- High Dynamic Range Software gets even better with the addition of numerous new features including the revolutionary Natural HDR™ processing mode

- Beta testers are invited to register with Oloneo to benefit from a special, time-limited discount on the upcoming PhotoEngine version 1

Paris, France – March 30, 2011 – Oloneo today announced the immediate availability of a significant new version of PhotoEngine Beta, the only High Dynamic Range (HDR) software offering photographers full control over light and exposure in real-time. This major beta version offers new functionalities such as batch processing, presets and the revolutionary Natural HDR processing mode. This new option processes HDR images while preserving the key physical characteristics of the original photos to guarantee the most faithful and natural results. Existing and future beta testers are encouraged to benefit from a substantial discount by registering with Oloneo and are invited to download the latest beta version at www.oloneo.com.

Oloneo PhotoEngine is shaking the photography community by offering professionals and HDR enthusiasts an almost unlimited control over exposure and lighting in real-time. The version of PhotoEngine Beta released today offers new functionalities including the much anticipated batch processing, a complete set of interactive presets, EXIF preservation and color management support. In addition to that, the new Natural HDR processing mode adds even more flexibility, creativity and accuracy to PhotoEngine.

“We carefully listened to the suggestions and feedback received from the tens of thousands of photographers who are participating to the beta testing,” said Antoine Clappier, President of Oloneo and main developer of PhotoEngine. “Thanks to their much appreciated and valuable input this new beta version is particularly mature and already becoming a reference among the photography professionals and HDR enthusiasts”.

Oloneo PhotoEngine Beta: New Features

Natural HDR processing mode
The Natural HDR processing mode is our answer to the photographers looking for a natural and faithful processing of their exposures while benefiting from PhotoEngine’s huge latitude in real-time HDR re-exposure. By preserving the physical characteristics of their original photos such as luminance and color saturation, the Natural HDR processing mode enables photographers to produce images as close as possible to what they photographed in the first place. Available with all four PhotoEngine’s tone mapping engines, Natural HDR is an alternative option to process HDR images. PhotoEngine also permits and masters all sorts of artistic, surrealistic and grunge HDR effects.

Presets
Users now have the ability to apply in one click a wide variety of over 40 factory presets. Catalogued by themes or styles, presets are instantly visible and can be applied in real-time to the current project. More advanced users can also create their own presets for later use.

Batch processing
A complete system to run automatically the HDR merging, processing and saving of a series of preselected exposures (single or multiple RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs). Batch processing includes a unique interactive mode to review and fine tune the resulting images during the process. The batch processing works seamlessly with presets.

EXIF preservation
PhotoEngine now maintains key EXIF metadata such as ISO, exposure, shutter speed, aperture, date and time.

Full color management and display calibration support
PhotoEngine manages an even higher degree of color accuracy and consistency -from input image files to editing, display and output files-. PhotoEngine now automatically uses the ICC profiles generated by most colorimeters on the market today.

Drag-and-drop support
PhotoEngine offers several methods to drag-and-drop image files directly into the product.

Announcing a Special Discount for Beta Testers
As a token of appreciation to the numerous users who are participating to the beta test, Oloneo is inviting all beta testers to register with Oloneo in order to benefit from a time-limited discount on PhotoEngine version 1. Beta testers need to sign up to the Oloneo newsletter before PhotoEngine version 1 is officially released to benefit from the future discount. More details on the beta tester special discount will be announced shortly. Please visit the company’s website at www.oloneo.com to sign up to the Oloneo Newsletter.

Oloneo PhotoEngine Beta: A Summary of the Main Features

HDR ToneMap™: high dynamic re-exposure in real-time
A full real-time, high dynamic range (HDR) re-exposure module to merge and edit single or multiple RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs. Capable of creating a wide range of styles, from realistic to artistic, HDR ToneMap includes four tone mapping engines, Natural HDR processing mode, auto-exposure correction with fine-tuning, auto-contrast, detail size and threshold controls, halo control, edge sharpening, ghost removal tools, auto-align, auto-orientation, batch processing, presets and more. Users also have the possibility to modify exposure the traditional way by turning off tone mapping while still benefiting from a 32-bit, ultra-wide gamut and full resolution environment.

HDR ReLight™: take pictures then set-up lighting
An image-based relighting tool using merged RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs to control in real-time the settings of individual light sources after the photos are taken. For each light source, parameters include white balance, brightness, temperature, tint and color. Other features are the auto-detection of ambient light and each light source’s color temperature.

HDR DeNoise™: remove noise and keep details
A powerful image noise and grain reduction tool using stacked RAWs, JPEGs or TIFFs, with the added benefits of full detail preservation, no smoothing and no artifacts, even with low-contrast and low-light photos.

Complete, high-end RAW photo processing
Oloneo PhotoEngine also features a complete RAW and image processing module including a customizable Color Curve Equalizer™ with hue/saturation, hue/luminance and hue/hue curves, a brightness curve, a unique color saturation curve, a color toning tool, an advanced white balance control and more. PhotoEngine handles most RAW photo formats, with thumbnail and preservation of key EXIF metadata, and fully supports color management.

About Oloneo PhotoEngine
Oloneo PhotoEngine, is the only high dynamic range (HDR) application offering digital photographers full control over light and exposure in real-time, as if they were still behind the lens. At the core of Oloneo PhotoEngine is a fully real-time, 32-bit floating-point per channel (96-bit per pixel), ultra-wide gamut, full resolution and non-destructive image-editing engine. Oloneo’s color model handles a range of colors that largely surpasses what printers or screens are capable of displaying today. Combined with the suppression of any color shifting and clipping, it guarantees photographers against any loss of image data during the HDR process. With a simple, intuitive and responsive user interface, all image controls work in full real-time at a rate of 1/20 second or less on a general-purpose desktop or laptop computer.

About Oloneo
Founded by three veterans of the computer graphics industry, Oloneo provides digital photographers with tools that bring together flexibility, creativity and speed. For more information please visit the company’s website at www.oloneo.com.

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© Copyright Oloneo 2011. Oloneo, the Oloneo logo, Oloneo PhotoEngine, HDR ReLight, HDR ToneMap, HDR DeNoise, Color Curve Equalizer and Natural HDR are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Oloneo SAS. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.