Aurora HDR 2019 review

Does the latest iteration of the popular tone mapping software from Skylum live up to the success of its predecessors?

Digital Camera World Verdict

Aurora 2019 is capable of stunning results, producing images with artistic flair but with natural tonal and colour gradation. For an affordable one-off payment, you get a feature-laden, sophisticated package which is undoubtedly one of the best HDR applications created.

Pros

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    -Natural results

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    -Advanced non-destructive editing

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    -Plugin compatibility

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    -Price

Cons

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    -Some graphics card compatibility issues experienced

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Tone mapping has been a popular software technique for many years, offering a stylised look that has become closely associated with the work of some of the world’s most successful digital photographers. The range of detail preserved in the brightest highlights and deepest shadows of a tone mapped file is largely impossible to achieve in a single image using any other method, which enables the photographer to overcome the limits imposed by the dynamic range of their camera’s sensor. Unfortunately an overuse of HDR software and a tendency for the effect to be pushed too far has create a certain stigma around its use in a professional workflow. This may be due in part to the complexity of some HDR applications.

Ease of operation

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Peter Fenech

As the Editor for  Digital Photographer magazine, Peter is a specialist in camera tutorials and creative projects to help you get the most out of your camera, lens, tripod, filters, gimbal, lighting and other imaging equipment.

After cutting his teeth working in retail for camera specialists like Jessops, he has spent 11 years as a photography journalist and freelance writer – and he is a Getty Images-registered photographer, to boot.

No matter what you want to shoot, Peter can help you sharpen your skills and elevate your ability, whether it’s taking portraits, capturing landscapes, shooting architecture, creating macro and still life, photographing action… he can help you learn and improve.