The post The World’s First Completely AI-Powered Photo Editor Will Debut Before the Year Is Out appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Skylum’s Luminar AI, billed as “the first image editor fully powered by artificial intelligence,” will come available before the year is out.
Already, the image editor has created controversy among photographers thanks to its automated, AI-based approach to image editing, with some claiming that Luminar AI’s easy, no-experience-necessary approach is problematic – or even cheating.
And while we don’t know exactly how the program works, Skylum has released several videos showing off some of Luminar AI’s standout features.
Highlights include:
Composition AI, which automatically straightens your images and suggests cropping based on compositional guidelines and feedback from professional photographers
Face AI and Skin AI, which automatically retouch your subjects’ faces for improved teeth, lips, skin, and much more
Sky AI, which allows you to instantly swap skies while automatically adjusting for changes in lighting and color
Atmosphere AI, which lets you enhance your images with weather effects (such as haze, steam, drizzle, fog, and mist)
To see some of these AI effects in action, check out Skylum’s latest video:
While Luminar AI will be offered as a standalone editing program, Skylum’s most up-to-date software, Luminar 4, already packs some AI-based features (including a popular sky-replacement option). But Luminar AI promises to take AI editing to the next level, opening up advanced post-processing effects to a much larger audience.
Will Luminar AI do everything for you?
It doesn’t seem like it. As Skylum explains, you have to make creative choices; Luminar AI will do a lot of editing work for you, but you’ll remain at the helm.
As for the Luminar AI release:
The date is currently unknown, but Skylum promises a “holiday season” release. I’d expect an early December debut, though mid-December or late November certainly isn’t out of the question.
In terms of price, you can currently preorder Luminar AI for a discounted rate:
$ 74 USD for a standard copy of Luminar AI, or $ 139 USD to download both Luminar AI and Luminar 4.
So if Luminar AI’s simple approach to editing appeals to you, make sure you take a look while the discount still lasts! You can view the software here.
Now over to you:
What do you think about Luminar AI? Do you like the idea of AI-based editing? Or does it feel like cheating? And will you purchase the program? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post The World’s First Completely AI-Powered Photo Editor Will Debut Before the Year Is Out appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Black and white film and paper manufacturer Ilford Photo has produced a series of videos to help beginners get to grips with essential darkroom techniques. Hosted by Rachel Brewster-Wright from Little Vintage Photography the collection of videos tackles some of the basics of common darkroom questions in a simple to follow format.
So far, subjects covered in the 16-video playlist include dodging and burning, selenium toning, using multi-grade paper and more. The series sits alongside a mass of other educational content from the film-maker that covers issues such as how an enlarger works, pinhole photography, a checklist for setting up your own darkroom and processing your first roll of film. This is mixed with inspirational interviews with black and white photographers and printers, as well as footage inside the Ilford Factory in the UK.
If you want to get started in black and white film photography, or you want a refresher on how it’s all done check out the Ilford Photo YouTube channel.
Camera Bits, the company behind the popular photo ingestion program Photo Mechanic, has released its newest product, Photo Mechanic Plus. This new program features all of the ingestion, code replacement and other features within the standard Photo Mechanic program, but takes it a step further by adding a full-fledged digital asset manager (DAM) for organizing and sorting through your photographs with ease, not unlike Adobe Photoshop Bridge or the ‘Catalog’ module in Lightroom.
The new program includes all of the features of Photo Mechanic 6, but also adds a powerful database option for managing all of your photos on macOS and Windows computers. This includes the ability to create individual catalogs that can be accessed independently or together based on the filters and parameters you’ve applied.
Camera Bits claims you can scroll through a million photos ‘without a pause’ in its new DAM. While this might seem implausible, anyone who’s used Photo Mechanic knows how quickly the program is capable of displaying and sorting through thousands of images without bringing your computer to a halt.
