Artensoft today announces Tilt Shift Generator 1.0, a unique program for Windows OS that allows the user to create the tilt-shift effect in photos without expensive tilt-shift lenses.

Tilt-shift photography is a unique technique in photo art that makes a life-size object or place look like a miniature model. For this, the camera is equipped with a special tilt-shift lens, allowing photographers to go beyond the limitations of DOF and perspective. Besides, photos need to be taken from a great height, for example, a bridge, mountain, or helicopter. It creates the illusion that the viewer looks at a miniature model.

Now tilt-shift miniature style photos can be created with Artensoft Tilt Shift Generator that uses a special algorithm to blur specific areas of the image with the right force. After this manipulation, people and objects in the photo look like tiny miniatures. The software gives results similar and even better than those achieved with the tilt-shift lens, allowing the user to get the effect without investing much money into expensive equipment.

The program provides many settings to achieve the desired effect. For example, the user can select the front and back defocus options, defocus graph, and the Bokeh mask. The unique Bokeh Boost feature allows one to further strengthen the blur of selected areas in order to achieve a more realistic effect.

“Today tilt-shift photography is becoming more and more popular in the world. The technique is often used by professional photographers who are preparing images for ads,” says Eugene Baryshnikov, CEO of Artensoft. “Special lenses that are used for creating the tilt-shift effect cost more than $2,000. With Artensoft Tilt Shift Generator, you can create superb tilt-shift photos and considerably save on buying expensive equipment.”

More information on the program is available at http://www.tiltshiftgenerator.com
Tilt-shift photos created with Artensoft Tilt Shift Generator:http://www.tiltshiftgenerator.com/gallery.php

About Artensoft:
Artensoft is the developer of software for editing photos and creating mosaic photo collages. Hundreds of photographers, designers and home users leverage the power of Artensoft software to turn ordinary photos into extraordinary photo compositions that can not only beautify your home photo album, but also professional brochures, banners and posters. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.artensoft.com

AKVIS is excited to announce the upgrade of its program, AKVIS NatureArt, to Version 4.0. AKVIS NatureArt is the perfect tool for imitating the magnificence of natural phenomena on your digital photos. NatureArt offers 8 nature effects: Rain, Sun, Water, Lightning, Clouds, Frost, Fire, and Ice. The Fire Effect in Version 4.0 has been improved. New presets have been added to Fire, Sun, and Lightning effects. Version 4.0 also makes it possible to apply an effect to a transparent area.

AKVIS is excited to announce an upgrade of its program NatureArt to Version 4.0.

AKVIS NatureArt is the perfect tool for imitating the majesty and grandeur of natural phenomena on your digital photos.

Give a dull and lifeless photo an entirely new look simply by changing the scene’s weather. Its spirit will change dramatically, from a crackling thunderstorm to a peaceful morning, from a forest in flames to a dreary rainy thicket, from a parched desert to a cool lakeside scene. Nature effects have an impact on our mood and can be used to strengthen the impression made by a picture.

AKVIS NatureArt offers eight nature effects: Rain, Sun, Water, Lightning, Clouds, Frost, Fire, and Ice.

From these eight effects you can create an even wider variety of natural phenomenon: you can create snow from rain, transform the sun into the moon or a star, and more. Change the weather on a photo, make the night sky sparkle with glistening stars, enliven a dark, gloomy landscape by adding sources of light, create a flaming text effect, stir up a sandstorm, winterize a summer landscape by freezing a river, or even your own little tempest in a teapot.

The Rain effect adds precipitation to an image. You can add various kinds of rain (from drizzle to downpour) by adjusting the parameters. You can even create snow from this effect using the AKVIS Snow preset.

The Sun effect adds the most important celestial body to an image – The Sun – in all of its glory, depending on the time of day, the changing seasons, and the weather: bright, dim, summer, winter, rising, setting, etc. By changing settings or using one of the presets from AKVIS, it’s possible to transform the sun into the moon (AKVIS Moon preset) or into one of its more distant neighbors in the cosmos (AKVIS Star preset).

The Water effect adds a body of water to an image. The horizon of the body of water can be adjusted vertically up and down. The water’s characteristics as color, depth, and the appearance can be adjusted, as well as the direction of waves. You can change an existing body of water’s appearance or add a river to a forest background.

The Lightning effect adds lightning bolts of any shape and number to an image. The lightning bolt’s attributes, such as its glow, thickness, number of branches, and color can be adjusted via various parameters. Add some excitement to a stormy scene or electrify a peaceful background.

The Clouds effect adds clouds to an image. They can be applied anywhere on an image using the program’s selection tools. Their density, size, transparency, and color can be adjusted using the effect’s parameters. Use it to fill a vague, blank sky or to add an air of enchantment to a forest.

The Frost effect adorns an image with an openwork of ice crystals. In nature frost appears on long thin objects during freezing weather. The icy crystals give even ordinary objects a fantastic and almost surreal appearance. Now you can add this beauty to your digital photos easily. Just use your imagination and add frost crystals on places you would not expect, such as on someone’s eyelashes, or enhance an already wintry scene.

The Ice effect (only available under the Home Deluxe and Business licenses) covers any surface in a layer of ice. The effect is applied to a selected area on the image. You can use it to freeze a lake or pond in a summer scene, decorate your Christmas photos, or make snow sculptures. This effect includes a variety of settings for changing the appearance of the ice to suit your taste. The texture of the ice’s surface can be changed, as well as its color and transparency.

The Fire effect (only available under the Home Deluxe and Business licenses) adds tongues of flame to an image. You can change their color and other characteristics by adjusting various parameters.

In Version 4.0 of NatureArt, the Fire effect looks more realistic, and at the same time more magical. A number of ready-to-use presets are available. It’s easy to add a fire on a photo: just select an area of the effect and choose one of the presets or adjust settings as you like.

Illuminate a scene with bright flames! You can light a torch, make flames spring forth from your fingertips, or create a flaming sword or a fire ball. Produce a stunning advertising poster by adding dramatic flaming text. Now the power of fire is under your control!

The new presets have been added also to the Sun and Lightning effects.

Version 4.0 also introduces the ability to apply an effect over a transparent area.

AKVIS NatureArt is available in two editions, as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor.

The plugin edition is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, etc. Check the compatibility page for more details.

AKVIS NatureArt runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Win7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.7, both 32 bit and 64 bit.

Test the software for 10 days free of charge!

Download AKVIS NatureArt v.4.0 for Macintosh and Windows here.

Users who own previous versions of AKVIS NatureArt can upgrade to Version 4.0 for free.

AKVIS NatureArt sells for $72 USD for Home version (either Plugin or Standalone, 6 effects), $129 USD for Home Deluxe (Plugin and Standalone, 8 effects), $189 USD for Business (Plugin and Standalone, 8 effects, for commercial use).

AKVIS NatureArt is available in the Alchemy bundle which includes all AKVIS software at a discounted price.

Oloneo today announced the immediate availability of Oloneo HDRengine, the fastest and most accessible HDR application to easily create superior HDR photos. Easy to learn and master, Oloneo HDRengine is designed for the HDR photography enthusiasts and novices and comes with ready-to-use contents to jump start the photographer’s creative process. Oloneo HDRengine v1 for Windows is available now at the special introductory price of US$59 / €59 through the Oloneo online store at http://www.oloneo.com. A full-featured, 30-day-limited trial version of HDRengine can be freely downloaded from the company’s website as well.

HDRengine simplifies the process of creating and editing high-quality HDR images by offering an easy-to-use, intuitive workflow along with a full range of real-time tone mapping tools and options. Whether using multiple bracketed exposures or a single photo, HDRengine allows photographers to easily recover lost details in overexposed areas of a photo, restore low-light areas in underexposed photos, or create infinite variations of an image, from the most realistic look to the utmost creative tone-mapping style, without compromising details and color appearance.

“Based on Oloneo PhotoEngine, the company’s flagship application for professional HDR and image processing, Oloneo HDRengine perfectly answers the needs of the beginners and enthusiasts looking for an accessible yet powerful application to create high-quality HDR photos quickly, without having to trouble themselves with the technicalities of HDR” said Antoine Clappier, President of Oloneo and main developer. “HDRengine is fast, easy to use and comes with many presets and automated tools to be productive instantly.”

ACCESSIBLE AND FAST
Presets and automated tools: be productive instantly
Beginners will feel comfortable instantly thanks to a wide range of presets and HDR styles that can be previewed and applied in real-time. HDRengine also features many automated tools such as Auto Tone Mapper, auto contrast or auto alignment to rush the whole HDR process.

Blazing performance: revolutionary real-time HDR for a unique creative experience
HDRengine features the fastest HDR engines available today, allowing full real-time tone mapping and HDR manipulations, whether working with multiple exposures or a single photo. Real-time HDR means more time being creative and less time waiting for an image to refresh or a tool to respond.

Single image HDR: make your best shots even better
While HDRengine makes the tone mapping of bracketed exposures a very simple task, photographers can also dramatically enhance an existing single photo by using a large selection of HDR effects along with brightness, contrast, saturation and white balance controls.

Intuitive and responsive: easy to learn and master
HDRengine is an intuitive HDR application, easy to learn and master: the application’s responsive, elegant interface offers a well-organized and efficient workflow so each step of the HDR process is extremely easy to understand. Other notable features include instant raw photo and image thumbnails, full, real-time edition history with animated replay, full documentation and video tutorials directly accessible from within the application.

ACCURATE AND PRO
Best imaging technologies: no compromise on quality and precision
While aimed at beginners and amateurs, HDRengine share the same high-end image editing technologies and color model used in Oloneo PhotoEngine™, the company’s flagship application for professional HDR and image processing. This full real-time, 32-bit floating-point per channel (96-bit per pixel), ultra-wide gamut, full resolution and non-destructive image-editing engine is combined with Oloneo’s unique color model to guarantee photographers against any loss of image data and quality during the HDR process.

State-of-the-art HDR: make an impact with professional looking images
HDRengine offers the best possible tools to create spectacular, professional quality HDR images: three tone mapping engines, auto-exposure correction with fine-tuning, auto-contrast, ghost removal tools, auto-align, auto-orientation, and more.

Full raw and image file support
HDRengine handles over 380 different RAW photo formats, with thumbnail and preservation of key EXIF metadata, as well as the popular JPEG and TIFF file formats (export and import).

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Oloneo HDRengine v1.0 is available now at the special introductory price of US$59 / €59 (price in euros includes VAT).

The English/International 32-bit/64-bit version of Oloneo HDRengine v1.0 for Windows is available now through the Oloneo online store at http://www.oloneo.com for electronic delivery with a complete English and French user guide. A fully French localized version of PhotoEngine will be available at a later date. Users who purchase the current English version will have free access to the French version when it becomes available.

A full-featured, 30-day limited trial version of Oloneo HDRengine v1.0 can be freely downloaded at http://www.oloneo.com/en/page/download.html.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Windows:
- OS: 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista or Windows 7
- Hard disk: 200MB of available space
- CPU: 1.6 GHz Intel or AMD with SSE2, dual-core recommended
- RAM: 1.5GB
- Screen: 1280 x 720

Mac OS:
A Mac OS version of Oloneo HDRengine is not available at this time. The product runs with good performance on a dual-core Mac with Parallels Desktop 5 or similar virtual machines.

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 http://www.oloneo.com.

ACD Systems International Inc. today announced the release of two new product offerings, acdVIDEO Converter and ACDSee Duplicate Finder. Both products are designed to help users better manage and share their growing stores of photo, video and other digital assets. acdVIDEO Converter converts video files for playback on all popular media devices including an iPod, iPhone, PSP, Zune, mobile phones from Blackberry and Nokia; and game consoles including PS3 and Xbox 360. ACDSee Duplicate Finder helps individuals with large music, photo, or video libraries locate hard to find duplicate files. Duplicates can then be eliminated, freeing up valuable disk space.

“At ACD Systems we’re committed to helping consumers do more with photo, video and other important digital assets,” said Doug Vandekerkove, CEO of ACD Systems. “Our commitment to quality photo editing and management is now extended to help people find and share any file on their computers. Our dedication to our customers starts at the creation of the asset and lasts a lifetime.”

acdVIDEO Converter is a simple, easy-to-use HD video converter that can convert video files between most popular media formats at the highest speed and quality. It is designed to be used with mobile media devices, and is ideal for anyone with a collection of digital videos stored on several devices. While there are currently several open source programs that offer a degree of this functionality, they are often unreliable and do not cover the same breadth of formats as acdVIDEO Converter. Additionally, the program can extract the audio from a video source, and save it as an MP3 or other popular audio format.

acdVIDEO Converter creates a to-do list of videos to convert, and then sets the program to shut down once conversion has been completed. The converter also incorporates smart video aspect ratio clipping, so if the input video aspect ratio does not match the output profile screen aspect ratio, acdVIDEO Converter can automatically clip the edges of the input video to make full use of the device’s screen.

The converter comes with pre-defined output profiles for all kinds of mobile media devices including iPod, iPhone, PSP, Zune, mobile phones from Blackberry and Nokia, and game consoles including PS3 and Xbox 360. Find a complete list of supported input and output file formats on the ACDSee website. The product is available for purchase at http://www.acdsee.com for a limited time offer of $14.99 USD.

ACD Systems is also releasing ACDSee Duplicate Finder, a popular feature currently integrated into ACDSee Pro 5 and ACDSee 14 photo editing and management software, as a standalone product for Mac users. For individuals with large music, photo, or video libraries, unknown duplicate files often take up precious hard drive space, and may not even be listed under the same name, making them extremely difficult to find. By examining the MD5 checksum routines (hashes) in every file on a computer or user-selected folders, or the first 100 bytes of data, ACDSee Duplicate Finder is able to identify duplicates of any type of file, regardless of whether the file name is the same or not. This product allows users to search and view every single file on a hard drive and connected devices, and will find all duplicate files, showing where they are so that users can move them to trash, create new folders, etc. This gives users the opportunity to reduce the amount of clutter and space taken up on their hard drive.

ACDSee Duplicate Finder has a simple user interface that shows a thumbnail of the file, along with file name, size, the last date modified, and then provides a recommendation on which files to keep. Though the MSRP is $9.99 USD, it will be available in the Mac App Store starting Thursday, December 22, 2011 at a discount of $4.99 USD through January 9, 2012.

ACD Systems is also announcing updates to their existing photo editing and management software, with ACDSee Pro 5.1 and ACDSee 14.1 available in English, French and German. New RAW updates are now available for several new camera models. Find a complete list of supported cameras on the ACDSee website. There has also been an enhancement to the Dodge and Burn tool that will give users more flexibility in determining shadows and midtones, allowing for more refined and controlled changes to photos.

DxO Labs announces the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro v7.1 for Mac and Windows. Both the Standard and Elite editions of version 7.1 support five additional cameras: the Sony Alpha 65, the Panasonic G3, and the Olympus E-P3, E-PL3, and E-PM1.

More than 150 DxO Optics Modules have been added in DxO Optics Pro, allowing surpassing the landmark milestone of 5,000 DxO Optics Modules.

Thanks to better system resource management, the use of OpenCL technology with Windows, and the optimization of numerous algorithms, DxO Optics Pro 7 can process batches of photos up to 4 times faster than previous versions. Version 7.1 includes many enhancements to DxO Optics Pro’s image processing engine, making it even faster and more efficient for certain configurations.

AVAILABILITY AND SPECIAL YEAR-END OFFER

DxO Optics Pro for Windows and Mac is available in the DxO Labs online boutique (http://www.dxo.com) and at photo resellers at a special discount price good through December 24, 2011:

USD:
 DxO Optics Pro 7 Standard Edition: $99 instead of $169
 DxO Optics Pro 7 Elite Edition: $199 instead of $299

EUR:
 DxO Optics Pro 7 Standard Edition: 99€ instead of 149€
 DxO Optics Pro 7 Elite Edition: 199€ instead of 299€
(Suggested retail prices, including VAT)

GBP:
 DxO Optics Pro 7 Standard Edition: £89 instead of £135
 DxO Optics Pro 7 Elite Edition: £179 instead of £269
(Suggested retail prices, including VAT)

An upgrade to version 7.1 is free for all DxO Optics Pro 7 owners as well as for photographers who acquired a license for DxO Optics Pro 6 on or after September 1, 2011. Other users can take advantage of a special discount on all upgrades from now until December 24, 2011, directly from their customer account. A fully-functional trial version of DxO Optics Pro, good for one month, is available on the DxO Labs website (http://www.dxo.com/intl/photo/free_trial_version).Page 2 of 2

System Requirements

 PC: Microsoft® Windows® XP 32 bits, Windows® Vista® 32 or 64 bits, Windows® 7 (32 or 64 bits) and Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD® equivalent

 Mac: Mac OS® X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS® X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac OS® X 10.7 Lion and Intel Mac® processor

 3 GB RAM minimum and 400 MB available disk space

CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) today unveiled a new public beta program of its industry-leading photo workflow software, PhotoDirector 3. PhotoDirector 3 Beta can be downloaded for free and includes a wide array of new and improved features, including a complete set of new editing tools such as the Wrinkle Remover, Tooth Brush, Skin Smoother and Object Removal.

In June 2011, CyberLink launched the first PhotoDirector public beta program and received feedback from more than 125,000 photographers who participated and inspired a wealth of new improvements and additions for PhotoDirector 3 Beta. With the PhotoDirector 3 public beta program, participants can enjoy exciting new features including a deep set of editing tools that allow users to magically remove objects and people from images and reduce lens defects like geometric distortion. Users can also improve portraits by whitening teeth, removing wrinkles, and smoothing skin and personalizing images by adding watermarks, among a number of other enhancement features.

All consumers and photographers that participate in the PhotoDirector 3 Beta program, and complete a survey or report a bug will receive MediaShow 5 (UK £29.99), CyberLink’s media management and slideshow tool, for free, and will have a chance to win a Nikon D3100 DSLR camera. Additionally, users who submit a testimonial describing their experience with PhotoDirector 3 Beta will have a chance to win a Nikon D3100 DSLR camera, PowerDirector 10 and the full version of the official release of PhotoDirector 3 when it’s available in early 2012.

“”The input we receive in the public beta process is invaluable and weighs heavily into the features we build into our award-winning products,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. “We have been impressed with the creative feedback and passion that our customers have provided in the past and are confident that the PhotoDirector 3 Beta program will be very successful. We look forward to hearing feedback and testimonials from the program participants.”

To download PhotoDirector 3 Beta, or for more information regarding the PhotoDirector 3 Beta program, please visit http://www.cyberlink.com/event/phd3beta.

About CyberLink
CyberLink Corp is the leader and pioneer in enabling digital multimedia on PCs, CEs and mobile devices through the use of video editing software, video player software, and other multimedia solutions. Backed by a group of high-caliber software engineers, CyberLink owns its core codec and a number of patented technologies. CyberLink has built a solid reputation for delivering high-quality, interoperable, and fast time-to-market solutions that keep our OEM partners on the leading edge. Our business partners include leaders in the PC industry: top-5 desktop and notebook providers, optical drive manufacturers and graphic-card makers. Today, CyberLink’s software solutions include: complete applications for Blu-ray Disc playback and creation; digital home entertainment; and touch-enabled media solution. With customers spanning from multi-national corporations to small/medium-sized businesses, and from power users to home users, CyberLink has enjoyed rapid and consistent growth leading to a record breaking IPO in 2000 on the Taiwan Over The Counter Exchange (OTC: 5203). Currently, CyberLink is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: 5203.TW). CyberLink’s worldwide headquarters is located in Taipei. To keep up with market demands, CyberLink has operations in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, including Japan. For more information, please visit CyberLink’s website at http://www.cyberlink.com.

Claudio Stefanutti Photography today is pleased to announce Contact Sheet Maker 1.2.0 for iPad, an update to their Photography app that allows the user to save up to 24 thumbnails of photographs per page as a multiple page PDF document. The contact sheet created can be easily emailed, stored in Dropbox, viewed on any mobile device or computer that supports PDF files, or printed via any AirPrint enabled printer. An ideal app for sending selections of photos stored on the user’s iPad to friends, family, or customers, photos can be captioned. In the age of iOS photography, there are no cost considerations when shooting photos, and enthusiastic picture takers may snap hundreds of photos in an hour. Browsing through large numbers of photos one at a time is not a pleasant experience, but professionals have solved this problem by printing contact sheets containing many shots that are easily scanned by the viewer and from which it is convenient to select the best of
the group.

“Contact sheet” derives its name from the practice of professional photographers who would print strips of 35mm film, containing a series of still shots, by placing the strips directly on a sheet of photographic paper and exposing it briefly to light. When developed, the sheet displayed unenlarged, negative-sized thumbnails of each photo. While most professionals have migrated to filmless photography, the utility of the contact sheet, as a means of scanning groups of photos easily, remains.

Creating a contact sheet in the app is completely automatic. The user just touches any photo, whether in Saved Photos or Photo Library, or on a Roll, and the thumbnail appears on the contact sheet. From the Contact Sheet Maker settings dialog the user can select the following: Print Title of Photo: Yes/No; Print Page Number: Yes/No; Print Date and Time: Yes/No; Print Footer Text: Yes/No; Footer Text (empty text field); Contact Sheet Metadata: Author Name (empty text field); and Dropbox Account: Link/Unlink.

Feature Highlights:
* Email the contact sheet
* Send the contact sheet to your Dropbox
* Print the contact sheet to any AirPrint enabled printer
* Open the contact sheet with any App on your iPad that can receive PDF documents from another App (e.g. iBooks, Evernote and GoodReader)
* Save the contact sheets to your computer through iTunes File Sharing

“Share your photos using the same format as professionals with Contact Sheet Maker,” advised Claudio Stefanutti of Claudio Stefanutti Photography. “Your pix will look like they just came out of the darkroom, and those viewing your work will appreciate that you have made it so convenient for them.”

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad and iPad 2
* Requires iOS 5.0 or later
* 0.4 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Contact Sheet Maker 1.2.0 is only $3.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category. Review copies are available upon request.

Claudio Stefanutti: http://claudiostefanutti.com
Contact Sheet Maker 1.2.0: http://claudiostefanutti.com/contact-sheet-maker-app/
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/contact-sheet-maker/id478701343

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Claudio Stefanutti Photography provides photography services, photography training, and develops apps for photographers. Copyright (C) 2011 Claudio Stefanutti. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Unified Color Technologies, the high dynamic range imaging experts, today announced the latest upgrade to its popular HDR image editing software offerings, HDR Expose 2, the standalone HDR software that empowers photographers to create the most true-to-life HDR images possible, and 32 Float v2 an 32-bit HDR image editing plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®..

Built upon Unified Color’s Beyond RGBTM color technology platform, both HDR Expose 2 and 32 Float v2 separate an image’s color component from its luminosity component, enabling photographers to adjust each independently; thereby preventing the tell-tale color shifts often associated with HDR photography and producing much more natural-looking tone mapped results. HDR Expose 2 and 32 Float v2 are also true 32-bit color editing tools that take full advantage of all the available shades of color and tone in a 32-bit HDR image for the smoothest, halo-free results.

With these upgrades, Unified Color has reengineered its base architecture to significantly improve performance and expand the programs’ tool sets to offer additional fine control over global and local tonal adjustments. This new architecture powers a real-time processing engine that enables image adjustments to be visualized immediately while applied to the full image, not just a proxy or scaled down preview version. Additionally, new color-safe Dodge & Burn Brush and Tone Curve tools supply unprecedented 32-bit local control, enabling photographers to selectively lighten or darken specific areas without inducing color shifts, gradients or posterization.

“With HDR Expose 2, our new flagship application, the 32 Float v2 Photoshop plug-in and our entry-level HDR ExpressTM product, Unified Color is providing a complete range of fully optimized HDR solutions for professionals and photo enthusiasts looking to create true-to-life HDR images,” said Alfred Zee, CEO of Unified Color Technologies. “We’re proud to offer these powerful tools that demystify the HDR process and make it accessible to the widest possible audience.”

Additional new features include:
· Batch Merge and Batch Processing tools: Commercial and high volume photographers will save valuable time with the new automatic batch merging process which automatically groups and previews images from exposure brackets of any size and then merges them to 32-bit HDR files. After the merge, 32-bit images can be batch processed for final TIFF or JPEG output by applying user presets. Users can even choose to process the same image up to 5 different ways by selecting multiple presets. All batch merge and processing can be applied as a background task to further enhance workflow efficiencies.
· User-Definable Global Presets: Providing a one-click starting point, the presets can be completely customized to personal preferences.
· Restructured User Interface: Users are seamlessly guided through the ideal order of operations that ensures each available adjustment is applied at the recommended step in a methodical workflow.

About HDR Expose 2
HDR Expose 2 is a powerful stand-alone application. The entirely new tone mapping and halo elimination algorithms in HDR Expose 2 handle the most complicated HDR Images. HDR Expose also includes export plug-ins providing photographers full access to these powerful HDR tools from an existing Lightroom® or Aperture® workflow.

About 32 Float v2
For photographers who prefer to maintain a Photoshop-centric workflow, Unified Color’s new 32 Float v2 provides all the same image adjustment tools of its stand-alone brother, but as a Photoshop filter plug-in. Ideal for users that prefer to work on layered images, where Photoshop only allows limited adjustment tools when working on 32-bit images, 32-Float unlocks the true potential for 32-bit true color HDR editing functionality in Photoshop CS3 Extended, CS4 Extended and CS5.

HDR Expose 2 and 32 Float v2 are available for direct purchase through the company website at: http://www.unifiedcolor.com/products, and a 30-day free trial is available for each. Several pricing options are available:

HDR Expose 2
– $149 regular price

– $129 special introductory price through December 31, 2011

32 Float v2
– $99 regular price

– $89 special introductory price through December 31, 2011

HDR Expose 2/ 32 Float v2 Combo Pack
– $199 regular price

– $169 special introductory price through December 31, 2011

Additional discounts for customers upgrading from a previous version or other Unified Color products are also available please see http://www.unifiedcolor.com/products for more details.

System Requirements
PC: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista (for 20 MP image or larger, 64-bit Windows version is recommended.) 2.0GHz dual core minimum, 2GB RAM (recommend 4GB), 128MB video card memory.

Apple: Intel Macintosh 2.0 GHz dual core CPU with 2GB minimum RAM (4GB is recommended) running Mac OS 10.5.8 (Leopard), Mac OS 10.6.4 (Snow Leopard) or later or Mac OS 10.7.2 (Lion) or later.

About Unified Color
Unified Color Technologies is redefining the capabilities of visual technology with Beyond RGBTM, a unique color system that powers the next-generation of high dynamic range (HDR) imaging devices and software. Beyond RGB presents a versatile color platform which is able to map a much larger color space encompassing the full human visual spectrum including colors found in nature and man-made light sources. Beyond RGB is available for licensing to digital imaging companies looking for a competitive market advantage. Powered by the Beyond RGB color model, the company’s flagship HDR Expose 2 represents a new industry standard for creating, depicting and editing the most realistic HDR images. More information about Unified Color can be found at http://www.unifiedcolor.com. All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Capturing a lightning strike in real time with a mobile cell phone camera was almost impossible until now. However, the new iPhone(R) 4S camera is actually fast enough to capture lightnings using the small photo app ‘iLightningCam’. This app was just announced by the independent developer Florian Stiassny and already received the second update (Ver. 1.2). ‘iLightningCam’ now enables everyone to take free hand breathtaking shots of lightning strikes using their iPhone; no additional equipment like tripods or sensors are needed. LightningCam 1.2 offers many unique features:

HD Video Mode (recommended):
‘iLightningCam’ analyzes the HD video output (Resolution 720P for iPhone 4 and 1080P for iPhone(R) 4S) for the event of a lightning strike and captures the frame, in which the lightning occurs as well as the following frame. Both frames are saved with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels (iPhone 4) and 1920×1080 (iPhone(R) 4S) using JPEG compression.

Camera Mode (high resolution):
‘iLightningCam’ captures the lightning strike with the main camera with full photo resolution (5MP for iPhone 4, 8 MP for iPhone 4S). Due to hardware limitations, fast lightning strikes might be missed in this mode with the iPhone 4, whereas the iPhone 4s should capture almost all lightning strikes within range.

Once the memory limit is reached, the app shows a gallery of the captured lightning images and allows selecting all images one wants to keep. These selected images are then saved to the iPhone camera roll.

There are also explicit warnings present in this app. Thunderstorms are obviously dangerous and life threatening for everyone and not healthy for iPhones either. Take care using this software! Do not take any risks and avoid exposure to thunderstorms! Use this App only in lightning and storm protected places. And – everyone is solely responsible for your actions and adverse consequences. There is a full safety warning included in the instructions page.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S
* Requires iOS: 4.2 or later (iOS 5 recommended)
* 0.2 MB

Pricing and Availability:
LightningCam 1.2 is $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category.

iLightningCam 1.2: http://www.i-lightningcam.com/
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id473721890?mt=8

Operating out of Vienna, Austria, independent developer Florian Stiassny is a 12 year coding veteran whose focus is on creating useful applications for the iOS platform. Florian is currently studying medicine and has released several apps, mainly in the medical segment. Copyright (C) 2011 Florian Stiassny. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Shacked Software has released Flickpad 2.8 with Facebook and Twitter photo sharing. Quickly keep up on all the photos your friends and family are posting to Facebook and Flickr. Browse the photos that your friends and family are sharing by date, daily, weekly, and never miss another photo moment again. Flickpad makes viewing and exploring photos an entirely new, fun, and addictive experience.

Flickpad uses the unique multi-touch capabilities of the iPad to make interacting with your photos almost lifelike. Don’t like a photo? Flick it off the screen and a new one appears. Want to make the photo larger? Just pinch to zoom. Like to check out the entire album? Just double tap a photo. Find an awesome photo to save and look at for later? Just touch the photo with two fingers.

Feature Highlights:
* Integration with Flickr and Facebook, the top two photo platforms on the planet
* Facebook and Twitter photo sharing
* Supports Flickr photo sets, favorites, comments, views, Interestingness, and more
* Supports Facebook albums, album comments, album likes (read-only), photo comments, photo likes (read-only), and more
* Fast user switching. Share an iPad with someone? No problem, quickly and easily switch between user accounts

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad
* Requires iOS 5.0 or later
* 7.0 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Flickpad 2.8 is $1.99 USD (or an equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

Flickpad 2.8: http://www.flickpadapp.com
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/flickpad-facebook-photos-fun/id358635466
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRgSTs4C63I

Topaz Labs announces the release of Topaz Adjust 5, a major upgrade to their most popular Photoshop plug-in for color, detail and exposure enhancement. Adjust 5 includes an intuitive selective adjustment brush, over 100 new presets for a faster workflow, effect stacking, transparency control, a new finishing touches tab and many more user-requested features. The update is being offered as a free upgrade to current owners of Adjust.

Topaz Adjust is designed for photographers who want to achieve advanced color and detail control in less time and with half of the effort. Adjust also simplifies the HDR process, allowing users to instantly enhance local contrast, depth, detail and tone – with just a single image. From exposure and color balance to subtle photo pops, HDR effects, grunge style and more, Topaz Adjust’s intuitive and powerful tools make it easy for users to enhance any image.

“For Adjust 5, our challenge was to make it better without taking anything away from the success of the previous version. We were able to take our recent technological advances in user interface customization and program architecture, introduced in our recent B&W Effects and Lens Effects programs, and blend them with the existing Adjust infrastructure,” said Jawad Malik, developer for Topaz Labs. “By expanding upon our recent advancements and uniting them with many of the suggestions and feature requests from our users, we were able to create a more comprehensive program.”

Adjust has been a hit for Topaz Labs since its initial release. The powerful tools for color, detail exposure and noise control offer a unique all-in-one approach for enhancing images, and have made it an essential editing tool for many photographers. The addition of selective adjustments, transparency control and the ability to stack multiple effects eliminates the need for additional Photoshop work and opens the door to even more enhancement possibilities.

“In addition to increasing productivity, the new tools offer our users a more professional workflow experience with unlimited flexibility and customization,” said Ashley Robinson, product manager at Topaz Labs. “This upgrade is a significant milestone for both our users and us. We are happy to offer it as a free upgrade to users to show our continued commitment and vested interest in providing valuable software solutions.”

Photographers looking for a great way to create stunning images are invited to try out the new Topaz Adjust 5 plug-in for free using a 30-day free trial. There is also a special 30% discount, available until November 30, 2011, for Adjust and the Topaz Photoshop Bundle. Current Topaz users can also use the discount towards any bundle upgrade. Topaz Adjust retails for $49.99 and is a part of the Topaz Photoshop Bundle, which offers photographers a complete collection of correction and enhancement tools for all of their post processing needs. The bundle retails at $299.99. For more information about Topaz Adjust, visit the Adjust homepage at: http://www.topazlabs.com/adjust.

Topaz Labs LLC, a privately owned company in Dallas, Texas, is an innovative provider of advanced image and video enhancement technology. With today’s widespread use of digital still cameras, digital video cameras, and HDTV, the need for high-quality digital images and videos has greatly increased. Topaz Labs’ mission is to bring practical state-of-the-art image and video enhancement technology to both photography and videography professionals and consumers.

Nikon Inc. has announced the release of the iP-PJ Transfer App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch1, now available on the App Store. The app enables users to project content stored on an iPhone or iPod touch using the new COOLPIX S1200pj with built-in projector.

The iP-PJ Transfer App lets users easily project still images in thumbnail and full-frame displays, business documents created with common presentation tools and websites2 from their iPhone or iPod touch3. Whether sharing with friends and family or business colleagues, the iP-PJ Transfer App gives users quicker access to more content and lets them share it in a unique way with the COOLPIX 1200pj.

“With the introduction of the COOLPIX S1200pj, Nikon has delivered an easier way for consumers to share their photos and movies,” said Sharon Henley, Nikon’s senior manager of product lifecycle control. “Now, with the addition of the iP-PJ Transfer App, the COOLPIX S1200pj can project content straight from a user’s iPad, iPhone or iPod touch.”

The COOLPIX S1200pj, Nikon’s third projector-equipped model, offers a 40% increase in projection brightness over its immediate predecessor and projects vivid images up to 60 inches.

The iP-PJ Transfer App is available for free from the App Store on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore.

About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image™. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR optics, Speedlights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics as well as the new Nikon 1 advanced camera with interchangeable lens system. In 2011, production of NIKKOR lenses surpassed 65 million, creating a new milestone in Nikon’s heritage of superior optics. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit http://www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers to the Web’s most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon and other photographers on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nikon and get the latest news and information from Twitter by following @Nikon_USA.

1Compatible with iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPad and iPod touch 4th generation
2All contents must be registered with the application before projection is possible
3iP-PJ Transfer runs as an iPhone app on the iPad and iPad 2

Renowned digital photography company Zoner Software has brought to market a new version of its flagship software Zoner Photo Studio, a comprehensive digital photography suite. With its ease of use and its advanced management, editing, and sharing tools, it has found its way to the hearts of millions of users around the world. Among the most important new features are new editing functions, CUDA/OpenCL support, and direct integration with Zonerama.com web photo sharing.

Ales Hasala, development team director, is glad to comment on the features of the new version. “What we’re most proud of this year is the great strides we’ve taken in speed. This is mainly thanks to the fact that we can now use the GPU for calculations. We have the world’s first digital photography processing software that can effectively take advantage of CUDA and OpenCL. Add that up with the improvements to our 64-bit edition and you have one of the fastest programs around. Ultimately what we do is, we save our users time that they could spend taking pictures.”

Users will definitely also appreciate the new editing features. The already wide range of features like clone stamping, curves, and advanced red eye reduction has been enriched with new functions and tools. Tone Mapping makes it easy for anyone to create magical scenes from even a single photograph, giving a new dimension to the art of HDR photography. The new Deform tool helps with popular tasks like slimming a person’s figure or advanced facial adjustments. Fill with Surroundings can remove an object from a picture effortlessly, replacing it with its surroundings so convincingly you’d never know it was there.

Zonerama, meanwhile, is a new, attractive web photo sharing service that gets users’ pictures looking great on the Web. “What Zonerama means for users is easy photo presentation,” explain Zonerama’s creators. “Even though it’s on the web, there’s no need to visit a website. You can work from inside Zoner Photo Studio. The service also does exceptionally little shrinking of photographs during uploading. In short, users get their own impressive and easily edited web gallery. I like to think of all the people who would otherwise be afraid of the complication of a web gallery, but will get past that fear and go on to enjoy its benefits thanks to us.”

Zoner Photo Studio 14 PRO is offered at a price of $69.99. As always, users of older versions are eligible for discounts. Less demanding users can also purchase the HOME edition, for $34.99. It is also newly possible to extend a license to all computers in a whole household for one flat fee: $29.99.

Zoner Photo Studio 14 can be tested completely uncrippled, free for 30 days. It is available for download at http://www.zoner.com.

DxO Labs announces the immediate availability DxO FilmPack 3.1, the latest version of its famous silver halide simulation software. DxO FilmPack 3.1 adds a line of 25 new creative renderings and an improved user interface.

For world-renowned photographer Sebastião Salgado, “DxO FilmPack is an indispensible link to my previous photographic work.” DxO FilmPack has allowed him to faithfully reproduce in his digital image workflow the exact look and feel of Kodak® Tri-X film.

DxO FilmPack 3.1 brings to photos all the emotional impact of silver halide photography. Using an intuitive interface, beginners and experts alike can apply the characteristic tint, grain, and rendering of a traditional silver halide film type to any digital image, regardless of its source. Thanks to DxO Labs’ advanced calibration technology, DxO FilmPack 3.1 offers a renderings palette of unparalleled authenticity for 62 legendary film types —positive and negative color, black & white, and cross-processed.

25 NEW CREATIVE RENDERINGS TO ACHIEVE OUTSTANDING IMAGES

DxO FilmPack 3.1 (Expert Edition) offers a line of 25 new creative renderings. The experts at DxO Labs gave utmost consideration to the aesthetic qualities and creative dimensions for each rendering to ensure that they would lend images real emotional impact.

Vintage effects, color nuances, sepia variations, partial desaturations: each rendering is based on a very subtle combination of grain intensity, film style, vignetting, and color filters — “intelligent” renderings for outstanding images.

Users can use the same settings as for film renderings to fully customize each creative rendering, thus offering the possibility of numerous possible combinations. Batch processing allows for a huge increase in productivity.

SHARING THE IMPACT

Thanks to DxO FilmPack 3.1’s large number of presets, photographers can give free rein to their creativity by combining, for example, the color settings of one film rendering with the grain of another, thus creating their own personalized film look. A new import rendering function included in the Expert Edition of DxO FilmPack 3.1 lets DxO FilmPack users share one another’s customized film looks. Users can simply import custom renderings, rename them, and save the parameters of intensity, grain, contrast, and so on in their own settings library to apply to their own images.

