stormy sky come out very beautifully - despite the fact that the three exposures will be radically different from each other, when stitched together in Lightroom 6 you can get an unexpectedly dramatic and interesting photo.

It is quite difficult to shoot HDR at sunset, especially if there are beautifully illuminated clouds in the sky, often the sky is even traced by the rays of the sun through the clouds - in this case, the dynamic range of the scene is not so wide, the HDR technique is of no use here, a single RAW frame is quite enough. It’s better to concentrate on shooting and capture the moment before the sun disappears behind the horizon!

However, even at sunset, if you have a tripod with you, it always makes sense to take a couple of series, because you can get very interesting pictures by deliberately darkening the sky and highlighting objects in the foreground. In addition, a tripod will allow you to more carefully consider the angle, as well as close the aperture to f/11-16 and work more interestingly with depth of field.

Scenes that are not suitable for HDR shooting:

1. Portrait. There are exceptions, but in most cases a portrait should be shot using the portrait technique.
2. Night or evening city.
3. Fog. In theory, you can try shooting fog in HDR style, but only with a narrow lens and as an addition to regular shots.
4. Long exposure with tracers or mirror water.
5. Studio shooting and all kinds of items.
6. Report, street, although street is a very broad and experimental direction, there may be options here.
7. Dynamics, sports, children's games, animals, macro.
8. Cloudy gloomy rainy weather with a milky sky, in this case it is better to look for interesting angles; most often, the HDR technique will not make the landscape more interesting.
9. Winter landscape. The plot is controversial, the author did not create a single interesting winter HDR, but it would be wrong to give up so easily and stop trying.

Expanding dynamic range undoubtedly requires creativity, experience and a willingness to experiment.

Setting up your camera for HDR shooting

Almost all digital cameras allow you to shoot with exposure bracketing; this function is available not only in SLR or mirrorless cameras, but also in many compacts, it has even appeared in smartphones. We will look at the settings using the example of Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Setting up bracketed shooting varies quite a bit depending on the camera manufacturer and model.

In any case, the camera should be configured like this:

1. Set to RAW format and aperture priority mode A, or full manual mode M.
2. Set the exposure as if we were shooting one frame. For example, for a landscape during the day it will be a sensitivity of ISO 100 and an aperture of F/11; the shutter speed in mode A will be set by the camera itself.
3. In the camera menu, select the order of shooting exposures (minus) - (zero) - (plus), this makes it easier to sort the series later on the computer.
4. Set up bracketing - select the number of exposures and bracketing. For beginners, it makes sense to first try 3 exposures with a bracket of ±2 or ±3EV.
5. Set a timer, it’s better to set it to 2 seconds - this time is enough; if the camera does not have a choice of several intervals, set which one is available. If you have a cable release with you, now is the time to use it.
6. Create a frame, perform automatic focusing (or focus manually), after which it is better to turn off autofocus.
7. Press the shutter button, let's go!

Canon cameras

Canon DSLR cameras allow you to shoot quickly, with bracketing, and with a timer at the same time.

There is no separate button to turn on bracketing; you need to enter the menu and select the exposure. Next, use the wheel to adjust the bracketing fork and press SET. Attention! Bracketing is turned on in this way, that is, there is no item in the menu like ON/OFF. The camera can remember this setting and will take bracketed shots until the photographer sets the bracket to zero.

The timer starts as usual: pressing the DRIVE button and turning the wheel allows you to select an hour with the number 2 or 10. You can use a cable to release the shutter. The three images above illustrate the Canon 5D Mark III camera setup.

Nikon cameras

Nikon DSLRs have a BKT button, you need to hold it pressed, then use the control wheels to set the number of exposures and the bracket (Step). To turn off bracketing, you need to set the number of shots to zero.

If you use the self-timer, the camera will count a certain delta in time between exposures, as a result of which dynamic objects may move from exposure to exposure. To turn on the self-timer, you need to turn the left control wheel to the clock icon (see photo below).

To shoot the entire series like a machine gun, without a time delta, you need to turn on high-speed shooting (Ch on the lower control wheel for selecting the drive mode, see photo below). Then keep the shutter button pressed - the series is ready, but you can easily move the camera, even when mounted on a tripod. In this case, you cannot use the timer, since high-speed shooting is activated by the same wheel as the self-timer.

Thus, shooting with bracketing is both fast and with a timer on DSLR cameras Nikon won't work. Most likely, this will be fixed in future models. The examples above show the Nikon D610 setup.

Shoot with a tripod or handheld?

IN in this example Shooting of an urban HDR landscape is shown. Shooting was carried out in exposure bracketing mode in increments of ±2 EV in aperture priority mode (A). To achieve good depth of field in the foreground and background, the aperture was selected at F/10. A tripod was used to perfectly align the images, since the minus exposure time turned out to be too long for confident handheld shooting.

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

The arch in the courtyard of a house on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg was not chosen by chance - using the example of filming this scene, the capabilities of HDR technology can be clearly demonstrated. Since the shooting took place during the day, the street was very well lit, while the space inside the arch was in shadow.

If you shoot while metering the exposure of a house in the background, only the areas in the area will be exposed in the image. daylighting, the camera’s dynamic range is clearly not enough to work out the light and midtones within the arc.

To expand the dynamic range, bracketing mode was used. There was heavy traffic on Nevsky Prospekt, a car passing by was caught in one of the shots, and pedestrians did not stand still and moved. Therefore, in order to achieve perfect merging of three images, it is better to choose the morning hours for shooting, when traffic on the avenue is not so active, or rely on automation when merging HDR, as was done in this example.

Many tripods, such as those from Manfrotto, are equipped with one or more level indicators - one on the tripod body, another on the tripod head, which will allow you to set the horizon very evenly.

Of course, HDR technology involves shooting from a tripod, but if using a tripod is not possible, it is acceptable to shoot handheld, especially during the day. An image stabilizer will be useful here, as well as a good support, such as a column, railing, your own knee or other techniques. However, you need to carefully monitor the ISO sensitivity and not set high values, since nothing good will come out when stitching together three “noisy” frames.

How many exposures should I take?

