I have installed a demo version of a small software from Mediachance, QuickHDR.
This program creates a "fake-HDR" from a single normal image (jpg for example),
like the script-fu available under Gimp called "FakeHDR Effect Plus".
The nice feature for lazy persons like me is that it provides various settings
and you choose the one you prefer from the preview-list;
(in the Gimp script you have to move the various sliders and see what happens,
then cntl+z and try another set of values).
I am wondering whether some guru developer in G'mic could think about creating a similar filter, as is "Tone Presets" from Iain, that is: having a good fake-HDR base algorithm and letting the user choose among various presets.

I attach here a zip file with a starting image and the results of some of the choices available under QuickHDR;
being a demo version, there is a small watermark on each of the results.
Note: the images have been resized to attach a small file.

If someone takes the challenge, he/she can download from Mediachance a demo version of QuickHDR as I did, and play with it.

I looked already at the available filters: Dynamic Range Increase by Tom (Keil)
and Tone Mapping by David.

Big fan of Oscar's programs (own both DAP and Photo Reactor). Still, I've been toying with this cool program that does a great job of this while keeping the noise down in areas such as the sky. It's currently completely free too. Click here for an example I did recently (yes, did cheat some with the result. lol).

Thanks Lyle, I have that nice program.
I posted this topic because
- I guess G'MIC has all the capabilities to do that (certainly even better that QuickHDR and AutoHDR)
- I like to do as much as I can using Gimp
I hope someone (like Iain, for instance) could take over this challenge.
Thanks anyhow

I have Auto HDR and am still learning how to use it. Lightzone as well but wont stop using gimp.

I'll have a play, but no promises.

many thanks, Iain

I played with this Luminance HDR program a while back on a fox that was in my yard




Thanks for the link lyle, going to try out that program too

That looks really nice alc... It really brightened it up. He looks really large.

nice result, alc59.
As I said to Lyle I posted this topic because
- I guess G'MIC has all the capabilities to do that (probably even better that QuickHDR, AutoHDR, or LuminanceHDR)
- I like to do as much as I can using Gimp
I wait on Iain ... maybe a good (or even excellent, as it is for all Iain's filters) G'mic filter comes out!

Retinex enhanced.

Long before HDR was even a word, GIMP had this cool preset (like decades ago). Results can be noisy so lots of addition layer tricks and blends have to be done to keep that in check. I only trivially did so, but still, you can see the potential of this very old plugin. It's still a built in GIMP plugin.

Thanks, Lyle, for having "re-discovered" this old built-in plug-in; playing a little bit with the sliders, one can really get fascinating results

in case of HDR and fake HDR the difference from work from original RAW at 16 bit ,( as with luminanceHDR and gmic command line), or with images reduced to 8 bit , (as using gimp or the gmic plugin) is gigantic

there are some cool gimp scripts for fake HDR (but call it tone mapping would reduce confusion )even from single shot , and gmic may do too but ...yet even if results may look nice isn't the real thing, HDR require 16bit and that is impossible for gimp and for the Gmic plugin

imo a good fake-HDR - if properly applied - can be a "real thing" as well, not only a "nice" picture; almost the totality of the pictures we are used to see are 8bits and we look at them as "real"; fake-HDR is needed when the original picture has been taken with so strong extremes of values (lights and shadows) that too many details are apparently lost and fake-HDR restores a good amount of them, to "satisfy" better the human eyes.
I'm still confident on Iain; yes, I know, he said no promises, but - as ancient Romans said - SPES ULTIMA DEA!