AN INTUITIVE INTERFACE FOR UNLIMITED EXPLORATION

Designed to satisfy both beginners and experts, DxO FilmPack 3.1’s easy-to use interface allows users to freely explore all the possibilities of the film and creative renderings provided.

Thanks to its resizable filmstrip-style preview system, DxO FilmPack 3.1 allows users to better visualize renderings before applying them to their images.

DxO FilmPack 3.1 now offers a full-screen mode for greater comfort. Among the many other improvements to the interface, the channel mixer now incorporates color sliders, making their use even more intuitive.

EDITIONS

Compatible with Mac and Windows, DxO FilmPack 3.1 comes in 2 editions — Essential and Expert — which differ in terms of number of film renditions and features.

The two editions of DxO FilmPack 3.1 are available as standalone applications and as plugins for DxO Optics Pro®, Adobe® Photoshop CS®, Adobe® Lightroom® and Apple® Aperture®

New York based CreativeAppDev today introduces Camera Multi-Lens for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. Camera Multi-Lens brings a professional level DSLR lens emulation feature to your photos taken in this app or loaded from camera roll/photo albums. Choose between camera lenses in app to get amazing effects with your photos. Featuring a simple, easy-to-use interface, Camera Multi-Lens includes an advanced lenses library for all purposes, supports large resolution images, effects, and more.

New York, New York – CreativeAppDev today is pleased to announce the release and immediate availability of Camera Multi-Lens for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. You have an iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, both devices don’t offer multiple lens support like a true DSLR camera does. Now you have! Introducing Camera Multi-Lens – its brings a professional level DSLR lens emulation feature to your photos taken in this app or loaded from camera roll/photo albums.

Just take/open photo and choose lens effect what you want. Camera Multi-Lens includes an advanced lenses library for all purposes. When you are done, just choose what you want to do with your photo – send it via email to your friend, tweet it to twitter, share it to Facebook or Tumblr service.

Camera Multi-Lens for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S provides:
* Professional stylish user interface optimized for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
* Load existing or take new photos from camera in app
* Large image resolution support
* Choose between camera lenses in app to get amazing effects with your photos
* Apply or Undo your effects
* Combine effects with each other
* Save photos to your device or send to web (email, twitter, facebook, tumblr are supported)
* Camera Multi-Lens – one iPad but many lenses

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad and iPad 2/iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S
* Requires iPhone OS 4.0 or later
* 1.3 MB/1.1 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Camera Multi-Lens for iPad 2/iPhone 4S (v1.0) is $4.99 USD/$2.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category.

Camera Multi-Lens for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S: http://creativeappdev.com/?p=15
Purchase and Download for iPad 2: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id475211550
Purchase and Download for iPhone 4S: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id475211901

Keeping up with the latest Apple technology standards in games and software development for iOS and MacOS and Internet marketing (SEO and social media marketing) constitute CreativeAppDev’s main competency. Their mission is to deliver top-notch services to clients who can then represent the CreativeAppDev brand. With portfolio of 50+ projects, the company is prepared for new challenges and ready to work fast, hard and efficiently to provide iOS development and SEO services on time and below budget. Copyright (C) 2011 CreativeAppDev. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

California based iDevelopersLab today introduces Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4. Use Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4 with built in Gloss photo filter to take professional looking photos. Offering a easy-to-use interface, Camera Gloss HD features an in-app camera and editor, supports large images and more. Users can undo all effects at any time with undo feature, encouraging experimentation, as well as share their images over Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and more.

DelMar, California – iDevelopersLab today is pleased to announce the release and immediate availability of Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4. Use Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4 with built in Gloss photo filter to take professional looking photos. You can undo all effects at any time with undo feature. The new level of camera software for your iPad 2 and iPhone 4.

Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4 offer:
* iPhone 4S support
* iOS 5 tested
* Stylized camera interface
* Auto “Gloss” filter for any photo
* Support for large image sizes
* In-App camera
* Photo editor
* Image processing setup
* Share your images to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.
* Flip photos
* Rotate photos
* Export photos to other apps

Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4 – take cool photos. Buy today and enjoy.

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad and iPad 2/iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S
* Requires iPhone OS 4.0 or later
* 2.0 MB/2.3 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2/iPhone 4 (v1.0) is $4.99 USD/$2.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photo & Video category.

Camera Gloss HD for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S: http://www.ideveloperslab.com/applications/camera-gloss-hd/
Purchase and Download for iPad 2: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id472958141
Purchase and Download for iPhone 4S: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id473253732

iDevelopersLab is a privately owned company based in the Russia and USA. Founded in 2010 to coincide with the launch of the iPhone App Store, iDevelopersLab provides a professional and unique insight into the iPhone and iPad platform. We are focused on delivering innovative and cutting edge mobile applications. Our design philosophy, together with our experienced team of developers allows us to develop high quality software with attention to detail and user friendliness. Copyright (C) 2011 iDevelopersLab. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

PatchMatch: A Randomized Correspondence Algorithm for Structural Image Editing

onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative, timesaving solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers, today announced Perfect Photo Suite 6 along with new products Perfect Effects, Perfect Portrait, Perfect Mask, and an update to Perfect Layers. All products in the Perfect Photo Suite 6 now work as standalone applications in addition to working directly from within Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture and Adobe Photoshop.

Giving photographers intuitive tools that work where they do, the Perfect Photo Suite 6 now offers solutions for photographic effects, portrait retouching, creating and working with multilayered files, replacing unwanted backgrounds, image resizing, depth of field control, and edge effects, in one affordable package. The Perfect Photo Suite 6 includes Perfect Effects 3, Perfect Portrait 1, Perfect Mask 5, Perfect Layers 2, Perfect Resize 7, FocalPoint 2 and PhotoFrame 4.6.

With this new version of the Perfect Photo Suite 6, photographers can now move effortlessly between individual applications within the Suite and have complete flexibility to use the products where they work. The Perfect Photo Suite 6 now operates not only as a plug-in for Photoshop but also as a standalone application. This additional functionality means that the Suite can be used directly within Lightroom and Aperture without the need for a separate host application as was previously required. Perfect Photo Suite 6 will continue to include full support for Photoshop CS5 and CS4 with many of the products now functioning as Smart Filters.

“We are extremely excited about Perfect Photo Suite 6,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “We have always set our sights on creating tools that help photographers create high quality images so that they can spend more time behind the camera or with clients, and less time behind the computer. With the release of the completely new products Perfect Portrait, Perfect Effects, Perfect Mask and the update to Perfect Layers, the Perfect Photo Suite 6 provides photographers with products that are even more intuitive to use, and that integrate seamlessly into their workflow, so that they can realize their photographic vision.”

Perfect Photo Suite 6 includes full versions of the following onOne Software products:

Perfect Effects 3 (New!): Perfect Effects builds on the popularity of PhotoTools to provide an even faster and more powerful way to create images with impact. Perfect Effects 3 includes a complete library of professional photographic effects that can be previewed live, full screen, on an image before being applied. Perfect Effects 3 now includes blending options that provide even more control over how effects are combined and applied.

Perfect Portrait 1 (New!): Perfect Portrait is a completely new product that offers the latest innovations in portrait retouching for photographers. Photographers can now focus on the art of retouching and portrait creation because the most time consuming tasks have been automated in Perfect Portrait. Perfect Portrait automatically finds faces and features in images so that photographers can get directly to the work of retouching and enhancing an image. Improving skin texture and color, removing blemishes and enhancing features like eyes, lips and teeth have never been easier.

Perfect Layers 2 (New!): Perfect Layers allows photographers to combine photos for endless creative options. Create and edit multi-layered files with Perfect Layers directly from Lightroom and Aperture, or as a standalone application. All Perfect Layers files can be edited in Photoshop later. Perfect Layers is the heart of the new Perfect Photo Suite 6.

Perfect Mask 5 (New!): Perfect Mask 5 is the next generation of Mask Pro, the leading software for background replacement. Perfect Mask takes the core strengths of Mask Pro to another level, by automating many common masking tasks with incredible accuracy. Perfect Mask’s new masking technology makes selecting subjects and isolating backgrounds surprisingly easy. With Automatic Background Removal, an initial mask is made on the image and can then be fine-tuned using the Erase and Refine Tools. With these new features, high quality masks can be created in just a few clicks. Perfect Mask 5 makes masking tough subjects like hair and glass on complex backgrounds easy.

Perfect Resize 7: Perfect Resize 7—powered by Genuine Fractals—is the industry standard for image resizing. It is renowned across the photographic and printing industries for its ability to increase image size well over 1000% without the loss of sharpness or detail that is normally expected. The patented, fractal based interpolation algorithms work like nothing else and the results speak for themselves.

PhotoFrame 4: Add the perfect finishing touch to images and layouts with PhotoFrame. With over one thousand design elements like film edges, borders, textures, backgrounds and adornments, PhotoFrame 4.6 even has complete layouts where users can simply drop an image in and they are done. It is the easiest and fastest way to add an authentic darkroom touch with a film edge or to create beautiful albums or scrapbook pages.

FocalPoint 2: Like bringing the camera lens inside Photoshop, FocalPoint 2 gives photographers the best way to add the most realistic depth of field and selective focus control to any image after it is photographed. Photographers now have an incredible amount of flexibility and control over the look of the blur with FocalPoint 2’s new blur algorithm, FocusBrush, Lens Presets and multiple FocusBug features.

The new Perfect Photo Suite 6 will be available in late October 2011. Owners of the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5, Plug-In Suite 5 or earlier versions, can upgrade to Perfect Photo Suite 6 for $149.95. Perfect Photo Suite 6 is available to new users for $299.95. Customers who own one or more of the products in Perfect Photo Suite 6 will be able to upgrade as well by visiting http://www.ononesoftware.com/upgrade. For more information on the Perfect Photo Suite 6, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com.

For those that have purchased the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 on or after August 7, 2011, onOne Software will issue a complimentary upgrade to the Perfect Photo Suite 6 via download when it is available in late October 2011.

onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, develops timesaving software solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers. onOne Software solutions have been created to help photographers spend more of their time behind the camera taking pictures instead of the computer workstation. The products include a wide range of easy-to-use applications and plug-in enhancements for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture applications and the iPhone and iPad. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit http://www.ononesoftware.com or call 1-888-968-1468.

Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) announces today its much-anticipated Color Efex Pro 4, the company’s latest version of its popular digital photographic filters for retouching and creative enhancements. Recognized for over a decade as the professional’s choice in photographic filters, the 55 total filters of Color Efex Pro 4 offers a new generation of technologies and features for creating stunning effects. Color Efex Pro 4 introduces stackable filter combinations, visual presets, filter recipes, and new filters such as Detail Extractor, Vintage Film Efex, and Image Borders. The release also includes a new History Browser, improvements to imaging algorithms, greater performance, and enhanced usability. To watch videos and join special live online preview sessions, visit http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro.

“Creating a new generation of features and technologies for Color Efex Pro 4 was inspired by the professionals who use it,” said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. “Over 400 professional photographers test and inspire our team through a lively beta group process that ultimately helps us deliver extraordinary products like Color Efex Pro 4.”

“The freedom and power to take control of my images is part of the passion I have for photography,” said Frank Salas, Master Wedding Photographer and Instructor. “Color Efex Pro 4 fuels that passion with a stunning variety of photographic enhancements and incredible new filters that are perfect for my style of photography—it has really taken my images to new heights!”

The latest evolution of Nik Software’s U Point technology in Color Efex Pro 4 provides easy-to-use tools for photographers to fine-tune and stylize their images with precise selective adjustments without complicated selections and layer masks. Filter effects can be added or subtracted from images with incredible precision, using a few clicks of the mouse. Enhancements are automatically blended throughout an image for natural results. Color Efex Pro 4 also takes full advantage of the latest graphics processing units (GPUs) and multi-core processors for responsiveness and fast processing.

KEY NEW FEATURES:

NEW: Filter Combinations—Add multiple filters at once, adjust opacity, and make selective adjustments to get the desired look
NEW: Brand New Filters—Detail Extractor, Dark Contrast, Vintage Film Efex, Natural Image Borders, and much more
NEW: Visual Presets—Each filter contains single-click starting points making it possible to explore creative options quickly
NEW: Style Recipes—Customize and share filter combinations with others, using recipes
NEW: History Browser— Facilitates intuitive comparison of previous edits and different looks
NEW: GPU Processing and Multi-Core Optimization—GPU Processing takes full advantage of the processors found on advanced display adapters providing even faster performance
NEW: Interface, Interaction, and Workflow—Benefit from interface and interaction improvements to filters, zoom controls, shortcut keys, and much more

Pricing and Availability

Color Efex Pro 4 will be available directly from Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com), through specialty camera retailers, and through online and national resellers in October 2011. A list of Nik Software resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

Two versions of the software will be available: The Color Efex Pro 4 Complete Edition contains 55 filters with a suggested retail price of $199.95. The Color Efex Pro 4 Select Edition contains 26 filters with a suggested retail price of $99.95. Upgrades to the Complete Edition from any edition of versions 2.0 or 3.0 are $99.95. Customers who purchased Color Efex Pro or a Complete Collection bundle on or after August 7, 2011 are eligible for a free upgrade. Registered customers will be emailed instructions for accessing their free software. To pre-order Color Efex Pro 4, visit http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro.

Color Efex Pro 4 is Windows and Mac compatible and installs as a 32-bit and 64-bit plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 or later, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® 2.6 or later, Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 or later, Apple® Aperture® 2.1.4 or later. For more information about Color Efex Pro 4, including video tutorials, feature lists, and special live online preview sessions, please visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro.

About Nik Software

Nik Software, Inc. develops award-winning desktop and mobile software solutions and technologies for the professional digital imaging and consumer photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic products and technologies, including its patented U Point® technology and its Snapseed™ mobile product line. In 2011, the company earned the prestigious International TIPA Award for Best Photo Software for its Complete Collection of professional photography products, which includes Color Efex Pro™, HDR Efex Pro™, Sharpener Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, Viveza®, and Dfine®. In 2011, the company also earned the EISA Award for European Photo Software of the Year 2011-2012 for Silver Efex Pro 2. For more information, visit http://www.niksoftware.com. For videos, screenshots, and other detailed information, download the Color Efex Pro 4 press kit at http://www.niksoftware.com/cep4presskit.

Corel today announced the release of Corel® PaintShop™ Pro X4, the latest version of its award-winning photo editing software. The trusted choice of millions of photographers worldwide, PaintShop Pro delivers ‘DSLR’ power at a ‘point-and-shoot’ price while offering an uncompromising depth and selection of pro-quality tools to expertly manage, adjust, edit and share your entire photo collection.

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 includes over 75 new and enhanced features designed explicitly to meet the needs of today’s photographers. With new photo editing features, dramatic improvements in speed and performance, enhancements to the user interface and convenient ways to share through social media, PaintShop Pro X4 delivers the depth of professional features and range of creative possibilities at a much lower price point than other professional editing software.

Feedback from the PaintShop Pro community helped isolate the development priorities for this release and directly influenced the impressive set of new features and enhancements within the following four categories:

Professional Editing Power –

New and Enhanced! HDR Tools – A completely redesigned HDR engine brings you the latest technology in high dynamic range photo production. The new HDR module provides tools to merge photos and create picture-perfect exposures with stunning contrast. With built-in presets to get you started, images look their best in no time.

New! Photo Blend – Create the perfect composition from a series of images by easily including the best details and removing unwanted elements from any individual photo.
New! Fill Light and Clarity – The Fill Light tool lets you bring out underexposed areas without affecting the overall brightness of your image, while the Clarity tool makes it easy to enhance subtle yet important details.
New! Selective Focus – Enhance the depth of field in any image or easily mimic the effect of expensive tilt-shift lenses to turn a scene into a simulated miniature.
New! Vignette Tools – Often used in wedding and portrait photography, the Vignette tool provides a classic portraiture style by applying a soft, coloured or faded border effect.

Performance –

Enhanced! Performance – Corel PaintShop Pro X4 is faster than ever before with speed increases of over 50% on launch and accelerated performance compared with past versions.
Enhanced! Full Screen Preview – Fast, full-screen preview allows you to efficiently review your photos and use the entire screen to quickly view, rate, and rotate your images.

Usability –

Enhanced! Workspace – New redesigned tabbed workspaces allow you to move easily between different photo workflows. The Manage workspace gives you all the power to review, tag, rate and organize your photos. The new Adjust workspace puts commonly-used editing tools at your fingertips, while the Edit workspace provides you with a full range of professional-level editing tools.
Enhanced! User Interface Updates – Corel PaintShop Pro X4 offers numerous interface updates to help users be as productive as possible. These include the ability to access the organizer in all workspaces, dual monitor support for enhanced efficiency, additional Adjustment Layers, an updated Curves dialog, easy-to-read Histogram tools, enhanced metadata support and more.

Sharing –

Enhanced! Built-in social media sharing – For when your shots are picture-perfect, tools integrated into the organizer allow you to quickly share your images with a click on Facebook® and Flickr® plus resizing “on the fly” for emailing.

Pricing and Availability

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 is available now in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch and Polish for £59.99 including VAT for the full version and £44.99 including VAT for upgrade customers. Commercial and education volume licenses are also available and additional languages are to follow. To download a free fully-functional trial version or for more information about Corel PaintShop Pro X4, please visit http://www.corel.co.uk/paintshop.

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate

Corel is today also announcing the premium version of PaintShop Pro: Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate. Offering the full PaintShop Pro X4 power plus additional pro-level tools including 52 easy-to-use filters with over 250 effects and styles in Nik® Color Efex Pro™ 3.0, a choice of royalty-free images from Fotolia and a premium collection of Picture Tubes™, Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate provides exceptional value and countless creative possibilities.

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate is available now in English, German, French, Italian and Dutch for £79.99 including VAT for the full version and £59.99 including VAT for the upgrade.

Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle

Also available from today is the Corel® Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle that combines the power of Corel® PaintShop™ Pro X4 Ultimate with the end-to-end HD video editing tools of the recently announced VideoStudio® Pro X4 Ultimate. Now you only need one product to make all your photos and videos look great—the Corel® Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle!

Corel® Photo & Video X4 Ultimate Bundle is available now in English and German for £109 including VAT.

The world’s longest-running photography magazine is now available free as a quarterly app, created bespoke for the iPad.

Tailor-made for the iPad’s unique digital environment, making full use of its tactile navigational tools and spectacular, backlit display, the app transforms BJP’s acclaimed mix of arresting imagery, elegant design and thought-provoking articles, truly bringing the magazine to life on a digital screen for the first time.

Created by our in-house designers using the Mag+ platform, the BJP app gives readers the highlight features of our print editions together with extra features, photos and a raft of new multimedia and video content, including a moving image cover created by New York-based artists Reed+Rader.

Along with its high-impact imagery, the BJP app provides in-depth analysis of the latest visual trends, compelling interviews with the world’s leading photographers, spotlights on new talent and reviews of the latest gear. Maximising the iPad’s video capabilities, it incorporates unrivalled coverage of the emerging HD-DSLR video market, bringing together the best from stills photography and motion technology. Up-to-the-minute live news from BJP-Online is also accessible at just the click of a button, and users can share articles via email and social media.

The app is the culmination of nine months’ research and development by a team led by BJP’s art editor, Mick Moore, working to a brief set by editor Simon Bainbridge, who states: “We’ve been undergoing something of a renaissance over the past 18 months, transforming our 157-year-old weekly printed journal into a heavyweight monthly magazine that makes no compromise for quality, and then overhauling our website, focusing it on daily news and observations. In many ways, the iPad brings us full circle, allowing us to truly bring our features to life on a digital screen for the first time, and of course we are no longer restricted by the confines of paper and print, so we have packed it full of content.

“And what great timing, the tablet revolution, because it coincides with another – the convergence of still and motion images, which gets special focus in our first issue. Traditionally, magazines about filmmaking have one obvious flaw – you can’t show moving images. Here, our only restriction is bandwidth.”

Issue #1, available free from today, includes:

• Exclusive interviews with celebrated portrait photographer Anton Corbijn and acclaimed German film director Wim Wenders on the relationship between still and motion images
• Five photographers, including Tim Walker and Zed Nelson, discuss their first adventures in filmmaking
• A special report on the role of photojournalism since 9/11
• Q&A with legendary South African photographer David Goldblatt
• A trend report on the new fashion for “character culture”
• Reviews of the latest photography gear, including tests of cameras, software, lighting and accessories

We are delighted to have the support of advertisers including Hasselblad, Nikon, Samsung, Absolut, LensPimp and AJ’s, who have shown their faith in us as one of the world’s first magazines to create a truly bespoke app for the iPad, and their recognition that tablets represent a new frontier in publishing.

Group publishing director Marc Hartog comments: “This is the first tablet edition Incisive Media has produced and represents a significant investment and commitment to the evolving technology. We have selected Mag+ as our publishing platform of choice, and have created what we believe will set a new benchmark for a content rich and interactive experience on the iPad with the first BJP app.”
Available quarterly, exclusively through iTunes, the first issue is available free to download from today.

For download details, video previews and more, visit http://www.bjpapp.com Images are available on request.

DxO Labs today announces the immediate availability of DxO FilmPack 3 at a special launch price starting at $49, until September 30.

DxO FilmPack 3 allows photographers from beginners to experts to authentically recreate the magic of dozens of black & white or color film stocks on their digital images in one click, offering limitless creative options.

Legendary black & white film photographer Sebastio Salgado, who recently migrated from silver halide to digital, said, “DxO FilmPack has become a must-have step in my photographic workflow to render the unique Kodak Tri-X® grain on my large-format prints.”

WHAT’S NEW?
- User-friendly interface (Windows and Mac)
- New film looks
- Additional color and B&W conversion controls
- Multiple plugins for better integration with the workflow

UNRIVALED FILM FIDELITY
Building on its unique 10 years of recognized expertise in characterizing digital and film-based photographic systems, DxO Labs has worked with world class film processing facilities, Picto in Paris and Duggal in New York, to develop a unique film profiling process that ensures the most precise film simulation available on the market today. Users can easily give their images the appealing grain, color, saturation and contrast of famous film stocks, recalling the deep history of photography and rich legacy of each film look.

“Our thorough approach to accurately characterizing the unique rendering of each film allows DxO FilmPack 3 users to faithfully apply the visual signature of many iconic silver halide films, some of which are not available anymore, such as Kodachrome®,” said Jerome Meniere, CEO of DxO Labs. “We put a strong focus on authenticity for all DxO FilmPack 3 renderings, developing our software in partnership with expert photographers having extensive knowledge of both film and digital photography, to ensure unrivaled film fidelity.”

BOUNDLESS CREATIVITY
In addition to 10 new film looks and 10 new color filters, DxO FilmPack 3 also features new tools that provide photographers with full control of their images:

- Creation of customized film looks
- Hue/saturation/lightness sliders for additional color creative control
- Channel mixer for extended Black & White rendering styles
- Creative vignetting to give images a particular look
- Noise removal tool for more authentic grain rendering

EASE OF USE
DxO FilmPack 3’s interface has been completely revamped. Photographers can now easily choose among the numerous built-in film looks thanks to the user-friendly filmstrip. This means that beginners can obtain good results with a single click, whereas experts will take advantage of all the advanced functionalities to fine-tune their pictures. The batch mode allows users to process hundreds of images at once for unparalleled productivity.

For optimal flexibility, each DxO FilmPack 3 license includes the standalone application as well as plugins for Adobe® Photoshop® CS4/CS5, Adobe® Lightroom® 3, Apple® Aperture® 3, and DxO Optics Pro 6. In addition, DxO FilmPack 3 can be used as a Smart Filter in Adobe ® Photoshop®

. All can be simultaneously installed on two computers.

AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
Compatible with Mac and Windows, DxO FilmPack 3 is available in two editions, Essential and Expert, which differ in terms of available film renderings and features.

A free 31-day trial version of DxO FilmPack 3 is available on DxO Labs’ website, and allows testing its functionalities on your own pictures (http://www.dxo.com/intl/photo/free_trial_version). DxO FilmPack 3 is available immediately from the DxO Labs e-store (http://www.dxo.com) and from popular photo stores at a special introductory discount of up to 30%:

USD:
 DxO FilmPack 3 Essential Edition: $49 instead of $79
 DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Edition: $99 instead of $129
 DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Upgrade from DxO FilmPack 1 or 2: $39 instead of $49

EUR:
 DxO FilmPack 3 Essential Edition: 49€ instead of 79€
 DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Edition: 99€ instead of 129€
 DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Upgrade from DxO FilmPack 1 or 2: 39€ instead of 49€
(Suggested retail prices, including VAT)

GBP:
 DxO FilmPack 3 Essential Edition: £49, instead of £69
 DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Edition: £79, instead of £99
 DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Upgrade from DxO FilmPack 1 or 2: £29 instead of £39
(Suggested retail prices, including VAT)

System Requirements
 PC: Microsoft® Windows ® XP 32 bits, Windows® Vista® 32 or 64 bits, Windows® 7 (32 or 64 bits) and Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD® equivalent
 Mac: Mac OS® X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS® X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac OS® X 10.7 Lion and Intel Mac® processor  2 GB RAM minimum and 400 MB available disk space

Douglas Software announced today version 3 of the Douglas Photo Calculator software that gives a comprehensive range of easy-to-use options for optical calculations including depth of field, hyperfocal distance and angle of view.

Photo Calculator is an enhanced version of its predecessor and now includes calculations showing the effect of diffraction upon aperture.

Photo Calculator gives users a wider range of photographic opportunities than any other software on the market. Amateur photographers and professionals alike benefit from what is a quick and easy way to solve everyday optical equations – in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Free upgrades are available for Registered Users.

For more information visit http://www.photo-software.com

AKVIS is proud to announce the release of AKVIS HDRFactory v.2.0. AKVIS HDRFactory creates HDR images from a series of photographs taken at different exposures or from a single photograph. You can come very close to reality or even go beyond it by creating stylized images with fabulous colors and unique effects. The latest version introduces an Effects with parameters which help to add a glow effect to an image, darken or lighten image edges, and add warm or cold tints.

Often you will see a breathtaking, dramatic scene which you want to capture with your camera, but your camera just cannot do it justice. Once you have transferred the photo to your computer and see it on your monitor, it just doesn’t look like you remembered. While the sky may be bright, the subtle details in shadows are gone, and objects in the dark areas of the photo are not discernable at all. No digital camera, no matter the quality, can reproduce what the human eye can see. In fact, the human eye can perceive 100 million colors and shades at a time, while a camera can distinguish only between 16,8 million colors, which is 6 times less.

Thankfully, HDRI technology makes it possible to return these details back to your photos. AKVIS HDRFactory uses this technology to create an HDR image from a series of photographs or even from a single photo. It can bridge the gap between what your eyes can see and what your digital camera can record.

AKVIS HDRFactory is a versatile program for creating High Dynamic Range images and making photo correction. HDRFactory creates HDR photos (images with high dynamic range) by combining several images of the same object taken with different exposure values. The result is an expressive contrasting image that reflects reality with a higher level of authenticity than a simple snapshot.

The name of the program can be taken literally, as AKVIS HDRFactory is a real workshop for the production of fascinating HDR images. With AKVIS HDRFactory you can come very close to reality and even go beyond it by creating stylized images with fabulous colors and unique effects.

The software in Deluxe and Business variants offers a special feature – the Ghost Removal tool which helps to repair the so-called “ghosts” that sometimes appear when creating an HDR image. These “unwelcome guests” (semi-transparent doubled passersby, cars, tree leaves, etc) are a result of combining a series of source photos that contain moving objects. HDRFactory will help you to remove these artifacts without a trace.

AKVIS HDRFactory can also imitate the HDR effect using only one photo by creating a pseudo-HDR. This technique is useful if you don’t have a series of images with different exposures. Just load a single image into AKVIS HDRFactory and admire the effect which goes beyond photo realism and opens the door into the fascinating world of HDR.

AKVIS HDRFactory brings life and color to your photos! HDRFactory can also be used for photo correction. You can adjust color saturation and brightness, and bring out the detail in dark and bright areas.

Version 2.0 introduces the new Effects tab. With the parameters under this tab you can refine the look of your photos even further. Now the software offers a wide range of effects to fit any taste!

You can adjust the mood of a photo by changing its color temperature from a cool to warm appearance or change the photo’s tint. You can create a realistic effect or go for something more creative and stylish. You can also add a glow to your image for a glamorous touch.

Other parameters under the Effects tab permit you to add a vignette to your photo. The appearance of the vignette can be adjusted to your taste. It can be light or dark, have rounded or square edges, or hard of soft borders. This effect is useful when you want to draw attention to particular subjects or objects in a scene, or just to create the perfect mood.

The new version offers 34 ready-to-use presets. These presets include a wide choice of effects, ranging from realistic to exuberant brightness and color. With such a great variety of choices you will certainly be able to find just the look you want, whether you want reality or to push beyond it.

The presets are available in all three tabs (HDRI, Adjustment, and Effects) and contain all settings of these tabs. The presets can be applied in their initial version or can be modified. First you can try AKVIS presets and then create your own exclusive variations.

The new Preset Preview window lets you observe the result in real time. Now, when moving a cursor over a preset in the drop-down list, the quick result appears in the quick preview window over the image window. It saves you time and make the selection of the presets easier.

The Post Processing parameters have been hidden and can now be opened by clicking on a triangle button, right to the HDRI/Adjustment/Effects tabs.

Version 2.0 adds the possibility to adjust Image View Modes (various options for displaying the original and processed images, “before” and “after” states). You can see and compare the original and processed versions of an image fragment on one screen. The software now demonstrates more flexibility!

Also, new to this version is the possibility to rotate an image left or right by 90 degrees (in the standalone program).

The program supports files in the RAW format, which gives you even more flexibility in creating the image you have imagined.

Registered users can upgrade to version 2.0 for free.

Download AKVIS HDRFactory v.2.0 for Mac and Windows here.

AKVIS HDRFactory is available in two editions: as an independent Standalone program and as a Plugin to a photo editor.

The software runs on Windows 7/Vista/XP and on Mac OS X 10.4-10.7 (Lion), both 32 and 64 bit.

AKVIS HDRFactory sells for $69 USD for Home version (either Plugin or Standalone), $99 USD for Home Deluxe (Plugin and Standalone, all features, including the Ghost Removal tool), $189 USD for Business (Plugin and Standalone, all features, including the Ghost Removal tool, for commercial use), downloadable from akvis.com.

Both Home and Business users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS programs in the AKVIS Alchemy Bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Refocus, HDRFactory, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) with the discount of 60%, a huge savings over purchasing each separately.

AKVIS (akvis.com) specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

Corel today announced the release of VideoStudio® Pro X4 Ultimate. Built on the award-winning video editing power of Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X4, the new Ultimate version offers action-sports videographers, HD-DSLR shooters and video editing enthusiasts an expanded set of high-end tools and quality plug-ins to take their creativity to new levels. For only £79.99 the Ultimate edition of VideoStudio Pro X4, brings together the performance and HD editing tools of VideoStudio Pro X4 with the extreme video stabilisation and advanced image correction of proDAD Mercalli SE and the broadcast-quality titling tools of Boris Graffiti 5.3.

New Content Expands Creative Possibilities for Movie Makers:

proDAD Mercalli SE – Extreme image correction and video stabilisation:
proDAD Mercalli SE provides users with leading quality video stabilisation technology, rolling-shutter correction and zoom/pan optimisation. Remove camera shake to get rock-steady video.

Boris Graffiti 5.3 – The industry standard for video effects creation:
Boris Graffiti 5.3 allows users to create quality titles and graphics directly within VideoStudio. Add sophisticated animations and 3D text with hundreds of preset effects and styles, including type-on-text, text on a path, jitter and randomisation.

Bonus FREE download of WinZip® Pro – File compression, sharing, encryption and backup:
Zip and unzip files, share data and protect your work. WinZip Pro delivers fast file compression/decompression, a streamlined design and file sharing functionality

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 lets anyone create and share professional-quality videos. With exceptional speed, unparalleled AVCHD™ acceleration, a multitude of special effects and editing options plus easy ways to bring great-looking movies to the screen, VideoStudio Pro X4 combines power and simplicity to break down the barriers to video editing.

Availability and Pricing

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Ultimate is available in English, German, French, Dutch, and Italian for £79.99 including VAT. Users of VideoStudio X2 and higher can upgrade for £59.99 including VAT. To download a free fully-functional trial version of VideoStudio Pro X4 or for more information about Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Ultimate, please visit http://www.corel.com

Camera Codec pack from Microsoft  allows you to view your RAW files on your Windows PC. The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack lets you view RAW files from over 120 digital SLR devices.

Phase One today released Media Pro 1.0.1, a service release, and the first update since Media Pro was introduced less than two months ago.

Media Pro is a professional photo manager for finding, organizing, and sharing images and videos wherever those files are stored. Media Pro supports photo and video files from more than 100 different cameras and is built to manage large photo libraries.

This service release includes several fixes and improvements, such as the following:

—Fixed stability issues including crash when working with large JPEGs in Slideshow and on the Light Table;
—Fixed Renderings bugs, including no full resolution TIFFs on Mac and missing PDF thumbnails on Windows XP;
—Fixed a issue where a catalog upgraded from Expression Media 2 could not be saved;
—Fixed a bug causing XMP sidecars not to be moved with the media files to which they belong;
—Fixed importer issues e.g. crash on Mac when XMP sidecars were present and problem when importing JPEGs on Window XP 32 bits;
—Fixed a bug on Windows where sorting would not work;
—Fixed readability issues caused by new UI color scheme;
—Fixed a bug preventing XML data files to be created on Windows;
—Fixed some EIP color management/rendering issues on Mac;
—License issue on Windows appearing when Internet connection was lost.

Availability and Pricing
Media Pro 1.0.1 is free to existing Phase One Media Pro customers. For more information including product features, upgrade options and tutorials, please see: http://www.phaseone.com/en/Software/Media-Pro/Whats-new.aspx

About Phase One
Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes for both medium format and digital cameras. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information, please visit Phase One at http://www.phaseone.com. Follow Phase One on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PhaseOneWW

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Phase One, the world’s leader in open-platform based professional medium format camera systems and solutions, today announced the availability of Camera Control—a new Capture Pilot(TM) option that lets photographers operate their cameras remotely via their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. This remote camera control frees photographers to shoot under scenarios that previously would have been difficult or impossible.

Camera Control is the newest feature of Capture Pilot which allows photographers to use their iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch to wirelessly view, zoom and pan high resolution DSLR and medium format RAW, JPEG and TIFF images while they are shooting. The application’s rating and tagging features enable clients and colleagues in the studio or on remote locations to participate in the shoot and provide instant feedback.

Camera Control
Camera Control offers photographers an elegant, virtual camera display on their iOS device to remotely fire the camera and control the camera’s most important capture parameters, including ISO sensitivity, exposure mode, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation and others.

Camera control supports a wide range of pro and semi-pro Canon and Nikon DSLRs, and Phase One, Leaf and Mamiya medium format camera systems.

Availability and Pricing
Camera Control is available now as an in app purchase for USD14.99 / EURO11.99. Capture Pilot™ is a free app available from the Apple store that works with Capture One Pro. More information is available here: http://www.phaseone.com/en/software/capture-pilot

Capture Pilot with Camera Control requires version 6.2.1 or later of Capture One Pro, the raw conversion and image editing software that supports a wide range of pro and semi-pro camera models. Capture One comprises a full digital workflow to produce beautifully detailed and richly rendered images. For information about Capture One Pro, please see: http://www.phaseone.com/en/Software/Capture-One-Pro-6/

About Phase One
Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes for both medium format and digital cameras. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information, please visit Phase One at http://www.phaseone.com. Follow Phase One on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PhaseOneWW

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Kaliningrad, Russian Federation – Kenigart announces the release of Camera PRO + for iPad 2 v.1.0. Now you can improve your photos taken with the iPad 2 camera to SLR Camera quality with this new awesome photo editing application.

Camera PRO + allows you to take better photos on you iPad 2 and apply different enhancing effects.
With the Camera PRO + app you can take photos directly from application and get better improved photos because our app uses special photo improving math algorithms.

Use your standard iPad 2 camera and get photos with the quality of SLR Cameras!

Application Features:
* Simple and easy HD interface is fully optimized for iPad 2
* Special photo improving math algorithms
* 10 digital photo effects to improve your photos in app
* 10 photo tips and hints from pro photographers with “how-to” photo samples
* Make improved photos directly from app or load it from iPad Photo Library/Album
* Save improved photos to iPad

And all that features you will get in our one awesome application! Don’t miss this special opportunity!

Device Requirements:
* iPad and iPad 2
* Requires iPhone OS 4.0 or later
* 4.4 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Camera PRO for iPad 2 v.1.0 is only $5.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

Camera PRO+ for iPad 2 v1.0: http://kenigart.com/applications/camera-pro-for-ipad-2
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id446671652

Kenigart is a web design and development company that you can rely on for all your digital needs. Our developers and engineers are highly competent professionals and have extensive experience in their respective fields. Every new project is based on close collaboration of the entire team with the best skills and experiences applied into all aspects of the task. Before we start every single project, first we work closely with the customer to understand their specific needs and goals. We make sure the result will meet their expectations and requirements. Our team understands that the final product should be easy to understand and maintain. In Our Studio we care about people and try to retain the best engineers, designers, and developers. We have the best talents – you get the best results at the affordable price. Copyright (C) 2011 Kenigart. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

With Snapseed 1.1.0 the latest version of Nik Software’s image editing tool for mobile devices is available now.

Apart from a number of smaller adjustments with regards to user interface and guidance, this new version includes the following major enhancements:

- RAW-data support for data transferred to the iPad via Camera Connector Kit
- when saving data EXIF-data will be preserved
- generally enhanced performance with regards to processing image adjustments

Snapseed for iPad is the first image-editing tool for mobile devices by Nik Software. In Addition to the traditional tools like Auto Correction, Crop, or Straighten, the app offers selective adjustments thanks to the integrated patented U Point-technology.

Innovative filters like Grunge, Vintage, Black and White or Drama offer creative editing possibilities that can be adjusted individually. The function Center Focus enables the user to manipulate the ratio between blurred and sharp areas within the image.

Furthermore, the image can be completed with an expressive frame, before it is sent by email or shared through social networks. Snapseed for iPad is available for € 3.99 exclusively via the iTunes App Store.

http://www.niksoftware.com/snapseed

CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW) today released PhotoDirector 2011, the brand new professional-quality photo editing software that allows users to efficiently manage, enhance and share their digital pictures. By delivering powerful management and editing tools, PhotoDirector 2011 is designed to smooth the flow from the time an image is imported to the PC to its final output. Offered at a value-price (SRP £79.99) that will appeal to all photographers who are serious about their hobby, PhotoDirector 2011 comes with a free of charge upgrade for the next version.

