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Complete Photography Bundle – $2,500 products for just $89 

Aurora HDR 2019 Launch Day! 

February 2018 : Wednesday Feb 2018 : Wednesday
filed under&nbsp&nbsp#80Stays, Aurora HDR, DJI Phantom, Hasselblad X1D, Japan, Lightroom, MacPhun, Okinawa, Photography Tips, Tutorials

Little Girl in Okinawa

A Quick Edit of a Drone Photo

Here’s a video I made showing an edit of a drone photo from Waiheke. I edited it using Aurora HDR 2018 and you can see a few little tricks in the video below!

Daily Photo – Little Girl in Okinawa

We didn't get much beach time on Okinawa, even though the place is packed with beaches! Most of our time was spent in the inside parts of the island. Most Japanese think of the mountains and hills for vacation and not-so-much the beach. Anyway, as soon as we made it out here, I saw this cute little girl playing in the sand. 

August 2017 : Tuesday Aug 2017 : Tuesday
filed under&nbsp&nbspAurora HDR, Skylum, Travel, Tutorials

Aurora HDR 2018 is coming to Macs and, yes… Windows!

Drum roll… 100,000,000 HDR photos (actual number!) have been made with Aurora HDR, and now… more dramatic drum roll… The NEWEST iteration of Aurora HDR is announced, and this time it’s launching for PC and Mac at the same time! Yes, finally, all of you Windows people (including me nowadays), can experience the greatness of this software!

It’s now gone through 10 iterations. I can’t spill all the new features yet, but I can say the HDR algorithms are at least twice as fast, there’s a fresh new user interface, lens corrections, and a whole lot more. The Mac and PC versions will be available for pre-order in the Stuck in Customs store on September 12!

Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified first when Aurora HDR 2018 is available for pre-order!

Watch this awesome (and silly) video about Aurora HDR 2018!

Mark your calendar for September 12!

Aurora HDR 2018 will be available for pre-order in my store on Sep 12, and released on Sep 28. Current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special pre-order price of $49. New users can pre-order Aurora HDR 2018 for just $89.

Aurora HDR’s Key Features

If you’re new to Aurora HDR, here’s some of the best features!

A sneak peek into what’s new in Aurora HDR 2018

Subscribe to my Newsletter to be notified first

Free Newsletter from Trey! March 2017 : Thursday Mar 2017 : Thursday
filed under&nbsp&nbspAurora HDR, Photography Tips, Tutorials

Apple may be dead to me but Aurora still has my heart!


IN REGARDS to ARTICLE (also known in common world wide web language as a BLOG POST) that MAY contain the words: “Apple is Dead To Me”

DATELINE: SAN FRANCISCO. I, Trey Ratcliff, hereby being of sound mind and body, understanding that these two aspects of the aforementioned are held in dispute by many authorities and experts, he, himself, speaking in the third person, furthermore hereby declares his unfettered support of Aurora HDR for the Computer In Question (Hereby toafter referred to APPLE MACINTOSH or derivatives thereof, including the latest manifestation of the APPLE MACINTOSH line of computers, albeit slower and sillier and donglier) and forthrightly denies moving back to Previous HDR Program in Question (hereforafterknown as PHOTOMATIX, which is a program that Windows users must tirelessly suffer, until said AURORA HDR is completed for MICROSOFT WINDOWS PROGRAM). Save $30 off Aurora HDR Bundle!

Furthermore, Trey Ratcliff (TR) does not claim any knowledge of an exact date for which AURORA HDR will be made for MICROSOFT WINDOWS computers. But he welcomes that day. TR has weekly conference calls with MACPHUN SOFTWARE (MS, not to be confused with MICROSOFT which often uses the acronym MS, but that is not recognized by this textual body), with which he partners on AURORA HDR. Even though the aforementioned may have written an article-post (Known in AOL Browser-device as a BLOG POST) entitled “Apple is Dead To Me,” it does not indicate that TR does not use MS for HDR on APPLE MACINTOSH or its various un-MAGsafed derivatives. The following paragraph will no doubt clarify.

