Welcome to the HDRtist Getting Started Tutorial. The first section is how to use HDRtist with multiple exposures. If you've just asked what multiple exposures are, or would like to know how to take multiple exposures; you should read Taking Photos for HDR.
The second section will show you how to create a pseudo HDR from a single image or single photo. It's called a pseudo HDR, Fake HDR or FHDR, because you're getting the HDR look without using multiple exposures. More information can be found in the Taking Photos for HDR.
Multiple Exposures or Multiple Photos
- The first step is to load some photos into HDRtist. There's a bunch of ways to do this. You can drag photos from iPhoto or Finder into the HDRtist window, or you can use the "Add Photos..." toolbar button to select the photos. Personally I prefer to drag them from iPhoto into HDRtist. For this tutorial I'm going to use 3 different exposures of a beach scene, if you don't have multiple exposures you can use a single photo in the mean time, and later read the tutorial on Taking Photos for HDR.
- Now that you've gotten some photos into HDRtist, the hard part has been done. Seriously! That was the hard part. You see the Strength slider at the bottom right hand corner of the window, click on the slider and move it left or right. You should notice how the HDR changes.
- Each notch on the Strength Bar is a different technique and produces different results. At the far left is least, while on the far right is the most extreme. You can also mix two of the effects together by setting the Strength Bar between two effects.
- That is it, you've just taken photos for an HDR, created an HDR image and tone mapped it... Yep, it is simple. You can either admire it in HDRtist, or use the Save button to save the image to disk. If you have Funtastic Photos, clicking the "Edit in Funtastic Photos" button will open your HDR into Funtastic Photos, where you can add frames, special effects, watermarks, create photo mosaics, print greetings cards or cubes, upload your photos online (Facebook, Flickr and MobileMe) and share your HDRs as Fun Cards... If you'd like to try the unlimited trial of Funtastic Photos, or learn more about Funtastic Photos; please visit http://www.ohanaware.com/funtasticphotos/
Tip:
You can also use HDRtist to create weird pictures, by throwing in completely different photos, see the example below. I used a photo of a tower and a photo of a tree, to get this tree building.
Single Exposure or Single Photo
While HDRtist was designed for HDR images, you can use HDRtist on single photo and it'll still produce some great results. Basically you're just Tone Mapping your photo.
- The first step is to load a photo into HDRtist. There's a bunch of ways to do this. You can drag photos from iPhoto or Finder into the HDRtist window, or you can use the "Add Photos..." toolbar button and then choose a photo. Personally I prefer to drag them from iPhoto into HDRtist. For this tutorial I'm going to use a photo of an old Morris 8.
- Now that you've gotten your photo into HDRtist, the hard part has been done. Seriously! You see the Strength slider at the bottom right hand corner of the window, click on the slider and move it left or right. You'll notice how the effect changes.
- Each notch on the Strength Bar is a different technique and produces different results. At the far left is least, while on the far right is the most extreme. You can also mix two of the effects together by setting the Strength Bar between two effects.
- That is it, you've just tone mapped a photo... You can either admire it in HDRtist, or use the Save button to save the image to disk. If you have Funtastic Photos, clicking the "Edit in Funtastic Photos" button will open your HDR into Funtastic Photos, where you can add frames, special effects, watermarks, create photo mosaics, print greetings cards or cubes, upload your photos online (Facebook, Flickr and MobileMe) and share your HDRs as Fun Cards... If you'd like to try the unlimited trial of Funtastic Photos, or learn more about Funtastic Photos; please visit http://www.ohanaware.com/funtasticphotos/
