Exposure Blending in Photoshop & Photomatix: Part 1 – Photo Premium

HDR photography is always a controversial issue, and it’s an easy to technique to do badly. There are plenty of automatic scripts, actions and processes out there that aim to simplify the process, but the result is often a touch too dramatic.

In today’s Premium tutorial, we’ll be taking a look at how to create a realistic exposure-blended image using Photoshop, combining video on-location and plenty of post-processing advice.

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Get Real With HDR

Simon starts the first instalment of this two part series with a brief chat about the different types of HDR – those used for CGI rendering and the more common type that seems still to be the latest craze in photography.

On location we are shown an old barn which is used to show the process of shooting for both exposure blending and HDR imaging. Simon discusses and clearly explains the dynamic range of both the scene, and how it relates to the limitations of your modern Digital SLR.

In post production we are shown a manual method of assembling our various exposures within Photoshop using layer masks, and plenty of patience – a process that you can apply to your own images.

Next week, part two of this series will take a look at Photomatix 4, and how we can make the process a little simpler using this helpful piece of software.

Watch the Preview Video

Here’s a quick preview of what to expect in the full video tutorial, available exclusively to Premium members:

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