Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8-10. Here's a classic example of the kind of image that can benefit from exposure merging.
This photo of a late-afternoon balloon launch really needs to be processed three different ways:
once for the sky, once for the gorge and the waterfalls, and once for the trees atop the cliffs.
If you can't make the Raw Converter's settings work, or if the Raw Converter just makes
you nervous, Elements gives you another super simple way to blend images. It's called Pho-
tomerge Exposure, and it's as easy to use as any of the program's other Photomerge features
(see
Chapter 11
)
. It can even be a one-click fix, if you want. Photomerge Exposure offers
several ways to blend photos. Your main choice is between an automatic merge, where Ele-
ments makes most of the decisions, and a manual merge, which gives you more control but
requires a little more effort. The following sections explain your options.
NOTE
Exposure merging isn't meant for blending two totally different photos together, like re-
placing the blown out sky in your photo of the Taj Mahal with a good sky from a photo of
your dude-ranch trip. To use Photomerge Exposure, your photos should be pretty much
identical except for their exposures. So use images you took with your camera's exposure
bracketing feature, or even one shot you've processed twice or more to get one good ver-
sion with properly exposed highlights, one with good shadows, and so on. Sadly, Ele-
ments actually does a better job with a single photo processed two ways than it does with
multiple shots, so if you don't like what you get by blending two actual exposures, take
the best one, process it two ways, and then use those files as the basis of your merge.
Automatic Merges
It's incredibly easy to combine photos using Photomerge Exposure's Automatic Merge fea-
ture because Elements makes most of the decisions for you. (If that's not for you, you can
opt for a manual merge, where you call the shots; the next section explains how.) Here's what
you do:
1.
Prepare, open, and select your images
.
You can start with two or more photos where you used exposure bracketing on your
camera, or with one image that you've processed in two (or more) different ways in
the Raw Converter (
The Raw Converter
)
—for example, once favoring the shadows
