Until recently, I’ve felt a little left out when it comes to the Macphun line of photo editing and effects software. I’m a Windows guy, a sometimes lonely place to be in the oft Apple dominated world of graphic design and photography. Until this year Macphun software wasn’t available for us PC’s. I figured Macphun’s software would always remain out of reach until Macphun released Luminar for Windows earlier this year. So, I tried it. And liked it. A lot! Getting a chance to take the new Beta version of Aurora HDR for a spin, I was cautiously … [Read more...] about First Impressions of the New Aurora HDR 2018 for Windows
Photomatix
HDR and the Traveling Photographer
Note: To learn more about HDR visit our HDR Learning Center produced in partnership with HDRsoft. I have learned, as a traveling photographer, that no matter how much planning I do to prepare myself for a trip, there will always be unknown factors and surprises, good and bad. Certain factors, such as light, clouds, weather, location, and the time of day may complicate the camera settings necessary to properly expose the subjects I am photographing. My camera may not be capable of capturing the range of light in just one image. Extreme … [Read more...] about HDR and the Traveling Photographer
Toning Down the HDR Look with Photomatix Pro
What do you think of when you think of HDR? Over-sharpened, bright photos? The majority of HDR photos I've seen — you know, the ones you always see on real estate sites — are over-contrasted, too bright and just unappealing. But there's a different side to HDR, one that's more realistic to a natural-looking photograph. Why Use HDR? HDR is really just the practice of blending photos together. Usually this involves bracketing, taking into account a different shutter speed and exposure settings as you're shooting. Doing so can boost shadows, … [Read more...] about Toning Down the HDR Look with Photomatix Pro
HDR 101: Shooting Brackets
Human eyes are incredible for viewing the world and seeing into shadows and highlights all at the same time. The basis of HDR photography is making several exposures at varying brightnesses and combining them in a powerful software app like Photomatix so we can view a photograph the same way we view the real world--into the shadows and highlights at the same time. We call it “bracketing” or “shooting for HDR” or “shooting brackets.” Every interchangeable-lens camera I’ve seen for sale in the last seven years offers automatic bracketing, but … [Read more...] about HDR 101: Shooting Brackets
Handholding your Camera for HDR Photography
With proper technique and the right camera, it is possible to get good HDR images even though you aren’t using a tripod or other camera support. Here are ten tips for handholding your camera: Use a camera that has an automatic bracket function, so that when you push the shutter release your camera automatically and quickly takes more than one photo of the same subject at different exposures. Use this function when you don’t have a tripod. Read about automatic bracketing in your camera manual, to be sure you are doing it the right way. … [Read more...] about Handholding your Camera for HDR Photography
Selective Sharpening in Lightroom
Sharpening helps your picture have a little more punch and can allow details to pop and draw attention. If you sharpen the entire image, however, you'll end up with visible details, called artifacts, in places where there aren't details, like a blue sky. To avoid creating these artifacts, you can sharpen only those areas that have interesting detail and those to which you want to draw attention. Let me show you how to selectively sharpen using Lightroom's Adjustment Brush on this photograph I made in San Antonio on a photowalk (we've got … [Read more...] about Selective Sharpening in Lightroom
Photomatix OneShot Makes Photos POP!
There are hundreds of filters and presets available for making photographs into "something else" in Photoshop, Lightroom or with other software packages. One of my favorites comes from from HDRsoft the maker of the outstanding HDR converter Photomatix Pro. Allow me to introduce you to Photomaitx OneShot. HDR effects for single images Traditionally, High Dynamic Range or HDR, requires at least three exposure bracket of photos two or more stops apart. The information in the bracketed set of pictures provides the HDR conversion software an … [Read more...] about Photomatix OneShot Makes Photos POP!