Beginners can be safely advised to initially choose the classic HDR option with three exposures and a bracket of ±2 EV or ±3 EV, depending on the scene or lighting situation.

Professional photographers who specialize in shooting interiors talk about 9 exposures, which allows them to work out maximum detail in highlights, shadows and midtones. Professional cameras easily allow you to shoot 9 exposures, and the photographer can shoot a series of frames in M ​​mode, simply changing the shutter speed to get the number of exposures he needs. This technique is suitable for leisurely shooting indoors, when no one is bothering you and there is enough time. In addition, for important shootings, the photographer takes a computer with him, on which he can immediately check the result of gluing and make adjustments if necessary.

A classic example, with three exposures, and therefore classic because it is suitable for most shooting situations:

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

Five exposures will create an even wider dynamic range, which will allow you to more interestingly process the photo when stitching, very finely working out the details in the highlights and shadows. In theory, you can always make 5 exposures, however, firstly, three exposures are often quite enough, and, secondly, working with three is faster and more convenient.

-1,4	-0,7	0	+0,7	+1,4

The scene above was filmed in Pavlovsk on Sony camera a7, which can automatically shoot in a burst of 5 exposures. Gluing in HDR Efex Pro.

Also, 5 exposures can be useful if there is a lot of detail in the deep shadows, midtones and highlights, as in the example of the stone bridge in the forest. Here you can’t see the sky with clouds at all, but the summer day was very bright, and the shadows in the forest thicket were deep, and the HDR stitching of five frames made it possible to work out all the halftones and get an image very similar to how we would see this scene with our own eyes.

This story was filmed in Sergievka Park (Peterhof, a suburb of St. Petersburg) at Canon camera 5D Mark II, which cannot automatically take 5 exposures in a series, so different exposures were obtained in M ​​mode by changing the shutter speed. In this case focal length 17mm, ISO 100, F/10 and shutter speeds from left to right: 1/25, 1/13, 1/6, 0.3 and 0.5 seconds. Merging in Lightroom 6.

Now pay attention to the winter photograph of the same bridge. The shooting was carried out in the same place with the same equipment, but it was not possible to convey the winter mood; the photo was not interesting. Obviously, the HDR technique is completely useless here; you could just take one frame in RAW format.

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

How to choose exposure bracket?

First of all, it makes sense to evaluate the contrast of the scene, perhaps take a couple of test frames to visually assess the gaps in highlights and shadows. In practice, most often you have to choose between ±2 and ±3 EV. The abbreviation EV, by the way, stands for Exposure Values, exposure values, in the jargon of “feet”.

If we have installed a tripod and set up the camera, it is best to make two series - both with a ±2 and ±3 EV plug, and at home, when processing images, select best option, because it’s always good when there is a choice. It may well turn out that some story will be better put together from photographs taken with a wider fork, and some from a series with a narrower one.

The professionals at HDRsoft recommend always using the minimum ISO value and a ±2 EV bracket. From the experience of shooting HDR, we can say that the first statement is beyond doubt, while in the case of a fork it is possible various options and there is huge scope for creativity.

±3 EV plug

-3EV	0 EV	+3EV

The maximum bracket of ±3 EV should be chosen for high-contrast scenes in order to work out fine details in the shadows and highlights well. In this example, such a wide fork is completely unnecessary; ±2 EV could have been done. These settings are deliberately chosen to demonstrate the development of halftones.

±2 EV plug

-2EV	0 EV	+2EV

The ±2 EV plug can be safely chosen for shooting any landscapes at any time of the year. In many cameras, you can set not only integer values, but also intermediate values ​​between 2 and 3, thus selecting the ideal settings for each specific scene, based on personal experience and intuition.

±1 EV plug

-1 EV	0 EV	+1 EV

The ±1 EV bracket in the case of HDR makes virtually no sense - the same effect can be easily achieved in a graphics editor when processing RAW, since within ±1 EV you can easily process any photo with virtually no loss. This option is useful if you are not sure about the exact choice of exposure pair, but want to work out the details.

Programs for merging HDR images

Adobe Lightroom 6

The HDR merging tool appeared only in the 6th version of this wonderful RAW converter, users have been waiting for it for a long time and patiently. In fact, with the advent of panorama stitching and HDR in Lightroom, the need for Photoshop for photo editing has been virtually eliminated.

The dialog box is simple and clear, nothing superfluous, no settings. As a result, the program will create a merged file in DNG format (this is a raw data format developed by Adobe). The file will be in the thumbnail feed next to the original exposures.

When should photos be processed - before gluing or after? Adobe engineers advise processing after stitching, since all information from all exposures will be contained in the glued DNG, and we will have the widest possibilities for tonal processing of any area of ​​​​the photo - both in shadows and in highlights or midtones. The profile for correcting optical distortions can also be connected after gluing, the same applies to editing the horizon and crop. Of course, any processing will be non-destructive; you can return to the glued original at any time.

Advantages

1. Perhaps the best HDR stitching tool to date.
2. Simple and clear interface, nothing superfluous.
3. In the dialog box, you can view the objects that will be processed by the anti-samaz tool in the form of a mask.
4. It will be simple and understandable for beginners.

Flaws

1. It is quite difficult to somehow influence the operation of the anti-lubrication algorithm.
2. In some places in the photo, artifacts appear in the form of stripes or noise, most likely due to the operation of this same anti-blur algorithm.

Adobe Photoshop CC

MacOS, Windows, subscription 300 rubles per month

The Merge to HDR tool of Photoshop CC, which is shown on the screen below, appeared a long time ago, in previous versions of the program, and served faithfully for a long time; it still works today, but with the release of Lightroom version 6 its functionality is greatly reduced.

The peculiarity of the tool is that all processing has to be done in two places - first in the gluing dialog box, and then the photo is processed until it is converted from 16 to 8 bits per channel.

Advantages

1. The ability to select the exposure based on which the program will combat blur; changes are displayed in the picture in real time.
2. An excellent HDR gluing algorithm that allows you to get professional results.

Flaws

1. There are few tonal processing tools in the program's dialog box.
2. Necessity additional processing before converting from 16 to 8 bits per channel, for example using curves.
3. Skills in working with Photoshop curves are required.

