How can I open Aurora HDR 2019 and edit the ORIGINAL photograph?
Answered
On loading a new RAW or JPG into Aurora HDR 2019 - the program processes the picture before showing it in the edit window. I want to start with the original picture not this processed one. While the original can be seen using the "Quick Preview" or "Compare" it is not possible to load this into the 'After' edit window when there have not been any changes or filters.
The previous Aurora HDR 2018 does start out with the original picture.
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With the new algorithms of Quantum HDR Engine, any photo will be processed:
Hi Anastasia,
This automatic processing of the original is the problem. I start our with a photo that needs little or no adjustments. It gets 'processed', making major changes and all the filters of Aurora HDR 2019 cannot get me back to the original photo that I started with. 2019 would be a great program IF this 'automatic processing' could be turned off,
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Stan, try opening the image (it gets processed) then add a layer as "Add New Image Layer" and choose the same file.
Thanks Guy: This bypasses all that processing for a single RAW file - unfortunalty it does not work for bracketed files.
As K.G. Wuensch has commented - make all these 'automatisms' optional. As it is now, it is unusable for 'normal photographers'.
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Hi Stan,
Tone mapping is automatic in both Aurora HDR 2018 and 2019. The image you see when you click the Quick Preview button is the median exposure - not a blend of all processed exposures.
If you want to load the median exposure to work on as a layer with the tone mapped version you can go to Layers > Add New Image Layer and then navigate to the median exposure in your bracketed set.
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Actually I agree - the automatic processing can sometimes go a little overboard. I process a mixture of bracketed and single exposure images, and this is particularly annoying for the latter when you only want minor tuning. Currently I am superimposing the processed output with the original with adjusted opacity with 3rd party programs, but you can imagine it's far from ideal.
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For me, the Aurora 2019 feature to do initial automatic HDR processing upon opening a file is unwanted and unwarranted. Whether opening the file directly in Aurora 2019 or processing the file when using Aurora 2019 as an extension from Mac Photos, the results are worthless to me. I purchased Aurora 2019 earlier today. The first image on which I used it resulted in Aurora 2019 producing a grossly over-processed image that would require as much correction as would the original image.
I think that the Skylum programmers have done an excellent job writing algorithms to accomplish the technical photo editing features. I find those features useful and I purchased Aurora 2019 in order to get some of the improvements in Aurora 2019 that correct issues that I found in Aurora 2017.
However the interface decision to apply HDR processing automatically is not useful to me. I see that there is a workaround when loading an image directly into Aurora 2019 but I do not see a similar solution when using Aurora 2019 as an extension.
In order for Aurora 2019 to be useful to me, the program should provide a rich set of photo-editing features without imposing those features upon my photographs.
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Hi James: I bought the pre-release - Aurora 2019. I see from your comments that there has not been any attempt to provide a bypass to the auto HDR processing. For me, it has made the program useless and it is no longer on my computer.
A side effect is that for me, this problem has hurt their reputation and I no longer check the Skylum site for new programs.
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Hi Paul, since replying to you, I have been thinking that perhaps Skylum are moving away from the pro photographer to the new and growing amateur market. Today, everyone who has a cell phone also has a camera and the latest one's have cameras that are better than the old family 'point and shoot'. Programs, such as those sold by Skylum that have some AI are all they need.
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Hi Paul,
Thanks for the reply. I agree with you about 'overcooking' - I want my pictures to look normal - as close as possible to what the eye sees. this is/was a nice program until it changed everything on loading, Two years ago this company said the same as they are doing now - looking into it. Why? it does not make any sense. So simple to put a flag in the 'preferences' to bypass the initial 'intelligent messing around'.
Stan.
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Bracketed files are, as you put it by their nature 'processed' to get the balanced exposure - but 'Tone Mapping' is optional.
On the 2018 the initial presented image was NOT 'tone mapped' while on the 2019 it is - with no means of getting the original. You can check this for yourself. Load in a bracketed set ( or even just one) and before making any changes - you can see the original ''non-tone-mapped' picture by clicking on the "Quick Preview" or the 'Compare". You can look at it but not load it in,
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A challenge I have with the versions of Aurora is the "look" of the initial image produced. I use the package professionally and my clients come to expect a look and make a decision to choose me based on that look. With 2019 the resulting image from combining the brackets is great but has a bit more of an HDR look than the default image in 2018. In 2018 I could apply the presets to get to where I wanted to be. In 2019 I have not yet mastered relaxing the HDR look to the initial image.
An approach I prefer is to use the "perfectness" of the HDR look to selectively draw ones eye around the image rather than have the entire image perfect.
