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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/867
106 MacDirectory
REVIEW
SILVERFAST HDR STUDIO 6.6 > EFFECTIVE HIGH DYNAMIC
RANGE DIGITAL PHOTO EDITING
LaserSoft Imaging offers advanced HDR
image editing capabilities through
SilverFast HDR Studio 6.6. This software
offers amateur to professional
photographers HDR or 48-bit image
processing, and has been upgraded to
support importing camera raw data.
SilverFast HDR Studio allows the user to
read and process 48-bit raw files without
being connected to a scanner.
Before HDR Studio, photographers could
individually adjust photo scans prior to
saving using the scanning software, or use
another image editing program. With
SilverFast HDR Studio, film images can be
bulk scanned without having to
individually adjust each image while
connected to the scanner. Thus, the
photographer can move away from the
scanning site to make image adjustments
at their leisure.
Silver Fast HDR Studio is an excellent tool
for photographers to use in conjunction
with LaserSoft scanning software.
SilverFast HDR Studio provides the same
graphic user interface and all SilverFast
tools are available: Defining Output Size &
Resolution, Auto-Adjust of Highlight/Shad-
ow, Three Part Histogram, Gradation
Curves, Selective Color Correction, Unsharp
Masking, Color Cast Removal Slider, Color
Separation, CMYK-Preview and more.
SilverFast HDR Studio can also be used
simultaneously with Photoshop CS4.
Access Silverfast HDR and the Virtual Light
Table (VLT) opens. Using the directory
structure shown on the left side, all of the
photos in a selected directory, including
iPhoto directories, can be displayed on the
VLT. Thumbnail images quickly load and
display on the VLT. When the cursor
travels over one thumbnail, a zoomed
image is shown in the lower left hand
corner. Double clicking on the thumbnail
displays a preview image. If the thumbnail
represents a digital camera raw image,
HDR Studio converts from the raw file to a
preview image. Double clicking again on
the thumbnail opens the converted image
into the SilverFast HDR edit window. A
useful feature is the Light Table icon in the
edit window tool bar, which returns the
user directly to the VLT screen.
Any adjustments are saved to a new file
(tiff, Jpeg, Jpeg 2000, or pdf), and the
original is not overwritten. This process
allows for the original scan to be preserved,
however, the images rapidly fill up storage
space. And depending on an individual's
workflow process and their photography
requirements will determine which photo
processing application is applicable.
Overall, SilverFast HDR Studio 6.6 is a solid
product, and trying out the free demo is
well worth the time.
WORDS BY LISA P. HILL
Product SilverFast HDR Studio 6.6
Made by LaserSoft Imaging