Many INTERNET denizens, including such entities as 4CHAN and REDDIT and COMPUSERVE ALT-DATING GROUPS have made reference to the controversial BLOG-article entitled “Apple is Dead to Me.” The “Me” in this case is indeed TR (In the future to be referred to a “Trey Ratcliff”). Many Denizens may have indeed read the headline, but failed to read the actual article written by “Trey Ratcliff”, in which he details a rather convoluted DROPBOX (like “Microsoft Briefcase” that actually works for those familiar with PRODIGY) system that includes using MICROSOFT WINDOWS MS OS to do all of his photography work, however carving out DROPBOX (“MSDOS Briefcase”) as a means for transporting (over world-wide-web) certain files to his MACINTOSH system, upon delivery when he utilized AURORA HDR to process said photos, and then putting them back in the MS Briefcase (DROPBOX) to be transported across the internet (INTERNET) back to his MSDOS Windows COMPUTER, where he may or may not put them into ADOBE LIGHTROOM (to be known SLOW ADOBE PROGRAM or SAP). He then uses this SAP to receive into its digital innards the final photo which was beautifully adorned using AURORA HDR (High Dynamic Range), a program that was created by MACPHUN MS in partnership with “TR”.

Let it also be known that there are absolutely no discussions to port AURORA HDR to LINUX (LX), which has caused a great tumult amongst 0.1% of the INTERNET, which causes TR and MS and MSDOS no short amount of Linux-bitterness. TR apologizes for any inconvenience caused by operating systems he doesn’t understand.

Let it be known that TR recently visited the HQ of Apple in Cupertino. Upon entry, he had a sudden thought that he should have published the internet-log-article entitled “Apple is Dead to Me” after his visit to said Apple HQ. Many executives withheld a quiet rage and asked TR if he would consider waiting for WWDC (What Would Diablo Create) to see if perhaps something might change his mind. TR contended he maintained a small flicker of hope, as it is the only thing that springs eternal. “Trey Ratcliff” has not completely given up this hope that perhaps Apple will come back. After all, Microsoft did. He also gave an executive of APPLE (A) a Jar of Honey from his bee hives in New Zealand (NZ), where he farms as an amateur beekeeper, as a peace offering. TR harvested it by hand a week prior after a rigorous AURORA HDR session on his A Computer. In return TR received a VISITOR’S STICKER upon his hoodie. A facsimile (FAX) of said sticker is attached in ADDENDUM Q (Addendums A-P hereby being occupied by all the places TR has misplaced his DONGLES).

In case any of the above is unclear, let it forhitherwither be known that “TR” (TR) uses Aurora HDR on MAC (intosh) computers via a modern-day MICROSOFT BRIEFCASE also known to Internet Citizens as DropBox. For Further Explanation, please see magazine-online-article known in TCP (IP) language at http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2017/02/10/switching-from-mac-to-windows/


As a gesture of goodwill to Apple users worldwide… for a limited time you can save $30 off the Aurora HDR (for Macs) Bundle. It contains Aurora HDR 2017 and my newest (and arguably best) HDR tutorial. Grab it now!

February 2017 : Sunday Feb 2017 : Sunday
filed under&nbsp&nbspItaly, Tutorials, Venice, Workshops

Colors of Venetian Water

Speaking of Venice

Be sure to grab the NEW HDR Tutorial we filmed in Venice and just released for both Photomatix on Windows and Aurora HDR on Mac! It took me twice as long, but I think it was worth it!

Daily Photo – Colors of Venetian Water

The water in Venice is actually pretty disgusting. My friend Rene can attest to this because he actually fell into it with all his camera equipment! Luckily he survived to tell the tale! Anyway, sometimes during the day it looks less disgusting than usual, but one of the best ways to make it look pretty is to get these sorts of reflections at night! 

February 2017 : Friday Feb 2017 : Friday
filed under&nbsp&nbspAurora HDR, MacPhun, Photo Software, Photography Tips, Photoshop, Travel, Tutorials

Apple is dead to me… I’m switching to Windows!

Have Mac vs. PC arguments with friends?

Share this article with them on Facebook or wherever and begin the battle of wits! You can share anywhere right up there in the sharing icons… and thanks! 🙂

Switching from a Mac to Windows PC

I converted to Apple over 5 years ago when it was clear to me Apple made the best products for creative professionals. I loved Apple and became a hardcore fanboy. I was all-in. Now, I’m switching back to PCs. The new line of MacBook Pros are not-that-awesome. Apple has always been a company that makes beautiful, well-designed products (and still does), but they’ve started to put an emphasis on sleek design form over professional function.

