HDR Soft Essentials - 4.0 - Windows User Manual
HDRsoft
Photomatix Essentials
Version 4.0
User Manual
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
© 2014 HDRsoft. All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Section 1: HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
1.1 What is HDR Photography? 2
1.2 How to Take Photos for HDR Processing 3
1.3 Set Up Your Camera 3
1.4 Recommended 2 EV Separation 4
1.5 Three Essential Steps 5
Section 2: Using Photomatix Essentials
2.1 Step 1: Load Bracketed Photos 6
2.1.1 Step 1 Overview 6
2.1.2 Drag and Drop Photos 6
2.1.3 Browse for Photos 8
2.1.4 Select / Deselect Loaded Photos 9
2.1.5 Load Other Photos 9
2.1.6 Alignment and Deghosting Options 10
2.2 Step 2: Adjust & Preview 11
2.2.1 Step 2 Overview 11
2.2.2 Working With Presets 12
2.2.3 Details Enhancer Settings 12
2.2.4 Contrast Optimizer Settings 13
2.2.5 Tone Compressor Settings 13
2.2.6 Exposure Fusion Settings 14
2.3 Step 3: Finish & Save 15
2.3.1 Step 3 Overview 15
2.3.2 Apply Finishing Trouches 15
2.3.3 Save and Return to Step 1 16
Section 3: Preferences
3.1 Single Image Thumbnail Selection 17
3.2 Skip Merge Dialog 17
3.3 Noise Reduction Options 18
3.4 Refresh Preview Continuously 18
Glossary 19
Getting More Information and Help 21
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
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Introduction
Cove Point Lighthouse photo © Ferrell McCollough
Photomatix Essentials works with photographs of the same scene taken under dierent exposure settings.
These dierently exposed images of the same scene are often called “bracketed” images, in reference to the autobracketing exposure functions available on many camera models. If you have not taken any bracketed photo
sets, you will be able to start using Photomatix Essentials with sample images available from the Photomatix
Essentials download page.
This manual rst explains the steps for capturing your own bracketed photo sets. You are then guided through
these 3 simple steps, which constitute the workow of Photomatix Essentials:
“Step 1: Load Photos”: - Load your bracketed photos into the app.
“Step 2: Adjust & Preview”: - Adjust the HDR image to get the results you want.
“Step 3: Finish & Save”: - Add nishing touches, and save.
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Section 1: HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
1.1 What Is HDR Photography?
The central premise of HDR photography is that there are few situations where a single photograph can capture
the true dynamic range (the total range of light in a scene, from very dark to very light) of a scene accurately.
In other words, today’s digital camera can’t properly expose everything at the same time in scenes with even
moderate contrast ratios. This results in two main problems (which sometimes happen together in the same
photo):
• Blown highlights
When the exposure is raised to make sure the
foreground or subject is properly exposed,
brighter ar eas of the scene suer. They “blow out”
and turn white because they have very little or no
usable data in them.
• Lost detail in the shadows
Conversely, when bright areas of a scene are
pro tected (by lowering exposure), there is not
enough light to register details on the camera’s
sensor in dark areas of the scene. These turn to
shadow and black ness.
HDR photography solves these problems by taking enough photos (typically 3, separated by 2 EV steps) to
contain the entire exposure range of a scene. With that data in hand, Photomatix Essentials can merge the different photos and process them to rescue details from shadows and keep highlights from blow ing out.
For many photographers the key purpose and signicance of HDR is its ability to increase photographic realism.
HDR to this photographer is not an “eect”, but is a remedy to the dynamic range limitation of camera image
sensors. To some of these photographers, in fact, it is the standard photograph which is somewhat non-realistic,
in that it does not accurately capture the full dynamic range of most photographed scenes
For many other photographers, HDR is approached more as a creative tool, and one that aords great artistic
latitude. From a practical point of view, however, every style of HDR photography is built on the same
foundation, a well shot bracketed set.
The next section provides guidelines and best practices for properly capturing bracketed sets.
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1.2 How to Take Photos for HDR Processing
Taking photos for HDR is easy. All it takes is a dierent mindset than for traditional photography, which
emphasizes taking and editing a single photo, independent from any others.
Instead of taking a single exposure of a scene, for HDR you take at least 3 exposures: one optimized for midrange
tones (as normal), plus one optimized for highlights and one optimized for shadows. This strategy for capturing
more of a scene’s true dynamic range, with exposures above and below a standard exposure, is called “exposure
bracketing”.