HDR 101: How To Keep Important Details in HDR’s
Shooting a set of pictures with bracketed exposures and combining them in HDR software is the best way to record all the details in a scene, even in very dark and very bright areas. The software, like Photomatix, does a great job of making all the details visible. However, there are times when the details included with the HDR are not what you want in your finished photograph. HDR photos of people are often not flattering because there's too much skin detail, and even landscape details may not be what you wanted to emphasize in your finished … [Read more...] about HDR 101: How To Keep Important Details in HDR’s
New to Photomatix? Start with a Preset
The photo above is the normal exposure of a Waffle House near my studio. Periodically the company remodels one of their restaurants. I saw this one was under what looked more like destruction rather than renovation. I noticed a pair of children with their father standing in front of the remains of a favorite place to eat. I made a quick set of 3 bracketed exposures at 2 stop brackets to use Photomatix Pro. Opening a bracket set in Photomatix Pro Before jumping into presets, here’s a quick start for opening a series of bracketed photos.Once … [Read more...] about New to Photomatix? Start with a Preset
HDR 101: How Do You Know When To Use HDR?
Like black and white, HDR photography is a terrific tool. It can both save the day technically and also allow us to be creative in unique ways. But how do you know when you might need to use HDR to make you photograph look it's best? The Name Says It All HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and in photography, that means there's a big difference between the proper exposure in the dark areas and in the highlight areas. An example of a scene with low dynamic range would be a picture of a pen sitting on my desk. The light shining on my desk from … [Read more...] about HDR 101: How Do You Know When To Use HDR?
Get Started With Photomatix
HDR photography is a gift of the digital age. To a one-time film photographer like me, it's magic. I never imagined that one day I would be blending together bracketed images to create a single photograph with an extended dynamic range. A photograph in which I was able to retain details in the shadows and not blow out highlights. Wanting to improve upon my magic, I recently found my way to Photomatix Pro, an HDR processing software. I like Photomatix. It is easy and painless to use, and provides different styles and presets to draw upon, … [Read more...] about Get Started With Photomatix
“I Like This Picture Because…”
I think the Snake River Plain in southern Idaho is one of the prettiest places in the world and one of the hardest places to photograph. It’s expansive and grand and as you drive you’ll see heavenly light and subtle color and texture changes that make it seem like you’re driving through a painting. But when you stop to make a photograph, you’ll see that it’s difficult to make a picture that expresses the beauty you see with your eyes. Idaho isn’t the only place that offers this obstacle. Most beautiful places can stymie even experienced … [Read more...] about “I Like This Picture Because…”
Creating Better Sun-Flared Images with Photomatix Pro
Have you struggled to make a great image when shooting into the sun? Our cameras can't see the dynamic range in a scene as well as our own eyes can, so we have to shoot a series of bracketed images and merge them into an HDR. In this tutorial, I walk you through exporting to HDR from Lightroom to create two sun-flared images with Photomatix Pro. https://youtu.be/WQXuPuE1-5c … [Read more...] about Creating Better Sun-Flared Images with Photomatix Pro
Realistic HDR images with Photomatix Pro
HDR photography gets a bad rap. Many believe that HDR means over-contrasted, over-saturated, over-sharpened photos. But in reality, HDR is really just blending multiple images together. And by using the technique effectively, you can enhance your images and create a blended photograph that is both natural-looking and more attractive to the viewer. I was in New York last week for the Out of New York Conference, and without a tripod on hand, I bracketed my images, knowing I could put them together to create a more dynamic photograph. I … [Read more...] about Realistic HDR images with Photomatix Pro
Personalizing Powerful Plugins with Serge Ramelli
You gotta join us live for our next Lightroom Live, totally free of charge. Not only will you learn terrific techniques, but if you tune in live, you can be entered to win excellent prizes to help you in your work. (Note: MUST BE TUNED IN LIVE TO WIN). We'll be giving away a copy of Perfectly Clear from Athentech. Plus you never know what else. We kick off Monday, October 3rd at 1:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Central, 11:00 am Mountain, and 10:00 am Pacific. 2:30 pm in Newfoundland. Check out the YouTube event here and it'll show your … [Read more...] about Personalizing Powerful Plugins with Serge Ramelli
