Is the best way to simulate tone mapping effect with a single source image the Shadow/Highlight effect or is their an other way that would be understandable to a novice user like me? The objective is to get that strange CGI-ish look in which all parts of the scene seem equally well exposed. I used to do this in conventional photography by using a split compensating developer... let me shoot by available light and get an even illustrative look.

Here is an example from the Wikipedia entry on Tone Mapping.

Based on what I can find on this HDR photo process this image ("Machinery") was done using  Photomatrix Pro by photographer Heiwa4126...his photostream can be viewed on Flickr…here  (this particular image can be found on page 22). Acccording to this web site the artist used three exposures:  -2EV, 0EV,+2EV. Photomatrix Pro is a stand-alone software package but it distributes a free software trial and a Photoshop plugin trial for CS2, CS3, CS4 which can be gotten at the bottom  here.

 I have done pseudo HDR with multiple exposures like that but is there anything to fake it digitally from one exposure?

momodot,

re: pseudo-HDR

I can make a tutorial but only if I encounter enthusiasm! ;)

 Well... I'm enthusiastic! That pair certainly shows the effect I am after. If you don't want to do a tutorial would point the way in general terms?

Above is what I got by taking the original and doing a 50% opacity overlay then a 15% unsharp mask and then Shadow/Highlights effect. Is that similar to yours?

 Here I tried the unsharp after the Shadow/Highlight. Seems like all I am really achieving is a contrast boost.

In general terms yes but a bit more complicated. It involves using the lab color mode and the high pass filter along some tricks with the smart filter. I make a thorough tutorial in the weekend!

 Thank you... that will be appreciated.

Count me in, I am interested in learning about this technique also.

Photoshop "HDR" tutorial

A tone mapped picture may be the RESULT of HDR manipulations but is not itself HDR, that is nothing that not Photoshop can handle. If something is missing from the original raw material just put it back again.. or add something entirely new, :)

For example Pawel Wewiorski aka bolandrotor professional photographer HDR expert par excellence got second place in a HDR competition with a picture that was done from only one image.  Where after one of his fellow competitors remarked, "It's interesting how a non-HDR image places in the top 3 in an HDR challenge!"
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1005&message=32166859

Adobe Lab color space

Just as tone mapped images is made up by manipulating HDR photos we can do something similar by manipulating Lab images.  Lab color space like HDR has a much larger dynamic range than computer displays, printers or even human vision. So the first thing we do is making a copy of your original and change the color mode to Lab. Then right-click on the new layer and choose "Convert to a smart object".

Go to Image>Adjustments>Shadows/Hightligts. Check the "Show more option" box.

Adjust controls until you are satisfied with the result. Start with Shadows-amount and Highlight amount. Then Tonal width and radius and Color corrections at last,

create a new "curves" adjustment layer and set like this,

Go back to your duplicated layer and choose "Filter>Other>High Pass", type in a value between 1 and 2. (You will not see the picture at this point). A new "High pass" icon is created.

 

Right click on the "High pass" icon and choose "Edit smart filter blending option".
Set Mode to Linear Light and Opacity to 60. FIN! :)

 Cool! Thank you!!

Thank you, this will come in handy!

 i'm gonna make this "sticky" for awhile so it doesn't get lost...

Thanks for the mini tut :)

scott