For the past several years I’ve used Adobe’s DNG file format to store the raw image data captured by my digital cameras. I convert my Canon CR2 raw files to DNG early in my workflow and don’t keep the original raw captures. I’ve had great success with a DNG workflow and since DNG files contains the original raw image data, I’ve seen no need to retain the native files.

In every class and workshop I teach, the subject of DNG inevitably comes up. There’s a lot of confusion and uncertainty about DNG. So when researching subject matter for my next book, I thought I’d polish up my knowledge of this essential image file format.

In doing so, I reached out to one of today’s leading imaging software developers, Eric Chan, Senior Computer Scientist at Adobe. Following is a [very minimally edited] transcript of our email conversation. Read more…

The Adobe online store is currently offering great deals on purchases of Lightroom, Photoshop and Photoshop Elements (and more!) through November 29. Visit the Adobe web site for details and to purchase.

New High Dynamic Range software offers photographers a wider range of possibilities and controls

San Diego, CA – August 25th, 2010 – San Diego, CA – August 25, 2010 – Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) today announced HDR Efex Pro, a completely new HDR imaging toolkit designed to help photographers quickly and easily achieve the full spectrum of HDR enhancements from the realistic to artistic.

High dynamic range photography is a process in which multiple exposures are captured, aligned and merged to generate a single image that enables a much wider range of colors, highlights, and shadows. HDR techniques are typically used to enhance landscape, architectural, nighttime, and artistic photography. New HDR Efex Pro overcomes limitations in other software tools with a revolutionary all-in-one approach that enables both realistic and artistic effects to be applied within a single tool.

“HDR is one area of innovation in the evolution of photography and an area that we have been dedicated to from a research perspective for quite some time.” said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. “Our focus with HDR Efex Pro has been to bring innovative and best-in-class technologies to HDR, including our unrivaled tone mapping, our proprietary U Point® technology and powerful ghost reduction, all of which have been developed specifically in response to our customers’ requests.”

Ideal for professional and amateur photographers, HDR Efex Pro provides an amazingly simple yet powerful workflow. Photographers will enjoy single-click HDR imaging with categorized style presets, precise selective fine-tuning using Nik Software’s proprietary U Point® technology, advanced alignment and ghost reduction, full access to shadow and highlight details, and new best-in-class tone mapping algorithms. Color, contrast, and vignette controls enable photographers to further enhance their images to create amazing results. Users experienced with HDR will find that HDR Efex Pro offers a complete solution that takes the genre to new levels and offers new possibilities.

With HDR Efex Pro, photographers can also create the popular and dramatic HDR look from a single image. This feature enables photographers to reprocess images in which either an exposure series was not previously shot or for subject matter that does not lend itself to multiple exposures.

A streamlined workflow and tight integration with Adobe® Photoshop®, Photoshop Lightroom®, and Apple® Aperture™, enables the creation of spectacular HDR images quickly and easily within the software tools photographers already use. HDR Efex Pro has been designed with the power and control to empower those experienced with HDR photography as well as those just entering the realm of HDR.

Key Features

• U Point powered selective tools for fast precise enhancements of contrast, shadow, structure and saturation adjustments
• Proprietary tone mapping technology enabling a wide range of HDR styles and capabilities
• Powerful adjustment controls that yield multiple HDR styles from photo realistic to creative
• Standard and custom presets organized into categories for single-click HDR imaging
• Multiple or single exposure HDR
• Advanced technology for automatic image alignment and reduction of subject motion artifacts known as “ghosts”
• Integrated video-based help system including education on HDR photography techniques

Pricing and Availability

HDR Efex Pro will be available in the fourth quarter of 2010 for electronic and boxed delivery directly from Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com), through specialty camera retailers, and through online and national resellers. A complete list of Nik Software resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

The suggested retail price of HDR Efex Pro is $159.95. The software will be available as a free update to those that have purchased the Nik Software Complete Collection after July 25, 2010. HDR Efex Pro installs as a 32-bit or 64-bit plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS3 through CS5, Lightroom 2.3 (or later) or Apple Aperture 2.1 (or later) and will be available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. For more information about HDR Efex Pro, including a detailed product video and image gallery, please visit http://www.niksoftware.com/hdr.

About Nik Software, Inc.

Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions and provides award-winning educational programs for the digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (www.upoint.com), HDR Efex Pro™, Dfine®, Viveza®, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software. For more information visit www.niksoftware.com.