Processing question

[mdijb]

I am using this photoshop command to merge images creatively.  It operates like a black box.

Are there any controls that can be accessed to alter the results ?

What and how is this command working?

Is there any way to control or alter what comes out of the resulting image?

[Wolfman]

If you shoot in raw and process your raw images in Lightroom or Camera Raw and use the stack of exposures to create a merge for HDR, your result will be a DNG file that you can manipulate while still in Camera Raw.

[mdijb]

I want to control the merging process, not the post processing after the merge is completed.

[mcbroomf]

What is it that you're trying to do?  It might be best to layer your images then create your own masks and use blending modes to do everything manually.

[nirpat89]

I don't like the black box approach either.  I stack and align separately and do my own blending. 

[kirkt]

In the old days of the panoramic process, the pano dialog actually allowed you to place images manually to give the alignment algorithm a hint from which to start.  That disappeared a while ago.  Now you need to import your images into layers, move the layers around to your liking, select the layers upon which you want to operate and then use the Edit > Auto-align layers... and Edit > Auto-blend layers.

As far as stacking goes - you may still need to align the images (for registration prior to merging, say, for focus stacking or HDR/luminosity masking) or even freehand for creative exposure blending or artistic blending.  It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

As asked already - what is it specifically that you are trying to accomplish?  There are a lot of different methods for aligning and blending or compositing, etc. other than what I suggested above.

kirk

[mdijb]

I am using the merging for creative purposes and aligning the images is not needed, in fact not wanted,  I have tried blending the layers and altering the blend modes but the results are  adobe to get more informatoonjust not he same as using the automated process, black box approach.  ALso, the automated method creates very complex masks on each layer and I have no idea how it is doing that..  I would like to understand more about how this merge works.

ANy one know how or whom to contact at adobe to get more information?

MDIJB

[mcbroomf]

You can turn the alignment off in the stacking operation (not the window you showed), and then if you want to you can move around the layers however you want them (including making a bigger canvas if necessary).

The masks can be a bit frustrating as I've found Adobe delete or adjust pixels in the layer image corresponding to the masks, so if I've needed to make adjustments (for focus stacking for example) the pixels behind the mask I'm adjusting are no longer there.
To get around this I found the simplest way is to duplicate all of the layers 1st, then turn off (eye icon) the duplicated layers.  Select the original layers then proceed with the merge which will create the masks, but then move them to the duplicated layers.
This may not be of any use to you as I'm not sure what you're doing, but it then gives you full control over the masks and the original layers.

[stockjock]

I have no idea what effect you are trying to achieve but you can also convert all your layers to Smart Objects and then use the Layer > Smart Object > Stack Mode to choose a variety of stack modes.  I use Median and Mean to emulate the Pixel Shift feature in some cameras.  But having the Auto Blend Stack Images works great for Focus Stacking.

[kirkt]

The align and blend operations are used for things like panoramic composites (registering the source images to each other and then blending their overlapping content) or focus stacking (registering the source images and blending the in-focus areas into a focused composite).  PS likely does not know what your intent is with your incongruous images, so it is outputting nonsense.

kirk