Greg Benz Photography

Batch export HDR photos via Web Sharp Pro’s Lightroom integration

September 15, 2025

Quick note- I have 2 HDR sessions (and a third on advanced masking) at the Lightroom Virtual Summit this week. You can stream for free, or if you use my affiliate link can get the RAW files from my HDR sessions, recordings from all sessions (including 17 other great instructors), notes, and other exclusive bonuses as part of the VIP Pass.

Web Sharp Pro (WSP) supports numerous workflows for creating stunning HDR photos for Instagram, Threads, or your website. And with the power of its integration with LR (Lightroom Classic or Cloud) and CO (Capture One), you can now easily export any of your images for all these uses with the click of just a couple buttons. You could export SDR or HDR with any customizations you like for sharpening/borders/watermarks/etc with perfect sizing and optimization for social media or your own custom specifications. The possibilities are endless and this integration makes it easy to achieve right from your preferred image organizer.

Once set up, the workflow in Lightroom Classic is simply (see below for Lighroom Cloud):

Export your images from LR / CO to Photoshop (PS) via template as noted below.
WSP will open a dialog where you simply confirm the settings you wish to use to finish the export

That’s it, it only takes a couple clicks once you’ve set up the export template and settings in Web Sharp Pro.

Your LR / CO export template should include the following:

export to the location where you want WSP to save the final images (it will always act as if you choose “save to source folder”, as this allows you to control the export location from LR / CO)
Set the new files to have “-wspBatchAndDelete” added to the file name (this tells WSP to process the images and then delete these temporary files when done). You must include this in the name exactly, so it’s best to copy and paste.
choose 16-bit TIF with a wide gamut space like P3 (WSP will convert the final image to your preferred colorspace).
If you wish to support HDR images from LR, select “HDR output” (keeping bit-depth as 16).
If you keep metadata, WSP can keep it or remove it per your preferences in WSP
Choose to have the exported images opened in Photoshop (WSP will begin processing images when they open in PS and include the special naming).

You do not need to work with HDR to use these exports, but the settings above will support it. The images will open as 16-bit SDR or 16-bit HDR. If you send SDR and have enabled “enhance SDR to HDR”, WSP will create it for you. If you send just the HDR, WSP will help you create the base SDR image for any gain map (or if you request SDR output, such as for Facebook). And if you send both, WSP will combine them create a custom gain map – this offers maximum artistic control and can easily be done in LrC by creating a virtual copy of your HDR and editing it for SDR.

Note that if you use that 3rd workflow (SDR + HDR) in a layered source file, you should instead export from LR using “original” as this will preserve your layers. This can be a nice way to manage everything in a single file. However, TIF is otherwise ideal for exporting anything direct from RAW images (as using “original” will invoke ACR when you export to PS).

Click the “Tutorials” button in WSP for more information on the integration.

You do not have to do any setup if WSP if you just wish to export with the current settings. However, you may use the save/load settings to create multiple options for batch exports. For example, you could create a template which exports HDR photos with a border for Instagram and separately creates simple SDR photos for Facebook (which does not yet support HDR) and export both at the same time. The possibilities are limited only by your creativity.

The basic steps to create saved settings to use in WSP during bulk export from LR / CO are:

Set the settings you’d like to use in WSP
Under “Settings”, click “Save / Load Settings” to open a dialog where you can save the current settings as a new preset.
Check the categories you wish to save in your preset (anything you leave unchecked will default to the current settings in WSP at the time you use that preset – ie, these are like overrides).
Give it a name and click the option to save.
Repeat for as many presets as you’d like to create. Everything you create will be shown as a potential option when you export via the LR / CO

Click the “Tutorials” button in WSP for more information on how to use “save/load settings” to create your own export presets.

If you use Lightroom (cloud version, not Classic):

The cloud version of LR does not support virtual copies nor the ability to export a copy of the original without flattening it. That means you will still be able to send over SDR-only (use WSP’s “enhance SDR to HDR”) or HDR-only (WSP will help you tone map the SDR version), but you will need a different approach to send over both for the same image. I would generally recommend LR cloud users just send over the HDR version. Lightroom Classic is in many ways a much more powerful program, and the limitations here are an example of that.

