No 1. How I Create HDR Images
Tip: Make sure your camera is stable on a tripod, this will make things much easier later. "I ALWAYS SHOOT IN RAW"
SETTING THE CAMERA
1. Look for a function called “Bracketing (Nikon) or “AEB (Canon). This will take three pictures sequentially – one underexposed, one normally exposed, one overexposed. You’re able to set how much it will change per step. I use steps of 2 stops (so, 0.0EV, -2.0EV, +2.0EV).
2. Set your camera in Aperture Priority mode (“A on Nikon, “Av on Canon), so your depth of field doesn't change.
3. Set your shooting mode to burst (so it’ll continuously take pictures).Hold down your shutter button until it has taken three pictures.
4. Look on the screen and check the pictures are correctly exposed (landscape is light enough in one image; sky is dark enough in another). If not; set your camera to overexpose a little (EV, +/- button, make it like +1, or just try some different values)
5. Upload the images to your computer.
6. I now open the images in bridge; the three bracketed images will be side by side, highlight all three images and open together in Photoshop.
7. The images will open in the RAW converter. On the left side there will be a window showing the three images, click on the tick box select all and then open.
8.The three images will now be open in Photoshop, got to save as and save each image to your desktop as 001, 002 and 003 in Tiff format.
9. That is the three images prepared, I do not edit any images during this process,
Note: The HDR software I use is Dynamic Photo HDR and Photomatix. If you are using Photomatix you can open multiple raw images straight into the program.
Dynamic Photo HDR
Photomatix
10. Go to create HDR and select the three images off your desktop: 001,002 and 003 and click open. Ensure the images are aligned using the various alignment tools if required. Once the Images are merged the next process is too tone map. This is subjective and to personal taste and needs practice.
11. Once merged and tone mapped the image can be saved as required.
12. The HDR image can now be opened in Photoshop and edited as normal, I have found that noise is increased during the tone mapping process, run a noise reduction filter as the last operation, I use Noise Ninja.
Noise Ninja
This is how I currently process HDR, I am still learning!!! Good Luck.