For optimal results when creating an HDR image, the exposure value (EV) should be set for each image. HDR MAX will first attempt to read the EV from EXIF data, if it exists. Otherwise, this value can be entered manually using the methods described below.
Setting an 'Exposure Interval' allows this value to be set for each exposure automatically. For photos that were shot at set intervals using a feature such as Auto Bracketing, this value should reflect an approximation of the exposure interval between shots.
To set the Exposure Interval:
- Select a value from the Interval drop down box.
To manually enter an individual exposure's EV:
- Select an exposure in the exposures palette.
- With the exposure selected, enter a value in the EV text box, or click the adjacent arrow to use the slider.
or
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) an exposure in the exposures palette.
- In the context menu choose Exposure Properties.
- Enter a value in the EV text box.
While setting the exposure interval, you may wish to 'lock' the EV of certain images to prevent them from being changed.
To lock an exposure, do any of the following:
- In the exposures palette, click the empty box immediately to the left of the image thumbnail.
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the desired exposure in the exposures palette and choose the 'Lock Exposure' option from the context menu.
- With any exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Lock Exposure.
- With any exposure selected, select 'Lock Exposure' from the Exposures palette menu.
Note: Exposure values that are read from EXIF data are automatically locked.
An exposure can be 'hidden' from the output HDR image by turning off its visibility. This allows you to gauge the overall impact an image has in the composite output.
To toggle the visibility of an exposure, do any of the following:
- In the exposures palette, click the eye icon to the far left of the image thumbnail.
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the desired exposure in the exposures palette and set the 'Exposure Visible' option from the context menu.
- With any exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Exposure Visible.
- With any exposure selected, select 'Exposure Visible' from the Exposures palette menu.
Note: Hidden exposures will not be included in low dynamic range image output saved from the HDR, though they will be included when saving the image as an HMD document.
To set an exposures name, do any of the following:
- In the exposures palette, double-click the caption, and enter a new name.
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the desired exposure in the exposures palette, select the 'Exposure Properties' option, and enter a new name in the Name text box.
- With any exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Exposure Properties, and enter a new name in the Name text box.
- With any exposure selected, select 'Exposure Properties' from the Exposures palette menu.
Perfect alignment of exposures is essential to producing a quality HDR image. To achieve the best results, a tripod should be used so that minimal alignment will be needed in post production. HDR MAX provides an 'auto-alignment' feature for subtle misalignments, however in extreme cases, manual alignment may be necessary.
To open the Alignment dialog, do any of the following:
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the desired exposure in the exposures palette and select 'Align Exposure' from the context menu.
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Alignment.
- With the desired exposure selected, select 'Align Exposure' from the Exposures palette menu.
Exposure alignment is achieved by using a reference exposure, called the 'Master' to guide the misaligned exposure, called the 'Edit'. Markers are then used to find correlating points between the two exposures.
To manually align an exposure in the Alignment dialog:
- Select the desired reference exposure from the 'Master' drop down box (Windows) or pop-up menu (Mac OS).
- If not already selected, select the exposure you wish to align from the 'Edit' drop down box (Windows) or pop-up menu (Mac OS).
- Zoom in to the left marker on each exposure, by right-clicking and choosing 'Zoom In'. You should zoom in enough to easily make a distinction between pixels.
- Find a correlating pixel for each exposure and drag their respective markers to that destination pixel.
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) on either exposure and select 'Fit on Screen' to zoom back out.
- Repeat the same process for the right markers in each exposure.
- Click OK
The display panel will allow you to switch between the HDR composite view and a simple superimposed exposure view.
At any time you can toggle the preview checkbox to view the progress of your alignment.
There are many reasons why you may want to duplicate an exposure. For example, you may find that a particular exposure might benefit from a brightness or contrast adjustment. You might want to keep a copy of the original, unedited exposure as a backup in case you ever wish to revert back to it at a later time.
As another example, you may only have one exposure to create an HDR image, but wish to create several duplicates and adjust those individual exposures using any of the available exposure adjustment tools to create various exposure results, to achieve a better HDR image.
To duplicate an exposure, do any of the following:
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the desired exposure in the exposures palette and select 'Duplicate Exposure' from the context menu.
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Duplicate.
- With the desired exposure selected, select 'Duplicate Exposure' from the Exposures palette menu.
Exposures can be imported into an HDR MAX project as a method of restoring a manually edited exposure, or bringing an entirely new exposure into the group.
To import an exposure, do any of the following:
- From the menu bar choose Exposure > Import Exposure...
- From the menu bar choose File > Import.
- Select 'Import Exposure...' from the Exposures palette menu.
An exposure can easily be deleted, if it is no longer of any use. Once an exposure is deleted, it cannot be retrieved again, except by re-importing the original.
To delete an exposure, do any of the following:
- Right-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the desired exposure in the exposures palette and select 'Delete Exposure' from the context menu.
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Delete.
- With the desired exposure selected, select 'Delete Exposure' from the Exposures palette menu.
Inline exposure adjustments are one the many powerful features of HDR MAX. Exposures can easily be manipulated on-the-fly to offer even more control over the resulting HDR image, without having to leave the application.
To open the Curves dialog:
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Adjustments > Curves.
The display panel will allow you to switch between the HDR view and the single exposure view.
At any time you can toggle the preview checkbox to view the progress of your adjustment.
To open the Color Balance dialog:
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Adjustments > Color Balance.
The display panel will allow you to switch between the HDR view and the single exposure view.
At any time you can toggle the preview checkbox to view the progress of your adjustment.
To open the Brightness/Contrast dialog:
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast.
The display panel will allow you to switch between the HDR view and the single exposure view.
At any time you can toggle the preview checkbox to view the progress of your adjustment.
To open the Hue/Saturation/Lightness dialog:
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation/Lightness.
The display panel will allow you to switch between the HDR view and the single exposure view.
At any time you can toggle the preview checkbox to view the progress of your adjustment.
To open the Exposure dialog:
- With the desired exposure selected, from the menu bar choose Exposure > Adjustments > Exposure.
The display panel will allow you to switch between the HDR view and the single exposure view.
At any time you can toggle the preview checkbox to view the progress of your adjustment.
Exposures can be sorted in the Exposures palette. Exposure sorting is based on an exposures overall luminance.
To sort the exposures, do any of the following:
- From the menu bar choose Exposure > Sort Ascending, or Sort Descending.
- Select 'Sort Ascending', or 'Sort Descending' from the Exposures palette menu.
In addition to sorting, exposures can be manually moved to other positions in the list.
To move an exposure:
- In the exposures palette, click and hold the desired exposure.
- Drag the exposure to the new position.
Note: An exposures vertical position in the Exposures palette has no effect on the resulting HDR image.
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