If you want to create a permanent SDR + HDR edit and use Lightroom cloud, use this approach to prepare your images:

Open your HDR image to edit in Photoshop as a Smart Object. You will save it as a 32-bit layered TIF / PSB file where the layers include both the SDR and HDR version).
Create an SDR edit (right-click the Smart Object and choose “new object via copy”, then double-click it, turn off HDR mode in that copy and edit as desired).
Move the SDR layer to the bottom of the layer stack and rename it so that it includes “SDR” in the name.
If you wish to use layers for your SDR edit, you can make a group named “SDR” at make sure it is the last top-level layer in the layers panel (move all SDR content into that group).

When WSP sees a 32-bit image, it treats the image as edited as the HDR version and will use the bottom layer named “SDR” as the SDR version. This is workflow #3 as described further under the “tutorials” button in WSP.

Once you have created your layered SDR + HDR images, you can export in bulk using a different approach. You cannot make duplicate originals with layers, so you will not use the automation shown above for LR Classic. Instead, use the following workflow:

select all your layered images in LR.
right click and choose Edit in Photoshop / Edit in Photoshop. That will send the layered images over. This won’t be a temporary copy or renamed, these are your working files. So you won’t see the automatic popup from WSP.
Just click “Batch” to export the opened images.
Close the images manually.

Lightroom Virtual Summit

August 30, 2025

I’ve got an amazing tutorial on Adobe’s latest updates below, but first I want to share that I’m teaching three classes as part of the upcoming Lightroom Virtual Summit. This free event includes 18 world-class instructors teaching 46 classes over 5 days.

I’ll be teaching three classes:

The Future of Photography: Creating with the new HDR Mode in Lightroom
How to Share HDR Images Online
Advanced Masking Techniques (not focused on HDR, but would apply there too)

There’s also a VIP Pass option, which includes lifetime access to class recordings, class notes, and other exclusive bonuses.

Be sure to take advantage of the early-bird pricing while you can to save roughly 38% off the VIP pass. Click the link below to learn and register.

Hasselblad X2D II 100C: the first true end-to-end HDR camera

August 26, 2025

There may be no camera brand no more legendary than Hasselblad. They have been making incredible cameras for 184 years! That isn’t a typo. That’s 7 years before Florida was a state, 47 years before Kodak, and 121 years before NASA starting using Hasselblad in outer space. This isn’t a company that just knows how to make great cameras, this is a company that knows how to adapt and innovate at the highest levels. And now, they’ve adapted again for the future of photography.

Today, they just launched the Hasselblad X2D II 100C with numerous advancements over its predecessor, including the first end-to-end HDR camera. They call it “HNCS HDR” (Hasselblad Natural Colour Solution with High Dynamic Range).

Hasselblad HDR support includes:

The first HDR OLED touchscreen (1400-nit peak brightness) to actually view images in HDR on the camera
Capture images natively in HDR formats including JPG with ISO gain map or HEIF.
15.3 stops of dynamic range with 16-bit depth

I haven’t had a chance to use one of these cameras, but I wonder if native HDR capture might also mean a more accurate in-camera histogram. Nearly all cameras show a histogram of the in-camera’s JPG rather than the RAW data. Perhaps this camera will show the histogram for the HEIF, which should include the full dynamic range (likely encoded as HLG). If so, that could increase the real world dynamic range even further as most photographers are prone to exposure error given the very limited quality of a JPG histogram and blinkies.

The X2D II 100C also features:

102 megapixels with the low noise characteristics you’d expect from medium format.
5-Axis, 10-Stop stabilisation.
LiDAR and a new new AF illuminator for fast, accurate focusing in a wide range of light.
1TB of built-in SSD storage, with a CFexpress Type B slot for additional storage via memory cards.
Continuous autofocus (a first for Hasselblad) and other new autofocus modes.
A refined look and controls for better appearance and ergonomics.

I haven’t had the opportunity to see one of these cameras in person, but I’ve spent gone through their press release, marketing material, and sample images in depth to get a good sense of Hasselblad’s approach to HDR. Below are my first impressions of this very interesting new camera.

Disclosure: This section contains affiliate links. See my ethics statement for more information. When you purchase through such links, you pay the same price and help support the content on this site.

What are the benefits of Hasselblad HDR?

