PWP5 Image Blending & Tone Mapping

[den]

A rather interesting message thread recently appeared on the DPReview Retouching forum that offers a challenge and at the same time some discussion/examples regarding the subjects of Image Blending & Tone Mapping.

See: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=32426808

PWP5's StackImages, ZoneAdjustment, and/or ColorCurves transforms provide the needed image data access and data manipulation to generate preference image blending and subsequent adjustment for tone/color every bit as capable as other imaging software...

blend1.jpg (45.73 KiB) Viewed 6552 times

A PWP5 StackImages and ColorCurves with masks solution:

blend2.jpg (47.24 KiB) Viewed 6548 times

While I don't remember exactly the workflow taken, if there is further interest, I can post a higher resolution PWP5 solution image and the StackImages transform settings used to aleast generate the 'blended image' from which the final tone/color adjustments where made.

[bbodine9]

Den,

Yes please do post this as I for one would like to follow your solution for these photos.

Thanks!

[MikeG]

Attached is the result of running the HDR function of cPicture (which calls enfuse) using only the brightest and darkest images.
Took roughly one minute, start to finish.

I'll very interested to look at the PWP procedure. I'm sure that it will take longer, but perhaps the result will be worth it.

Mike.

[minolta]

This result was obtained using all four images and processing in Photomatix, a dedicated HDR application. The process took about one minute with only minor adjustments made to the default settings.

[den]

Below is a link to a higher resolution suggested PWP5 final adjusted image with a StackImages screen shot/description for the blended image.

The next step is to add preference tone/color contrasts to the low contrast blended image which contains the necessary image detail of the scene's extended dynamic range. The Multi-Zone and/or ColorCurve transforms are great for this purpose.

For the illustrated image, the ColorCurves transform with 3Tone Range masks was primarily used. The sky contrast/color was adjusted in the HSL color space and the remaining scene's mid-distance and near-distance contrast/color were adjusted in the HSV color space... Followed by a 20% amount of HighPass Local Contrast Enhancement.

The intent was to maintain near photo-realism without objectionable halos, tone reversals, and overly saturated colors...

Link [web page contains 3 images approximately 300 KB each]:
http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/tutoria ... /index.htm

[MikeG]

My use of HDR has been almost completely as part of making panoramas. Especially indoor ones in the daytime in rooms with windows. Having spent some time in the last couple of days experimenting with stand alone images using cPicture's HDR front end of enFuse, and the Stack Images transform (based on Den's work, above) I'm of the view that:
a) My favourable impression of HDR for use in panoramas has been coloured by the overarching blending algorithm that Autopona uses when rendering the pano.
b) The output of HDR is miles in front of either input image (I generally only use approx -2EV and +2EV) - or the 0EV image. Obviously.
c) Simple use of the Stack Images transform is on a par with enFuse HDR
d) Skiful use of the Stack Images transform is superior to straight enFuse HDR

Now to up my skill level...

Mike.