HDR Soft Essentials - 4.0 - Windows User's Manual

Photomatix Essentials
Version 4.0
User Manual
HDR soft
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
© 2014 HDRsoft. All rights reserved.
i
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Section 1: HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
What is HDR Photography? How to Take Photos for HDR Processing Set Up Your Camera
Recommended 2 EV Separation Three Essential Steps
2
3
3
4
5
Section 2: Using Photomatix Essentials
2.1
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5
2.1.6
Step 1: Load Bracketed Photos Step 1 Overview Drag and Drop Photos Browse for Photos Select / Deselect Loaded Photos Load Other Photos Alignment and Deghosting Options 6
6
6
8
9
9
10
2.2
2.2.1
2.2.2 2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.5
2.2.6
Step 2: Adjust & Preview Step 2 Overview Working With Presets Details Enhancer Settings Contrast Optimizer Settings Tone Compressor Settings Exposure Fusion Settings 11
11
12
12
13
13
14
2.3
2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3 Step 3: Finish & Save Step 3 Overview Apply Finishing Trouches Save and Return to Step 1 15
15
15
16
Section 3: Preferences
3.1
3.2 3.3 3.4 Single Image Thumbnail Selection Skip Merge Dialog
Noise Reduction Options Refresh Preview Continuously Glossary Getting More Information and Help Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
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1
Taking Photos for HDR
Introduction
The shooting phase is essential for getting good results with Photomatix.
Photomatix Essentials works with photographs of the same scene taken under different exposure settings.
To photograph a high contrast scene, you need to take several exposures in
These differently exposed images of the same scene are often called “bracketed” images, in reference to the autoorder to capture information in both the highlights and the shadows of the
bracketing exposure functions available on many camera models. If you have not taken any bracketed photo
scene. The exposures taken must properly cover the dynamic range of the
sets, you will be able to start using Photomatix Essentials with sample images available from the Photomatix
scene, especially the shadows.
Essentials download page.
The number
of photos
youthe
need
depends
on the your
scene.
It also
depends
on sets. You are then guided through
This
manual first
explains
steps
for capturing
own
bracketed
photo
the
Exposure
Value
(EV)
spacing
separating
the
photos.
If
you
take
them
these 3 simple steps, which constitute the workflow of Photomatix Essentials:
in one-EV steps (e.g., -1, 0, +1 EV), you will need more photos than if you
“Step
1: Load
Photos”:
Load
your
photos shooting
into the app.
take them
in two-EV
steps (e.g.,--2,
0, +2
EV).bracketed
We recommend
in
“Step
2:
Adjust
&
Preview”:
Adjust
the
HDR
image
to
get
the
results
you want.
two-EV steps whenever possible.
“Step 3: Finish & Save”:
- Add finishing touches, and save.
High contrast scenes can be grouped into roughly two types depending on
their dynamic range:
•
Medium dynamic range scene: Most landscapes and other types of
outdoor scenes fall into this category. Three exposures taken in two-EV
steps (i.e. –2, 0 +2 EV), or five exposures taken in one-EV steps, are usually sufficient for this type of scene.
•
High dynamic range scene: A typical example is the interior of a room
with a view outside the window on a sunny day. You need to take at
least five exposures in two-EV steps (or nine exposures in one-EV steps)
to capture this type of scene, but you may need more. Taking the exposures manually is recommended in these cases.
The source photographs for HDR processing can be taken with digital or
film-based cameras. The only requirement is that the exposure can be adjusted when taking pictures. If you use a film-based camera, you will need
to scan the photographs into your computer before processing them (refer
to Section 1.3).
1.1
Three exposures of a medium
dynamic range scene, taken in twoEV steps
Setting up the Camera
Set your camera to Aperture priority (A setting) so only the shutter
speed varies between the exposures.
•
Select a low ISO, such as ISO 100 or lower.
•
Turn off the flash. The flash may try to balance the exposure of all the
images, when the goal is a range of exposures.
•
Mount the camera on a tripod whenever possible. Even though
Photomatix Pro offers automatic alignment of hand-held photos, using
a tripod is always better.
Cove Point Lighthouse photo © Ferrell McCollough
•
DSLR cameras and some compact digital cameras offer 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 offers AEB mode:
Photomatix Pro User Guide
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
Canon Rebel XTi/400D LCD showing
AEB with +/-2 increments selected
1 2
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 ar­eas of the scene suffer. 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
pro­tected (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 black­ness.
