Possible to recognize bracketing without doing HDR?

[HK Photographer]

Per my previous post, I realized I do not want to output a 32 bit HDR image. 

Instead, I want to accomplish the following:

1. Load all my bracketed shots into PTGui (5 exposures) and have PTGui align each exposure's panorama identically. 

2. Output each exposure in my bracket as separate 16 bit files which I will use luminosity blending in photoshop to merge them manually

So this is what I did:

1. Loaded all my bracketed photos into PTGUI

2. When asked, I select NO HDR 

3. Click align images. 

4. Go to Create Panorama -> Select Blend Planes

I noticed that despite selecting NO HDR, the option of blend planes remained greyed out and I am still getting an (i) next to that option. I made the mistake of shooting my source images in automatic bracketed mode. Is this why the option of blend planes remains disabled?

What do I need to do if I want to output 1 panorama per exposure in my bracket and have all of the panoramas align identically?  

[HK Photographer]

One more question: if I really want to get Blend Planes to work, what can I do?

1. Modify the EXIF files so the source files for each layer will have the same ISO, aperture, exposure compensation but not shutter speed?

2. Wipe the metadata from all of my files and somehow tell PTGUI which image belongs to which part of the bracket?

3. ??

[PTGui Support]

Hi,

You should enable HDR in PTGui, when asked. If PTGui doesn't ask, do
Images -> Link HDR bracketed exposures.

Verify that PTGui has indeed linked all your bracketed images: in the
Source Images tab, the bracketed photos should be collapsed into a
single row.

Then, in Exposure/HDR set HDR workflow to 'Create Blend planes'. Please
understand that this will only give good results if you have shot in
manual exposure mode, so all images within each blend plane will have
identical exposure. If there's significant exposure variation within a
blend plane, parts of the image may be blown out (white). That's why
PTGui by default chooses the other mode if the exposure is not consistent.

Then in the Create Panorama tab, don't output the blended panorama, just
output the blend planes.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

> *What do I need to do if I want to output 1 panorama per exposure in
> my bracket and have all of the panoramas align identically? *
>
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[HK Photographer]

Hi Joost

If the option for blend planes remained greyed out because my brackets were not shot using manual mode (hence variation in aperture and iso), what can I do to force this?

[HK Photographer]

I found that if I change the option for HDR workflow under Exposure / HDR to Create blend planes first, then merge to HDR the option to select blended plane becomes available.