Personalizing Powerful Plugins with Serge Ramelli
You gotta join us live for our next Lightroom Live, totally free of charge. Not only will you learn terrific techniques, but if you tune in live, you can be entered to win excellent prizes to help you in your work. (Note: MUST BE TUNED IN LIVE TO WIN). We'll be giving away a copy of Perfectly Clear from Athentech. Plus you never know what else. We kick off Monday, October 3rd at 1:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Central, 11:00 am Mountain, and 10:00 am Pacific. 2:30 pm in Newfoundland. Check out the YouTube event here and it'll show your … [Read more...] about Personalizing Powerful Plugins with Serge Ramelli
An Update To My HDR Workflow
I have used HDR since day one. Even before there was software to help with the task, I would shoot multiple exposures on slide film and scan them to layer on top of each other. Now we have tools like HDR Soft’s brilliant Photomatix Pro. I still use Photomatix even though you can do HDR in PS/Lightroom. Why? It’s more powerful, offers more control over the final output and it’s noticeably faster. When I shoot any landscape these days I make several exposures just in case. But unlike the old days when I was shooting bracketed … [Read more...] about An Update To My HDR Workflow
HDR: Is a Three Step Process
The biggest mistake HDR shooters make is trying to rush the process. Some think its as simple as shooting the photos and running them through a merging application. Others try to save even more time and use in-camera HDR solutions. While both of these options can make a better photo than just a traditional exposure, they don’t really embrace the full capabilities of HDR imaging. For that, you need to truly take a three-step process. Shoot Using the bracketing option on your camera (or manually adjusting exposure), you’ll successfully … [Read more...] about HDR: Is a Three Step Process
Should I say “HDR” anymore?
I find myself using the term ‘HDR’ less and less every day. When I started as a panoramic photographer in 2002, I was continually frustrated because almost every 360º scene would have blown-out bright highlights or ‘blocked up’ shadows. Often I would have both of those extremes in the same scene because a camera can only capture so much dynamic range. Imagine being outside of a hotel where the sun is behind the building. The shadows are dark on the building, but I still need to capture the complete scene at a pool -- of course before crowds … [Read more...] about Should I say “HDR” anymore?
44 Free Presets for Photomatix
Free Presets? You Bet! The team at Photofocus has put together a collection of free presets to help you get the most out of HDRsoft's Photomatix. These presets are absolutely FREE, you just need to join our mailing list to get them. Please subscribe to our newsletter using the button below. Once you have confirmed your subscription, you will receive a link to download the file. You must use a valid email address to receive the presets. Click the button to confirm and download. Macintosh Install Instructions Method 1 … [Read more...] about 44 Free Presets for Photomatix
Go Make A Panorama
You should make a lot more panoramic photographs. It's a great way to capture a larger view of the world, and you don't need to buy a new lens. In fact, you'll find that a panorama gives a better view than simply using a wide angle lens because the objects far away are not diminished as much as they are with a wide angle lens. There are many options for stitching the pieces of the panorama together. For my work, I've found Lightroom is usually adequate, and Photoshop does it a little better. Those who make a living selling panoramas often … [Read more...] about Go Make A Panorama
Presets Make Photomatix Pro Simple to Learn
Once Photomatix Pro 5 opens a set of bracketed images, especially in Tone Compressor, the choices of controls is kind of intimidating. The first question that comes to mind is "Where in the world do I start???" The answer? Presets. Quick start: Photomatix Pro Before jumping into presets, here's a quick start for opening a series of bracketed photos. The graphic that follows shows the series of dialogs to navigate to merge photos into an HDR file. Drag a set of images made at least one stop apart into the Photomatix Pro dialog. Tell … [Read more...] about Presets Make Photomatix Pro Simple to Learn
Photomatix for Linux!
Most of my friends and acquaintances in the photography world know that I work with HDRsoft who makes Photomatix software. Photomatix is used to combine and render bracketed images for high dynamic range scenes. This same company is also a sponsor of Photofocus, just to be clear about that. But for quite a few Linux users that I've been in contact with, it's a big deal that HDRsoft has just released 'Photomatix for Linux.' This means the HDR workflow is now supported on 3 platforms (Linux, Windows, and Mac). This isn't 'Photomatix Pro' … [Read more...] about Photomatix for Linux!
