HDR software?

[Kingsly]

Unfortunately, the iPhone budget is eating into the MacPro budget, which is eating into the ACD budget, which is eating into the gas/food/life budget, which, sadly, has dried up the CS3 budget.

That being said, I am eager to try out some HDR photography, and am wondering if there is any free or nearly free software, (and/or aperture plugin!) out there that can do it instead...

Help?

 

[zioxide]

Photomatix: A lot of people say it's better than Photoshop for making HDRs.

 

[vandi]

Unfortunately, the iPhone budget is eating into the MacPro budget, which is eating into the ACD budget, which is eating into the gas/food/life budget, which, sadly, has dried up the CS3 budget.

isn't that the truth?!!
i want to get Photomatix too, but...you know, back to the whole budgets getting into other budgets thing.

 

[itsallinurhead]

Photomatix is good, but it seems slow on my MBP. Just crashed on me as well.

 

[Kingsly]

Okay, so if got my HDR workflow going... I am using photomatix to generate the HDR files (it does a great job of ghost reduction and alignment) and then use the open source qtpfsgui (nice name, eh? ) for tone mapping. It's not at intuitive as Photomatix, but, then again, it's free and doesn't watermark the image with "DEMO"

 

[itsallinurhead]

Okay, so if got my HDR workflow going... I am using photomatix to generate the HDR files (it does a great job of ghost reduction and alignment) and then use the open source qtpfsgui (nice name, eh? ) for tone mapping. It's not at intuitive as Photomatix, but, then again, it's free and doesn't watermark the image with "DEMO"

Good idea. The tone-mapping in photomatix, however, is superb.

 

[Kingsly]

Here is a quick sample. The headlights made for good contrast on the trial run... worked out okay, I think.

 

[itsallinurhead]

Not bad. You might want to up the smoothing to remove a smidgen of the halos you have around the trees.

 

[Kingsly]

Not bad. You might want to up the smoothing to remove a smidgen of the halos you have around the trees.

Yeah, I agree. As we've already established, though, qtpfsgi isn't exactly the best tone mapper... I'll try to figure it out though.

 

[wmmk]

Yeah, I agree. As we've already established, though, qtpfsgi isn't exactly the best tone mapper... I'll try to figure it out though.

Once you figure it out, it's somewhat more flexible than photomatix due to its multiple tone mapping operators. Then again, most people only find the Fattal effect pleasing.

 

[itsallinurhead]

Once you figure it out, it's somewhat more flexible than photomatix due to its multiple tone mapping operators. Then again, most people only find the Fattal effect pleasing.

Can you explain what the Fattal effect is? That is the first time I have heard of it.


thanks!