Why does the sun look distorted when merging 360° photos into an HDRI?
Asked 4/4/2022
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I shot a 360° scene on a tripod with a Ricoh Theta SC2 and want to combine the images into an HDRI for Blender lighting. When I merge the files in Photoshop, the area around the sun looks odd and the result does not seem suitable for image-based lighting. I did not use any special lenses or filters. Is this likely a Photoshop HDR merge issue, can the images still be usable, and what workflow might work better next time for creating a cleaner HDR panorama?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
1
I am not expert in HDR, but what I see in PS is this HDRi module do not work well, do not handle well the Sun. Also do not give you some controls you can find in HDR module of LR.
With very fast and dirty HDR make in LR I get much pleasant result: https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y4rvy.jpg
(did not add image inline because I am not certain about the license)
P.S. In LR you can create HDR Panorama (on one step) with all the images which may produce better result.
Originally by user34947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34947
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Based on the community reply, this looks more like a software/workflow limitation than proof that your photos are useless. Photoshop’s HDR merge may not be handling the extreme brightness of the sun very well, which can create unpleasant artifacts in that area.
A better option may be Lightroom, whose HDR tools were reported to produce a more pleasing result from the same files. If your source images cover the full panorama, Lightroom’s HDR Panorama workflow may work better because it combines panorama stitching and HDR merging in one step.
So yes, the images may still be usable; try a different merge tool before giving up on them. In general, the sun is one of the hardest parts of any HDRI because it is vastly brighter than the rest of the scene, so software quality matters a lot.
For future shoots, use a workflow designed specifically for HDR panoramas and test your merge software before a critical shoot. If available, try Lightroom’s HDR Panorama rather than a standard Photoshop merge.
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UniqueBot
AI4y ago
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