PhotoDirector 2011 introduces a wide array of dynamic adjustment tools that can be applied in a non-destructive editing environment. Additionally, PhotoDirector 2011 provides several unique solutions, such as native rendering of RAW files from Canon and Nikon cameras, a highly desirable feature to maintain the immaculate quality of your images as intended by the camera manufacturers. All without the hassle of installing plug-ins. PhotoDirector 2011 is also the first photo software that lets users easily share their own presets and download an unlimited number of presets defined by others, directly from the application, through CyberLink’s online community DirectorZone.com.

“PhotoDirector 2011 is an exciting brand new software that adds to the growing range of CyberLink products delivering dynamic multimedia experiences,” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. “We designed PhotoDirector 2011 as the complete post production solution for photographers. It helps them bring out the absolute best of their photos.”

Over 75,000 people from all over the world participated in the three week Beta program, giving PhotoDirector 2011 an overall product satisfaction score of 4.2 out of 5.

PhotoDirector comes from the makers of the award-winning PowerDirector 9 video editor and brings comparable stunning results and intuitive user experience to photo editing.

Key Features in PhotoDirector 2011

Fast, Intuitive Workflow: PhotoDirector’s fast, intuitive workflow is designed to bring unparalleled efficiency by smoothing the flow from import, manage, enhance to final output.
Non-destructive Editing Environment: Since original images are safely unaltered, creative experimentation is encouraged in PhotoDirector’s non-destructive editing environment.
State of the Art Adjustment Tools: PhotoDirector delivers all cutting edge tools to perfect photos, including adjustment brushes, levels, white balance and noise reduction.
Native RAW Support: Native rendering of RAW files from Canon and Nikon cameras delivers absolutely stunning colour. PhotoDirector also delivers support for a broad range of RAW file formats from the world’s leading digital cameras.
Exchange Unlimited Presets: Share and download unlimited adjustment presets directly from PhotoDirector with the DirectorZone.com community.

CyberLink PhotoDirector 2011 Versions

PhotoDirector 2011: UK £79.99

Product Availability

PhotoDirector 2011 is available online, supporting the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese and Korean. CyberLink offers OEM versions to PC and CE manufacturing customers, while a free trial download is also available from the CyberLink website.

About CyberLink

CyberLink Corp is the leader and pioneer in enabling digital multimedia on PCs, CEs and mobile devices through the use of video editing software, video player software, and other multimedia solutions. Backed by a group of high-caliber software engineers, CyberLink owns its core codec and a number of patented technologies. CyberLink has built a solid reputation for delivering high-quality, interoperable, and fast time-to-market solutions that keep our OEM partners on the leading edge. Our business partners include leaders in the PC industry: top-5 desktop and notebook providers, optical drive manufacturers and graphic-card makers. Today, CyberLink’s software solutions include: complete applications for Blu-ray Disc playback and creation; digital home entertainment; and touch-enabled media solution. With customers spanning from multi-national corporations to small/medium-sized businesses, and from power users to home users, CyberLink has enjoyed rapid and consistent growth leading to a record breaking IPO in 2000 on the Taiwan Over The Counter Exchange (OTC: 5203). Currently, CyberLink is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: 5203.TW). CyberLink’s worldwide headquarters is located in Taipei. To keep up with market demands, CyberLink has operations in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region, including Japan. For more information, please visit CyberLink’s website at http://www.cyberlink.com.

Apple today announced Final Cut Pro X, a revolutionary new version of the world’s most popular Pro video editing software which completely reinvents video editing with a Magnetic Timeline that lets you edit on a flexible, trackless canvas; Content Auto-Analysis that categorises your content upon import by shot type, media and people; and background rendering that allows you to work without interruption. Built on a modern 64-bit architecture, Final Cut Pro X is available from the Mac App Store for £179.99.

“Final Cut Pro X is the biggest advance in Pro video editing since the original Final Cut Pro,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We have shown it to many of the world’s best Pro editors, and their jaws have dropped.”

“I’m blown away by what Apple has done with Final Cut Pro,” said Angus Wall, Academy Award-winning film editor. “Final Cut Pro X is incredibly modern and fast, but most importantly it lets you focus on telling your story in the most creative way, while it actively manages all of the technical details.”

At the heart of Final Cut Pro X is the Magnetic Timeline, a trackless approach to editing your footage that lets you add and arrange clips wherever you want them, while other clips instantly slide out of the way. You can use Clip Connections to link primary story clips to other elements like titles and sound effects, so they stay in perfect sync when you move them. You can even combine related story elements into a Compound Clip that can be edited as a single clip. The groundbreaking new Auditions feature lets you swap between a collection of clips to instantly compare alternate takes.

Content Auto-Analysis scans your media on import and tags your content with useful information. Final Cut Pro X then uses that information to dynamically organise your clips into Smart Collections, so you can easily find the clips you want by close up, medium and wide shots as well as media type and the number of people in the shot. You can also tag parts of clips with Range-based keywords to add custom search criteria to your media.

Completely rebuilt from the ground up, Final Cut Pro X is a 64-bit app that takes full advantage of the latest Mac hardware and software so you never have to wait for the next edit, even if you’re working with 4K video. Final Cut Pro X uses multi-threaded processing and the GPU on your graphics card for blazing fast background rendering and superb real-time playback performance. Additionally, a ColorSync-managed color pipeline ensures color consistency from import to output.

Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by two companion apps, Motion 5 for professional motion graphics and Compressor 4 for advanced media encoding, available from the Mac App Store for £29.99 each.

Pricing & Availability

Final Cut Pro X is available today for £179.99 from the Mac App Store. Motion 5 and Compressor 4 are available today for £29.99 each from the Mac App Store. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Pro X can be found at http://www.apple.com/uk/finalcutpro.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

DxO Labs today announces DxO FilmPack 3 for Mac and Windows, the latest version of its reference software simulating silver halide film rendition based on DxO Labs’ unique 10 years of recognized expertise in calibration. DxO FilmPack 3 allows photographers, from experts to beginners, to recreate the magic of dozens of black & white or color film stocks in one click, offering limitless creative options for their digital images.

Unrivaled Film Fidelity

Leveraging its worldwide known scientific expertise in image quality measurement, and working with world class film processing facilities, Picto – Paris and Duggal – New York, DxO Labs has developed a unique film profiling process, ensuring the most precise film simulation available on the market today. Users can easily give their prints, including large format fine art prints, the appealing grain, color and contrast of famous film stocks, recalling the deep history of photography and rich legacy of each film look.

Legendary black & white film photographer Sebastio Salgado, who recently migrated from film to digital, says “DxO FilmPack has become a must have step in my photographic workflow to render the unique Kodak TriX grain on my large format prints.”

“In cases such as Kodachrome, the film is not available anymore, and our painstaking work to accurately portray the unique attributes of each stock in DxO FilmPack 3 is the only way to achieve these characteristics,” said Cyrille de La Chesnais, Director Sales & Marketing for DxO Labs’ Photography business.

Extended creativity

DxO FilmPack 3 introduces ten new film looks and ten new color filters to explore additional looks, and even create film looks that only exist in customer’s imagination, with the addition of several new controls including:

· Hue/Saturation/Luminance sliders for additional color creative control

· Channel mixer for extended Black & White rendering styles

· Creative vignetting to give images a particular look

· Noise removal tool for more precise grain control

Ease of use

For easy integration of DxO FilmPack into customer workflow, the software will be available as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS, Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, and DxO Optics Pro. A standalone application will also be provided. These versions can all work in batch mode, allowing users to process hundreds of image in just a few clicks of the mouse. In addition, DxO FilmPack can be used as a Smart Filter in Adobe Photoshop for optimal flexibility.

In the third party plug-ins and in the standalone version, the interface has been revamped with a modern and slick design enhancing the picture and providing several new functions. At the heart of these new functions is a new visual preset system that allows photographers to easily choose from the many built-in film presets, and to save and share their own customized looks.
To enhance the user experience, noise removal and grain effect are now visible at all zoom factors.
Exceptional Introductory Discount, Availability and Editions

DxO FilmPack 3 is available in two editions, Essential and Expert (Mac or Windows), which differ in terms of available features.

Each DxO FilmPack 3 license includes

· a standalone application

· a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS4/CS5

· a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom 3

· a plug-in DxO Optics Pro v6.6 (and higher)

· and for Mac, a plug-in for Apple Aperture 3

Each can all be simultaneously installed on two computers.

DxO FilmPack 3 standalone and DxO FilmPack 3 plug-in for Photoshop/Lightroom/Aperture will be available in the summer of 2011.

DxO FilmPack 3 plug-in for DxO Optics Pro and upgrades to DxO FilmPack 3 plug-in for DxO Optics Pro are available immediately from the DxO Labs e-store (http://www.dxo.com) at a special introductory discount:

· DxO FilmPack 3 Essential edition

49 €, instead of 79 €, representing a savings of 30 €

$49, instead of $79, representing a savings of $30

at £49, instead of £69, representing a savings of £20

· DxO FilmPack 3 Expert edition

at 99 €, instead of 129 €, representing a savings of 30 €

at $99, instead of $129, representing a savings of $30

at £79, instead of £99, representing a savings of £20

· DxO FilmPack 3 Expert Upgrade from DxO FilmPack 1 or 2

at 39 € instead of 49 € representing a savings of 10 €.

at $39 instead of $49 representing a savings of $10.

at £29, instead of £39, representing a savings of £10

€ and £ prices include VAT.

Customers purchasing this plug-in or its upgrade will have free access to DxO FilmPack 3 standalone or Photoshop/Lightroom/Aperture plug-ins when available.

System Requirements

· 2 GB RAM minimum
· 400 MB available disk space

Windows:
· Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent (Pentium Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
· Microsoft Windows XP 32, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bits, Windows 7 (32 or 64 bits)
· To process images larger than 20 MPixels, a 64-bit operating system with 4 GB RAM is strongly recommended

Macintosh:
· Intel-Mac
· Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
· To process images larger than 20 MPixels, 3 GB RAM is strongly recommended

About DxO Labs

DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:

• Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);

• Image quality evaluation and measurement tools for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as for photography journalists and imaging experts.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com.

DxO Labs is pleased to announce the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro v6.6 for Mac and Windows, which provides improved image correction, along with RAW support for the following digital cameras:

· Nikon D5100 (Standard or Elite edition)

· Olympus E-5 (Elite edition)

· Panasonic DMC GF1 (Standard or Elite edition)

· Panasonic DMC GF2 (Standard or Elite edition)

· Pentax K-R (Standard or Elite edition)

Further, more than 100 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering numerous Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax, and Sony cameras.

With this version, users with cameras supported by DxO Optics Pro will be able to easily command more control over noise in their JPEG images thanks to a newly extended range of the chrominance noise slider. Additionally, noise can be manually reduced from JPEG images taken with any camera. With this new capability, all corrections available for supported equipment are now available in manual mode for any unsupported equipment.

Based on customer feedback, a new color control slider has also been added to preserve the depth and colors of objects with certain saturated colors.

DxO FilmPack 3 plug-in for DxO Optics Pro, made available today from DxO Labs’ e-store, extends the product’s scope by providing up to 60 color and B&W film renderings with unrivaled precision, and powerful B&W conversion controls.

Availability and price

DxO Optics Pro v6.6 for Windows and Mac, Standard and Elite editions are available from DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at a significant 30 percent launch discount:

· DxO Optics Pro Standard edition:

99 €, reduced from 149 €

$99, reduced from $169

£89, reduced from £135

· DxO Optics Pro Elite edition:

199 €, reduced from 299 €

$199, reduced from $299

£179, reduced from £269

€ and £ prices include sales taxes and VAT.

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro since June 1st, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.6.

System Requirements

· 2 GB RAM minimum
· 400 MB available disk space

Windows:
· Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent (Pentium Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
· Microsoft Windows XP 32, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bits, Windows 7 (32 or 64 bits)
· To process images larger than 20 MPixels, a 64-bit operating system with 4 GB RAM is strongly recommended

Macintosh:
· Intel-Mac
· Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
· To process images larger than 20 MPixels, 3 GB RAM is strongly recommended

About DxO Labs

DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:

• Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);

• Image quality evaluation and measurement tools for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as for photography journalists and imaging experts.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com.

SoftColor Oy today announced the immediate availability of Automata 1.0: a workflow automation software for advanced color correction, image editing and color management. Automata works independently on the background and can work with multiple simultaneously workflows.

“We wanted to develop a hassle-free image editing workflow automation software,” said Petri Piirainen Co-Founder of SoftColor Oy. “Today Automata makes it simple and easy for anyone to get daily image editing tasks done.”

Automata can have unlimited number of different workflows and it has support for file logistics operations. It loads automatically new and changed image files from the input folder and after processing it saves images to the output folder.

Automata has a lightweight single window graphical user interface. Automata uses nondestructive layer based processing for color and image adjustments. This gives to the end-user a full control to tune automatic correction adjustments.

The core of Automata’s workflow automation is SoftColor’s in-house developed spectral illumination detection algorithms which makes it possible to teach the computer to think about colors like a human being. For the end-user this gives an automatic and fully customizable solution to fix white balance, exposure and contrast problems.

Automata can use third-party applications or shell scripts for pre or post processing images inside its workflows.

Automata has support for standard ICC profile based color management. Automata can convert and render between different color spaces, for example conversion from RGB to CMYK.

Automata reads multiple digital image and camera RAW-formats. It saves edited image to JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP and PSD formats. If PSD format is used are original and edited images saved into same file as separate layers.

Pricing and Availability:
Automata 1.0 is available immediately for $199 (USD). More information, as well as a 30-day fully working Automata trial, can be found online http://www.softcolor.fi/automata/

System Requirements:
Automata requires any PC running Windows XP or later Microsoft Windows version and 42MB hard disk space.

Fluid Mask 3.2 is a still-image masking tool that works as both a standalone application and a plug-in to Adobe’s Photoshop or Elements. The Visual Image Segmentation lets you see exactly how your image is made up of segments of similar properties, enabling you to create super-fine mask selections with ease. The Targeted Edge Detection and Blending lets you isolate difficult areas and apply alternative selections, whilst the intelligent blending gets the closest to extracting the true character of the image.

The onscreen help and guidance make Fluid Mask 3.2 quick and easy to use. The stored workspace setting allows you to tailor the default settings to your needs and process complete studio runs effortlessly. Fluid Mask 3.2 is ideal for photographers, image editors, graphic designers or for those who are interested in digital image editing. One of the fastest masking tools available today, Fluid Mask 3.2 is as easy as ‘see, click, cut’!

Features:
Visual Image Segmentation
Advanced Edge Blending
Onscreen Help and Guidance

Colour Based Selections
Stored Workplace Settings
Localized Edge Detection
Masks hair beautifully
Quick to pick up and use

Availability:
Priced around £99, Vertus Fluid Mask 3.2 is available to download immediately from DownloadBuyer.com, and in boxed formats from Amazon.co.uk.

About Vertus Technologies.
Vertus Technologies is a market leader in creating highly simple and accessible ways for people to work with digital imagery. They are a propriety leader in image technology in segmentation, matting and market.

About Binary Distribution:
BinaryDistribution is a traditional software Publisher and Distributor supplying quality software brands into the UK retail and corporate channels. Binary’s extensive background in successful software publishing, and traditional core values in PR, marketing and aggressive promotional campaigning, make them an ideal partner for vendors wishing to succeed in the UK marketplace. Download versions are also made available from partner company http://www.downloadbuyer.com

Apple today previewed iOS 5, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members. The iOS 5 beta release includes over 200 new features that will be available to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users this fall. New iOS 5 features include: Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS devices; and Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organise your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. With the new PC Free feature, iOS 5 users can activate and set up their iOS device right out of the box and get software updates over the air with no computer required.

“iOS 5 has some great new features, such as Notification Center, iMessage and Newsstand and we can’t wait to see what our developers do with its 1,500 new APIs,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Perhaps iOS 5’s paramount feature is that it’s built to seamlessly work with iCloud in the Post PC revolution that Apple is leading.”

With iOS 5 and iCloud, you just enter your Apple ID and password and iCloud will seamlessly integrate with your apps to automatically and wirelessly keep all of your mail, contacts, calendars, photos, apps, books, music and more, up-to-date across all your devices without ever having to connect to a computer.

Notification Center provides iOS 5 users with an innovative way to easily access all notifications―text messages, missed calls, calendar alerts, app alerts and more, all in one place, from anywhere in iOS 5. When they arrive, notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen without interrupting what you’re doing. With one swipe you can see all your notifications, and a simple tap will take you right to its app for more detail. Notifications also appear on the lock screen, with the ability to be taken to the notifying app with just one swipe.

Newsstand is a beautiful, easy-to-organise bookshelf displaying the covers of all your newspaper and magazine subscriptions in one place. A new section of the App Store features just subscription titles, and allows users to quickly find the most popular newspapers and magazines in the world. If subscribed to, new issues appear in the Newsstand and are updated automatically in the background so you always have the latest issue and the most recent cover art.

Safari is the world’s most popular mobile browser, and with iOS 5 it’s now even better. New features include Safari Reader, which gets all the clutter out of the way and sets the right font size on a web page, so you can easily scroll and read through a story; Reading List, so you can save articles to read later and they automatically show up on all your iOS devices; and Tabbed Browsing, which makes it easy to flip between multiple web pages on iPad.

iOS 5 includes built-in Twitter integration, so you can sign in once and then tweet directly from all your Twitter-enabled apps, including Photos, Camera, Safari, YouTube and Maps with a single tap. New APIs give third party developers the ability to take advantage of the single sign-on capability for their own iOS 5 apps.

iMessage in iOS 5 brings the functionality of iPhone messaging to all of your iOS devices―iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Built right into the Messages app, iMessage allows you to easily send text messages, photos, videos or contact information to a person or a group on other iOS 5 devices over Wi-Fi or 3G. iMessages are automatically pushed to all your iOS 5 devices, making it easy to maintain one conversation across your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iMessage also features delivery and read receipts, typing indication and secure end-to-end encryption.

The new Reminders app helps you manage your tasks; create and group related tasks together; and set time or location-based reminder alerts, priorities and due dates, so you can be reminded of a task as its deadline approaches, or when you arrive or depart a given location. Reminders can also be viewed in iCal and Outlook and are updated automatically.

New features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject. The new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organise your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go.

With the new PC Free feature, iOS 5 users can activate and set up their iOS device right out of the box with no computer required, and iOS software updates are delivered over the air and installed with just a tap. Wi-Fi Sync in iOS 5 transfers and backs up your content securely over SSL and wirelessly syncs purchased content from your device to your iTunes library.

Additional new features in iOS 5 include:

• Game Center, now with the ability to add photos to your profile, purchase new games from within the Game Center app and easier ways to find friends and new games;
• Mail enhancements which include the ability to compose messages using draggable addresses, and a new formatting bar with bold, italics, underline and indention controls;
• AirPlay Mirroring to wirelessly display everything you do on your iPad 2 right on your HDTV through Apple TV; and
• a system-wide split keyboard to make it even easier to type on your iPad.

Availability
The iOS 5 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 5 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, iPod touch (fourth generation) and iPod touch (third generation) this fall. Some features may not be available on all products.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Apple today announced that Mac OS X Lion, the eighth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system with more than 250 new features and 3,000 new developer APIs, will be available to customers in July as a download from the Mac App Store for £20.99. Some of the amazing features in Lion include: new Multi-Touch gestures; system-wide support for full screen apps; Mission Control, an innovative view of everything running on your Mac; the Mac App Store, the best place to find and explore great software, built right into the OS; Launchpad, a new home for all your apps; and a completely redesigned Mail app.

“The Mac has outpaced the PC industry every quarter for five years running and with OS X Lion we plan to keep extending our lead,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The best version of OS X yet, Lion is packed with innovative features such as new Multi-Touch gestures, system-wide support for full screen apps, and Mission Control for instantly accessing everything running on your Mac.”

New Multi-Touch gestures and fluid animations built into Lion let you interact directly with content on the screen for a more intuitive way to use your Mac. New gestures include momentum scrolling, tapping or pinching your fingers to zoom in on a web page or image, and swiping left or right to turn a page or switch between full screen apps. All Mac notebooks ship with Multi-Touch trackpads and desktop Macs can use Apple’s Magic Trackpad.

Full screen apps take advantage of the entire display and are perfect for reading email, surfing the web or browsing photos, especially on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. With a single click your app fills the display and you can swipe from one window to another, between full screen apps, or back to your Desktop, Dashboard or Spaces without ever leaving full screen. iWork and iLife apps, as well as Safari, iTunes, Mail, FaceTime and others, all take advantage of Lion’s system-wide support for full screen apps.

Mission Control combines Exposé, full screen apps, Dashboard and Spaces into one unified experience for a bird’s eye view of every app and window running on your Mac. With a simple swipe, your desktop zooms out to display your open windows grouped by app, thumbnails of your full screen apps and your Dashboard, and allows you to instantly navigate anywhere with a tap.

The Mac App Store is built into Lion and is the best place to discover great new Mac apps, buy them with your iTunes account, download and install them. Apps automatically install directly to Launchpad, and with Lion’s release, the Mac App Store will be able to deliver smaller “delta” app updates and new apps that can take advantage of features like In-App Purchase and Push Notifications.

Launchpad makes it easier than ever to find and launch any app. With a single Multi-Touch gesture, all your Mac apps are displayed in a stunning full screen layout. You can organise apps in any order or into folders and swipe through unlimited pages of apps to find the one you want.

Lion includes a completely redesigned Mail app with an elegant widescreen layout. The new Conversations feature groups related messages into an easily scrollable timeline, intelligently hiding repeated text so the conversation is easy to follow, and retaining graphics and attachments as they were originally sent. An incredibly powerful new search feature allows you to refine your search and suggests matches by person, subject and label as you type. Mail includes built-in support for Microsoft Exchange 2010.

Additional new features in Lion include:

• Resume, which conveniently brings your apps back exactly how you left them when you restart your Mac or quit and relaunch an app;
• Auto Save, which automatically and continuously saves your documents as you work;
• Versions, which automatically records the history of your document as you create it, and gives you an easy way to browse, revert and even copy and paste from previous versions; and
• AirDrop, which finds nearby Macs and automatically sets up a peer-to-peer wireless connection to make transferring files quick and easy.

Pricing & Availability
Mac OS X Lion will be available in July as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard from the Mac App Store for £20.99. Lion will be the easiest OS X upgrade and at about 4GB, it is the size of an HD movie from the iTunes Store. Mac OS X Lion Server requires Lion and will be available in July from the Mac App Store for £34.99.

Lion requires an Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 or Xeon processor and 2GB of RAM. The Lion upgrade can be installed on all your authorised personal Macs.

The Mac OS X Lion Up-To-Date upgrade is available at no additional charge via the Mac App Store to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorised Reseller on or after June 6, 2011. Users must request their Up-To-Date upgrade within 30 days of purchase of their Mac computer. Customers who purchase a qualifying Mac between June 6, 2011 and the date when Lion is available in the Mac App Store will have 30 days from Lion’s official release date to make a request.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

esDot Development Studio is happy to announce the release of TouchUp Pro – Photo Editor available for iPhone and iPad today. Built using Adobe AIR, TouchUp Pro offers a quick, clean interface that lets you edit photos in a matter of seconds. In terms of ease of use, this is hands down the best Photo Editing application available today. All effects are stackable. Combine them to make a ton of different looks.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – esDot Development Studio is happy to announce the release of TouchUp Pro – Photo Editor available for iPhone and iPad today.

Built using Adobe AIR, TouchUp Pro offers a quick, clean interface that lets you edit photos in a matter of seconds. In terms of ease of use, this is hands down the best Photo Editing application available today.

Gone are the clunky buttons, over-designed interfaces and boring menu’s. We’ve created a simple, lightweight interface that gets out of your way and lets you work with ease. Simple to use, but still powerful.

Features Include:
* Load pictures from Camera or Photo Library
* Contrast / Brightness
* Hue / Saturation
* Rotation / Flip

* Cropping
* Red Eye Reduction
* Blur / Sharpen
* Color Shifting
* Unlimited Undo / Redo

Touchup Pro also includes a long list of cool effects:
* B & W
* Vignette
* Sepia
* Sepia (Green)
* Sepia (Red)
* Red Pop
* Dark Pop
* Deep Purple
* Green Tint
* High Contrast
* Low Saturation
* High Saturation

All effects are stackable. Combine them to make a ton of different looks.

We have more filters coming every month, and we’re currently hard at work on a completely new Advanced Effects panel, which will take everything one step further.

TouchUp Pro was made possible with the power of Adobe AIR. Using AIR, we are able to deploy a high quality, consistent product to all major devices on the market today. Using Vector assets, we’ve created a scalable application which flows to fit the size of the device, working beautifully on any screen.

After completing the Android and PlayBook versions of TouchUp Pro in May, we immediately decided to bring it to iOS users. The transition was easy, and in the end the performance on iOS exceeded our own expectations, becoming the best performing version of the App on any platform.

Awards and Recognition:
* Currently featured in iTunes, under “New & Noteworthy” in the Photography category
* Previously Featured as a Top 20 Featured App in Blackberry App World
* Previously held position as Top 5 Paid App in Blackberry App World
* 4.5/5 Star average review rating on Blackberry App World

Supported Devices:
* iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch 3G or later, iPad
* Tablet OS (Blackberry PlayBook)
* All Android 2.2 devices

Pricing and Availability:
TouchUp Pro 2.2.11 is available from the iTunes App Store and BlackBerry App World for $1.99 (USD) in the Photography category.

esDot Development Studio: http://esdot.ca TouchUp Pro 2.2.11: http://esdot.ca/touchup/ Purchase and Download – iTunes App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id439242122
Purchase and Download – BlackBerry App World: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/43136?lang=en
Screenshots: http://esdot.ca/touchup/screens App Icon: http://esdot.ca/touchup/icon.png

esDot Development Studio is located in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Focused on delivering fresh and compelling experiences to touch based devices, wherever that may lead. Copyright (C) 2011 esDot Development Studio. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Snapseed is an entirely new photo application designed specifically for iPad and leverages the company’s advanced photographic technologies to deliver a fast, fun, and high quality photo experience for everyone.

“Snapseed represents a new generation of photography applications that will extend far beyond mobile devices and deliver to everyone the power, performance, and simplicity that we have delivered to professionals for over a decade,” said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. “Everyone at Nik Software is passionate about photography and we are all excited to begin to offer products and features that we love via Snapseed.”

Snapseed enables anyone to create amazing photos with a wide variety of innovative filters and tools. Snapseed includes filters like Grunge, Vintage and Drama that can make any photo look extraordinary. Snapseed for iPad introduces the company’s revolutionary U Point technology in touch devices, bringing precise selective adjustments to change lighting, color, and more by simply touching and swiping the screen. Swiping side-to-side enhances the Brightness, Contrast, or Saturation of only the object selected, blending the effect naturally throughout the image. Snapseed for iPad is the first application in a new generation of photography software that brings the power of the desktop to mobile devices.

With Snapseed, users can enhance, edit, and share their photos via social networks, email and even print via Apple’s AirPrint™ Wi-Fi printing standard.

Key Features
• Grunge — Explore styles and textures without limits and give photos a totally unique look
• Selective Adjust — Using nothing more than a finger, make precise selections and enhancements in seconds with Nik Software’s revolutionary U Point technology
• Drama — Add custom effects to a photo which range from subtle enhancements of textures to wildly creative and artistic effects
• Vintage Films — Nine unique nostalgic films, plus controls like saturation, textures and vignettes make any photo look like a vintage color film photo from the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s
• Tune Image — Correct photos shot in difficult lighting situations, create depth and vibrancy with Ambience, or adjust White Balance, Saturation, Contrast and more with a few quick swipes
• Organic Frames — Add unique borders to photos by choosing styles and textures
• Black and White — Give photos a classic look with this darkroom-inspired filter. Select styles, grain, vignettes, and more for a perfectly nostalgic look
• Sharing — Show off photos via email, print them, or share on Facebook, Flickr, and more

To learn more about Snapseed visit http://www.niksoftware.com/snapseed.

Pricing and Availability
Snapseed for iPad is available in English language for €3.99, $4.99 or the equivalent in other currencies, exclusively on the Apple App Store.

About Nik Software
Nik Software develops award-winning desktop and mobile software solutions and technologies for the professional digital imaging and consumer photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic products and technologies, including its patented U Point® technology. In 2011, the company earned the prestigious International TIPA award for Best Photo Software for its Complete Collection of professional photography products, which includes Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza, and Dfine. For more information, visit http://www.niksoftware.com.

OptimumCS-Pro, the Optimum Camera Settings tool for imaging professionals, is available now on iPhone and iPod Touch.

While OptimumCS, the app that introduced the optimum camera settings approach, was designed for photographers, OptimumCS-Pro is for all imaging professionals — for photographers, cinematographers and videographers.

In most imaging work, OptimumCS-Pro offers the fastest, most intuitive and most effective way to work with depth of field. And it’s not a depth of field calculator. The desired depth of field is, in fact, an input: The user sets it in OptimumCS-Pro and the app instantly displays the focus distance and aperture that minimise the combined effects of defocus blur and diffraction, for the sharpest image across the desired depth of field that the laws of physics will allow (and therefore, in all cases, sharper than what is achieved via traditional practice).

Optimum camera settings are device independent, so OptimumCS-Pro is universally applicable.

OptimumCS-Pro displays image sharpness information, so the user knows how sharp the image will be before it’s shot. Also included is data on shooting at other than optimal settings. Can’t shoot at the optimum aperture, because, for example, you need a faster shutter speed afforded by a wider aperture? You’ll know exactly what the effect of your decisions will be.

OptimumCS-Pro retains the elegant, uncluttered interface of OptimumCS and adds options to configure that interface to better meet individual needs:
* Several different distance scales, emphasising near or far distances, are available, as is one for use with Hansma’s focus shift method in large format photography.
* Information on image sharpness can be displayed in terms of blur spot diameter (akin to circle of confusion, but with the effects of diffraction included) or in line pairs per mm.
* Film/sensor sizes all the way up to 8×10 inch are accommodated, as are longer focal lengths.

OptimumCS-Pro’s intuitive operation and instant results are perfect for creative professionals who don’t want their tools to get in the way of their work or their art.

OptimumCS-Pro is available now from Apple’s App Store.

For further information, see the developer’s website, http://www.georgedouvos.com.

Online portfolio service Viewbook.com today released its new iPad portfolio app. Beautifully highlighting the iPad’s brilliant display and touch screen interface, the Viewbook team developed an app that lets creatives present their work in a clean and professional way, wherever they are, with our without an internet connection. Viewbook for iPad has an intuitive interface which is clean, simple and refined. For a fluent workflow, Viewbook automatically displays the portfolios that you upload in your personal online Portfolio Manager. With Viewbook Portfolio for iPad, Viewbook completes its integrated ultifunctional portfolio platform and kicks off a new era for the creative’s portfolio.

Specifications

Viewbook Portfolio for iPad 1.0 has the following features:

• Integrates fluently with Viewbook.com
• View portfolios online with clean swipe-enabled albums
• Clean galleries with thumbnail-grids and slideshow functionality
• Crisp handling of image captions and descriptions
• Download portfolios and browse them offline

• Create and organize infinite portfolios
• Create a coherent portfolio by choosing and cropping poster images
• Enabled for rotation; landscape & portrait mode
• Share portfolios and images with e-mail

30 day free trial account
You can download Viewbook for iPad for free in the iTunes App Store. To use the Viewbook iPad Portfolio app, you need a Viewbook account. Viewbook has a 30 day free trial, you can signup here.

> Download Viewbook Portfolio in the App Store

Viewbook, Portfolio Perfect

Viewbook is an innovative online platform that lets creatives design, organize and share custom portfolio websites and work presentations which display perfectly on the web and mobile devices. http://www.viewbook.com

Changes in this firmware:

Firmware Version 2.0.9 incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. Improves writing/reading speeds when using UDMA 7-compatible CF cards.

2. Fixes a phenomenon where the IS function will not work when custom function C.Fn III-2 is set to [5: IS start] and the lens attached does not have an AF stop button. This is because custom function C.Fn III-2 allows users to assign IS start to the AF stop button on the lens

3. Corrects misspellings in the menu screens displayed in Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai languages.

Firmware Version 2.0.9 is for cameras with Firmware up to Version 2.0.8.　If the camera’s firmware is already Version 2.0.9, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

continue

ACD Systems today announced the availability of ACDSee Pro 4, the most complete solution for the enhancement and control of image production demanded by professional photographers. Pro 4 is the only solution that allows photographers to carry out the essential elements of the photography creative process and distribution in one place. Over 50 million ACDSee products have been downloaded worldwide.

ACDSee Pro 4 lets photographers create, organize and distribute the highest quality images so that they can increase revenues while enhancing their reputations and market reach. As the amount of photographs taken using digital photography explodes, photographers search for the best combination of editing and management capabilities that reduce time, cost and complexity.

With ACDSee Pro 4:

· Photographers receive the highest flexibility for the best artistic control. The patent-pending LCE (Lighting and Contrast Enhancement) single exposure HDR (High Dynamic Range) algorithms are built into Pro 4’s RAW technology. ACD developed the technology to give users a simple and efficient means of dramatically improving lighting and contrast in photos. Photos are fine-tuned to more accurately reflect the subject, and if desired, enhance the representation of the original subject. With LCE, photographers can increase the exposure of dark (underexposed) photos, increase the contrast and vibrancy of dull photos, correct uneven lighting, correct backlit photos, selectively brighten dark areas and darken bright areas (automatic dodge and burn), and create an HDR image from a single exposure.

· Original RAW images are rendered in full-size and at amazing speeds. Lighting and exposure problems, including high contrast and backlit scenes, insufficient flash, dull images, and under and overexposure are corrected in seconds. The alternative, multi-exposure HDR, is extremely labor intensive and requires additional, specialized software. It can also result in motion blur, as well as process and capture complexity.

· Photographers never have to import or export images into a vendor-controlled database resulting in a virtual view. Unlike other solutions, Pro 4 allows them to edit photographs in real-time, directly from the source – whether it be a camera memory card, hard drive or computer system — and then save those changes to the original equipment.

· Allows edits to be seen in real-time and previewed in full screen. Batch processing is intuitive and very fast. Photographers can experiment, yet have the peace of mind of knowing that their originals are always safe with Pro 4’s non-destructive editing capabilities.

· ACDSee’s catalog-based technology stores key identifying metadata for each image, including date, location, and equipment used. This makes it fast and simple to perform tasks such as search according to keywords, dates and other important information, and to drag and drop images to compare characteristics and tags with other images.

· Gives photographers the freedom to organize photos and their digital workspace according to their individual needs and preferences. They can customize their application toolbars and layout to reflect the way they naturally work with their images—Manage, View, Process and Publish Online.

· Allows photographers to view and manage a wide range of file types.

“As a professional photojournalist, I have to be able to take world class photos, quickly edit them and send them anywhere in the world within minutes,” states Peter Pereira. “A product like ACDSee Pro 4 can make or break me. I was recently in Mexico to photograph the Chichen-Itza ruins. I happened to be there during the Spring Equinox. I took photos and immediately realized their value. While out in a remote area of the Yucatan, I was able to have the best editing tool on my laptop and could send photos I was proud of to an editor in Boston interested in purchasing them. That’s the kind of thing ACDSee lets me do. It would take at least three other products to give me what Pro 4 does incredibly well. I’ve used it for years and it’s been game changing for me.”

Photographers can quickly and easily share photographs using ACDSeeonline.com, a free, cloud-based photo sharing site. Privacy controls are set by the photographer, ensuring the highest levels of control and security. And ACDSee Pro 4 allows selected contacts to download password protected full resolution images. Photographers can also share images on the most popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, SmugMug and Zenfolio, and/or via their own websites.

And ACDSee Pro 4 doesn’t dictate what editing tools photographers use. For example, they can use editing products such as Photoshop and then import their images into Pro 4 for management and distribution.

“At ACDSee we pride ourselves on being intensely customer-focused,” said Doug Vandekerkhove, CEO of ACD Systems. “We’re nimble enough to quickly respond to what photographers tell us they need, yet established enough to be able to execute market-changing products that have a dramatic impact and will last. ACDSee Pro 4 maintains that legacy and demonstrates our dedication to helping our customers make a difference. Photographers have responded by making this product our most popular to date.”

About ACD Systems

Founded in Texas in 1993 by imaging visionary Doug Vandekerkhove, ACD Systems is one of the largest and most respected independent digital editing and management companies in the world. Doug foresaw the importance of the convergence of analog and digital (print, photos, scans, video and metadata).

The company’s products include ACDSee Pro 4, ACDSee Photo Manager 12, and Canvas 12 +GIS, which helps Fortune 500 companies enhance, manage and disseminate their valuable digital assets. Customers include General Motors, Caterpillar, Boeing, The New York City Fire Department, NASA, CNN and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Today ACD holds six patents and millions of ACDSee products are in use throughout the world. In fact, ACDSee products are so popular in Asia that they are second only to Louis Vuitton in product piracy.

ACD Systems can be found online at http://www.acdsee.com, on Twitter at @acdsee, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/acdsee.

JPY Consulting Ltd. today is pleased to announce the release and immediate availability of GeoPhoto 2.0 for iPad. GeoPhoto is an app that lets users virtually travel around the world by finding geo located pictures. GeoPhoto also lets users share pictures via email, save them to the photo album, post to facebook and more.

With a brand new user interface, GeoPhoto is an app that lets users search for photos by geographic location. It’s just a matter of selecting an area of the world map and clicking the search button. Shortly afterwards the screen will be filled with the best images found in that area.

“I live in London and the weather here is often cloudy. I needed some sun this winter but could not afford to take a holiday. This is why I started thinking about the concept of virtually traveling the world.” says Alessandro, the main iPhone developer at JPY Consulting. “The first version was a little more than an app I wrote for myself, but it has totalled a surprising high number of downloads. People loved looking at photos of far and exotic places. At that point I decided to take it to the next level by giving it better user interface and sharing options. I really hope people will enjoy version 2.0 even more.”

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad
* Requires iOS 4.3 or later
* 0.1 MB

Pricing and Availability:
GeoPhoto 2.0 is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

GeoPhoto 2.0: http://www.runpresto.com/RunPresto/GeoPhoto.html
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id398349265
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l9GRla8CuM

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, JPY Consulting Ltd. started developing iPhone apps in September 2010. Copyright (C) 2011 JPY Consulting Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Adva-Soft, the developers of TouchRetouch, has announced its intent to release the App at the end of May, 2011 for Android users. The revolutionary photo editing software promises the best of easy user interface and special algorithms for image background recovery. TouchRetouch is the next step in mobile photo editing giving users the ability to remove objects from freshly captured or saved photographs.

Before TouchRetouch release, object removing technique was only available for PC users. Now, for just $0.99 (USD) any user can discover the world of advanced digital photo retouching.

