April 29, 2024

TrueHDR 1.0.1 Released

Posted December 1, 2009 at 10:13am by iClarified · 3293 views
Pictional has released TrueHDR 1.0.1 - an iPhone photography app for creating high dynamic range (HDR) images. TrueHDR is the first app for the iPhone that does HDR in the true sense, in that it combines two photos taken at different exposures and presents a higher dynamic range than a single photo can capture.

TrueHDR is designed to address the issue that cameras can only capture limited dynamic range in a single photo. In other words, when people take photos of a scene that has a large range from bright to dark, they often have to choose between the bright areas and the dark areas - if a picture is appropriately exposed for the bright areas (e.g., a sunny sky with clouds), then the dark areas (e.g., a person standing in the shade under a tree) often become gray or black blobs with no details. Vice versa, if a picture is correctly exposed for the dark areas, the bright areas get washed out and look like white haze.

TrueHDR allows users to take two photos on an iPhone 3GS with the in-app autofocus camera, tapping on a bright area to adjust exposure for the first image and tapping on a dark area to adjust exposure for the second image. TrueHDR then uses sophisticated computational techniques to automatically align, merge, and optimize the resulting image for display. It also allows users to select a pair of saved images, taken with the iPhone 3GS or another camera with variable exposure settings, and merge them into one HDR image.

The output is a photo with vivid colors and details in both the bright and the dark areas. It is often much closer to what users' eyes originally saw. In the current release of TrueHDR, output resolution (max 960x960) is ideal for posting to Facebook, Flickr, blogs, etc. Higher resolution is a priority for the company and Pictional is working to increase the output resolution for future releases.

Features:
* In-app camera - streamlines the process by allowing users to capture starting images at different exposures with the iPhone 3GS autofocus camera without ever leaving the app (NOTE: only applies for iPhone 3GS).
* Photo albums integration - users can select saved images, taken with the iPhone 3GS or another camera with variable exposures, as starting images for creating an HDR image.
* No tripod necessary - as long as users make an effort to keep the camera pointing in the same direction, it's OK to have some hand movement between shots. The app will align the images and match up the details.
* Sophisticated algorithms - TrueHDR uses state of the art techniques behind the scenes, resulting in the final HDR image.
* Inspect results - users can pinch, zoom and pan around in portrait or landscape to check out the resulting HDR photo.
* Share results - the results screen lets users directly compose and send emails with result photos.
* Detailed instructions page with videos - accessible within the app.

Pricing and Availability:
TrueHDR 1.0.1 is available now for purchase at a price of $1.99 (USD), distributed exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.


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