Photomatix Essentials Version 3.0 User Manual © 2011 HDRsoft. All rights reserved.
Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................................. 1 Section 1: HDR (High Dynamic Range photography) .............................................................................. 1 1.1 Taking Photos for HDR ............................................................................................................ 2 1.1.1 Setting Up Your Camera . . ....................................
1 Taking Photos for HDR Introduction Photomatix multiple bracketed photos into a single image either by a process The shootingEssentials phase is processes essential for gettingexposure good results with Photomatix. known as fusing the exposures together or through a process known as HDR To photograph a high contrast scene, you need to take several exposures in (High Dynamic Range) tone mapping.
1.1 Taking Photos for HDR Taking photos for HDR is easy. All it takes is a different mindset than traditional photography, which emphasizes taking and editing a single photo, independent from any others. 1.1.1 Setting Up Your Camera HDR photography requires that you set up your camera a bit differently 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 off the flash.
1.1.2 Taking the Photos In simplified terms, bracketing allows you to stretch 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 different exposure settings. Although there is no single method that is better than all others in every circumstance (indeed, cameras vary in their abilities, complicating matters), a good rule of thumb is to shoot three photos, separated by 2.0 EV using AEB.
Section 2: Using Photomatix Essentials The Photomatix Essentials workflow is composed of two main steps: 1. Loading your bracketed photos into Photomatix Essentials where you can work with them. 2. Adjusting the combined image to your liking, then processing and saving it. 2.1 Loading and Managing Photos (Step 1) To use Photomatix Essentials, first select the photo or photos you want to use and load them into the program.
4. Select the files as you would normally. 5. Drag and drop the photos to Photomatix Essentials. You can drag and drop file individually or in groups. Browsing To browse to one or more photos using a file selection dialog box, follow these steps: 1. Launch Photomatix Essentials. 2. Click Browse. Photomatix Essentials 3.
3. Navigate to the folder on your system where the photo(s) are stored. 4. Select the files as you would normally. 5. Choose Open (Windows) or Select (Macintosh). Regardless of the method you choose, you can go back and add photos. Drag and drop additional photos or choose Browse again to choose more files. You may mix and match these two methods. Photomatix Essentials 3.
Managing Photos Once you load your photos into Photomatix Essentials, you should notice a few things in the interface. First, each photo is displayed as a thumbnail. This makes it easy to verify that the photos are of the same subject and see their relative exposure compared to their bracketed companions. Additionally, there is a larger combined thumbnail that shows a preview of the result of processing the photos.
2.2 Adjusting the Image with Fusion or Tone Mapping (Step 2) The heart of Photomatix Essentials is Step 2, where you choose a method and settings to process your bracketed photos. The two tone mapping methods you can choose from are: • Details Enhancer Tone Mapping: processes the HDR image merged from your bracketed photos, revealing its details in highlights and shadows. This method excels at creating the so-called ‘HDR look’ — enhanced local contrast and accentuated details.
• Exposure Fusion: combines your bracketed photos in such a way that bright details (highlights) are taken from the underexposed photos and dark details (shadows) from the overexposed ones. The result is a more ‘natural’ look than tone mapping. Note that this method requires more than one exposure and is thus not available when you have chosen to load a single photo. Follow these steps when you enter Step 2: 1.
2.2.1 Details Enhancer Settings • Strength: Affects the degree to which contrast and detail are enhanced in the image. A value of 100 gives the maximum amount of enhancement. To get a more natural effect, move the slider to the left. The default value is 70. • Color Saturation: Controls the saturation of the RGB color channels. The greater the saturation, the more intense the color. Move the slider right or left to change the setting. A value of 0 produces a grayscale image.
2.2.3 Exposure Fusion Settings • Accentuation: Adjusts the strength of the overall effect. • Blending Point: Adjusts how much weight to give the underexposed or overexposed images. When you move the slider to the right, the overexposed images are favored, which tends to brighten the resulting image. The reverse happens when you move the slider to the left. • Sharpness: Increases the sharpness and contrast of details in the image.
Section 3: Preferences Photomatix Essentials offers Image Alignment, Ghost Removal and Noise Reduction. You can choose whether to use these features and adjust some of their options in Preferences. To access the Preferences dialog, click on the Preferences … button located at bottom left of the window where you load your images in Step 1 of the Photomatix Essentials workflow.
Noise Reduction Options Noise Reduction is often useful when using the Details Enhancer tone mapping method to process the HDR image, as enhancing local details has the drawback to enhance noise as well. Noise reduction is particularly recommended when processing RAW files directly in Photomatix, or when processing just one photo, especially when this photo is underexposed. You can turn Noise Reduction on or off, or be prompted whether to apply it, by adjusting the Reduce noise option.
Glossary AEB mode (Automatic Exposure Bracketing). DSLR cameras and some compact digital cameras offer this feature. It 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. Aperture priority In Aperture Priority mode, you select the aperture and the camera determines the correct shutter speed for the available light. The shutter speed also depends on ISO sensitivity.
JPEG A common image file format with two primary strengths – a relatively small file size and universal compatibility. JPEGs use a lossy compression scheme and should not be edited and re-saved. Noise Statistical variations inherent in the sensor system cause noise. Noise is always present, but higher sensitivities and smaller sensors usually generate more noise. Pixel Digital pictures consist of pixels, the smallest units.
Resources You can find more tips, techniques, and regularly updated information in the Photomatix FAQ on the HDRsoft website at http://www.hdrsoft.com/support/faq_photomatix.html. Additionally, the resources page at http://www.hdrsoft.com/resources/ lists Internet tutorials, book and DVDs on the subject of HDR photography that, along with your own experience, will help deepen your understanding of it. Photomatix Essentials 3.
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