Combining three images

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matt_wright

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Matt Wright
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Hi guys I went to take some pictures of a local church today and managed to get a really nice deep blue sky - only problem was that this left the foreground underexposed. I used Exposure bracketing to take 3 images and was wondering on the best (or possibly easiest for a novice to this) program to use.
I have access to Lightroom 3, Elements 9 and CS4 - but if there is something more suitable available please let me know.
I shot in raw if that makes any difference?

Thanks

Matt
 
I think elements 9 has exposure blending (not sure) try under file/new/photomerge/exposure it might be there.
 
I know very little so excuse me, i would open the raw file up, then save differnt exposures off the same file with the sky how you wanted, and the church, load them into ps so one was pasted on a different layer on top of the other, and erase either the sky or church to reveal the req one underneath, someone else will describe it better or an easier metheod, you could always upload and let someone here have a go, as i say i dont know too much about pp, but this has worked for me in the past.
 
Flying giraffe said:
I know very little so excuse me, i would open the raw file up, then save differnt exposures off the same file with the sky how you wanted, and the church, load them into ps so one was pasted on a different layer on top of the other, and erase either the sky or church to reveal the req one underneath, someone else will describe it better or an easier metheod, you could always upload and let someone here have a go, as i say i dont know too much about pp, but this has worked for me in the past.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks i will have a go. If anyone has a good link towards a tutorial for this i would appreciate it - ir any other ideas
Thanks
Matt
 
because you shot in raw you can retrive the lost parts, if you upload the raw file, others will show you using your file, and prob better than me
 
If you did all three shots on a tripod so's they'll accurately overlay, you can use CS4 `merge to HDR` function. Otherwise, I'd take the middle shot (exposure-wise), make any adjustments you want in RAW for a `best exposure`, and save. Then make a second from the same file, having adjusted the exposure to -2, and a third at +2 stops. Save each with a new name (very important!), giving you three RAW shots from the same shot. Then use the `merge to HDR` in CS4 on those.

If you haven't had a crack at HDR, there are plenty of tutorials around. This is a good one, if a bit geeky in places.
 
The merge to hdr in CS4 isn't the easiest tool for a beginner to use.
 
Oh, I don't know. Worth a go, and it's there, free...
 
If you have bracketed images (+2ev, 0ev & -2ev) then I'm sure the easiest option would be to blend the +2 image (that has the foreground) into your image which was correctly exposed for the sky. This would just mean opening both images in CS4 and then use a layer mask to reveal a more favourable foreground..
 
If you want to blend just the sky then you can do it in PSE9 (I'm not familiar with CS4)
Open up the image with the best foreground and in ACR optimize it to get the best foreground without worrying about the sky then Open Image.
Next select File / Place and open the image with the best sky and in ACR optimize the sky without worrying about the foreground and then click OK.
This will open the 2nd image as a layer above the first one - it will also be a Smart Layer which is not relevant in this case. Just press enter or click on the commit icon and the large cross on the image will disappear. Right click on the layer and select Simplify.
Now click on the Add layer mask icon and then select the gradient tool, select a Black White gradient, make sure you are in Linear mode and 100% opacity. Click on the layer mask that was just created to ensure that it is selected and draw a gradient from the foreground to the sky, the shorter you draw the gradient the more abrupt the transition will be. If you like you can keep on drawing gradients to get one that is OK, each new one will replace the one before.
If the gradient is a bit low or high you can use Image / Transform / Free Transform and use the top or bottom middle handles to move the gradient up or down.
You can also paint with Black to show parts of the Foreground layer or paint with White to show the Sky layer.
This method gives you more choice about what "blends" but is a bit more effort than choosing File / New / PhotoExposure
 
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Great stuff there Kev. Never thought or knew you could use free transform on the gradient mask. Good stuff. :thumbs:

Dont suppose you know a way of doing it but have the gradient follow a curved/jagged path? i.e. if you have cliffs/islands/trees/buildings sticking up into the gradient/sky area? :shrug:

Cheers!
 
DorsetDude said:
Great stuff there Kev. Never thought or knew you could use free transform on the gradient mask. Good stuff. :thumbs:

Dont suppose you know a way of doing it but have the gradient follow a curved/jagged path? i.e. if you have cliffs/islands/trees/buildings sticking up into the gradient/sky area? :shrug:

Cheers!
Click to expand...

I don't know how to get a jagged or curved gradient but you can always add to the mask by painting on Black or subtract from it by painting on White. You do not have to paint on Black at 100% opacity though, if you change the opacity to, say, 25% then you will paint grey and only some of the bottom image will "bleed" through. If you hold the mouse button down as you paint and go over the same area it does not increase the bleed through, if however you paint an area with 25% opacity, release the mouse key and paint over the same area again then the " bleed" through will be increased as you will be laying down a darker grey on the layer mask.

Hope that helps
Kev
 
Thanks Kev
I wonder if there is a way to perhaps make a jagged selection overlapping the "join" then do a gradient fill on the selection?

cheers
 
Thanks for all the comments guys. I will have ago at some of the techniques over the next week

Cheers

Matt
 
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