What about the New New Macbook Pro (2017)?

Let’s look at some history here. Mid 2012, Apple released a killer MacBook Pro. I loved it so much. That same design with no serious upgrades hung out for over FOUR years till the end of 2016. That’s an epoch in computer years. Then, when they DID announce the Macbook Pro with the TouchBar, it, in many people’s opinions, including mine, was a step backwards. It was not any faster (after 4+ years!), limited memory, only had USB C ports, resting track-hand issues, and more. So, going on 5 years with no upgrades (downgrades, in fact), it left many of us hardcore users in a strange place.

In mid 2017, Apple finally released a good MacBook Pro that fixed many of the issues from the previous one. It is an upgrade for sure, but there are still a few problems with it. I can’t put more than 16 GB RAM in there, still only USB-C which means you need a lot of dongles, and the keyboard is strange because you end up typing quite “loud” to complete the travel of the keys. I still use it for some purposes, especially because we build our photo-editing software Aurora HDR 2018 for both machines. I’m between worlds, but mostly using the PC because I still find it faster and more workhorsey.

I need a more powerful machine that can handle a LOT. I doubt I’m the only creative professional in this situation. Nowadays, my camera’s RAW files are bigger (I use a Hasselblad X1D, but my MacBook was still choking with my Sony A7Rii files), and I do a lot of video work as well.

Unboxing the Beast

Nothing better than unboxing a new toy! I also advise not using a corkscrew to unbox anything… even though I’ve probably done it over a dozen times, I haven’t improved.

More reasons for the Switch

Windows 10 is getting really good, and Microsoft really seems to be innovating. I’m impressed and never thought I’d see the day… I thought they might just spiral down like IBM or WANG, but I’m happy they are making a come back.

I’m also not an iPhone user, having switched to Android a long time ago. The new Google Pixel phone simply amazing! I’m pretty objective, and it is just a better phone all around, and it gets you out of that ridiculous closed Apple ecosystem.

Even though I had a Macbook and an iPad, I always found the ecosystem to be quite confusing. iCloud will NOT stop demanding my family and I pay it more money. I never liked the Apple software apps like Mail (I use Google Inbox) or Apple Maps (I use Google Maps). While I was using Apple Photos to organize my final portfolio shots, I found it to be somewhat confusing and not as powerful as I needed it to be.

Another reason is I really want to get into VR more and you need a powerful Windows machine for that. I want to do 360 art, play 360 games, and all that fun stuff. I’m a big gamer, and I like the idea of playing all those Steam games on my Windows laptop and even my tablet (I got the Surface Pro as well).

How’s the Switch Going?

Great! It hasn’t been as hard to switch to Windows 10 as I thought. Most of my woes have been around adjusting my photography workflow, but I needed to update that anyway. I was heavily reliant on a workflow where I had combined Adobe Lightroom and Apple Photos (formerly iPhoto), because I liked to keep my final portfolio in Photos. It synced nicely to my iPad and everything.

Basically, I want to do everything on a big beefy laptop but also have a light tablet-like computer for more casual things. My Shopping list – Essentials

I used to build my own PC gaming machines back in the day before I switched to Apple. I did a ton of of my own research this time around, and I remembered back in the day when I would build my own gaming PCs that I bought everything from Newegg! When I decided to switch, I called up my contacts over there to send over some of the goodies listed in this article and I’d link to them in this Switch Guide… so here we go! 🙂 
Here are some other goodies I got for the Windows ecosystem:

Bonus Desktop Computer – Microsoft Surface Studio I’ve recently added a second Windows computer to my mix – a desktop! I set up this desktop computer in my studio at home to serve as the mothership for everything. I have the new Microsoft Surface Studio, and it is amazing! If you don’t know about this computer, be sure to check out this video. How awesome, eh? Honestly, this screen is bigger and more beautiful than any of my Macs. Apple used to have a monopoly on this stuff, but no more. I love this machine!

