Topaz Labs HDR Problem

I'm trying to make a HDR image with Topaz Labs and I keep getting a halo around the subjects in the photo and there is so much noise in the image? Is there a way to tune this down a little?

Try to eliminate as much noise as possible before going into Topaz Adjust (is that what you are using? ). Try reducing the details and exposure equalization settings until the halos disappear.

Sometimes I take an adjusted photo, and layer it with an unadjusted copy, and mask out the offending areas.

Unfortunately you will still be limited with correcting that problem but there are a few things to help.
Henry's suggestions are good too.


IMO: the best fix would be using your blending options in your layer styles. It's a quick fix actually.

For example, if you have halo around trees with a blue sky this would be my recommendation: Magnify your image to your viewing preference for the area you wish to reduce halo effect.
RT click on your layer and go to Blending Options. Under Advanced Blending, select BLUE from the drop menu next to "blend if" then drag the "this layer" slider to the right. You should see your background layer bleed through. Move this slider to the right until you start to see areas of the "tone-mapped" sky appear. Things may look a little funky....don't worry...! Now, hold the Alt button down and click on that same slider you just moved. This slider will become two halves. Move the LEFT half of the slider back to the left. You should now notice things looking a little more pleasing to you. You may want to move the right and left half of the slider to get your favorite look. I would suggest that you zoom in to at least 100% to check on your details to get a close look at your edges. You may notice that the sky looks great, but other parts of your image may need a pick me up. This is simple too. Just add a layer mask and paint with black paint using a soft edge brush over the areas you wish to reveal from your tone-mapped layer. If you accidentally paint your sky, simply change the paint back to white to go back over that mistake.


You can also try these tips:

I would go back and adjust the exposures in the original images if needed. Then I would use the burn/dodge tool on your HDR result around the areas giving you problems.

For simple images, you can try cloning around the halo. This will work great for a building against a sky for example. But if you have a tree against a cloudy sky, you can see how this will get complicated. I would then use the blur tool to blend these tough areas.
You can also try reducing the layer's opacity. This will also reduce your HDR effect. You can also try a soft reduced opacity brush to blend the harsh halo area if you don't want to compromise reducing the layer's opacity.

Have you tried using Topaz Detail instead of Topaz Adjust HDR? If you haven't tried Detail, I'd play with that on a rainy day and see if you get anything you like.

Hope this helps you!

It would help if we could see the image you're working on.