Aurora HDR - Still a Good Option in 2021?
In this video and blog post, I dive back into Aurora HDR. It was the first app that I really got into deeply, and sort of put me on the path I am now on. But I haven’t used it in a while, and was curious if it held up to today’s standards. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
I have used Aurora HDR since the first version came out years ago. But it hasn’t been upgraded in a couple of years. In this video, I dive back into it and see if it still holds up to today’s standards. Enjoy!
Here’s the image from the video. Fully edited in Aurora HDR, and I have to admit I really like the result, even though I have gotten away from processing HDR photos. Interiors like this always look good in HDR, in my opinion.
Back in the “old days” of just a few short years ago, I basically shot brackets every time I went out with the camera, and I edited nearly every single image as an HDR. It was what I loved to do, and I did it. A lot.
But in the last few years, I have drifted away from both shooting brackets and processing images as HDRs. I now mostly shoot single exposures, and am quite happy doing so. But on my recent trip to New England, I ended up shooting a few brackets and thought it would be fun to dive back into Aurora HDR and try my hand at processing some images as HDRs. Now, the image in this video wasn’t actually shot on my trip - it’s an older image from a trip to Dublin, Ireland years ago. It was just the recent trip to New England that inspired me to try HDR again.
And mostly I was curious as to how well Aurora HDR would hold up compared to the sort of things you can do with apps these days. You see, Aurora HDR has long been my favorite HDR processing software, but it has not been upgraded with new features in a couple of years. So I asked Skylum about it, and they said they felt it could still hold its own against other HDR editors.
And while this video is not a feature comparison between Aurora HDR and other HDR editing apps, I do fully edit the image in Aurora HDR here, and check out the various features (many of which I had forgotten about) and see how well I can manage an image here, vs having to start here and finish elsewhere (like in Luminar AI, for instance).
Spoiler Alert: The end result is that I am still impressed with Aurora HDR, and having rediscovered it, I may begin to use it again with other photos. I had forgotten that it support LUTs (something I am really into these days), has Lens Correction and Transform tools (which work great), and although I did not forget that it has a Layers function, it was good to be reminded of that. They can come in really handy!
Hope you enjoy the workflow video and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
If you are interested in a getting a copy of Aurora HDR, you can get it here: https://bit.ly/2N3av7b
Use coupon code JIMNIX to save $10 while you are at it!
Sunrise at Trinity College
A stunning sunrise in Dublin, Ireland…
I first captured, edited and shared this photo several years ago - right after I returned home from the trip that I captured it on. It was one of those that I knew I had to edit right way, because I knew it was going to be pretty good. But sometimes I go back into the archives and edit a photo again. My intent in doing so is to come at it with fresh eyes and (hopefully) much improved photo editing skills. I generally always like my most recent edits the best, but that is probably obvious. Plus my style morphs a little over time and my tastes tend to change quite a bit as well. Regardless, that’s one of the great things about digital photography - you can go back to the well again and again and again, and come up with something different each time.
Oh yeah, this is Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Almost forgot to mention that part. :-)
Create Stunning Sunsets in Aurora HDR
Here’s my sunset workflow in Aurora HDR - enjoy!
In this video, I share my Aurora HDR workflow for creating lovely and colorful sunsets. It’s quite easy and quick, and involves just a few key filters. Follow along and enjoy. Let me know how it goes for you!
Sunset at Pennybacker Bridge
A lovely sunset at my favorite sunset spot in Austin…
My favorite sunset spot in Austin, and just a few miles from home. Doesn’t get easier than that! I went up here recently, just to get out and shoot a few. I didn’t bring a bag full of gear. Just one lens on my camera and a tripod. No filters, no video equipment, nothing else. It was incredibly peaceful and relaxing to just stand there, take in the view and shoot. Luckily the sunset sky was cooperative, too!
Darkness in London
It’s late in London, and I am out with the camera. Surprise! :-)
This shot was captured well after dark one evening in London. We had been out shooting and having fun all day, and were wandering around in this section of town, sort of the Financial District if I recall correctly. Anyway this beautiful building caught my eye so I climbed up onto the pedestal base of a statue, set up the tripod, and fired away. I have really grown to love shooting at night, something I rarely did in years past. But now it’s one of my favorite things to do, just wander in a city at night with a camera. So fun!
Sunsets close to home
A lovely sunset that happened while I was out shooting at a local park…
I went over to my favorite local hiking trail the other day to shoot and film a little bit, and upon departing just had to stop for one last shot of the sunset. I was there to shoot that little waterfall, but sometimes when you back up and look at the bigger scene you realize that’s a good shot too!