Here’s a Strange Reason to Switch

I’ll give you a somewhat strange reason (but not my main reason). It gives you a chance to clean all your stuff up and re-organize. It’s literally like moving into a new house. It’s a pain, but it can also be kind of fun! Also, counter-intuitively it’s good for creatives to “mix things up” from time to time and be a bit uncomfortable. I’m not going to get all philosophical here, but maybe you know what I mean. You can read more about my new storage in Step 4 below.

Switching while on the Go

The switch from Mac to Windows is challenging enough but I also did it while on a family vacation, moving from location to location. I was actually in the middle of a 60-day photo adventure around the world with my the wife and kids and everything. Balancing all that, the photography, AND a computer OS/hardware switch was quite the Olympian feat, I must say! 🙂

Trey’s Guide for Creative Professionals to Switch from Mac to Windows

This guide is a bit Trey-centric because, well, I am. Although from what I can tell, I have a fairly typical setup for a photography workflow. I mostly use Adobe products, which takes away 80% of the switching pain. I’d say the other 20% is a combination of finding those “little” apps you liked so much on the Mac and finding their counterparts on Windows. Well that, and getting used to the new UI!

Step 1 – Get your essential programs up and running

There’s an old joke about Internet Explorer – the first thing you do with it is download Google Chrome. That joke is so old now that Internet Explorer has been replaced by “Edge,” but you can still download Chrome. Actually, I used Edge a bit and it’s pretty good. They say that it’s more optimized for Windows 10, but I can’t tell any difference yet.

Here’s a list of the most important things I installed first when setting up the new machine: Note: It is recommended that you try to get the apps from their websites rather than the Windows store, where sometimes the apps can be a bit outdated or imperfect.

Additional Windows software that do various things:

Step 2 – Begin the Copy Process

I used my new sleek Samsung T3 Drive and began copying all my documents to it. I tended to drag whole folders, many of which were full of other folders. Even though I was dropbox-syncing, I also moved it over manually. It sped up the process quite a bit.

If you’re not that familiar with the Mac folder system, be sure to look all through the Finder window at all the core directories on the left side. I had almost everything important under /TreyRatcliff — everything should copy over fine. Here’s some notes to think about:

Step 3 – Get signed in Everywhere and start Syncing

This is always a bit of a small logistical pain. Luckily if you’re a Google and Facebook user, then getting logged into those first helps with the other programs you may use like Spotify and Chrome.

Adobe Creative Cloud is pretty straightforward. Remember you can only have 2 active logins with Creative Cloud, which I think is stupid. But that’s how they roll there at Adobe. Anyway, you can use your new computer to log out of all the others and create two new ones. It’s not too tough.

If you’re a Spotify user and like local copies of all your music, you may need to log into their website and activate/deactivate different devices. You get three there.

At this point, you should have all your programs signed in and the full syncing will begin. Everything from Evernote to Dropbox to Spotify to Chrome Favorites or whatever is in your app world will start to copy over.

Step 4 – The Great Storage Adventure

Note this only applies if you are not dropbox/google syncing all your files. In my case, I have 12 TB of photos, and Dropbox would take at least another adniminstration to sync.

The first thing you need to know about sharing large capactity storage between Windows and MacOS is that how the external storage is formatted makes a HUGE difference. Since Windows and MacOS can both read and write to exFAT drives, it’s good to format the drive on the Mac using exFAT. I tried doing this on the PC and the Mac cound not see it. When you go into Disk Utility on the Mac, just choose exFAT to format your new drive. Easy!

So what storgae did I go for? The Western Digital My Cloud Pro (PR2100) NAS. A Western Digital My Book Pro and the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro portable drive.

Starting with the My Cloud Pro, first think about how you want your storage configured. My NAS is the 16TB model and it arrived set to 2x8TB mirrored (basically 8TB of storage with the 2nd drive used to keep a seperate copy of every file an automated process). I used the web interface for the NAS to re-configure the drive to show as a single 16TB volume. (HOT TIP: When you first use the NAS, update the firmware then set the web interface timeout to be as long as possible. With the default settings the login times out before you complete the drive configuration and so it has to be done again.)

Step 4+ – Keep the Aurora HDR Party Going

Aurora HDR 2018 Now for Mac or Windows! 

