2
\$\begingroup\$

Still trying to wrap my head around panoramas. I am using bracketed RAW photos and have merged using lightroom. Now, it is best to pick a single image, colour correct it and sync the settings across all the merged hdr images, or is it better to export all to a tiff, stitch in PTGui and then re-import into lightroom for color correction?

The problem I see if that if I stitch in PTGui 1st, I lose the flexibility of RAW. If I develop in LR 1st, then it's hard to get a good color grade due to working with a single reference image.

Any ideas?

EDIT: a few people have linked related threads. I have read these but i'm still unclear as to at what point I I should no longer be using RAW and when I need to color grade. I guess i'm looking for a workflow step by step guide from people.

Improve this question
\$\endgroup\$
2

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2
\$\begingroup\$

Regardless you will most often need to finish in Lightroom in order to get the final image perfectly cut to the right aspect-ratio and adjusted for the output medium, so it is best not to do unnecessary work before the stitch.

If you merged your HDR images correctly, you shouldn't really need the extra latitude of RAW again since you already had a bracketed sequence and therefore a combined higher precision. In any case merged RAW are not really RAW anymore and for stitching to work best, it is better to do the merge before stitching. I asked a related question years ago here and after hundreds of panoramas, the advice remains sounds.

Improve this answer
\$\endgroup\$
2
  • \$\begingroup\$ This is what I'm trying to wrap my head around, so once merged, I can export to tiff and I still have the extra dynamic range that raw and bracketing gave me? \$\endgroup\$
    – Lee
    Commented May 13, 2018 at 6:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ You can have way more since you can export as an HDR file even, although It depends what your software supports. Lightroom will ingest TIFF but also PSD. \$\endgroup\$
    – Itai
    Commented May 13, 2018 at 14:45

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.