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 dif­
ferent photos and process them to rescue details from shadows and keep highlights from blow­ing out.
For many photographers the key purpose and significance of HDR is its ability to increase photographic realism.
HDR to this photographer is not an “effect”, 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 affords 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 different 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 effect.
But these artistic choices come later. The first step is capturing good bracketed sets.
1.3
Set 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. The flash 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 offer 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 offers an AEB mode:
•
Select the Continuous Shooting mode on the camera’s drive setting.
Consult your camera manual for model-specific 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 offer +/- 2 EV exposure increments, select the
maximum possible. Consult your camera’s manual for model-specific
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
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 different 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 sufficient. However, this won’t be
sufficient 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 fixed 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
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
Over-exposure (+2 EV):
Captures shadow detail
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1.5
Three Essential Steps
The Photomatix Essentials workflow 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 finishing 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, first 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?” link 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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3. Arrange the folder and Photomatix Essentials so you can drag files from the folder and drop them onto the
Photomatix Essentials Step 1 window.
4. Select the files as you would normally.
5. Drag and drop the photos to Photomatix Essentials.
You can drag and drop files individually or in groups.
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2.1.3 Browse for Photos
To browse to one or more photos using a file selection dialog box, follow these steps:
1. Launch Photomatix Essentials.
The Step 1 window • No photos loaded
2.Click Browse and navigate to the folder on
your system where the photo(s) are stored.
3. Select the files as you would normally.
4. Choose Open.
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The Step 1 window, with a 3-photo bracketed set loaded
2.1.4 Select / Deselect Loaded 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
using default settings.
Finally, there is a checkbox beside each photo’s thumbnail (this is checked by default unless you loaded only one
photo). A checked box signifies that the photo will be included in subsequent processing. Uncheck a photo to
take it out of the process. You’ll see the larger thumbnail update to show the processing preview using just the
currently checked photos. Re-check the photo to put it back into the mix.
Unchecking alternate source photos gives a different merged image result, as shown in the large preview thumbnail.
2.1.5 Load Other Photos
To start over, select Load Other Photos. You’ll jump back to a clean interface and be ready to select new
bracketed photos. To continue to Step 2 with the currently loaded and selected photos, select Next: Adjust &
Preview.
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2.1.6 Alignment and Deghosting Options
After you click Next: Adjust & Preview in the Step 1 window, the Alignment and Deghosting Options dialog
appears. Note that you can set an option in Preferences to skip this dialog.
Because bracketed photos are always misaligned when shot hand held, image alignment is an essential feature
of HDR processing. Photos are often slightly misaligned even when shot using a tripod, due to wind or other
sources of minor camera disturbances. The Align bracketed photos option is therefore is on by default in
Photomatix Essentials.
The Alignment and Deghosting Options dialog
NOTE: There are cases when images should not be aligned. One example is when you have derived the
different exposures from a single RAW file, by adjusting the Exposure setting of your RAW converter. Another
example is when you are processing stitched panoramas.
The Crop aligned images option removes the unneeded borders resulting from alignment adjustments.
Unchecking it disables this, so that the resulting image has exactly the same width and height as the source
images, but may have white areas around the edges.
Ghost removal addresses the problem of artifacts that appear when combining bracketed images of a scene
with some moving elements. For example, if pedestrians are moving through a scene while you capture your
bracketed photos, multiple faint images of the people will appear in the combined image, as if they were
“ghosts”.
To reduce these artifacts, select Remove ghosts and set a Deghosting strength. There are 5 levels of deghosting
strength, from Very Mild to Very Strong. Since deghosting lowers image quality, always choose the most
mild deghosting setting possible. If some ghosts remain visible in the Step 2 Preview, you may close the Step 2
window to return to Step 1, then select a higher deghosting setting, before returning to Step 2.
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2.2 Step 2: Adjust & Preview
2.2.1 Step 2 Overview
The heart of Photomatix Essentials is Step 2. In Step 2 you adjust the tone mapping settings or apply saved
presets, to get the look that you want.