Sneak Peek Inside Aurora HDR 2018

Step 5 – Use the Windows Machine exclusively for the first week

I noticed when I switched from Nikon DSLRs to the Sony mirrorless systems that it was really a difficult switch when I had both available. I knew the Nikon system so well and I would have great photo ops. For example, I was offered a cool helicopter ride up to a glacier. I was staring at my two cameras on the table, and I would usually take the Nikon because I knew the system so well and I didn’t want to risk it with the Sony.

Well then one day in Sydney my Nikon broke, so all I had was the Sony. I was forced to use it for a few weeks and I ended up loving it a lot more. I was able to see how much better it was and learned all of the advantages.

I’m now seeing that with Windows. Yes, learning things in the new OS are a little painful. Windows is not quite as slick as iOS in a lot of ways. I found the trackpad not quite as nice for example, and I had to re-train my brain about a few different things. But that only took a week, and now I’m pretty smooth with it!

Step 6 – Get your Color Right

By default, your new PC will have a different color profile than your Mac. At the very least you’ll have to open your color preferences and adjust the saturation until it is the same as your Mac. I recommend you pull up your 10 favorite photos and put them side by side, adjusting the saturation and color on your new PC until they are the same. Even though this system is calibrated at the factory by MSI (and has built in color profiles) this is a mistake I made and for about a week, my photos were a bit off and more de-saturated than I like. I only noticed when I looked on my wife’s mac and my photos looked less colorful than I preferred.

Bonus Step 7 – Surface Pro Party with the Microsoft Surface Pro! I didn’t think I’d like this machine, but I was wrong. I like it better than my iPad for sure. It’s a fully functional computer and not just a tablet. I’ve actually been altering my workflow quite a bit where I do many “daily” things on my Surface Pro – things like email, social media, Facebook stuff, etc etc. It’s a tiny little machine that I can set on my lap or anywhere. It’s also great because I can play Steam games on it, it travels well, I can do lightweight Lightroom stuff — I have some folders synced with my big computer, etc.

Bonus Step 8 – Use your NVIDIA Graphics Card with Adobe Products

This wasn’t obvious and was nowhere in the documentation. But the MSI computer has a “GFX” button under the power button to the left of the keyboard. When you click that, it asks you to reboot to use the fast NVIDIA card at all times. This can have performance benefits in some applications such as Lightroom which by default use the less powerful Intel GPU rather than auto switch to the NVIDIA which happens when gaming. Now I just keep that NVIDIA GPU on all the time (no need to reboot). On the downside, it eats up more battery, but I am connected to power most of the time.

Bonus Step 9 – Virtual Reality

I bought the funky HTC Vive VR Kit! This has been an unexpected joy to our family. We all LOVE playing VR. There are now so many fun games and apps – the kids and wife go crazy for it. I could stay in VR Google Earth forever. At some point, I’ll put together a list of all my favorite VR Apps and Games for you!

Bonus Step X – Questions??

Okay, okay, this is a living document… what did I miss? What have you discovered? Add to the comments below! And thanks for reading this far – I hope you found it helpful! 🙂

photo-editing software Aurora HDR 2018photo-editing software Aurora HDR 2018 September 2016 : Thursday Sep 2016 : Thursday
filed under&nbsp&nbspAurora HDR, Photo Software, Photography Tips, Skylum, Travel, Tutorials

Aurora HDR 2017 is here, get it now! It’s been a long two weeks but the wait is finally over, the new Aurora HDR 2017 for Macs is finally here and ready to download! I developed this software along with Skylum, an amazing company that has already created many other stunning photography tools for the Mac. The idea that after 10 years I finally got to create my own High Dynamic Range photography software and jam-pack it with all my favorite tricks was absolutely intoxicating!

I’ve been using this software now for a short eternity and we’ve taken my experience plus some great feedback from other users to create this new version. You can head over to our Aurora HDR 2017 Page see all the long list of new and improved features. Note: Aurora HDR 2017 is still for Macs only. Yes, we truly are working on a Windows version (harder than it sounds) and when it’s released you will be the first to know! Current Users of Aurora HDR Pro can upgrade for $49. Click here to find out if you qualify for an upgrade.

