Photoshop's Merge to HDR

Since digital cameras can capture only a fraction of the brightness range our eyes can see, Adobe has added a new Merge to HDR function in Photoshop CS2 that lets you merge several exposures into one High Dynamic Range (HDR) image. This new feature allows you to capture the full range of color values and produce some amazing images. Let's take a look…

Tutorial Author: Matt Kloskowski

Matt is an instructor for DesignMentor Training where he instructs an online class in advanced Adobe Photoshop. Author of Extreme Photoshop and Illustrator Most Wanted, Matt is certified as an Adobe Certified Expert  and as a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD). Matt writes weekly columns for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Mac Design magazine's Web site and features for Create Magazine's Studio column. Matt's tutorials have been used in over 15 schools throughout the United States and translated into seven languages.

At a Glance

This image is a picture from the back of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. However, the photograph didn't always look this nice.

It was actually comprised of several photographs that looked more like this. As you can see, none of them nail the exposure perfectly.

They certainly didn't capture the feeling I got when standing there. However, using Photoshop CS2's Merge to HDR feature allowed me to get a much nicer image by combining all of them into one High Dynamic Range image.

Try It Out

1. First, shoot several versions (at least two) of something using different exposures. This is important to follow because you can't fake it. Photoshop CS2 actually looks at the EXIF data in the photos when using Merge to HDR, so manually changing exposure and trying to cheat won't work.

2. Next, open all the images in Photoshop CS2. Then choose File > Automate > Merge to HDR. This will open the Merge to HDR dialog box.

3. Select the photos you need to merge. You can use the Browse button to find them or if the images are open, just choose Open Files from the Use drop-down menu. When you've selected your images, click OK to start the process.

4. Photoshop will think for a moment (or a few moments depending on the size of the photos and your computer's speed) and then display the source images on the side with the merged image in the center. You can adjust the White Point Preview slider to determine which brightness levels you'll see when this image loads into Photoshop. You can also choose the Bit Depth (32, 16, or 8) you'd like for the photo.

5. Click OK, and the image opens in Photoshop to print or save it. If you forgot to set the Bit Mode in the dialog box, you can still convert the file to an 8- or 16-bit image by choosing Image > Mode.

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