Extending Tonal Stops using Smart Objects

[dquisenberry]

I have come across a way to extend the dynamic range of an image using smart objects. This can be used to enhance, or more likely save an image where the range of stops are too many to be displayed. I use it as an advanced dodge and burn. I open a raw file via Bridge and then fill with white. This saves exif data and minimizes file size [which may become an issue later on]. From bridge I select the image and place it in photoshop. File-->Place in Photoshop. This creates a smart object of a raw file or Embedded Raw Smart Object (ERSO). You can click on this ERSO at any time and it will open up in bridge where you can adjust the original file. If, for example, I have an image of a sunrise where the foreground is black to show the sunrise on the horizon, I adjust my image in Bridge for the sunrise. Then in photoshop, I right mouse click on the ERSO and select New Smart Object via Copy. I now have another ERSO which I can open in Bridge by clicking on it and this time adjust the image so the foreground has detail [and of course the sky is now blown out]. After this adjustment, I can apply a layer mask to the 2nd ERSO and mask out the sky, giving me an image with a full range of tonal detail. Size can obviously be a drawback if you make multiple ERSO copies, however, I find that a small price to pay to save or enhance an image. I also have found that you cannot apply any filters to a ERSO that changes the pixels. The workaround for that is to create a flattened layer above the ERSO and then you can apply any filter. One side benefit to this is that you always have your original raw data in your image so you dont have to save a copy of the RAW file on your machine.