Some of the TouchRetouch features:

In-app video tutorials
Unlimited Undo/Redo actions
Smart image background recovery techniques
No distortions in final image
Easy to use interface
Clone Stamp tool
Social Networks

Language Support:
English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish

Anticipation for this Adva-Soft product has been high and developers expect a busy launch day, according to company president, Maksim Davydov. “We are proud to release our award-winning photo editing application for Android platform”, Maksim says.

Although a specific time of day has not been announced, users interested in this revolutionary product can keep an eye out for more news during the countdown to launch, as well as checking Android Market for the release at the end of May.

Device Requirements:
Android OS version 2.1 and later (3.0 compatible)
OpenGL ES 2.0
25+ Mb

Pricing and Availability
TouchRetouch will be only $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the Android Market in the Photography category at the end of May.

Located in Lviv, Ukraine, Adva-Soft is a software development company founded by Maksim Davydov. With their strong blend of design and development skills, Adva-Soft’s passion is to craft unique solutions for professional mobile applications, specializing in photography related apps as well as games. Copyright (C) 2011 Adva-Soft. All Rights Reserved. Android, and Android Market are registered trademarks of Google Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

AKVIS announces the update of AKVIS ArtSuite to version v.7.0. ArtSuite is an impressive collection of versatile effects for decorating photos. Version 7.0 adds 105 new patterns to the Pattern Library, for use with the Classic Frame. Most of these are fabric patterns. Support of the RAW format has been added, as well as the OS File dialog for loading and saving files. Also a new frame pack is available – the Sports Pack. Relive the exciting moments of your children’s sporting adventures, in little league baseball, soccer, football, martial arts, and more! Capture your memory of the winning moment of your favorite professional or college football team’s championship – keep the memories alive!

You’ve gathered your photos from you last vacation, but what can you do with them? Wouldn’t you like to make your special memories even more special? Maybe you would like to add a festive frame or turn a photo into a greeting card. With AKVIS ArtSuite you can add style and elegance to any photo.

AKVIS ArtSuite not only offers edge effects for adding frames to your digital photos, but also is constantly enriched with new artistic effects as well. Thanks to the large number of effects and a rich Pattern Library, the software can generate an endless variety of effect versions.

And now in Version 7.0, the Pattern Library has become even more robust. 105 new patterns have been added to the Pattern Library. Most of these are fabric patterns. This take the variety of pattern combinations to a whole new level!

Available as a stand-alone product and a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and other editors on Windows and Macintosh, AKVIS ArtSuite lets everyone decorate digital photos, create original postcards, personalized desktop wallpapers, etc.

The effects are grouped in two categories – Frames and Effect:

Frames (edge effects) can be used to create a photo frame for a digital photo. It can be a classic frame with wood carving or a light-hearted frame with some cheerful frogs along the border. The photo frame samples that come with ArtSuite can be easily tailored to any photo. Select a color for the frame; choose its form, its style, brightness, and the intensity of the applied edge effect.

It is possible to create a frame with ragged edges, a scratched surface, a page curl, ice crystals, etc. It can be a wooden frame with figured carving or a frame with an ornament. It is also possible to load user created patterns and textures to create a unique photo frame.

Use Artistic Effects to experiment with photos. Convert a photo into a B&W image and then add a shade of color to it. Replace colors in an image, add a texture (chosen from the built-in Texture Library or one created by the user) to make the image appear as if it has been drawn on a canvas, brick wall, corrugated paper, etc.

Version 7.0 adds support for files in the RAW format. It also includes an OS File dialog for loading and saving files.

In addition to these improvements of the program, AKVIS offers a new themed frame pack for the standalone version ArtSuite – the Sports Pack. This pack includes 75 hand painted frames perfect for your sports related photos. hese are the ideal choice for framing your cherished sports memories. Relive the exciting moments of your children’s sporting adventures, in little league baseball, soccer, football, martial arts, and more! Your son or daughter will be thrilled to hang them on their bedroom walls. Capture your memory of the winning moment of your favorite professional or college football team’s championship.

The Sports Pack is available for 19 USD. Take a look at thumbnails of the new frames at the product page.

AKVIS also offers a free set of frames (30 enchanting designs for any occasion), as well as the Wedding, Travel, Christmas, and St. Valentine frame packs, each containing 50 high quality hand painted frames. These themed packs are offered at a price and are intended for professionals, as well as those who are interested in quality design photo frames.
Please note that these frames are only available in the Standalone version for technical reasons.

AKVIS ArtSuite runs on Windows 7/Vista/XP and on Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

A fully featured free evaluation download of AKVIS ArtSuite is available at akvis.com.

The free frame pack, which does not require registration, can be used with ArtSuite even during the evaluation period.

Registered users of AKVIS Artsuite can upgrade to version 7 for free.

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin sells for $ 49 USD; AKVIS ArtSuite Standalone for $ 69 USD.

Also, users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS products in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Enhancer, Refocus, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, NatureArt, Refocus, and HDRFactory) with a great discount (60% Off).
AKVIS ArtSuite is also part of the AKVIS Artistic bundle (Sketch, ArtWork, and ArtSuite), which sells for $149 for the plug-in version or $169 for the standalone version. This is a savings of $44 when compared to the price of these three programs purchased separately. Visit the official website to see prices for alternate versions of the bundles.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of the Adobe® Photoshop® Touch apps – Adobe Colour Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav – for Apple iPad in the Apple App Store. These three apps from Adobe were developed using the Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) to demonstrate the potential for new interaction between Photoshop and tablet devices.

Adobe Colour Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop unite the fun and interactive experience of touch devices with the power and precision of Photoshop by enabling users to create custom colour swatches, paint directly onscreen and drive popular Photoshop tools from tablet devices.‡ These applications take advantage of the iPad’s touch screen for a truly immersive, tactile, on-the-go experience, and expand upon inroads made by Adobe in the mobile and tablet market initiated with Photoshop Express, Adobe Ideas and Adobe Connect™ Mobile.

Photoshop is a part of the recently announced Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 product family, enabling designers and developers to create for popular and emerging smartphone and tablet platforms. Current Photoshop CS5 owners can download a free update to enable new interaction between Photoshop and tablet devices.

Initial industry feedback for the Photoshop Touch applications has been overwhelmingly positive; in a First Look review by Macworld, Lesa Snider says that “By having nothing between you and your artwork, you can focus on creating in the purest sense.” Snider also notes the excitement for the new Photoshop Touch SDK, saying, “I have no doubt developers will be burning the midnight oil to push the envelope of this new technology and create other useful Photoshop integrated apps.”

The Photoshop Touch SDK makes development possible on numerous devices, including iOS®, Android® and BlackBerry® PlayBook®. Utilising the SDK, developers will have wide access to Photoshop functionality with the freedom to innovate and create new apps or add capabilities to existing ones. Adobe has already engaged with a number of developers to incorporate tablets and other devices into creative workflows that empower Photoshop users in new and groundbreaking ways.

Photoshop Touch Extends Creative Processes

· Adobe Color Lava allows creatives to use their fingertips to mix colors on the iPad, creating custom color swatches and themes to transfer back into Photoshop.

· Adobe Eazel takes advantage of cutting-edge painting technology by letting digital artists create rich realistic paintings with their fingertips, and introduces a new kind of interaction between “wet” and “dry” paints. These paintings can then be sent directly to Photoshop CS5 for compositing or for taking the artwork further.

· Adobe Nav increases workflow efficiency by letting users select and control Photoshop tools using the iPad as the input surface, customize the toolbar, browse and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop files, or easily create new files.

· Adobe Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) enables developers to build tablet applications that interact with Photoshop from Android, BlackBerry PlayBook and iOS devices.

Pricing and Availability

The Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav applications for Photoshop are immediately available through the Apple App Store. Pricing for the applications is £2.99 for Adobe Eazel, £1.79 for Adobe Colour Lava and £1.19 for Adobe Nav.

Current Photoshop CS5 customers can download and install the free update from within the application or via the Adobe Application Manager. Developers can access the free Adobe Photoshop Touch SDK for Windows and Mac OS platforms on the Adobe Application Manager.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS5 Extended are available through Adobe Authorised Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price for Adobe Photoshop CS5 is £548, and £794 for Photoshop CS5 Extended.

Stellar, a recognized name in data recovery software and services, today announced the release of Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery v 4.0 to recover lost photo, audio and video files from camera cards, mobile phone memory cards & hard drives. Stellar Phoenix is ‘the best’ solution to bring back lost memories in case of accidental deletion, formatting, corruption, read-write error, and pulled out memory card while the camera is still on. The software is available in English, German, Spanish, French & Italian language editions and works on Windows and Mac computers.

On the eve of launch, Sunil Chandna, CEO of Stellar Data Recovery, comments, “Our brand new version of Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery is specially designed for home users and brings back lost picture memories in 3-simple steps. The new version is vastly improved to support all consumer & professional cameras and recovers over 50 different image, video & music file formats like JPEG, MP4, MIDI, NEF & MOV. We offer a risk free approach with try-before-buy demo downloads. One can download a FREE DEMO of Stellar Phoenix to ‘scan and preview’ recoverable photos and videos.”

While the software interface is simple and designed for novice users, it is power-packed with lots of features that advance users can exploit to recover files efficiently. Advance users can use features like advance scan, resume recovery and create image to recover severely corrupted memory cards. Stellar software comes with live update wizard to help users track major or minor updates.

Pricing & Availability

Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery is available for immediate download for Mac & Windows operating systems in English, German, Spanish, French & Italian languages. The software can be purchased online at http://www.stellarphotorecoverysoftware.com for only USD 39/Euro 31 and is backed with 30-day money-back guarantee.

About Stellar Information Systems Ltd:

Stellar (a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner) is the only ISO 9001-2008 certified company specializing in data recovery software and services. Established in 1993 by a group of technocrat professionals, Stellar is the most trusted brand with 1 million+ users across 137 countries and 24-hour support. Stellar Phoenix products are Windows7 compatible and have bagged various awards & accolades

Independent developer Ken Tidwell has announced D200 DSLR v2.0 for iOS, another in his series of popular Min-U Guides to Nikon DSLRs. The app provides quick, easy access to information by allowing the user to “drill down” through a topic, just like using the camera menus, until they find exactly what they need.

For example, a new photographer may want to find out how to set the camera’s self-timer so he can appear in a group shot. From the app’s opening screen the user selects the topic Custom Setting Menu from among six other chapter headings, then they pick Timers from five other choices, and finally they choose Self-Timer from four other listings, where step-by-step instructions are found. A convenient alternative to carrying bulky, printed reference material, the app also includes a handy list of D200 Quick Specs, a troubleshooting checklist, using the built-in flash, compatible lenses, error messages, supported standards, digital photography & DSLR lens glossaries, tripod tips, Nikon product previews and iPad Camera Kit overview.

The opening screen of the Min-U (minimum menu) Guide consists of seven main chapter headings, each including a replica of the icon used on the D200 for that menu. The six Menu chapters include: Playback (modify playback settings and manage photos an movies), Shooting (configure D200 shooting options), Custom Settings (fine-tune camera settings to your liking), Setup (basic camera configuration), Recent (your custom menu and options). The sixth chapter, [More], contains miscellaneous info (D200 specs and glossaries, error messages, etc.) Touching any chapter title activates a push transition, where the next page enters right to left, pushing off the current page. Similarly, touching any topic on the second screen activates another transition. This smooth, visually appealing iOS based navigation system makes moving up and down the hierarchically arranged menus and sub-menus quick, intuitive and enjoyable.

D200 DSLR v2.0 achieves an ideal balance between comprehensiveness and clarity. Instructions contain no unnecessary verbiage, and no unnecessary steps. The goal of the adage “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler,” has been achieved here with excellent results. Even when dealing with concepts prone to obfuscation (Error Messages), the Guide is always factual, straightforward, and easily understood. The app is a universal binary, and displays in the highest, native resolution on every iOS device.

Topics Include:
* Active D-Lighting – ADL Bracketing
* AF Area Modes – AE Lock
* AF Assist – Available Shutter Speeds with Flash
* AF Focus Area Selection – Control Panel Reference
* AF Focus Modes – Custom Settings
* Auto Low-Pass – Dust Reference Photo
* Filter (Sensor) Cleaning – Exposure Bracketing
* Battery Information – Exposure Compensation
* Color Spaces – Exposure Modes
* File Numbering Options – Flash Exposure Compensation
* Focus Lock – Flash Modes
* High-ISO Noise Reduction – Flash Output (FV) Lock
* Image Quality – Flash Sync Modes
* Image Size – Image Overlays
* LCD Brightness – Image Playback
* Long Exposure Noise Reduction – ISO Equivalency
* Manual Focus – Live View
* Memory Card Formatting – Manual Low-Pass Filter (Sensor) Cleaning
* Menu Reset – Maximum Flash Shooting Distances
* Metering Modes – Multiple Exposures
* Movies – Playback Options
* Picture Control – Scene Modes
* GPS
* Reset to Defaults – Viewfinder Reference
* Self-Timer – White Balance Bracketing
* Shooting Modes – White Balance Options

Independent developer Ken Tidwell, creator of the Min-U Guides series, commented, “Now you can spend your time shooting more amazing digital photos instead of carrying and digging through lengthy reference materials. D200 DSLR v2.0 is organized in the same manner as the D200 camera control menus, meaning that while you use it you also learn more about using your D200.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
* iOS 3.1.3 or later (iOS 4.0 tested)
* Universal Application
* 7.4 MB

Pricing and Availability:
D200 DSLR v2.0 is $4.99 (USD) and available worldwide through the App Store in the Photography category. D200 DSLR v2.2 is current with Nikon D200 v2.0.1 firmware. Review copies are available upon request.

D200 DSLR 2.0: http://www.min-uguide.com/
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id329197802

Located in beautiful Portland, Oregon, the Min-U Guides team is an independent software company founded by Ken Tidwell in February of 2009. With over three decades developing software, Ken’s goal is to provide user guides, manuals and tutorials for a broad range of products while leveraging the unique Mac/iOS platforms. Copyright (C) 2011 Ken Tidwell. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod, and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Nikon is a registered trademark of Nikon, Inc. All other trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.

Adobe Photoshop 12.0.4 update for Adobe Photoshop CS5

For convenience and reliability, we highly recommend that you apply this update directly from within Photoshop. To do so, choose Help > Updates in Photoshop CS5 and apply all of the updates listed under Adobe Photoshop CS5 in the Adobe Application Manager.

This update applies to all languages EXCEPT Middle Eastern, North African French and Greek.

The 12.0.4 update enables specially designed apps on tablets, smartphones, and PCs to communicate with and control interaction with Photoshop CS5 (Located in the File menu: Remote Connections). Now you can be creative on other devices and instantly incorporate what you create into Photoshop. You must install the 12.0.4 update to activate a remote connection between Photoshop CS5 and any apps that Adobe or third-party developers create to interact with Photoshop. For example, Photoshop CS5 must be updated to 12.0.4 to interact with three new iPad apps that Adobe has designed to work with it – Adobe Nav, Adobe Color Lava, and Adobe Eazel. Available on the App Store.

The 12.0.4 update also fixes liquify performance, type related crashes, and other top customer issues. The most significant fixes include the following:

• A number of potential security vulnerabilities have been addressed.
• Liquify save mesh now works as expected.
• An issue with Sharpen crashing has been fixed.
• An issue with Quick Selection crashing has been fixed.
• The Orphea Studio File Info issue has been resolved.

RogueSheep today announced that an important update for its TouchUp App for iPad is now available from the App Store. Since its original release in October of last year, TouchUp has brought creative photo editing to iPad, enabling anyone to create captivating art from their photos or make common adjustments with ease.

“We’re happy to have provided substantial enhancements to reusing layer masks as well as providing new effect filters in this latest release,” said RogueSheep President and co-founder Daniel Guenther. “Also, the addition of full Flickr support and printing using AirPrint are powerful new ways to both import your photos and share your creativity with others.”

The TouchUp App leverages iPad’s graphics processor and OpenGL graphics to provide high-performance image editing in a refined user experience. Users can apply a variety of effects to their photo which can then be “brushed” on or off any portion of the image. Users can stack any number of effects and adjustments on their photos to make even more impressive results. The update allows users to create new layers using the same touched regions, or to swap out which effect is being used on any given layer.

Prior to today’s update, only access to Flickr’s recent photo stream was available. Today’s update allows users to log in securely to their own Flickr account and browse their photos as a whole, by their own predefined sets or tags or those marked as favorites. The update also adds 5 completely new effects at no extra charge: Sharpen, Pixelate, Vignette, Cross Process, and Redscale.

When a photo is ready to share with others, the TouchUp App provides many choices with just a few taps including saving to the iPad photo library, sending email, or posting to Facebook or Twitter. Today’s update adds the ability to save to Flickr and to print wirelessly using AirPrint technology.

Updated features include:
* 3 new pixel-image effects: Sharpen, Pixelate, Vignette
* 2 new “Lo-fi” filters Cross Process and Redscale
* Flickr import with full Set, Tag, and Favorites integration
* New layer reusing current layer mask
* Change layer effect while preserving layer mask
* Flickr export
* AirPrint printing

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad.
* Requires iOS 3.2 or later
* 25.0 MB

Pricing and Availability:
TouchUp for iPad 1.2 is $9.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

RogueSheep: http://www.roguesheep.com
TouchUp for iPad 1.2: http://www.roguesheep.com/touchup.html
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/id365465261

RogueSheep is a Seattle-based software development company that provides innovative and elegant software applications for the iOS and Mac OS platforms. Creators of the 2009 Apple Design Award winning application Postage, RogueSheep consistently delivers stand-out software products to their customers. Copyright (C) 2011 RogueSheep Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Phase One today released Capture One 6.2. An upgrade to the popular raw conversion and image editing software that supports both professional medium format systems and more than 170 different DSLR camera models, Capture One comprises a full digital workflow to produce beautifully detailed and richly rendered images.

Capture One 6.2 adds camera support for Samsung, Fuji, Ricoh, Panasonic, Canon, Sony and Nikon and for Phase One IQ180, IQ160 and IQ140, including tethered support.

Features and Enhancements

—Local Adjustments (Local adjustment of saturation and clarity; Invert local adjustments mask; Copy local adjustments mask from other layer)
—Auto sync of XMP metadata (sidecars only)
—Additional camera controls for Canon and Nikon
—Improved OpenCL and 64 bit performance

Camera Support

—Samsung NX5, NX10, NX11 and NX100
—Fuji X100
—Ricoh GR DIGITAL, GR DIGITAL II, GR DIGITAL III, GX100, GX200, GRX S10, GXR P10, GXR A12
—Phase One IQ180, IQ160, and IQ140
—Canon EOS-600D/Rebel T3i and EOS-1100D/Rebel T3 including tethered support
—Panasonic DMC-GH2 and DMC-GF2.
—Sony SLT-A55, SLT¬A33, NEX-3 and NEX-5
—Nikon D-7000 tethered support

Availability and Pricing

Capture One version 6.2 is available now; for details please see: http://www.phaseone.com/6

Capture One version 6.2 is a free upgrade to current owners of Capture One Express 6 and Capture one Pro 6. For the difference between Capture One Express and Capture One Pro, please see: http://www.phaseone.com/en/Software/Capture-One-Pro-6/Upgrade/Upgrade-Pro-6.aspx

For new customers, Capture One Pro 6.2 is available via download for 399 USD and 299 EUR through Phase One’s Online Store http://www.phaseone.com/store and through leading professional photography dealers worldwide. Capture One Express 6.2 is available for 129 USD and 99 EUR via http://www.phaseone.com/store.

Capture One Pro 6 and Express 6 are paid upgrades to previous versions of Capture One. Upgrade prices start at 69 USD and 49 EUR, respectively.

Capture Pilot™ is a free app from the Apple store for Capture One Pro. More information is available here: http://www.phaseone.com/en/software/capture-one-pro-6/about/capture%20pilot.aspx

About Phase One

Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes for both medium format and digital cameras. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information, please visit Phase One at http://www.phaseone.com. Follow Phase One on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PhaseOneWW

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

AKVIS announces the release of AKVIS Retoucher 5.0 for Windows and Macintosh. The program restores damaged photos by removing dust, scratches, and stains, and by reconstructing the missing parts of a photo automatically. This version introduces the Spot Remover tool which can remove small imperfections on an image easily. Support for files in RAW format has also been added as well as an OS File Dialog for loading and saving files. For registered users of the previous version the upgrade is free.

Few things in life stir our memories and emotions the way photographs do. But as time goes by, old photographs fade out, get stained, or get otherwise damaged. In order to preserve them, people digitize their photos to pass these cherished images on to future generations.

AKVIS Retoucher restores damaged photographs with minimal effort and amazing results. But this is not the only thing it can do!

AKVIS Retoucher has a wide variety of uses. It can restore old damaged photographs from family archives by removing dust, scratches, and stains, and can reconstruct missing parts of a photo automatically. But it is not just for restoring old photos. It can also improve your newer photos, such as when you want to remove tattoos from a subject.

Defects and details are removed automatically. Just select the areas you want to correct, press run, and watch scratches and other imperfections vanish as if by magic! Take a look at all the things Retoucher can accomplish for you at the Examples page: http://akvis.com/en/retoucher-tutorial/examples/index.php

The software can also reconstruct the missing parts of a photo using information from surrounding areas, making it possible to restore a photo that has been torn or has some missing parts.

AKVIS Retoucher is a handy tool for improving the composition of your photos. You can remove date stamps, logos, small irrelevant details (wires, refuse bins, etc) and even larger and complex objects (people, cars, buildings, etc).

If you need to increase the canvas size (from one side or proportionally) to bring the main object into focus, AKVIS Retoucher will help you to fill the blank areas of the canvas with appropriate image textures.

Version 5.0 adds the new Spot Remover tool It removes small imperfections (stains, dust, etc) on an image with ease. You can also use it to retouch portraits. It “heals” skin problems with just a click! The new tool is available for Deluxe and Business licenses.

Also new to Version 5.0 is support for files in RAW Format (CRW, CR2, NEF, ARW, RW2, PEF etc).

The program is easy to use and learn. The first time it is opened it will be working in Express mode. This mode displays only the necessary tools, so you can obtain a good result without adjusting many parameters. It is possible to switch to Advanced mode anytime to have all available parameters at hand.

The software is available as a standalone application, as well as a plugin to a photo editor.

The plugin version is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro. Read more about compatibility here.

The software runs on Microsoft Windows 7/XP/Vista and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

The full functional trial version of AKVIS Retoucher is available at the Product page: http://akvis.com/en/retoucher/index.php

AKVIS Retoucher Home license sells for $87.00 USD, downloadable from http://akvis.com.

Registered users of Retoucher Home/Home Deluxe v.1.0-4.5 and Business v.4.0-4.5 can upgrade to v.5 for free. Just download the new version and re-activate it using your key. Owners of Retoucher Business v.1.0-3.5 will need to pay $19.00 USD for an upgrade to the new version.

Both Home and Business users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS products in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle which offers all 16 programs with a discount of 60%. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php
Retoucher is also available in the Restoration bundle which includes Retoucher, MultiBrush, and Coloriage for a discount of 83 USD. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/restoration.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

* Spring Event: AKVIS Birthday Raffle *

After being three years in development, we are very proud to announce the second release of one of leader of free and open source image processing software.

We think we have achieved a level of operation, that will enable you to process a huge number of images quickly and easily, enabling you to get a high quality result you can share with everyone in a short amount of time. Our main focus in this version has been to have much more control over the color correctness and overall image quality. At the same time it has been a high priority for us to maintain a high speed of operations, so you can edit your RAW files even on netbooks and similar hardware.

The main features of version 2 are full DNG Color Profile support, a unique and a huge bump in overall image quality, and a new image decoder to have the fastest load time for full 100% view of images. Through the heavy use of SSE2 assembler and multi-threading, we are able to deliver this speed without sacrificing quality at any point.

To see a full list of new features, see the list of changes and further information at:
http://rawstudio.org/blog/?p=614

Screenshots of version 2.0 can be found at:
http://rawstudio.org/screenshots.php

For general information, visit http://www.rawstudio.org

About Rawstudio
Rawstudio is an open-source program to read and manipulate RAW images from digital cameras.

To get the best quality out of your digital camera, it is often recommended that you record your pictures in RAW format. This format is mostly specific to a camera and cannot be read by most image editing applications. Our goal is to supply you with a tool, where you can have the benefits of RAW images and the ease of use of JPEG images.

The main focus of Rawstudio is to enable efficient review and fast processing of large image collections. We aim to supply you with a tool that makes it possible for you to review and process several hundred images in a matter of a few hours.

Rawstudio will convert your RAW files into JPEG, PNG or TIF images which you can then print or send to friends and clients. You can also upload photos directly to Picasa, Flickr and Facebook galleries.

Rawstudio is intended as the first tool in your image processing chain. After you have made your overall image adjustments to your image, you can use an image editing application to further work on your images.
Rawstudio itself is a highly specialized application for reviewing and processing RAW images, not a fully featured image editing application.

Rawstudio is currently tested and available for multiple Linux based platforms, and we are expecting a Windows, MacOS X and FreeBSD version to be available in the future.

Feature List
• Intuitive GTK+ interface
• Full DNG Color Profile support
• Batch processing
• Tethered shooting
• Various post-shot controls (white balance, saturation and exposure compensation among others)
• Easy and flexible copy&paste settings between images
• Develop images directly on storage card
• Image tagging and sorting
• Automatic lens distortion correction
• Advanced noise reduction
• Unique intelligent sharpening
• Chromatic aberration and vignetting correction
• Exposure mask
• Cropping
• Straighten
• Fullscreen mode
• Secondary monitor support
• Image location independent
• Automatic filenaming based on EXIF information
• 32 bit float point precision image processing
• Optimized for and SSE and SSE2 (detected runtime) and fully multi-threaded

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Photoshop® Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) inviting developers worldwide to create mobile and tablet applications that interact with Adobe® Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software, uniting the fun and interactive experience of touch devices with the power and precision of Photoshop. The Photoshop Touch SDK and a new scripting engine in Photoshop CS5 now opens the door for Android™, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS apps to drive and interact with Photoshop on the desktop. Adobe today also launched Creative Suite® 5.5, a significant mid-cycle release to the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow across print, video, mobile and online media (see separate press releases).

Using the Touch SDK, Adobe has developed three initial Photoshop CS5 companion apps for Apple iPad: Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop. The apps are designed to enable users to create custom color swatches, paint and drive popular Photoshop tools from tablet devices.

“Our research shows that creatives are adopting tablets faster than any other group and we heard loud and clear that they want to use their devices to interact with Photoshop, the tool they depend on most of all,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media Solutions, Adobe. “The apps that we announced today show some of the creative ways tablets can work with Photoshop and over the next few months Photoshop’s vibrant developer community is going to dazzle us with innovative apps that further integrate tablet devices into creative workflows.”

Photoshop SDK Encourages Creative Development

Adobe has developed three initial Photoshop Touch apps: Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav. Adobe Color Lava, allows creative professionals to use their fingertips to mix colors on the iPad, creating custom color swatches and themes to transfer back into Photoshop. Adobe Eazel, which takes advantage of cutting-edge painting technology, lets digital artists create rich realistic paintings with their fingertips and introduces a new kind of interaction between “wet” and “dry” paints. These paintings can then be sent directly to Photoshop CS5 for compositing or for taking the artwork further. Lastly, Adobe Nav increases workflow efficiency by letting users select and control Photoshop tools using the iPad as the input surface, customize the toolbar, browse and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop files or easily create new files. All three applications take advantage of the iPad tablet’s touch screen for a truly immersive, tactile, on-the-go experience. While the first applications available are for the Apple iPad and the iOS, the Photoshop Touch SDK makes development possible on other devices, including Android and BlackBerry PlayBook.

Utilising the Touch SDK, developers will have wide access to Photoshop functionality with the freedom to innovate and create new apps or add capabilities to existing ones. Adobe has already engaged with a number of developers across the industry to incorporate tablets and other devices into creative workflows that empower Photoshop users in new and groundbreaking ways.

Pricing and Availability

Developers can access the free Adobe Photoshop Touch SDK today for Windows and Mac OS platforms on the Adobe Application Manager at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/photoshop. Current Photoshop CS5 customers can experience the value of the connection to devices by downloading and installing a free patch available on http://www.adobe.com or via the Adobe Application Manager, beginning early May, 2011. The Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav applications for Photoshop are also expected to be available in early May 2011, ranging in price, on the iTunes App Store. For more information or to sign up to be notified when the apps become available for purchase, visit http://www.photoshop.com.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS5 Extended are available through Adobe Authorised Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price for Adobe Photoshop CS5 is £548 and £794 for Photoshop CS5 Extended.

Today, with the launch of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 product family, Adobe also announced a new flexible subscription-based pricing plan. With subscription pricing customers can use Adobe Photoshop for as little as £28 per month. For more information about Subscription Editions, visit http://www.adobe.com/go/cssubscription.

Education pricing for students, faculty and staff in K-12 and higher education is available from Adobe Authorised Education Resellers and the Adobe Education Store at http://www.adobe.com/education/purchasing/education_pricing.html. More information regarding education volume licensing for higher education and K-12 institutions can be viewed at http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/volumelicensing/education.

For more detailed information about features, OS support, upgrade policies, pricing and international versions please visit: http://www.adobe.com/go/photoshop. Join the Photoshop community on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/photoshop) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/photoshop).

Adobe Photoshop Family

Building upon the history of Photoshop innovation and leadership, Adobe offers a line of Photoshop solutions for every level of user. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software are at the heart of the Photoshop family, providing unrivaled power and editing freedom. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® addresses the workflow needs of serious, amateur and professional photographers, helping them find, manage, enhance and showcase images in powerful ways. Adobe Photoshop Elements software provides accessible tools and sharing options for photo enthusiasts. Snap-shooters can quickly and easily share and edit photos with simple gestures using the free Adobe Photoshop Express mobile application on their iPhone or Android devices. Photoshop.com completes the Photoshop line providing easy access to learning resources, product information and online Photoshop Express tools.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/uk.

AKVIS announces the release of AKVIS Enhancer v.12.0 for Windows and Macintosh. The program can improve every part of an image and detect detail in underexposed, overexposed and mid tone areas of a photo with uneven exposure. In this version, Prepress mode has been added which helps to adjust photos before printing or web publishing. Also the new version offers batch processing, support for RAW files and other significant improvements!

AKVIS Enhancer ( http://akvis.com/en/enhancer/index.php ) is image enhancement software that can improve every part of an image and detect detail in underexposed, overexposed and mid tone areas of a photo with uneven exposure.

The software provides three modes: “Improve Detail”, “Prepress”, and “Tone Correction”. Though the main goal of these modes, correction, is the same, each approaches the task differently:

In “Improve Detail” mode the program brings out details by intensifying color transition. It strengthens the difference between adjacent pixels having different color gradations and therefore reveals not only details in shadows but even details in the overexposed and mid tone areas. The tool is useful in cases when a photo has an uneven exposure, for example, a photo taken with a bright light source, which makes objects in the foreground difficult to discern. This is especially annoying when you take a picture of a person, or when a photo lacks dramatic effect you had intended due to vagueness of the scene.

The new “Prepress mode”, introduced in Version 12.0, helps adjust photos before printing or web publishing. Use this mode to increase the sharpness of borders and the image’s contrast. Even a high quality photograph needs prepress processing to give it a professional look.

“Tone Correction” mode improves images through tone correction, by correcting the brightness of points in the light and dark areas. As a result the overall impression of the image improves considerably. Changes can be made to the entire image or only to a part of it depending on the colors you select.

In Version 12 two of Enhancer’s modes, available in the previous versions, “Focus” and “HDR”, were separated from the program and, enriched with some new features, are now offered as AKVIS Refocus and AKVIS HDRFactory. All registered users of Enhancer v.1.0-11.5 can get these new programs for free!

The new version of AKVIS Enhancer also includes support for batch processing in the standalone edition. It is available in all three modes of the program. Batch processing is useful when dealing with a series of photos taken under the same conditions with identical camera settings. It saves you time and effort! http://akvis.com/en/enhancer-tutorial/howwork/batch-processing.php

Also New to AKVIS Enhancer 12:

- Added support for RAW files (CRW, NEF, ORF, PEF etc – see the full list here).
- Added the list of Recent Files.
- Added the possibility to use the OS File dialog (for loading and saving files).

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use.
http://akvis.com/en/enhancer/download-photo-enhancement.php

Registered users of Versions 10-11.5 can upgrade to Version 12 for free.
For owners of older versions upgrade to v.12 is available for $29 USD for any type of license.

Users who tried the previous version of the software and whose version has expired now have an opportunity to test the software again.

AKVIS Enhancer runs on Windows 7/Vista/XP, 32/64 bit, and on Mac OS X 10.4-10.6, 32/64 bit.

AKVIS Enhancer Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $69 USD, downloadable from http://akvis.com. For Deluxe and Business licenses, consult the official web-site.

The program also comes bundled with AKVIS Noise Buster (noise reduction software) and AKVIS Refocus (for improving blurry photos) with a savings of 40%. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/photo-correction.php

Both Home and Business users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS programs in the AKVIS Alchemy Bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Refocus, HDRFactory, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) with the discount of 60%, a huge savings over purchasing each separately. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released 16 successful programs.

AKVIS is proud to announce the release of AKVIS HDRFactory v.1.0. AKVIS HDRFactory creates HDR-images from a series of photographs taken at different exposures or from a single photograph. You can come very close to reality or even go beyond it by creating stylized images with fabulous colors and unique effects. The software also includes an efficient deghosting tool for removing ghost artifacts that sometimes appear when combining photos with moving objects. AKVIS HDRFactory can also be used for photo correction. You can adjust color saturation and brightness, and bring out the detail in dark and bright areas.

Sometimes you will see a grand, beautiful landscape, rich in color and detail. You want to capture the moment so you pull out your digital camera and take a shot. However, once you are home and look at that photo on your computer’s monitor, you are very disappointed. What happened to the lively, bright colors, the details in the shadows and the expressive sky? No digital camera, no matter the quality, can reproduce what the human eye can see. In fact, the human eye can perceive 100 million colors and shades at a time, while a camera can distinguish only between 16,8 million colors, which is 6 times less. AKVIS HDRFactory can solve this problem by bridging the gap between what your eyes see and the camera records.

AKVIS HDRFactory (http://akvis.com/en/hdrfactory/index.php) is a versatile program for creating High Dynamic Range images and making photo correction. HDRFactory creates HDR photos (images with high dynamic range) by combining several images of the same object taken with different exposure values. The result is an expressive contrasting image that reflects reality with a higher level of authenticity than a simple snapshot: http://akvis.com/en/hdrfactory-tutorial/examples/mountains-hdr.php

The name of the program can be taken literally, as AKVIS HDRFactory is a real workshop for the production of fascinating HDR images. With AKVIS HDRFactory you can come very close to reality and even go beyond it by creating stylized images with fabulous colors and unique effects.

Advanced types of licenses (Deluxe, Business) offer additional features. They include a tool which helps to repair the so-called “ghosts” that sometimes appear when creating an HDR image. These “unwelcome guests” (semi-transparent doubled passersby, cars, tree leaves, etc) are a result of combining a series of source photos that contain moving objects. HDRFactory will help you to remove these artifacts without a trace.

AKVIS HDRFactory can also immitate the HDR effect using only one photo by creating a pseudo-HDR: http://akvis.com/en/hdrfactory-tutorial/examples/sunset-beach.php This technique is useful if you don’t have a series of images with different exposures. Just load a single image into AKVIS HDRFactory and admire the effect which goes beyond photo realism and opens the door into the fascinating world of HDR.

AKVIS HDRFactory brings life and color to your photos! HDRFactory can also be used for photo correction. You can adjust color saturation and brightness, and bring out the detail in dark and bright areas.

HDRFactory supports presets. You can save frequently used settings as presets and then easily apply these same settings to other photos. It optimizes your work and saves you time. The program offers a number of ready-to-use presets.

The program supports files in the RAW format, which gives you even more flexibility in getting just the look you want.

AKVIS HDRFactory is available in two versions – as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor.

AKVIS HDRFactory Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $69 USD, downloadable from http://akvis.com.

Both Home and Business users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS programs in the AKVIS Alchemy Bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Refocus, HDRFactory, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) with the discount of 60%, a huge savings over purchasing each separately: http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs

Phase One and Profoto today announced the availability of a unique image capture and light control solution that allows photographers to capture images and to control lighting from within Capture One Pro 6, when using Profoto lighting equipment.

How it works
A separate light control tool will be enabled in Capture One Pro 6 when the Profoto Studio plugin is installed. With this configuration and the Profoto Air USB transceiver, photographers have full remote access for wireless control of Profoto lighting equipment from within the Capture One application.

Value to photographers
“Prior to this solution, photographers would have to either switch between Capture One and Profoto Studio to get the optimal light on their set or they had to adjust the light manually,” said Carsten H. Olsen, senior product manager, Phase One. “Now photographers can stay focused on the scene and get their desired captures much faster.“

“Lighting is one of the key creative elements for the photographers we serve,” said Fredrik Fischer, product manager, Profoto. “The new combination of Profoto Studio and Capture One gives our customers easy access to experiment and develop their creative processes.”
Availability and Pricing
The new light control solution requires installation of Capture One Pro 6, a Profoto Studio plugin, and the Profoto Air USB transceiver to wirelessly control the Profoto lighting equipment. The solution is currently available on the Mac platform only.

Capture One Pro 6 is available now for EUR299 / USD399 from Phase One or Phase One partners. It can be purchased from the Phase One online store at http://www.phaseone.com/store. The Profoto Studio plugin is available now and is free to all Profoto lighting equipment users. It can be downloaded from http://www.profoto.com/captureone-plugin. The Profoto Air USB transceiver is available for EUR362 / USD499 from Profoto dealers world wide. For a list of local Profoto dealers, see http://www.profoto.com/buy-rent.

The light control solution can be used with all supported Profoto light equipment. For a list of supported equipment please refer to: http://www.profoto.com/captureone-plugin

About Profoto
Profoto is the global market leader in flash and lighting solutions for professional photographers and videographers. Since 1968, the most successful photographers have been using Profoto for Light Shaping in premium fashion, commercial, portrait, wedding, editorial and social photography. Profoto is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a worldwide distribution and rental network covering more than 50 countries.

For more information about Profoto products, please visit http://www.profoto.com

About Phase One
Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes for both medium format and DSLR cameras. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information, please visit Phase One at http://www.phaseone.com Follow Phase One on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PhaseOneWW

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Announcing that pixolution GmbH, the developers of visolu, has released an entertaining and time saving product for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. This is a new application, recently launched and offering unique photo searching, sorting and finding technology that gives users an easy way to very quickly locate specific photos from their albums. visolu can handle thousands of photos, grouping them by visual similarity for display in the user’s choice of modes and enabling users to share any photo by email.

The visolu app is a new product that offers unique photo searching, sorting and finding technology. With visolu, gone are the days of hunting endlessly through a myriad of pictures and albums to find one specific image.

