Can Photoshop automatically composite images taken with exposure bracketing?

[shortylickens]

If so I dont know what this feature is called and dont know how to look for it.

When I get a camera with exposure bracketing I'd like to be able to mix all 3 or 5 shots and get a well-exposed image.

 

[IronWing]

High dynamic range (HDR) is what you're looking for. I do not know if Photoshop or any PS plugins offer it. Rumors were that the Canon G12 has the feature in camera but since Canon hasn't released it yet, who knows. There are other programs that do.

 

[repoman0]

Photomatix is a good one

 

[Dubb]

Doing it manually (layers with layer masks) always gives the best results, but Photoshop is OK if you know the ins & outs of the controls. Photomatix and a few others seem to do a bit better with less hassle, however it's still really hard to come up with something that doesn't look terrible.

in photoshop it's Automate>merge to HDR to create the stack, then Image>mode> 8 bits/channel (or 16) to bring up the controls

I usually start by seeing where I can get in photomatix, then if it's bad, I'll junk it and do the whole thing manually, or I'll add the output as another layer to mask in parts of with the originals. I don't think I've ever been happy with the straight output of any HDR software.

 

[shortylickens]

High dynamic range (HDR) is what you're looking for. I do not know if Photoshop or any PS plugins offer it. Rumors were that the Canon G12 has the feature in camera but since Canon hasn't released it yet, who knows. There are other programs that do.

No, HDR gives too strong a separation between light and dark.
I want the light and dark areas of a photo to be balanced out, but NOT with using the auto-equalize function of most photo editors. I actually want the exposure to be even across the pic.
Back when I didnt know any better I thought Exposure Bracketing meant the camera did this automatically in a single shot, by adjusting the gain or exposure on regions that were too dark or too light.

Then I saw Exposure Bracketing means your camera takes multiple pics automatically but you still have to choose the best one yourself. To me thats hardly a feature. I always take multiple pics cuz I cant trust one to be good enough.

Yes I know that if I just set up my lighting evenly that wouldnt be a problem. But I cant always lug lighting equipment around and set it up in time for something.

 

[ivan2]

No, HDR gives too strong a separation between light and dark.

that is when people tried to go for the dramatic effects, HDR can look very normal.

 

[shortylickens]

that is when people tried to go for the dramatic effects, HDR can look very normal.

OK, now that I know what you mean I can dig around on the interwebs for what I want.

Is this what yur talkin about?

 

[IronWing]

I played around with this program a few months ago but never took the time to learn it properly. Someone else on this forum was using it, I recall.

Dynamic Photo-HDR

I've been using their other software for years and have always been impressed with the value.

 

[ivan2]

OK, now that I know what you mean I can dig around on the interwebs for what I want.

Is this what yur talkin about?

that almost look like what photoshop CS3 will do for you by default, kind of dream like picture, but yes, it is what i meant by the non dramatics. You can change the level after you import all your pictures to bring out the contrast on parts that you like, trial and error.