Follow these steps when you enter Step 2:
1 Click on the thumbnails on the right side to select a preset that gives you the result you prefer.
(Refer to section 2.2.2 on the next page for details on working with presets)
2 If desired, adjust the settings on the left to refine, overhaul or experiment with the effect.
3 Once you are satisfied with your result, select Next: Finish & Save.
The Step 2 window: Adjust & Preview
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2.2.2 Working with Presets
Photomatix Essentials displays presets as thumbnails on the right side of the Step 2 window. Each thumbnail is
a small preview of the effect of that preset on your image. When you click a thumbnail, that preset is selected
and applied to the main preview. The parameters at the left of the screen are also updated to reflect the settings
contained in a clicked preset.
These built-in thumbnail presets are “factory” presets that are provided with the software. Photomatix Essentials offers
31 built-in presets when you are working with bracketed photo sets, 26 presets when you load just a single photo.
The built-in presets use a range of different settings combinations that provide pleasing results with a wide
variety of image types. Built-in presets are a good starting point for exploring your own custom settings, finetuned to your specific image. Different combinations of settings produce a wide range of image effects and styles. When you find a new
settings combination that works well for a given type of image, you may wish to save this settings combination
for future use with similar images. To save your own “custom preset” for convenient access later, in the Presets
drop-down list:
1. Click the Presets drop-down list.
2.Select Save Preset from the list.
3. Enter a name for the preset in the File name field and click Save.
If you save the preset in the default location (which is also the Presets folder used by the Photomatix Pro
application), the preset is automatically added to the Presets combo-box list. If you save it in another location,
you can access it by clicking on the Presets drop-down list and selecting Load Preset from the list.
2.2.3 Details Enhancer Settings
The following settings belong to the Details Enhancer method, which is used
by these Presets: Default, Painterly, Painterly 2, Painterly 3, Painterly 4, Enhanced,
Surreal, Grunge, Grunge 2, Creative, Creative 2, Creative 3, Soft 2, Soft 3, Smooth,
Smooth 2, Monochrome, Monochrome 2, B&W Artistic.
•
Strength: Affects the amount of enhancement given to contrast and detail in
the image. A value of 100 gives the greatest enhancement. Moving the slider
to the left gives a more natural effect. The default value is 70.
•
Saturation: Adjusts the color saturation of the image. The greater the
saturation, the more intense the color. Setting the slider to its lowest
value (0) produces a grayscale image. The default value is 46.
Details Enhancer settings
•
Tone Compression: Adjusts the dynamic range of the tone mapped image. Moving the slider to the right
decreases the dynamic range, brightening the shadows and darkening the highlights. Moving to the left has
the opposite effect, giving a more ‘natural’ look.
•
Detail Contrast: Controls the amount of contrast applied to detail in the image. Moving the slider to the
right increases the contrast of details and gives a sharper look to the image, but also has a darkening effect.
Moving to the left decreases the contrast of details and brightens the image.
•
Lighting Adjustments slider: Affects the overall ‘look’, controlling the extent to which the image looks
natural or surreal.
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•
Lighting Effects Mode checkbox: Lighting Effects Mode lets you switch
between two modes for the Lighting Adjustments setting, where each mode
produces slightly different results. Checking the box tends to produce results
with a type of ‘Magic Light’ effect. Note that finer control is not possible in
this mode.
Details Enhancer –
Lighting Adjustment Settings
2.2.4 Contrast Optimizer Settings
The following settings belong to the Contrast Optimizer method, which is
used by these Presets: Balanced, Vibrant, Enhanced 2, Soft, Monochrome 3.
•
•
•
Strength: Affects the amount of enhancement given to contrast and detail in the image. A value of 100 gives
the greatest enhancement. Moving the slider to the left gives a more natural effect. The default value is 50.
Tone Compression: Alters the dynamic range of the tone mapped image. Moving
the slider to the right decreases the dynamic range, brightening the shadows and
darkening the highlights. Moving to the left has the opposite effect, giving a more
‘natural’ look to the image.
Lighting Effect: Controls the prominence of the shadows, affecting the overall
look of the image. Moving the slider to the right brightens the shadows, giving
a more ‘vibrant’ or surreal look. A value of zero disables the effect, leaving the
shadows unaffected. The default value is 20.
•
Midtone: Adjusts the brightness of the midtones, which also has an impact on
the overall contrast. Moving the slider to the right brightens the midtones and
decreases contrast. Moving to the left darkens the midtones and increases contrast.
•
Color Saturation: Adjusts the color saturation of the image. The greater
the saturation, the more intense the color. Setting the slider to its lowest
value (-10) produces a grayscale image.
