combining two RAWs?

babygodzilla · November 9, 2009

I was reading this website http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/1-natural-looking-flash/

The last example on that page is of a low-light, city shot, with a couple of people as the subject. Neil says:

Because the flash and the city lights are vastly different in colour temperature, I fixed it in post-production. With raw, it was little effort to create two images with different WB settings, and then combining them with layers in Photoshop.

I tried to find tutorials on this process, but couldn't find one. Does anyone know of a tutorial for what he's saying?

Thanks

silversx80 · November 9, 2009

Use ACR (Adobe Raw Converter) to adjust the RAW files individually. After done adjusting each RAW, open one, two, or as many files you'd like and they'll be converted to .psd files. Still kind-of a RAW file, but not. It allows you to work with all the other PS tools on the image. Combine like you would any other .psd file, or convert to a Tiff and go from there.

Nikolai · November 9, 2009

babygodzilla wrote:

I tried to find tutorials on this process, but couldn't find one. Does anyone know of a tutorial for what he's saying?
Thanks

ACR has a "one-click" WB tool. If you have a similar (better yet - identical) gray targets in both shots, just click on each, and both images will become pretty close WB-wise.

babygodzilla · November 9, 2009

Nikolai wrote:

ACR has a "one-click" WB tool. If you have a similar (better yet - identical) gray targets in both shots, just click on each, and both images will become pretty close WB-wise.

and then how to combine them? should i just put one on top of the other and overlay one layer?

colourbox · November 9, 2009

The most elegant way to combine them is to import each different raw version of the same image into Photoshop as Smart Objects. Then use blending modes and masks to carve out which part of each version you want to show, as if they were pixel layers. The beauty of importing them as smart objects is that they are preserved as raw files so that the conversion is always reversible. If you realize you wish you had converted one of the raw smart object layers differently, just double-click the raw smart object in Layers, and Camera Raw will open up with the currently applied settings for you to change.

Example:
http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/community/blogs/in-the-zone/using-smart-objects-and-smart-filters-in-photoshop.html?start=1

CynthiaM · November 10, 2009

babygodzilla wrote:

I was reading this website http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/1-natural-looking-flash/

The last example on that page is of a low-light, city shot, with a couple of people as the subject. Neil says:

I tried to find tutorials on this process, but couldn't find one. Does anyone know of a tutorial for what he's saying?

Thanks

Take a look at this before and after video:
http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/archives/videos/page/3/
Watch the video that has the arch. After he processes one image, the video goes on to demo how he brings one raw image into photoshop, makes a 2nd smart object by copy and then works his magic. Although a very different subject matter from the city lights you point to above, it is the same technique. Also same even though he starts in Lightroom. If you don't have lightroom, just bring the image into photoshop as a smart object from Camera Raw.

Scott_Quier · November 10, 2009

This should give you a good start as well...

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/blended_exposures.shtml

jeffreaux2 · November 10, 2009

The best fix would be to gel the flash to match the tungsten color temperature......then adjust the WB for the single frame. Strobist.com had an article awhile back about matching to mercury vapor lighting like that found under most streetlamps.

combining two RAWs?

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