This is The Last Day to Preorder Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows for Bonus Content

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<p><em>The ultimate HDR solution, Aurora HDR 2018, offers major updates to create the most realistic and natural images possible.</em></p>
<p><strong>San Diego, CA – September 12, 2017</strong> — Macphun, the California-based software developer known for making complex photo editing tasks simple and fun, today announced the start of their pre-order for Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows. New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 for <strong>$89 </strong>and current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special price of <strong>$49 </strong>at <a href="http://macphun.evyy.net/c/260424/392470/3255">aurorahdr.com</a>.</p>
<p>Co-developed with renowned HDR photographer Trey Ratcliff, new Aurora HDR 2018 is available for the first time ever for both Mac and Windows users. It introduces a completely <strong>new user interface</strong> and <strong>exciting new tools</strong>, plus brings speed improvements.</p>
<p><a href="http://macphun.evyy.net/c/260424/392470/3255"><strong>Check out Aurora HDR 2018 for Windows and MacOS</strong></a></p>
<p><em>“The original Aurora HDR quickly became the industry standard for HDR photo editing on Mac and the new version is even more innovative and powerful than its predecessors,” said Kevin La Rue, Vice President at Macphun. “With Aurora HDR 2018, we’ve introduced the next-generation of tone mapping for superior natural results, plus long-awaited </em><strong><em>lens correction and transform tools</em></strong><em> that allow users to create perfect HDR images,” La Rue concluded.</em></p>
<p>Aurora HDR 2018 has a completely new and smarter algorithm for <strong>tone mapping</strong> single or multiple exposures that results in the most realistic starting image possible. When merging brackets, the algorithm analyzes each image separately, automatically detecting dark and light zones and adjusting the level of detail which will produce a very natural looking HDR image. With single image processing, the tone mapping algorithm brings out colours and enhances dark and light zones. Either way, this initial starting point is a great foundation for advanced image editing.</p>
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<p>Another major improvement to Aurora HDR 2018 is the new <strong>HDR Enhance Filter</strong>. A single slider adds details and clarity to an image, adjusting colors, details and contrast without creating artificial halos or other problems. Moving the slider also adjusts the intensity of changes, making the picture look more natural or revealing a more dramatic look, depending on the desired effect.</p>
<p><strong>FULL LIST OF NEW FEATURES OF AURORA HDR 2018:</strong></p>

<ul>
<li><strong>NEW: Next-generation Tone Mapping –</strong> A new smart Tone Mapping algorithm automatically reduces noise, and produces more realistic and natural initial results.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: Mac and Windows versions</strong> <strong>–</strong> Aurora HDR 2018 is available both for Mac and PC users, enabling mixed-computer households to share the same product key.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: Lens Correction Tool</strong>* <strong>–</strong> The new Lens Correction filter easily fixes all kinds of lens distortion, from barrel and pincushion to chromatic aberration and vignetting.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: Transform Tool* –</strong> Easily scale, rotate and shift your image to better fit your vision.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: Dodge & Burn Filter</strong> <strong>–</strong> Selectively lighten or darken specific areas of an image to artfully direct your viewer’s eye towards the key subject of your image, similar to a traditional darkroom technique.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: HDR Enhance Filter – </strong>Adds details and clarity to an image, adjusting colors, details and contrast without creating artificial halos or other problems.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: User Interface</strong> <strong>–</strong> A new, modern and responsive user interface brings a powerful, yet joyful experience to HDR photo editing.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: History Panel</strong> <strong>–</strong> An easy-to-reference list of edits made to your image, the History panel allows you to click on any editing step to revert the photo to an earlier stage of editing.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: Touch Bar support for Mac –</strong> Aurora HDR 2018 adds Touch Bar support to give new MacBook Pro users fast access to key editing features and speed up their workflow.</li>
<li><strong>NEW: Image Flip and Rotate*</strong> <strong>–</strong> Perfect for correcting photos with incorrect horizons or making creative compositions or other stylistic changes to an image.</li>
<li><strong>IMPROVED:  New Structure Algorithm</strong> – The re-developed Structure tool allows you to adjust detail and clarity of an image to get a classic HDR effect with great detail or a smoother effect with less details.</li>
<li><strong>IMPROVED: RAW handling</strong> <strong>–</strong> An improved RAW conversion brings out more details in shadows/highlights, displays colors more accurately and reduces noise in RAW files.</li>
<li><strong>IMPROVED: Crop tool update – </strong>Now specify custom crop sizes for even more versatility.</li>
<li><strong>IMPROVED: Speed –</strong> Faster merging and masking performance, improvement in RAW image processing.</li>
</ul>
<p>New Aurora HDR 2018 also brings more blend modes, improved color temperature, image radiance, and an improvement whereby custom textures can now include RAW files. Aurora HDR 2018 can work as a standalone app, as well as a plugin to Lightroom and Photoshop both on Mac and PC versions, and with Adobe Elements and Aperture on Macs.</p>
<p>* Lens Correction and Transform tools, as well as image flip and rotate will be available in the Mac version at launch, and arrive in the PC version with the first free update in the beginning of October. Other tools and features that are currently available for Mac only would be added to PC version by the end of the year.</p>
<p><strong>Availability:</strong></p>
<p>Pre-order will run from September 12 until September 27 at <a href="http://macphun.evyy.net/c/260424/392470/3255">aurorahdr.com/2018</a>. Pre-order customers will receive a bonus pack:</p>
<ul>
<li>BONUS: Trey Ratcliff Deep Dive video</li>
<li>BONUS: Travel Photography Tutorial by Matt Granger</li>
<li>BONUS: Source Brackets</li>
<li>BONUS: 3-month Zenfolio Pro website, including a complementary design consultation. $60 value.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Pricing:</strong></p>
<p>Mixed-computer households can share the same product key for Mac and PC which can be activated on 5 devices.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pre-order:</strong>
<ul>
<li>Current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special pre­-order price of <strong>$49</strong></li>
<li>New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 at a special pre­order price of <strong>$89</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Retail price:</strong>
<ul>
<li><strong>$59 </strong>for current Aurora HDR users</li>
<li><strong>$99 </strong>for new users</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="http://macphun.evyy.net/c/260424/392470/3255">Check out Macphun’s Aurora HDR 2018 Now</a></strong></p>
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