Other features include a powerful search box for finding exactly the images you need as well as saved searches for keywords and parameters you frequently need to access. Filters and Collections can further be used to sub-categorize your images. Below is a fantastic video rundown from Camera Bits showing off the new features inside Photo Mechanic Plus:
Photo Mechanic Plus includes all functionality of Photo Mechanic 6, but is a separate purchase. A perpetual single-user license will set you back $ 229 (as an introductory price, with $ 399 being the eventual retail price), while an upgrade from Photo Mechanic 5 and Photo Mechanic 6 will set you back $ 179 and $ 90, respectively. A 30-day free trial is available as well if you want to take Photo Mechanic Plus for a spin before purchasing a license.
You can find out more information on Camera Bits’ website and view the pricing details on the Photo Mechanic product page.
The Exposure photo editing software application, that was formerly Alien Skin, has been updated with enhanced GPU optimization that allows some oft-used functions to run at three times the speed. Exposure X6 also introduces a collection of new automated adjustments that aim to make image processing simpler and to save photographers time.
Available as a standalone application or a plug-in for Adobe’s Photoshop and Lightroom, Exposure X6 introduces Auto White Balance, Auto Exposure, Auto Haze Level, Auto Dynamic Contrast and Auto Tone for creating one-click fixes for common problems. Tonal and contrast adjustments are said to avoid shifts in color saturation and hue, and the Auto White Balance adjustment is based on camera metadata. The sensor used is also taken into account in the new noise reduction feature, along with information about the ISO setting and an estimate of likely electronic noise.
Before and after examples of the new Color Editor tool that allows colors to be selected and replaced. Changes can be saved as a preset to apply to further images
A new Color Editor allows users to select and replace specific selected colors, and to make multiple color changes within the same image. These changes can be mapped and saved as presets to be used in further images so sets of pictures can have consistent adjustments made.
Exposure X6 is available for download now, and costs $ 119. If you bought Exposure X5 on or after July 15th 2020 your upgrade will be free, and those who bought it before that, and users of previous versions, can upgrade for $ 89. For more information, and a free 30-day trial, visit the Exposure website.
Exposure X6 features dramatic speed improvement, one-click automatic adjustments, advanced color replacement, innovative shadow/highlight and noise reduction processing, and more
Exposure Software, formerly known as Alien Skin Software, today announced the release of Exposure X6, the newest version of their award-winning RAW photo editor for creative photographers. Exposure is a standalone image editor that handles a full photography workflow. It includes plug-in support that enables Exposure’s advanced editing and creative effects in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.
New in Exposure X6 is advanced GPU optimization, which dramatically speeds up image processing. GPU support works in concert with Exposure’s existing multi-core optimization to enable Exposure to leverage the full power of modern computer hardware. Many frequently used editing operations have been sped up by a factor of three on typical GPU hardware. This improved performance enables editing at greatly improved speeds, reducing distraction so photographers can focus on creativity.
“The introduction of GPU support in Exposure X6 enabled us to achieve amazing speed and image processing quality improvements,” said Finley Lee, CEO of Exposure Software. “This further advances our goal of making Exposure the best available image editor for creative photography.”
New automatic adjustments select optimized values for the most frequently used controls in a single click, freeing time for creative editing. They can even be applied in batch to significantly ease the time spent editing large photoshoots. Exposure’s new automatic adjustments include the following:
Auto White Balance adjusts white balance based on camera metadata. Corrects for tungsten, artificial, shade, and sunlight illuminant scenes.
Auto Exposure sets image exposure for both under and overexposed images.
Auto Haze Level changes the level of atmospheric haze present in the image. This is particularly useful for backlit subjects and images shot into the sun.
Auto Dynamic Contrast lowers and raises the overall image contrast without changing saturation or hue.
Auto Tone sets values for Blacks, Shadows, Highlights, and Whites sliders that affect overall image tone.
