Combining photos by using HDR Exposure Merge
You can use Exposure Merge to combine two or more photos by using HDR (high dynamic range) processing.
Exposure Merge (Step 1 window)
For more information about taking photos that work well with Exposure Merge, see Taking photos for HDR processing.
Exposure Merge uses a three-step process:
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Merge — Choose your merge settings, and if required, apply
custom editing.
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HDR Adjustments — After merging your photos, you can adjust
them and save the results to an editable HDR file before finalizing
the merge and fine-tuning.
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Fine-Tune — Refine your image, with noise-reduction and
sharpening options, along with some other familiar tools from the
Adjust workspace. When you’re done, you can save to a standard
file format and close Exposure Merge.
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Watch a video: HDR Exposure Merge
Please see the topics below for more detailed information about each step.
Step 1: Merge
Merge settings include:
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Camera response curve profile — applies a curve adjustment to
the image, based on the known characteristics of the sensor in
your camera
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Alignment — Choose between Feature-based (detects features in
the photos) or Edge-based (detects edges within the photos).
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Custom editing — Choose which areas you want to keep (Brush
in) or remove (Brush out) from each photo. Often, custom editing
is applied to remove “ghosting” — the semitransparent effect
caused by merging photos that captured moving objects.
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Step 2: HDR Adjustments
After you merge your photos, you can adjust the resulting HDR image by applying a preset, customizing a preset, or by creating the look you want from scratch. The key is to experiment. You can save your custom settings as a new preset. You can manage your presets by saving, loading, deleting or resetting them.
All the adjustment options in the HDR Adjustments window let you work on an HDR, 32-bit file. You can save the HDR file with all settings, so you can reopen and modify it again in the future. When you are finished with Step 2 and move to Step 3, the final step, the application prepares the image for output by saving it to a 16-bit image.
Step 3: Fine-Tune
The final step is fine-tuning the merged image before you exit Exposure Merge. The controls in the Fine-Tune window are based on the controls in the Adjust workspace. For more information, see Using the Adjust workspace.
Some fine-tuning tips:
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Digital Noise Removal is a great tool for cleaning up noise that can
result from merging photos.
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High Pass Sharpen can help reduce blurred areas that may result
from movement between photos.
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Smart Photo Fix and Color Balance let you tweak the colors.
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To brighten the entire image, try adjusting Brightness/Contrast. To
brighten only the dark areas, try Fill Light/Clarity.
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Local Tone Mapping and Fill Light/Clarity can be used to further
enhance details in the image.
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| To choose merge options for Exposure Merge (Step 1) |
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1 |
In the Manage workspace, select the thumbnails for the photos
that you want to merge.
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An orange outline appears around the thumbnails of selected photos. |
2 |
Click File  HDR Exposure Merge.
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3 |
In the Step 1: Merge pane, choose a profile from the Camera
response curve profile drop-list.
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If you are not sure what to choose, select Auto Generate. |
If the EV interval slider displays, set the exposure value that you used between photos. |
4 |
In the Alignment area, choose an alignment type from the
Method drop-list.
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If you want to crop any edges that don’t overlap, mark the Auto crop check box. |
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Click Align.
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You will not see the alignment in the preview area immediately. |
To check the alignment of photos taken without a tripod, click the Process button, review the alignment, and click Back to return to the Step 1 pane. To try a different alignment option, in the Alignment area, click the Reset button, and choose an alignment method. |
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If you want to keep or remove specific areas from individual
photos, use the controls in the Custom editing area. See To brush
in or brush out artifacts in Exposure Merge.
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7 |
Click Process.
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The merge settings are applied and the Step 2: HDR Adjustments window appears. |
Review the results in the preview area for alignment issues and ghosting issues. If you want to tweak your merge settings, click Back to return to the Step 1 window. |
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HDR Exposure Merge and Photo Blend are part of the same
merge utility and therefore cannot be opened simultaneously.
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If your photos were not taken with a tripod or steady rest, there
is likely some misalignment between shots. If the misalignment
is significant, you may not be able to use the photos for HDR.
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You can also add photos to or remove photos from the merge
tray by clicking the Add Photo button  , or Remove Photo
button  in the tray at the bottom of the Exposure Merge
window.
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| To brush in or brush out artifacts in Exposure Merge |
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1 |
In the tray that appears below the Step 1: Merge preview area,
click a thumbnail.
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In the Custom editing area, do any of the following:
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Click Brush in, and in the preview area, drag over the area that
you want to preserve. You don't need to be exact.
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Click Brush out, and in the preview area, and drag over the area
that you want to remove.
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Click Auto brush if you want the application to auto-detect and
remove ghosting. Auto brush works well for removing ghosting
along feature edges in photos taken without a tripod. It is not
recommended for larger ghost objects, such as cars and people.
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3 |
Repeat the process for each of the photos that you want to edit.
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| To adjust HDR images in Exposure Merge (Step 2) |
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1 |
In the Step 2: HDR Adjustments window, do any of the following
to achieve the look you want.
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In the Presets area, click a preset thumbnail.
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Mark the White Balance check box, and click Auto or click the
Dropper tool  and click the image to set the white point. Drag
the Temperature slider to warm or cool the colors in the image.
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Drag Contrast, Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows sliders to
adjust the overall tone and contrast.
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Drag the Vibrancy slider to saturate or desaturate the colors.
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From the Detail drop-list, choose Natural detail or Creative
detail, and drag the respective sliders to adjust the amount of
local detail.
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2 |
To save your HDR image for further editing, click Create HDR file,
navigate to the folder you want, type a file name, and click Save.
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3 |
Click Process.
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The settings are applied to the image and it is saved as a 16-bit file in preparation for the final output. The Step 3: Fine-Tune window appears. |
| To manage presets in Exposure Merge |
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In the Presets area of the Step 2: HDR Adjustments window,
perform a task from the following table.
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, and type a name in the Save Preset dialog box. A thumbnail is added to the preset area.
, click Load, and navigate to the file.
on the Presets bar.
| To fine-tune and save an HDR-processed image (Step 3) |
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In the Step 3: Fine-Tune window, apply any of the tools or
adjustment options to adjust the final image.
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Click Save and close.
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In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder that you want,
type a file name, and choose a file type from the Save as type
drop-list.
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The file is saved to a standard, 16-bit file and the Exposure Merge window closes. |
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When the size of a zoomed-in image exceeds that of the
preview area, you can click the Pan tool  and move the
rectangle to choose a preview area.
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