New Customers can Order Now for only $89, (Extended Pre-Order price for one week only until October 6). New software… and new HDR tutorial to go with it!

It is an hour long Video tutorial to show how I use Aurora HDR 2017 in practically every situation. From outdoors to indoors, mixes to architecture, moving objects to single photos, people photos and everything in between. You’ll see how I use the tool in slightly different ways for all these situations. As usual, I start out the tutorials very slowly, aimed at total beginners. But then we move on to intermediate and advanced techniques.

Trey’s Super Bundle

If you’re feeling a little adventurous you should check out the Super Bundle which includes both Aurora HDR 2017 AND my full-length HDR Video Tutorial for Macs all in one, for cheaper than it would be to buy them separately 🙂 September 2016 : Wednesday Sep 2016 : Wednesday
filed under&nbsp&nbspAurora HDR, Photo Software, Photography Tips, Travel, Tutorials

Happy Aurora HDR 2017 Pre-Order Day!

At some magical point today, Aurora HDR 2017 will become available for Pre-Order! I’ve been working on this thing like crazy, and I can’t wait to get it in your hands. Below are two videos where I talk more about it. One is an overall preview and the next is a hot tip.

What do you get with the Pre-Order?

Pre-Order Bonus Items:

Trey Ratcliff Deep Dive video and RAW files
1 Year basic subscription to SmugMug
60-day KelbyOne membership
25 Square Prints from Parabo.press (free global shipping)

What’s the history and the deal with Aurora HDR 2017?

A few years ago, I called up MacPhun to see if they wanted to collaborate on the ultimate HDR program. They said yes, and we built the original one over a year ago. It went gangbusters and has over 650,000 downloads. Yes, it’s only Mac so far, but there is a Windows version in development. Anyway, we listened to all the feedback and ideas and made this new version. As usual, I’ve been testing it all along the way…

What are the updates?

There are over 20 updates, but here are the latest ones.

New Luminosity Masks controls
New Zone System allows selective masking of specific areas of an image; new controls provide extensive fine-tuning, allowing users to make brightness adjustments in more precise areas.

New tone-mapping engine
The improved algorithm is quicker, reduces noise, and handles tone, contrast and details in all areas of your photo for more realistic, sharp and natural tone-mapping results.

New batch processing
Automatically recognizes brackets, and adds support for sub-­folders and Batch preset – the single most requested feature since the launch of Aurora HDR.

New Polarizing filter
Emulating the polarisation filter added to a lens, this feature gives colours more depth with a single swipe, and cuts haze – perfect for landscape photographers.

New powerful one-click presets
Including Signature Pro presets by Trey Ratcliff, Captain Kimo and Serge Ramelli, to yield fantastic results instantly.

New ways to work with Layers
Support of different Blend modes for Layers and Textures, with new options for Darken, Color Burn and Lighten.

New enhanced Top & Bottom Adjustment panel
Top and Bottom Adjustment includes new contrast, vibrance, and warmth sliders, adding an extra level of selective control.

Faster RAW processing & DNG support
Time-saving image processing, and improved DNG handling.

Introducing Aurora HDR 2017

Here’s a fun video I made that shows some of the new features.

Tip Video: Batch Processing

Here’s one of three new tip videos that illustrates the new Batch feature. To see all the videos and more, pop over to my Youtube Channel!

August 2016 : Thursday Aug 2016 : Thursday
filed under&nbsp&nbspAurora HDR, Camera Gear, New York, New York City, Photo Software, Photography Tips, The Everyday Bag, Tutorials

Central Park, Made with Aurora HDR 2017

Burning Man Fun!

Today’s the day I arrive at Burning Man! To see pics from the last six years, see my Burning Man Portfolio here.

What’s in Trey’s bag – Burning Man Edition

Which bags do I use in which situation? Here’s a quick video I made! Thanks again to the amazing team at Peak Design for making me so extra-bag-happy! 🙂 More on the Kickstarter over here

Daily Photo – Central Park, Made with Aurora HDR 2017

I've been making HUNDREDS of photos, testing out the new software and getting everything ready for the new release. This looks pretty good, eh? I went back and got some of my still unprocessed frames from over 5 years ago when I was in Central Park. It's great fun to “drudge” up these old memories and re-process them with new software!