Aurora HDR 2018
Enjoyable image editor gets welcome improvements
$99 From Macphun, aurorahdr.com Needs OS X 10.10.5 or newer
We last saw Aurora HDR about a year ago, and liked it. It was a powerful piece of software with lots to like for landscape photographers. Automatic blending of multiple exposures was married to some powerful image-editing tools, albeit with a somewhat steep $99 price.
12 months later and the price is the same, but Aurora HDR 2018 has received a substantial facelift. The engine behind it all has been revamped, but it’s the additional image editing tools that impress. Dodge and burn brushes allow a degree of per-pixel editing, and there’s a useful history panel that enables you to step backwards through your edits – the steps you’ve taken are descriptively named, so you can always see where you messed up.
There’s also a lens correction tool, in the form of a relatively simple set of sliders for fixing barrel distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. The tool won’t auto-detect your lens and apply a range of presets like Lightroom does, although you can save a group of settings as a preset.
There have been tweaks elsewhere, but “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here nicely. The things we liked about the app’s previous version – its appeal to HDR enthusiasts, whether those looking for a quick-hit preset or those who prefer more in-depth editing – remain. Aurora HDR 2018 isn’t the only piece of software you’ll ever need; Lightroom is still better at organizing a photo library – but it’s great value, and ideal for landscape enthusiasts.
the bottom line. Aurora HDR 2018 is still not the total package for general photographers, but a very tempting buy for landscapers.