Workflow and Photo Editing Special Purpose Software: Best Tools
| February 18, 2012 | Posted by admin under Software |
Image editors and workflow suites will do some of the functions of the software listed below, but if you want to take those – whether it’s an effects filter or a better way to get rid of digital noise – to new heights, that’s the time you need to call in the specialists. Most of the developers listed below make more than one title. I’ve listed the latest or most interesting developments for each.
Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4.0 Complete Edition
Color Efex Pro is a powerful visual effects generator and Version 4 has a number of enhancements to boost its functionality even more. A new stackable feature lets you combine filter effects and then adjust opacity to control their strength. There are a number of new filter effects, and the effects now have presets to give you a starting point.
Underneath the software is optimized for multi-core processors and high performance graphics chips. Nik‘s signature feature, U-Point technology is of course part of the package. This is like a heads-up display that overlays the effects controls onscreen directly over the areas you want to modify. The Complete Edition ($199.95) contains 55 filters and the Select Edition ($99.95) contains 26 filters.
Corel Painter 12
Corel Painter 12 is the natural media specialist. It is designed to reproduce in the digital realm the methodology of traditional visual arts – painting, drawing, etc. Its RealBristle brushes come very close to producing the stroke appearance of… well, real bristle brushes. New to version 12 are Real Watercolor and Real Wet Oil brushes.
This two minute overview will provide key highlights of what is in Corel Painter 12.
Mystical Suite
The first effects software I owned was PhotoEdges, by AutoFX. The company still makes it (now at version 7) but has much more in its catalogue. The Mystical Suite is made up of three titles also available separately: Mystical Focus, Mystical Lighting and Mystical Tint, Tone and Color.
Using Mystical Focus Tools
This video shows you how to use the Msytical Focus Lasso-Off / Lasso-On tools to create a dramatic motion background effect that simulates stop-action panning. Instead of being done with a camera and Photoshop this effect is easily produced in just a couple of minutes using the Mystical Focus Photoshop plug-in.
Onone Software Perfect Photo Suite V. 6
Version 6 of Perfect Photo Suite was freshly minted in October 2011. “Suite” means it includes several of the company’s individual titles, specifically Perfect Effects 3, Perfect Portrait 1, Perfect Mask 5, Perfect Layers 2, Perfect Resize 7, FocalPoint 2 and PhotoFrame 4.6.
The names give you a hint of the breadth of controls the suite gives you: retouching, special effects, masking scaling and resizing, and edge effects. Resize 7 is based on the Genuine Fractals engine that has been a long-time favorite for resizing images to gigantic proportions. Perfect Photo Suite 6 components work as standalone applications or from within Lightroom, Aperture or Photoshop.
Proshow Gold, Proshow Producer, Proshow Web
ProShow Gold and Producer are capable desktop applications for creating polished presentations from your still photos. You can add music, narration, video clips and include transition and motion effects to your images. The most recent addition to the family is ProShow Web, which is a subset of ProShow Gold that you access online as a web application, then view your shows online, post them to social media sites or download it as an HD video file.
Secrets of Proshow Experts: The Official Guide to Creating Your Best Slide Shows with ProShow Gold and Producer
Secrets of Proshow Experts teaches creative techniques for creating more professional-looking and polished slide shows with ProShow software. This one-of-a-kind guide provides readers with easy-to-follow examples and expert advice on topics like understanding your audience, using motion to convey emotion, controlling the feel of a slide show with audio, and more. ProShow users of all levels and anyone wanting to learn how to share their digital images in a compelling slide show will find this guide useful. Whether users are new to the software or are seasoned experts, this book offers valuable creative techniques from an expert author. Includes a bonus DVD with sample slideshows, slide styles, and a trial version of the ProShow software!
Snap Art 3
Snap Art is all about adding painterly strokes to your photograph to make it look like a handmade painting or drawing. This is not a standalone application, but a plug-in that works with Photoshop CS, Photoshop Elements and Lightroom. Version 3 of this software sports a redesigned interface that the company says makes it easier to make custom effects. The textures are more realistic, says the company, and there’s a new crayon effect to join the various oil, watercolour and pencil sketch effects. A new masking feature allows you to control where the effect is applied on the photo.
Tiffen Dfx Essentials Creative Digital Effects Software
Dfx 3.0 is available as a standalone application or a plug-in. It lets you simulate any of the 2,000+ Tiffen glass filters, but also includes specialized lens effects, film effects like grain and lighting effects. Tiffen makes two versions of the suite – one for photography and the other for video. The Tiffen Dfx v3 Photo plug-in license lets you use it in Photoshop CS, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom and Apple Aperture as long as they are all installed on the same machine.
Get More Creative with Filters
