Photomatix Pro 3

I've been sitting here looking at some of the photographic software that I have got installed on my computer.  There is one of them that I'm not really on that often, which is a pretty darn shame due to the fact that this software does help the Photographer to produce some fantastic if not mind blowing looking images.  The software is called Photomatix Pro 3 and it is a HDR photography programme.  For those of you new to this, then the HDR stands for "High Dynamic Range", it is basically a combination of the same 'subject' which has been photographed with different exposures which is then blended together in Photomatix Pro 3 in order for it to produce the final "HDR Image".

Now not only will you have to take different exposures of your subject but you will also have to shoot in RAW mode too.  Most Photographers I know shoot about 6 - 7 RAW shots and then use these shots in software like Photomatix Pro to produce their final HDR images.  However, some Photographers on the other hand shoot up to 15 + for their HDR images. 

Again I've not been on Photomatix Pro that much...  however when I have been on it, then to be honest with you it is at times like a 'hit & miss' thing with me with regards to making images with it.  This means that the final images don't always turn out the way that I'd expected them to turn out.  But to be fair I have not really sat down and soaked up all the tools that Photomatix does offer you.  Yes, this means that I have just simply been 'tinkering' around in there in the hope to produce a fantastic / mind blowing image.  Here is a clear example of what I mean, if you look at the "Yellow Flag" image shown below, then this is a classic example of that image not turning out as I had expected it to turn out on Photomatix.  What went wrong.....?   I do not know?  But no matter how much I 'tinkered' with it, then it just would not look right / the way that I wanted it to look / be.

But is that Photomatix's fault or is it mine?  Hmmm.... Good question.....  But again this is photography that we are talking about.  One minute we think that we know everything that there is to know about photography & then the next minute we find our-self's being as dumb as that day when we first picked up the camera and called our self's photographers in the first place.

I mean come on admit it, you are now an advanced / serious photographer who has got a 10 year + experience under your belt. But still to this day you get "confused" / "dumbfounded" when the unexpected does happen e.g. your flash don't go off when you press that shutter button etc....  which then sees you say something to your subject like "mmmm just bear with me one second please "..... etc.... etc...

For me I'm going to play around on Photomatix allot more this summer to see if I can get a grasp of it for once and for all if not master it?  For again it's a great bit of software and it really is a shame that I don't use it that often.

Perhaps one of the best features on Photomatix is it's "Pseudo HDR" feature.  It allows you to make a "Pretend HDR" image from just one RAW file.  So if you ever wondered how those Wedding Photographers take those dramatic HDR shots of the Bride & Groom & their guests.  Then now you know that they use such software as Photomatix with it's "Pretend HDR" aka "Pseudo HDR" feature".

What Photomatix does is that it makes two more copies of your RAW file that you have opened and it 'over exposes' one of those copies and 'under exposes' the other copy.  Photomatix then combines all these three files together in order to produce your final Pseudo HDR image.

When I get the time, I will see if I can take some sample shots and run them through Photomatix my-self and turn them into Pseudo HDR images.  Then upload them on to this blog posting as a late entry.  More to follow soon........


Gaz