INTRODUCING TONE MAPPING

Tone-mapping is an HDR enhancement that consists of merging multiple images through software end adjustments. The input material is best produced by auto-bracketing. Tone-mapping can be combined with other HDR enhancement and the output will be finally edited through our core photo editing process. With tone mapping, flat HDR images will look punchy and full of detail. Tone mapping deals with reducing the tonal values within an image to make them suitable to be viewed on a digital screen

INPUT REQUIREMENT

The general idea is 5 photos bracket, where one is the main exposure and the other fours are under and over the main exposure. Main exposure photo should be +1 EV and supporting exposure photos are 1 to 1,3 EV in different for each step over/under. More detail below. 

OUTPUT FORMAT

Approximate 12 Megapixel 

Dimension: 4252 x 2835

JPG format, quality at 10.

Suggestion for bracketing using 100% ambient exposed images

System


Manual setting/Manual bracketing

Aperture priority (A or Tv) with Auto-bracketing (ABK)

Notes

Setup

 Tripod should be used as the frame should be maintain between shots and allow shooting at long shutter-speed.

Camera movement during shooting can make it impossible to auto-merge the images.

Measure

Full matrix, Optional / according to preference

Full matrix

EV

-1 / 0 /+1 / +2 / +3/ or
-1,7/ -0,3/ +1 / +2,3 / +3,7

Main exposure +1 EV steps : 1-/+ or 1,3-/+
Regulate by shutter.

EV distance too far will make it impossible to do  tone mapping.

Focus

2/3 into the space in the frame

Set focus mode to Manual 

Aperture

f/7,1 to f/13 depending on the lens

WB

Fixed white balance for the best results

AWB may work but it makes color-cast- correction less likely to be done optimally as the light temperature will be different in the exposures and the tone-mapping result will be an odd mix.

ISO

Set at optimal quality

Noise and color quality is also a problem with HDR as it would be in single exposure. Maybe even more, so, try to avoid those