HDR Efex Pro 2

MacOS and Windows, price 5,490 rubles per set of programs.

HDR Efex Pro is a plugin and is one of several plugins in a bundle called the NIK Collection. The development is carried out by NIK Software, this company was recently acquired by Google.

Advantages

1. Large collection of ready-made presets. Import presets, create custom ones.
2. Large quantity tonal settings for HDR fusion.
3. Nice simple interface.
4. Plugin for many programs: Photoshop/Bridge, Lightroom, Apple Aperture.
5. Working with “smart filters” - it is possible to use Smart Filters in Photoshop.
6. Local adjustments.
7. Perfect for beginners for their first steps in HDR merging.

Flaws

1. Uncertain work with a monochromatic section of the sky with no clouds - this section will almost certainly turn out to be a dark spot.
2. Ready-made presets often make the picture too rough and the HDR effect too pronounced.
3. The algorithm for combating blurring of objects during gluing is not always successful.

Oloneo PhotoEngine

Windows only, price $150.

Advantages

1. Fast work, all adjustments are made almost in real time, no slowdowns.
2. Advanced work with color.
3. The program works both as a plugin for Lightroom and as a standalone application.
4. Along with traditional HDR stitching, the program has a unique HDR Re-light technology, which allows you to stitch together several photos taken not with different exposures, but with different lighting.

Flaws

1. The algorithm for combating blurring of objects during gluing is depressing; in fact, it simply isn’t in the program.
2. The application is released for Windows only.
3. The program is quite complex for beginner amateur photographers.

Photomatix Pro 5.05

MacOS and Windows, price approximately $100

This program can safely be called a pioneer in working with HDR, because the company HDRSoft sari released the first commercial application back in 2003. By the way, the program interface has hardly changed since then; it is designed in the style of early Windows versions and brings a smile and nostalgia, but at the same time it is very convenient and simple. Another thing is the principle of operation of the program. Photomatix Pro is probably one of the most in-depth programs in terms of fine user settings, and despite the simplicity of the interface, it is not easy to understand. Beginners should definitely watch several training videos that are presented on the company’s website or on YouTube.

Advantages

1. A huge number of gluing settings, including various algorithms and methods.
2. The settings work fine, you can very, very accurately work out the desired parameter, for example, microcontrast, details in the shadows, and so on.
3. Two operating algorithms (Exposure Fusion or HDR Tone Mapping) to choose from.
4. The program works as a standalone application, or can be used as a plug-in for Lightroom/Photoshop Elements.
5. Availability of interesting ready-made presets.
6. Possibility of batch processing of several series.

Flaws

1. The algorithm for combating blurring of objects during gluing does not always work successfully.
2. The program is very difficult for beginner amateur photographers.

HDR Expose 3

MacOS and Windows, price approximately $120.

Developed by Unified Color, it is available both as a standalone application and as a plug-in for Lightroom, Photoshop and Apple Aperture.

Advantages

• Possibility of batch processing of files.
• Possibility of batch gluing of HDR panorama.
• Nice work.
• It is possible to select a frame on the basis of which the program will fight blur.
• An excellent algorithm for combating blur; it worked perfectly on all test frames.
• There are a large number of adjustments for gluing settings, the sliders work carefully, allowing you to fine-tune the desired parameters.
• Availability of versions for both Windows and MacOS.
• Availability of both an advanced version (HDR Expose) and a version with reduced functionality (HDR Express), the difference is $40.
• The program can be recommended to beginners; it is not difficult to understand.

Flaws

• The interface is not always convenient, at least in the version for MacOS - some inscriptions overlap each other.
• A small number of ready-made processing presets.

Luminance HDR

Linux, MacOS, Windows, free.

This program is worth mentioning because it is probably one of the few designed for all three platforms and is the most popular HDR stitching program on the Linux operating system. The issue of choosing an operating system goes beyond this study, however, the example of the Luminance HDR program can clearly demonstrate why photographers, and creative people in general, prefer MacOS or Windows.

The interface, functionality and overall principles of operation in the Luminance HDR program are very different from its competitors; here you won’t be able to work using the “scientific poking” method, simply going through different settings to suit your taste. The program has algorithms for combating grease, which could not be tested in practice; however, the program crashed.

Advantages

• The most popular HDR stitching program for the Linux operating system.
• A large number of tone correction settings.
• Several different gluing algorithms.

Flaws

• Very leisurely work (the test is carried out on a mid-price office laptop, Ubuntu 15.04 system). To put it simply, the program slows down.
• The result of changing parameters is not displayed on the photo in real time; you need to press the Tonemap button and wait.
• Step-by-step algorithm of work. In other words, you will not be able to control the anti-blur method in the HDR merging dialog box; this function can only be enabled before merging, in the previous step, at the stage of selecting photos.
• Complex operating principles that even experienced users cannot understand without a description or instructions.
• Inconvenient and confusing interface.
• This program can be recommended for beginners if they have a task to work exclusively under Linux, and also as a good puzzle game.
• When I tried to enable object alignment and the anti-smear function, the program thought for about 15 minutes and crashed.

When working with the Luminance HDR program, there was always a desire to stop the torment and launch Lightroom 6, in which the same operations can be done an order of magnitude faster, several times more convenient, convenient and with a more predictable result.

DSLR Remote Pro

Speaking about programs for HDR stitching, we cannot fail to mention the DSLR Remote Pro program, which allows you to control the camera from a computer. With other undoubted advantages, the program allows you to automatically shoot with bracketing up to 15 frames in a series. Moreover, it is compatible with the above-mentioned Photomatix Pro program, in conjunction with which it can automatically create HDR images. Of course, Photomatix Pro must be purchased independently of DSLR Remote Pro and installed on your computer.

For the purposes of this study, there is no point in looking at the DSLR Remote Pro in depth; several years ago I wrote a large review of this program, it is a very interesting and unique product of its kind. I recommend that anyone interested visit the Breeze Systems website, find out the compatibility of the program with your camera and try the demo version in action.

Processing one photo, or creating “pseudo-HDR”

Almost without exception, programs for creating HDR images, along with their direct function, also offer the function of creating a so-called “pseudo-HDR” image. The essence this method is that the program allows a user who does not have a series of HDR photographs to create a high dynamic range photo effect from a single photo.

