Lightroom 5 - how do i blend images ?

[damianmkv]

I took a series of shots of my son at the scooter park at the weekend and I want to blend them ( probably around 8 or 9 ) into 1 in LR5

How do i do it please ?

 

[ecoleman]

Upgrade to LR6 or CC

 

[damianmkv]

So there is no way in LR 5 ?

 

[ecoleman]

So there is no way in LR 5 ?

Nope, HDR blending was introduced in LR6 or CC

However, I did forget about an old plug-in I've used a few times many years ago. LR/Enfuse.
https://www.photographers-toolbox.com/products/lrenfuse.php

It won't create a merged DNG file like the new LR does, but will output a TIF file if I remember correctly.

There is a donation required to unlock the full functionality, but this can be whatever you feel the plugin is worth to you.

 

[Marc]

Google's Nik software is free and includes HDR Efex which works well as a Lightroom plug-in.

 

[odd jim]

You can do this via layers in any version of Photoshop if you have access to that?

 

[Deckard]

When you say blend, do you mean a multplicity type shot, with your son showing at different stages within the frame? If so, then you will need any piece of software that will work with layers, you can't do that within LR.

 

[damianmkv]

yes, that's what i mean

 

[Oliver Pohlmann]

Yeah you can't do that in any version of Ligtroom. You need Photoshop ideally. Might be worth getting the Abobe Photography Plan package for £8.50/mo for latest LR and PS - http://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/photography.html

 

[damianmkv]

Thanks - I'm not prepared at the moment to spend £100 per year on editing software

 

[StewartR]

Well, if you're prepared to put in the effort to climb the learning curve, GIMP can do a lot of layer-based editing, and it's free.

 

[ecoleman]

You haven't said what OS you're running. If a Mac then Afford bury photo is very good at £40.

A windows version is on the horizon

 

[Deckard]

Well as Stewart pointed out, GIMP is free [although a bit clunky last time I used it], Affinity Photo is good value [Mac only currently] and Photoshop Elements is cheap and cheerful [although way back when I used to use it, it had limited layers functionality]. TBH the Adobe Photography plan is great value for the price of 3 pints a month, but each to their own.

 

[damianmkv]

Thanks, I'm on windows and have PSE11 as well.

 

[ianp5a]

Well as Stewart pointed out, GIMP is free [although a bit clunky last time I used it], Affinity Photo is good value [Mac only currently] and Photoshop Elements is cheap and cheerful [although way back when I used to use it, it had limited layers functionality]. TBH the Adobe Photography plan is great value for the price of 3 pints a month, but each to their own.

Try the new, overhauled version of Gimp. v2.9.4. It's no harder to use than Photoshop.
But even in the old version you can open-the-images-as-layers, add-mask to each layer. Then paint in the individual scooter positions on each mask .

 

[Deckard]

Thanks, I'm on windows and have PSE11 as well.

Well that should do the trick, you'll just need to look up some tutorials on multiplicity and how to mask.

Try the new overhauled version of Gimp. v2.9.4. It's no harder to use that Photoshop.

Might look out of curiosity then, but I'm a LR/PS CC user.

 

[odd jim]

I think the desktop PicsArt does layers and that's free also.

 

[wezza13]

TBH the Adobe Photography plan is great value for the price of 3 pints a month, but each to their own.

Or 2 pints a month down this way