The star of the show here may be the new 1400-nits HDR OLED touchscreen. That puts it in a range very similar to the iPhone, which offers excellent HDR in nearly all conditions other than outdoors in bright light. Depending on how they’ve designed the in-camera firmware and how the display is adapted for ambient light, I imagine this may offer as much as 3 stops of HDR display.

That would be incredible to properly see the real image and visualize highlights without clipping or rolloff. This should be very useful in a wide range of conditions (though you should expect 0 headroom in bright outdoor conditions, as you would with an iPhone – as you’d probably need 3-10,000 nits for bright outdoor HDR). I’ll be very curious to get my hands on one of these to try. And if you purchase one, please comment below on your experience.

The next most significant benefit is image quality. With 15.3 stops dynamic range, 16-bit color, and the inherently low noise characteristics of medium format, there is probably no camera more capable of supporting both the best HDR displays and prints from a single RAW file. The key benefit here is likely in shadows, where you can expect much cleaner results in an image properly exposed to retain highlight detail.

The support to capture images natively in HDR formats is very welcome. This should help further demonstrate how quickly HDR is moving towards being a mainstream format and the optimal choice for highest image quality. This adds to a wide range of brands offering native HDR capture as JPG gain maps or HEIF (including Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus, Sigma, iPhone, Android, and likely others).

Native HDR capture is great for those who wish to go directly from camera to display. Realistically, the best HDR results will always come from shooting RAW, as JPG and HEIF are meant for final display and not ideal formats for further editing. Additionally, native HDR capture is limited to certain camera modes (including exposure / focus bracketing, continuous shooting, manual exposure, or if using a Nikon flash).

How is the HDR image quality?

Hasselblad has not shared RAW versions of images corresponding to their HDR samples, so it is impossible to compare directly. They have a long history of outstanding RAW images and I have little doubt that these are probably the best RAW files you can possible capture to create HDR images. However, one of their customers did send me a few RAW images from this new camera. The files were roughly 210MB, as you’d expect for a camera with such high resolution. The detail was outstanding and noise levels in shadows looked very good (shot at ISO 100, a little above the base ISO of 50). Overall, I would say the RAW images I saw looked extremely promising, as you’d expect from Hasselblad.

Hasselblad has shared several sample HDR JPG images (no HEIF samples). While their website refers to “UltraHDR” (which is typically associated with the legacy Android encoding), these images are actually encoding using the ISO 21496-1 gain map standard (without redundant Android XMP). This is ideal and exactly what they should do, it may just be a bit confusing to those who understand the technical difference between UltraHDR and ISO HDR.

Even though they include all 102 megapixels, these HDR JPGs are only 7-21 MB in size (with most of the samples 10 or less). I expect you should be able to choose from a range of sizes if you prefer to capture smaller files or lower resolution.

The HDR JPGs show up to 3 stops of encoded HDR headroom (you could easily edit to higher values). Highlight rolloff looks very good in areas where extreme highlights will inevitably clip. Sunsets show great color and detail. Skin tones show restoration of normal color in the range where light skin tones will turn grey in SDR. Color and detail appear well managed across a variety of subjects, and of course you can assert even more control by processing the RAW as HDR.

Most importantly, I think they have done a much better job creating a natural HDR result than I typically see with a camera phone such as an iPhone. This has nothing to do with sensor characteristics, its the artistic intention. An HDR image should show shadows and midtones which are very close to the values in the SDR image, as SDR is a severe compromise of the highlights and that’s what HDR resolves. With a smart phone, you typically see midtones processed far too bright, which is one of the reasons some viewers on Instagram complain that the HDR images they see are “too bright”. A properly edited HDR image should not appear too bright, the extra brightness should primarily just be used to enhance highlight color and detail, not make the image brighter overall. Kudos to Hasselblad for their excellent default HDR processing.

The gain maps are encoded with full color, which is ideal. However, the map also uses 420 color sub-sampling, which is technically incorrect (as a gain map is just a bunch of math and the assumptions underlying color sub-sampling do not apply to these pseudo images). I have seen some examples where this can produce notable artifact (such as noise in blue skies). I don’t see evidence of that in these limited samples and if Hasselblad has designed the encoding with awareness of this issue, they may have taken steps to mitigate the risks that can cause issues (and therefore avoiding the increased file size of a 444 map). It’s not a concern for me. This won’t affect you at all if you shoot RAW (which you should) and Hasselblad could issue a firmware update if real world issues are later found with this encoding.

