Hand-blend HDR Images

EchoingWhisper · Sep 5, 2011

Can any of you tell me how do you align hand-blend HDR images? Slight movement is unavoidable. Aligning it is really a problem to me.

Do you guys have any other tips on Hand-blend HDR images? Share your experience here.

480sparky · Sep 5, 2011

What software are you using?

newb · Sep 5, 2011

Id like to see the answers to this aswell. In for the read.

EchoingWhisper · Sep 5, 2011

Photoshop CS5.

Bynx · Sep 5, 2011

Using Photoshop put each shot on a layer. Lets say 3 shots. The first is BASE, the second is Layer 1 and the third Layer 2. Turn off layer 2 and make Layer 1 50 transparent. Now move Layer 1 using the arrow keys left right up down. If there is a twist in the pic you will have to do a rotate. When you get it lined up then turn transparency back to 0, turn off Layer 1 and turn on Layer 2 and repeat procedure using Base as the one to line up with again. When finished you might have to do a crop to the inner most edges. Then save each layer.

Its surprising how well Photomatix Pro does all this while its processing the image.

EchoingWhisper · Sep 6, 2011

Is there any action or plugin or filter for this?

Bynx · Sep 6, 2011

I wouldnt think an action would help because each pic you are dealing with would have a different alignment problem to deal with.

480sparky · Sep 6, 2011

You want to manually blend images using an automatic process?

EchoingWhisper · Sep 7, 2011

480sparky said:
You want to manually blend images using an automatic process?

Just the aligning part.

loopy · Sep 7, 2011

Compile the images into one layered file. Select the layers you would like to align. Edit > Auto Align Layers.

EchoingWhisper · Sep 13, 2011

Thanks a lot.

Majeed Badizadegan · Sep 18, 2011

"Hand-blend" sounds really weird to me. Not 100% sure what you mean by this. Anyway, if you are shooting HDR brackets handheld and not on a tri-pod, then your best bet would be photomatix pro and "aligning with matching features". Of course you can always layer in Photoshop and edit to taste as other users have suggested.

Just my 2 cents.

tevo · Sep 18, 2011

Why not just shoot with a tripod (if you can), and use Photomatix?

tevo · Sep 18, 2011

Rotanimod said:
"Hand-blend" sounds really weird to me. Not 100% sure what you mean by this. Anyway, if you are shooting HDR brackets handheld and not on a tri-pod, then your best bet would be photomatix pro and "aligning with matching features". Of course you can always layer in Photoshop and edit to taste as other users have suggested.

Just my 2 cents.

^^Yeah, this