Highlights blown out after exporting HDR Merge

[Joshrocker]

I'm editing a photo in Affinity for Mac. The photo I'm working with looks completely blown out when I try to export it. The image is a bracketed photo that I imported using the HDR Merge feature. These were raw DNG files that I took with my drone (DJI Mini 3 pro). I'm working on my 2019 16" MacBook Pro if that helps at all. 

I've tried exporting in several different file formats (PNG, JPEG, and HDR to name a few). They all basically look the same when exported. I've tried sharing directly to Apple Photos on my Mac and that looks the same. I deleted the original file and started again with the same bracketed files, but it continued to act the same way. 

When I preview the photo at the export screen in Affinity, it looks blown out and when exported, looks like the preview. However when I go back to the editor, the photo looks completely different. 

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Or how I can correct this? 

I'm a hobbyist who is starting to learn more about editing, so I may be doing something dumb. I've attached the photo from apple photos and the AF file for comparison. I also attached screenshots of the export screen and the image profile. 

Thanks for any help. 

Barge on the River.afphoto

[NotMyFault]

A HDR merge will not restrict tone values to the SDR range (0-1). You can use adjustments (exposure, levels, curves) in combination with histogram to reduce overall brightness / outblown highlights, and/or use the tone map persona for this purpose.

After you tone mapped the images (no longer values >1, use the histogram with max set to e.g. 4), you can the use other adjustments light HSL or vibrance. If you use them with values >1, they could clip highlights, as we see in your image.

[DWright]

You can use the HSL adjustment to tone down the highlights and increase the saturation as shown below and the HDR export will reflect this adjustment

When you did the HDR merge which exposure values did your source DNG files use.

[Joshrocker]

15 hours ago, DWright said:

You can use the HSL adjustment to tone down the highlights and increase the saturation as shown below and the HDR export will reflect this adjustment

When you did the HDR merge which exposure values did your source DNG files use.

The HSL did the trick! I was able to export my image and it looks like the edit version in Affinity Photo. Thank you very much for your help with this. Sorry, my exposure value? Do you mean the exposure time of the 3 bracketed images? If that's what you mean it was 1/6,000 1/8,000 and 1/3,200 for the exposure time. If you meant something different, let me know and I'll figure it out. 

On 8/21/2022 at 3:00 PM, NotMyFault said:

A HDR merge will not restrict tone values to the SDR range (0-1). You can use adjustments (exposure, levels, curves) in combination with histogram to reduce overall brightness / outblown highlights, and/or use the tone map persona for this purpose.

After you tone mapped the images (no longer values >1, use the histogram with max set to e.g. 4), you can the use other adjustments light HSL or vibrance. If you use them with values >1, they could clip highlights, as we see in your image.

Thank you for the advice on on changing the tone values. I'll have to research the proper settings for an HDR photo. 

[DWright]

For the HDR merge the images have exposure bias stop values rather than exposure for example a common setting for the bias is -1, 0 and +1, your drone has a built in HDR feature that will use these bias setting and then create a HDR merged image so you do not need to use the HDR merge option in Photo you will just need to open the HDR file from the drone.

[Max89]

Hi,

I am photographing real estate and I also have this problem when exporting. 

I also tried different settings when exporting but nothing works. Tried both jpeg and raw files but same result. Tried even the method mentioned above but the image turns out darker then desired.

I converted from PS to Affinity for their fair payments policy but if this cannot be resolved I am afraid there is no future for me and affinity.

This shouldn`t be an issue to struggle with today. 

Anyone out there who found a solution ?

Regards,

[NotMyFault]

If you can share a set of raw files we can check how to process them.

There are many variants, it depends on the actual files and the intended final format what works best.

[Max89]

Hi,

thank you for the fast reply,

ill send you three images for HDR merge, export as jpeg.. 

transition contrast 40%

 

have fun,

BC5A9209.CR2 BC5A9210.CR2 BC5A9211.CR2

[Ldina]

@Max89 Max, Welcome to the Affinity Forums. I don't do a lot with HDR, but I gave your images a shot. After doing a standard HDR Merge, I went into the Tone Mapping Persona and tweaked a few settings (your choices may be very different). When applied, this remapped all the tones to Standard Dynamic Range (0-1). I had EDR (Mac terminology for Extended Dynamic Range) turned off in the 32 bit panel, which limits you to the standard 0-1 range (0-255 in 8 bit RGB terms).

I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that your final image would be a standard dynamic range PNG, TIFF or JPG, so I immediately converted the file to RGB/16 and used my standard RGB profile, which is Display P3 (sRGB is probably the safest for the internet). I added some adjustment layers and left them intact in the attached AfPhoto file. I don't know what the colors looked like in real life, so again, your choices may vary considerably, but HDR definitely works. The attached file is large because it is 16 bit and has multiple layers. 

 

 

HDR Merge.afphoto

[Ldina]

I forgot to attach a reduced-size JPG for viewing on the forum. The exported JPG is sRGB and I reduced the long side to 2000 pixels at 85% JPG Quality. You'll probably notice that I did some "perspective correction", which crops the image a bit. 

