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#1 2009-10-20 14:55:43

kvnmcwebn
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From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
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free software

Hi Im wondering if anyone knows of any free software for dynamic range enhancement?
You know for putting a darker photo and a lighter photo together.
-best
kevin


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
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#2 2009-10-20 15:15:45

mrdale
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From: Walla Walla
Registered: 2004-11-19
Posts: 2,215
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Re: free software

There’s a free version: http://www.easyhdr.com/download.php

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#3 2009-10-20 15:30:28

Gocom
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From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 2006-07-14
Posts: 4,533
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Re: free software

kvnmcwebn wrote:

Hi Im wondering if anyone knows of any free software for dynamic range enhancement?

For what platform? Anyway:

Qtpfsgui, Picturenaut, Fdrtool, EasyHDR, Essential HDR etc.

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#4 2009-10-20 17:08:15

kvnmcwebn
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From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: free software

Gocom wrote:

kvnmcwebn wrote:

Hi Im wondering if anyone knows of any free software for dynamic range enhancement?

For what platform? Anyway:

Qtpfsgui, Picturenaut, Fdrtool, EasyHDR, Essential HDR etc.

Thanks Mr. Dale and Gocom. They all look like they would do.
Picturenaut looks pretty robust. Gocom I’m doing a two day digital photography workshop – windoze platform. It’s going to be mostly on camera except for dynamic range enhancement. The participants will need something easy, Mr. Dales suggestion looks pretty simple. No matter which one I use in the class I will give them a list anyway with all of these.
Thanks a million.


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#5 2009-10-23 11:35:34

kvnmcwebn
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From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: free software

Right next question:
What’s the deal with getting good results with HDR software?
Is the secret taking a load of photos a half stop apart and not using any that are blown out or really dark?
-best
kevin


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

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#6 2009-10-23 11:43:33

colak
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From: Cyprus
Registered: 2004-11-20
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Re: free software

You can easily fake hdr in photoshop using one photo, 2 layers the second of which is darker. You can then use 50% mask brash and/or transparencies to achieve the result.

the web is full of such tutorials


Yiannis
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#7 2009-10-23 19:36:35

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: free software

colak wrote:

You can easily fake hdr in photoshop using one photo, 2 layers the second of which is darker. You can then use 50% mask brash and/or transparencies to achieve the result.

the web is full of such tutorials

Hi colak, yes I have always done my own “hdr” manually using blending modes, layer masks and the like with good results. But the other day when I first tried using the hdr software from the above links and even photoshops hdr merge I wasn’t getting the quality I expected. I’m wondering if anyone on here uses hdr software or photoshops hdr merge regularly?
-best
kevin


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

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#8 2009-10-23 20:15:16

masa
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From: Asturias, Spain
Registered: 2005-11-25
Posts: 1,091

Re: free software

kvnmcwebn wrote:

I’m wondering if anyone on here uses hdr software or photoshops hdr merge regularly?

I could never figure out PS’ HDR feature, but there is a free, command line utility, that works really well: Enfuse

Depending on your platform there are several GUIs available, some of them free. I use LR/Enfuse in conjunction with Lightroom (small donation required).

I’m usually too lazy to take more than 3 shots, but the greater the contrast range, the more I think you’d profit from more exposures. Most of the times I select between +/-1 and +/-2 EV; 0.5 EV is too insignificant to bother in my experience.

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#9 2009-10-23 20:38:07

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: free software

masa wrote:

I could never figure out PS’ HDR feature, but there is a free, command line utility, that works really well: Enfuse

Your not the only one. Thanks for the info and links.


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#10 2009-10-23 20:59:39

masa
Member
From: Asturias, Spain
Registered: 2005-11-25
Posts: 1,091

Re: free software

And regarding…

kvnmcwebn wrote: Is the secret taking a load of photos a half stop apart and not using any that are blown out or really dark?

No, the shots with blown out bright areas will usually have smooth and detailed shadows, while the ones with clipped shadow areas preserve detail and colours in the bright bits. I’d definitely include them; the software is quite clever to merge it all into a pleasing end result like the one in the sample

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#11 2009-10-31 00:38:29

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: free software

Right it’s taken me a while to get around to it but I’ve tested the above packages.
Masa unfortunately enfuse was buggy on my system. I should mention that one of my requirements was a cross platform ap cos my photo workshop has both mac and pc users. www.fdrtools.com takes the biscuit, handy editing with paths and anchor points over histogram things. Like it far more than PS CS3’s hdr merge. Tried the others won’t get into it all but fdrtools is nice little program and a small install.

Edited to ask Masa – or anyone:
How important is 32bit color depth to hdr?
I mean that the photos go in and out the merge software as 32 bit images?

Last edited by kvnmcwebn (2009-10-31 01:13:36)


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