HDR photography is a very interesting method of taking photos as it combines multiple shots of the same thing to create a very balanced and well-exposed image. It is especially preferred by photographers who take a lot of landscape or architectural photos, as the process of converting an image into an HDR image brings out many details that you might not see otherwise. In order to make an, you should take the photo of your scene at different exposure levels. A low exposure will make sure that the highlights in your image retain their detail while an overexposed photo will bring out the detail from the shadows. Merging these two photos with a normally exposed image will create a picture that has all the details it can possibly have. Making HDR Images is Easy The process may sound a little complex, but making HDR photos is fairly simple. There are a number of HDR processing programs that you can use to into one.

You can even make HDR images with Photoshop by bringing them into the program and going to File - Automate - Merge to HDR. However, as any HDR photographer will tell you, it’s a pain to manually select the bracketed photos you have taken and then create an HDR image from them. And doing this for multiple HDR images can really take up a lot of time. For these purposes, you really should take a look at a dedicated HDR processing software that allows for batch processing of your photos. Check out Aurora HDR comes from Skylum – the company that strives to make professional grade image editing as simple as it can. Aurora HDR is a great tool for creating HDR images quickly, giving them a more natural look than many other HDR processors would. With the new version of Aurora HDR, you get its excellent Batch Processing feature.

By using this feature, you can have the software take a look at your desired folder, bring in all the bracketed images you have, and then sort them together. After this, you can use the same adjustments for all the files without the need to edit only one photo at a time. Alternatively, Go for Photomatix Photomatix is a popular HDR image processor among photographers because it brings a whole host of editing features for a low price. Other than allowing you to create HDR images in batches like Aurora HDR, also has some nifty tone mapping methods like Contrast Optimizer, Detail Enhancer, Tone Compressor, and Exposure Fusion. All of these methods allow you to tweak even the tiniest aspects of your resulting HDR images, ensuring that the images you create are just the way you want them. HDR photography is a very fun way of capturing landscapes and more. The look you get from an HDR image is pretty much impossible to get otherwise.

But it’s always better to use a dedicated HDR batch processing software if you want the best results. Both of the programs mentioned here are highly competitive, and provide some excellent batch processing power to you for creating heaps of HDR images in a short amount of time. ​ Skylum ® is a registered trademark in USA and other countries. Apple, the Apple logo, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. And other countries. Mac App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

Adobe®, the Adobe® logo, Adobe® Photoshop®, Adobe® Lightroom® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft incorporated in US and other countries.

July 2018 – Update review of the top 20 best HDR software used for creating high dynamic range (HDR) photographs. I am currently working on an update to this post. If you have any HDR programs to add to this list please let me know. I want to note that this is not an in-depth review. There is 20 HDR Software that I found and wanted to share.

The goal of this post is to show you all the HDR Software available. I highly recommend that you download the software you are interested in and try it yourself. When it comes to HDR I have a specific workflow and look but that doesn’t mean my workflow or look will work for you. Below in the order I recommend are the top 20 Best HDR Software for 2018. I downloaded and installed each HDR program to find out which software is the best. (5 Stars) – Good HDR software with all the bells and whistles. (5 Stars) – My personal favorite HDR software.

(5 Stars) – Best HDR program for vibrant and colorful HDR images. (4 Stars). (4 Stars). (4 Stars). (4 Stars).

(3 Stars). (3 Stars). (3 Stars).

(3 Stars). (3 Stars).

(3 Stars). (3 Stars).

(2 Stars). (2 Stars). (2 Star). (2 Stars).

(1 Star). (1 Star) Below is the 5 main exposures I used to create the HDR images for this review. I also use a different set of exposure for each program to get a better feel for each HDR Software. Aurora HDR Software OS: Windows & Mac Price: $99.00 10% Off Coupon Code: CaptainKimo Aurora 2018 is the newest HDR software on this list.

This program is full of options with many different features that make it easy to produce a good looking HDR image. I also found it can produce very natural looking HDR images right from the start. It’s suppose to be an all-in-one software and it’s pretty close. I think all it needs is a spot healing tool (for all you newbies this would be a tool to remove unwanted objects). Since their latest update, I’ve seen a major improvement in image quality.

I can’t wait to see the evolution of this program! EasyHDR Software Screenshot OS: Windows & Mac Price: $39.00-$65.00 EasyHDR has been around since January 2006. It has gone through many different versions and is now one of the best and easiest software to use for producing beautiful HDR images. I am currently using EasyHDR as my main software for creating HDR photos because of the look it produces. The software is very quick and easy install.

The user interface is straightforward and simple to operate. I think this program works best with Adobe Lightroom because Adobe Ligthroom can export straight to EasyHDR application. For the price, I really think this a great program. Photomatix Pro HDR Software OS: Windows & MAC Price: $39-99.00 Photomatix has been the top HDR software for most people including myself. Currently, I use EasyHDR for the majority of my work but I still use Photomatix for my more artsy images and commercial real estate work. I really enjoy using Photomatix because it has four different tone mapping methods that I use to produce different looks. Detail Enhancer method would have to be my favorite and it’s probably the one that most people associate with when they think of HDR.

