Easily Enhance Your Photos With HDR Toning in Photoshop

HDR (High Dinamic Range) images are created using multiple photographs, each captured at a different exposure. It may happen you didn’t have the chance of shooting more than one image.. don’t worry, even if you haven’t got what’s needed to create a real HDR image, you can fake it.

In this tutorial I’ll show you how to enhance your images faking an HDR effect using the new HDR Toning command in Photoshop CS5. We’ll apply this effect to different images so you can see how this would work with different type of landscape shots.

Download and open the first image from Stock.xchng (requires free subscription to download). The image is quite big, you may leave it that way or simply reduce the size to something more easy to handle.

Go to Image > Adjustments > HDR Toning.

Start with a Default Preset and make sure Method is set to Local Adaptation.

On the HDR Toning window enter the following values:

Edge Glow: set Radius to 12 px and Strength to 1.40

Tone and Detail: set Gamma to 1.10 and Detail to +97%

Color: set Vibrance to +30% and Saturation to +20%

Click OK and that’s it. An extremely fast and easy way to enhance your images with a subtle HDR look.

Click on the image below to view it at full size.

Two More Examples

Open the second image and go to Image > Adjustments > HDR Toning

Start with a Default Preset and make sure Method is set to Local Adaptation.

On the HDR Toning window enter the following values:

Edge Glow: set Radius to 17 px and Strenghth to 0.51

Tone and Detail: set Gamma to 1.60, Exposure to -1.00, Detail to +175%, Shadow to +27% and Highlights to +23%

Color: set Vibrance to +70% and Saturation to +20%

Click OK. Your image should look like the one below.

Click on the image below to view it at full size.

Open the third image and go to Image > Adjustments > HDR Toning

Start with a Default Preset and make sure Method is set to Local Adaptation.

On the HDR Toning window enter the following values:

Edge Glow: set Radius to 40 px and Strength to 1.00

Tone and Detail: set Gamma to 1.10, Detail to +175%, Shadow to +30% and Highlights to -5%

Color: set Vibrance to +50% and Saturation to +20%

Click OK. Your image should look like this:

Click on the image below to view it at full size.

Get tutorials & freebies delivered to you.

Subscribe to the Photoshop Roadmap newsletter, a weekly roundup of new tutorials, insights and quality downloads, trusted by 6500+ readers.

15 Fantastic Photoshop Portrait Effects You’ll Want to Slap on Every Selfie Right Now

Sure, the title says you’ll want to slap these effects on every selfie (that was me trying to grab your attention 😅) — but let’s be honest: these aren’t one-tap filters. Every tutorial here is built on real Photoshop craftsmanship — lighting, masking, blending, and a good dose of creative...

Creating Pixelated Dither Effects in Photoshop

The pixelated dither effect transforms modern photographs into retro-inspired artwork reminiscent of early video games and vintage computer graphics. This distinctive visual style uses controlled color reduction and strategic pixelation to create images that balance nostalgic charm with contemporary design appeal. The technique relies on Photoshop's export settings...

How to Create a Vector Stencil from a Portrait Using Photoshop and Illustrator

Stencil art transforms complex portraits into bold, graphic statements using just black and white shapes. This simplified aesthetic has defined everything from street art to commercial design, creating instantly recognizable images that work across any medium. This tutorial demonstrates the complete workflow for converting a photograph into a clean vector...

How to Create Dotted Halftone Motion Blur Effects in Photoshop

The distinctive look of dotted halftone patterns combined with dynamic motion blur creates striking visual effects that bridge vintage print aesthetics with modern digital design. This technique transforms portrait photography into graphic art pieces with flowing, particle-like textures. The process involves layering multiple filter effects to achieve that coveted Instagram-worthy...

Master Photoshop Adjustment Layers for Non-Destructive Editing

Fine-tuning images without destroying original pixel data transforms ordinary photos into compelling visuals. Adjustment layers provide the flexibility to experiment with colors, contrast, and tones while maintaining complete control over every edit. This comprehensive guide demonstrates how to harness Photoshop's most powerful adjustment layers for landscape photography, from...

Understanding Color Theory for Digital Image Editing

Color theory forms the foundation of every successful digital editing project. From the visible spectrum to RGB channels, understanding how colors interact determines whether your adjustments look natural or artificial. This comprehensive breakdown covers essential color models, temperature and tint relationships, and the practical connections between traditional color theory and...