Adjust HDR exposure and toning in Photoshop

Note:

In Photoshop CS6, 3D functionality is part of Photoshop Extended. All features in Photoshop Extended are part of Photoshop CC. Photoshop CC does not have a separate Extended offering.

The Exposure and HDR Toning adjustments are primarily designed for 32-bit HDR images, but you can also apply them to 16- and 8‑bit images to create HDR-like effects.

Exposure works by performing calculations in a linear color space (gamma 1.0) rather than the current color space.

Do one of the following:

Click the Exposure icon or an Exposure preset in the Adjustments panel.
Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Exposure.

Note:

You can also choose Image > Adjustments > Exposure. But keep in mind that this method makes direct adjustments to the image layer and discards image information.

In the Adjustments panel, set any of the following options:

Exposure

Adjusts the highlight end of the tonal scale with minimal effect in the extreme shadows.

Note:

With 32-bit images, you can also access the Exposure slider at the bottom of the image window.

Offset

Darkens the shadows and midtones with minimal effect on the highlights.

Gamma

Adjusts the image gamma, using a simple power function. Negative values are mirrored around zero (that is, they remain negative but still get adjusted as if they are positive).

The eyedroppers adjust the luminance values of images (unlike the Levels eyedroppers that affect all color channels).

The Set Black Point eyedropper sets the Offset, shifting the pixel you click to zero.
The Set White Point eyedropper sets the Exposure, shifting the point you click to white (1.0 for HDR images).
The Midtone eyedropper sets the Exposure, making the value you click middle gray.

The HDR Toning command lets you apply the full range of HDR contrast and exposure settings to individual images.

Note:

HDR toning requires flattened layers.

Open a 32-, 16-, or 8-bit image in RGB or Grayscale color mode.

Choose Image > Adjustments > HDR Toning.

For detailed information about each setting, see Options for 16- or 8-bit images. (In the HDR Toning dialog box, these options appy to images of all bit depths.)

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