Make no mistake, I am very happy with the product but it is challenge to keep "my look" to my images. The basic image that 2019 produces requires that I modify the look my clients will expect. Moving forward I would like some consistency so I can choose to produce equivalent looking images with subsequent versions.
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@Keith, looking at the history of changes Skylum makes from version to version reveals that the concept of a workflow is totally alien to them. They don’t understand that more professional users require consistency and repeatability of results. Instead they try to please the laymen with “the image will automatically...” one size fits all solutions. “AI” is the most abused term in this regard! Unfortunately they don’t seem to get it that for those that have established a look this attitude is making the use of the software harder and harder and is costing you money!
That is the thing other companies like Adobe got right from the get go, an image developed with version 1 of LR will still look right today when processed in LR Classic CC many years later, only if you willingly switch process version the result will differ. What’s worse is that I have seen reports that saved Aurora 2018 images look completely differently if opened in Aurora 2019. This means that Skylum failed to preserve the old processing engine and thus has invalidated a lot of users work.
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Hi Yeo, I agree with you, Being retired I do not normally have a lot of pictures to process - however today was the exception. A mix of single and bracketed. This 2019 program with the automatic HDR processing pushing things too far was a real pain. It would be a good program if it was possible to have the combined photo's similar to the HDR 2018 before this new 'intelligent' processor got at it.. I eventually gave up. It is going 'on the shelf' until such time as ( if ?? ) these problems are resolved.
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I agree, would like to have this feature. I was hoping adding a layer "Add new original image layer" would add the unprocessed image but that does not seem to be the case when using it as plugin from photos and when used alone.
It would be useful to for example, to paint in the original skin tones because most of the time the HDR version does not look natural.
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I agree!! I'm still debating if Aurora 2019 fits my needs; all the images appear overprocessed when they are opened in Aurora 2019 and I find the business of "unprocessing" time consuming and not needed in terms of workflow. The software also seems to be focused on landscape and nature. Not much there for those of us who like to work at portraits or lifestyle with a natural look. HDR, yes; overprocessed detail, no. I'll stick with Lightroom for the time being.
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Stan
This issue makes Aurora 2019 useless for me, too. I still have Aurora 2017 installed so I will use that when certain features are beneficial for a particular image.
I am hopeful that Skylum will consider the point of these comments. It baffles me that a software vendor would impose such action onto a client's file loaded into the program.
Another aspect of this issue: Aurora 2019 (and earlier versions) have a cluster of presets that we can choose to apply to our image files. Those are not imposed upon us. None of those fit my needs and I have that feature, to show those, turned off. I use Mac Photos editing features and Aurora 2017 fully at my discretion. There are very specific goals I have in mind when I edit my photos.
Please, Skylum, continue to make your software a powerful image editing tool kit but please do not arbitrarily impose image edits onto my image files. Respect my decisions about how to use the tools on my photo files.
Jim
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Hi Anna,
This has been a problem right from the beginning. The response from Skylum: (See above)
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4 months ago: At the moment we're collecting user feedback about this. If this indeed turns out to be an issue, we'll take appropriate action
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After 4 months (when the program was released) and no "appropriate action" seems clear that, for Skylum, it is not "an issue'. If your main market is the "Point and Shoot " community it probably is not "an issue" however by not providing a bypass for this "intelligent processing" you have lost the professional and 'advanced amateur' community.
The Cell phone camera has created a new community of new photographers: When those who purchase Aurora 2019 go beyond the "point and shoot' stage and find that this "intelligent processing' changes their pictures beyond recovering the original, you may lose them as well.
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I concur, Skylum has well and truly lost the plot... They are in way over their head with Luminar 3 and now they have managed to ruin Aurora HDR - one such problem a company normally can survive, after two it‘s doubtful but only chance is to finally listen to the customers. Produce the next blunder (or don‘t fix the massive ones - and with Aurora HDR it would be as easy as adding a „disable automatic“ preset) and it‘s doubtful is the company can come back from it. It‘s not as if they had anything unique that other software doesn‘t do better already...
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I agree with above comments. I have been using HDR 2019 mostly with single images.Out of the box (without layers and tweaks), most images appear over processed. Would love to have the ability (in program) to dial the effects back toward the original image. A percent slider would be great with the original image available as the base layer. I'm guessing this is not trivial reprogramming as others have asked for it and we don't have this feature yet. It (and more seamless exporting back to LR) would make this a much more appealing product.
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Hi Steve, It has been asked for right from the release. The previous version HDR 2018 did not have this 'intelligent processing' - it should be simple to have the option of opening the photo using the 2018 processing. To me, the current ( Feb 2019) advertising of winning a tour of Iceland - or a three week membership of Viewbug is not a good alternative to correcting clearly identified bugs in their software.
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