User's Manual

1
Photomatix Essentials 4.0 User Manual
Photomatix Pro User Guide
1 Taking Photos for HDR
The shooting phase is essential for getting good results with Photomatix.
To photograph a high contrast scene, you need to take several exposures in
order to capture information in both the highlights and the shadows of the
scene. The exposures taken must properly cover the dynamic range of the
scene, especially the shadows.
The number of photos you need depends on the scene. It also depends on
the Exposure Value (EV) spacing separating the photos. If you take them
in one-EV steps (e.g., -1, 0, +1 EV), you will need more photos than if you
take them in two-EV steps (e.g., -2, 0, +2 EV). We recommend shooting in
two-EV steps whenever possible.
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 ve exposures taken in one-EV steps, are usu-
ally sucient 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 ve 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 expo-
sures manually is recommended in these cases.
The source photographs for HDR processing can be taken with digital or
lm-based cameras. The only requirement is that the exposure can be ad-
justed when taking pictures. If you use a lm-based camera, you will need
to scan the photographs into your computer before processing them (refer
to Section 1.3).
2
Three exposures of a medium
dynamic range scene, taken in two-
EV steps
1.1 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 o the ash. The ash 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 oers automatic alignment of hand-held photos, using
a tripod is always better.
DSLR cameras and some compact digital cameras oer 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 oers AEB mode:
Canon Rebel XTi/400D LCD showing
AEB with +/-2 increments selected
Introduction
Photomatix Essentials works with photographs of the same scene taken under dierent exposure settings.
These dierently exposed images of the same scene are often called “bracketed” images, in reference to the auto-
bracketing exposure functions available on many camera models. If you have not taken any bracketed photo
sets, you will be able to start using Photomatix Essentials with sample images available from the Photomatix
Essentials download page.
This manual rst explains the steps for capturing your own bracketed photo sets. You are then guided through
these 3 simple steps, which constitute the workow of Photomatix Essentials:
“Step 1: Load Photos”: - Load your bracketed photos into the app.
“Step 2: Adjust & Preview”: - Adjust the HDR image to get the results you want.
“Step 3: Finish & Save”: - Add nishing touches, and save.
Cove Point Lighthouse photo © Ferrell McCollough