Using an innovative tonal-zone approach, Exposure’s redesigned shadows and highlights controls are more reliable, consistent, and accurate. These intuitive controls are particularly adept at recovering lost details in the highlight and shadow areas. The adjustments are applied intelligently to prevent unwanted color casts or hue shifts. They are exceptionally well-suited in preserving high or low key scenes.
Exposure’s new profile guided noise reduction capability reduces noise based on camera sensor characteristics, ISO, and estimated electronic noise. Luminance and chrominance noise can be reduced independently. The smoothing option applies an adaptive noise-sensitive algorithm which preserves sharp edges while further reducing noise.
The new Advanced Color Editor builds on Exposure’s innovative 3D color masking to enable vastly greater control of color modifications. For example, a model’s blue dress can be changed to red in just a few clicks. Photographers can select source and target colors based on luminance, hue, and saturation attributes. It is even possible to select multiple color replacement mappings and save them as a preset to be reused.
Additional enhancements to Exposure include the following:
Updated user interface provides a refined, modern aesthetic
New haze level slider, for counteracting the decrease in contrast caused by atmospheric haze. It can also add haze as a creative effect.
Customization of the hue and opacity of the selection mask overlay.
Optional black background for the mask to view selected pixels without distraction.
Optional luminance or saturation background for the selection mask, which helps visualize the mask region when adjusting luminance or saturation constraints.
DNG converter integration enables conversion of RAW photos to DNG format using Adobe’s DNG Converter software. Conversion can be performed automatically when copying photos from a camera card, or manually invoked from a photo’s thumbnail view.
About Exposure Exposure began in 2005 as a film simulation plug-in for Photoshop, and was immediately embraced by digital photographers of all genres seeking to recapture the organic look of film. Over the years, Exposure became a legend among plug-ins, and evolved into a standalone full-featured editing and organizing solution for creative photographers.
Pricing and Availability Exposure X6 is available now from https://exposure.software for $ 119. Upgrade pricing is available to owners of previous versions of Exposure for $ 89. Additionally, anyone who purchased Exposure X5 on or after July 15, 2020 will automatically receive a free upgrade to Exposure X6.
Exposure X6 is also available in the Exposure X6 Bundle. This integrated collection combines Exposure with Exposure Software’s award-winning Blow Up and Snap Art tools to add high-quality upsizing and natural media special effects. It is available for $ 149. Owners of one or more of the current apps in the Exposure X6 Bundle can purchase for $ 99.
A 30-day fully-featured free trial of Exposure is available. Visit https://exposure.software to learn more and download the trial.
Host Requirements Exposure X6 may be used as a standalone program or as a set of plug-ins. When used as a set of plug-ins, it requires one of the following host applications: * Adobe Photoshop CS6 or Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 or newer * Adobe Lightroom 6 or Adobe Lightroom CC 2015 or newer
System Requirements
Mac * OS X 10.11 El Capitan or newer * Intel Core 2 processor or newer * Monitor with 1280 x 768 resolution or greater * 8GB RAM minimum, 16GB recommended * For GPU support, a recent (2015 or later) Metal compatible GPU with 2GB RAM is recommended
Windows * Windows 10 64-bit or newer * Intel Core 2 processor or newer * Monitor with 1280 x 768 resolution or greater * 8GB RAM minimum, 16GB recommended * For GPU support, a recent (2015 or later) OpenCL compatible GPU with 2GB RAM is recommended
The post An Introduction to Working with Layers in Affinity Photo appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
Working with layers in Affinity Photo is very similar to how you work with layers in Adobe Photoshop. So if you are used to Photoshop, the transition to using layers in Affinity Photo is relatively easy.
Are you new to post-processing your photos with software that allows you to use layers? You’re sure to learn some cool new editing tips and tricks as you read through this article.
Being able to stack images, text, shapes, etc., with layers in Affinity Photo provides unlimited scope for creativity. As with any serious image-processing program, the learning curve is steep. There is always more than one series of steps you can take to achieve the same results.
