

HDR Clarity works by adding localised midtone contrast to the specific areas in a shot, leaving other sections alone that don’t require a boost in clarity. It enhances the texture within an image without introducing noise or halos to the image. HDR Smart Structure works similarly and is powered by Artificial Intelligence. HDR Denoise will automatically recognise noise in a photograph and eliminate it without impacting the essential facets of the main subject. Fortunately, Aurora HDR addresses this through the use of HDR Denoise. One issue that is brought about by the use of HDR processing is excessive noise in shadows or midtones. The added benefit of using a plugin is that your workflow isn’t interrupted or changed and the organisation of libraries are faithfully maintained. But this simplicity is also a blessing in disguise for those less concerned with twiddling sliders.

While plugins can contain the same complexity as standalone when it comes to control over settings, some are a little lacking. Those that work as plugins work by running through an existing software, such as Photoshop. As such, they commonly comprise multiple presets and plenty of settings to customise.

Standalone HDR editors run irrespective of other image editing software installed on the device and often their only task is to process HDR images. Typically, they come in two flavours: standalone and as a plugin. The best HDR software will also give the user control to make adjustments so that the HDR effect can be as subtle or drastic as one likes. The software will typically align, blend, and add other imaging effects to provide the user with the best HDR option with the information it has. The next stage is to bring these bracketed images into editing software for processing. The technique involves keeping the camera steady while taking two or more photographs at differing exposure values in a bid to make up for this loss of dynamic range on the sensor this step is known as bracketing. That’s where High Dynamic Range, (HDR) photography comes in.