The resulting “bracketed set” of photos contains, as a group, more complete and true exposure information
than any single image capture can possibly contain. The purpose of HDR software like Photomatix Essentials
is to artfully combine this bracketed set into a single image, to achieve more faithful realism, or heightened
realism, or artistic eect.
But these artistic choices come later. The rst step is capturing good bracketed sets.
1.3 Set Up Your Camera
HDR photography requires that you set up your camera a bit dierently than normal:
• Set your camera to Aperture Priority (“A” setting) so that only the shutter speed varies between the
exposures.
• Select a low ISO, such as ISO 100 or lower.
• Turn o the ash. The ash may try to balance the exposure of all the images, when the goal is a range of
exposures.
• A tripod is typically recommended, but is not required, as Photomatix Essentials includes options to
automatically align hand-held bracketed sets.
DSLR cameras and some compact digital cameras oer Automatic
Exposure Bracketing (AEB). This enables you to automatically take three
or more exposures in a row: one at the proper exposure, one or more
underexposed, and one or more overexposed. Follow these steps if your
camera oers an AEB mode:
• Select the Continuous Shooting mode on the camera’s drive setting.
Consult your camera manual for model-specic instructions for using
this setting.
• Set the camera to Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB)
• If possible, use the camera’s self-timer setting, a remote control or a
cable release to minimize camera shake.
• Set the exposure increment to +/- 2 EV for optimal exposure range. If
your camera does not oer +/- 2 EV exposure increments, select the
maximum possible. Consult your camera’s manual for model-specic
instructions for choosing this setting.
Canon Rebel T2i/550D LCD showing
AEB with +/- 2 EV increments selected
You can watch brief video tutorials on taking bracketed photos at:
www.hdr-photography.com/videos
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
AEB settings on a Nikon D7000
(3 frames, at +/- 2 EV)
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1.4 Recommended EV Separation
Bracketing allows you to extend the dynamic range of your camera so it can capture the full range of light in a
scene. Mechanically, you accomplish this by taking multiple photos with dierent exposure settings. Although
there is no single method that is better than all others in every circumstance (indeed, cameras vary in their
abilities), a good rule of thumb is to shoot three photos, separated by 2.0 EV using AEB. However, not all cameras
have the same AEB capabilities. Some limit you to a 1 EV spacing or less.
For many outdoors scenes, 3 exposures spaced one or two EVs apart is usually sucient. However, this won’t be
sucient for an interior with an outside view on a sunny day, for instance.
An EV (Exposure Value) increment is also referred to as a “stop” or “f-stop”. One EV increment corresponds to a
doubling of the amount of light hitting the camera’s sensors. For instance, this means that you can capture a
range of 8 EV steps, by using exposures ranging from 1/250 to 1 second (assuming a xed aperture and ISO
setting). If you use +/-1EV step increments, you will need 9 frames to capture 8 EV of dynamic range. If you set
it to +/-2EV, you will need just 5 frames to capture 8 EV of dynamic range. Photomatix Essentials can process
bracketed sets of up to 5 images, so 2 EV spacing would be preferable in this example.
Under-exposure (-2 EV):
Captures highlight detail
Well-balanced exposure (0 EV):
Captures mid-range detail
Over-exposure (+2 EV):
Captures shadow detail
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1.5 Three Essential Steps
The Photomatix Essentials workow is comprised of three main steps:
Step 1. Load a bracketed photo set into Photomatix Essentials.
Step 2. Adust the Preview of the combined image to your liking.
Step 3. Add optional nishing adjustments to the image, and then save it.
Once your image is saved at the completion of Step 3, you are returned to Step 1 ready to load your next
bracketed set.
The Step 1 window • Load Photos
The Step 2 window • Adjust & Preview
The Step 3 window • Finish & Save
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Section 2: Using Photomatix Essentials
2.1 Step 1: Load Bracketed Photos
2.1.1 Step 1 Overview
To use Photomatix Essentials, rst load a bracketed photo set, or a single photo that you wish to process.
There are two ways to do this:
• Drag and drop: Drag the photos from a folder on your computer and drop them onto Photomatix Essentials.
• Browse: Use the Open dialog box to navigate to the source photos and load them into Photomatix Essentials.
NOTE: It is possible to select a single photo if you like. Click on the “Can I use a single photo?” li nk for details.
Sections 2.1.2 through 2.1.3 provide detailed instructions for loading and working with photo sets in Photomatix
Essentials.
2.1.2 Drag and Drop Photos
To drag and drop one or more photos into Photomatix Essentials, follow these steps:
1. Launch Photomatix Essentials.
2. Open the folder on your computer that contains the photo or photos you want to work with.
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