Pixiq

If you read my previous post regarding setting white balance, you should now know how and why to set color temperature in Photomatix Pro. However, there may be times when you forget to set it or choose the wrong setting. Due to the way WB works within Photomatix Pro, correction in Photoshop is not as easy as it might seem. There is a simple method that I use to produce a corrected white balance. It takes much longer to start the whole process over than it does to do the following.

Simply find the original RAW files and choose the one that is closest to a correct exposure. Process this file as a single image HDR.

This time you will get a slightly different window that will allow you to choose and preview your setting. Choose the correct color temperature setting and process the file. Tweak it to your liking using settings that are similar to the first HDR image you produced with multiple image AEB (auto exposure bracketing) and process it. Save both files and open them into Photoshop.

In Photoshop, simply place the corrected image in a layer above the incorrectly colored file and blend the top image using a color layer blend at 100%. This should correct the colors while maintaining the densities of the lower image. Further tweaking can be accomplished in Photoshop using a number of tools and layer adjustments if needed.

It is my opinion that there is no such thing as a final image produced completely in an HDR software package. I always find the need to adjust a number of things while post processing my HDR.

To produce the best looking image, dodging and burning as well as localized saturation or desaturation are always required. I also perform sharpening to the final flattened image within Photoshop after the HDR process and only after the image has been fully processed to my liking. Sharpening should always be one of the very last steps in finalizing an image.

The images in this post are for illustration purposes only.

Previous - Setting White Balance in Photomatix Pro - Part 1

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