It’s innovative technology that makes visolu the powerful tool that it is. Users are, with the mere tap of a button, able to view thousands of photos simultaneously in a wrapped map, grid or columned list view. Pictures are grouped with others of similar colors or portrayed features, which cuts way down on search time. To enlarge a photo, users just have to drag and zoom.

All of this photo sorting and searching takes only seconds, making visolu a fantastic time-saver and yes, even fun.

These are some of the features offered in visolu:
* Attractive, easy-to-use interface
* Unique color view of all your photos
* Photos with similarities are grouped together
* Easily retrieve a specific photo in just seconds
* Zoom to enlarge image from overview
* Find out where a photo was taken
* Full-featured photo viewer (zoom, pan & swipe navigation)
* Video player
* Slideshow (dissolve and wipe transition)
* Email photos from right inside the app
* View in album map or columned list
* Display Albums, Events and Faces
* Works with iTunes for Windows

Once a user locates the desired image, it can be shared with others via the integrated email feature. Another reason why visolu is likely to become a fast favorite in the AppStore.

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch or iPad
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* 1.7 MB

Pricing and Availability
visolu 1.2.1 is only $0.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category. Promo codes are available for qualified reviewers. Please specify the website or blog you represent when making your request.

visolu 1.2.1: http://www.pixolution.de/sites/Visolu_en.html
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/visolu/id410843648?mt=8
Media Assets: http://s1143.photobucket.com/albums/n633/visolu/visolu/
Demonstration Video: http://www.pixolution.de/video/visolu75.m4v

Founded in Berlin in 2009, pixolution GmbH makes managing the growing number of digital images and assets faster and more entertaining. The company focuses on providing technologies that allow users, businesses and institutions to easily manage their content visually. pixolution proudly works with photo agencies, image search engines, photo kiosk systems, online shops, online photo ordering, imaging software and many other venues that can benefit from their innovative product developments. Copyright (C) 2011 Mobile-App-Marketing-Makeover. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) today begins shipping Silver Efex Pro 2, a major upgrade to its award-winning Silver Efex Pro software. Many photographers regard Silver Efex Pro as the leading solution for creating black-and-white images, delivering new features, better performance, and an improved workflow. Silver Efex Pro 2 offers a unique darkroom-inspired workflow and the ability to fine-tune images with precise selective adjustments powered by U Point technology. To learn why Silver Efex Pro is the leading black-and-white imaging software, users can watch training videos, download a free trial, download visual preset styles, and join live online training sessions at http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro.

“Nearly every pro I know already uses Silver Efex Pro to create their B&W conversions, but I can tell you this: they’ll all be upgrading to version 2 the minute it comes out. It’s that good!” said Scott Kelby, President, National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). “Nik Software really gets the whole user experience for photographers, and you can see that attention to detail throughout Silver Efex Pro 2. When it comes to creating fine art black and white conversions, this changes everything,” Kelby concluded.

Silver Efex Pro 2 introduces new features that offer even more control over image detail, contrast, and tonality, making it easier to go beyond the limits of the traditional darkroom. The software’s new features include the History Browser for endless experimentation, revolutionary algorithms such as Dynamic Brightness, Amplify Blacks and Whites, Soft Contrast, and Fine Structure, plus finishing touches like Image Borders and selective colorization.

Nik Software’s proprietary U Point® technology provides revolutionary selective editing by enabling photographers to make the precise detail, contrast, and tonality enhancements necessary for amazing black-and-white images, without the need for complicated selections or layer masks. The selective enhancements applied through U Point technology are automatically blended throughout an image for natural results.

Key Features

* NEW History Browser facilitates intuitive comparison of previous edits and different looks
* NEW Dynamic Brightness enables adaptive brightening adjustments for different areas in the image
* NEW Amplify Blacks and Amplify Whites increases the presence of highlights and shadows adaptively throughout the image, creating a unique contrast effect
* NEW Visual Presets categorized by photographic style provide great, single-click starting points, which can be customized and shared with others. Photographers who wish to download and contribute their own presets can view submit them at http://www.niksoftware.com/presets
* NEW Soft Contrast applies contrast intelligently based on image details, creating a less harsh contrast and bringing a stylized mood and depth to images
* NEW Fine Structure brings out even the smallest details and textures resulting in more visible image detail without creating an over-sharpened look
* NEW Image Borders use organic image elements to create unique and completely random borders, giving classic darkroom-style edges a modern look with infinite possibilities
* NEW Selective colorization easily adds color elements back into images utilizing U Point technology to precisely select objects
* NEW GPU Processing takes full advantage of the processors found on advanced display adapters providing even faster performance

Pricing and Availability

Silver Efex Pro 2 is available directly from Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) and through specialty resellers. A list of Nik Software resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

The suggested retail price of Silver Efex Pro 2 is 199.95 €. Upgrades from the first version are 99.95 € (all prices incl. VAT). Customers who purchased Silver Efex Pro or a Nik Software Complete Collection after January 17th, 2011 are eligible for a free upgrade.

Silver Efex Pro 2 installs as a 32-bit and 64-bit plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 or later, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® 2.6 or later (Windows® and Macintosh®) or Apple® Aperture™ 2.1.4 or later (Macintosh). For more information about Silver Efex Pro 2, including video tutorials, live online training, and a free 15-day fully functional trial version, please visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro.

About Nik Software
Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions and provides award-winning educational programs for the digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (http://www.upoint.com), HDR Efex Pro™, Dfine®, Viveza®, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.

Corel today introduced Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X4, the new version of its powerful video editing software that lets anyone create and share professional-quality videos. With outstanding speed and easy ways to bring great-looking movies to the screen, VideoStudio Pro X4 combines power and simplicity to break down the barriers to video editing.

Simplified and Powerful Video Editing for Everyone

Whether you’re a new user or have a long-time passion for video editing, VideoStudio Pro X4 is an ideal choice with its uncomplicated approach to movie making, impressive effects and outstanding speed-to-results.

This latest version includes all-new, creative features to enable anyone to add Hollywood-style effects to their movies. VideoStudio Pro X4 offers new Time-lapse tools that let you easily deliver the high-quality, photographic look of professional productions as your movie speeds your audience through time. The new Stop Motion feature automates this traditional, time-consuming animation process, taking away the complexity of bringing objects like toys or figures to life. In addition, there are new capabilities that make it easy to create a 3D look from your 2D video, emulating the immersive feel of 3D movies on the big screen.

Making the editing process faster than ever, VideoStudio Pro X4 delivers unprecedented performance with new optimization for 2nd generation Intel® CoreTM (Sandy Bridge) and AMD Fusion processors. For users who may not have the latest hardware, VideoStudio Pro offers the unique Smart Proxy feature as well as support for CUDA, GPU acceleration and multi-core processing to provide quick and responsive editing.

“With HD everywhere from the living room to your mobile device, we’re surrounded by stunning video. With VideoStudio Pro X4, we’re giving users the tools to begin editing their own professional-looking movies – fast,” said Petter Nordwall, Director International Product Management for Corel. “Everything we’ve done in X4 is designed to accelerate the video editing process and let you maintain your creative flow as you realize your vision on screen. With a powerful collection of new features, VideoStudio Pro X4 dramatically expands the possibilities of what anyone, even kids, can do with consumer video editing software.”

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Key Features at a Glance

· New Stop Motion animation: Have fun making movies that bring inanimate objects to life. Capture images from webcams, camcorders and DSLR cameras and use the automated tools and settings to simplify the stop-motion animation process.
· New Time‑Lapse/strobe effect: Easily create time-lapse effects from a series of photos or video clips and give your movies the professional look of speeding up time. With the ability to handle full-resolution files and very large-size image sets, this is a perfect tool for HD-DSLR photographers.
· New processor optimization: Offering blazing speed, VideoStudio Pro X4 is optimized for the new 2nd generation Intel Core and AMD Fusion processors.
· Enhanced HD authoring and burning: It’s easier than ever to author and output your movies to DVD and Blu‑ray Disc™ with the integrated disc creation tools.
· New 3D export: Convert 2D video clips into 3D files with presets for 3D output on DVD, Blu‑ray™, and AVCHD™ discs, as well as WMV 3D formats for mobile. A pair of high quality plastic 3D glasses is included in all boxed versions.
· New Customizable Workspaces: Set up your workspace the way you want, even across dual monitors.
· Enhanced Corel Guide: Get the tools you need to make great movies with free in-product training videos delivered through the Corel Guide. With a click you will also get access to an array of useful information: product updates, add-ons, downloadable media packs, and more.
· Enhanced! Web sharing: With presets for YouTube™, Vimeo®, Facebook®, and Flickr® in both HD and SD formats, it is easy to upload directly to your site of choice.
· Enhanced Import and Export Movie Templates: Make your own templates and effects that you can upload and share with other VideoStudio Pro X4 users.
· Enhanced Smart Package: Automatically gather your entire project – video, photo and audio files into one folder that you can take with you while choosing a custom compression method and secure with password encryption, powered by newly integrated WinZip® technology.

Delivering Video for Business and Education

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 delivers a complete video editing package at a low cost, providing business users and schools alike with the ability to add video to their arsenal of communication tools and curriculum. Corel’s flexible and cost effective licensing programmes coupled with in-product training videos and solid network installation functionality make VideoStudio Pro X4 an ideal choice for any school’s or business’ video editing needs.

Availability

Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 is available now in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Russian at the SRP of £79.99 including VAT. Upgrades are available at £59.99 including VAT from http://www.corel.com. Commercial and academic volume licenses are also available.

To download a free fully-functional trial version or for more information about Corel VideoStudio Pro X4, please visit http://www.corel.co.uk/videostudio

AKVIS announces the release of ArtWork version 5.0. AKVIS ArtWork transforms photos into paintings using various techniques. An ordinary photo can be turned into a work of art. ArtWork is available in plug-in and standalone versions for Windows and Mac. Version 5.0 introduces the Watercolor style. Photos can now be converted to an image in the beautiful, airy, and light style of watercolor paintings.

Would you like to become an artist for a few minutes, without the years of training or natural skill of a master? Want to turn your photos into works of art? Try AKVIS ArtWork.

AKVIS ArtWork is the perfect tool for expressing your artistic imagination. With ArtWork you can transform a photo into an oil painting, create an image in the style of comics, make a pen and ink drawing, or even a linocut. You can use it to create a unique avatar, or make original gifts such as postcards, posters or greeting cards. Amaze your friends and family with a portrait, landscape, or still life painting from your own photos. http://akvis.com/en/artwork/index.php

Version 5.0 of ArtWork introduces the Watercolor style, which allows you to convert any image in a watercolor painting. Watercolor is one of the most difficult painting techniques. It is very difficult to achieve a realistic simulation of a watercolor painting, but ArtWork does this well! It helps you to create beautiful, airy, light watercolor paintings that look just like the real thing, as if created by the artist’s hand. http://akvis.com/en/artwork-tutorial/howwork/watercolor.php

The most popular of the styles offered by ArtWork, Oil, has earned the praise of professionals, and in Version 5 it has been made even better. A photo is processed into an oil painting more quicky, and the resulting image is even closer to oil painting than in previous versions. Strokes are applied more precisely, following the lines of objects and shadows, giving a more realistic result.

Also new to Version 5.0 are the Post Processing Tools (Smudge and Blur), which are available under the Business and Deluxe licenses. These tools help to improve the results made in the Oil and Watercolor styles.

Thanks to the new Animated Processsing feature, you can observe the photo-to-painting converstion in real time. Now the transformation takes place right before your eyes. Watch your work of art being born!

Each painting style in ArtWork includes presets which make it even easier to work with your photos and save time. Verson 5.0 adds new presets for the Oil, Comics, and Pen & Ink styles. The new Watercolor style comes with 6 presets.

Many photo editing enthusiasts have already expressed themselves using ArtWork’ s features. Take a look at these Examples: http://akvis.com/en/artwork-tutorial/examples/index.php

AKVIS ArtWork is available as a stand-alone application, as well as a plug-in to a photo editor.
ArtWork runs on Windows 7/Vista/XP and on Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

AKVIS ArtWork Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $72 USD, downloadable from http://akvis.com . Registered users can upgrade to Version 5.0 for free! Just download the program and reinstall it.

Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS programs in the AKVIS Alchemy Bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Refocus, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) for USD $325 USD, a huge savings over purchasing each separately. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php

AKVIS ArtWork is also part of the AKVIS Artistic Bundle (Sketch, ArtWork, and ArtSuite), which sells for $149 for the plug-in version or $169 for the standalone version. This is a savings of $44 when compared to the price of these three programs purchased separately. Visit the official website to see prices for alternate versions of this bundle. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/artistic.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

MediaPad Pro is a dynamic new approach to presenting, displaying and sharing your professional portfolio. MediaPad Pro allows artisans of any discipline to easily construct their portfolio or catalogue into an intuitive and customizable format, ideal for photographers, artists, models, designers, actors, directors and anyone with a portfolio.

Professional Package All-In-One
MediaPad Pro comes equip with all the tools you’ll need to take your portfolio to the next level. Once you have entered your professional contact information, you can upload any combination of static images (print), audio files, video files and digital/website files.

MediaPad Pro also reduces the cost of shipping your portfolio to prospective employers. No more expensive print runs and time-consuming preparation.

Detailed Personalization
The interface of your MediaPad Pro is fully customizable. You can adjust the color pallete as you decide, and you can change/modify the font scheme. Select from one of five background images, or upload your own to make it consistent with your personal branding.

Controlled Presenting
Choose from a variety of transitions and timing options to automate your MediaPad Pro into a seamless presentation.

Effortless Editing
MediaPad Pro blends the mobility and format of your book with the instant editing advantages of a website. If you notice a mistake or decide to reposition, all you have to do is swap out the pieces you choose.

Guest Book
MediaPad Pro includes an optional guest registry for viewers of your MediaPad Pro to sign and comment. As the manager of your MediaPad Pro, you can track who sees your portfolio, delete any signature, or disable the guestbook entirely.

Features
Unlimited file upload: Print, Audio, Video & Digital
Hyperlinked digital files for live demonstrations
Fully customizable interface
Guest Registry with PDF/XLSX export option
Slideshow options with transitions & timing for a seamless presentation
MediaPad Pro tutorial section with walkthroughs & helpful tips
This forward adaptation eliminates the costs of paper stock, print runs and portfolio cases without diminishing the quality of the artist’s-i.e. your-outstanding work samples.

visit the mediapad pro page

Leaf Imaging today announced the release of Leaf Capture 11.4.5 which includes support for tethered and portable Leaf SensorFlex technology for Leaf Aptus-II 12R, Leaf Aptus-II 12 and for the Leaf Aptus-II 12 for AFi/HY6. The version also enables Leaf Capture support for the Leaf Aptus-II 12 for AFi/HY6.

Leaf SensorFlex technology enables photographers to crop on the fly and cut down on a given file size by using only part of the CCD sensor. Using pre-defined dimensions, SensorFlex automatically crops the margins around the captures to preserve full image quality and pixel integrity. Currently, Leaf SensorFlex is the only solution on the market that offers square format 60MP resolution captures.

The latest version of Leaf Capture now empowers photographers of all Aptus-II 12 digital backs to match image dimensions to the requirements of each specific shot. Capture speeds, burst lengths and file sizes are all improved according to the image dimension chosen. Photographers can choose their cropping dimensions from four standard pre-set formats:

• 80MP Full Size
• 60MP 4X3
• 60MP 14X9
• 60MP 1X1

Leaf Capture 11.4.5 is free and available now for download from the Leaf website, at http://www.leaf-photography.com.

About Leaf Imaging
Leaf Imaging has been a pioneer in professional digital photography. In 1992, Leaf introduced the world’s first commercial digital camera back. Today, the Leaf Aptus-II digital backs are the choice of leading photographers. Leaf is dedicated to improving the quality of its products, technologies and services to support the advancement of professional digital photography.

For more information, visit the Leaf website at http://www.leaf-photography.com

Leaf Capture is a registered trademark of Leaf Imaging. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Leaf Imaging is a Phase One company.

Ohanaware, a Husband & Wife development team specializing in intuitive photo editing software, are very proud to announce the immediate release of their latest product, HDRtist Pro. HDRtist Pro is the more advanced version of their insanely popular freeware HDRtist. It’s been designed to provide more creativity with HDR images, while maintaing an easy to use interface and affordable price tag.

• About HDRtist Pro •
HDRtist Pro is a streamlined Mac App thats been designed to create and edit HDR or Exposure Blended images. Utilizing Apple technology, HDRtist Pro is able to wield and manipulate 128-Bit floating-point images (that’s 16,843,009 times more precision than a JPEG photo), into beautiful works of art or super-realistic photos. Our engine’s been designed to work with multiple exposures, single RAW images, and can make single JPEG images look like HDR. 1-Click Styles, editable HDRs, straightforward interface and the innovative drop-N-click system are all featured in HDRtist Pro.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) & Exposure Blending make it possible to create highly detailed and ultra-realistic photographs with your digital camera. HDR works by combining exposure information using complex mathematics, while Exposure Blending works by simply selecting and cutting out the best parts of each photo. These two different techniques can generate different results. One technique might work for one image but may not work for another. This is why we think it’s best to have both techniques to use.

• Pricing & Availability •
HDRtist Pro is available to purchase from the Ohanaware online store today. Mac App Store is coming soon. It is priced at $29.99 USD before tax.

• System Requirements •
HDRtist Pro requires an Intel powered Macintosh running Mac OS X 10.5 or newer, with at least 1GB of memory. A 256mb Graphic Card is recommended for Hardware acceleration.

• About Ohanaware •
Ohanaware is a husband & wife team living in the southern tip of Taiwan. Sharing a passion in Mac’s and amateur Photography. Their first product ‘Funtastic Photos’ went on to win 4 star awards from both MacWorld and MacFormat. Their previous games company had a top ten hit with Recyclorama. Joy Sha has a history in the design industry with experience as a 2D and 3D artist, she also holds a masters in 3D animation. Sam Rowlands has been writing software since 1990 and is an award winning software developer.

DxO Labs is pleased to announce the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro v6.5.4 for Mac and Windows that adds RAW support for the Olympus E-PL2, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 and for the Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 in both its Standard and Elite editions.

Further, 69 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering numerous Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony cameras.

Availability and price
DxO Optics Pro v6.5.4 for Windows and Mac, Standard and Elite editions are available from DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at the following prices:
- DxO Optics Pro v6.5.3 Standard edition: $169 / 149 € / £ 99
- DxO Optics Pro v6.5.3 Elite edition: $299 / 299 € / £ 199
€ and £ prices include sales taxes and VAT.

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro since June 1st, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.5.4.

System Requirements
- 2 GB RAM minimum
- 400 MB available disk space
Windows:
- Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent (Pentium Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
- Microsoft Windows XP 32 or 64 bits, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bits, Windows 7 (32 or 64 bits)
- To process RAW images larger than 20 MPixels, a 64-bit operating system with 4 GB RAM is strongly recommended
Macintosh:
- Intel-Mac
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
- To process RAW images larger than 20 MPixels, 3 GB RAM is strongly recommended

About DxO Optics Pro
DxO Optics Pro is an award-winning automatic image enhancement software for enthusiastic amateur and professional photographers shooting in JPEG or RAW format. World-renowned for its unique automated optical corrections (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, lens softness), and its state-of-the-art RAW conversion, DxO Optics Pro addresses the entire spectrum of image quality issues, including noise removal, exposure optimization, keystoning correction, color control and dust removal. Its fully-customizable and easy-to-use interface makes it an unrivalled productivity tool, able to process hundreds of images in just a few clicks.
For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com.

About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:
• Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);
• Image quality evaluation and measurement tools for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as for photography journalists and imaging experts.
For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com.

Bibble Labs, Inc. is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Bibble 5.2 Pro and Bibble 5.2 Lite. This free update for all current Bibble 5 customers adds support for 14 new RAW formats, including Nikon D3100, D7000, P7000 and Panasonic LX5, GF2 and GH2, and includes significant improvements to Bibble 5’s already powerful Selective Editing capability, and many other enhancements.
Bibble 5 Pro Box

“We’ve been hard at work since we launched Bibble 5.1 in June,” says Jeff Stephens, President of Bibble Labs, Inc., “and we’re thrilled to again be able to provide a free update to all our Bibble 5 customers with so many improvements.”

Major Selective Editing Improvements

Bibble 5’s Selective Editing framework receives several major enhancements in this version, starting with the addition of Copy & Paste for Layers and Regions. This allows photographers to make selective adjustments on one image, and then apply those same selective edits on many similar images in an instant. Further, layer opacity is now adjustable, allowing photographers to quickly adjust the strength of many adjustments on a single layer with a single slider.

Likewise, individual regions can now remove, instead of add, areas to adjustment layers. This allows a finer level of adjustment and control over selective editing in Bibble 5. Lastly, regions have been updated to transform and adjust along with geometric changes made to an image – like straightening, cropping, or perspective distortion. Bibble 5.2 Lite also increases the number of Heal & Clone regions that can be applied on a single image, from 3 to 20 regions.
Broad RAW File Support, with 14 New Models

Bibble 5.2 adds support for 14 new RAW formats, including Nikon D3100, D7000, P7000, Canon S95, G12, Panasonic LX5, GH2, GF2, Pentax K-5, K-r, Olympus E-5, E-PL1s, E-PL2 and the Ricoh GXR P10. This is the sixth update that expands RAW file support since Bibble 5 was released just over one year ago, bringing the total number of RAW formats supported to 200. Complete list of supported RAW formats here.

Many Other Areas of Improvement

“We are always looking for ways to speed our customers’ total workflow, and Bibble 5.2 offers many significant workflow enhancements to do just that” says Stephens. Copy Sets is one such feature, allowing photographers to assign editable hotkeys to one or many adjustment or metadata settings. Pressing this hotkey combination copies only those settings from the selected image – allowing photographers to very quickly paste only IPTC data, or only noise reduction settings, or any other groups of setting.

The Preferences window in Bibble 5 also gained functionality by offering several new Preferences Panels to allow photographers to tune Bibble 5 even more to match how they want to work. With new panels for Copy Sets, Default Settings, and Crop Presets, photographers now have more ways than ever to customize Bibble to match their workflow.

Many other smaller enhancements are also included that optimize and speed workflow with Bibble 5. Creating a new version automatically selects the new version, and deleting a version will automatically select the Master version. Clicking anywhere on a closed tool panel will open that panel, and dragging thumbnails to a tab on one of these panels will switch to that tab automatically. Automatic lens identification has been improved for many Nikon bodies.

Bibble 5.2 also resolves many issues found in previous versions of Bibble 5, and brings substantial stability improvements to many of our customers. And, Bibble Labs has further improved their RAW plugin SDK, allowing plugin developers even more control and flexibility. New in Bibble 5.2, plugins can now make geometric changes like perspective correction and can increase or change the overall image size. This allows new kinds of plugins, like matting plugins that add a border outside a photo, and much more. “Individually, these are all small changes,” Stephens continues, “but together these and many other refinements, large and small, make Bibble 5.2 the best update we’ve provided.”

Learning More About Bibble 5

There are more and more ways to learn about Bibble 5, and to refine your photographic workflow using Bibble 5. Texas Photo Workshops continues to offer Photographic Workflow Basics with Bibble 5 their online workshop dedicated to Bibble 5 workflow. New workshops are starting every week or two, with the next opening on January 31th.

And, just in time for the Bibble 5.2 release, the first third-party publication about Bibble 5 has just been launched!

Andreas F.X. Siegert and Marco Frissen, two long-term members of the Bibble community, present their e-book “The Bibble Survival Guide” at http://www.bibblesurvivalguide.com. The 200+ page PDF e-book is available now for purchase via their web site. The e-book explains how to get the most out of Bibble for newcomers but also has in- depth information for more experienced users.

Availability, Upgrades, and Pricing

Bibble 5.2 Pro and Bibble 5.2 Lite are available immediately for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers for $199.95 and $99.95, respectively, from http://bibblelabs.com. Bibble Labs customers who purchased Bibble 4 since September, 2006 are eligible for a free upgrade to Bibble 5. Bibble 5.2 is a free upgrade for all current Bibble 5 customers.

Objective App LLC announced the release of Photo Info Viewer 1.0 on the App Store. Photo Info Viewer is an app for the iPad that allows users to display all the metadata stored in their photos. Featuring an elegant and simple photo browser, Photo Info Viewer lets the user switch between three display modes: Photo View, Photo Info, Photo Map. The information being displayed includes date, camera settings and photo location. It is available today on the App Store.

Photo Info Viewer will satisfy the casual users with its elegant display of photos, information (such as date and camera settings) and map when GPS information is available. Photo Info Viewer will also satisfy the most advanced users who wish to access all the metadata and advanced camera settings stored in their photos.

Features include:
* Browse through photo albums on the iPad. Photo Info Viewer handles the largest photo libraries
* Switch the display mode between Photo View, Photo Info, Photo Map
* Photo Info Mode displays all the metadata stored in picture. Infos such as the date and type of camera is most often contained in digital pictures. For photo enthusiasts, this will be a great way to access EXIF data, such as exposure mode, ISO settings
* Photo Map mode displays the location where the picture was taken on a map. Cameras with GPS, such as the camera on the iPhone, saves the location where the picture was taken

Device Requirements:
* Compatible with iPad
* Requires iOS 4.2 or later
* 0.1 MB

Pricing and Availability:
Photo Info Viewer 1.0 is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

The same photo can take on a whole new look simply by changing the scene’s weather. Its spirit will change dramatically, from a crackling thunderstorm to a peaceful morning, from a forest in flames to a dreary rainy thicket, from a parched desert to a cool lakeside scene. Nature effects have an impact on our mood and can be used to strengthen the impression made by a picture.

In addition to 6 nature effects offered by NatureArt: Rain, Sun, Water, Lightning, Clouds, and Fire, Version 2.0 introduces a new nature effect – Frost.

The list of possible uses is even far greater. You can create a vast array of effect versions. Change the weather on a photo, illuminate a night sky with glistening stars, light up a dark, gloomy landscape by adding sources of light, create a flaming text effect, stir up a sandstorm, or even your own little tempest in a teapot.

The new Frost effect adorns an image with an openwork of ice crystals. In nature frost appears on long thin objects during freezing weather. This gives an environment a fantastic look, sometimes almost surreal. Now you can add this beauty to your digital photos easily! Use your imagination and add frost crystals where you would not expect to find them, such as on someone’s eyelashes, or enhance an already wintry scene. http://akvis.com/en/natureart-tutorial/effects/frost.php

The Rain effect adds precipitation to an image. You can add various kinds of rain (from drizzle to downpour) by adjusting the parameters. You can even add snow using the AKVIS Snow preset.

The Sun effect adds the most important celestial body to an image – The Sun – in all of its glory, depending on the time of day, the changing seasons, and the weather: bright, dim, summer, winter, rising, setting, etc. By changing settings or using one of the presets from AKVIS, it’s possible to transform the sun into the moon (AKVIS Moon preset) or into one of its more distant neighbors in the galaxy (AKVIS Star preset).

The Water effect adds a body of water to an image. The horizon of the body of water can be adjusted vertically up and down. The water’s characteristics as color, depth, and the appearance can be adjusted, as well as the direction of waves. You can change an existing body of water’s appearance or add a river to a forest background.

The Lightning effect adds lightning bolts of any shape and number to an image. The lightning bolt’s attributes, such as its glow, thickness, number of branches, and color can be adjusted via various parameters. Add some excitement to a cloudy scene or electrify a peaceful background.

The Clouds effect adds clouds to an image. They can be applied anywhere on an image using the program’s selection tools. Their density, size, transparency, and color can be adjusted using the effect’s parameters. Use it to fill a vague, blank sky or to add a dreary fog around an old house.

The Fire effect (only available under the Home Deluxe and Business licenses) adds tongues of flame to an image. You can change their color and other characteristics by adjusting various parameters. Illuminate a scene with bright flames or even make flaming text.

Version 2.0 of NaturArt also introduces the ability to create new images. The New Image dialog provides a choice of default presets for creating your own postcards, posters, and other projects. You can create nature scenes from scratch, such as converting a blank background into a sea view or a night sky with scattered, glistening stars. You can even draw a unique picture with the help of NatureArt’s effects.

Version 2.0 also allows to save the selection areas and the direction lines to a file (”.nature” format), and load them later. It makes experimenting with the program even easier.

AKVIS NatureArt is available in two editions, as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor. http://akvis.com/en/natureart/comparison.php

The plugin edition is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, etc. Check the compatibility page for more details.

AKVIS NatureArt runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Win7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6, both 32 bit and 64 bit.

Test the software for 10 days free of charge!
Download AKVIS NatureArt v.2.0 for Macintosh and Windows here: http://akvis.com/en/natureart/download-nature-effects.php

Users who own previous versions of AKVIS NatureArt can upgrade to Version 2.0 for free.

AKVIS NatureArt Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $ 72 USD or 55 Euro, downloadable from http://akvis.com/.

AKVIS NatureArt is available in the Alchemy bundle which includes all AKVIS software at a discounted price. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

AKVIS releases Version 12 of AKVIS Sketch for Windows and Macintosh. The software converts digital photos into amazing pencil sketches and watercolor, charcoal, and pastel drawings. It’s a wonderful tool for those who have always wanted to draw but didn’t know how.

Version 12 introduces the new Smudging parameter which creates the effect of smearing hatching in midtone areas without affecting the contour lines of the drawing. The algorithm handles semi-processed images more effectively. They are now simpler and more exact.

AKVIS Sketch (http://akvis.com/en/sketch/index.php) is an award-winning program for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings. The program has already won the recognition of professionals and delighted home users with its neat results. However, there is no end to perfection and the company released a new version of AKVIS Sketch with many improvements.

With AKVIS Sketch you do not need to handle a pencil to feel like an artist. All you need to create your original work of art is good taste and AKVIS Sketch. Make any photo look like a B&W or color drawing, imitate the technique of graphite or color pencil, charcoal, pastel, or watercolor painting.

Version 12 introduces the Smudging parameter which creates the effect of smearing hatching in midtone areas without affecting the contour lines of the drawing. This technique looks like a result of rubbing across a drawing in soft pencil with a stump tool, smooth paper, or a finger. As the value of the parameter is increased, shading becomes similar to soft graphite. It is a fast and simple way to add a soft and blurred texture to a sketch.

http://akvis.com/en/sketch-tutorial/examples/smudging-sketch.php

The program works in an entertaining way. You can observe the conversion of a photo into a drawing or watercolor painting in real time and even interrupt the process when the required result is achieved. Due to improvements in the algorithm in Version 12 of Sketch, semi-processed images are handled more effectively. The result is simpler and more exact. The process can be interrupted by pressing either the Esc or Stop button.

Also new to Version 12 is the ability to view a list of recent images by right-clicking on the Open Image button.

Once you have converted your photo into a drawing, you can add some special effects (the Background tab). Create a blend of a drawing and a photo; imitate motion or add a “time machine effect” by swirling the background. Bring attention to something in an image by blurring the rest of it in an artistic way. It is especially useful when the final drawing contains too many details in the background that divert attention.

Also, the parameters on the Canvas tab let you add a rough surface to your image, as if it has been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.

It is also possible to add a signature or a greeting to your pencil drawings to personalize the work of art.

Many photo editing enthusiasts have already appreciated the Sketch’ s features. Take a look at the examples gallery (many created by users) at http://akvis.com/en/sketch/examples-pencil-drawing.php

Sketch can be useful on many occasions. Surprise your friends and relatives by presenting them with their pencil portraits. Make a watercolor drawing out of a photo from your last nature shooting to decorate your room. Convert your own photo into a color sketch to print on a T-shirt. You can even make your own comic strip.

The program can be helpful to designers who need to quickly bring images to one style for a web-site or an advertisement brochure.

Using batch processing in Photoshop or Paint Shop pro (only for the plug-in version) you can even convert a film into a cartoon. Like here: http://akvis.com/en/sketch-tutorial/cartoon-film.php

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use. Details are available at http://akvis.com/en/sketch/index.php

AKVIS Sketch is available as a standalone application, as well as a plugin to a photo editor.
The plugin version of AKVIS Sketch is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro, etc. AKVIS Sketch runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Window7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

Users of versions 9-11 of Sketch can upgrade to v.12 for free.

AKVIS Sketch Home License (plugin or standalone) sells for $72 USD or 55 Euro, downloadable from akvis.com.

Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Refocus, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) for USD $325 USD, huge savings over purchasing each separately.
For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

The world’s first intelligent portrait software just gets better…

Portrait Professional is the world’s first commercially available software that is trained in human beauty.

This makes it both faster, and much easier to use than ordinary photo editing software for faces.

How is this possible? The software has analyzed thousands of photos to learn what makes people look attractive or unattractive. With this knowledge, it knows how to improve any aspect of the face. For example, if the face has a double chin, Portrait Professional ‘jaw slider’ will recognize that, and automatically reduce it.

The results are fully customizable via a simple slider interface, so that users can get exactly what they want. There are over 200 sliders, giving the user total control of all aspect of the face and hair.

Uniquely, Portrait Professional 10 keeps learning. The software is constantly receiving more training, so it is continually getting better at enhancing faces. And as V10 buyers will get free and frequent upgrades, their software will just get better over time.

The software incorporates a unique intelligent edge finding touch up brush. Instead of just selecting everything under the brush, the brush actively looks for defects within its radius, and only removes the defect, leaving good skin untouched. This both gives better results, and makes the brush very fast and easy to use, as accuracy is not required.
The software also contains a unique automatic ‘skin regeneration’ capability. Conventional skin touch up software simply filters the skin. This works OK for small defects, but fails with bigger problems. This is because when a large defect is removed what remains is featureless skin with no texture. Our solution is to automatically ‘graft in’ real skin texture where the defects used to be, and this is precisely what our (patent applied for) ‘Clearskin 2®’ software does. And depending on the age and skin type of the subject, the user can even choose different skin textures to fine tune the result.
This combination of massively increased training in human appearance, edge finding ‘intelligent’ defect removal brushes, and the new Clearskin2 technology makes Portrait Professional 10:

Far easier to use than traditional touch-up software for faces and hair.
Much faster than traditional touch-up software.

What exactly can Portrait Professional do?

With Portrait Professional 10, untrained, non-specialist users can quickly and easily:

Automatically eliminate skin blemishes such as spots or pimples leaving completely natural looking skin, however big the blemish.
Remove grease, sweat or unsightly white highlights from the skin.
Reduce or remove wrinkles and lines, again leaving exceptionally natural looking skin.
Subtly re-shape different aspects of the face to make it slimmer or more attractive.
Adjust the lighting on the face to make it more flattering or remove shadows.
Brighten or change eye color, and enhance whiteness of the eyes.
Whiten teeth, recolor and re-shape the lips.
Thicken, color and smooth hair.

The different versions of the software

Portrait Professional
This is the stand alone version that offers all of the sophisticated face, skin and hair touch-up facilities but does not include the Photoshop® plug-in, ‘batch mode’ productivity features or the RAW file support that professional and semi-professional photographers require.
Portrait Professional Studio
Aimed at keen amateur and professional photographers, Portrait Professional Studio can be configured as stand alone or as a Lightroom® or Photoshop® plug-in to speed workflow. It also works directly with RAW files.

Portrait Professional Studio 64
The premier edition of the software, Portrait Professional Studio 64 is optimized for maximum performance on computers running 64-bit operating systems. Capable of handling the largest file sizes, this edition is for those who require the maximum quality in their work.

New in Portrait Professional 10

Greatly improved face beautification
Portrait Professional 10 has benefited from a massive amount of new training in face enhancement, and is now far better at improving different face types, and much better at male faces. This training initiative is continuing, so each new minor release of V10 (free to buyers of V10) will show further improvement.

Greatly improved ClearSkin® 2 skin defect removal & re-generation technology
Portrait Professional 10 incorporates the latest generation of our ClearSkin® skin enhancing technology. This enables real skin texture to be regenerated and now incorporates a better algorithm and different textures for different types and ages of skin. This enables the most it easy to make any skin look great, while keeping it looking natural – no more plastic-looking airbrushed skin!

More and better slider controls
Portrait Professional 10 gives the user more control over the results with more and better sliders. There are new sliders to control all aspects of the nose, better eye controls, face shape controls and an ‘Exaggerate’ slider to achieve more dramatic results when required.

Improved brushes
The software’s ‘intelligent’ skin defect ‘detection and removal’ brush has been significantly improved as have the ‘skin and hair selection brushes, which automatically find the edges of the skin and hair. This means that accuracy is not required and brushing is very fast and easy.

New Child Mode
Child Mode makes it easy to make appropriate changes to children. Portrait Professional 10 has been trained to understand the enhancements that work with children, and will apply them automatically.

Enhance Skin Only Mode
In response to many user requests, Portrait Professional 10 now has an Enhance Skin Only Mode, when the user does not want to make any changes to the shape of the face being improved.
Better Saved Slider presets
Portrait Professional 10 incorporates a completely revamped set of preset beautification effects, designed to make it even easier to quickly make anyone look great in a photo.

New User Interface
Portrait Professional 10 has a new interface, designed to make workflow as streamlined as possible.

System requirements:

PC
Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP or Windows 2000
1Ghz CPU or better
Min 512MB RAM XP, 1GB RAM Vista

Mac
OSX 10.4 or later
Intel CPU 1Ghz or better
512MB RAM or more

Note: While Portrait Professional 10 is compatible with all modern Intel Macs, it not compatible with older ‘PowerPC’ Macs

Pictional LLC today is pleased to announce the release of TrueHDR 2.2, an update to TrueHDR, a high dynamic range (HDR) photography app that is one of a highly select group of fifty apps recently named by Apple to the “App Store Essentials Hall of Fame”. TrueHDR enables users to take HDR photos on iPhone 4, 3GS, and iPod touch 4G, with two distinct styles – Natural and Enhanced. TrueHDR’s latest release includes the following new features: geo-tagging, improved image alignment, and improved light metering for automatically setting exposures. To accompany the new release, TrueHDR has been placed on limited time sale for 0.99$, 50% off of its regular price.

TrueHDR is designed to address the issue that cameras can only capture a limited range of brightness in a single photo. In other words, when people take photos of a scene that has a large range from bright to dark, they often have to choose between the bright areas and the dark areas. TrueHDR enables users to take two pictures at different exposures, and then takes the best features of each and merges them into one picture that has vivid colors and details in both the shadows and sunny areas.

With TrueHDR 2.2, the app now does geo-tagging, saving photos with the automatically detected location information (if a user permits it to do so), so the user can keep track of where pictures are taken.

At the core of an HDR app, users want the best-looking results, and with TrueHDR 2.2, Pictional has made two key enhancements that lead to more beautiful pictures. The first is improved image alignment, which yields fewer ghosted edges and even crisper, higher quality result images than with previous versions. The second important innovation is improved light metering for the “Auto Capture” mode; this improvement involves using an enhanced method for metering the scene brightness and automatically setting exposures, thereby enabling users to capture a better range of details and produce a better balance between shadow and sun in their HDR photos.

