TMCnet News
PhotoEngine(TM) v1.0 [PSA Journal](PSA Journal Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oloneo Software http://www.oloneo.com/en/page/home.html PhotoEngine is available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 New Lightroom Plug-In Available Price: $149.00 There have been several notable High Dynamic Range (HDR) image editors announced within the last year including Nik® Software's HDR Efex Pro. Oloneo, a company based in France has released their product, PhotoEngine vl.O, which has some unique features and offers excellent image quality. The program is a Windows-based product but also runs in Parallels Desktop 6 or VMware Fusion® for Mac. In the July issue of the PSA Journal, a detailed description is given on the creation of HDR images. PhotoEngine is comprised of 3 project creation panels and a high end Raw processor. Each panel is a program within PhotoEngine. The first panel is the Tone Mapper, which imports multiple formats including Raw, JPEG, TIFF and Radiance files. After the files are selected, an information window gives complete information including exposure compensation. The initial settings include auto alignment and ghost removal. Once the tone mapping is complete, a number of tools for fine tuning the image are made available. There are an automatic tone mapper and global, which offer only a couple of adjustments. The local and advanced tone mapper provides multiple adjustments that can tweak the image and create numerous possibilities. The software has 40 presets included and the photographer can add additional presets at any time. One of the unique and cool features of PhotoEngine is the Natural HDR Mode. This feature does an excellent job of taking advantage of the multiple exposures and creating a very realistic image. Another useful feature is the real time histogram, which updates after every change. There are multiple tone mapper adjustments that allow the user to create images that can be wild and exaggerate the full tonal range or subtle and natural. Another feature that photographers will like is the adjustment curves for brightness, saturation and hue. PhotoEngine offers the ability to batch process multiple sets of images based on a preset. This can be useful in creating HDR panorama's or a sequence for a slideshow. The tone mapper also supports the creation of an HDR image with a single exposure. All the same features are available with either a single image or multiple images. The second panel is HDR ReLight(TM), which is not found in any other HDR program. This panel requires a minimum of 2 images and they must have the same shutter speed, aperture and white balance. Each image should contain a different primary light source. The primary panels within ReLight allow the photographer to control the intensity (off and on), temperature and tint of the light source. By making various adjustments, a daylight scene could become a night photograph. The other adjustments are low dynamic tone and a brightness curve. Each panel in the program includes a timeline where every change is registered. One of the challenges with HDR photography has been noise, in particular when you shoot multiple images and then stack them together. This is very noticeable when a higher ISO is used and sometimes with a smaller ISO such as 400. The third panel, HDR DeNoise(TM), is designed to remove noise and grain when multiple images are stacked together. This is achieved without smoothing while preserving detail. The images must have the same shutter speed, aperture, ISO and white balance. This application is strictly a noise remover and not a replacement for the HDR tone mapping features in the program. The Oloneo PhotoEngine is a version 1 product, but it is very stable and very impressive for their first release. The program ran quite fast under Windows Vista and with Fusion on an iMac. The product has a lot of strong features that can enhance any photographer's HDR workflow. The most notable features are the speed and the natural looking results. The product offers a unique feature with ReLight and I am sure numerous members will have a lot of fun and find many uses for this program. Any mention of products or services in this article or anywhere else in the PSA Journal does not constitute an endorsement or approval of those items. (c) 2011 Photographic Society of America |