Luminosity masks in Gimp - two questions....

[Tom Pinchenzo]

Hi All,

I've watched this video

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpc16wso1u4
to get an idea of how to blend two images HDR style without using HDR software because it always comes out looking rubbish.

There's a step that I've followed that doesn't yeild the same result as in the video - possibly because it's a different version of Gimp? I've created my luminosity mask by desaturating, increasing contrast and then inverting my image, but when I try to copy/paste that later onto the later mask of my image, it creates a 'floating selection (pasted layer)' as its own distinct layer rather than just onto the new layer mask. Somehow I see the desired final image but I don't understand what a 'floating selection' is and it seems to have limited functions (e.g. I can't duplicate that layer or add a layer mask to it. I will add a screenshot to show what that looks like.

Question number two: Using the technique described above I have created my luminosity mask etc. and applied it to my first image, but there is a black line along the horizon. I guess this is because the horizon isn't 100% sharp. Is there a way of overcoming this??


Thanks,
Tom

 

[Tom Pinchenzo]

I discovered the 'anchor' button to link the floating layer to the layer mask. I also played round with the layer mask to remove the line of black.

The final image is the best it's going to be - definitely not a keeper as it looks pretty fake! But I learnt a good deal about Gimp in the process. I think the problem was camera technique rather than processing. The difference in exposure between the fore and background was too much - probably should have taken the foreground shot before it got so dark. And it would have helped to get the distant hills sharper.

Emsworthy gate fore by Tom Pinches, on Flickr