Essential Gear for HDR Photography
To capture great HDR images, you need some essential equipment. Most of it you probably already own, but may not aways bring with you on a shoot. It’s important to think of HDR photography as a tool, not a subject. Here’s what I mean…when you’re a portrait photographer, you go out and shoot photos of a model. A wedding photographer goes out and shoots photos of a wedding. A travel photographer shoots photos while traveling. You don’t go out to shoot HDR photography. Rather, HDR is a tool you can use to create images with more dynamic range than … [Read more...] about Essential Gear for HDR Photography
Creating Dynamic Black and White Images with Expanded Dynamic Range
I love black and white photography. Perhaps its the newspaper journalist in me… but I just adore a beautiful grayscale image that pops off the page. Black and white photography is frequently a misunderstood technique in the digital age. Many photographers incorrectly shoot and post-process their photos. I’d like to share one workflow (but its my favorite). In-Camera Workflow Getting a great black and white photo requires capturing a color image first. Ideally an image with a wide dynamic range. While all cameras are different, here … [Read more...] about Creating Dynamic Black and White Images with Expanded Dynamic Range
The Best Photographers Practice Finishing
Practicing with your tools on daily pictures will make you a better photographer when it counts. Having your camera with you isn't enough to make you a better photographer. You need to practice finishing your photographs just as much as making them in the camera. A well composed and exposed photo is only half done. As I photographed these coneflowers, today, I knew I'd need to use HDR techniques in order to reveal the details in the center and maintain rich color in the petals. However, it was windy so there was no way to shoot a bracket of … [Read more...] about The Best Photographers Practice Finishing
Get the Most Dynamic Range from a Single Raw File
Do you like dynamic range? Let’s put it this way, are you a fan of the Shadows and Highlights sliders? Getting great tonal definition is a big part of making an excellent photo. Pushing the Limits with HDR Most people have mixed thoughts about HDR. Some resist because of the extra steps of shooting bracketed photos. Others had the over-the-top look practiced by some artists and abused by many. Don’t worry, neither of those problems exist in this workflow. I’m going to show you how to get the most out of a single raw file. What You … [Read more...] about Get the Most Dynamic Range from a Single Raw File
Exploring A Port Huron Scene With Photomatix
For a while now, I’ve been itching to begin experimenting with incorporating the Photomatix software into my workflow. One bright sunny Michigan morning, I had the opportunity to do just that. I found myself driving through downtown Port Huron after a networking event, my Canon 70D camera, 18-35mm F1.8 Sigma Lens, and tripod conveniently nestled in the passenger seat next to me. As I crossed over the downtown bridge, I decided that it was the perfect time to take some bracketed shots. The morning was clear and the sun was bright. No better time … [Read more...] about Exploring A Port Huron Scene With Photomatix
Photomatix Selective High Dynamic Range for Interiors
Interiors are tough to photograph. With film, windows had to be covered with gray gel (ND) to balance their brightness to the inside lighting. If bulbs were too bright for the rest of the lighting, they had to be turned off part way through the exposure. One of the toughest situations were arched ceilings lit with bulbs or tubes lining its edges. This super bright feature in a hallway or elevator lobby usually didn't have a way of shutting it off. These features are still quite popular today. Capturing one of these interiors has never been … [Read more...] about Photomatix Selective High Dynamic Range for Interiors
Shooting Landscapes? Go the Extra Mile
Landscape photography brings its own rewards. Being in a beautiful place at a tranquil time of day is therapeutic. Add good company, and it doesn't really matter if you make any good pictures because the experience alone was worthwhile. For instance, I visited my parents, recently, and my dad and I awoke early to photograph the moon setting over one of our favorite places, Garden of the Gods. Due to a small cloud that wouldn't move, the moonset was a bust, but I exercised a few tips I've learned to make the most of the experience anyway, and … [Read more...] about Shooting Landscapes? Go the Extra Mile