Feature highlights:
* Geo-tagging, improved image alignment, and improved light metering for Auto Capture mode
* Choice of Natural or Enhanced modes, with Natural for the most realistic look and Enhanced for slightly more vivid colors and contrast – pick the look you like
* All new Natural mode gives you beautifully natural true-to-life colors, faster processing, and reduced image noise
* Easy capture with Rapid AutoCapture mode
* Greater control over exposure points with SemiAuto capture mode and manual mode
* Automatically saves original images for use with desktop HDR programs if desired
* Works on iPhone 3GS where the native camera does not offer an HDR option
* Full support for front facing camera in all three modes (Auto, SemiAuto, and Manual), making composing and taking self portraits easier and more fun than ever
* Convenient sharing features (Facebook, Twitter, email)

Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 4.0 or later
* 4.1 MB

JixiPix Software today announces VintageScene 2.21, a major upgrade to its award winning retro photography app for iOS devices. VintageScene helps photographers stand out from the crowd by taking a regular photograph and turning it into a photo that looks like it was dug out of the attic or an old shoebox. Featuring over 60 built in presets, users can easily take total control over the age, fade, distress, weathering, and tint of their photos, creating an infinite number of combinations.

Las Vegas, Nevada – JixiPix Software announces a major upgrade to its award winning retro photography app called VintageScene. VintageScene 2.21 is now available on the iTunes store for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

Have you ever wondered the best way to take your modern pictures and make them look like they came from your parents or grandparents photo album? VintageScene is the premier app to make new photos look vintage, old school, retro, aged, faded, or weathered.

VintageScene helps photographers stand out from the crowd by taking a regular photograph and turning it into a photo that looks like it was dug out of the attic or an old shoebox. No longer do photographers and enthusiasts need to have normal looking photos. Add a little style and pizzazz with a few taps of the finger.

VintageScene allows people to:
* Take total control over the age, fade, distress, weathering, and tint of their photos
* Emulate looks from the early 1800s all the way through current times
* Control age and color of photo
* Assign paper age and color
* Choose an overlay or border to accentuate the age of the photo and add interesting details
* Save presets for any custom designed look
* Randomize effect to get a unique look with one tap of a button
* Create an infinite number of combinations with over 60 built in presets

VintageScene has received numerous outstanding reviews and awards. People love the product, its ease of use, and the ability to created unlimited custom looks.

Hayk Chukhuryan from AppAdvice says “If you’re in the market for a new photography app that lets you add some old fashioned flavor to your new school shots, Vintage Scene easily hits the spot. This app should be enough to please the hobbyists’, as well as the casual users alike. With a variety of effects, scalable attributes and a boatload of texture overlays, Vintage Scene is definitely worth it!”

Here is what customers are saying about VintageScene:

“Possibly the Best of its kind! This photo-editing tool has it all: complete control over the type and degree of effects, saves in full resolution, simple UI. The effects are striking and quite beautiful.”-

“Excellent quality, incredible customization. This new update makes this app AAA all the way. The developers really seem to have a good grasp on what iPhone photographer’s want. I really can’t wait to see what they do next.” – mortal coil – iTunes App Store

“I have a few different apps that accomplish the same task. This app just seems way easier to use and gives you more control over the final output. Love it! I think I can delete a couple of apps off my phone and replace it with this one.” – Ron Foley – iTunes App Store

Device Requirements
* iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4G and iPod touch 4
* Compatible with iPad

Pricing and Availability
VintageScene for iPhone is $1.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category. VintageSceneHD for iPad is $3.99 (USD) and available immediately.

VintageScene 2.21: http://www.jixipix.com/vintage-scene/vintage-scene.html
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jixipix-software/id380605671
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gpdMfBoT9Ag
Screenshot: http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/059/Purple/7f/aa/a7/mzl.laukqkbp.320×480-75.jpg
App Icon: http://www.jixipix.com/vintage-scene/vs-logo.jpg

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, JixiPix Software has a history of developing well known iPhone and iPad Apps marketed to photographers, graphic artists, and multi-media professionals around the world. Copyright (C) 2011 JixiPix Software. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Artensoft today announces Artensoft Photo Collage Maker 1.0, the first and only Windows application that can automatically generate high-resolution photographic collages in the manner of a mosaic portrait of Steve Jobs composed of small pictures of Apple’s gadgets. To create a photo collage, there is no need to have any knowledge of design and mosaic techniques.

“A while back I saw an article in Forbes, which had a portrait of Steve Jobs made out of hundreds of tiny Apple icons and gadgets and decided to write a mathematical algorithm that could allow ordinary Windows users to create a photo collage like that automatically,” says Eugene Baryshnikov, the program’s chief developer, Artensoft. “As a result, we have developed a unique technology that was derived from the analysis of the Steve Jobs photomosaic. Now anyone with Windows PC can create an exclusive photomosaic with a push of a button”.

The program offers a wizard that makes it a matter of a few minutes to create a photo collage. The first thing is to choose a source photograph to make into a mosaic, and then add a collection of pictures that will be used as source material for the collage. For producing good results, it is recommended to have between 500 and 1500 images (picture sets are supplied with the program). Similar to a human artist, the program examines a source image and then recreates it as a hand-made mosaic automatically. The output can be saved to JPEG, BMP, TIFF or PNG.

Artensoft Photo Collage Maker gives a full range of options to produce a coherent collage. For example, the user can specify types of tiles to be used for generating a mosaic (mirrored images, 90 degree image rotation to the left or right, or 180 degree rotation). Besides, it is possible to set a radius for eliminating neighboring duplicate tiles, increase or decrease the number of large pictures, and select areas to be filled. When the first mosaic is generated, the user can manipulate a collage to individual preferences by replacing some tiles.

With Artensoft Photo Collage Maker, home users can create a one-of-a-kind mosaic portrait of relatives and friends and present it as a gift. The program can also be used by professional designers and advertisers, who can, for instance, create a mosaic ad banner from the products of a company or photos of happy employees.

Read more about the program at: http://www.artensoft.com/ArtensoftPhotoCollageMaker/
Screenshots of the interface: http://www.artensoft.com/ArtensoftPhotoCollageMaker/screenshots.php
Photo mosaic gallery: http://www.artensoft.com/ArtensoftPhotoCollageMaker/gallery.php
Demo: http://www.artensoft.com/ArtensoftPhotoCollageMaker/download/ArtensoftPhotoCollageMaker-Setup.exe

Pricing and Availability
Artensoft Photo Collage Maker 1.0 is available immediately from Artensoft, its online shop, and through a network of authorized resellers worldwide. For new customers the program is available for $79.95 (US). Upgrades are available for free. More information on the product can be found at http://www.artensoft.com

About Artensoft
Founded in 2007, Artensoft develops software tools for editing images and creating photo collages. The company has launched two popular programs: Artensoft Photo Mosaic Wizard, a software tool for creating photo mosaics, and Artensoft Photo Editor, a photo editor. For more information, visit http://www.artensoft.com

Free The Apps! today is pleased to announce the release of a camera app called Panorama Free which allows the user to take panoramic photos from their iPhone or iPod touch camera. This iPhone camera app can be very useful for the user who wants to take exquisite photos in a panoramic format.

The app allows to take a few photos in sequence and then the Panorama Free merges all of the photos into one, creating a panoramic photo. The possibilities are really endless on what kind of panorama the photographer can take. Of course, the user can also upload the photos on their computers and share it amongst the public. Panorama Free is a free upgrade to the current camera to give it the possibility of taking panoramic photography and expanding on the functions of the camera.

“The iPhone camera has changed the way we capture and share moments in our everyday lives. We wanted to add to its functionality by allowing users to take high-quality panoramic photos of whatever they like. We are excited to release Panorama Free and hope our users enjoy it.” – said Michael Moon, Co-founder of Free The Apps.

Device requirements:
* Compatible with iPhone 4, iPod touch 4
* Requires iOS 3.0 or later
* 2.2 MB

Pricing and availability:
Panorama Free 1.0 is free of charge and available exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

Free The Apps!: http://www.freetheapps.com/ Panorama Free 1.0: http://www.freetheapps.com/our-apps/panorama-free/
Download from iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/panorama-free/id405539901?mt=8
Screenshot: http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/017/Purple/6d/17/1c/mzl.dckysccp.320×480-75.jpg
App Icon: http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/036/Purple/d3/52/9c/mzi.qsxkmyqw.175×175-75.jpg
Press Kit (zip): http://www.freetheapps.com/downloads/PanoramaPressKit.zip

Free The Apps! is an independent application developer for the iPhone platform. They produced their first iPhone app with little more than a great idea. The result was 22 successful apps, an incredible learning experience, and a desire to offer useful and quality apps to users for Free. Copyright (C) 2010 Free The Apps!. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Atlantic Light Works and Reindeer Graphics announce the release of PercepTool 2.0.2TM, a Photoshop add-on suite that performs High Dynamic Range (HDR), Tone Mapping and Perceptual Effect operations on digital photographs. Compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms in 32- and 64-bit processing, it operates in Photoshop CS4 and CS5 (Photoshop Extended required for 32-bits/channel). PercepTool 2.0.2TM works with both B&W and Color images in 8-bits, 16-bits and 32-bits.

Completely revised and updated, PercepTool 2.0.2TM includes a new interface for the Perceptual Effect routine that now includes Exposure and Contrast adjustments instead of using Photoshop tools. The Perceptual Effect adjustment has been redesigned to operate faster and to protect the highlights. In addition, PercepTool 2.0.2TM now includes EqualizerTM, a superior multi-contrast Tone Mapping interface, and HDR Align and BlendTM, a High Dynamic Range operator that combines images without “grunge” effects. Included is a Histogram with both Levels and Ansel Adams Zone System scales. LiveViewTM, the ability to work on the image itself and not a preview, is unique to PercepTool 2.0.2TM.

Photographers will find the new HDR and Tone Mapping abilities of PercepTool 2.0.2TM especially exciting. HDR Align and BlendTM finds an optimal alignment for images to be blended (with multiple quality settings) that does not suffer from the flaws in Photoshop’s alignment. The blending of the images occurs with accurate color rendition, reduced noise, and attention to the realistic nature of the photograph itself, rather than an interpretation.

PercepTool 2.0.2TM may be downloaded only from http://www.georgedewolfe.com/perceptool.html . For those who have purchased the original PercepToolTM the upgrade cost is $75. The full version is $150.

PictoColor Software announces today iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 for Windows, an upgrade to its Photoshop plug-in for precise selective color correction and color editing. iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 now offers users unparalleled global adjustments and controls that utilize PictoColor Software’s revolutionary SmartColor® technology. iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 eliminates the need for cumbersome curves and sliders as well as selections or layer masks to provide a powerful solution for users looking to make the color right quickly and easily.

“iCorrect EditLab Pro’s unique and powerful SmartColor technology offers precise selective color editing capabilities in an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.” said Craig W. Huelskoetter, president of PictoColor Software. “iCorrect EditLab Pro’s hallmark feature of guiding the user through the color correction process in such a way that as you step through the tool set, any correction you make in a previous set cannot be affected by subsequent tools. This eliminates the “chasing your tail syndrome” common with other approaches.”

iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0, powered by PictoColor Software’s SmartColor technology, is an extremely powerful tool for precise global and selective color correction and color editing. With SmartColor technology, users can quickly and easily improve any photo by sequentially correcting the color balance, setting the tonal range, adjusting the exposure and saturation, and making modifications on a hue-selective basis.

Key Features

* Powerful SmartColor technology, enabling precise selective color correction and color editing
* Make global color and exposure adjustments
* New advanced temperature based controls for color balance correction
* Shadow and highlight recovery on a global or hue-selective basis
* Advanced sharpening and noise removal for precise refinement
* Advanced color algorithms for smooth rendering and color mapping
* New 64-bit support on Microsoft Windows

Compatibility

* Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
* Photoshop CS2, CS3, CS4, and CS5 (32 bit and 64 bit)
* Photoshop Elements 4.0 – 9.0 for Windows

iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 may be purchased at PictoColor Software’s secure on-line store at http://www.pictocolor.com for $124.95 as a software download. Upgrades are $79.95. A free downloadable demo version is available at http://www.pictocolor.com.

iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 includes both 32 and 64 bit versions of the plug-in and may be installed on two computers.

About PictoColor Software

PictoColor Software is a leading developer of easy-to-use, time-saving photo editing, color correction and color editing software as well as a resource for related imaging products and services. Products include iCorrect OneClick, iCorrect OneClick, iCorrect EditLab Pro, CorrectPhoto and inCamera. PictoColor Software’s products serve digital photo enthusiasts, professional photographers, photo labs, and online photo services. PictoColor Software is located at 12219 Wood Lake Drive, Suite 200, Burnsville, MN 55337, Tel: 952-894-8890 , http://www.pictocolor.com, http://www.correctphoto.com

Copyright© 2010 PictoColor® Software. PictoColor®, iCorrect®, CorrectPhoto™, EditLab™, and inCamera® are trademarks of PictoColor Software. All trademarks referenced in this document, whether identified as trademarks or not, are the sole property of the legal owners of such marks. PictoColor Software makes no such claims to any such marks nor willingly misused or misapplied any marks.

iClone4 is an affordable, real-time 3D animation tool, with stereoscopic output capabilities, that allows any Photoshop project to be turned into eye-catching 3D Stereo printouts. With this new and powerful addition to its arsenal of high-quality image production, the Photoshop Community can now import image layers, into iClone4, to create 3D Stereo prints in a matter of minutes.

iClone4’s native 3D environment is ideal for arranging and layering images in X,Y and Z-axis which allows artists to have full control over any 3D effects by simply dragging layers around in real 3D space. iClone4 also delivers a fast and easy way of exporting an entire scene in stereoscopic 3D with just one click.

Additionally, there is no need to search through thousands of expensive stock image libraries to find that one unique image as Reallusion has released a series of exclusive content packs titled ‘Mr. Pose & Friends’ which literally allow Photoshop Users to customize and animate 3D figurines to any pose or camera perspective they need. These new content packs come with posable figurines, accessory kits and even ready-made animations that can be activated by anyone.

Graphic Artists can also display 2D images on 3D objects by simply importing images and dropping them onto any texture surface with material channels, bump channels, specular channels and more to create ultra-real scenes with easy-to-activate high dynamic range visuals.

“iClone4 gives Photoshop artists a new way of adding 3D content to their artwork. Accessory packs such as Mr. Pose & Friends make it quick and easy for artists to enhance their artwork with 3D models.” – said Denny Tang, the founder of Photoshoptutorials.ws, who this month launched an exclusive iClone and Photoshop tutorial on his website.

Reallusion has also created a specially designed landing page for Photoshop Users to visit, and learn all about the benefits and tools with several step-by-step tutorials made exclusively for graphic artists. To see more, just visit: http://www.reallusion.com/event/2010/photoshop/

The page introduces 3 great new pipeline tutorials for Photoshop Users to:

Create Advertisements with 3D Posable figurines
Turn Photoshop projects into Stereoscopic 3D printouts
Export OBJ models into Photoshop for 3D paint editing and more

Pricing and Availability

3D Pose-able Figure – Best 3D Creativity Solutions
iClone 4 Standard + iClone Combo Pack: Mr. Pose & Friends
List Price : USD149.90
Special Price: USD104.93 (30%OFF)
To know more, please visit: http://www.reallusion.com/event/2010/photoshop/

About Reallusion, Inc.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Reallusion is a leading-edge software developer providing Hollywood-like 3D cinematic animation tools for PC and mobile platforms. Reallusion’s pioneering storytelling technology excelling at character animation, facial morphing and voice lip-sync allows fast creation of interactive avatars for 3D real-time filmmaking and previsualization for professional post-production. Their powerful yet easy-to-use tools make character animation accessible to PC users of all skill levels.

Reallusion’s development of core technologies and growing base of intellectual property firmly establish the company as power among emerging technology innovators, furthering their graphic and imaging embedded kernels to top-brand device manufacturers worldwide.

AKVIS announces the update of AKVIS ArtSuite to version v.6.6. ArtSuite is an impressive collection of versatile effects for decorating photos. Version 6.6 includes some bug fixes and a new themed frame pack is available – the Christmas Pack. Whether you celebrate the festive occasion with your family or have a party with your friends – keep the memories alive!

Whether you plan to upload vacation photos to a web-site to share with your friends or wish to make your own personalized greeting cards, you can rely on AKVIS ArtSuite to add elegance and style to any photo.

AKVIS ArtSuite not only offers edge effects for adding frames to your digital photos, but also is constantly enriched with new artistic effects as well. Thanks to the large number of effects and a rich Pattern Library, the software can generate an endless variety of effect versions. http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/index.php

The effects are grouped in two categories: “Frames” and “Effects”.

“Frames” (edge effects) can be used to create a photo frame for a digital photo. It can be a classic frame with wood carving or a light-hearted frame with some cheerful frogs along the border. The photo frame samples that come with ArtSuite can be easily tailored to any photo. Select a color for the frame; choose its form, its style, brightness, and the intensity of the applied edge effect. It is possible to create a frame with ragged edges, a scratched surface, a page curl, ice crystals, etc. It can be a wooden frame with figured carving or a frame with an ornament. It is also possible to load user created patterns and textures to create a unique photo frame.

Use “Effects” to experiment with photos. Convert a photo into a B&W image and then add a shade of color to it. Replace colors in an image, add a texture (chosen from the built-in Texture Library or one created by the user) to make the image appear as if it has been drawn on a canvas, brick wall, corrugated paper, etc.

Version 6.6 fixes some bugs and offers a new themed frame pack – the Christmas Pack. This pack includes 50 hand painted frames perfect for your holiday photos. Whether you celebrate the festive occasion with your family or have a party with your friends – keep the memories alive! Make your own Christmas cards! The Christmas Pack is available for 15 USD. Take a look at thumbnails of the new frames here: http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/christmas-pack.php

In addition to the new Christmas Pack, AKVIS already offers a free frame pack of 30 enchanting designs for any occasion, as well as Wedding and Travel Frame Packs, both of which contain 50 high quality hand painted frames. http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/frame-packs.php

These frame packs are offered at a price and are intended for professionals, as well as those who are interested in quality design photo frames. Please note that these frames are only available in the standalone version for technical reasons.

The program can be used as an independent application (standalone) and as a plug-in to a photo editor.

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and PaintShop Photo Pro, and others.

AKVIS ArtSuite runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Win 7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use.
Download ArtSuite v.6.6: http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/download-artistic-effects.php
The free frame pack, which does not require registration, can be used with ArtSuite even during the evaluation period. http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/free-pack.php

Registered users of AKVIS Artsuite can upgrade to version 6.6 for free.

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin sells for $49; AKVIS ArtSuite Standalone for $ 69. Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS products in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Enhancer, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork, and NatureArt) for USD $325, a considerable savings over purchasing each separately. For Deluxe and Business licenses consult the official web-site http://akvis.com.

AKVIS ArtSuite is also part of the AKVIS Artistic Bundle (Sketch, ArtWork, and ArtSuite), which sells for $149 for the plug-in version or $169 for the standalone version. This is a savings of $44 when compared to the price of these three programs purchased separately. Visit the official website to see prices for alternate versions of this bundle.

AKVIS is proud to announce an upgrade of its program, NatureArt, to Version 1.5.

AKVIS NatureArt (http://akvis.com/en/natureart/index.php) is an excellent tool for imitating the majesty of natural phenomena on your digital photos. It also lets you create nature scenes from scratch, such as converting a blank background into a warm ocean or an evening sky with the moon and twinkling stars.

The same photo can take on a whole new look just by changing the scene’s weather. Its spirit will change dramatically, from a crackling thunderstorm to a peaceful morning, from a forest in flames to a dreary rainy scene. Nature effects have an impact on our mood and can be used to strengthen the impression made by a picture.

NatureArt offers 6 nature effects: Rain, Sun, Water, Lightning, Clouds, and Fire. But the list of possible uses is far greater. You can create a vast array of effect versions. Change the weather on a photo, illuminate a night sky with glistening stars, light up a dark landscape by adding sources of light, create a flaming text effect or even your own little tempest in a teapot.
http://akvis.com/en/natureart-tutorial/examples/tempest-in-a-glass.php

The Rain effect adds precipitation to an image. You can add various kinds of rain (from drizzle to downpour) by adjusting the parameters. You can even add snow using the AKVIS Snow preset.

The Sun effect adds the most important celestial body to an image – The Sun – in all of its glory, depending on the time of day, the changing seasons, and the weather: bright, dim, summer, winter, rising, setting, etc. By changing settings or using one of the presets from AKVIS, it’s possible to transform the sun into the moon (AKVIS Moon preset) or into one of its more distant neighbors in the galaxy (AKVIS Star preset).

The Water effect adds a body of water to an image. The horizon of the body of water can be adjusted vertically up and down. The water’s characteristics as color, depth, and the appearance can be adjusted, as well as the direction of waves. You can change an existing body of water’s appearance or add a river to a forest background.

The Lightning effect adds lightning bolts of any shape and number to an image. The lightning bolt’s attributes, such as its glow, thickness, and number of branches can be adjusted via various parameters. Add some excitement to a cloudy scene or electrify a peaceful background. In Version 1.5 of AKVIS NatureArt you can now change the color of lightning bolts.

The Clouds effect adds clouds to an image. They can be applied anywhere on an image using the program’s selection tools. Their density, size, and transparnecy can be adjusted using the effect’s parameters. Now with Version 1.5 of AKVIS NatureArt you can change the color of clouds as well. Use it to fill a vague, blank sky or to add a dreary fog around an old house.

The Fire effect (only available under the Home Deluxe and Business licenses) adds tongues of flame to an image. You can change their color and other characteristics by adjusting various parameters. Illuminate a scene with bright flames or even make flaming text.

In addition to the introduction of color to the Lightning and Clouds effects, Version 1.5 also adds new languages to the program’s interface and help pages.
AKVIS NatureArt is now available in 7 languages: English, French, German, Russian, Italian, Portugese, and Japanese.

AKVIS NatureArt is available in two editions, as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor. The plugin edition is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro, etc. Check the compatibility page for more details. http://akvis.com/en/compatibility-software.php

AKVIS NatureArt runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Win7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6, both 32 bit and 64 bit.

Test the software for 10 days free of charge! Download AKVIS NatureArt v.1.5 for Macintosh and Windows here: http://akvis.com/en/natureart/download-nature-effects.php

Users who own Version 1.0 of AKVIS NatureArt can upgrade to Version 1.5 for free.

AKVIS NatureArt Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $ 72 USD or 55 Euro, downloadable from http://akvis.com.

AKVIS NatureArt is available in the Alchemy bundle (all AKVIS software in a pack). Now the all-in-one pack is available in four variants. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released 14 successful programs.

Standalone application. Merges bracketed exposures into one image with details in both highlights and shadows:

- HDR image creation and Tone Mapping
- Exposure fusion
- Automatic alignment of hand-held photos
- Options for reduction of ghosting, noise and chromatic aberrations in HDR images
- Automation with powerful Batch Processing
- Lightroom plugin

When used in trial mode, Photomatix Pro is fully functional and never expires, but adds a watermark to images produced with one of the two Tone Mapping methods and 3 of the 5 exposure fusion modes.

Note: The upgrade from version 3 to version 4 is free of charge.

Main new features in v4.0
- Selective deghosting tool: enables users to select ghosted regions with a lasso tool, and change the preferred image taken for each selected region.
- Preset thumbnails panel: built-in and user presets for tone mapping and fusion show as thumbnails in a panel alongside the preview. Panel can be set in horizontal or vertical orientation.
- High quality noise reduction with new algorithm applied on source images (users can still use the old algorithm when the noise reduction is applied to the merged 32-bit HDR image).
- Ability to tone map a single image in 8 bits/channel mode.
- Unified dialog for HDR Tone Mapping and Exposure Fusion methods.
- Viewing of tone mapping or fusion settings embedded in processed image.
- Improved rendering of Tone Compressor tone mapping method with default settings and extension of the range of the Tonal Range Compression setting.

Other updates in v4.0
- Option in Preferences to customise default filename.
- Alignment with the “by matching feature” method now takes into account perspective correction in addition to rotation, translation and scaling.
- Faster upsampling of preview for tonemapping/fusion, with zooming control in the form of a slider instead of a stepper.
- Dialog enabling to adjust options when opening a single RAW file in order to tone map it.
- Batch of single files adds options for noise and CA reduction and RAW conversion white balance and color space.
- Transfer of lens information when available in source images in TIFF or JPEG format, or Canon RAW files (other camera manufacturers apparently encrypt the information).
- Transfer of XMP metadata information from the source to the resulting image.
- Embedding of tone mapping and fusion settings in images saved as JPEG (previously was only when saved as TIFF).
- Changed options in Preferences to bypass dialogs so that in enables to bypass all dialogs till tonemapping/fusion instead of just the dialog asking what to do with the dragged files.
- Faster processing and reduced memory usage for Fusion/Adjust.
- Ability to move selected slider and to zoom image using the mouse wheel.
- Photomatix Pro is now minimizing itself when reimporting into Lightroom.
- Added “Save Image” menu options which directly saves the file with default name and location set in Preferences, without showing dialog prompting for filename.
- Extended time for automatic bracket detection of batch processing from 8 to 64 seconds.
- Enabled zoom factor of less than 100% for the zoom slider of the Tone Mapping preview window, and adjusted fit-to-screen to replace the upsampling from the smallest size by a downsampling from the medium size.
- Set the DPI setting for exporting with the Lightroom plug-in to 300 pixels/inch instead of the Lightroom’s default of 240 pixels/inch.
- Made the Lightroom plug-in ignore the error returned by Lightroom when importing a photo that is already in the catalog.
- Added support for reading PSB files (8, 16 and 32 bits/channel).
- Multi-threading support added to RAW demosacing, parts of fusion/adjust and last part of “by matching features” alignment.
- Bug fixed: When the metadata of source files contained hierarchical keywords set in Lightroom, the hierarchical keyword structure was not preserved in the tone mapped tiff file.
- Bug fixed: Black Point setting for Fusion/Adjust had almost no effect
- Bug fixed: Opening a panorama displayed with a height of less than 400 pixels could make the HDR viewer crash.
- Bug fixed: Panning an image using the scrollbars could sometimes show a trail.
- Bug fixed: With some raw files thumbnails did not show on browser for loading files.
- Bug fixed: Loupe was opening on top of status bar when the task bar orientation is set to be on top.
- Bug fixed: Saving as Radiance when the image has a width higher than 32768 pixels produced invalid files (Radiance files need to be written uncompressed in this case, as RLE-compression requires that the image is less than 32768 pixels wide).

Smart Shooter allows the photographer to fully control their camera from a computer, giving the freedom to explore and experiment to help take the perfect picture. Automatic download and display means photos can be fully evaluate photos in seconds, and real time live view output helps to focus and compose the scene.

Scripting language integration provides total control of the camera, allowing the photographer to take multiple photos with varying settings just by clicking a single button.

Smart Shooter is aimed at both the professional and amateur photographer, providing them with the following features:
● Remote camera control via USB cable
● Full control of camera settings
● Photo download and display on PC
● Real time zooming/panning photo display
● Live View display including overlay mode
● Live View recording of each frame to JPEG file
● Bulb shooting with timed exposure
● JPEG and RAW file formats
● Connect and control multiple cameras
● Automatic control via scripting
● Tethered shooting with automatic download and preview

Smart Shooter is available for both Windows and Mac, and is priced at £32. A trial version is available for download from the website.

All recent Canon EOS digital cameras are supported.

About Hart Codeworks
Hart Codeworks is a small software development studio specialising in photography work flow and digital imaging applications. The company’s mission is to provide photographers with the tools to help realise their photographic vision.

Photodex Corporation has released ProShow 4.5, the latest version of its award-winning slide show software for Windows. Version 4.5 adds automatic show creation with an all-new wizard and hundreds of new transitions and effects. In addition, ProShow Producer users can build their own transitions with the new Create Transition tool.

ProShow’s new wizard intelligently mixes a user’s photos, videos and music together into a dynamic slide show, instantly. Perfect for quickly creating a show with no effort or getting the creative juices flowing before fine tuning in ProShow. It comes with hundreds of built-in themes and effects for creating slide shows for any occasion. Users can adjust the energy level of their shows, customize themes and create their own themes by mixing together any of the thousands of available slide styles and transitions.

“We wanted the user experience with Version 4.5 and the new wizard to be seamless; instant show creation with the option to edit down to the millisecond if a user chooses to do so. It’s the best of both worlds,” said Paul Schmidt, President and Founder of Photodex Corporation. “I also couldn’t be more excited about our new transition effects. They open up whole new world of instant, creative power for ProShow.”

ProShow 4.5 includes hundreds of new transition effects like Page Curl, Curved Path and Camera Flash. The transitions interface has been redesigned to make browsing effects easier with categorizations like Simulations, Image Adjustments and Page effects. ProShow 4.5 also supports adding new transitions with ProShow Transition Packs. Volume 1 is available now for $19.95 and includes an additional 25, dynamic transition effects including Clouds, Smoke and 3D Drift.

A special bonus for Producer 4.5 users is the powerful new ability to build custom transitions. With Producer, professionals and power users can create their own custom transition effects for use in their shows. Custom built transitions can be used by the wizard and can be easily distributed to friends online.

ProShow 4.5 also comes with over 100 new, built-in slide styles for creating instant special effects in slide shows. The robust selection of new styles includes themed effects for Weddings, Portraits, Celebrations, along with popular staples like the Backdrop Zoom and Pan styles, new Caption styles and much more.

Pricing and Availability
ProShow Gold and Producer 4.5 are available immediately from http://www.photodex.com or by calling 1-800-377-4686. Upgrades start at $44.95 for ProShow Gold 4.5 and $89.95 for ProShow Producer 4.5, downloadable and boxed editions available. ProShow Transition Pack Volume 1 is available at $19.95 and requires ProShow 4.5.

Corel Corporation announced the release of Corel® PaintShop Photo® Pro X3 Ultimate, a new photo-editing software collection combining the power of Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 along with new creative tools that allows photo enthusiasts to easily produce professional-looking photos, custom websites, create amazing photo effects and inspiring digital paintings.

The new Ultimate edition includes the recently updated PaintShop Photo Pro X3, featuring new performance enhancements, along with a selection of complementary software that broadens any photographer’s creative possibilities. These include: Incomedia™ WebSite X5® Special Edition, web creation software that makes it easy to design, create and publish your website in just 5 steps; Corel® KPT® Collection photo-effects filters; and Corel® Painter™ Essentials 4 for sketching, drawing and photo-painting. Customers who purchase the box version of Ultimate will also benefit from a comprehensive printed user guide*, empowering photographers to take maximum advantage of PaintShop Photo Pro.

The powerful tools and resources within Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate allows photographers to edit and share their photos in more ways than ever. Photo enthusiasts can edit photos, turn them in to works of art and share using unique printed photo books and eye-catching web creations. For example, a food enthusiast can edit and mix photos along with text to make a personal recipe book of their favourite dishes. Then, choose from over 1,400 templates and options to create a unique website or blog to showcase and share their creations online in just 5 simple steps.

Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate includes many value added extras:

· Corel® PaintShop Photo® Pro X3: Built on performance and stability enhancements introduced in the recently updated version X3.2, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 brings together professional quality organisation and photo editing tools along with photo projects, backup and high definition (HD) video slideshow capabilities to meet the evolving needs of today’s photographer. New tools include the Organizer and Project Creator, along with the dynamic editing of the Smart Carver™, Camera RAW Lab, Object Extractor and more.

· Incomedia™ WebSite X5® Special Edition: An outstanding tool that helps you to create your ideal website or blog including Podcasts and Videocasts. It’s packed with advanced tools and over 1,400 templates to help you create websites with all of the eye-catching features you see on the web’s best sites.

· Corel® KPT® Collection: With 24 powerful Kai’s Power Tools plug-in filters, Corel KPT Collection gives photo enthusiasts a comprehensive set of creative tools for quickly producing fantastic effects.

· Corel® Painter™ Essentials 4: Ideal for exploring digital art, the full Corel Painter Essentials 4 gives users realistic digital painting, drawing and sketching tools along with the unique Auto-Painting palette, making it easy to create a realistic work of art or automatically paint a photo in just three easy steps.

· Comprehensive printed manual: Combined with the unique LearningCenter, the printed User Guide and colour Getting Started Guide gives PaintShop Photo Pro X3 users all the information they need to maximise their photo editing potential. *

All these additional renowned photography tools are designed to broaden the capabilities of the enthusiast photographer and allow them to produce their most extraordinary photos yet at atruly exceptional value.

Pricing and Availability

Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate is now available at a suggested retail price (SRP) of £79 for the full version or £59 for the upgrade. The product can be purchased as an electronic software download (ESD) today from http://www.corel.com and boxed software will be shipping across Europe, Middle East and Africa in September. Registered owners of PaintShop Photo Pro X3 can upgrade to Ultimate for the special price of just £29 via Corel’s online store. Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate will also be available globally in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Polish and Japanese. All prices include VAT. To download a free, fully-featured 30 day trial, please visit http://www.corel.co.uk/photo.

* Customers acquiring PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Ultimate by download receive their user guide in electronic format (PDF).

About Corel Corporation

Corel is one of the world’s top software companies with more than 100 million active users in over 75 countries. We develop software that helps people express their ideas and share their stories in more exciting, creative and persuasive ways. Through the years, we’ve built a reputation for delivering innovative, trusted products that are easy to learn and use, helping people achieve new levels of productivity. The industry has responded with hundreds of awards for software innovation, design and value.

Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) today announced HDR Efex Pro, a completely new HDR imaging toolkit designed to help photographers quickly and easily achieve the full spectrum of HDR enhancements from the realistic to artistic.

High dynamic range photography is a process in which multiple exposures are captured, aligned and merged to generate a single image that enables a much wider range of colors, highlights, and shadows. HDR techniques are typically used to enhance landscape, architectural, nighttime, and artistic photography. New HDR Efex Pro overcomes limitations in other software tools with a revolutionary all-in-one approach that enables both realistic and artistic effects to be applied within a single tool.

“HDR is one area of innovation in the evolution of photography and an area that we have been dedicated to from a research perspective for quite some time.” said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. “Our focus with HDR Efex Pro has been to bring innovative and best-in-class technologies to HDR, including our unrivaled tone mapping, our proprietary U Point® technology and powerful ghost reduction, all of which have been developed specifically in response to our customers’ requests.”

Ideal for professional and amateur photographers, HDR Efex Pro provides an amazingly simple yet powerful workflow. Photographers will enjoy single-click HDR imaging with categorized style presets, precise selective fine-tuning using Nik Software’s proprietary U Point® technology, advanced alignment and ghost reduction, full access to shadow and highlight details, and new best-in-class tone mapping algorithms. Color, contrast, and vignette controls enable photographers to further enhance their images to create amazing results. Users experienced with HDR will find that HDR Efex Pro offers a complete solution that takes the genre to new levels and offers new possibilities.

With HDR Efex Pro, photographers can also create the popular and dramatic HDR look from a single image. This feature enables photographers to reprocess images in which either an exposure series was not previously shot or for subject matter that does not lend itself to multiple exposures.

A streamlined workflow and tight integration with Adobe® Photoshop®, Photoshop Lightroom®, and Apple® Aperture™, enables the creation of spectacular HDR images quickly and easily within the software tools photographers already use. HDR Efex Pro has been designed with the power and control to empower those experienced with HDR photography as well as those just entering the realm of HDR.

Key Features
U Point powered selective tools for fast precise enhancements of contrast, shadow, structure and saturation adjustments
Proprietary tone mapping technology enabling a wide range of HDR styles and capabilities
Powerful adjustment controls that yield multiple HDR styles from photo realistic to creative
Standard and custom presets organized into categories for single-click HDR imaging
Multiple or single exposure HDR
Advanced technology for automatic image alignment and reduction of subject motion artifacts known as “ghosts”
Integrated video-based help system including education on HDR photography techniques

Pricing and Availability
HDR Efex Pro will be available in the fourth quarter of 2010 for electronic and boxed delivery directly from Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com), through specialty camera retailers, and through online and national resellers. A complete list of Nik Software resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

The suggested retail price of HDR Efex Pro is $159.95. The software will be available as a free update to those that have purchased the Nik Software Complete Collection after July 25, 2010.
HDR Efex Pro installs as a 32-bit or 64-bit plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS3 through CS5, Lightroom 2.3 (or later) or Apple Aperture 2.1 (or later) and will be available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. For more information about HDR Efex Pro, including a detailed product video and image gallery, please visit http://www.niksoftware.com/hdr.
About Nik Software

Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions and provides award-winning educational programs for the digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (http://www.upoint.com), HDR Efex Pro™, Dfine®, Viveza®, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software. For more information visit http://www.niksoftware.com .

Nikon UK announces ViewNX 2, a comprehensive new version of its popular bundled software package that enables users to easily import, browse, edit and share images and D-movies.

Building upon the successful ViewNX software, ViewNX 2 is a feature-packed, user-friendly suite supplied with Nikon digital cameras and available for download. The software now offers a range of tools dedicated to editing D-movie files captured by today’s DSLR and compact cameras.

In addition to basic data importing and browsing, ViewNX 2 incorporates various frequently used adjust menus and tools such as resize, brightness control, crop and straighten, as well as sophisticated RAW processing functions.

Zurab Kiknadze, Product Manager Lenses, Accessories & Software, comments: “For many, ViewNX is the core software application to import and organise images. View NX 2 makes everything easier and smoother, and features a wealth of added benefits for D-movie shooters too”.

Present movies in style

ViewNX 2 includes several simple and intuitive editing tools which enable users to create great looking movies. The software allows you to trim and then merge clips together, apply a variety of attractive transition effects with the addition of still images and soundtracks of music to generate stylish and animated films to share with family and friends.

Refined, intuitive User Interface

The UI has been redesigned for maximum efficiency. Smooth graphics and an intuitive layout make it even simpler to access and use its wide range of creative tools. Different display options have been added to perfectly suit the task at hand; in addition to the ‘Browser’ and ‘Edit’ options, ‘GeoTag’ allows users to view images on a map relating to where the images were taken. And to make viewing and editing even easier on the eye, the background colour can be altered according to the brightness of the images.

Take Control

ViewNX 2 features many image-editing options, such as Crop, Straighten, Auto Red-Eye Reduction and Auto Lateral Color Aberration, along with crucial features including file-format conversion and a wide range of labeling and rating options, making it easy to navigate and sort through countless images. Integrated RAW image processing allows further control over the final output with numerous useful editing functions, such as white balance, exposure compensation, contrast, brightness, sharpness and many more. The software also increases the printing choices available, with new options such as background colour selection and metadata inclusion.