Contrast Optimizer would be my next favorite tone mapping method because it produces very natural looking HDR images and you can still get a nice color pop. The third tone mapping method is Tone Compressor and I use this to produce deep rich colors and a more natural looking image. The fourth method is Exposure Fusion and this is the method I use for my commercial real estate work.

Photomatix is a great option for HDR and I recommend it for anyone to add to their HDR toolbox. HDR Projects 4 OS: Windows & MAC Price: $49 – $198.00 HDR Projects 4 is a more recent HDR software that has some interesting features. Available for both MAC and Windows computers it is simple and easy to get started working with HDR images. The Lightroom Plugin that comes with it is a plus for any photographer who uses Lightroom in their workflow.

I was able to export from Lightroom to HDR Projects 4 without any problems and the results were very good. The presets that it comes along with aren’t the most impressive. There are a lot of options and controls for adjustments however I found it painful to use on my 4K UHD monitor because the interface was very small. I ended up using just the presets more and make limited adjustments to the settings. Overall I feel this HDR program has a lot of potential and worth checking out. The results are beautiful if you’re looking for natural HDR photographs.

Oloneo HDR Software OS: Windows Price: $59.00-$149.00 Another easy to install HDR program with plenty of features and settings. I loaded my first set of 5 exposures from and it handles it and produced a very clean image. At first, I thought there was no drag and drop feature but after playing around I manage to drag and drop my exposure into the small menu on the top right side. So I’m happy about that. This HDR software is packed full of feature, I not even gonna attempt to list them all. This is one program I highly recommend doing a demo download.

Free Raw Photo Processing Programs

SNS-HDR Software OS: Windows Price: $30-80 Euro SNS-HDR is the other HDR program that I use. This is the HDR program I use for a more realistic result. This HDR software produces natural looking HDR images. Also I like it because it produces a unique look. I can’t really explain it you’ll have to look at the samples or better yet download it and try it yourself. This program is not recommended for the extreme HDR look but perfect for subtle results. Installation of this program is pretty straightforward.

The program itself is very easy to use. The only problem I have is that it takes a few minutes to get to the tone mapping part especially when processing 5 or more RAW exposures.

Machinery HDR Software Screen Shot OS: Windows Price: $39.00 The installation of this HDR program went nice and smooth. Upon launching the application I was fascinated with the interface. I threw my initial 5 exposure RAW files at it and it handle it nicely.

I had to sit there for a few seconds to figure out how to use it but I realized it was easier than it looks. I am very impressed with this program it has a lot of potential. It produces very nice looking HDR images. It has presets. Looks like this program is more for realistic HDR images. Boosting the settings for a more surreal look only can be very interesting but it doesn’t have the punch that I’m use to. But that’s just my flavor.

Dynamic Photo HDR OS: Windows & MAC Price: $65.00 US Installation went smooth, interface is clean and polished. Preview window is a little small.

Interesting Raw Processing Software For Mac

Alignment feature is a bit tricky to understand but the option is there for fine tuning. Process with first batch of example image came out very horrid. I am thinking it does not like the RAW files I am using. Also first example exposure has a total of 5 images. I loaded only three instead 0ev,-2ev and +2ev which seems to work better. There is a problem in the shadows where there is a lot of grain instead of fill color. So to try and resolve this issue I converted the 3 RAW files into a JPG file and reprocessed the image.

Converting the file to JPG really helped out a lot! The second example image seems to work fine with alignment. However being that it’s a RAW file I was getting a lot of noise in the shadow areas.

Again I converted the RAW into a JPG and image came out fine. Dynamic HDR Photo – Example 2 Dynamic-Photo HDR (Final Thoughts) – Getting started is pretty simple. Alignment however might be where the problem comes in. In some photos the align is off even though the example image was shot using a tripod. Other HDR program align the image just fine. But note that Dynamic-Photo can align the image for you which is what I had to do to merge the photo correctly. I did not see an option to handle ghosting so that might become a problem if you have any moving subjects.

Tone mapping setting appears to be very easy to use and looks like there is a lot of options to choose from. Saving the file was simple enough.

Good program overall for creating HDR images. Not so good if you like using RAW files. – 9. HDR Darkroom. HDR Darkroom Screen Shot OS: Windows & MAC Price: $89.00 Another easy program to install and use. Loading the exposures require you having to browse for the image so there is no drag and drop feature like most of the other HDR programs.

I loaded the initial 5 exposures which went well. There is an option to align and deghost the image so that’s always a plus.

