#Aurora 2018 hdr update
#Aurora 2018 hdr trial

If your image isnвЂ™t stellar up front, in many cases it can be nearly perfect with one click. What this means is you can often get right where you want to go very quickly. ThereвЂ™s moreД¬oupled with the markedly improved processing engine are some newer and really useful presets. I backed off on the opacity of it to 46% and that was it, in under 2 minutes. I created the image I think best represents the original scene with one click of the вЂњGlowingвЂќ preset in the Essentials collection that comes with Aurora HDR 2019. This is a tough image for a natural rendering from HDR and in spite of spending a fair amount of time on it with HDR 2018 I never got it to look as natural and pleasing as what I was able to do in a short amount of time with HDR 2019. Notice the loss of subtle transitions in the sky, not to mention the unrealistic, rather garish color. This is the starting point having processed exactly the same set of images as the previous example but using Aurora HDR 2018. Compare this to the same situation using Aurora 2018 below. This is the starting point with no adjustments.

I used Aurora HDR 2019 to process a 3 image post-capture bracket. This is a sunrise with a wide dynamic range, and a stark contrast between the vividly colorful sky and silhouette of the background mountains. Another big benefit of the new engine is that results have far less noise than previously. In the previous version the initial result was less natural and it could take some work to get to get a natural feel. In my book this is big because I donвЂ™t have to spend much time attaining a natural result and if I do want to go grunge or have an obvious HDR look itвЂ™s still very easy. The starting points for either are very natural looking. Furthermore IвЂ™m thrilled that Skylum paid attention to those of us that favor using single images. This held true for both single images and brackets. I tried several types of images shot under various conditions and the results before making any adjustments were outstanding. Catchy names aside, it really works well.

#Aurora 2018 hdr update

The most important and significant update in HDR 2019 is what Skylum calls the Quantum HDR Engine. Although there are some new features and interface changes, the quality of the result and efficiency in getting there are the main reasons to own Aurora HDR 2019. SkylumвЂ™s new Quantum HDR engine provides a more natural staring point for both and has all but eliminated noise as well. I was pleasantly surprised that 2019 has improved significantly, not only for single image processing but also for traditional HDR processing of bracketed exposures. If you read my review of 2018 youвЂ™ll see I like using Aurora HDR for single image processing. Is it worth buying it outright if you donвЂ™t already own it? In most cases this a yes also. Is it worth upgrading to 2019 if you own 2018? I think so.

#Aurora 2018 hdr trial

**Skylum offers a free trial of this software, there are links and discount codes at end of this article** Bottom line first

When I saw recently that Aurora HDR 2019 was available I thought it only natural to give it a workout and see if Skylum was able to improve an already good product, enough to warrant an upgrade. I like it and gave it a favorable review at the time.

IвЂ™ve been using the previous version, Aurora HDR 2018 since it came outВ more than a year ago. ItвЂ™s latest incarnation and major update is Aurora HDR 2019. My Comparison: Aurora HDR 2019 vs Aurora HDR 2018ДЄurora HDR has become the gold standard of HDR ( High Dynamic Range) processing.