HDR - do you edit the individual raws before merging?

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The Boz

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Hi,
I've just had a first stab at HDR and got mixed responses on here. Which is good, it means there's plenty for me to learn and improve on.

So then, would you edit the individual raw files before merging them to HDR, or not? I didn't, and I'm wondering if maybe that's where I can really improve.

I mean even just opening the raws straight into the merge to HDR window there's loads of adjustments you can make. If I were to start editing each individual raw before merging then I kinda feel like "where do I draw the line". It could get out of hand if I have more than 3 shots, say. The amount of tweaking would be literally ridiculous.

Or is this the standard way of producing top-notch HDRs? Spend hours in ACR perfecting each individual raw, then further hours with the merge to HDR window? If so, what sort of stuff would you be doing to the individual raws?

Cheers guys
 
I can't imagine there is anything to be gained from editing the individual RAW files, so I'd say no - you are doing it the right way.

Getting any HDR to look half descent is I challenge as far as I am concerned.
 
I never adjust the raw before importing to photomatix. Mainly because I would have to save it as a tiff or something and that instantly limits the range of the raw and how much you can push it around in photomatix. I just shove the raws in, make the tweaks, save as a 16bit tiff then edit in Lightroom.

Not saying it is right way, but it is the way I have always done it.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
I never adjust the raw before importing to photomatix. Mainly because I would have to save it as a tiff or something and that instantly limits the range of the raw and how much you can push it around in photomatix. I just shove the raws in, make the tweaks, save as a 16bit tiff then edit in Lightroom.

Not saying it is right way, but it is the way I have always done it.
Click to expand...

and for me, that's the way I do it too - I can't see any benefit in editing the RAWs first otherwise you're at risk of losing some of the exposure bracketing that you had in the first place.
 
I normally don't ajust the raw before HDR processing, I can't see you'd gain a lot to be honest.
 
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