TrueHDR
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True HDR for iPhone adds features and goes on sale
I've looked at TrueHDR in the past and found it a competent app for getting good photos in challenging exposure situations. HDR techniques are excellent when you are faced with taking photos of people when there is a bright sky behind them. The app has been updated today with some worthwhile features and a sale price of US $0.99 for a limited time. New features include post-processing control of warmth, saturation and brightness, and there are now some effects like sepia, monochrome and vignetting. I gave the app a quick test this morning and found the image quality quite good when there was both a bright sky and some deep shadows. I've included some screen shots in the gallery. The app allows you to manually set exposure in different parts of the viewfinder or it can do it automatically. Images can be saved to your camera roll, emailed, or sent to Twitter or Facebook. This is a nice update to an already good app. Processing and merging images into an HDR finished product takes under a minute, but it would be good if the app did the processing in the background. If you exit for a call or to check email, the rendering stops then resumes when it is active again. If you are interested in better iPhone photos, TrueHDR is is a good way to start, and I think you will get better results than from the Apple built-in HDR feature. %Gallery-131346%
TrueHDR adds Geo-tagging and drops to $0.99 for a limited time
As a frequent landscape photographer, I've enjoyed exploring HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging for quite some time. With HDR, your camera takes multiple images, usually at different shutter speeds, to capture both bright and dark areas at their best. Then the images are combined with software. Although most of my work is with a Canon DSLR, I've been impressed with some of the iPhone HDR apps that can help you get some really nice pictures under difficult lighting conditions. Although Apple includes HDR software in the iPhone 4, I've found that both Pro HDR and TrueHDR can give superior results. TrueHDR has just released a big update to its app, and now offers Geo-tagging support, better alignment algorithms and some improvements in the light metering software. I've tried the app, and I do like the quality of the images it produces. My only complaint is it takes a bit too long to merge and align the images. In my tests, True HDR produced an image in 24 seconds. Pro HDR processed the same scene in 12 seconds, and the Apple built-in HDR saved quite quickly ((2 seconds) but didn't look nearly as good as images from the other two apps. TrueHDR (which requires iOS 4.0 or greater) is currently on sale for a limited time for US$0.99. If you're interested in HDR photography and want to go beyond the Apple built-in HDR, TrueHDR is worth a dollar.
TrueHDR for iPhone updates and improves photo quality
HDR (high dynamic range) photos are getting a lot of buzz now, especially since Apple built HDR capabilities into the iPhone 4. While the official Apple implementation is pretty good, I still suggest photographers take a look at third party offerings which have more options, and in my opinion, some of which do a better job. TrueHDR today updated its US $1.99 app, and added a "Natural" mode, which makes the colors more realistic and reduces noise. The developers claim the natural mode uses new image processing techniques that have been written using all new programming. Note: TrueHDR is on sale for $0.99 through December 4th. The app allows you to take an image in fully automatic mode, semi-automatic and manual. I used all the modes, but preferred manual to select my light and dark points. Read on to see why. %Gallery-108601%
The HDR race continues as TrueHDR gets updated
We've been keeping a close eye on the race for the best HDR (high dynamic range) photo app for the iPhone. In my latest survey, I advised that progress would be fast as paid apps move to compete with the free Apple HDR software, and that's what's happened. TrueHDR, a US$1.99 app, has been updated to add a fast Autocapture mode and a SemiAuto mode (where you can drag the exposure control points around to get the best picture). I thought it was worth another quick look in order to see how the updated TrueHDR compares to Pro HDR ($1.99) and the built-in iPhone 4 camera (with and without the HDR processing). %Gallery-101973%
iOS 4.1 with HDR built-in comes as a shock to HDR app developers
If I had to make a list of the top ten features I thought would be included in the iOS 4.1 update, HDR photography would not have been on it. HDR really came out of the blue, and one developer told me he was 'shocked' to hear that the feature was included in the next iPhone update. Let's back up a minute. HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is a method where pictures are taken at different exposures and combined into one image. Since the iPhone and most monitors can't really display the full light to dark range of the image, the HDR software tone maps the picture, so you see details in the shadows and don't blow out the highlights, such as a bright sky. HDR images are controversial. Some people hate them, and think it produces garish pictures. Others love the flexibility to shoot pictures in challenging lighting conditions. I like to use HDR at times when shooting landscapes, and recently documented a photo trek where I was able to use HDR apps on the iPhone.
TrueHDR for iPhone updated for Retina Display and iPhone 4 camera
HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography isn't for everyone, but it can really help when taking pictures with extreme shadow or light. HDR images basically combine two or more pictures taken at different exposures. Using a process called tone mapping, you get a new image that displays more detail in the darker areas and restrains the areas that are too bright. TrueHDR for the iPhone has been updated to support the full resolution of the iPhone cameras, both front and back. It now supports the Retina Display, and claims better image alignment and more natural looking results. I've reviewed the original version and today I gave the new version a try. The updated app works as advertised, although I was a little short of dramatic scenery for my tests. The added resolution and quality of the iPhone 4 camera makes a welcome difference. %Gallery-99750%
Enhance your iPhone 3GS photography with Pictional's TrueHDR app
I am a BIG fan of HDR (high dynamic range) photography. It's a method of shooting multiple exposures at different shutter speed settings to bring out the detail in shadows and enhance the color of objects you take pictures of. It is particularly useful for landscape photography, and not so good for taking photos of moving objects because they vary in location from frame to frame. There are some really nice HDR applications for the Mac that can process photos taken with digital SLRs (Photomatix Pro and Hydra are two examples), but nothing really exciting for the iPhone. There have been some iPhone apps that claim to be HDR capable, but most are just enhancing the color and stretching the contrast. Along comes TrueHDR [US$1.99, iTunes link], an app that actually gives you a taste of HDR photography using your iPhone. Your picture quality is never going to equal that of a high-end digital camera, but the results are really quite good.