Sharing made simple

ViewNX 2 is closely integrated with my Picturetown, Nikon’s popular online digital image storage and sharing service. Images can be easily uploaded to the service with a simple drag/drop operation, and users can browse my Picturetown images online as well as directly in ViewNX 2.

With the addition of many new features based upon the feedback of Nikon’s users worldwide, ViewNX 2 takes Nikon’s already impressive free software package to the next level and empowers creative image makers of all levels to get the very best from their shooting.

Please visit http://nikonimglib.com/nvnx/ to download the free software

Adobe today announced the Lightroom 3.2 and Camera Raw 6.2 Release Candidates, available for immediate download on Adobe Labs. The updates extend raw file support to 12 new popular camera models, improve on several of the lens correction profiles introduced as part of the Lightroom 3 and Camera Raw 6.1 releases, and add over 50 new lens profiles to help photographers automatically correct for undesirable distortion and aberration effects.

In addition, the Lightroom 3.2 Release Candidate now allows Lightroom 3 customers the ability to publish their photos directly to Facebook from within the application, and addresses issues reported by customers on the Lightroom 3.0 release. Adobe continues to encourage the community to provide feedback on the updates so it can ensure the highest quality experience for customers working on a variety of hardware and software configurations.

Lightroom is the essential digital photography workflow solution, helping serious amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance and showcase all their images from one application. The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in provides fast and easy access within Photoshop to the raw image formats produced by many leading digital cameras.

Pricing and Availability
The Lightroom 3.2 Release Candidate is available as a free download for Lightroom 3 customers, and the Photoshop Camera Raw 6.2 Release Candidate is available as a free download for Photoshop CS5 customers. For more information and to test out the updates visit http://labs.adobe.com/uk. Feedback can be provided on the Adobe User to User forum at http://forums.adobe.com.

*Please visit the Lightroom Journal for more information on these Release Candidates and a full list of the improved and newly added lens profiles: http://blogs.adobe.com/lightroomjournal

Newly Supported Camera Models
Panasonic DMC-FZ100, Panasonic DMC-FZ40 (FZ45), Panasonic DMC-LX5, Pentax 645D, Samsung NX10, Samsung TL500 (EX1), Sony A290, Sony A390, Sony Alpha NEX-3, Sony Alpha NEX-5

Also, this update improves the colour and noise profiles for the following cameras that utilise the DNG raw file format already supported in previous versions of Lightroom and Camera Raw: Casio EXILIM EX-FH100 (DNG) and Leica S2 (DNG).

Serif (Europe) Ltd, the UK’s leading independent design, publishing and creative software developer, is pleased to announce the launch of PhotoPlus X4, the perfect choice for photography enthusiasts that demand a powerful, easy-to-use and inexpensive way to organise, edit, and be creative with photos.

From advanced, professional-level tools and features to quick fixes designed to improve photos in a matter of clicks, PhotoPlus X4 can help users achieve better results from their photographs, learn new editing techniques and be more productive than ever before. Whether users own a digital SLR or point-and-click camera, PhotoPlus is a flexible package designed to suit all editing needs.

With PhotoPlus X4, high-end features are no longer the preserve of expensive software packages. Take advantage of support for RAW and 16-bit image files, powerful HDR imaging, plus professional layer management including non-destructive filter and adjustment layers.

This is the easiest to use and most powerful version of PhotoPlus yet. Improvements include a contemporary new look, user enhancements to improve workflow and performance, plus new tools to accurately cut out subjects from photographs and make pixel-perfect edits.

PhotoPlus X4 now also incorporates AlbumPlus Organiser, an easy-to-use program for viewing, managing and sharing photos, and a bonus copy of PanoramaPlus X4, Serif’s automated photo stitching software for creating stunning panoramic images.

“We’re confident that photography enthusiasts will find PhotoPlus X4 a powerful program that offers a great balance between quick fixes and advanced editing,” says Gary Bates, Managing Director at Serif. “With new features such as the PhotoFix mode, Image Cutout Studio, Pixel Grid, and the Adjustments Tab, users now have the ultimate software solution for editing, enhancing and organising digital pictures.”

PhotoPlus X4 is compatible with Windows 7/Vista/XP and retails at £69.99. It is available directly from Serif at http://www.serif.com and from major retailers including Amazon and PC World. Existing Serif Software users should contact 0800 376 7070 for further information on upgrade pricing.

1. Fixes a phenomenon in which the set aperture moves when shooting movies in manual exposure mode using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).
2. Fixes the AF point-selection behaviour of the C.Fn III-7 (Manual AF pt. selec. pattern) custom function when set to [1].
3. Fixes the AF point display for the viewfinder electronic level when shooting in the vertical position.
4. Corrects misspellings in the Spanish and Thai menus for applicable products.

download page

Oloneo today launched the first public beta version of Oloneo PhotoEngine for Windows, the only high dynamic software offering photographers full control over light and exposure in real-time, as if they were still behind the lens.

Turn on and off light sources, deeply re-expose pictures in full 32-bit per channel without compromising details and color appearance. Oloneo invites photographers to take an active part in the final development stage of Oloneo PhotoEngine for Windows by downloading the beta version at http://www.oloneo.com.

While taking pictures, photographers need not worry anymore about potentially incorrect exposures, white balances or lighting set-ups. It is now a fast and easy process to modify lighting or to recover details in deeply under- or overexposed pictures. By merging multiple photos of the same scene, Oloneo PhotoEngine not only offers an almost unlimited control over exposure and lighting but also provides a new level of creativity in digital photography.

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.

“PhotoEngine is a completely new way to interact with lighting and exposure after photos are taken,” said Antoine Clappier, President of Oloneo and developer of PhotoEngine. “And because PhotoEngine works in real time, it is the first high dynamic software that is truly practical and productive: PhotoEngine users can now devote their entire time being creative instead of spending hours mostly waiting for an unresponsive product to refresh images on screen”.

Oloneo PhotoEngine Main Features

HDR ReLight™: take pictures then set-up lighting

An image-based relighting tool using merged RAWs or JPEGs 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.

Example uses:

- Set the white balance of each light source separately and independently.

- Switch on and off light sources in a picture.

- Create a realistic night view based on daylight photos.

- Take studio-quality pictures with a basic lighting set-up.

“Can you imagine how revolutionary it is to have the ability to change the settings of every single light source in your scene, including individual white balances, AFTER the shooting?” said Andreas Pfeiffer, professional photographer, expert and consultant in computer-based publishing and new media, and author of the Pfeiffer Report. “PhotoEngine with its HDR ReLight feature is a unique and productive software!”

HDR ToneMap™: high dynamic re-exposure in real-time

A full real-time, high dynamic re-exposure module to merge and edit multiple RAWs or JPEGs. Included are four tone mapping engines, auto-exposure correction with fine-tuning, auto-contrast, detail size and threshold controls, halo control, edge sharpening, auto-align, auto-orientation 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.

Example uses:

- Completely recover details in overexposed areas in a photo, automatically or manually.

- Fully restore low-light areas in underexposed photos while removing noise, automatically or manually.

- Create infinite variations of an image, from the most realistic look to the utmost creative tone-mapping style.

HDR DeNoise™: remove noise and keep details

A powerful image noise and grain reduction tool using stacked RAWs or JPEGs, 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 comes with 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 metadata support.

Availability

The English/International version of Oloneo PhotoEngine Beta 1 for Windows is available immediately as a free download at http://www.oloneo.com.

About Oloneo

Founded by three veterans of the computer graphics industry, Oloneo provides digital photographers with tools that bring together flexibility, creativity and speed.

Unified Color Technologies Launches HDR Expose: Industry-Leading Technology Provides Photographers Complete Control of Their HDR Workflow

HDR Expose Expands Upon the Success of its Predecessor, HDR PhotoStudio, with New and Enhanced Features to Create Natural-Looking HDR Images That Utilize the Full Range of 32-Bit Color Data.

South San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) July 6, 2010—, the experts in high dynamic range imaging (HDR), today announced the launch of HDR Expose™, its next generation software for the creation and editing of HDR images. Replacing the company’s flagship product, HDR PhotoStudio, HDR Expose offers new features that include the addition of interactive HDR histogram, digital color readout, multiple ghost reduction options, plug-ins for Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture, and a sleek, intuitive user interface that enables photographers to create true-to-life HDR images Unified Color Technologies is the only company offering HDR solutions that provide full 32-bit color editing capabilities based on its patented Beyond RGB™ color space. HDR Expose will be available on for purchase starting July 12, 2010, and photographers can sign up for availability notification at http://www.unifiedcolor.com.

HDR Expose from Unified Color Technologies
Developed with the input of the rapidly growing HDR photography community, Unified Color Technologies has significantly improved its software with the addition of new and enhanced features. Putting more control into the hands of the photographer, HDR Expose offers an interactive histogram with “Screen Zone” boundary markers that enable photographers to make necessary adjustments to ensure valuable highlight and shadow detail is maintained at lower resolutions. New de-ghosting algorithms provide more control over how the software will approach the initial multi-exposure merge process. Photographers can select from de-ghosting presets to quickly address large areas of movement such as waves or individual moving vehicles.

“Having received a tremendously positive response to our previous solution, we are thrilled to introduce HDR Expose to the photography community,” said Alfred Zee, CEO of Unified Color Technologies. “It’s clear that we hit the right notes with those photographers seeking an HDR solution that enables them to produce images as natural as what we see with our own eyes. With the expanded feature set of HDR Expose we have given them even more editing power to convey their unique perspectives. Each day, we continue to enhance our industry-leading color technology to deliver the most comprehensive 32-bit color editing capabilities and we are confident that as a result of those efforts, HDR Expose will quickly become the gold standard for experiencing HDR.”

HDR Expose includes a new user interface to improve workflow, plus a familiar layered adjustment panel to revisit previous adjustments. For a quick start to HDR newcomers, or to find a starting point to further edit an HDR image, a one-click Dynamic Range Mapping tool easily sets optimal image processing in one touch. HDR Expose also comes with import and export plug-ins for Adobe Lightroom, as well as Apple’s Aperture extending the workflow options of these programs to include HDR merge and processing. The plug-ins included with HDR Expose provide photographers with a seamless, round-trip export process, automatically sending selected images to HDR Expose for processing and returning the final HDR image back to the original library.

In addition to integrating new features, HDR Expose enhanced a variety of features found in its predecessor, including:

* Completely re-designed user interface
* Improved RAW image processing
* New Digital Readout that enables users to measure color values in RGB or Bch
* New editable recipe procedures to simplify batch processing and saving of “favorites”
* Enhanced performance using OpenCL GPU processing
* New halo reduction and local contrast tools to provide more precise control

HDR Expose continues the creative momentum of HDR PhotoStudio, retaining all the features photographers have depended on to create natural images: complete control of contrast, shadow and highlights while preserving the maximum color spectrum; a comprehensive toolbox that addresses some of the common difficulties in HDR photography like noise reduction and veiling glare adjustment; and best-in-class image compression with Unified Color’s native file format, .BEF. The software also includes a .BEF-converting plug-in to directly return the resulting images to Photoshop for additional editing.

All current HDR PhotoStudio customers are eligible for a free upgrade to HDR Expose. Starting July 12, 2010, HDR Expose will be available for purchase at http://www.unifiedcolor.com at a list price of $149. A special introductory launch price for HDR Expose of $99 is available through July 31, 2010 and a free 30-day trial version is also available.

HDR Expose will be a featured prize in the company’s True Vision HDR Photo Contest. Photographers of all levels are invited to submit their HDR images for a chance to win prizes including a grand prize of a photo adventure through National Geographic Expeditions and a 15-inch MacBook Pro. There is no fee or purchase required to enter. Phase two of the multi-phase contest closes July 24 and more details can be found at http://www.unifiedcolor.com/contest.

System Requirements
PC: Windows XP, Windows Vista (for 20 MP image or larger, 64-bit Windows version is recommended.) Unified Color recommends utilizing a quad-core processor. Minimum 2 GB RAM, recommended 3 GB.

Apple: Intel Macintosh 2.5 GHz dual core CPU with 2GB minimum RAM (4GB is recommended) running Mac OS 10.5.x (Leopard) or Mac OS 10.6.2 (Snow Leopard).

About Unified Color
Unified Color Technologies is redefining the capabilities of visual technology with a unique color system that powers the next-generation of high dynamic range (HDR) imaging devices and software. A significant improvement over current industry standards, Unified Color’s new Beyond RGBTM color model presents a versatile color platform which is able to map a much larger color space encompassing the full human visual spectrum including colors found in nature and man-made light sources. Beyond RGB is available for licensing to digital imaging companies looking for a competitive market advantage. Powered by the Beyond RGB color model, the company’s flagship HDR software offerings have set a new industry standard for creating, depicting and editing the most realistic HDR images. More information about Unified Color can be found at http://www.unifiedcolor.com.

AKVIS announces the update of AKVIS LightShop for Windows and Macintosh to version v. 3.0. AKVIS LightShop lets you create an infinite number of amazing light effects that enliven and draw attention to any photo. Version 3.0 has improved compatibility with the latest versions of Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6. 64-bit support has been added. LightShop now works with Adobe Photoshop CS4/CS5 64-bit. Bugs have been fixed and a new installation program for Windows has been added.

By their nature, people are attracted by things that shine, sparkle, glow and glitter. A light effect enlivens and draws attention to any photo.

AKVIS LightShop helps you create impressive light effects: lightning in a stormy sky, a reflection on a raindrop, a colorful rainbow over a city, the glow of smoldering wood in a fire-place, alien signs blazing in the night sky, flares on the sun, the lights of distant planets, fireworks – wherever your imagination may take you!

Light effects can brighten up any photo. Make it look more natural (by adding reflections on shiny objects) or try something special – add a bit of magic and fantasy. Just a few clicks and your loved one’s eyes will sparkle like diamonds. With just a few simple changes a moonlit road appears in an evening setting.

To make it easy to get started quickly, the program offers a large number of ready-to-use light effects (presets) that can be applied in their initial version or can be modified. First you can try the available light effects and than create your exclusive ones. It is possible to save your own presets to use them in the future or share with others.
See some examples here: http://akvis.com/en/lightshop/presets-lighting-effect.php

Professional designers will find light effects to be very useful. They may apply reflections and glows to glamour photography, to make jewelry and precious stones sparkle on the images of celebrities; or use effects in advertisement catalogues to draw attention to exclusive articles. Christmas postcards wouldn’t be the same without magic lights and glows. Dull landscape shots can be saved by adding sun rays or reflections on water.

Light effects often have a complex structure and many parameters and modifiers. However, thanks to the Hints to every parameter and the preview window, users will not get lost in the interface. After a little practice you can create fantastic effects, and with the combinations available in LightShop, you can create an infinite number of them.

Version 3.0 of AKVIS LightShop has improved compatibility with the latest versions of Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6. 64-bit support has been added, so LightShop will now work with Adobe Photoshop CS4/CS5 64-bit. Bugs have been fixed and a new installation program for Windows has been added. Windows users are advised to remove the older version of LightShop before installing the new one. After the new version of LightShop is installed it will need to be reregistered. Just use your old LightShop serial number to reregister the new version.

AKVIS LightShop runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/Win 7; and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.
The plugin version of AKVIS LightShop is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, Paint Shop Pro Photo and Ulead PhotoImpact.

AKVIS LightShop sells for $97 USD, downloadble from AKVIS.com.
Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (LightShop, Retoucher, Chameleon, Multibrush, Enhancer, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, and ArtWork plug-ins) for USD $325 USD, a huge savings over purchasing each separately. For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activation of the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use.
Just download and use the program: http://akvis.com/en/lightshop/download-lighting-effect.php

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

AKVIS announces the release of ArtWork version 4.0. ArtWork transforms photos into paintings using various techniques. An ordinary photo can be turned into a work of art. ArtWork is available in plug-in and standalone versions for Windows and Mac.

Version 4.0 introduces the linocut style. Photos can now be converted to an image in the style of a linocut print.

AKVIS ArtWork is the perfect tool for expressing your artistic imagination. It uses advanced painting techniques along with an artistic touch to create a work of art from your photos.

Your digital photos can look as if they were real oil paintings. The program applies brush strokes naturally using the contours of the original photo as a reference. You can add your own creative touch by selectively changing the direction of the strokes using the stroke direction tool. These strokes can be saved to a file and loaded at a later time. When guiding lines are loaded, their size is adjusted automatically to the image.

ArtWork also has ready-to-use presets for the Oil Painting style which help you create a painting in various brush techniques. User created lists of presets and can be imported/exported.

In addition to Oil Painting, ArtWork offers three more painting techniques: Comics, Pen&Ink, and now Linocut.

With the Comics style you can emulate the style of famous comics artists with just a few clicks. Comics reduces the color tones of the photo to create an image that looks similar to comics art. It looks like the effect created by rotoscoping, a filming technique used in the animated film “A Scanner Darkly”. Make a comic strip from your party photos or create an original poster. Let ArtWork unleash your creativity.

Pen & Ink style simulates a technique in which colored inks are applied to paper with a pen, creating an image ranging from a drawing made by a modern pen to that done by a quill dipped in an inkwell. The color of the ink as well as that of the background can be changed.

Introduced in version 4.0, the Linocut style emulates a print made through the linocut process. A linocut is made by carving a raised pattern into a piece of linoleum, which is then used with ink to print that pattern onto paper. Linocuts are known for their characteristic expressiveness, strong contrast between black and white, and rich, exuberant strokes. It is an ideal effect to use with photos of architecture or nature scenes. Some famous artists, such as Picasso and Matisse, worked with this technique.

A work of art is not complete until it has been signed. ArtWork provides a large choice of canvas and text style options to make your painting a finished product, ready to be printed poster-size and hung on a wall. Give your loved ones the perfect gift – a work of art you have made yourself!

Professional artists have already come to appreciate ArtWork’s possibilities. Dale McGee, BFA, an art teacher from Canada, found a new use for the program as a helpful tool for art students:
“AKVIS ArtWork is absolutely ideal for use in planning a painting. One of the most common problems that can sabotage a painting is when an artist concentrates too much on small details Using AKVIS ArtWork could provide students with an immediate understanding of how realism can be reduced to the beauty and simplicity of line, form and color.”

ArtWork gives its users a unique opportunity to create realistic paintings from photos taken with any kind of digital camera, from a professional digital SLR, a point-and-shoot, or even a cellphone. The abundance of options opens the door to many different styles and painting techniques.

Many photo editing enthusiasts have already expressed themselves using ArtWork’ s features. Take a look at these Examples: http://akvis.com/en/artwork-tutorial/examples/index.php

AKVIS ArtWork is available as a stand-alone application, as well as a plug-in to a photo editor. It is compatible with Photoshop CS4 64 bit and CS5 64 bit on Windows and Mac, as well as with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and Corel PhotoImpact. AKVIS ArtWork runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Win 7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6, PowerPC/Intel.

AKVIS ArtWork Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $72 USD, downloadable from http://akvis.com . Registered users can upgrade to version 4.0 for free. Just download the program and reinstall it. Please use your license key to reactivate the program after reinstallation.

Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy Bundle (ArtWork, Sketch, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Enhancer, LightShop, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtSuite) for USD $325 USD, a huge savings over purchasing each separately.

AKVIS ArtWork is also part of the AKVIS Artistic Bundle (Sketch, ArtWork, and ArtSuite), which sells for $149 for the plug-in version or $169 for the standalone version. This is a savings of $44 when compared to the price of these three programs purchased separately. Visit the official website to see prices for alternate versions of this bundle.

One license key grants activation of the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use. A fully featured free evaluation download of AKVIS ArtWork is available at http://akvis.com.

AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released a number of successful programs.

PhotoDVD version 4 now includes a new output format, new transitions as well as a very innovative live preview player. This easy to use software, in a 1-2-3 step process, allows users to create a customized video of pictures, with music, text, transitions and a DVD-like menu with chapters. With PhotoDVD 4, the outcome is no longer limited to burning to DVD, the new output to mpeg4 now allows videos to be transferred to Youtube or Dailymotion in High Definition format. The software will automatically split videos over 10 minutes long into a “YouTubeready format” in HD 1920 x 1080.

Version 4 also allows for even faster customization:

“With the new fast preview you just can’t go wrong. The innovation is that you can see and edit your slideshow live, while playing the preview. Check all your settings, synchronize video and music and make changes until you’re totally satisfied with the result before burning.” explains Cedric Van-Dendaele, PhotoDVD developer at VSO Software.

With new options and design, this version has little to do with its predecessor: a new, extensive range of transitions have been added to give a professional touch to the mini-movies created.

PhotoDVD 4 can be downloaded here: http://www.vso-software.fr/download.php
The free trial includes a watermark in the video file created.
The full version costs 29.99$.

About the company
VSO Software is an innovative company located in France (Toulouse). While it started out specializing in burning applications, the company has now established itself as a multimedia software editor recognized worldwide. VSO Software is dedicated to producing high quality software with easy to use programs for users of all levels.

In one click, VSO Image Resizer will compress, convert, create copies, import, edit or organize a single picture or a whole batch. This new version 4 is now a stand-alone application designed for users of all levels.

“We wanted to make the product as user-friendly as possible”, says Philipp Möllmann, VSO Image Resizer developer, “that’s why this new version focuses on easy and straightforward access with drag and drop of files and many other practical options.”

VSO Image Resizer 4 offers an improved stand-alone usage and a quick access to profiles from the Windows shell extension. The file selection has been revamped, allowing images and folders to be added together to the same project.

This new window can also be customized with different view styles. Profiles can be exported and backed up, a useful option when using the program on multiple machines to perform the same task.

With the live preview, a major new feature in VSO Image Resizer 4, users can see what the result will look like before actually resizing or converting images.

Also a much-awaited option has been included: the output can be sent directly by email or be compressed to a zip folder in case of batch conversion. The output size can be defined so that it doesn’t exceed the maximum weight supported by the email server.

The watermark function has been improved with html-like text formatting features, which means advanced possibilities for users to protect their work. The software has a free version that comes with a nag window. The nag is removed with the purchase of the full version.

It can be downloaded here:
http://www.vso-software.fr/download.php

About the company
VSO Software is an innovative company located in France (Toulouse). While it started out specializing in burning applications, the company has now established itself as a multimedia software editor recognized worldwide. VSO Software is dedicated to producing high quality software with easy to use programs for users of all levels.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software for Windows® and Macintosh, the essential digital photography workflow solution that allows photographers to quickly organize, enhance and showcase their images from one application. First released as a public beta in October 2009, the final version of Lightroom 3 introduces a completely redesigned performance architecture that better handles growing image libraries and provides an unrivaled raw processing engine with noise reduction and sharpening tools to achieve the highest image quality. The 64-bit capable Lightroom 3 includes new features that optimize workflows and allow images to be shared in creative ways, including support for DSLR video files and tethered shooting on select cameras.

“There have been over 600,000 downloads of the Lightroom 3 public beta, which has supplied us with a huge amount of valuable feedback from a passionate community of professional and advanced amateur photographers,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for Digital Imaging at Adobe. “The open dialog we have with our customers allows us to further improve Lightroom and provide the best tools they need to produce high-quality images. We’re happy to see that so many people are anxiously anticipating the final release, so they can start taking advantage of all the new features they had a hand in developing.”

Public Beta Process Perfects Lightroom 3 New Features

Re-built from its core to be lightning fast and responsive, Lightroom 3 adds power throughout the application to provide a fluid experience for photographers. Images load almost instantaneously, and the import experience has been redesigned to be more intuitive, with added previews and default selections that give users quick access to sort through and find images. Helping streamline and adapt to photographers’ changing workflows, Lightroom 3 now allows users to import and manage DSLR video files, as well as take advantage of tethered shooting for select Nikon and Canon cameras.

New state-of-the-art photographic tools help photographers bring out the best in their images. Unrivaled Luminance and Color Noise Reduction tools help produce a clearer picture from high ISO or underexposed images while still preserving details. The highly-requested Automatic Lens Correction feature can dramatically improve the results possible with any lens by allowing users to apply profiles that correct for undesirable geometric distortions, chromatic aberrations and lens vignette effects that most lenses introduce to the image. Users now also have a straighten tool to perfect vertical and horizontal perspective, additional presets for applying more photographic adjustment styles, and three new contemporary vignette styles and a Grain effect to add a more natural look with images.

Lightroom 3 Expands Image Showcasing

Output options have also been enhanced in this release, with new capabilities to publish collections on online sharing sites. Flickr® users have the ability to synch their accounts to Lightroom with one click, and integration with additional online photo sharing sites can be added via third-party plug-ins. Customizable print layouts provide more refined control over how photographers present final images, and new watermarking features, with options to modify text, size, location and style, help give professionals and amateurs flexibility for branding images. Lightroom 3 now also includes the ability to export polished slideshows as video files with the option to add audio and title screens.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 for Windows and Macintosh is available now at http://www.adobe.com/store, for pre-order via Amazon.com and NewEgg.com and will be available soon at retail and online outlets such as Frys, BestBuy.com, Costco.com, Walmart.com, Staples.com, OfficeMax.com, OfficeDepot.com and select camera stores. The estimated street price is US$299 for new users with an upgrade price of US$99 for qualified registered Lightroom users. Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OS X v 10.5, 10.6 with Intel® based processor, or Microsoft® Windows® 7, Windows Vista® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise or Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Intel® Pentium® 4 processor, 2 GB RAM and a 1,024×768 resolution screen.

Additional information on product features, upgrade policies, pricing, and language versions is available on http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom. Join the Lightroom community on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lightroom) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/lightroom).

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com.

© 2010 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Lightroom, and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Inc. registered in the United States and other countries. Intel and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. Windows and Windows Vista are either a registered trademark or a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. This product uses the Flickr API but is not endorsed or certified by Flickr. Flickr is a registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Specifically, Lens Profile Creator characterizes three common types of lens aberrations, namely the geometric distortion, the lateral chromatic aberration and the vignette.

The general process of creating a custom lens profile for your lens involves capturing a set of checkerboard images using your specific camera and lens, converting the set of raw format images into the standard Digital Negative (DNG) file format using the Adobe Camera Raw processor, and importing the raw DNG images (or the JPEG/TIFF images if you prefer creating lens profiles for the non-raw workflow) in the Lens Profile Creator to generate the custom lens profile.

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* Addresses stability when using the Retouch brush on large images.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Retouch adjustments to render incorrectly when applied using Lift & Stamp on large images.
* User-defined Raw Fine Tuning presets are now correctly applied to images when you choose “Save as Camera Default.”
* Deleting a user-defined Raw Fine Tuning preset set as Camera Default now reverts the setting to Apple.
* Pressing the M key now correctly toggles Show Master in dual displays configurations when Viewer is on the second display.
* Fixes an issue that could cause adjustments applied to images already placed within books and light tables to be displayed incorrectly.
* Addresses issues related to Chromatic Aberration adjustment quality.
* Addresses an issue that could cause custom keyboard shortcuts for user-defined adjustment presets to not work.

Faces

* Faces snapshots now reflect updated rotation of images.
* Addresses an issue with the correct display and spacing of names on Faces snapshots.
* Addresses performance when loading the Faces view.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Face rectangles to draw incorrectly when master images are offline.
* Fixes an issue preventing Face tiles with adjustments from being updated after merging libraries.
* In Show Unnamed Faces, the next name in the filmstrip is now correctly selected after entering or confirming the previous face.
* The Search field in the Faces corkboard now retains its settings.
* Addresses an issue causing Faces to be incorrectly positioned on photos exported to Facebook.
* Faces snapshots now update correctly when you manually remove detected faces from Aperture that have been named.
* Fixes an issue with correctly positioning detected faces in RAW+JPEG pairs.

Printing

* Paper size setting is now retained after canceling the print dialog.
* Switching printers in the Print window now correctly updates to the default paper size for the target printer.
* Fixes an issue that prevented print presets from retaining the target printer.
* Addresses an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly when using Undo after changing paper size in the Print dialog.

Library

* Duplicated Smart Albums now retain the correct scope for searches.
* Addresses an issue that prevented iPhoto Libraries with a tilde (~) in the name to be imported correctly.
* Improved reliability of repairing and rebuilding of the library database.
* Fixes an issue that prevented Aperture from reporting minor database inconsistencies when detected.
* Addresses an issue with thumbnail generation on referenced images after they are reconnected.
* Fixes an issue that could cause slow performance and a spinning wait cursor when updating Vaults.
* Addresses an issue that could slow down reconnecting referenced files.
* Addresses an issue that could affect performance when importing projects.
* Improves database reliability if renaming masters via Batch Change is unexpectedly interrupted by a hard drive failure or power loss.

Slideshows

* Fixes an issue that caused slideshow titles to default to Custom Text when videos contained with the slideshow were trimmed.
* Fixes an issue that prevented the Space Bar and S key from working correctly when typing into Slideshow text boxes with Caps Lock enabled.
* Addresses an issue that could cause slow performance when adjusting the duration of multiple images in a slideshow.
* Addresses an issue that could prevent secondary audio tracks from playing back in exported slideshows created on Mac OS X v10.5.8 Leopard.

Places

* Imported GPS track logs now display time accuracy in hours, minutes, and seconds.
* GPS data included in XMP sidecar files with imported photos is now correctly reverse-geocoded in Places.

Metadata

* Query HUD now correctly handles dates entered into the Date search field.
* Search field on Keywords HUD now performs a “contains” search to find matching keywords.
* Fixes an issue with auto-complete in the Keyword Controls search field.

General

* Now correctly retains position of Full Screen Filmstrip after relaunch.
* Images selected using the Select All command are now batch processed in the correct order.
* Addresses an issue that could cause watermarks to be displayed incorrectly in the Export Presets window.
* Addresses an issue that could cause Batch Change to enter data from a previously-selected preset when “None” was selected.
* Fixes an issue that caused video clips to flicker momentarily in the Viewer when entering and exiting Full Screen view.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to stop responding if you attempt to open the Import window while a previous import is being completed.
* Fixes an issue that could cause the Aperture toolbar to be temporarily grayed out after importing an iPhoto Library.

A new decade brings new and powerful features to ACDSee™ Photo Manager 12, the latest version of ACD Systems International Inc.‘s easy-to-use photo software designed for people who need speed and flexibility when managing their photos and creative projects.

ACDSee Photo Manager 12 helps users quickly and affordably stay organized and share their growing number of digital images and priceless memories. In this new version, photos and personalized artwork can easily be stored online and turned into posts on the leading social media network, Facebook®.

“The updated functionality in ACDSee Photo Manager 12 make it the most robust version we’ve introduced, providing the easy-to-use tools our users need for today’s online world,” said Melanie Wood, community manager for ACD Systems. “The feedback we received from our community indicated they wanted more options for quick and easy organization and sharing.”

“The program is great,” said Rick Stickles, a photographer in Sudbury, Ontario. “It basically covers everything you would want to do with photos.”

In addition to its fast and easy browsing and editing capabilities, ACDSee Photo Manager 12 adds these new features for an enhanced user experience:

Sharing in the online world
Photographers can easily store and share images online without leaving the application with the new Online mode, which connects users to a free 2 GB account on ACDSeeOnline.com. This online integration provides a fast, convenient way to transfer images online, then store, share, manage and access images in their secure online account.

Folders or individual images can quickly and easily be dragged and dropped directly onto the secure, password-protected online storage space. Users are in control of their privacy settings at all times. Images can remain private, be shared with selected contacts or made public. To make it simple to share on today’s most popular social networks, users can easily publish photos to other sites, beginning with Facebook. In addition, users can order high-quality images on fotoflôt®, give friends access to the largest images to download and send private messages to other ACDSee users who are logged-in on the site. Additional storage space is available for purchase if needed.

Tag the best photos for editing
Organization has never been easier with the new one-click tagging capability in ACDSee Photo Manager 12. Tagging is a fast and simple way to identify the best photos from a series, or isolate images for editing or review without moving the files into different folders. Users can display all tagged photos with one click and can apply categories and ratings to each photo for better organization over a long period of time.

“It’s quite common to take hundreds of pictures at important events like weddings and birthday parties,” Wood said. “The new tagging feature makes it simple to find your best images for editing or sharing.”

FTP options
Using the new FTP uploader, users can now upload images to an FTP site directly from ACDSee Photo Manager 12. Simply create a profile for a FTP site, select the destination folder, then select any image resize options and upload images.

Easy interface
ACDSee Photo Manager 12’s newly refined interface is now even more intuitive, helping users easily navigate between organizing, viewing, editing and sharing photos. Existing users will quickly recognize the familiar tools in the Manage, View, Edit and Online groups.

Microsoft® Windows® 7 compatible
ACDSee Photo Manager 12 is compatible and verified for Windows 7, Microsoft’s latest operating system.

Pricing and availability
ACDSee Photo Manager 12 is available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase for $69.99 (USD) at http://www.acdsee.com. Registered users of many previous versions can upgrade for less than $35 (USD).

About ACD Systems
Headquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International Inc. is one of the world’s leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software, including the renowned ACDSee image management tool and Canvas, an advanced technical illustration and graphics program. ACD Systems has millions of consumer and business users and more than 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500 companies. For further details, please visit http://www.acdsee.com.

ACD and ACDSee are trademarks of ACD Systems International Inc. or its subsidiaries and may be registered in Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan or certain other jurisdictions. Canvas is a trademark of ACD Systems of America, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Trademarks of ACD Systems of America, Inc. are used under license by ACD Systems International Inc. or its subsidiaries.

All other marks, products and company names are the property of their respective owners.

Adobe today released final versions of Lightroom 2.7, Photoshop Camera Raw 5.7 and DNG Converter 5.7, available for immediate download on Adobe.com. The updates add raw file support for nine new popular camera models, including the Canon EOS 550D, Sony A450 and Olympus E-PL1. A full list of the newly supported cameras is below.

Adobe would like to thank everyone who downloaded and provided feedback on the Release Candidate versions of the updates posted earlier this month on Adobe Labs. In addition, photographers who are interested in participating in the development of Lightroom 3 can join the beta program and try out the new features in Lightroom 3 beta 2 for free. To learn more and download visit: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/.

Photoshop Lightroom software is today’s digital photography workflow solution, allowing photographers to quickly import, process, manage and showcase images. The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in provides fast and easy access within Photoshop to the raw image formats produced by many leading digital cameras. Adobe’s Digital Negative (DNG) format is a publicly available archival format for the raw files generated by digital cameras.

Pricing and Availability

Lightroom 2.7 is available as a free download for Lightroom 2 customers, and Photoshop Camera Raw 5.7 is available as a free download for Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 8 (Win/Mac) and Premiere Elements 8 customers. The DNG Converter 5.7 is also available as a free download for all customers. Click here for more information and to download the updates: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/.

Newly Supported Camera Models

Canon EOS 550D (Digital Rebel T2i/ EOS Kiss X4 Digital)
Kodak Z981
Leaf Aptus-II 8
Leaf Aptus-II 10R
Mamiya DM40
Olympus E-PL1
Panasonic G2
Panasonic G10
Sony A450

Datacolor® (http://www.datacolor.com), the global leader in digital color management technology, today announced it will be offering Spyder3 Elite™ owners a feature enriched software upgrade, known as Spyder3 Elite 4.0, available for instant download on the Datacolor global website. In addition, Spyder3 Pro™ owners can take advantage of the upgrade to the new Spyder3 Elite 4.0 solution to extend and improve their existing calibration system.

Spyder3 Elite 4.0 is designed for the way photographers work, bringing a new level of color control to imaging. This powerful solution provides photographers with the tools to trust the on-screen colors, offering reliability and consistency on their LCD’s, laptops, and projectors. Award-winning Spyder3 hardware, with innovative new software features, makes this the ultimate solution for any serious photographer.

“For years I struggled to maintain a color consistency system in my digital darkroom,” says professional wedding photographer Jim Garner. “After calibrating my studio using the Spyder3 Elite the result was pure perfection! The new features available with the 4.0 software upgrade are sure to offer absolute color precision to photographers.”

New features in the Spyder3 Elite 4.0 upgrade include:

· New Workflow Features make it easier to find and use advanced controls.
· Software Brightness Control allows owners of iMac and other displays with limited controls to work with displays in a more desirable, dimmer environment, and match them to other displays.
· Automated Brightness Adjustment on Apple Cinema Displays, iMacs, MacBooks and PowerBooks screens are now automatically adjusted by the Spyder software.
· Iterative Gray Balance Option provides the most accurate gray balance algorithm available, giving users the best gray calibration for displays possible.
· Display Graphing allows users to compare the range of multiple displays to one another, as well as to standard color spaces like sRGB and AdobeRGB, to help users better understand which colors a display can reproduce.
· Monitor Quality Analyzer provides the tools to determine the quality of a display. Using easy-to-read maps of a screen’s uniformity, it compares monitor displays to allow users to determine which areas of the screen are most accurate for more demanding work.

“From pro-sumers to professionals, photographers are becoming increasingly more aware, and demanding robust solutions to improve the quality and consistency of their work,” said Christoph Gamper, Vice President, Consumer Business Unit, Datacolor. “For this reason, we enhanced Spyder3 Elite with new innovative features and created a simple and cost-effective way for current users to obtain them without having to interrupt their workflow or purchase new equipment.”

Upgrade Spyder3 Pro™ to Spyder3 Elite™ 4.0
For existing Spyder3 Pro owners, the new Spyder3 Elite 4.0 software offers a host of new features in one simple download from the Datacolor website. Key enhancements include multiple monitor matching to a single target, unlimited choices for monitor gamma and temperature, custom curves as well as calibration of front projector displays.

Availability and Pricing
Spyder3 Elite 4.0 is available now for a low one-time cost of $19.00 USD via an instant download. For existing Spyder3 Pro users, there is a one-time cost of $99.00 USD to upgrade. For users who purchased Sypder3 Elite in 2010, this upgrade is available at no charge. To purchase, visit your local dealer or http://www.datacolor.com/spyder.

About Datacolor
Datacolor is a global leader in color management solutions and color communication technology. The world’s leading brands, manufacturers, creative professionals and consumers have been choosing Datacolor’s innovative technology and solutions to consistently achieve the right color for nearly 40 years. A Swiss held company, Datacolor’s global presence encompasses a sales, service and support network serving customers in more than 65 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, along with 13 worldwide operation and production facilities. Industries served include apparel and textile, paint and coatings, automotive, plastics, photography, home theater and others. For more information about Datacolor and its products or services, visit http://www.datacolor.com.

Russell Brown, senior creative director, delivers a new take on warping images and image elements in this early glimpse into Photoshops Labs. What would you transform with a tool like this?

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Creative Suite® 5, a breakthrough release of the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Focusing on interactivity, performance and maximising the impact of digital content and marketing campaigns across media and devices, the Creative Suite 5 product line brings exciting full-version upgrades of flagship creative tools while delivering significant workflow enhancements to designers and developers. Featuring integration with online content and digital marketing measurement and optimisation capabilities for the first time, Creative Suite 5 products include access to signature Omniture technologies, to capture, store and analyse information generated by Web sites and other sources. Additionally, a brand new component, Adobe Flash® Catalyst™, joins the Creative Suite, ushering in the ability to design interactive content without writing code and improve the collaborative process between designer and developer.

