HDR Hybrid Technique to Combine Interior and Exterior Exposures - Simple Window Pull Technique

The set of high contrast images in this video are nearly impossible to merge with exposure blending / luminosity masking techniques. That's where this hybrid HDR method comes in. If you only have one way to bring back views from windows in your post production then you're limiting yourself unnecessarily.
If you've got a hang up about HDR photography (high dynamic range) due to all the people that over used it, over processed it, and made HDR photos look like a a surrealist illustration, please understand, that if it's done right, it can be a valuable tool for an architectural photographer / real estate photographer.
I'll work on this set of photos that have been sent in to me with a technique that combines the best of realistic HDR with best of underlying base exposure, allowing us to quickly and seamlessly bring back the views from outside. Even in this exceptionally high contrast scene that has images missing from the bracketed set.
We'll be using Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. For the HDR component I strongly recommend Aurora as it gives the most realistic blends with limited fuss. For finishing the image I do a quick edit in Luminar AI using the AI tools just to give our finished photo a helping hand.
Here are links to the HDR software and other useful tools mentioned in this video:
Merge photos with realistic exposure blending in Aurora HDR: bit.ly/2TfoisF_HDR
Best power vs cost strobe for lighting interiors bit.ly/pro-strobe
Improve photos in bulk with Luminar AI (discount code ATSKY10): bit.ly/Lum-AI
Luminosity masking panel for Photoshop: bit.ly/3dpGeub
My new architectural photography channel: bit.ly/ATArchi...
I hope this guide is useful to you. I put a lot of work into it. So if it is helpful I'd love to hear from you! Thanks so much for watching! 🙏 and share the love with a thumbs up and/or a comment 😄
👉 USEFUL PHOTOGRAPHY LINKS: 👈
🖊 My fav graphics tablet: amzn.to/33mJxwN (best brand, best size)
🖱 Tourbox - for working more efficiently: bit.ly/39TdQ1S (discount code: TB20210408XXL08)
📷 My Pro Architecture Camera: amzn.to/3j3fQan
📷 My Wide Angle Lens: amzn.to/3j9I1Vb (used for 90% of my architectural work)
📷 Nifty fifty: amzn.to/3ifmY2t
📷 Mid-range zoom: amzn.to/33Xltkc
📷 Telephoto Lens: amzn.to/3cBAyMo
📷 Tripod Head for architecture: amzn.to/30cbJBq
These are affiliate links to the equipment I use - they are not sponsored by the manufacturer in any way. If you use these links it costs you no more than normal, but the small commission I get helps me to keep providing free content for you guys. Thanks for supporting the channel. I really appreciate it. ​​🙏​

[@rinner3]

Beautiful

[@randymacneill2740]

Thanks for your videos, I really appreciate your willingness to walk through your editing techniques. I would like to see a video on how to straighten the light as you did here. Thanks again.

[@archiphoto]

Thanks Randy. If we get a few more requests for that I'll see what I can put together :)

[@nik_at_optik]

I love your videos!! I was wandering if at some point you could show as how you edit bulk in Luminar & Aurora I really struggle with that process :) Thank man! Go NZ! Keep Up the good work!!

[@archiphoto]

Great suggestion. Unfortunately Aurora has been discontinued, however the Quantum Engine responsible for the realistic results lives on in the HDR Merge extension for Luminar Neo (bit.ly/HDRMerge). It's good for results but not great for automation - yet. So for now I'm using alternative approaches for bulk editing. (done a few vids that I'll be releasing in the future on the channel). Cheers for watching and commenting!

[@ab5028]

I am a french fan of your youtube channels ! congratulations for your fantastic work and dedication to share it ! thank you for your very smart and efficient work on those set of images. It was quite difficult with the chair just in front of the window to imagine the same result in using multiple masks and selection area .... we would love to stay longer in our clients' properties to do some flambient work or styling but real estate just want a quick job on site ... !

[@archiphoto]

Thanks for watching my channels Zen! And thanks for the comment too 😀

[@amirehrlich4969]

Thanks for this video. Would love to see a flambient comprehensive tutorial. A tutorial on how to "fix" distorted lamps would also be great :) Thank you

[@archiphoto]

Hi Amir, I will do a flambient vid at some point. The lamp distortion video is already on the channel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJy3mZiweb9opac

[@laynetravis]

Hello ! please help...i bracket 1 stop 3 photos but my hdr look terrible need brushes etc but still.. maybe im doing something wrong

[@gyulailevi]

great stuff !! this video shows perfectly, that the hdr method is far far superior than the old bracketed exposure with manipulated masks :] (and much faster of)

[@archiphoto]

Thanks mate. Yes HDR got a bad reputation unfortunately. But done right it can be a valuable tool in our editing arsenal.

[@benbigrasvirtualtourswebde7116]

would you say that Lunimar is better than Topaz labs? I've been looking at both. I have the latest (2023) Topaz Photo AI along with the sharpener and denoiser. I know you have used both because I see it in your menus in some of your videos when the menu drops down. OF course you would need to do the comparison today and not 1 year ago. I would just be curious what you opinion is.

[@kirtg1]

Thanks for the vid. All this could have been fixed with a window pull...

[@AnthonyTurnham]

Maybe, but this isn't a vid on window pulls. These files were provided to me wondering what could be done.

[@dagobertorocha3747]

Muito bom! Gostaria de mais exemplos de grandes diferenças de luzes, internas e externas.

[@victororta8669]

flambient

[@playoflightphotographicsllc]

With a flashed window pull. Much better results, and easier.

[@sevenblah]

the next thing they could update is saving/exporting as a .dng so we could then edit everything in lr/acr, and work on the yellowing that happens or the white balance if you have anyone there that will listen to you those are just a few things, ive tried to get on there testing team but no one ever gets back to me...

[@archiphoto]

Hi mate, yeah, I have a few ideas I'd like to see implimented too but unfortunately Skylum are very indipendant with their thinking on how the software should evolve. I don't think we'll see .dng capability though because the additional more creative tools Luminar has aren't supported by Adobe so the backward compatibility just isn't an option. A shame because I like having my raw files converted to .dng where possible.

[@mauiphotoman]

Do you have a link to a video that shows how you fixed that hanging light fixture? Thank you for an excellent video on your HDR Hybrid Technique!

[@archiphoto]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJy3mZiweb9opac

[@zehavaperez5261]

interesting method..but SOO much work. Things seem to get overcomplicated in stead of easier... Just can't imagine doing all this time after time, day after day, and with each photo..

[@archiphoto]

It really depends on your business model. I'm in the low volume higher quality bracket so for me greater attention to the finished reslut pays off as I get the clients who value this more and will pay more a s a result. But if, I were doing greater volume and therefore have to spend less time then I would be running a workflow more like: kzbin.info/www/bejne/omfCf6SOididepI

[@RewDowns]

Anthony, could you link these raw files so we can practice with this method?

[@AnthonyTurnham]

I like the idea, but these were supplied by a viewer so I don't have the rights for re-distribution. Sorry.

[@archiphoto]

I'll try to take some shots in future that will be for you guys only when I'm on my pro jobs. Nice suggestion.