[NOOBTUT#2] Tonemapping with 32-bit Color Depths

[jiminy-billy-bob]

You can and should work non-destructively with Photoshop (Krita is also very good at that). However that is a workflow that requires a specific procedure or you will eventually affect original pixels.

How that? I never affect original pixels.
I use exclusively adjustment layers, smart objects, smart filters, regular layers, etc. None of these affect my original render, and I can really easily update it.

[JQL]

Jiminy, it's just a matter of concept.

Smart objects, specially if linked are the way to go inside photoshop, no doubt. If you don't use them though (or any of the non-destructive methodologies you mentioned), you'll certainly destroy things.

Node based editors (I don't deeply know them yet) don't even pose that as an option. They make it so that it's mandatory for you to work non-destructivelly.

Photoshop (and some similar) sofware allow for non-destructive workflow...
(My feeling is that) Node based software impose non-destructive workflow...

As I said, I'm still digging on them so I'll tell you what I find down the road. I won't dig into Photoshop, anymore in a long time... That I'm pretty sure.

[Bob James]

NOOBTUT#3

[Trogled]

Wow, mi eyes wide open! Thanks for tutorial.

[JQL]

NOOBTUT#3

Right right... I should finish it!

[gwengosch]

It would be great!

[jure]

I highly recommend using Photoshop Camera Raw for tonemapping your renders. It works wonders. But since Camera Raw does not suppor .exr files you have to work around it. The way to open files is to first render to .exr and then convert it in Photshop to 16 bit TIFF. Be sure to expose image to roughly appropriate levels when converting 32bit to 16bit since some depth will inevitabely be lost.

Then you can open the new 16bit TIFF with Camera RAW through Adobe Bridge. Yeah, it's a bit of workaround but IMHO Camera RAW is worth it. You can do everything from correcting over exposed and under exposed areas, to removing noise and color correcting and retouching renders.