Contrast Optimizer settings
2.2.5 Tone Compressor Settings
The following settings belong to the Tone Compressor method, which is used
by these Presets: Photographic, Deep, B&W Photographic.
• Brightness: Adjusts the overall brightness of the tone mapped image.
The default value is 0.
•
Compression: Controls the compression of the tonal range. Moving the
slider to the right has the effect of shifting both shadows and highlights
toward the midtones.
•
Contrast Adaptation: Adjusts the contrast in relation to the average
brightness. Moving the slider to the right tends to decrease contrast and give
more ‘pronounced’ colors. Moving to the left tends to increase contrast and
give a more ‘natural’ look.
•
Color Saturation: Adjusts the color saturation of the image. The greater the
saturation, the more intense the color. Setting the slider to its lowest value
(-10) produces a grayscale image.
•
Color Temperature: Adjusts the color temperature of the tone mapped image relative to the temperature of the
HDR source image. Move the slider to the right for a warmer, more yellow-orange colored look. Move it to the left for
a colder, more bluish look. A value of 0 (default) preserves the original color temperature of the HDR source image.
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Tone Compressor settings
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2.2.6 Exposure Fusion/Natural Settings
The following settings belong to the Exposure Fusion method, which is
used by these Presets: Natural, Painterly 5, Surreal 2, Soft 4, B&W Natural.
•
Strength: Sets by how much local contrast is accentuated. Moving the
slider to the right tends to brighten the shadows and to show more details
in the highlights. Moving to the left produces a more ‘natural’ effect.
•
Brightness: Controls the brightness of the fused image by adjusting the
influence each of the input photos has on the final result. Moving the slider to
the right gives the overexposed photos more influence, resulting in a brighter
result. Moving to the left darkens the result by giving the underexposed
photos more influence.
•
Local Contrast: Increases the contrast and sharpness of details in the
image. Increasing local contrast may have the side effect of making noise
more visible and of creating thin halo effects around strong luminosity
edges. Values near the maximum tend to give a surreal look to the image.
The default value is 2.
Fusion/Natural Settings
•
Color Saturation: Adjusts the color saturation of the image. The greater the saturation, the more
intense the color. Setting the slider to its lowest value (-10) produces a grayscale image.
•
Midtones: Adjusts the brightness of the midtones, which also has an impact on the overall contrast.
Moving the slider to the right brightens the midtones and decreases contrast. Moving to the left
darkens the midtones and increases contrast.
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2.3 Step 3: Finish & Save
The Step 3 window: Finish & Save
2.3.1 Step 3 Overview
The settings that you chose in Step 2 have now been applied to the bracketed set source image files, and the
resulting full resolution processed image is shown in Step 3.
The Back button gives you the option to return to Step 2, if you wish to adjust the image again using different
settings or a different Preset.
The primary purposes of Step 3 are to allow you to apply any finishing touches you may wish, and to save your
files before returning you to Step 1.
2.3.2 Apply Finishing Touches
Before saving, you may wish to adjust sharpening or contrast. Sharpening is available in three presets. You may
wish to use the Zoom tool to view the effect of Sharpening on your image. Contrast adjustment is available in
four presets, as well as the option to directly adjust tone levels using sliders.
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2.3.3 Save and Return to Step 1
Once you are happy with your image, follow these steps to save it:
1.Click Save
2. Enter a new file name or navigate to a new save location, if desired, and select a file type:
3.
•
JPEG: JPEG is best if you want to go straight to the Web or other medium with no further processing.
•
TIFF 16-bit: This is the highest quality output available and is the best format if you plan on processing
the image further in an image edi­tor.
If you want to automatically open the processed image in an image editor, select Open saved image with,
then choose an image editor.
4.Choose Save.
Your image is saved to disk, and you are returned to Step 1, ready to load and process the next bracketed set.
Saving the processed image
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Section 3:Preferences
Photomatix Essentials offers a few options that you can adjust in the Preferences window.
To access Preferences, click the Preferences… button located at the bottom left of the Step 1 window.
The Preferences window
3.1
Single Image Selection
The Select thumbnail when a single image is loaded in Step 1 option applies to the case when you load
a single photo instead of a set of bracketed photos. By default, the box for the single image’s thumbnail is
unchecked and you will need to check it to go further. If you enable the Select thumbnail when a single image
is loaded in Step 1 option, then the thumbnail box will be already checked when you load a single image.
