Google Photos has just been updated with better tools for editing the effects of HDR imaging, which means that even if you’re shooting on an iPhone and not using the Google Camera app, you can still work with awesome tools to make your HDR shine. This latest update is all about making the HDR processing of Google Photos preserve as much dynamic range and as full metadata as possible as you post-process with its powerful editing tools.
Now users can edit HDR photos with confidence with popular tools that include Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser, and Portrait Light – without the risk of losing the contrast, brightness and other characteristic vibrant details of true HDR imagery. These things are (obviously) more critical for folks seeing images on HDR monitors, where tiny changes in light and color have more potential to appear.
Ultra HDR: Greater Control, Greater Precision
Among the most notable new additions is the Ultra HDR tool. Photo brightness becomes more accurate and fine-tune for highlights photo and shadow image. With the HDR on Google Photos, balancing light and dark image has never been easier.
Following this update the current HDR control has been rebadged as Tone. It’s a good change and more accurately conveys the purpose of reducing the light and contrast of the image to something a bit more balanced.
Easy-to-Use Interface to Convert SDR to HDR
Another cool feature of the new Google Photos HDR update, is the facility to improve SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) pictures and transform them into HDR. This is a dazzling transformation, which brightens (literally) up old or low-quality images. As HDR displays become more accessible, this is a feature that users can utilize to their advantage on contemporary displays.
Now, Google Photos HDR not only saves the original HDR format, but also expands the scope of the HDR mode, so that more photos can look sharper and more vivid.
Gradual Rollout in Progress
Google has yet to clarify if this update arrives via server-side or a new app version. Users with HDR-equipped screens are starting to see these tools pop up in their Google Photos HDR editing options, though.
Why It Matters for Google Photos Users
The Google Photos HDR update is an example of Google wanting to give better photos and a better experience to its users. By preserving metadata and dynamic range, the new tools help edited photos retain their quality (even after multiple edits).
Google Photos HDR Update Features:
- HDR image edits keep full dynamic range from now on
- HDR metadata retained after editing
- New Ultra HDR tool that gives you more flexibility for precise brightness control!
- renamed HDR tool to Tone for better clarity
- SDR footage can finally be converted to HDR
- Gradual rollout for HDR-capable screens
These changes make Google Photos’ HDR edits more powerful and accurate, giving photographers, creatives and regular folks a better editing experience than ever before.