The most common example is shooting in gray cloudy weather, shooting from under an arch, and so on. In this case, the sky will almost certainly be the color of milk, and the foreground will be dark. Of course, competent shooting of a series of images with a tripod and subsequent gluing would save the situation, but often we simply do not have enough time, patience and perseverance to do this things like that. A group of tourists leaves, friends call to keep up, the barbecue gets cold, and walking companions are most often very annoyed by a companion who is constantly fiddling with his tripod, isn’t it? Surely many have felt this themselves, and more than once...

Here it is appropriate to note once again that shooting in RAW format is needed specifically for subsequent image processing. The size and resolution of the camera’s matrix also matters; modern full-frame matrices produce a very wide dynamic range, often allowing light and shadow to be “pulled” over a very wide range.

HDR Efex Pro 2

Price 5490 rubles for a set of programs.

The main purpose of the plugin, of course, is to stitch together HDR from several exposures, but you can also process a single photo.

The screenshot above shows an example of displaying two states of a photograph on the screen simultaneously - it was/was, which in the case of traditional HDR stitching does not make sense, since the “was” state does not exist. You can choose one of the ready-made presets and modify it.

Topaz Adjust 5

MacOS and Windows, price $50.

Perhaps the most effective plugin from a well-known software company. Available for Windows and MacOS and can be purchased either separately or as part of a whole package of plugins.

The main advantage of the plugin is a huge number of ready-made presets, sorted by processing topic, one might say, for all occasions. Having selected a preset, you can immediately modify its action using sliders. You shouldn't expect any special miracles from the plugin, but the processing capabilities are amazing. The disadvantage is the fact that the HDR effect in most ready-made presets is too strong, exaggerated, the processing immediately catches the eye.

HDR panorama

We often shoot both wide panoramas and breathtaking HDR, but what happens when you combine these two techniques? That's right, you'll get a beautiful panoramic photo with a wide dynamic range, that is, well-developed details in the shadows, midtones and highlights. Shooting such scenes is difficult, since you need to simultaneously use your experience of shooting in two different techniques.

Here the classic approach will come to the rescue - shoot a panorama of three series of three exposures of each frame with a bracket of ±2 or ±3 EV, depending on the lighting situation of the scene. You can take more series, but then it is very difficult to work with such a huge number of pictures, in addition, the space on your hard drive is instantly consumed, the computer slows down, your nerves are on edge, and the result is unpredictable.

The second difficult point is the presence of dynamic objects in the frame. And if you shoot a panorama from 5 HDR frames, each of which is stitched together from three, you will end up with 15 frames, in each of which tree branches move, cars drive, people walk. And a situation can easily arise in which the same object can appear in all five frames in different places. In this case, you can either rely on the gluing program, or carefully work with a stamp in each image. In the example below, you can see that the person was moving and changing his pose, but Lightroom 6 coped with this task.

The example shows a panorama stitched together from 5 HDR photographs, which in turn are stitched together from 3 exposures each. Lightroom 6.

Automatic HDR shooting methods

Many modern cameras allow you to shoot and post HDR automatically. The camera in this mode will usually take a series of frames, after which it will stitch together the final HDR. In the vast majority of cases, shooting must be done in JPEG format, and at the output we will also get a ready-made JPEG, which cannot be “re-glued”.

Some cameras allow, in addition to the stitched JPEG, to record the original exposures on the memory card, which you can try to stitch together on your computer at home. Whether this or that camera supports this function, you need to look in the instructions or carefully read reviews; the specifications usually do not reflect such subtleties.

For example, the Pentax k3 camera does it differently - it stitches three exposures into one file in RAW (DNG) format, the volume of which is close to 100 megabytes. The raw format and large amount of data will allow you to edit the image within a very wide range if desired. Moreover, the proprietary Digital Camera Utility is capable of extracting individual exposures from this file, after which the photographer will be able to “re-glue” them again, using different algorithms than the one used by the camera. Of course, it is impossible to test this functionality in practice without having the camera itself in your hands; you just have to take its word for it.

Active D-Lightning

This is a feature of all modern Nikon DSLRs. There is no particular drama in the photo, and when processing RAW in a graphics editor, you can easily achieve more interesting results. The six images below were taken with a Nikon D610.

ADL AUTO	ADL moderate	ADL normal
ADL reinforced	ADL super reinforced	ADL Off

And another strange point: this function has no effect on the raw file, only on JPEG. Or rather, not quite like that: when you open NEF in Nikon’s program, Capture NX-D, information about Active D-Lightning will be read and the file will be displayed according to the specified settings for this parameter. If you work with this NEF in any other editor, there is no point in using this function; it is better to disable it so as not to waste energy.

HDR

Many cameras have an automatic HDR stitching mode, it is included in the menu and only works when shooting in JPEG - the camera itself will take a series of several frames and stitch the finished file. IN Nikon cameras In order for the camera to remember the fact that this mode is turned on, you need to set it to “series”, otherwise before each next HDR-style shot, this function will have to be re-activated in the menu.

Extra High	High	Normal	Low	OFF

You can adjust the bracketing (in the menu it’s called “Exposure Differential”) and the processing hardness (for some reason it’s called “Softening”). As practice shows, you shouldn’t expect any special miracles from shooting in this mode.

Special effects

A special scene mode or special effect will allow you to take photos in the HDR style, but they are unlikely to be interesting except for fun. A similar special effect may be called something like “HDR painting”.

Nikon D5300	Sony a5000

Shooting in automatic mode will help a novice photographer when choosing a shooting angle, and will also allow him to quickly decide whether it is worth shooting the selected scene with exposure bracketing. Having seen an interesting angle, you can quickly shoot an example, look at the screen, and if the result turns out to be interesting, set up a tripod and make a series slowly and thoughtfully.

Multiple exposure

This technique goes back to film days, most likely someone once forgot to translate the frame and got an interesting artistic result when one image was superimposed on another.

When shooting on film, the photographer could take the first frame in one place, then not transfer the film and take the second frame at the same place on the film, being in another city even after a week or a month, and so the number of times he needed. Of course, the result can only be seen when this film is developed.

