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Tutorial: Extending the dynamic range.
Here is my first attempt at an actual tutorial for photographers and photoshop users.If you don’t have the latest version of Photoshop, you can still make some pretty nice enhancements to your photos and extend the dynamic range to levels that cameras today cannot capture. First off, you are going to take two exposures of a single identical composition (using a tripod, of course). One slightly overexposed, and one slightly underexposed (also called Bracketing). I am going to take you through some steps to combine these multiple exposures so that you can make an image that combines the best shadows from your overexposed picture with the great highlights of your underexposed picture.
First off, take your two exposures of a single identical composition (using a tripod, of course). Then, when you get both images open in Photoshop, you are going to drag your darker image into the lighter one (holding down the shift key will drop your darker image directly into the center of your lighter image).
Now you should have both images in a single document, and we are going to use blending options and blending modes to combine those perfectly exposed shadows and highlights from both images. Once your images are aligned as best you can select Layer>Layer Styles>Blending Options. We want to keep the highlights from the top image, and combine them with the shadows from the underlying image, so we are going to move the sliders in the bottom of the Blending Options dialogue box. Move the upper-left Blend If slider to the right until you start to see sufficient shadow detail appearing, then hold Option/Alt and drag the right edge of that same slider toward the right until you create a smooth transition between your shadows and midtones. You should see your slider split into two pieces. Then, before leaving this dialogue box, select Darken from the Blend Mode drop down menu, and this should help you improve the image in any areas where there may be some alignment issues from things such as wind. As this is my first attempt at a tutorial, please feel free to ask questions, and comments are always appreciated.
Seems handy when the time is right.
I’ll try your method, but I have to buy a tripod and photoshop first. Also I am thinking of a new camera ( actual is canon A95),certainly a reflex ( nikon D40, Canon 400D ou Nikon D80 if my budget allows). I wonder if i need automatic bracketing or not ( nikon D40 has no automatic bracketing, Canon 400 D has )
Thanks for your iniative, I’ll come back
amazing, bravo for the wonderful tutorial
In response to Marc -
You don’t “need” auto bracketing. The only function Auto Braketing serves is to automate the change in exposure for you. It’s just a convenience. To get the same results, keep your camera pointed at the same subject, don’t change the apperture, and simply increase or decrease you shutter speed (longer for overexposure, shorter for underexposure).
Great tutorial for the web. Too many tutorials inundate the user with information and I for one would like to see more tutorials using your style of presentation.
Thanks.
Great tutorial. Very nice written so it’s easy to understand what to do. I’d love to see more of your tutorials on other techniques=)
I think that the use of paragraphs would have made this an easier read but it’s a good tutorial