In this article, I’ll introduce you to using layers in Affinity Photo. I’ll show you some of the cool ways you can edit your photos and create graphics that would not be possible without using layers.
Layer basics
When you open an image in Affinity Photo, a new layer is created. This shows in the Layers Panel on the left of your monitor. When you have one layer, you can add new layers and also move them up and down in the Layers Panel.
Any image, shape, or text can be added in a layer. You can continue to stack layers one on top of the other. Layers in Affinity Photo can be resized and cropped so they are different dimensions than the original layer.
The top layer is visible and may hide the layers underneath it, depending on the settings you choose for it. The opacity of the layer can be reduced so that the layer below is revealed.
There are also options to change the blend modes of layers. This means that the layer will interact differently with the layers below it. So if you add a text layer, you can alter how the text looks by changing the blend mode.
This works very much the same way as it does in Photoshop. But if you are new to this, you’ll have fun as you experiment with the different blend modes and the effects you can create with them.
Adjustment layers in Affinity Photo
With the Layers Panel, there is also a panel labeled Adjustments. This contains 22 items that, when clicked, will add a new adjustment layer to the file you are working on.
Adding an adjustment layer affects the layers underneath. You can create a layer group and include the adjustment layer with the layers you want it to affect.
Here I have added a Channel Mixer adjustment at the top of the layer hierarchy:
The adjustment layer is affecting both the text and the photo.
Here I moved the adjustment layer to group it with the text layer:
To do this, click the adjustment layer and drag it onto the layer you want it to affect.
Adjustment layers are non-destructive. This means that you can turn them on and off and they will not alter your original image. This gives you a lot of room to experiment without permanently editing the photo or other artwork you are working on.
You can use adjustment layers in Affinity Photo to create an unlimited number of effects in your photos. Each layer you add interacts with the layers beneath it. You can also change the blend mode of each adjustment layer independently.
Layer masks
You can mask out a layer or parts of a layer using layer masks. To add a layer mask, click on the icon that looks like a rectangle with a circle in it at the bottom of the Layers Panel. This will add a layer mask to the layer you currently have selected.
Here, I have duplicated my layer with the photo and painted with a black brush to erase the bottom part of the photo. If you make a mistake when you’re painting, you can switch the brush color to white. Then you can simply paint over the area you want to restore and the image will re-appear.
Once you’ve added a mask, you can alter the blend mode and even add further adjustment masks to it.
Here I have changed the blend mode to Multiply and then further darkened the sky by adding a Curves adjustment:
Notice that these changes only affect the layer they are grouped with. So only the sky, which I did not mask out, is altered.
Text layers in Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo enables you to do some innovative and pretty cool things with text layers.
To add a text layer, click on the text icon in the toolbar. By clicking and dragging on your canvas, you can set the size of the text. Once you release the mouse button, you can type and the text will appear at the size you set it to.
By clicking and holding the text icon in the toolbar, you can choose another option. This brings up the Frame Text tool. With this, you can click and drag on your canvas to make a bounding box to add your text inside. You can right-click in the box and select Insert Filler Text to fill your new test box.
You can also do this with any of the shapes in the toolbar menu.
Conclusion
Working with layers opens up whole new realms of creative possibilities for what you can do with your photos. If you are new to post-processing your photos or have been using an app like Lightroom, which has no layers, you have a lot to explore.
Take your time experimenting and familiarize yourself with the many options you have for working with layers in Affinity Photo.
I hope this article has provided you with a little insight into the potential of what you can do with layers. Now it’s up to you to take it beyond the basics and start creating masterpieces.
As you practice and try new things, please let us know in the comments below if you discover an aspect of working with layers in Affinity Photo that you think other readers might like to learn about.
