Post Production ND grad filter question

[ajrobertson]

<p>So I used a PP NDgrad filter of 2.5 stops (in lightroom) so I could see if this shot would work out. As you can obviously see the side trees in the middle right, are darkened so much as to make it distracting in order to expose the sky in the way I hoped, and ruins the detail of the rocks in the middle.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/10428433-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="453" /><br>

I'm guessing this would be the wrong time to use a NDgrad as the composition does not lend itself to using it properly.</p>

<p>Is there another way to do this? The dynamic range at the time was such that i couldnt get the exposure I wanted and I'm thinking the only way would be to use a mask or layering in PS and combine the 2 exposures(?) I have tried this in the past and find it doesnt work very well with trees and branches (top right)..... at least with my limited knowledge.</p>

<p>any ideas/comments?</p>

<p>cheers</p>

[howard_m]

<p>try something in PS like duplicating the base layer, set to multiply mode and then use/learn the 'Blend If' command in the Blending Options palette. If done right, you could blend out the very dark trees from the upper layer and use the lower lighter version.</p>

<p>Pls post the original image w/o any ND Grad modifications.</p>

[ajrobertson]

<p>heres a jpg version. resized for forum. No sharpening, no adjustments other than a slight fill adjustment. (yes the horizon is crooked! damn sand and surf! my tripod sank!) haha!<br /> <img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/10461975-md.jpg" alt="" /></p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Just opening in Adobe Camera Raw, for example, can do a lot of work in terms of shadow and light. This can be done a little more crudely from the adjiustment menu, as well [the so-called Ozone System ;)].</p>

<p>Here are both images tweaked in ACR. Crude, but just to give an idea. Layers etc would allow much more subtlety.</p><div></div>

[sam_zaydel1]

<p>If you were to do this in Photoshop you could apply a Layer mask and reveal only parts of the image, like the tree and branches. If you shoot RAW, you can always create a couple of images from your RAW file, one being underexposed, one over-exposed, and then blend the two in Photoshop. There is a lot of detail in RAW images, and you can often recover a lot of information even with pushing or pulling exposure quite a bit.</p>

[ajrobertson]

<p>i guess i need to sharpen up my masking skills, in order to get the forground like i want and the background like i want as well. Or frame in such a way that there isnt a middle ground that gets darkened my the ND grad along the horizon. I just find masking exposure differences when there is light through the tree branches up at the top right difficult, and the results dont look very natural. the purple sky thru the branches ends up lighter and looks weird.... maybe a little dodge and burn.</p>

<p> </p>

[j.art.photo.]

<p>you can actually work with as many layers as you want and use the image with the ND aplied as the background, then just erase or bring out what you want on each layer.</p><div></div>

[ajrobertson]

<p>ok Jose, this is the idea I was after. how do you erase the effect layered onto the sky to darken it, while leaving the dead tree branch lightened like that?</p>