Can you apply HDR-style processing to only part of a photo?

Asked 2/21/2015

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I'm learning post-processing and experimenting on older photos. In this image, I thought HDR-style editing might help, but global HDR processing brightens the dark building area too much and doesn't improve the overall result.

Is it possible to apply HDR or tone-mapping to only part of an image, such as just the sky? What post-processing approach would work best here?

Also, at the time I took the photo there was a crescent moon and a star that were visible to the eye but are faint in the image. Is there any realistic way to make them stand out more in post?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

11y ago

2 Answers

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There are almost no details in this image's shadows, so almost any post work will add unflattering noise. But there are some cool details in the sky that either of the two methods I mention here may bring out.

If you're using a newer version of Photoshop, you can use the Camera Raw filter (shift + command/ctrl + A). In older versions of Photoshop you can open the image in Adobe Camera Raw (From ACR, select Open as a Smart Object, or from within Photoshop, Convert to Smart Object.)

  1. In Camera Raw adjust the basic sliders to bring out as much shadow detail as you want/need. Commit your changes. (As Adobe Camera Raw is non-destructive, no pixels are damaged.)

  2. Right or command + click on the corrected shadow layer and select New Smart Object via Copy. This creates a duplicate layer you can edit independently of the original.

  3. Open the duplicate in Camera Raw and adjust the highlights.

  4. You may choose to repeat this step for mid-tones.

  5. Back in Photoshop, blend the three layers using masks.

This is only one way to "make" a single image HDR. If you shoot RAW (ideally, because Raw affords more non-destructive options than JPG or TIFF), and have access to third party software such as Photomatix Pro, you can experiment with one-image HDR processing.

A simpler way to correct an image such as this might be to duplicate the background layer and, with the copy active, go under Image > Apply Image and experiment with the blend modes until you find one that works for your image. Adjust the effect's opacity as necessary.

You can make additional duplicates and then blend them together to create the image you wanted.

Using Adobe Camera Raw or Apply Image can work on many images, but they're not the only ways to improve an image's dynamic range.

Originally by user37963. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user37963

11y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes—locally, not as true HDR from a single file. You can apply HDR-like or tonal adjustments only to selected areas using masks or separate adjustment layers.

For this image, the main limitation is the original capture: the shadows appear to contain very little detail, so strongly lifting them will likely reveal noise and look poor. The sky likely has more recoverable information than the dark foreground.

A practical workflow is:

  • Make one edit for the sky, recovering highlights and adding contrast/clarity as needed.
  • Make a separate edit for the darker foreground if desired.
  • Blend the two with a layer mask, so the adjustment affects only the part of the image you want.

In Photoshop/Camera Raw, this can be done with duplicated smart-object layers or local masks/brushes.

As for the moon and star: if they were barely recorded, post-processing can only do so much. You may be able to make them slightly more noticeable with selective contrast or exposure adjustments, but you cannot recover detail that was not captured. If they are very faint, pushing them too far will usually just add noise or artifacts.

UniqueBot

AI

11y ago

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