The post An Introduction to Working with Layers in Affinity Photo appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
Finalists for the annual Comedy Pet Photo Awards were recently announced. Founded by the creators of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the competition is now in its second year. Over 2,000 images of pets were submitted from 81 countries. The aim is to showcase the impact pets have on our lives and to raise awareness around animal homelessness in the United Kingdom. 10% of all entry fees were donated to national pet charity Blue Cross.
‘The entries this year have been completely and utterly what we needed to raise our spirits in 2020. It has been a tough year for many, but these images have not only made us laugh out loud, but also re-affirmed our desire to drastically reduce animal cruelty and pet orphanage. The positive movement created by this competition is so uplifting and hopefully we can achieve a similar reaction from all who see this competition,’ says Sullam.
Category and Overall Winners will be announced on November 24th. All 40 finalists can be viewed on the Comedy Pet Photo Awards site.
Artist Statement: I was photographing horses in a pasture, and these three got together and appeared to have a chat, gossipping like giggling schoolgirls.
Artist Statement: I’ve always been keen on architectural photography, on leading lines, on creative perspectives. I had a walk around London with Kyte and his owners. Kyte is a lovely 9-year-old Weimaraner. I had been eying up this spot for a while and just waiting for the right face to wear Saint Paul’s cupola.
Artist Statement: 2016 at the greek Island Amorgos. We hiked from Aegiali to Langada and I made some Pics with my Mobile of a Donkey Group. In the last Picture it looks like that the Donkey was friendly and smiling to us. So I realise that I have to make more of this.
In 2019 we meet the Donkey Owners, they have a nice Tavern in Langada TAVERNA LOUDAROS and they told us the name of the Donkeys. From righti to left: Sister Nefeli, Mother Floredia and SOSO!
Artist Statement: Dani, the puppy, hangs on for her life when Gabby is at the wheel. (The car wasn’t actually moving so it wasn’t really scary.) We intended to take a photo of the dogs looking at the camera but both pups looked forward instead which was much funnier!
Just to be on the safe side, we kept both dogs on leashes. What you can’t see in these photos is my husband crouched down in the back seat, holding both dogs leashes. He is such a good sport!
Finalist: ‘Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Silly Things Alone’ by Kerstin Ordelt
Artist Statement: This photo is an outtake. Actually, the dogs tried to hug and thats what happend 🙂 The picture was taken in Linz (Austria) in a pedestrian zone early in the morning.
Finalist: ‘Why Are You Upside Down Mum?’ by Malgorzata (Gosia) Russell
Artist Statement: This our one year old still kitten cat Basil. He is very playful, agile and loves our garden we used a lot during lockdown. It is our daily, morning routine to chase each other around the garden. Picture is not photoshopped.
Winners of the 2020 Drone Photo Awards from Siena Awards
Winners for the 6th edition of the Drone Photo Awards competition, affiliated with the Siena International Photo Awards competition (you can view winners of the Creative Photo Awards here), were recently announced. Entries were sent in by drone photographers from 126 countries. ‘Love Heart of Nature’ by Australian photographer Jim Picôt, which depicts a shark swimming inside a heart–shaped salmon school, was recognized as the Overall Winner.
The awards are divided into 9 categories: Abstract, Empty Cities: Life during COVID-19, Nature, People, Sports, Series, Urban Architecture, Wedding, and Animals. All 45 winning images will be displayed at the ‘Above Us Only Sky’ exhibition, scheduled from October 24th to November 29th at the ‘Accademia dei Fisiocritici’ museum in Siena, Italy.
Overall Winner: ‘Love Heart of Nature’ by Jim Picôt
Location: Avoca Beach, NSW, Australia
Description: In winter, a shark is inside a salmon school when, chasing the baitfish, the shape became a heart shape.
Winner, Wedding: ‘Tropical Bride’ by Mohamed Azmeel
Location: (Not given)
Description: I used the flowers and the leaves leftover from the decoration of a wedding, to make something creative.
