Merging 3 Photos into HDR - Not Working

[mikeo92082625]

Hey Everyone,

Does Lightroom limit you to two images when merging to HDR? I have several groups of three different exposures that I want to merge for HDR, but I continue to receive error messages.

"Unable to merge the photos. Please cancel and review your selection." 

They're all raw files, all of them are the same focal length, and aperture. The only difference is the shutter speed.

It will work with only two images, but not three. I'm shooting with a Canon 5D Mark III and used it's HDR settings, shooting at multiple exposures.

Any help would be appreciated.

I'm using Lightroom CC | Build 1193777 | 8.0 Release | Camera Raw 11.0

Thank you,

Mike

[GoldingD]

I have merged seven and more, yes overkill.

Now, supposidly LR is supposed to ignore any modificatons you did in LR to your images when merging. But did you do some edits? perhaps tonality?

That said, I have had an issue from time to time, one image in a set fouling it up, intentialy then applied auto tone to the images, and despite LR supposidly ignoring that, they merged.

I have had a few times when nothing would help, had to ignore the one image with the issue.

So,

Apply tonality changes despite LR ignoring that during a merge.

Un apply tonality changes, despite LR ignoring that in a merge

See if removing one or more images from your bracket set, will allow the others to merge.

Adobe stll needs work on the Photo Merge.

P.S. for those not famililar with HDR merge, changing just the shutter speed is prefered.

[mikeo92082625]

These are all straight out of the camera. I'm wanting to merge first, then edit once the images have been properly merged. I can merge two images, but when it comes to the third, it just refuses. This is trying across two different photos sets.

[GoldingD]

All 3 images same file type?

Was this using a zoom, and did you have some zoom creep? In LR, check the cropped dimensons.  (View/View options, alter the options)

Also, a similar thread:ERROR: HDR Unable to merge the photos

Might want to post copys of the 3 images, for review.

[mikeo92082625]

I saw that post and reviewed my images. It was a tripod mounted shot, remote triggered, and all in raw. I've added screenshots of my images specs from Lightroom.

[GoldingD]

Edited due to out rite blunders on my part

One JPEG, two unknown

how about screen shots of the RAW files instead, and please include loupe info, default including file name, cropped dimensions will do. (View/ loupe info / show info overlay)

ohh, are you trying to merge JPEG instead of RAW? That SOC statement went right past me, so JPEG?

[Per Berntsen]

I don't have an answer for your question (although I suspect you're mixing raws and jpgs).

But this scene doesn't really need HDR – the histogram for the first image has ample space on both sides, and exposing maybe a stop more would give you very good shadow detail without the highlights burning out.

Furthermore, using f/32 ruins your image. At small apertures, diffraction causes significant image degradation. in the form of reduced sharpness. I'm guessing that f/11 (or possibly f/16) would give you sufficient depth of field, if focused in the right spot.

For best image quality, try to avoid smaller apertures than f/11. (f/8 if you're using an APC camera)

[Per Berntsen]

Here's two articles you may find helpful:

What is a digital image? (with an explanation of how the histogram works)

Exposing a digital image (which also deals with HDR)

[GoldingD]

At least one source states LR has issues in photo merge when using Joel sources, apparently Adobe designed based on using RAW.

https://havecamerawilltravel.com/lightroom/hdr-photo-merge/