Photomatix and HDR Imaging

If you've ever photographed a high contrast scene, you know that even the best exposure will typically have blown out highlights and flat shadows. Photomatix is an editing program that offers two ways to solve this problem:

›	Exposure Blending: Merge differently exposed photographs into one image with increased dynamic range.
›	Tone Mapping: Reveal highlight and shadow details in an HDR image created from multiple exposures. The tone mapped image is ready for printing while showing the complete dynamic range captured.

We'll go over High Dynamic Range imaging (HDRi) in detail in our next iPhotography meeting, but give yourself a head start. Check out Photomatix at http://www.hdrsoft.com



Images 1-3 were captured with a technique called Auto Exposure Bracketing, which is important for creating HDR images.

Podcasts

If your iTunes library only contains music, consider a change of pace. Listening to podcasts can be both fun and informative, and there are literally tens of thousands of them to choose from. Pick a subject you're interested in, and I'm almost positive you'll be able to find a podcast devoted to it. You can subscribe to a podcast from the podcast's homepage online or through iTunes, which is the most popular podcasting client. iTunes will automatically download episodes of podcasts you subscribe to when they are released. Most podcasts air weekly or monthly, and some podcasts are video podcasts.

I listen to podcasts the most when I'm in line at Wal-Mart or stuck in traffic. If you don't have an iPod, consider getting one, because they do more than just play music.

Podcast I recommend for Mac Users:

Want iChat with tabs? Try Chax!

Chax is a collection of minor modifications and additions that make using Apple's iChat more enjoyable. The tabbed interface allows you to chat with multiple users, minus a clutter of chat windows. Other features allow you to:

• Auto-accept file transfers, AV chats, and screen sharing requests
• Set font of names, status messages, and group separators
• Automatically resize the contact list to fit the number of visible users
• Toggle text status visibility of users
• Show status changes directly in the message window
• Additional unread message notifications in the Dock
• Automatically go away when the screensaver activates
• ...And several others!!

Chax is donationware software with versions capable of running on machines operating Leopard and Tiger.