3.2
Skip Merge Dialog
When the Skip dialog for alignment and deghosting options is selected, alignment and cropping defaults
are set here in Preferences. When it is not selected, you will have the opportunity to set alignment options
individually for each bracketed set as you process it, using the Alignment and Deghosting dialog which appears
just before Step 2. Refer to the Alignment and Deghosting Dialog section on page 10.
3.3
Noise Reduction Options
Noise Reduction is often useful when using presets such as Painterly, Surreal or Grunge, because these
presets enhance local detail, which has the drawback of accentuating noise. Noise reduction is particularly
recommended when processing RAW files directly in Photomatix Essentials, or when processing just one photo,
especially when this photo is underexposed.
You can turn Noise Reduction on or off, using the Reduce noise menu options, or you can be prompted after
Step 2 whether or not to apply it. Noise reduction is most helpful when applied to the darkest images in a
bracketed set. Since reducing noise takes time, you can choose to process just a subset of your source images
with noise reduction by adjusting the Apply noise reduction on option.
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3.4
Refresh Preview Continuously
Normally, when you adjust a parameter slider in Steps 2, the image Preview is adjusted to the new setting
immediately after you release the slider thumb. Not before.
If you select the Refresh Preview continuously as slider moves option, the Step 2 image Preview is updated
every time a parameter slider is moved. Image adjustment feedback is thus more immediate, when this option is
selected.
NOTE: This feature requires more than 4GB RAM, and for this reason is not available in the 32-bit version of
Photomatix Essentials.
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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. This is the right mode for shooting bracketed shots for HDR
(refer to Section 1 for more information).
Bit
Bits represent digital data in computers. Digital Images are made of bits. A bit
depth corresponds to 2^(Bit Depth) levels (e.g. 256 levels for 8-bit).
Bit depth
The number of bits a file type uses to represent a pixel’s color at a given location
in an image.
Bracketed images
A group of photos taken with the Automatic Exposure Bracketing function of a
camera, resulting in photos of the same scene taken with different exposures.
dSLR
Digital Single Lens Reflex camera.
Dynamic range
In the context of HDR photography, the total range of light intensity in a scene,
from the deepest shadows to the brightest highlights.
Exposure
The amount of light that enters a camera for the length of time the shutter is
open. Exposure depends on aperture and shutter speed, as well as the camera’s
sensitivity to light (controlled by the ISO). “Exposure” is also shorthand for a
photograph or frame (a frame of film).
Exposure fusion
Combination of photos of the same scene taken under different exposure
settings in such a way that highlight details are taken from the underexposed
photos and shadow details from the overexposed ones.
EV (Exposure Value)
A measure of exposure which is the equivalent of a stop. In the absolute sense,
EV is defined as the exposure from a photo taken at 1 second, f/1, and ISO 100.
In the relative sense, the correct exposure is normally 0 EV and any deviation is
measured in positive or negative EV from that mark.
HDR
High Dynamic Range.
HDR image
Strictly speaking, an HDR image is an intermediary image with 32 bits per color
channel (96 bits per pixel). An HDR image is the result of merging photos of the
same scene taken under different exposure settings and stored in special HDR
image format. The 32-bit intermediary HDR image must be processed with tone
mapping for proper display on standard monitors and prints. It has become very
common to define “HDR image” as the result of processing the 32-bit HDR image
with tone mapping, i.e. the tone mapped output, but this is not technically
correct.
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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. Each pixel has a color that
can be represented by 8 or 16 bits or as a floating-point number (32-bit HDR).
PPI
Pixels per Inch. Can be used to describe the actual pixels per inch of a print. Often confused with DPI (Dots per Inch), used by color printers to print an image.
RAW file
A file containing the raw data from the camera sensor. RAW files do not have a
color profile or other stylistic preferences permanently applied.
TIFF
A comprehensive image format that offers lossless compression schemes for
smaller file sizes with higher quality. This format is suitable for editing and
printing but not publishing on the Web.
Tone mapping
Processing a 32-bit HDR image into an image that can be properly viewed on
monitors and in prints.
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Getting More Information and Help
The Photomatix FAQ on the HDRsoft.com website offers several tips, as well as general information.
If you cannot find the answer to your question in the FAQs, you are welcome to contact us.
Please refer to the Photomatix Support page for contact information.
Additionally, the resources page at www.hdrsoft.com/resources lists Internet tutorials, books and DVDs on
the subject of HDR photography.
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www.HDRsoft.com
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