Aligning Images with Hugin

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 13:12:04 -0600

Hugin is an excellent tool for for aligning and stitching images. In this article, we’ll focus on aligning a stack of images. Aligning a stack of images can be useful for achieving several results, such as:

bracketed exposures to make an HDR or fused exposure (using enfuse/enblend), or manually blending the images together in an image editor
photographs taken at different focal distances to extend the depth of field, which can be very useful when taking macros
photographs taken over a period of time to make a time-lapse movie

For the example images included with this tutorial, the focal length is 12mm and the focal length multiplier is 1. A big thank you to @isaac for providing these images.

HDR Photography with Free Software (LuminanceHDR)

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 14:57:59 -0500

I have a mostly love/hate relationship with HDR images (well, tonemapping HDR more than the HDR themselves). I think the problem is that it’s very easy to create really bad HDR images that the photographer thinks look really good. I know because I’ve been there:

Don't judge me, it was a weird time in my life...

The best term I’ve heard used to describe over-processed images created from an HDR is “clown vomit” (which would also be a great name for a band, by the way). They are easily spotted with some tell-tale signs such as the halos at high-contrast edges, the unrealistically hyper-saturated colors that make your eyes bleed, and a general affront to good taste. In fact, while I’m putting up embarrassing images that I’ve done in the past, here’s one that scores on all the points for a crappy image from an HDR:

Hdr on PIXLS.US

Aligning Images with Hugin

HDR Photography with Free Software (LuminanceHDR)