This technique is good for fixing up an image if you do not have software that can do single frame high dynamic range processing. As an example here is a picture I took outside of Payson, AZ:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphM923KuP-LAA3mqZEPxOw8Jrtrq6w8M6CsxPVOVBeBJdUaViCgbT8KLrfU0vHcvFmc4Z-O0XuRv2xXK7uwPk8nJ_qbxFSdYxv5AyzrA0zXYSn2cOxOxKU3Rgbd4-LGggDiYH05fLLJk/s320/KRoriginal.jpg)
I took this picture on a tripod with the flash set to rear sync. The picture is not particularly bad, the sunset is nice but a little bright. The background behind us is almost completely black.
Step one - in Photoshop press Control J to create a duplicate image.
Step two - on the menu bar select Image/adjustments/desaturate.
you should now have 2 layers, one that looks like the picture above and the other that looks like this:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxE9wtxZlZwh7RT2NevYUBu51O30w1lbCBqcIx-61pSVMYbohQp94mWD4R7ncK6mdT1hmjHCXy84fUzxmTDRQONR_galyGYwH-jR5Z_89_66bHJABHa_DSTXCmL3MzFF2HMF7Lco7SnY/s320/KRdesaturate.jpg)
Step three - with the desaturated layer selected on the menu bar select image/adjustments/invert.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzpmUj1rzddeEZjnu0vBYwhazScdOzS7KEIEveGDlJb5fxaYbi5zD1XG-r6VaNK6_tc_OUXGLhNqjNOY_h2tynvLXZHSblpbrxkafPKgrpzrKmalL2AuwMFLmaAO6CnXxmYnrX-dKKDY/s320/KRinvert.jpg)
Step four - with the second layer selected change the blending mode to soft light.
Your image will now look like this:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf18WrNMuGivIQdvlus1I6uoBf4T7oW4unbOWSYw4dI6xgqs9_Ccnc35DePBcUp32DVbUVLWkixQ9TkVjbwrN_dEk323o8CekDg4I7cLB5ysOevXY8XZK1dmDR3ZwzS3TydpGLskAIbs/s320/KRtechperf.jpg)
The image is "technically" perfectly exposed but doesn't look quite right.
Step five - with the second layer selected from the menu bar choose Filter/Blur/Gaussian Blur. Move the slider all the way to the right. Click OK.
Your Second layer will look sorta like this:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8lHA4UWCu9dxDNSNeReB4Qt9QT60HD6ks1fr8e4y2LIU3x72JsEAATGgI_vJSXqZ4DPZmgVsDNgMaidruNvT4p2cEGXO6KVB6NUUL0ENzzzdTMRgxwTmoN3xLK8qIfvYemHNrhj5tcI/s320/RKblur.jpg)
Your completed picture would then look like this:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf92EYwELWAGJmQbvZyyorfXQ35eZ11dkzEouFvl5yrBsKQvlQ0e94WFzUi5gbaQ_0ZFsXd2DohteTayUZhtB-jJnBzJqAcQYRAzIv7hW32ExBD7fAm_5ETvToZV3DnU-m3gWCUgq_75A/s320/RKdone.jpg)
Notice that the Sunset has been slightly darkened and the dark background has been brought out. My wife and I have also been ever so slightly darkened as well.
You can now Merge the layers down, convert to 8 bit, and save as a jpeg if you want.
This technique works best on 8 bit jpeg's. It works ok on some 16 bit pictures.
To automate this process you can create an "Action" and assign it a function key, on my computer I have f2 set to do this. Consult your Photoshop help on how to create an Action.