Aurora HDR 2018 Explore the user interface

Zoom controls

Use these controls to zoom in and out as you check the details in your image – especially when sharpening or applying noise reduction.

Before and after

Split the screen vertically into a before-and-after display so that you can check your progress against the original image.

History drop‑down

Work backwards through the adjustments you’ve made – very handy if you need to retrace your steps.

Panel displays

These buttons control the visibility of the Tools panel on the right of the screen and the Preset Effects browser along the bottom.

Preset effects

These offer a quick and convenient way of applying creative HDR looks via a single mouse click; they’re organised into categories.

Layers

Aurora HDR 2018 supports both adjustment layers and image layers, so you can blend new skies into landscape shots, for example.

Filters

Aurora HDR’s creative effects are created using this stack of Filter adjustments. The Curves panel is currently expanded for editing colour and contrast.

Histogram

This is a visual check to make sure you’re capturing a full range of tones and that your settings aren’t clipping the shadows or highlights.