Fake HDR

Ever wondered how some photographs look POW, unbelievable colour with great detail in both shadows and highlights. Ever thought WOW how do they get pictures like that? Well you too can put the POW and WOW into your images.
Look at the image below this is Selby North Yorkshire UK. It's where I live:

Now look at the same image after I processed it in Photoshop:

Bit of a difference don't you think. Look what happens when you turn the above image black and white:

Pretty dramatic eh? 

If you have photoshop you can do this too. It doesn't always work I think you need a decent exposure to start with, but it is worth giving it a go as it may make a huge difference to your image.

For those who do not know what HDR stands for well it's High Dynamic Range.

The usual process involves taking three images using a tripod, one with a correct exposure one underexposed by a stop and one overexposed by a stop. The three images can then be merged to make a HDR image. This is ok if the image does not move like a landscape but no good if it's a bird or insect etc..

The above images were done using one image and faking HDR using Layers in photoshop.

How do you do it? ah well it is easier than you think, you just need to know a little bit about the layers pallet.

It is best to do this process with raw or tiff files as they hold more detail but it does work with jpg's too.

1. Open image in photoshop

2. go to layer - duplicate layer - press ok ( you will notice a background copy in your layers pallet bottom right )

ok now the magic part!

3. Go to image - adjustments - shadow/highlights

4. This opens a box: now at the top where it says shadows leave the Amount at 50, 

    change the Tonal Width to 45 and the Radius to 40.

5. In the Highlight section change the Amount to 85

   The Tonal Width to 75 and the Radius to 1120. Yes that is not a typo 1120

Leave the adjustment section alone and press ok. Ignore the fact that your image in view may look awful

it does get better, TRUST ME.

6. In the layers pallet bottom right. Click on the background layer not the background copy you will recognise it as it has a lock symbol. Once selected it will change blue.

7 Once selected go to layer - duplicate layer - press ok

8. You will now notice three layers in the layers pallet (bottom right)

9. Now you have to select the middle layer Background copy 2 click and hold then drag it up so as it is above the Background copy thus placing it on top. Hope this makes sense.

10. In the Layers pallet (bottom right) you will see a box that says Normal in it. Click on the drop down arrows and select SOFT LIGHT.

11. Finally go to layer-merge visible you now have one HDR image

You may need to alter the brightness etc.. using levels or curves till you get the effect you like but that is how the effect is done. Turn it black and white see what it looks like in mono you might like the effect more than the colour one. Remember though it won't work on all your images but should work on your landscapes and building shots. 

I hope you understand the instructions if you have any problems let me know. If you do not have photoshop but use different software let me know what you use you may still be able to do it if your software includes layers.