For what it's worth, I blend manually most of the time even though I have 3 commercial solutions readily available. I don't know which software you use for your editing (it can't be Lightroom nor Photoshop, because those have HDR built-in), but I'd suggest to go looking for a plugin that provides luminosity masks. For example, there's a free luminosity mask plugin available for Photoshop (https://www.shutterevolve.com/easy-panel-2-0-free-16-bit-luminosity-mask...).
On a sidenote, it's easy to step into the HDR trap, most of the time HDR isn't needed and if it is, manual blending gives you way more control.
You need imaging software that can work with layers, I use Photoshop for that but if you don't want to spend the money, there's GIMP (also available for OS/X) and by the look of it you can get a luminosity mask plugin for GIMP as well.
Luminosity masks let you make selections based on tonal range. For example, you could create a selection of the darkest tones in your image and then dodge on that selection only.
A more common use is to blend frames with different exposures, which basically works the same, you don't dodge the area in question, but instead paint on the mask for that layer and change transparency, so that the underlying layer (which could have a longer exposure, for example) becomes partially visible.
The upside of this technique is, you are in full control, you can blend locally and leave the remaining image intact whereas with HDR software you just have to make do with what you get, even if the entire image is affected.
The downside is, as always, that you'll spend much more time on manual blending.
For what it's worth, I blend manually most of the time even though I have 3 commercial solutions readily available. I don't know which software you use for your editing (it can't be Lightroom nor Photoshop, because those have HDR built-in), but I'd suggest to go looking for a plugin that provides luminosity masks. For example, there's a free luminosity mask plugin available for Photoshop (https://www.shutterevolve.com/easy-panel-2-0-free-16-bit-luminosity-mask...).
On a sidenote, it's easy to step into the HDR trap, most of the time HDR isn't needed and if it is, manual blending gives you way more control.
Wait how do you manually blend?
And yes I use apple photos
You need imaging software that can work with layers, I use Photoshop for that but if you don't want to spend the money, there's GIMP (also available for OS/X) and by the look of it you can get a luminosity mask plugin for GIMP as well.
Luminosity masks let you make selections based on tonal range. For example, you could create a selection of the darkest tones in your image and then dodge on that selection only.
A more common use is to blend frames with different exposures, which basically works the same, you don't dodge the area in question, but instead paint on the mask for that layer and change transparency, so that the underlying layer (which could have a longer exposure, for example) becomes partially visible.
The upside of this technique is, you are in full control, you can blend locally and leave the remaining image intact whereas with HDR software you just have to make do with what you get, even if the entire image is affected.
The downside is, as always, that you'll spend much more time on manual blending.