Overall, this appears to be a very promising leap forward for a premium camera from a legendary brand. It’s incredible to see their adoption and innovation around HDR, and look forward to trying one in person in the future.

The X2D II 100C is available from B&H with body-only or with a 75m lens bundle (which is similar to a 59mm on a 35mm camera).

See Hasselblad’s product page and sample images for more info.

New in Adobe Camera RAW 17.5: automatically remove dust from photos

August 13, 2025

Special announcement: I will be teaching three classes at the upcoming Lightroom Virtual Summit. Register for free with my affiliate link to see 18 world-class instructors teaching 46 classes over 5 days. There’s also a VIP Pass option, which includes lifetime access to class recordings, class notes, and many other exclusive extras.

Sensor dust in your RAW photos can be a huge hassle. It can take a lot of time to clean up manually, and you might wreck a print if you don’t notice subtle spots until you’re viewing a large image on your wall. Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v17.5 just added an incredible new tool to take care of this in 1-click: AI dust removal.

How good is it? I’ve tried it with dozens of photos and the results are incredible. It finds and flawlessly fixes at least 90-95% of the dust spots in my photos. And more importantly, it almost never causes artifacts or a bad result. So if it fails, it does so safely and I don’t worry about creating new problems. I just do a quick review to see if I might need to manually remove a few dust spots it missed.

You can use the dust removal in your RAW smart object, or by using the Camera Raw Filter. The filter approach is very handy for several reasons:

You can apply it to any image (not just RAW content).
It can often do a better job (as shown in the video), as the results are not the same as processing the RAW.
And if there are any mistakes, you can apply it locally by using a filter mask to only apply the dust removal where it improves the image.

The best workflow to use this new tool is:

Consider using Camera RAW Filter rather than fixing in the RAW, as this allows for more local control and often better initial results.
Go to the remove tab in ACR, open the new “dust” area, and click apply.
Hover over the image to review where dust spots were removed. You may optionally click any circle to delete it if the fix causes artifacts or other unwanted results.
Use the manual healing brush to remove any spots which were not removed automatically by the AI.
Close ACR and if you used it as a filter, you may use a black mask to brush on the smart filter mask to protect any areas from potential unwanted changes (such as the change in the tree and distant hills in the video above).

The new AI Dust removal is an early release feature, which means that it is not yet available in Lightroom – and that it is likely to improve even further.

Add a person to landscapes with Photoshop “harmonize”

August 4, 2025

Ever wish you had a person in your landscape to show scale? Or wish that you could easily add something new to your photos but it was too hard to match colors and blend the edges? Photoshop’s new “harmonize” feature is designed to let you easily composite anything into your photos and it’s very impressive.

In this tutorial, we’ll add a person to this landscape to give it a sense of scale and make it more interesting. Ideally, I would have a photo of myself or a friend to use – but I haven’t done these sorts of blends in the past because they’re complicated and would have taken a lot of time. So instead, we’ll create someone using the “generate image” AI tool in Photoshop.

The workflow to add a subject and blend with harmonize is:

Add a layer with an image of a person – or go to Edit / Generate Image to create one.
- In the Properties panel, click “remove background” (if you generated the image, right click it to see this option).
- Resize and position the layer as desired. Click <cmd/ctrl>-T to transform, and right click there if you need advanced options (such as flipping the layer horizontally).
Go to Image / Harmonize (you can right-click the layer for this option sometimes).
- Hide the source layer (PS should do this for you, you don’t want both the old and new showing).
- With the harmonized layer still selected, go to the Properties panel to select different variations or generate more.
- Review the result and paint black on the mask if it affects the background, and consider clipping additional adjustments to the layer as needed to refine further.

A few interesting things to note about “harmonize”:

The resolution is pretty good and will work great for social media. However, it isn’t yet suitable for full resolution work intended for print.
The new harmonize layer covers the entire image. It will show great detail in the original subject pixels, and much lower quality in the areas outside that. The extra pixels allow some blending into the background.