How to get it right with a bright sky and a dark ground?

Software darktable
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I have uploaded the raw file and a tif file. The tif file is made from Photomatix and tonemapped. I would like to get a similar look between the sky and the ground.

In darktable and with the DNG file I have first tried the tonemapping module. I have also tried to use luminosity mask and the module exposure.

Any better ideas?

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The issue here is your camera doesn’t have enough dynamic range so the shadows are very noisy. You need to merge it with a brighter exposure to get the whole image to be clean.

Or are you talking about the transition between the bright and dark?

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It appears that your image needs a really massive dose of chroma denoise. In profiled denoise module, select wavelet and blend mode to HSV color. The remaining luminance noise doesn’t really bother me much; I guess you could even say that it adds some gritty texture to the bunker.

How about this?

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I processed it in darktable and output 2 images with ~2.5 EV difference, and then manually blended them together in GIMP (mostly darkening the clouds around the sun).

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Looks like gradient reversal. It’s not very well controlled in the tone mapping module to the extent where I think it’s hardly of any use. The photomatix example you posted does deal with these harsh gradients suprisingly well.

Regarding capturing such an image, bracketing would have surely helped. This much dynamic range at ISO1600 (if that’s true) is really pushing it.

Anyways I gave it a shot with exposure + masks + a bit of trickery:

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_MG_5796_01.DNG.xmp (9.0 KB)

@PkmX s approach is probably the better idea though when dealing with such extreme dynamic range.

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Nice work. I have checked your xmp out. I have never used “soften” and only used L and not g in “exposure”. I will try HSV color in the denoice module. I have always used RawTherapee for denoise.

The picture is taken at ISO 100/1600. That’s why the raw file is a DNG file and not CR2, and that’s why there are some noise.

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Quick processing in RawTherapee using two saved images - one exposed for the sky, one for the ground - then merged using a luminosity mask in GIMP.

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hi,

here’s my attempt to make it look neutral (darktable only, xmp in jpg). i have to say i like the grading better in jonas wagner’s version (but not so much the vignette in the sky and the tonality of the clouds).

i did use the tonemapping module (global version) but had to fix some weird colours with the colour zones module.

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I used two separate tone-curve for highlights and shadows. I mixed them with luminosity masks and spatial masks. Then I added Reinhard tone-mapping with shadows luminosity mask. Few other tweaks…

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_MG_5796_01.DNG.xmp (10.0 KB)

I hope this could help you @Peter!

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Hi. Here is my attempt. The one on the left is mine, the one on the right is your Photomatix copy. I did what others did. Using RawTherapee, I changed the curves to Parametric and increase both Shadows and Dark until it came up to an equal level. I then made a second copy without any curves for the clouds in the right top corner. Using Luminance masks, I blended in the clouds. I then used an Overlay burn/dodge layer to highlight a few areas the tone-mapping highlighted. I will say it is difficult to get the same look as Photomatix because of the obvious contrast enhancements.

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Tried out the new thing in Darktable compressing dynamic range with exposure fusion | darktable

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