Winner, Abstract: ‘Swirl’ by Boyan Orste
Location: Pink Lake, Australia
Description: An abstract shot of a Pink lake chemical reaction in Western Australia.
Winner, Nature: ‘Coffee or Tea’ by Yi Sun
Location: Brazil
Description: (Not given)
Winner, Wildlife: ‘Outer Space Flamingos’ by Paul McKenzie
Location: Lake Natron, Tanzania
Description: (Not given)
Winner, Life Under COVID-19: ‘Black Flag’ by Tomer Appelbaum
Location: Israel
Description: Thousands of Israelis maintain social distancing due to Covid-19 restrictions while protesting against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Rabin Square on 19 April 2020.
Winner, Sport: ‘On the Sea’ by Roberto Corinaldesi
Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom
Description: An aerial view of swimmers, where the sea becomes the place to take refuge, between the blue carpet and the white foam of the waves.
Winner, People: ‘Frozen Land’ by Alessandra Meniconzi
Location: Eurasian Steppe
Description: With temperatures of minus 30°C, winters in the Eurasian steppe can be brutal. But life doesn’t stop, and local people move from one village to another with a sledge, crossing icy rivers and lakes.
Winner, Urban: ‘Alien Structure on Earth’ by Tomasz Kowalski
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Description: Sometimes we need to change the perspective to feel the strength of the structure stronger than we’ve ever thought. The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur.
Winner, Wedding: ‘The Wedding Crashers’ by David Gallardo
Location: Turks & Caicos Islands
Description: (Not given)
Winner, Life Under COVID-19: ‘Lonely Guardian’ by Mauro Pagliai
Location: Siena, Italy
Description: (Not given)
Winner, Sport: ‘Ball Up’ by Brad Walls
Location: Sydney, Australia
Description: The physical motions of the tennis player against the clean abstract lineage of the court created a harmonious effect to the eye.
Winner, Abstract: ‘Fishing At Jamuna River’ by MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan
Location: Bogra, Bangladesh
Description: (Not given)
Winner, Urban: ‘Sunrise on the Top’ by Rex Zou
Location: Shanghai, China
Description: At 4:30 in the morning, mysteriously shrouded in clouds, this is what the second tallest building in Shanghai looks like.
Winner, People: ‘Mountains of Salt’ by Igor Altuna
Location: Thi Xa Ninh Hoa, Vietnam
Description: An aerial picture taken on a saltern near a small town on central Vietnam’s coast.
The post News: ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 Released appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
ACDSee has just launched its latest software:
Photo Studio Ultimate 2021, which improves upon ACDSee’s Photo Studio Ultimate 2020 and continues to compete with programs such as ON1 Photo RAW and Luminar as one of the best all-in-one photo editors on the market.
ACDSee’s software is consistently impressive; Photo Studio Ultimate 2020 contained an excellent mix of digital asset management capabilities, basic adjustments, and more advanced, layer-based edits.
So what does Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 offer over its predecessor?
Quite a lot, as it turns out.
For one, Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 features increased performance. ACDSee promises “up to 100% faster start up, up to 50% faster mode-switching, up to 100% faster working with keywords & categories, and more.”
After trying Photo Studio Ultimate 2021, it’s clear that this is true. While I wouldn’t refer to the program as fast, it’s certainly speedier than Lightroom, Photoshop, or Luminar.
Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 also offers a brand-new color wheel, which allows you to make precise adjustments to colors in your images. Using an eye-dropper tool, you can select specific colors in your image. And you can modify the selection by way of an intuitive color wheel graphic:
Honestly, this has to be one of my favorite implementations of selective color adjustments, and should give photographers plenty to have fun with.
But ACDSee didn’t stop there. In addition to the Color Wheel feature, you get a set of handy tone wheels. Here, with a few simple clicks, you can selectively tone the highlights, the midtones, and the shadows. This makes it easy to color grade your images and to create a stylistic look that’s truly your own.