Leake Street
An amazing graffiti tunnel in central London…
Such an amazing spot in central London! I love to shoot graffiti, it’s just something I love. When I am in London, I always take a quick detour near the London Eye and pop over to Leake Street to fire away. It’s constantly changing - it’s a public graffiti area, after all - and there is some really amazing urban art here. Well worth a stop if you are nearby!
A night out in London
A night time HDR shot handheld on evening in London…
I have really grown to love shooting at night. It’s taken me a while to really embrace it, but now I love it. I used to always want to quite after sunset and blue hour ended, thinking the good light was all gone. Well, it may be gone by then but in a city there is always something interesting to photograph. While wandering one evening in London, I stopped in my tracks as I approached this scene. It’s not incredible or amazing or anything, but it caught my eye and thought it was well worth a quick stop for!
Over the Top HDR in Aurora HDR 2019
Sometimes you just want to go a bit crazy with your HDR work, and that is totally fine.
Sometimes you just want to push those sliders pretty far to the right!
I think just about everyone starts out on their HDR journey by pushing things past the point of reality, and that’s ok. Everyone does it, and there’s no reason to apologize for it. Many people then taper back their use of HDR as time passes, including me, but there are times when you just want to go a bit crazy. Let’s face it - it can be fun. So when I came across this scene in London, I knew right away that I would be pushing it pretty hard when it came time to process the shot. Follow along in this video while I walk you through my workflow.
The Scoop
A night time shot of the Shard and the Scoop, in lovely London. My kinda town!
Oh man, I have so many London photos. Just. So. Many.
I love London and when I was there earlier this year, I literally fired like a maniac. I came home with 9,000+ photos from a 10 day trip. And honestly, I could have done more but I got tired, and sometimes I get lazy. Yeah, I love to travel and take photos but we all get tired at times. Regardless, I came home with a LOT of shots that I like and that I will be sharing here over the coming days/weeks/months/years. There’s just a lot. It won’t all fit in 2018, or even 2019. So, how about you keep coming back? :-)
Modeling in London
A young lady was modeling for her boyfriend in front of these phone booths, so I let her model for me as well…
I rarely take photos of people, generally preferring to capture a scene when it is empty, or at least where a person is not a big part of the shot. But sometimes you have to make exceptions. In London one evening I was lining up to take some shots of these lovely phone booths, which are over by Covent Garden. As I got set up and ready, this girl and her boyfriend starting taking photos as well, with her modeling for him in front of them. No worries, I usually just wait these things out. But instead I just started firing, thinking that having a person in the shot actually gave it a little more interest. I find myself doing that a bit more than I used to, and am liking the results. Maybe people aren’t so bad after all. ;-)
Sunset in The Badlands
Sunset in the Badlands of South Dakota…
The Badlands at sunset - done in full color HDR!
I was happy to finally see The Badlands earlier this summer. While South Dakota may not be on the top of your list for vacation destinations, I wanted to go and see this place. It just looks interesting, and now that I have seen it in person, I can say that it really is interesting. And beautiful, in a deserted, empty sort of way.
My daughter and I took a 10 day roadtrip from Texas up to South Dakota and back, with some stops in Colorado and New Mexico along the way. It was a lot of fun and I came home with some photos that I like, such as this one. While I didn’t get any dramatic light on the trip, it was quite fun to bond with my daughter and see new stuff (and take photos of it, of course).
Aurora HDR 2019: Sample Workflow and New Features
In this video I dive a little deeper into the new Aurora HDR 2019, showing off the new features as well as sharing some workflow tips. Enjoy!
In this video I share a more detailed look at Aurora HDR 2019 and walk through an editing session using this great new product. I talk about and demonstrate new features and share my insights along the way as well. Follow along!
Sunrise in Dublin
Sunrise in lovely Dublin, Ireland…
It’s so rewarding to get up for sunrise and walk the streets in a foreign city. I try and do it at least once on every trip, and I am always rewarded with great photographs.
The thing is that everyone likes to sleep in a bit, so if you are up and out at sunrise you are pretty likely to be able to photograph popular spots when they are empty. That is exactly what happened for me in Dublin, Ireland. I wandered around in the Temple Bar district and had these usually crowded streets all to myself. Sunrise was pretty, too!
Beautiful Moraine Lake
Moraine Lake in western Canada, at sunset…..
Ah, the Canadian Rockies - so gorgeous there!
I love Canada, having been lucky enough to visit many times. My favorite part of course is western Canada, and the town of Banff (and the National Park it sits in). It’s just a landscape paradise that is incredibly beautiful and inspiring. When we visited, I took as many photos as possible, just because I wanted to soak up as much as I could and be able to revisit it in my library again and again. This is one of many from Moraine Lake, which may just be the prettiest part of the whole area. I spent two sunsets here in a row, and both were just off the charts amazing.