I've played around with layer blends in the past as a way to increase dynamic range, but it only seemed to work well for certain images, mainly due to my inability to mask effectively. Recently I've started experimenting with luminosity masks for this purpose (http://www.hougaardmalan.com/blog/advanced-contrast-application/) and the results are starting to show promise. Below are two images, one is the middle exposure from a 5 frame bracketed set and the other is a layer blend produced from the set.
Comments and advice are appreciated.
Thanks
EDIT: For comparison, I've added output from Photomatix which I processed to mimic my layer blend as closely as I could -- without spending so much time on it that I missed lunch.
Yes, before HDR, luminosity masking and blending was the only way I knew of to "save a sky." Once you set up some actions for it, it can be almost quicker than processing with Photmatix. The advantage of HDR is that you can get so many different effects, so quickly. Thanks for sharing your examples.
skibum5 wrote:
I like how your technique of layer blending was even able to mix in information taken from the other direction revealing the sign.
What I am finding I like about layer blending is the amount of control I can exert over the results. I suppose it's true I can spit out more "looks" more quickly with HDR software, but with the blending method I feel as though I am creating something -- not just moving some sliders around until I get an acceptable result.
Granted I wouldn't want to invest the time for just any set of frames, but I think from now on some will merit this treatment.
