How do you make a HDR image from one photo?

I'm not talking about using some sort of software, I was told you can tweak a image in Photoshop and have it coming out looking like a HDR image. How is that done?

Thanks

Nik Software and Topaz Labs both have programs that will do that. Or you can play around with the contrast and adjust curves and exposure.

Luminosity masks, or layer blending.

Layer blending involves editing multiple images of the same image, based on raw information.


How you do it is by importing smart objects.

When you open a Raw from Adobe Bridge, you will get the raw editor, before going into full blown photoshop.

I believe it's Command on mac, and probably Control on PC. Hold one of those down depending on your computer, and hover over the "open" button the right corner, it should say "open smart object."

What smart objects do is enable you to open RAWs and have them interact in photoshop like a layer. You can have 2 of the same image open and in the layer menu, you'll have a little black and white box on the layer you can double click, and edit that raw itself anytime you want with full raw editing tools.


What does this really mean?

It means you can extend your dynamic range more than any other program in existance, and do make it look uncanny.

Topaz, Lucis, photomatix, photoshops HDR plugin, and all of the other software is absolute GARBAGE compared to this.

Try this.

Make to smart objects of the same picture, have them as 2 layers in photoshop.

Edit the first and bring up the exposure A LOT.

edit the 2nd to underexpose it, like you were trying to bring in a sky.


Order the layers correctly (top shows the most), Paint with White i believe on that layer, and the underexposed sky comes through on top of the blown out sky. You're using raw information to it's max, now you mix this with blending methods, opacities, and the power of photoshop...you now do what art wolfe, scott kelby, peter lik and the greatest photographers do to their landscapes.

They do not use filters, they hand craff their shots, like ansel adams did.


I may have had some errors in the process, because I haven't done this to landscape to a month or so, but you'll get the point.

Scotty wrote: Luminosity masks, or layer blending.

Layer blending involves editing multiple images of the same image, based on raw information.


How you do it is by importing smart objects.

When you open a Raw from Adobe Bridge, you will get the raw editor, before going into full blown photoshop.

I believe it's Command on mac, and probably Control on PC. Hold one of those down depending on your computer, and hover over the "open" button the right corner, it should say "open smart object."

What smart objects do is enable you to open RAWs and have them interact in photoshop like a layer. You can have 2 of the same image open and in the layer menu, you'll have a little black and white box on the layer you can double click, and edit that raw itself anytime you want with full raw editing tools.


What does this really mean?

It means you can extend your dynamic range more than any other program in existance, and do make it look uncanny.

Topaz, Lucis, photomatix, photoshops HDR plugin, and all of the other software is absolute GARBAGE compared to this.

Try this.

Make to smart objects of the same picture, have them as 2 layers in photoshop.

Edit the first and bring up the exposure A LOT.

edit the 2nd to underexpose it, like you were trying to bring in a sky.


Order the layers correctly (top shows the most), Paint with White i believe on that layer, and the underexposed sky comes through on top of the blown out sky. You're using raw information to it's max, now you mix this with blending methods, opacities, and the power of photoshop...you now do what art wolfe, scott kelby, peter lik and the greatest photographers do to their landscapes.

They do not use filters, they hand craff their shots, like ansel adams did.


I may have had some errors in the process, because I haven't done this to landscape to a month or so, but you'll get the point.

Exactly what I was gonna say.......

effron wrote:

Scotty wrote: Luminosity masks, or layer blending.

Layer blending involves editing multiple images of the same image, based on raw information.


How you do it is by importing smart objects.

When you open a Raw from Adobe Bridge, you will get the raw editor, before going into full blown photoshop.

I believe it's Command on mac, and probably Control on PC. Hold one of those down depending on your computer, and hover over the "open" button the right corner, it should say "open smart object."

What smart objects do is enable you to open RAWs and have them interact in photoshop like a layer. You can have 2 of the same image open and in the layer menu, you'll have a little black and white box on the layer you can double click, and edit that raw itself anytime you want with full raw editing tools.


What does this really mean?

It means you can extend your dynamic range more than any other program in existance, and do make it look uncanny.

Topaz, Lucis, photomatix, photoshops HDR plugin, and all of the other software is absolute GARBAGE compared to this.

Try this.

Make to smart objects of the same picture, have them as 2 layers in photoshop.

Edit the first and bring up the exposure A LOT.

edit the 2nd to underexpose it, like you were trying to bring in a sky.


Order the layers correctly (top shows the most), Paint with White i believe on that layer, and the underexposed sky comes through on top of the blown out sky. You're using raw information to it's max, now you mix this with blending methods, opacities, and the power of photoshop...you now do what art wolfe, scott kelby, peter lik and the greatest photographers do to their landscapes.

They do not use filters, they hand craff their shots, like ansel adams did.


I may have had some errors in the process, because I haven't done this to landscape to a month or so, but you'll get the point.

Exactly what I was gonna say.......

Scotty wrote: Luminosity masks, or layer blending.

Layer blending involves editing multiple images of the same image, based on raw information.


How you do it is by importing smart objects.

When you open a Raw from Adobe Bridge, you will get the raw editor, before going into full blown photoshop.

I believe it's Command on mac, and probably Control on PC. Hold one of those down depending on your computer, and hover over the "open" button the right corner, it should say "open smart object."

What smart objects do is enable you to open RAWs and have them interact in photoshop like a layer. You can have 2 of the same image open and in the layer menu, you'll have a little black and white box on the layer you can double click, and edit that raw itself anytime you want with full raw editing tools.


What does this really mean?

It means you can extend your dynamic range more than any other program in existance, and do make it look uncanny.

Topaz, Lucis, photomatix, photoshops HDR plugin, and all of the other software is absolute GARBAGE compared to this.

Try this.

Make to smart objects of the same picture, have them as 2 layers in photoshop.

Edit the first and bring up the exposure A LOT.

edit the 2nd to underexpose it, like you were trying to bring in a sky.


Order the layers correctly (top shows the most), Paint with White i believe on that layer, and the underexposed sky comes through on top of the blown out sky. You're using raw information to it's max, now you mix this with blending methods, opacities, and the power of photoshop...you now do what art wolfe, scott kelby, peter lik and the greatest photographers do to their landscapes.

They do not use filters, they hand craff their shots, like ansel adams did.


I may have had some errors in the process, because I haven't done this to landscape to a month or so, but you'll get the point.

Any photos to share with that great post?

I'm not into HDR, but thanks for sharing. I also would like to see some photos from the step by step instructions. lol

Good information Scotty

Good explanation Scotty, my thoughts exactly.

How do you process a single shot to HDR? You don't. It's impossible to boost it, a single shot has the dynamic range of...a single shot.

Yasko wrote: Good explanation Scotty, my thoughts exactly.

How do you process a single shot to HDR? You don't. It's impossible to boost it, a single shot has the dynamic range of...a single shot.

A single shot's RAW has a lot of dynamic range.

RAW has from 10-14 stops of dynamic range in a good camera.

Even more if you selectively combine multiple RAWs

Do any of those canned softwares work good?

Number 7 wrote: Do any of those canned softwares work good?

If you want pro results, no.

Scotty wrote:

Number 7 wrote: Do any of those canned softwares work good?

If you want pro results, no.

I've extensively experimented with Photomatix, Artizen, and a couple others, and I have to agree with that. The results are quick, and satisfactory for some, but nothing beats traditional Photoshop processing techniques. The steep learning curve is well worth it in the end.