Plus, Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 offers a nifty little Refine Selection feature. While previous versions of the software allowed for selections while editing, you can now contract, expand, and feather your selection for a more precise result.
Additional new features include:
A modified batch rename option
Improved user experience and layout
Enhanced crop capabilities
Enhanced watermark capabilities
Much more!
So if you’re looking for a photo editor that includes complex digital asset management capabilities, powerful layer-based editing, and a whole host of new processing tools, check out Photo Studio Ultimate 2021.
You can grab it on ACDSee’s website for just $ 8.90 USD per month, $ 89 USD per year, or (if you’d prefer to make a one-time purchase), $ 149.99 USD.
Now over to you:
What do you think of ACDSee’s Photo Studio Ultimateseries? And which of the new features are you most excited about? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post News: ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 Released appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
ACD Systems International has launched ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021. This is the newest version of the company’s flagship photo editing software. The new version is focused on providing improved performance. ACD Systems International states that Photo Studio Ultimate 2021’s performance enhancements are up to 100 percent faster and RAW decoding is up to 20 percent faster.
Frank Lin, CTO & COO of ACD Systems International, says, ‘This product is everything you need to optimize your digital asset management, your photography workflow, your editing process and your work as a photographer. We’re pleased to have focused on responding to customer feedback to make this the best product for today’s photographers.’
New features in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 include:
New Color Wheels and Tone Wheels – These wheels allow users to more precisely adjust colors, highlights, midtones and shadows.
Text on paths and text in a frame – You can now customize your text, including its path.
Refine Selection – In the new version, you can shift or soften edges, allowing for better use of included tools such as Smart Erase.
New and improved batch rename and resize functionality – You can now create your own templates and presets to speed up batch processes.
New optimized user interface and panes – New UI and panes are designed to streamline the editing process, allow the user to capture snapshots and view a full edit history for a file.
Improved Quick Search – Finding images in large databases is much faster.
Improved crop and watermarking – You can crop multiple images to custom sizes and add watermarks using anchor points.
Easier migration from Lightroom and Picasa – You can import face data in three clicks.
This screenshot shows the new Color Wheel in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021. Image credit: ACDSee
ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 is available now. You can purchase a perpetual license for $ 149.99 or purchase the software via subscription for $ 69 per year. You can learn more about ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2021 and evaluate your purchasing options by clicking here. Photo Studio is also available in Professional and Home versions as well for $ 100 and $ 60 respectively. These versions have fewer features than Ultimate in exchange for a lower price.
ON1 has unveiled new updates for its suite of software, including major upgrades to ON1 Photo RAW and new features in ON1 Photo Mobile. ON1 has also announced the all-new ON1 Portrait AI, which is available as a standalone application and as a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Corel Paintshop Pro, Apple Photos and Capture One (at a later date).
ON1 Portrait AI uses machine learning to locate and evaluate each face in portrait photos to retouch and process them without the need for manual adjustments. Dan Harlacher, VP of Product for ON1, describes ON1 Portrait AI as follows, ‘This product was created to solve the main problem portrait photographers face, spending way too much time editing individual portraits or entire shoots.’ Harlacher continues, ‘…ON1 Portrait AI is incredibly fast at getting through an entire shoot…’
The new software classifies individual faces in the frame, adds ‘realistic retouching’ to the skin, eyes and mouth without the use of global retouching. The software also includes other tools for manual skin retouching. Tools include frequency separation, skin shine reduction, blemish removal, face shape sculpting, eye and teeth whitening and more.
ON1 Photo RAW Mobile for iOS, iPadOS and Android devices includes new masking features, allowing users to make specific localized adjustments and effects. As part of the new masking functionality, ON1 Photo RAW Mobile includes ON1’s Perfect Brush. The brush includes edge detection features and allows the user to create a precise mask with just their finger. The new masking tools also support the Apple Pencil and Android Stylus. Further, local adjustments in ON1 Photo RAW Mobile utilize ON1’s proprietary raw processing engine.