Most modern Nikon DSLRs, such as the D7200, Df or D610, can take multiple exposure style shots. Overlay of 2 or 3 frames is available (in Nikon DF - up to 10 frames), and you can shoot in RAW. By default the maximum time between exposures is 30 seconds, this time can be increased using a custom setting. Just like for HDR, you can set it to On in the menu. (series) or On (single shot) - in the first case, the camera will take one multiple exposure, and you can start shooting the next one, while in the second case, after shooting one multiple exposure, the camera itself will switch this setting to Off mode.

There is also such a parameter as “Auto Gain”. This setting needs to be adjusted to your taste; the instructions do not give any specific recommendations in this regard, except that it suggests turning off auto gain if the background is dark.

Shooting multiple exposures is a challenging creative endeavor. If in the case of HDR you can at least roughly imagine what the future frame will look like (for example, mentally darken the sky and lighten the shadows on the ground), when shooting Time Lapse you can mentally accelerate the movement of clouds in the sky or the course of any events, then in the case of Multiple exposures make it incredibly difficult to imagine the future frame.

Anyone interested in multiple exposures can be recommended to study the works

Whether we like it or not, among the thousands of pictures we look at, our eyes will definitely stop at a catchy HDR photograph. We are attracted by the clarity of the photograph, the drawn lines, the brightness and volume of the image. These photos are the most prized, but creating true HDR photos is a labor-intensive process that requires multiple photos at once. At the same time, today we often find photos from pseudo-HDR photographs created using simple effects in Photoshop. The difference between real and fake HDR photos is significant. Well, it’s worth understanding these subtleties in more detail.

What is HDR and what is it used for?

HDR photography (High Dynamic Range) literally means “extended dynamic range”. In fact, dynamic range is the range between the darkest and lightest tones. In this case, dark tones in the photograph appear almost black, and light tones appear almost white. Let's give a classic example. Entering a room illuminated by sunlight from a window, we clearly see the entire interior - both what is in partial shade and those objects on which the light falls. However, as soon as we want to photograph this beauty, we are faced with the problem that the camera only captures certain objects. In some photographs, objects are visible in the shadows, but in place of the window there is a white highlight, or vice versa - the window is clearly visible in the photo, and the objects in the back of the room are completely dark. The thing is that the human eye is a more advanced instrument and is capable of “capturing” a wider range of shades, compared to even the best camera. The same thing happens when we look at a building – with our eyes we take in all the details of the building’s facade and the amazing sunset over the building.

However, this is not something the camera can boast about. In this regard, in order to display in a photo all the details of the picture that we perceive with our eyes, there is a need to take several photographs or one RAW and ultimately combine everything into one beautiful HDR photograph. However, you can simplify the task and make fake HDR. Let's consider all types in order.

Creating pseudo-HDR

In addition to real HDR photography, there is also the concept of fake HDR photography. It couldn't be easier. To create such a photo, you don't need several photos or a RAW file. One photo is enough.

Moreover, for such processing, to put it mildly, the most ordinary photograph taken on any digital camera is suitable. In this case, a photo of one of the Oxford colleges. Easily and quickly, using HDR Photoshop effects you can create an original, bright photo.

1. Perhaps the most important step is the first step - the basics. Use the Image >>Adjustment>>Shadow/Highlight command and set the following values:

2. The next step is to duplicate the base layer and set the blending on the Color Dodge layer. This mixing makes the colors brighter, and turns very light areas into white.

2. Also duplicate the base layer, but this time set the layer blending to Linear Burn. Set the main color to black via Select >> Color Range (Selection) and check the Invert option (we are interested in everything except the black areas). Fuzziness is best set to 100. Now add a new layer mask. This way the black areas will disappear.

3. However, there will still be some “unattractive areas” in the image, which can be eliminated using the Gaussian Blur filter, adjusting the radius to 25-35 pixels (at your discretion).

4. Duplicate the Linear Burn layer and set the overlay to Overlay. Next, select the layer mask and invert (Ctrl+I). This blending will darken the lightest shadows and also increase contrast.

5. The next step is to experiment with the transparency of the layer. In this case, the Overlay layer was set to 45% and the Linear Burn to 65%.

6. Via Select >> Color Range, set White Matte, and set Fuzziness to level 100. The lightest areas of the image will be highlighted. Duplicate the base layer and move it up, then create a layer mask and soften it through the Gaussian Blur filter.

7. You can also work with the image through the Gradient Map and “tint” the image depending on the suppressive colors at the bottom of the image. After working with the gradient map, select Select >> Color Range, check Invert. Create a layer mask. Set the layer blending to Hard Light and the layer opacity to 70%.

8. Experiment with the transparency of all layers and the contrast of the image. Pseudo-HDR photo is ready.

However, it is worth noting that in some cases it is still necessary to pull out objects separately and edit the sea or sky separately. Generally the main one Photoshop lesson— experiment, change and select the most optimal values ​​to make the photo look beautiful and bright.

How to Create an HDR Photo from a Single RAW File

To begin with (as they say, just in case) let’s clarify what RAW is. RAW – translated from English means “raw”. This term refers to information obtained directly from a digital matrix, that is, an image without being processed by a camera. The RAW file also contains EXIF ​​data (shutter speed, aperture, etc.). Conventionally, a RAW file can be equated to film in film cameras. Such a file requires “development” on a computer using special converters. This allows you to get all the information about the photo and maximum quality.

Let's look at all the details of creating an HDR photo from one RAW file. To do this, here is a wonderful and very simple lesson by Lars Kahrel. He uses a single image of a monument in Edinburgh to create an HDR photograph. Technical parameters of the camera - PENTAX K200D with Tamron 18-200 lens, 1/160s, f 6.3; ISO 100, 28mm.

The DNG format allows you to conveniently extract all the details of a photo from one RAW file and process the photo. This format allows photographers to easily access their files. You can easily convert your file to DNG format using the free Adobe Camera Raw and DNG Converter (Windows/Mac OS). The photo is saved in DNG format and also as JPG.

