HDR Photography
Aurora HDR 2019 – NO Halos, NO Noise, NEW Looks
Entirely New HDR Algorithm with Artificial Intelligence
How do you follow up from Mac’s App of the Year in 2018? That’s a tough one but we put our heads together with the team from Skylum and we’ve done it!
Aurora HDR 2019 uses Skylum’s new Quantum HDR Engine. It is a completely redesigned HDR algorithm, paired with artificial intelligence, which took 3 years of development by Skylum’s AI lab. My favorite thing about this new version is you no longer need to make corrections on the initial results because it virtually eliminates noise, halos, and other little issues you often needed to fix. This means you can focus on your creative side. Begin by trying out the new “looks” (formerly called presets, a few of mine are included for free). And try tweaking out the “HDR-ness” of your creation with the new and improved HDR Enhance and Smart Structure sliders.
Already own Aurora HDR? Check to see if you qualify for a discounted upgrade
Existing users can check this link to see if you qualify for an upgrade for just $59. New users may purchase Aurora HDR 2019 for just $99.
Aurora HDR Tutorials and Tips
Click “PLAYLIST” in the upper left corner of the video to browse the entire playlist.
About HDR Photography
HDR is a great, fun, new way to take photos and capture the world around you. If you’ve been disappointed by photos you’ve taken because you don’t feel like it quite captures what you sw, maybe HDR is for you! This page will answer some of the basic questions and tendrils will drift off to other areas of the site that may interest you.
A sample HDR Image that shows off the sort of vibrancy and sense of living texture you can achieve with this technique.
How to do HDR photography
“Anyone can do this!” This is what I always tell people when I speak at universities, photo clubs, seminars, and the like, and I mean it! I am very open about my process, sharing all my tips and tricks. I have a FREE HDR Tutorial for Mac and Windows here on StuckInCustoms.com that describes the step by step process. If you’d like to dive deeper, I also have video tutorials for Aurora HDR 2019. The tutorial shows how I use the tool for a variety of situations… landscapes, sunrise/sunset, people, motion, etc..
What is HDR Photography?
HDR is short for High Dynamic Range. It is a post-processing task of taking either one image or a series of images, combining them, and adjusting the contrast ratios to do things that are virtually impossible with a single aperture and shutter speed.
An HDR image is commonly made by taking three photos of the same scene, each at different shutter speeds. The result is a bright, medium, and dark photo, based on the amount of light that got through the lens. A software process then combines all the photos to bring details to the shadows and highlights both. This helps to achieve the same task in the final photograph that the human eye can accomplish on the scene.
I would say that about 75% of my images use the technique, and if you are new to it, then you may notice a slightly different “look and feel” to the photographs. There are all kinds of nerdy technical things I can say about HDR, but in case you are like me, you can learn best by example. I posted a bunch of my HDR photos below.
To me, the HDR process helps the photos look more… let’s say… evocative.
I can talk a little bit more about the philosophy behind the photography style here for a quick moment. You might consider that the way the human brain keeps track of imagery is not the same way your computer keeps track of picture files. There is not one aperture, shutter speed, etc. In fact, sometimes when you are in a beautiful place or with special people and you take photos — have you ever noticed when you get back and show them to people you have to say, “Well, you really had to be there.” Even great photographers with amazing cameras can only very rarely grab the scene exactly as they saw it. Cameras, by their basic-machine-nature, are very good at capturing “images”, lines, shadows, shapes — but they are not good at capturing a scene the way the mind remembers and maps it. When you are actually there on the scene, your eye travels back and forth, letting in more light in some areas, less light in others, and you create a “patchwork-quilt” of the scene. Furthermore, you will tie in many emotions and feelings into the imagery as well, and those get associated right there beside the scene. Now, you will find that as you explore the HDR process, that photos can start to evoke those deep memories and emotions in a more tangible way. It’s really a wonderful way of “tricking” your brain into experiencing much more than a normal photograph.
What kind of camera do you need to make HDR Photos?
Really, the hardware does not matter… The bulk of the look comes from the software process, as described in the aforementioned tutorial.
You can go to my Camera Equipment page to see what I use.
Some eBooks on HDR Photography
I’ve also written a series of books on photography. You can find those over at my store.
Sample HDR Photos
Here are a few photos I’ve made over the years that are good illustrations of the technique. You can see more on at my Portfolio. I make a new one every day here on the home page at StuckInCustoms.com, so you are welcome to come back regularly.
