It’s common knowledge that Google is no longer supporting the Nik Collection by Google. This fact left many photographers wondering how they were going to create realistic HDR images. Lightroom and Photoshop have the ability to merge bracketed exposures into an HDR image, but pale in comparison to the power of HDR Efex Pro II. Fortunately, there’s another solution

Photomatix Pro by HDR Soft is a wonderful piece of software that once installed works seamlessly as a plug-in for Lightroom. Select your bracketed exposures, and choose to export them to Photomatix Pro, and you’ll be presented with a wide variety of choices for creating an artistic, realistic, or surrealistic HDR image. You also have the option to tone map a single image. After selecting a single image, or bracketed exposures from Lightroom, the images are prepared for Photomatix Pro and the application opens. As you can see from the following illustration, you have many options for the image you create with the application. I always start with a preset that catches my eye and then fine-tune the image by tweaking the settings on the left side of the interface. It’s all very intuitive. And if you don’t like the results, you can always click a preset to erase your edits.

The following images were created with Photomatix Pro.

Photomatix Pro is an excellent choice for photographers who used and loved HDR Efex Pro II and are looking for an alternative now that Google no longer supports The Nik Collection. Photomatix Pro sells for $99.00, but you can enjoy a 15 percent discount by clicking the “Have A Coupon” link on HDR Soft’s Buy page. You can download a trial version of Photomatix, that does not time out, but will stamp a Photomatix logo on the finished image. To download a trial version of Photomatix, click here: HDR Soft Photomatix trial version.

The Spectral 8 is a Swiss Army Knife of a camera bag. It will hold a standard dSLR with one small lens mounted and 1-2 small extra lenses. If you’re a mirrorless shooter, this bag holds a mirrorless camera with 3-4 extra lenses. There’s also room for an 8” tablet, a smart phone, extra batteries, and other sundry items you carry on a photo shoot.

The bag has a unique magnetic latch that enables you to open the bag with one hand and locks automatically when you close the bag. It also has a zippered flap that you can close when security is an issue. When not needed you can stow the flap in a pocket to keep it out of the way. Also included are straps that you can attach to the bottom of the bag when you need to carry a tripod with you. When you travel, there’s a pass through flap at the back, which makes it easy to carry the Spectral 8 on a roller bag. If you’re shooting during inclement weather, a waterproof rain cover is  included. The bottom of the bag is also waterproof

The bag is attractive, spacious, and extremely functional. It looks more like a handbag or a man bag, so you remain inconspicuous while shooting. I give the bag high marks. It holds everything I need for a photo shoot and them some. The bag sells for $99.75, which is a bargain as far as I’m concerned. If you need to carry more gear, consider the Spectral 10, which sells for $119.75, or the Spectral 15, which has room for a 15 inch laptop and sells for $139.75. Watch the following video for a look at all of the features.

For more information:

Spectral 8

Spectral 10

Spectral 15