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Tutorial: Tone mapping a JPEG in Photomatix
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Tone mapping a single JPEG is a two-step process. First, the JPEG must be converted into a 16-bit TIFF image. After this conversion, this TIFF may be tone mapped.
Here are the steps:
1. Open your JPEG image in your image editing software. Convert this image to a 16-bit image. Here, I will give instructions for Adobe Photoshop:
a). With the image open in Photoshop, go to Image/Mode/"16-bits/channel" in the menu. Depending on the size of the image, this may take a few monents.
b). Perform any basic photo touch up, such as levels correction or noise reduction. Any of these pre-tone mapping adjustments will significantly affect the results of the tone mapping.
c). Save this 16-bit image as a TIFF file. In Photoshop, go to File/"Save as...", and choose the TIFF format. Again, depending on the image size, this save image will be relatively large. You're done with step one!
2. Tone map this newly-saved 16-bit TIFF image in Photomatix.
a). Open Photomatix. Go to HDRI/"Large File Processing" in the menu. A dialog box will appear. Click the "Browse..." button, browse to the file you just saved, and click "Select."
b). Click the "Show Preview" button. This is where you will actually set the parameters of the tone mapping. I will not describe the effects of the vaious parameters here. Play with the parameters until you are satisfied with the sample image. Once finished, click "OK."
c). Now you need to specify where to save the tone mapped image. Click the "Save as..." button, and specify where you want Photomatix to save the tone mapped result. Once finished, click wither the "8-bit" or "16-bit" radio buttons to specify the bit-depth of the tone mapped image. Unless you are doing high-quality work, 8-bit is probably sufficient. Note that tone mapping to 8-bit takes longer than tone mapping to 16-bit. Once you've selected the bit depth, click "OK", and Photomatix will proceed to tone map the image and save the tone mapped image. Again, depending on the size of the image, this may take some time. When I tone map my 10-megapixel images, I go make tea after hitting the OK button.
3. Suggestions. Your tone mapped image almost always needs some adjustment. For best results, open your tone mapped image onto a new layer above (or below) your original image. Sometimes typical adjustments need to be made to the tone mapped image, such as a levels correction. For the most realistic results, try various blending options to combine the original image, and the tone mapped image. Blending options in Photoshop such as "Lighten", "Darken" or "Soft Light" sometimes yield fantastic results. Have fun!
Originally posted at 2:25PM, 13 July 2006 PDT
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serac edited this topic 71 months ago.
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Thanks for posting this serac - great idea! I am getting a lot of questions about this....
A couple of things to add -
If you have a noisy camera (like mine) you MUST run it through a noise reduction programme before converting to a TIFF. Tone mapping really can amplify the noise! I also often have to run it through again afterwards - maybe doesn't speak well for my camera...
Also, be careful about doing too much adjustment in Photoshop before you tone map - I tend to do that stuff after as they can sometimes get a bit distorted with tone mapping i.e. if you have adjusted the colour balance...
My two cents anyway :) Is heaps of fun and can really save some of those photos!
Originally posted 71 months ago.
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katepedley edited this topic 71 months ago.
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Another tip:
For those of you who wnat a more "natural" image - the main variable that affects this seems to be the Strength adjustment. I always have mine on about 40% and I have now started blending/merging the tone mapped image with my original in Photoshop. If you do blend it, you can often do the tone mapping a bit stronger so that the final blended image has more detail.
Originally posted 71 months ago.
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katepedley edited this topic 71 months ago.
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Thanks for the tutorial!
A question from a complete beginner.
How do you tonemap a single Raw image? Do you have to process and convert it to a 16-bit jpeg first or do you just tone map it as it is?
Posted 71 months ago.
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I'll let serac answer that one because I actually haven't tried it yet!
Believe it or not my version of Photoshop is not compatible with the RAW software on my camera so I can't even open them!
I THINK though that you just tone map it as is, but then again.... :)
Posted 71 months ago.
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Update:
Have just found part of an email that serac sent me some time ago - maybe this will help!