To create an HDR photo, first open in Photoshop program(Photoshop Elements 6.0) DNG format. We leave 3 different photos and set different exposures for them (for example, -2 EV / normal / +2 E).

Then you need to open the Dynamic Photo HDR program (in Russian).

Having opened a photo in this program, you need to work a little with Curve and the Color Equalizer. At the same time, we will slightly “correct” the yellow color, reduce the red color, and enhance the blue. Dramatic Light Strength, Radius, Saturation are also subject to change.

The HDR photo is ready.

Excursion V HDR photography

If we look a little into history, it is worth noting that high dynamic range (HDR) images were previously used in 3D, but have now become extremely popular in photography.

Let's take a closer look at working with multiple images, and how exactly these photos are combined into a single HDR photograph.

Some shooting details:

• set the exposure bracket, select continuous shooting mode;
• choose a composition, taking into account the fact that there should be an area of ​​average illumination in the center of the photo;
• fix the exposure;
• take at least 3 frames.

First, we need to take several pictures of the same object from the same position. In this sense, a tripod plays an important role in photography. It is because of the need to photograph a static subject that most HDR photographs depict static subjects - nature or buildings. The photographer's next task is to take a series of photographs (3 photographs) with different exposures. For example, if we expose a building, then the sky becomes overexposed, and if we expose the sky (sunset), then the building darkens. Classically, Adobe recommends varying bracketing (shooting a series of frames with different values ​​at intervals - exposure, white balance, etc.) by one exposure level.

NB! The brightest exposure should show the darkest objects with enough brightness to make those objects clearly visible.

The photographer's task is to combine these three photographs into a single one. On average, they take 3-5 pictures with different exposures. We will limit ourselves to three photographs.

-2 0 +2

There is one trick: when shooting flat surfaces, bracketing is often done at intervals of 2 steps. If the subject of photography is uneven surfaces and rounded and convex objects, then in order for the transition to be smoother, it is better to set a smaller interval. It is best to shoot in manual mode.

The next stage is combining the photographs into a single 32-bit image, which will bring it as close as possible to what we see with our own eyes. To do this, you need to select files through the menu “File->Automate->Merge to HDR...”, another option is through the “Add open files” function if the files selected for work are already opened in Photoshop.

If you used a tripod, the changes in the position of the image will be minor. However, if a series of photographs were taken “manually” or the position of the camera on a tripod changed while changing settings, then it is better to select the “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” alignment option. We warn you that such alignment can take up to 40-50 minutes, and Photoshop will require all PC resources, so you are unlikely to be able to do anything else on your computer.

If you are confident in the same shooting position, then in order to save effort and time, you can refuse the “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” function. In some cases, Photoshop may ask you to manually enter EXIF ​​data. It goes without saying that the data should be as accurate as possible. After all the calculations have been carried out and the photos have been combined, an HDR preview will appear. A window with a combined histogram will appear. You can move the white point slider to the right edge of the histogram to see all the bright detail. This is just a preview for now, more precise values ​​can be set later. After clicking the OK button, we get a 32-bit HDR image, which can now be saved.

At this stage, very few image processing functions can be applied to the 32-bit image. By and large, it is of little use - except for archival purposes. One of the available functions is exposure adjustment (Image> Adjustments> Exposure). You can try changing the exposure to bring out hidden highlights or detail in dark areas. The next step is to convert the 32-bit HDR image to a 16 or 8-bit LDR file using tone mapping. Let's convert the image to 16-bit.

After the completed operations, a dialog box will appear - HDR Conservation in Method, select Local Adaptation. Next, we work with the histogram - we move the straight line closer to the shadow zone. Next, you can play a little with the curves. It is difficult to talk about any clear meanings, since each image requires a separate approach.

Next, we convert the image to 16-bit and tint it to our taste. We moved on to the tone mapping stage (tone mapping). To do this, look at the Image –Adjustment menu. Set Exposure first and then Gamma. To reduce contrast, increase the gamma value. Using the Photomatix tone mapping plugin, you can detail the texture of a photo. You can also work with the Gradient Map and "touch up" the image and tint the image. In general, it all depends on your imagination and experiments, because before you is a whole world of Photoshop tools.

You can watch the video in more detail about how HDR photography is created. True, this is a completely different lesson.

Comments

1. Arthur
   February 22, 2012 at 08:42 pm

For most fans digital photography It is well known what wonderful tricks modern software can perform with ordinary photographs. Not long ago, this list of wonders was replenished with another interesting effect, better known as HDR, which can be translated as “ high dynamic range image" Unlike ordinary photographs HDR photos are “full-fledged” photographs with the most pronounced color detail in all areas of the image. To make this more clear, let’s give a simple example. When shooting a frame, as a rule, the emphasis is always on a specific plan, for example background or nearby objects (foreground). In this case, the “part” of the photo seems to be lost and overexposed.

Since we see from approximately the same perspective, this may seem normal to some, but this is the norm for the human eye, and not for digital camera. In fact, the human visual system is much more advanced than digital photographic equipment, and it is precisely this imperfection that does not allow it to capture and capture all the color details in the frame. There is only one thing left to do - artificially expand the dynamic range. This can be done using a special software. As an example, we will look at two of the most famous programs for creating HDR photos: Dynamic photo HDR And Photomatix Pro. All of these applications are extremely simple and user-friendly, making them most suitable for use by novice photographers.

Dynamic Photo HDR— simple and at the same time powerful, with mass additional functions program for creating HDR images. The application supports tone mapping procedures, working with “raw” RAW format, panoramic images, automatic alignment, applying a special anti-ghost mask, manual adjustment for key points, as well as applying various effects, for example, applying the Orton effect and converting a color image to black -white. Distinctive feature This program is able to create HDR from one JPG format photo. Or rather, it will just be an imitation, so to create real HDR you will need at least three photos taken with different exposure levels.

Creating HDR occurs in several stages. Let's give a simple example of creating an HDR image. Let's add three prepared photographs to the program. This can be done using the built-in image manager or by simply dragging and dropping onto work area programs. By the way, in our example we used images with artificially changed exposure. After the photos have been added, select the processing mode, first click “Assume EV”, and then “OK”. This will open a file combination window in which you can adjust the images to each other if they are not entirely identical. For this reason, most experts advise shooting with a tripod, as this allows you to fix the camera in one position and thereby achieve maximum photo identity.