The mobile version of ON1 Photo RAW includes new effects and filters, such as the Dynamic Contrast filter, which ON1 states is the ‘gold standard for amazing clarity and detail.’ Additional new filters include Curves, Glow and HDR Look. Organization and workflow are improved with the new update as well thanks to new built-in ways to search and sort photos within the app.
ON1 Photo RAW for mobile is available on the App Store and Google Play. Image credit: ON1
ON1’s president, Craig Keudell, says, ‘ON1 Photo RAW Mobile has been significantly enhanced in a short amount of time and there is more on the way. The addition of creative masking tools and filters helps make it a photography tool everyone will want to use.’
ON1’s autumn lineup is rounded out by ON1 Photo RAW 2021, ON1’s flagship raw photo editor. ON1 Photo RAW 2021 is available for macOS and Windows and includes pro-grade photo organization, raw processing, nondestructive editing, a layers-based workflow and more.
A key new feature in ON1 Photo RAW 2021 is the integration of ON1 Portrait AI. In addition to the new portrait retouching functionality, ON1 Photo RAW 2021 makes it easier for users to organize their images with a new Smart Organize mode. This feature makes it easier than ever before to identify image duplicates, locate groups of photos from the same day or location and the mode can even identify similar images. ON1 states that it is the ‘perfect solution for those who want to speed up their culling, improve organization, or even save on storage space.’
In terms of performing localized editing, ON1 Photo RAW Mobile is not the only new ON1 software with new features. ON1 Photo RAW 2021 includes a color range selection tool that integrates edge detection from ON1’s Perfect Brush to create flexible gradient masks. You can create color-sensitive gradient masks, which should allow for easier local editing when working with skies behind subjects such as trees and buildings.
Photo RAW 2021 also includes new custom brush shapes. You can select between hard-edge shapes, making it simpler to paint straight edges or opt for more organic brush shapes and textures, which will allow you to paint on something like snow or grass. Further, a new non-destructive healing brush has been added to help remove distracting elements from your images such as dust spots, cables and people from the scene. The new healing brush includes a content-aware mode and a clone stamp mode.
A new full-screen preview mode has been added to the software, allowing the user to view an image without any distracting user interface elements on the screen. When in the full-screen mode, you can still utilize some tools, such as brush tools. There is also a new Quick Slideshow mode so you can show off your images in a full-screen display.
When ingesting images, ON1 Photo RAW 2021 includes new camera-based presets. This means you can set specific editing presets for individual camera models and even individual serial numbers. ON1 says this feature is helpful for users with custom camera profiles or with cameras that have been converted to infrared.
ON1 Photo RAW 2021 includes new local and global adjustment features. Image credit: ON1
In terms of global photo editing tools, ON1 Photo RAW 2021 includes a new Color Replacement filter. It is precisely what it sounds like, meaning that you can select a color in your image and adjust it. For example, you can select the color of a subject’s eyes to change them, change the color of flowers in a scene and much more.
When it launches this October, ON1 Photo RAW 2021 will also add a new method to batch process HDR and panoramic photos, introduce color fill layers, present a refined user interface and add new camera and lens support.
ON1 Portrait AI is available now at a special introductory price of $ 59.99 (regularly $ 79.99). A free trial download of Portrait AI is available. When ON1 Photo RAW 2021 launches in October, ON1 Portrait AI will be integrated into the new software. For existing ON1 Photo RAW owners, you can preorder ON1 Photo RAW 2021 for $ 79.99. When you preorder, you will also receive the standalone and plug-in versions of ON1 Portrait AI. New users must pay $ 129.99 for ON1 Photo RAW 2021. Earlier this year, ON1 introduced a subscription service as well, ON1 Photo RAW 360, which includes all the new products mentioned in this article and is available as low as $ 7.99 per month. For more information, head to ON1’s website.
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