Phenix205 said:
Unfortunately,the sample photos shown on their website look so fake. Adding what is not in the photo is not HDR. Other marketing language such as "the world's most famous HDR photographer " is just another overstatement.

The problem is that there is a wide range of what people use HDR for. The "fake" stuff tends to be flashier (which is why they put that on their website), but I have found Aurora to be really good at more "realistic" HDR as well. And, no, it is not adding anything that isn't in the photo; it is taking three or more photos, combining the dynamic range of the three into a single large-dynamic-range image, then tone mapping that back down into the dynamic range of monitors etc. The tone mapping may be done in a garish manner, or in a very bland "flat" manner, or a more realistic manner in between.

As an example, here's a picture I took (I think it was four frames in the bracket) which in my opinion captures the look of the scene far better than any of the original brackets could, even with as much single-frame manipulation as I could do. I'm by far no professional, but I'm certainly happy with the results straight out of Aurora 2017.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12385792@N00/36322727004/in/album-72157688885144685/

Burney Creek by Tom Dibble, on Flickr

Trey Radcliff is a pretty well-known HDR photographer, with a distinctive style. I'd heard of him (and followed his blog) long before he hooked up with MacPhun for Aurora. Superlatives like "world's most famous" are obviously debatable, but I'd wager there are very few in contention for being more famous than Trey.
 
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

Trey Radcliff is on my Facebook and I really do like his work.

However, I'm 100% satisfied with the results I get from Photoshop's own HDR feature. I've submitted images to my club and the judges could not identify the images as HDR.

I have no experience with Aurora but I do believe the issue with HDR lays with the processing
 
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

Sabaki said:
Trey Radcliff is on my Facebook and I really do like his work.

However, I'm 100% satisfied with the results I get from Photoshop's own HDR feature. I've submitted images to my club and the judges could not identify the images as HDR.

I have no experience with Aurora but I do believe the issue with HDR lays with the processing

Have you tried the Lightroom HDR feature?

(I use SNS HDR myself).
 
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

Phenix205 said:
Unfortunately,the sample photos shown on their website look so fake. Adding what is not in the photo is not HDR. Other marketing language such as "the world's most famous HDR photographer " is just another overstatement.

Do you or have you used it, or is this just a review based on your imagination. Its fine to be a skeptic, but a real review of a product that is actually available is useful.
 
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

Mt Spokane Photography said:
Phenix205 said:
Unfortunately,the sample photos shown on their website look so fake. Adding what is not in the photo is not HDR. Other marketing language such as "the world's most famous HDR photographer " is just another overstatement.

Do you or have you used it, or is this just a review based on your imagination. Its fine to be a skeptic, but a real review of a product that is actually available is useful.

Have you? It's fine to be skeptical about others' opinion but provide some comment with real substance is more useful.
 
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

Alina_Macphun said:
niels123 said:
Just curious: the preorder price is $89 and after the preorder period the price will be $99?

Yes, the full price for Aurora HDR 2018 after the pre-order period will be USD 99.

Any idea what the after preorder price will be in the UK ?

The preorder price in the UK is £80, which is being stated as a £219 saving (73%) !

https://aurora.onfastspring.com/session/rdDnNQeJR9-NI1asK4avUQ?_ga=2.116993857.614620083.1506421709-749424381.1505812460
 
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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

bitm2007 said:
Alina_Macphun said:
niels123 said:
Just curious: the preorder price is $89 and after the preorder period the price will be $99?

Yes, the full price for Aurora HDR 2018 after the pre-order period will be USD 99.

Any idea what the after preorder price will be in the UK ?

The preorder price in the UK is £80, which is being stated as a £219 saving (73%) !

https://aurora.onfastspring.com/session/rdDnNQeJR9-NI1asK4avUQ?_ga=2.116993857.614620083.1506421709-749424381.1505812460
Most of the quoted savings are from the"bonus" addons that come with aurora when you preorder. You have to decide if the addons are really worth anything to you.
 
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Hector1970

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Re: Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows is Now Available for Pre-Order

The current version is only so so.
It's not worth it if you have Lightroom and Photoshop already .
If you had nothing you could process your photos on it.
It's not bad and you might initially like the processing but in time you won't.
I really admire Trey Radcliffe.
Everything he touches turn to gold.
He knows how to use his fame to cash in.
He has helped design expensive bags for Peak Design which I've bought but was disappointed by both (should have learnt from the first one).
IPhone Apps (generally not great)
Amazing lifestyle, best of photo locations.
He's made an amazing niche for himself.
 
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