If you are satisfied with everything, click “OK” again and then perform tone mapping. Here you can already play with the settings at your discretion, use various effects, conversion methods, adjust brightness, saturation, sharpness, color and other parameters. After all, all that remains is to save the finished result. As for creating “HDR” from one photo, everything is much simpler here. Imitation of tone mapping is applied to single JPG files, but RAW files are processed in the same way as any other HDR.




Another, and perhaps the most popular program for creating HDR photos is Photomatix Pro. The principle of operation of this program is in many ways similar to Dynamic photo HDR and consists in combining several images with different levels exposures into one high-quality, complete image. Photomatix Pro features include creating pseudo-HDR images from a single RAW file, support for JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD, RAW, Radiance RGBE formats, automatic alignment, batch processing, tone mapping of HDR images, as well as many other useful operations.




Creating HDR in Photomatix Pro is also done in several stages. In this case, it is advisable to use already prepared images. For example, operations such as synchronization, color adjustment, elimination of chromatic aberrations and noise are best done in advance in Photoshop or another graphics editor. After adding images to the program, click “OK”. A window with preliminary settings will open. If you are combining already prepared photos, you can skip this step. Click “OK”, then “Tone Mapping” and bring the image to mind manually. You can also use ready-made presets. The process of creating pseudo-HDR from JPG or RAW format is much simpler. The program performs all operations for preliminary image preparation itself and in automatic mode.

More and more often I am asked how I get such HDR photographs and why I have such a strange processing “algorithm”. I decided to make a separate topic in which I will try to answer these questions.

1. Theory

What is HDR and why is it needed?

HDR - High Dynamic Range, or in Russian Wide Dynamic Coverage. Dynamic Range measured in " exhibition steps" (EV). Shifting exposure by 1 EV means changing the amount of light hitting the film or digital matrix by 2 times. For example, if the shooting parameters calculated by the camera are 1/50 sec (shutter speed) and f/8 (aperture), then exposure compensation +1 eV will result in shooting with parameters 1/25 sec and f/8 in aperture priority mode or 1/50 sec and f/5.6 in shutter priority mode.

Very often I see photographs with knocked out highlights and failed shadows, and almost always the Authors of these photos claim that " that's how it was". The problem is that the dynamic range ( DD) of the human eye (the ability to simultaneously see details in both highlights and shadows) is (at different people differently) approximately 20 steps, which significantly exceeds the DD of digital camera sensors.

It's sad, but DD has Canon"ov is a little behind Nikon"s. In principle, this is not "deadly" if you take several frames for HDR, which is usually done. But, having a camera with a wide DD you can get quite high-quality pseudo-HDR from one frame and at least a couple of my latest shots from Prague can serve as confirmation of this.

Why is HDR needed? Then, so that the photo would be the same as the photographed scene was seen by the eyes of the photographer, i.e. details were visible both in the lightest areas and in the darkest.

HDR has both fans and opponents... some people like such photographs, others don’t. In my opinion, high-quality HDR looks great! Undoubtedly, the Master in this area is Trey Ratcliff. By the way, he is blind in one eye from birth, but this does not bother him at all!

HDR or not HDR - that is the question! If the scene you are shooting has a lot of contrast in highlights and shadows, then it makes sense to take several photos with different exposures for HDR assembly. An example would be a city at night or abandoned buildings. If the dynamic range of the scene is not large, then HDR may be unnecessary.

2. Practice

What is needed to create an HDR photo? You need to find an interesting place and grab a tripod if shooting handheld will be difficult due to long shutter speeds. Many digital cameras can remove the so-called Exposure Bracketing, which will allow you to take a series of frames at different shutter speeds, the first (depending on the camera settings) of which will be very dark, the middle one will be normal and the last one will be very light.

I read somewhere that for HDR image assembly programs it is desirable to have, say, 5 frames of bracketing in steps of one stop, rather than 3 frames, but in steps of 2 steps. Since the exposure increments on my D800 are 1EV, I usually shoot 5 frames of bracketing.

For those who film Nikon It might be interesting to watch a video on how to set up a camera that will shoot the entire series of bracketing itself with just one press of the shutter button. This trick is indispensable when shooting at night at long exposures - even if you shoot from a tripod, constant finger pressure on the shutter button at shutter speeds of 20-30 seconds can lead to slight camera shift/shaking and a ruined shot.

If the spread between light and shadows is large, then sometimes I shoot 9 frames in order to “capture” as much as possible useful information, as for example in the next two photos.

3. Processing

For those who speak English, I would like to recommend reading the book, I read a lot of interesting things in it. Regarding " What is the best build program to use?"I think many will agree that Photomatix Pro is the best. Photomatics can work both independently and as a plugin for LightRoom"a and Aperture. A big plus of this program is the ability to use presets, of which there are sufficient quantities in the open spaces Internet.

I'll try to describe my processing process step by step.

1) I import all RAWs (if someone else shoots in JPEGs, drop it and switch to RAWs) into LightRoom;
2) and setting the same White Balance for all frames (sometimes there is a slight discrepancy in the BB);
3) Sometimes on some frames I move the Highlights & Shadows sliders;
4) I send all the frames to Photomatix.

If the HDR was made from several frames and there are moving objects, I control how well Photomatics “suppressed ghosts” (Ghost removal). There it is possible to manually indicate “problematic” areas and usually Photomatics “crushes ghosts” very well.

5) There I get a result that suits me, and I save it. LightRoom automatically “catches” the resulting result, which is almost immediately “sent” to Photoshop;
6) In Photoshop, I clean up various “garbage” and correct the geometry;
7) I use it very often Nik Color Efex Pro -> Tonal Contrast And Darken&Lighten Center;
8) I often apply noise reduction to the sky Nik Dfine;
9) Save and return to LightRoom;
10) "Adjustment Brushes" in LightRoom"e are very powerful local correction tools. Therefore, I almost always finalize the frame in LightRoom using adjustment brushes in various modes (darkening, lightening, Highlights, Shadows, Clarity (both plus and minus), Sharpness and Noise). I get a lot better with them It’s easier to work with than with adjustment layers and masks in Photoshop.
11) I export the resulting result (usually 1400pix in width), look at it and periodically find some shortcomings, return to LightRoom or Photoshop, fix them, export again, look and... and often this is the process of “look-see-finish” “It can drag on for a long time, until I’m satisfied with everything.
12) Very often I wait until the next day and very often I finish something the next day.

