Photoshop Creative

Please see the two photos below, which I bracketed one stop. You will notice that the first one is underexposed but the outside is visible through the windows. The second one has better exposure but the windows are blown out. My question: Is there anyway to combine the two so that the exposure is better and you can still see through the windows to the outside? Is this done via mask? I know this subject was covered at some point in the other forum, but I cannot find notes on how to do it. Is there a tutorial I can use, or am I just plain out of luck? Thanks.

There are lots of ways. I'll just tell you one. Others will chime in with more. Copy the photo with the too bright windows and paste on top of the other photo. Command/Control+A to select all>Command/control+C to copy> select the darker pic and command/control+V to paste the brighter on top. Now go to the make a new adjustment layer icon and select any layer(such as levels) and click ok without making any changes. While holding down the option/alt key hover the mouse over the dividing line in the layers pallette until you see a circle and click once. Now everything you do to the mask on the levels layer will affect the layer it's linked to below. Click inside the mask of the levels layer and using the paint brush at 100% opacity paint black over the window areas to reveal the darker below. If you paint too much switch the brush color to white and paint it out. "Black reveals/white conceals" Unless you were on a tripod you may need to use the move tool to aline the windows on both photos. If the alignment is way off then a mask may not help. Would suggest copying and pasting each window in place in that case.

A mask is the beter way because if you erase too much you can paint it back in, but the simple fix?

Place the darker photo on layer one - the lighter photo on layer two.

Set the opacity of the top layer until you can see the bottom photo and match them up.

Bring the opacity on the top layer back up to 100% and erase the window area of the top photo - which will allow the window area of the bottom photo - the darker photo - to show through.

When you finish that, you can go back to the dark photo and fool with enhance to fix contrast, etc.

Once you have it looking the way you want, merge the two layers.

When following the instructions for the Mask tut, I did everything (I think) like I'm supposed to do. I got to the point where you said, "Click inside the mask of the levels layer and using the paint brush at 100% opacity paint black over the window areas to reveal the darker below." When I do this and begin painting, nothing happens. In other words, I do not see any of the window showing through. I do, however, see some black indications on the layer mask. What am I doing wrong?

I love the way the first picture looks. Just as it is.

You can do a lot with the upper photo without bothering to try to mask and combine the images. Here's a quick pass at what opening it in RAW mode will do for you; the color balance probably needs work but this is just a sample:

Chuck, great job on the picture.

I just used your top photo, created a duplicate layer and selected the windows and door. Then ctrl copy, ctrl j to paste on a new layer. Go back to the background duplicate and do a layers adjustment for color. I just did it quickly, but you can fine tune the details.

I second the motion Chuck, i think the first photo have a mood that should be preserved and only need a little touch.
Don

Thanks to everyone for your replies and suggestions.

Chuck, I have never done anything in Raw. What is the process? How do I open in Raw?