[Max89]

Hi,

Thank you,

The colors are off quite a bit but you seem to have fixed the highlights blown out issue,

I will try that. 

Thanks again,

[Ldina]

1 minute ago, Max89 said:

The colors are off quite a bit

Haha..no surprise there! 😵‍💫 It's all fixable, which is the important thing, and you know what it looked like in person.

James Ritson has some good tutorials for v2 (also legacy v1 tutorials, which cover some things not in his v2 tutorials) on working with HDR, Tone Mapping, etc. On this forum, navigate to Browse > Forums > Tutorials > Affinity Photo (or something like that) to view them.

[Max89]

Alright,

good to know, I will check these out,

I just don`t understand why the images change when trying to export them,

that seems like a bug, 

when you have to edit a lot of photos that is just annoying, 

[Ldina]

2 minutes ago, Max89 said:

I just don`t understand why the images change when trying to export them

32 bit always works in a 1.0 gamma space (scene referenced data). 8 and 16 bit are usually 2.2 gamma, which is display referenced and tried to mimic the way human vision compresses tones, which is far from linear (sRGB is fairly close to 2.2 gamma, but is modified). 

Like I mentioned, I don't do a lot with HDR and stick mostly to standard dynamic range...others on this forum are more knowledgeable than I am on the subject. The reason I converted to 16 bit immediately after doing the tone mapping was to enter a 2.2 gamma editing space. Then, all my adjustments, layers, etc, would behave themselves. 

A while back, I scanned some images with Apple Image Capture. It delivered TIFF files with a 1.8 gamma profile. I edited this in AfPhoto leaving it in 1.8 gamma. I added adjustment layers, etc. When I converted to 2.2 gamma, the image changed (this happens in Photoshop too). All those adjustment layers, filters, etc, apply ONLY to the gamma of the editing space you are in when applying them. So, when you convert the file with those layers still intact, the look different. I think the gamma change applies ONLY to pixel layers, not to adjustment layers, which are pure alpha. 

Anyway, I learned my lesson from that. If I know I will save to a 2.2 gamma, 8 or 16 bit format, I convert from 32 bit, 1.0 gamma, or 16 bit 1.8 gamma before adding adjustment layers. James Ritson knows this better than I do and probably explains it much better. Hope this helps (and I hope everything I said was accurate).

[Max89]

Ok,

a lot of things you write, I don`t quite grasp to be honest but it makes some sense to me.

Thank you for the help, I will def tweek with it as you described,

thanx

[Ldina]

It confused me too at first. 32 bit HDR is a different thing and takes some getting used to. There are a few things that can trip you up, so it takes some experimenting and experience. But...it works.

[Max89]

I just changed from 32 to 16 and YES, flipping Christ it works.

Man, i will never understand this bit science XD

 

Thanks once again

[Max89]

7 minutes ago, Max89 said:

I just changed from 32 to 16 and YES, flipping Christ it works.

Man, i will never understand this bit science XD

 

Thanks once again

Nope, i was wrong, still not working. 

[Ldina]

@Max89 OK...first, what is your final delivered file format going to be? Standard JPG, PNG, TIFF, 8 bit, sRGB, etc? If your final format will be, for example, an 8 bit, sRGB JPG, here's one workflow...

Create a new HDR image, add files, and leave it per the attached screenshot, then click OK.

This will import, align, noise reduce your RAW images and send your file directly to the Tone Mapping Persona. In the lower righthand Studio, you will see the 32 bit Preview panel. If your end product is a standard JPG (which only supports standard dynamic range, i.e., 0–1 values), make sure you have the same settings as shown below.

Next, make whatever adjustments you wish to make in the Tone Mapping Persona to sculpt tonal range, color, saturation, etc. When you are happy with your adjustments, click Apply. This will deliver a 32 bit, linear gamma (1.0 gamma) file to Affinity Photo in your chosen color space (sRGB, Adobe RGB, etc...whatever you chose initially). This will be a single, flattened pixel layer. In the screenshot below, you can see that the Tone Mapping persona delivered a RGBA.32 bit HDR file in ROMM RGB to Photo.

I'd immediately convert the file to 8 or 16 bit (both of which are 2.2 gamma and limited to 0-1 standard dynamic range). I'd also chose your final color space. sRGB is probably the best overall choice if you plan on posting images online. Document > Convert Format / ICC Profile. Below, I chose RGB/16 and sRGB.

Now that you are in a file space compatible with JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc, feel free to "edit away", adding adjustment layers, live filters, or whatever. The appearance should be preserved when saving and exporting. 

Export to JPG, sRGB, etc. 

That should do the trick. Your final JPG will be 8-bit, sRGB and should match what you see in AFPhoto.

 

 

 

 

 

[Max89]

I think it worked,

I will experiment on for a while to be sure,

Thank you again for the support and your very detailed description, appreciate it a lot.