There are three options for tone mapping which is a good variety. I notice something unusual in the highlights which appears to be a magenta cast. This could be due to the RAW files being used so I processed the image again using JPG and the magenta cast seem to have gone away. It definitely handles JPG better than RAW. HDR Darkroom – Example 2 HDR Darkroom (Final Thoughts) – Nice program I like the result of the final image I did using the initial exposure, in JPG mode of course. This HDR software has all the bells and whistles and then some.

The only thing I don’t like, and this is due to my workflow, is that it doesn’t have a drag and drop feature. It also looks like it doesn’t handle RAW files too well. Otherwise this is a great program with many features. The tone mapping options and menus are very easy to use. – 10. HDR Expose. HDR Expose Screen Shot OS: Windows & MAC Price: $119.00 So far this one took the longest to install, which means it’s going to be jam pack full of features! After installing the program I find out that it doesn’t have a drag and drop feature like HDR Darkroom bummer.

After some fiddling around I created my first HDR image and somehow manage to crash the program. Second try was a success and I manage to get to the tone mapping window. My first thoughts after scrolling through the list of presets is that this program was designed for natural looking HDR. Any attempt to overcook resulted in a realistic overcooked image. HDR Expose does have an option to align and remove ghosting which is good. It seems to handle RAW files very well. I played around with JPG instead of RAW to see if there was any difference and the results were pretty much the same.

Luminance HDR – Example 2 Luminance HDR Software (Final Thoughts) – For some one looking for something free to play around with this program produces some nice looking natural HDR images. It is a little slow but the results are worth it for the price. Also if you use the auto align feature it’s going to make it even slower. My favorite part about this program is that there is a drag and drop feature. Give this program a try it can’t hurt it’s free!

Of course donate if you end up using it in your HDR workflow. – 13. PaintShop Pro X8 Ultimate. Corel PaintShop Pro X8 Screen Shot OS: Windows Price: $99.00 Corel is a well known software company that has produce great software like VideoStudio, Painter and WordPerfect. I was pretty excited to see what kind of HDR program they were able to incorporate into their photo editing software PaintShop Pro. Yes this is a full photo editing program not just a software for creating HDR images which is actually good and bad at the same time.

Installation was a breeze however don’t click too fast on the trial version because it has one of those add browser toolbars that get installed by default. Those are so annoying. After installation I found it a little overwhelming because the software is trying to everything.

After a few minutes I was able to get the first 5 exposure merged and I was impressed. The results are very natural and has the ability to produce some nice colors. But that is as far as I can say about the HDR feature.

If you go too crazy with the options the results don’t look good. Picturenaut HDR Screen Shot OS: Windows & MAC Price:Free Picturenaut is a free HDR program and it was one of the first HDR software that I use back in 2008. This is a very easy program to use and install. However getting the results you want might be a bit of a challenge for the newbie. While processing my first batch of five RAW exposure it seem to handle it well. But there was a slight color cast to the overall image. I was able to adjust that somewhat using the setting.

Picturenaut crashed twice while I was using it but I think it was due to me going too fast for it to handle. Adobe Lightroom CC HDR Merge Screen Shot OS: Windows & MAC (Requires Lightroom) Price: NA This HDR software is a plugin for Adobe Lightroom so you will need to have Lightroom in order to use this application.

Canon Raw Processing Software

Installation was simple but not for those who are computer illiterate. This is a very limited HDR program with no preview window so you will have to guess what the final results will be then process the image. After playing around with the settings I find that the software produce very little Dynamic Range. Adobe Lightroom CC HDR – Example 2 Adobe Lightroom CC (Final Thoughts) – I didn’t spend too much time on this program because it was just so limiting. However if your workflow is only using Lightroom this might be something you can use. But to be honest you are probably better off using Lightroom’s Develop Module to process fro Dynamic Range from a single RAW file.

On a side note the developer of this plugin produces some excellent plugins for Lightroom so I didn’t want to make them seem bad. It’s just that their HDR plugin doesn’t really have much to offer. – 18. Canon Digital Photo Professional. Photoshop CC Merge to HDR OS: Windows & MAC Price: Subscription Adobe is also a very well software company and Photoshop is also a complete photo editing program which includes a option to create an HDR image from multiple exposures. It’s pretty amazing how advance Photoshop is when it comes to photo editing. However I can’t say the same for it’s HDR feature.

The HDR option in Photoshop is probably the most basic of all the HDR software. The result from the Photoshop HDR feature are also very flat. Attempts to produce anything worth showing is very difficult. Personally you are better off blending the exposures together using Layers. Corel Paintshop Pro X3 costs about $50 on Amazon and performs much the same as Photoshop, just cheaper with much better help functionality. There isn’t anything I ever use on Photoshop that I haven’t been able to easily find and use on Paintshop.

Layers, plug-ins, masking all seem to work the same for less money. I never got in to the artsy stuff, so I can’t speak to that, but after a few years, I’ve pretty much gone exclusively to Paintshop (I’m a professional and take about 100,000 photos per year) Thanks again!