Cheers,
Kate
"*One RAW -> HDR -> Tone Mapping -> Final Image*
In Photomatix (I'm using a special version 2.2.1b1, you probably have
the version lower, which is fine) go to Automate/Batch Processing in
the menus. Select the single RAW file by browsing to the file and
selecting it. Make sure the "Generate HDR Image" box is checked. In
the "Settings" options, I usually change the white balance to "As
shot" rather than "Daylight" because my camera's white balance is
very good. Click "Run" and go make yourself some tea, as the process
takes white a while. This will create a HDR radiance image (the .hdr
extension).
Now, you need to open this file (it is probably around 32 MB) and
tone map the image. You can do the normal File/Open thing, but the
process is faster if you do HDRI/Large File Processing. In this
dialog box, you select your newly-created HDR file. The "Show
Preview" button opens up the tone mapping options, which is where
most of the work comes into play. Adjust and try different
combination until you are happy with the result. Click out of this
dialog box, and finish by telling Photomatix where to store the tone
mapped image. Once you click OK, go make some more tea, because
you'll have a while to wait.
This process will yield a tone mapped RAW file. This is much better
than a single JPEG exposure because a JPEG only contains 8-bits of
information, while the tone mapped RAW image started out with 12-
bits. The real art here is adjusting the tone mapping. Again, things
look much better if you do slight correcting in Photoshop or
something similar"
Posted 71 months ago.
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Thanks!! !! I will have a play when I have time and will probably be back with more questions :-)
Posted 71 months ago.
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Photomatix seems to have changed since July. Step 2a in the tutorial seems to have changed? How to do instead?
Posted 65 months ago.
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Sorry about the late reply hkkbs - missed this one!
What I do in Photomatix is just drag the TIFF file into Photomatix from wherever I have it - then go to the HDRI menu at the top and select "Tone Mapping"....
Let me know if this still doesn't work...
Cheers,
Kate
Posted 65 months ago.
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Very interesting, thank you all.
Posted 64 months ago.
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That seems like a lot of work to me. I open my jpgs in Artizen goto Tone Mapping and it does all the work to prep the file for tone mapping and done.
Step1. Open image in Artizen HDR
Step2. Goto Modify >> HDR Tone Mapping
Step3. Click yes to popup.
Step4. Start Tone Mapping.
Step5. Optionally apply the Orton Filter to give a little softer look to image.
Posted 64 months ago.
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Hello there,
Thanks for the tutorial really learned a lot of things. I have a couple of questions though . I do not have CS2, do any of you know a soft capable of converting jpeg to tiff 16 bits ? I have Gimp but it does not support 16 bits :(
Also it there a difference by doing a tonemapping on a raw converted to tiff or a single jpeg converted to tiff?
Cheers !
Posted 61 months ago.
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Hi Olynewcastle
Thanks for the questions :)
I've only ever used Corel Photo Paint or Adobe Photoshop (doesn't have to be CS2, can be any version) for conversions from jpeg to tiff so unfortunately they are the only ones I know of at the moment - maybe someone else can help?
The only difference with tonemapping a tiff from raw as opposed to a tiff from a jpeg is that you can specify what sort of image properties you want with the raw before you convert. A jpeg you just have to work with what you've got. The idea with this group was to concentrate on tone mapping a jpeg converted to tiff because it can "save" or really improve on the image when you are stuck with it. A raw image is much more versatile so not as much point in just tonemapping it - you are better to do a psuedo-HDR and use multiple exposure images of the raw file as you will probably get a better image.
Hope that helps!
Posted 61 months ago.
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Yes I get it now thanks , hopefully I will be able to find a converter soon !
Cheers
Posted 61 months ago.
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Olynewcastle
1. Open up Artizen HDR
2. Select Modify > Mode > 16 bits per channel
3. Save as 16bit Tiff
4. Done.
Posted 61 months ago.
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Great thanks for the tip !!
Posted 61 months ago.
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anyone has the photomatix pro serial number???
Posted 60 months ago.
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B o d o [deleted] says:
Hi,
how can I reduce too much noise? I tried using PS noise reduction filter but it doesn't seem to work for me. What do you use to reduce noise?
Originally posted 57 months ago.
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B o d o edited this topic 57 months ago.
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You can use a variety of free programmes from the web. Two I know of are:
Neat Image
www.neatimage.com/
Noiseware
www.imagenomic.com/
Hope that helps!
Posted 57 months ago.
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so if i wanted to make an image black and whte, would you suggest converting it after processing through photomatrix?
Posted 41 months ago.
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