Well, this is my photo processing process ;-)

4. Video materials

This section will be of interest to those who are “friendly” with English and those who want to “deepen” their knowledge in the field of HDR. I highly recommend watching the entire video.

Happy HDR experiments everyone!!!

This short note is devoted to two technologies for shooting and processing photographs:
- HDR shooting "in 1 RAW"
- artificial expansion of the dynamic range

Both methods were used to obtain this photo:

The idea of ​​making “HDR from one RAW” is extremely popular among some fans of LDP production. Some of them already know that in Photomatics you can make a LDP directly from 1 RAW, which is easier than shooting three frames or producing three “sources” from RAW, but they don’t know that Artizen HDR makes a real cool LDP even from one JPEG! I want to talk about real HDR from one RAW, which does not have the signs of LDR, but has the signs of a typical HDR - good elaboration of highlights and shadows in the plot with a brightness range that goes beyond the limits of “typical LDR” (about 8 EV), but still fits into the DD a more or less decent digital SLR (owners of digital SLRs can relax - it’s useless to them).

Artificial expansion of the dynamic range (this method can also be called “pseudo-HDR”, but this name was staked on by LDP manufacturers) is a method that allows you to add details that do not fit into the DD camera by about a stop in the area of ​​highlights without taking additional frames, through the use one remaining channel in the clipping zone.

[LDP - "Chilling" Soul P-ts", the popular name for photographs disfigured using extreme torsion of pens in Photomatics]

First, let's look at the picture that came straight out of the camera (jpeg). There are no clouds as a class, instead there are just holes in the sky. Lightroom with default settings gives a similar picture:

If you ask Lightroom to highlight areas of illumination, it will show what is already visible to the eyes - there are no clouds, and besides, there is no facade illuminated by the sun either!

Maybe I should have shot with a stop less exposure or turned the exposure knob in Lightroom to -1? But the histogram in Lightroom shows what is already visible to the eyes - there are quite dark objects in the frame and the histogram on the dark (left) side rests on the edge. Those. minus exposure means death to shadows.

Although, if you still make exposure compensation minus 1 stop, the light becomes almost ideal. Where? The answer to this is - my camera has a reserve in RAW of 1 additional stop in highlights. He is the one who saves us. But as I already wrote above, you can’t simply adjust the exposure to minus (the shadows will be destroyed). It is necessary to process the data from RAW completely. Fans of Photomatics can do this in it, but I do it directly in Lightroom:

exposure: -1
blacks: 0
brightness: 0
contrast: 0
(this can be recorded in a preset)

and Lightroom shows the result of RAW tone mapping: a sluggish, low-contrast picture, in which, however, there are almost normal clouds and a light shadow with details.

All that remains is to turn the tonemapper knobs: fill light/recovery and a little clarity, and raise the contrast with the curve or the contrast knob.

The result is already MUCH better. The façade is almost good, the upper cloud is perfect, the lower cloud is so-so, the contrast is mediocre. I corrected the contrast later in Photoshop (with “curves” adjustment layers with masks, the result is at the beginning of the article. The problem of the lower cloud is flare. The margin in RAW is only about 1 EV, but the cloud needed more... Save " developed" RAW into 16-bit PSD and will further expand the DD.

Let's take a closer look at the histogram in RAW using RAW Analyzer. It can be seen that the blue and green channels are slightly beaten down, by about 0.5 EV, but the red one is 99% alive (since the sensitivity of the red channel on the EOS 350d is much lower than the sensitivity of the green one, and the lightest objects in the frame are white):

RAW Analyzer has an excellent indication of light exposure by channel:

It can be seen that a fairly large piece of the lower cloud and the entire upper cloud do not have clipping in principle (hello to Lightroom, which immediately shouted about problems everywhere), but in the picture there are a bunch of places where the green channel (highlighted in purple), or even green and blue (highlighted in red) are blown out (this is partial clipping on one or two channels). And only on a small piece of cloud there is complete illumination (highlighted in black). If you look at the picture above after Lightroom, it is clear that Lightroom corrected the small clipping on one channel on the white cloud almost normally, but it started having problems on two of them. And that's wrong. To combat this, a method will help us "artificial expansion of DD", which consists in reconstructing parts based on the data contained in one channel.

In order to add details to the clouds that were lost during shooting, we need to “develop” the RAW separately so that the converter does not spoil the red channel (when correcting the white balance, it will increase the values ​​​​in the red channel and kill it in those places where the green and blue channels). To do this, we need to shift the white balance to red, i.e. move it to yellow and purple at the same time. At the same time, the “eyedropper” in Lightroom begins to show red values ​​​​less than 100% where it was originally 100. Having selected the parameters so that the red on the cloud appears completely, we make a second 16-bit PSD and open it. First of all, let's open the channel mixer and set the blue and green channels to 100% of the red. The picture will turn black and white and the clouds will look normal. After this, all that remains is to superimpose this picture onto the normally “developed” one, add a mask to it so that it is applied only to the problem areas and then slightly tint the layer made by the channel mixer so that the shade matches white. That's it - we (together with Lightroom, which did part of the work itself) added a whole hundred more details!

Similarly, you can add unpainted details to the shadow, but we will use the strongest channel - green.

Lightroom does not always finish the red channel. Sometimes he leaves it unharmed (and the clouds in the clipping zone take on strange shades). In this case, there is no need to “develop” the RAW a second time - you can immediately correct everything in the first file by simply adding a channel mixer adjustment layer with a mask to the problem areas.

In my example, this method gave a slight improvement - there are few clouds, but on cards with large, low-contrast clouds with partial illumination, it can give a much greater effect.

P.S. A reminder to bulka and other copy-pastors: this article is subject to copyright and is not intended to be pasted in chunks into your "original" works.