The Adobe CS5 product family also enables the creation of content and applications for the much anticipated releases of Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR® 2, which are optimised for high performance on mobile screens and designed to take advantage of native device capabilities for a richer, more immersive user experience.

The new lineup is headlined by Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection, which includes, in a single package, all of Adobe’s renowned Creative Suite tools, such as Photoshop® CS5, Illustrator® CS5, InDesign® CS5, Flash Catalyst CS5, Flash Professional CS5, Dreamweaver® CS5, Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS5 and After Effects® CS5. These tools are also available separately or in one of the five Creative Suite editions. The complete Creative Suite 5 lineup includes Creative Suite 5 Master Collection, Creative Suite 5 Design Premium, Creative Suite 5 Web Premium, Creative Suite 5 Production Premium and Creative Suite 5 Design Standard, as well as 15 point products, associated technologies and integration with new Adobe CS Live Services (CS Live Services are complimentary for a limited time).*

“While Creative Suite 5 continues Adobe’s storied history of delivering astonishing new creative features, this release first and foremost addresses the challenges facing publishers and creatives worldwide—how to build profitable businesses around digital content,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer at Adobe. “By coupling sophisticated online business analytics with dazzling creative tools, we’re ensuring that publishers, designers and marketers can create, deliver and optimize beautiful, high-impact digital experiences across media and devices.”

Design Without Boundaries
More than 250 new features have been integrated into the Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection. InDesign CS5 is powering the transition to digital publishing with new interactive documents and enhanced electronic reader device support. Image creation and editing get a boost in Photoshop CS5 with Refine Edge, which offers better edge detecting technology and masking results in less time. Photoshop CS5 also includes the ability to remove an image element and immediately replace the missing pixels with Content-Aware Fill. New stroke options allow Adobe Illustrator CS5 users to create strokes of variable widths and precisely adjust the width at any point along the stroke.

Work Faster with Greater Precision
Engineering breakthroughs throughout Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection work together to dramatically improve performance. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects are now native 64-bit applications on both Mac and Windows®, allowing users to work more fluidly when working on high-resolution projects. The highly anticipated NVIDIA® GPU-accelerated Adobe Mercury Playback Engine allows Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 users to open projects faster, refine effects-rich HD sequences in real time and play back complex projects without rendering. The revolutionary time-saving Roto Brush tool in After Effects helps users isolate moving foreground elements in a fraction of the normal time. In addition, Dreamweaver CS5 now supports popular content management systems Drupal, Joomla! and WordPress, allowing designers to get accurate views of dynamic Web content from within the product.

Accelerate and Optimise Creative Workflows
Adobe Creative Suite 5 products integrate with new Adobe CS Live*, a set of five online services that accelerate key aspects of the creative workflow and enable designers to focus on creating their best work. CS Live online services are complimentary for a limited time and currently include Adobe BrowserLab, Adobe CS Review, Acrobat.com, Adobe Story and SiteCatalyst® NetAverages™ from Omniture. Adobe CS Review enables online design reviews directly from Creative Suite 5 applications, while Adobe BrowserLab is an indispensable tool for testing Web site content across different browsers and operating systems. NetAverages provides Web usage data that helps reduce the guesswork early in the creative process when designing for Web and mobile. Adobe Story is a collaborative scriptwriting tool that improves production and post-production workflows in CS5 Production Premium. Access to Acrobat.com services, such as Adobe ConnectNow Web conferencing, is also included to enhance discussion and information exchange with colleagues and clients around the globe.

Create and Deliver to More Mobile Platforms
Using Flash Professional CS5, designers and developers can create, test and deliver Web content across a wide range of mobile platforms and devices such as smartphones, tablets, netbooks, smartbooks and other consumer electronics. Users can look forward to deploying content in the browser with Flash Player 10.1 and as a standalone application with AIR 2 when those planned products become available. In addition, they can now build AIR applications, using the new Packager for iPhone tool preview, a component of Flash Professional CS5 that can be deployed on the iPhone and iPad (subject to Apple’s requirements and approval) with future device support planned for Android, BlackBerry and Palm webOS.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Creative Suite 5 products are scheduled to ship within 30 days, with availability through Adobe Authorised Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price (ex VAT) for the suites is expected to be £2,303 for Master Collection CS5, £1,509 for CS5 Design Premium, £1,429 for CS5 Web Premium, £1,509 for CS5 Production Premium and £1,032 for CS5 Design Standard. Upgrade pricing and volume licensing are available. Adobe CS5 products integrate with Adobe CS Live Services, which are complimentary for a limited time.* For more detailed information about features, OS support, upgrade policies, pricing and international versions please visit: http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativesuite/mastercollection

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/uk.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software, must-have releases of the professional industry standard for digital imaging. With millions of users celebrating the product’s 20th anniversary this year, Photoshop CS5 builds upon a rich history of innovation and leadership with groundbreaking features and performance gains that boost creativity and workflow efficiency. Packing in more technological advancements from Adobe Labs than any other release and incorporating enhancements to everyday tasks requested by the Photoshop community, the software has greater intelligence and awareness of the content within images, allowing for complex and magical manipulation in just a few clicks. Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended delivers everything in Photoshop CS5, as well as advanced tools for 3-D which address the unique needs of the video, Web, medical, manufacturing and engineering industries.

Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended will be available as stand-alone applications or key components of the Adobe Creative Suite® 5 family.

“The past two decades have demonstrated an amazing interplay between customers who want to push the limits of their personal creativity and a passionate team of Adobe engineers who make those visions a reality,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for professional digital imaging at Adobe. “We experienced this firsthand when we posted a ‘sneak peek’ video of the team’s work on the Content Aware Fill feature a few weeks ago. It quickly became the number one viral video online, with close to 2 million views and its ‘magic’ was one of the top trending Twitter topics of discussion. This version of Photoshop has some of the most innovative and extraordinary technologies to ever come from our labs and clearly customers are already clamouring for it.”

Redefining the Image-Editing Experience
Now a native 64-bit application on both Mac and Windows®, Photoshop CS5 delivers superior tools and creative control so users can perform advanced image manipulations and compositing with ease. Revolutionary image intelligence behind Content-Aware Fill magically removes any image detail or object, examines the surroundings and seamlessly fills in the space left behind. Lighting, tone and noise of the surrounding area match perfectly, looking as if the removed content never existed. New Refine Edge makes nearly-impossible image selections possible. This innovative technology precisely detects and masks the trickiest types of edges, such as hair and foliage, while eliminating background colour contamination.

For photographers, Photoshop CS5 now offers next-generation high dynamic range (HDR) capabilities. When combining multiple exposures into a single HDR image, Photoshop CS5 preserves the full tonal range of a scene with unprecedented speed and accuracy. The new HDR Pro offers exceptional ghost artefact removal and greater tone mapping and adjustment control. With HDR toning, users can emulate the striking look of an HDR image with any single-exposure image.

Photoshop CS5 provides revolutionary tools that maximise users’ creative impact. Breakthrough painting capabilities include a Mixer Brush that blends an infinite combination of colours onto a single paintbrush tip, and Bristle Tips that offer lifelike brush strokes. Puppet Warp gives users the power to precisely reposition or warp any image element, such as straightening a bent arm in a photo or manipulating the landscape to generate a new perspective.

“Since its inception, Adobe Photoshop has been a key tool for pre-and post-production work in the motion picture industry,” said Jon Landau, Academy Award winning producer of Avatar and Titanic. “With Photoshop CS5 Extended, Adobe gives filmmakers new painting, HDR and 3-D tools that will help them push the limits of creativity. Faster performance with cross-platform 64-bit support and tight integration with other Adobe Creative Suite 5 software makes Photoshop CS5 an even more powerful tool in a filmmaker’s arsenal. Photoshop empowers filmmakers and creative professionals in virtually every other industry to turn their imagined ideas into onscreen reality.”

Community Involvement Drives Enhancements
In addition, more than 30 features and enhancements requested directly by the Photoshop community have been added to this release, including automatic image straightening, rule-of-thirds crop tool, colour picker and the ability to save 16-bit images as JPEGs. The goal of this engineering effort was to address seemingly minor enhancements that directly impact everyday workflow, but aren’t always at the top of the development list for a new release. A new customisable Adobe Mini Bridge panel is also available directly in the software for faster file browsing and management.

Taking 3D and Motion to the Next Level
Photoshop CS5 Extended includes everything in Photoshop CS5 plus tools for editing 3D and motion-based content. With new Adobe Repoussé technology, users can easily create 3D logos and artwork from any text layer, shape or mask, as well as twist, rotate and extrude designs for different looks. To mirror the realism and appearance of 3D objects, a new materials library offers a breadth of rich options, including chrome, glass and cork. Users can also enhance the appearance of 3D objects by quickly creating shadows with the new shadow catcher. For motion content, tools including paint, text and clone can be used directly over multiple frames of a video sequence with ease using single-key shortcuts.

Adobe Photoshop Family
Building upon the 20-year history of Photoshop innovation and leadership, Adobe offers a line of Photoshop solutions for every level of user. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software are at the heart of the Photoshop family, providing unrivalled power and editing freedom. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® addresses the workflow needs of serious, amateur and professional photographers, helping them find, manage, enhance and showcase images in powerful ways. Adobe Photoshop Elements software provides accessible tools and sharing options for photo enthusiasts. Snap-shooters can quickly and easily share and edit photos with simple gestures using the free Photoshop.com Mobile application on their iPhone or Android™ devices. Photoshop.com completes the Photoshop line providing an online photo sharing, editing and hosting resource for all.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS5 Extended are scheduled to ship within 30 days with availability through Adobe Authorised Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price for Adobe Photoshop CS5 is £548 (ex-VAT) and £794 (ex-VAT) for Photoshop CS5 Extended. Upgrade pricing and volume licensing are available. For more detailed information about features, OS support, upgrade policies and pricing, please visit http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/photoshop/family/

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/uk

Adobe today announced the Lightroom 2.7, Photoshop Camera Raw 5.7 and DNG Converter 5.7 Release Candidates, available for immediate download on Adobe Labs. The updates add raw file support for nine new popular camera models, including the Canon EOS 550D, Sony A450 and Olympus E-PL1. A full list of the newly supported cameras is below.

The term ‘release candidate’ indicates the updates are well tested but would benefit from additional community testing. Adobe encourages photographers to try out the newly added raw file support in this update and provide the product team with feedback so they can create the highest quality experience for customers working on a variety of hardware and software configurations.

Photoshop Lightroom software is today’s digital photography workflow solution, allowing photographers to quickly import, process, manage and showcase images. The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in provides fast and easy access within Photoshop to the raw image formats produced by many leading digital cameras. Adobe’s Digital Negative (DNG) format is a publicly available archival format for the raw files generated by digital cameras.

Pricing and Availability

The Lightroom 2.7 Release Candidate is available as a free download for Lightroom 2 customers, and the Photoshop Camera Raw 5.7 Release Candidate is available as a free download for Photoshop CS4 customers. The DNG Converter 5.7 Release Candidate is also available as a free download for all customers. Click here for more information and to test out the updates: http://labs.adobe.com/. Feedback can be provided on the Adobe User to User forum (http://forums.adobe.com).

In addition, photographers can also participate in the Lightroom 3 beta program and try out the new features in Lightroom 3 beta 2 for free. To learn more and download Lightroom 3 beta 2 visit: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/.

Newly Supported Camera Models

Canon EOS 550D (Digital Rebel T2i/ EOS Kiss X4 Digital)

Kodak Z981

Leaf Aptus-II 8

Leaf Aptus-II 10R

Mamiya DM40

Olympus E-PL1

Panasonic G2

Panasonic G10

Sony A450

AKVIS announces the update of AKVIS ArtSuite to version v.6.0. ArtSuite is a collection of versatile effects for decorating photos. The Standalone version now supports Frame Packs of Hand Painted Photo Frames. Two new themed frame packs are also available. These frame packs contain frames which have been designed by artists specially for ArtSuite. Also new to version 6.0: support for 64 bit in the plugin version, bug fixes, and a new installation program. A free frame pack containing 30 hand painted frames is also available as a separate download. Upgrade for registered users is free.

Whether you plan to upload holiday photos on a web-site to share with your friends or you wish to decorate a personalized greeting card, you can rely on AKVIS ArtSuite — it will add elegance and style to any photo.

AKVIS ArtSuite not only offers edge effects for adding photo frames to digital photos, but also is constantly enriched with new artistic effects as well. Thanks to the large number of effects and a rich Pattern Library, the software can generate an endless variety of effect versions. http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/index.php

The effects are grouped as follows:

Edge Effects (Photo Frames) allow generating a photo frame for a digital photo. It can be a classic frame with wood carving or a funny frame with some cheerful frogs along the border. Photo frames samples that come with ArtSuite can be easily tailored to any photo. Select a color for the frame; choose its form, its style, brightness, and the intensity of the applied edge effect. It is possible to create a frame with ragged edges, scratched surface, a page curl, etc. It can be a wooden frame with figured carving or a frame with an ornament. It is also possible to load the user patterns and textures to create a unique photo frame.

Artistic Effects allow one to experiment with photos – convert a photo into a B&W image and then add a color shade to it; replace colors in an image, add a texture (chosen from the built-in Texture Library or one created by the user) so that the image looks like it has been drawn on a canvas, brick wall, corrugated paper, etc.

Version 6.0 offers support for themed frame packs. These frame packs contain frames which have been designed by artists specially for ArtSuite. Please note that these frames are only available in the standalone version for technical reasons.

Also new to Version 6.0: support for 64 bit in the plugin version, bug fixes, and a new installation program. Upgrade for registered users is free.

AKVIS offers a new frame pack for free. A delightful collection of 30 hand painted frames for any occasion! Everyone who uses ArtSuite standalone can download this frame pack as a free gift after upgrading to version 6 of the standalone.

Also, two new themed frame packs are available – Wedding and Travel Frame Packs. The Wedding Pack is ideal for framing the memories of your special day, while the Travel Pack is a great way to present your travel adventures and photos of tours to famous places. Both packs contain 50 high quality hand painted frames. These frame packs are offered at a price and are intended for for professionals, as well as those who are interested in quality design photo frames.

The Wedding Frame Pack is available for 15 USD and the Travel Pack for 12 USD. They require registration before they can be used with ArtSuite.

The program can be used as an independent application (standalone) and as a plug-in to a photo editor.

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and Corel PhotoImpact.

AKVIS ArtSuite runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Win 7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use:
http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/download-artistic-effects.php

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin sells for $49; AKVIS ArtSuite Standalone for $ 69. Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Enhancer, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, and ArtWork) for USD $325, a considerable savings over purchasing each separately. For business licenses consult the official web-site.

AKVIS ArtSuite is also part of the AKVIS Artistic Bundle (Sketch, ArtWork, and ArtSuite), which sells for $149 for the plug-in version or $169 for the standalone version. This is a savings of $44 when compared to the price of these three programs purchased separately. Visit the official website to see prices for alternate versions of this bundle.

One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

* Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to erroneously report the amount of hard drive space required to import an iPhoto Library.
* Aperture now displays an estimate of the amount of free hard drive space needed to import an iPhoto Library.
* Addresses memory management issues when importing large iPhoto libraries.
* Rotation of iPhone photos is now preserved when importing from an iPhoto Library.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to stop responding when attempting to play a slideshow imported from an iPhoto Library.

Image Import

* During import, Aperture now correctly reads image ratings, color labels, and GPS data stored in XMP sidecar files.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to stop responding if both the Auto-split projects and Auto-Stack options were used together during import.
* Addresses an issue that could prevent the Import window from automatically opening when a memory card is mounted.
* Aperture now provides correct options when importing hierarchical folders of photos into a library.

Library

* The amount of free hard drive space required to upgrade an Aperture Library is now displayed if sufficient space is not available.
* Fixes an issue that caused Aperture to overestimate the amount of free hard disk space needed to upgrade an Aperture 1.x or 2.x library.
* Fixes an issue that caused thumbnails to take up more disk space than needed.
* Addresses stability when importing an Aperture 2 library into an Aperture 3 library.
* Addresses some performance issues when opening and closing libraries.

Export

* Addresses an issue that prevented Library Albums from being exported properly as standalone libraries.
* Fixes an issue that could cause the Email command to use an incorrect export preset when attaching photos to an email.
* Canceling a library export now correctly moves the cancelled library to the Trash.
* Color labels on non-image files, such as video and audio clips, are now preserved in the Finder when exporting versions.

Adjustments

* Addresses issues with retouching 16-bit images.
* Fixes an issue that caused the Straighten tool to work incorrectly on flipped images.
* Fixes an issue that caused Aperture to quit unexpectedly when Curves was used on JPEGs with a custom printer profile.
* Adjustment presets that include brushed adjustments are now correctly rendered when imported into another copy of Aperture.
* Fixes a temporary slowdown or potential unexpected quit that could occur when canceling the Reprocess Masters command.
* Images are now stacked in the correct order when using the “Create new version when making adjustments” option.
* It is now possible to pause preview generation.
* Preview generation for adjusted images is now faster.
* Addresses an issue where using a large number of Spot and Patch adjustments could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly.

Printing

* Fixes an issue that could cause custom print presets to be displayed in the wrong order in the print dialog.
* Print presets now correctly retain printer choice, paper size, orientation, and other printer settings when saved.
* Addresses an issue that prevented custom print presets from retaining color profile settings.
* The Print dialog now correctly defaults to the last print preset that was used.
* Settings such as Image Size, Rows and Columns, Resolution, and Rendering Intent are automatically remembered for next use when choosing Cancel in the Print window.
* Addresses an issue that could prevent custom print presets from being saved.
* Addresses an issue that prevented custom margins from being saved in print presets.
* The Image Size pop-up menu now includes a 4 x 5 setting.

Trash

* Fixes an issue that could result in a slowdown when emptying the Aperture Trash.
* Fixes an issue that caused the progress indicator to display inaccurate data when emptying the Trash.

Faces

* Fixes an issue that could cause a spinning wait cursor to appear when attempting to move snapshots on the Faces corkboard.
* Fixes usability issues with auto-completion from Address Book when adding names to Faces.
* Aperture now correctly remembers the state of the Faces and Photos buttons when matching photos in the Faces view.
* Addresses an issue that slowed performance when using Confirm Faces.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly when browsing rapidly in the Viewer with the Names overlay turned on.
* Addresses a face correlation issue that could sometimes prevent Aperture from suggesting potential matches.

Places

* Addresses an issue that could cause Aperture to report an incorrect number of items when the Show Unplaced Images option was chosen In the Places view.
* Addresses an issue that could cause Aperture to stop responding when opening Places with a large number of locations assigned.
* Fixes an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly when importing a GPS log file.

Metadata

* Addresses compatibility issues affecting XMP sidecar files exported with masters.
* The Duplicate Preset command now correctly duplicates the data in all fields when duplicating a metadata preset.
* Fixes an issue that could cause a spinning wait cursor to appear when creating or duplicating metadata presets.

Audio/Video

* Fixes an issue that caused externally-edited video and audio clips to lose their original date/time stamp.

Books

* Fixes an issue with saving changes to custom books when the custom theme is not present.

Search

* Fixes an issue that could cause the built-in smart albums listed under the Library Albums to filter images incorrectly.
* Search by the Flash EXIF field now returns correct results.
* Addresses the reliability of searches for text containing special characters.

Flickr publishing

* Fixes an issue that could prevent the Cancel button from working when setting up an export to Flickr.

Watermarking

* Watermarks are now correctly saved as part of an export preset.
* Watermarks now remain unscaled when the Scale Watermark box is left unchecked.

General

* Addresses an issue that prevented View modes from being changed using keyboard shortcuts while in Full Screen view.
* Restores the ability to navigate photos in the Viewer by scrolling. (Turn this option on in General Preferences).
* Fixes an issue that caused the Query HUD to overlap the Filmstrip in Full Screen view.
* Double-clicking on a project name in Projects view now displays the contents of the project.
* Fixes an issue that could cause projects to be appear under the wrong year header when using Group by Year.
* The name of the version or master being processed is now displayed during face detection, export, and preview generation.
* Resolves performance issues when using zoom in Viewer.

iPad Compatibility

* Enables support for importing photos from iPad to the Aperture Library, as well as syncing of photos to iPad.

Mamiya today announces the availability of Capture One 5.1.1 software. This latest update to the renowned Capture One software features a number of additions and improvements for the Mamiya DM system of
digital cameras and digital backs.

Capture One 5.1.1 is a free service release to existing Capture One 5 owners, and can be downloaded through the link at http://www.mamiya.com/customer-service-support-downloads.html

Software enhancements and additions include:

* Improved default film curves for Mamiya DM products.
* Support of develop-curves from Mamiya DM series MOS
raw files.
* White balance can now be set when shooting tethered with Mamiya DM products.
* Orientation can now be set when shooting tethered with Mamiya DM backs.
* Base characteristics gains presets.
* Tethered and file support for the new Mamiya DM40 products.

Supported Mamiya DSLRs and Digital Backs:
Mamiya DM56, DM40, DM33, DM28, and DM22.

About Mamiya:
For over 60 years, Mamiya has been a name synonymous with excellence and innovation in professional photographic cameras and lenses. The Mamiya DM system of DSLR kits and Digital Backs continues this tradition by offering photographers the ultimate in big-sensor image quality at very affordable prices.
With models offering 22, 28, 33, 40, and 56 megapixels, the Mamiya DM system continues to make Mamiya the brand of choice for today’s top professional photographers.

DxO Labs announces today the addition of 70 new lens & camera combinations to its library of DxO Optics Modules for its flagship DxO Optics Pro automatic image enhancement software, adding extra lens support for:

* Canon DIGITAL REBEL XT / 350D, REBEL T1i / 500D, 40D, 50D, 7D , 5D Mark II, 1Ds Mark III;
* Nikon D3000, D300S, D40, D5000, D60, D70, D70s, D90;
* Sony Alpha DSLR-A230, A330, A380, A500, A550, A700;
* Fuji S5;
* Olympus E-520;
* Pentax K-7.

This new release brings the total number of available DxO Optics Modules to over 1900.

Availability and price

DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 for Windows, both Standard and Elite editions, is immediately available from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at the following prices:

* DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 Standard edition: $169 / 149 € / £ 99
* DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 Elite edition: $299 / 299 € / £ 199

€ and £ prices include sales taxes and VAT.

DxO Optics Pro 6 for Mac is scheduled for release in May 2010 and will be available as a free upgrade to customers who have purchased version 5 or higher after June 1, 2009.

€ and £ prices include sales taxes and VAT.

System Requirements

* 2 GB RAM minimum
* 400 MB available disk space
* To process RAW images larger than 20 MPixels, a 64-bit operating system with 4 GB RAM is strongly recommended

Windows:

* Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent (Pentium Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
* Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bits, Windows 7

About DxO Optics Pro
DxO Optics Pro is an award-winning automatic image enhancement software for enthusiastic amateur and professional photographers shooting in JPEG or RAW format. World-renowned for its unique automated optical corrections (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, lens softness), and its state-of-the-art RAW conversion, DxO Optics Pro addresses the entire spectrum of image quality issues, including noise removal, exposure optimization, keystoning correction, color control and dust removal. Its fully-customizable and easy-to-use interface makes it an unrivalled productivity tool, able to process hundreds of images in just a few clicks.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com

About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:

* Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing, for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);
* Image quality evaluation and measurement tools, for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com

Adobe today released an update to its Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta software, available immediately through Adobe Labs. Building on the success of the first Lightroom 3 beta, which was downloaded by more than 350,000 photographers, Lightroom 3 beta 2 incorporates feedback from the first iteration of the beta while offering users several new features and greatly improved performance throughout the application.

New features in this release include tethered shooting support for select Nikon and Canon cameras, the ability to import and manage video files from DSLR cameras for a streamlined workflow and additional behind-the-scenes architecture enhancements for faster importing and loading of images. The addition of luminance noise reduction to the color noise reduction options already available in the beta helps photographers achieve overall exceptional image quality from high ISO images. The import experience and watermarking functionality have also been modified to reflect feedback received from the Lightroom community during the first beta period.

The input from the photography community has been extremely valuable and Adobe would like to thank everyone who has participated in the beta program. Adobe encourages photographers to test this new selection of features and provide the product team with feedback so they can produce the highest quality final product.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is the essential digital photography workflow solution, helping serious amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, perfect and showcase all their images in one intuitive application.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta 2 is available as a free download to anyone on a Macintosh or Windows platform and is available in 12 languages. Visit http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/lightroom3/ to learn more and download the second beta. Feedback can be submitted on the Lightroom forums: http://forums.adobe.com/community/labs/lightroom3/.

Paragon Software Group (PSG), the technology leader in innovative data security and data management solutions, today announced the immediate release of Hard Disk Manager 2010 for home users. Hard Disk Manager 2010 is available in two editions: Suite and Professional. The software provides all the tools you need to manage today’s hard drives, including partitioning, backup & restore, migration, optimization & defragmentation, hard drive disposal, boot management and system recovery.

This comprehensive package of functionality is accessible from one easy-to-use interface, so you don’t need to buy and install each package individually saving you time and money. Hard Disk Manager 2010 allows you to easily migrate an existing drive or partition to a new one – even to different hardware. It is even possible to maintain not only physical environments and drives, but also all variety of well-known virtual environments and type of virtual drives with the same successful results. In addition, Hard Disk Manager 2010 is the only disk management tool which provides Windows 7 full support.

Paragon Software Group have been providing cost effective solutions for hard drive management for over 15 years. The company strives to employ the very latest technologies to continually update and improve their product range. In addition to the classic all-in-one features of partitioning and backup/restore, advanced users of Hard Disk Manager 2010 Professional will find powerful tools for full-range maintenance for virtual machines. It is the only product of its kind which allows you to migrate to a virtual environment (P2V) and manage it offline (without turning on virtual machine).Use the innovate P2V technologies to easily migrate from physical hardware to a virtual environment and make your operating system and all applications installed hardware independent! Using the powerful P2P function, you can make your old system bootable on any type of new hardware or partially different hardware than what it was originally configured for.
What’s new in Hard Disk Manager 2010?

Suite:
• The only partitioning tool which provides Windows 7 full support.
• Keeping this tool to hand is a guarantee that any disk maintenance tasks will be easily and promptly resolved.
• Migration to other hardware is no longer a headache! Powerful P2P functionality makes your old system bootable on any type of new hardware.

Professional Edition includes all the functionality of Hard Disk Manager 2010 Suite plus the following:
• The only cost-effective, all-in-one hard disk management tool for virtual drives and physical workstations and servers.
• Full maintenance for virtual drives of well-known vendor offline (there is no need to turn on the virtual machine) including partitioning, disk imaging, wiping and performance increasing tasks.
• Enlarge your digital facilities by taking advantage of the seamless migration to virtual environments (P2V). Make your physical operating system hardware independent.
• Automate standard maintenance routines using the in-built scripts language and then run complex tasks by schedule or in several clicks.

For a full comparison to what is included in the different versions please see:
http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-personal/comparison.html

Price & Availability:
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 2010 will be available from: http://www.paragon-software.com for £29.95 inc Suite edition, £69.95 inc Pro edition

For more Information go to:
HDM Suite website: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-personal/
HDM Pro website: http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hdm-professional/

About Paragon Software Group:
Paragon Software Group, now celebrating it’s 15th anniversary, is an innovative software developer focused on two dynamic growth markets. The company’s comprehensive product line for the data storage market addresses the needs of data security, storage and management for PCs, servers and networks. A second portfolio of products focuses on mobile productivity applications for handheld devices. Founded in 1994, Paragon Software has offices in the USA, Germany, Japan, and Russia delivering its solutions to consumers, small business and enterprise clients worldwide through a network of Value Added Resellers, distributors and OEMs as well as online through the company website. Paragon Software provides technology to a host of world class companies and partners including Cisco, Dell, Toshiba, NEC, Siemens, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, and more. For more information please visit the company website at http://www.paragon-software.com.
Paragon Software is a trademark of Paragon Software Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Topaz Labs announces a major upgrade of the Topaz Adjust Photoshop plug-in, which features new presets, a completely redesigned user interface, and upgraded image processing algorithms. With these improvements, Adjust 4 offers a new way for photographers to improve their photos quickly.

“Topaz Adjust 4 uses unique technology that automatically adapts to different image conditions like light, detail, and color,” said Albert Yang, president of Topaz Labs and original designer of Topaz Adjust. “This has important implications. Other tools make the same standard adjustments to every single photo they’re applied to. In contrast, Topaz Adjust 4 tailors the adjustments specifically to the photo in question. This gives it the flexibility to ditch the cookie cutter enhancements and create some truly fantastic and unique photo effects.”

Topaz Labs’ marketing manager, Eric Yang, explains how this technology is great news for the industry: “Digital photographers regularly spend hours post-processing their photos to get the perfect look. Adjust 4 makes this process easy by merging this extraordinary adaptive technology with many presets and an intuitive workflow. It’s an invaluable tool for photographers who demand quality photo effects, fast.”

In addition to the effects that Topaz Adjust is already known for, like pseudo-HDR, detail enhancement, and creative exposure, Adjust 4 includes a wide variety of new customizable presets that range from mild to extreme. This gives photographers a new flexibility to quickly choose and fine-tune the exact look that they are going for in any given photo.

Topaz Adjust 4’s other new features include a completely redesigned and improved user interface, enhanced image processing algorithms, and greater stability. It also works well with a variety of host programs. Topaz Adjust 4 is a free upgrade for existing customers and retails for $49.99. It is compatible with Windows and Intel-based Macs. For more information please visit the Topaz Adjust homepage at: http://www.topazlabs.com/adjust.

Phase One today released Capture One 5.1, the powerful raw conversion, workflow and image editing application. The basic version now features both a simplified workspace and ‘pro’ image-editing options; Capture One 5.1 PRO comes with new tools for advanced noise reduction and image editing efficiency.

Free to existing Capture One 5.x/5.x PRO owners, this value-packed service release extends raw image support to Nikon D3s, Canon 1D Mark IV, Sony A500, Sony A550 and a wide range of Leaf digital backs – this, in addition to its support for more than 170 different raw file formats (and growing).

“Capture One is built on the industry’s best raw conversion engine,” said Carsten H. Olsen, Phase One product manager for Capture One,” and our goal is to deliver the best quality image results with the most responsive application performance on the planet.”

Capture One 5.1 basic version delivers more value, with:
• added “pro” features such as a basic color editor for selective color adjustment, possibility to add keywords and image information, as well as the clarity tool which is ideal for optimizing portrait images;
• easier start-up for new users;
• a new simplified workspace with just the tools needed to create ready-to-use images with a few clicks.

According to photographer Jens Honoré, “With more pro cameras producing high-quality raw files, the choice of raw converter is key to image quality.”

Capture One 5.1 PRO adds the following powerful image-editing tools:
• One-click spot removal: the fastest and most efficient way to remove imperfections in images;
• Advanced Noise reduction: to enhance the quality of high ISO images;
• Negative Clarity: to smooth the surface on portrait images;
• Inverted Color Editor Selection: to create a nearly monochromatic image and emphasize one or more colors;
• Improved metadata functionality;
• Handle large volume shoots even faster with new and enhanced workflow accelerators.

Capture One 5.1 / 5.1 PRO adds camera file support for:
• Leaf Aptus II 8 (preliminary)
• Leaf Aptus 75S, Aptus 65S, Aptus 54S
• Leaf Afi 7, Afi 6, Afi 5
• Leaf Aptus 75, Aptus 65, Aptus 22, Aptus 17
• Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
• Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
• Canon 1D Mark IV
• Nikon D3s

For a complete list of camera files supported, please see: http://www.phaseone.com/en/Software/Capture-One-5-Pro/FAQ.aspx

More tethered shooting support
Capture One 5.1 also extends what is already the industry’s broadest support for tethered shooting.

Capture One 5.1 PRO/DB add tethered support for the following digital backs/cameras:

• Leaf Aptus II 10, Aptus II 7, Aptus II 6, Aptus II 5
• Leaf Afi II 10, Afi II 7, Afi II 6

And Capture One 5.1 PRO adds tethered support for the following cameras:

• Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
• Nikon D3S
• Leaf Aptus 75S, Aptus 65S, Aptus 54S
• Leaf Afi 7, Afi 6, Afi 5
• Leaf Aptus 75, Aptus 65, Aptus 22, Aptus 17

For a complete list of tethered camera support, please see: http://www.phaseone.com/en/Software/Capture-One-5-Pro/FAQ.aspx

For complete Capture One 5.1 product details, please see http://www.phaseone.com/5

Pricing and availability
Capture One 5.1 is available in three versions: Capture One 5.1, Capture One 5.1 DB and Capture One 5.1 PRO; each version is localized for Chinese (simplified), Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Swedish.

Capture One 5 PRO is available via download for 399 USD and 299 EUR through Phase One’s Online Store http://www.phaseone.com/store and through leading professional photography dealers worldwide. Capture One 5 is available for 129 USD and 99 EUR.

Capture One 5.1/5.1 PRO is a free service release to existing Capture One 5.x/5.x PRO owners. Current Capture One 4 PRO customers can upgrade to Capture One 5.1 PRO for 99 USD and 69 EUR. Existing Capture One 4 customers can upgrade to Capture One 5.1 PRO for 299 USD and 199 EUR. Please visit Phase One’s Online Store for other upgrade options and free trials.

Extended trial version
People who downloaded a trial of Capture One 5 will get another 30 days to try out Capture One 5.1.

System Requirements
Capture One 5.1 for Microsoft® Windows® requires at least an Intel® Pentium® 4 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free hard disk space as well as Windows XP® SP3, Windows Vista® SP2 or Windows 7®.

Capture One 5.1 for Apple® Macintosh® requires at least an Intel-based Mac, 2 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free hard disk space as well as Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or Mac OS X 10.5.8.

About Phase One

Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes for both medium format and DSLR cameras. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information about the products, visit the Phase One web site on http://www.phaseone.com.

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Adobe® Photoshop®, the software product that redefined creativity in the digital age, turns 20 on Feb. 19, 2010. Around the world, Photoshop fans are celebrating the impact their favorite software has had across photography, art, design, publishing and commerce.

The Photoshop community is sharing their favorite stories online, with its 400,000 fan-strong Facebook page, the hub for a worldwide look at the product’s impact. A new “Celebrate” tab directs users to a 20th anniversary logo, which you can personalise with your own image in Photoshop and use as a replacement for your own profile image on any social network site. Connect with the Photoshop team at http://www.facebook.com/Photoshop or http://twitter.com/photoshop, and add the tag #PS20 to any tweets about the anniversary.

The impact of Photoshop is everywhere – billboard signs, magazine covers, major motion pictures, even the logo on the coffee cup you drink out of every morning. All have likely been touched by the software. Over 90% of creative professionals have Photoshop on their desktops and today Photoshop is used by professional photographers, graphic designers and advertisers, as well as architects, engineers and even doctors. Whether it’s bringing visual effects to life in the blockbuster film Avatar, helping save lives in partnership with forensics departments and the Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, or challenging the human eye to determine if an image is real or fake, Photoshop continues to find new uses and advocates.

Celebrations, imaging contests and exclusive online ‘tips and tricks’ tutorials will begin today across the UK and the world. In the United States, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) will be hosting a special Photoshop 20th Anniversary celebration for over a thousand attendees in San Francisco at the Palace of the Fine Arts Theatre.. The event will feature Adobe’s senior vice president of Creative Solutions, John Loiacono, as well as vice president of Photoshop Product Management, Kevin Connor, Photoshop co-creator Thomas Knoll and famed Adobe creative director and Photoshop evangelist, Russell Brown. To be a part of this celebration and view the live Webcast, visit: http://www.photoshopuser.com/photoshop20th.

A special Adobe TV broadcast will also air tomorrow at http://tv.adobe.com/go/photoshop-20th-anniversary, reuniting the original “Photoshop team” for the first time in 18 years, to discuss their early work on the software and demonstrate Photoshop 1.0 on a rebuilt Macintosh computer.

“For 20 years Photoshop has played many different roles – it has given creative people the power to deliver amazing images that impact every part of our visual culture and challenged the eye with its ability to transform photographs,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer at Adobe. “It’s no exaggeration to say that, thanks to millions of creative customers, Photoshop has changed the way the world looks at itself.”

How It All Began

In 1987, Thomas Knoll developed a pixel imaging program called Display. It was a simple program to showcase grayscale images on a black-and-white monitor. However, after collaborating with his brother John Knoll, the two began adding features that made it possible to process digital image files. The program eventually caught the attention of industry influencers, and in 1988, Adobe made the decision to license the software, naming it Photoshop, and shipping the first version in 1990.

“Twenty years ago, Adobe predicted that it would sell 500 copies of Photoshop per month,” said Thomas Knoll, co-creator of Photoshop at Adobe. “I guess you could say, we beat those projections! It’s amazing to think that millions of people use this software today. We knew we had a groundbreaking technology on our hands, but we never anticipated how much it would impact the images we see all around us. The ability to seamlessly place someone within an image was just the beginning of Photoshop’s magic.”

Over its 20-year history, Photoshop has evolved significantly from a simple original display program to a wildly popular application that has over 10 million users worldwide. With each release, Adobe has introduced technological innovations that defy the impossible. Layers, introduced in Photoshop 3.0, gave designers the ability to create complex compositions easier than ever before. The Healing Brush, another groundbreaking feature introduced in Photoshop 7.0, allowed users to magically retouch images by seamlessly removing blemishes and wrinkles, while preserving lighting and texture. Photoshop tools like crop, eraser, blur and dodge and burn have become part of the creative vernacular worldwide.

The Photoshop team thrives off its rich beta tester program, with active and vocal users who have submitted requests and helped shape the development of features throughout the years. Adobe has maintained a strong connection with its customer base through blogs, user research, customer support, forums and feedback from Adobe “evangelists” who travel the world to engage with Photoshop users.

Adobe Photoshop Family

Building upon Photoshop’s history of innovation and leadership, Adobe offers a line of Photoshop desktop and Web-hosted solutions for every level of user. Each product in the Photoshop family gives users across the spectrum of digital expertise the power to manage, edit, create and showcase images.

Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended software are at the heart of the Photoshop family, providing unrivaled power and editing freedom. Photoshop Lightroom® addresses the workflow needs of serious amateur and professional photographers, helping them find, manage, enhance and showcase images in powerful ways. Photoshop Elements software provides accessible tools and sharing options for photo enthusiasts. Snap-shooters can quickly and easily share and edit photos with simple gestures on their iPhone or Androids devises. Photoshop.com completes the Photoshop line providing an online photo sharing, editing and hosting resource for all.

Apple® today introduced Aperture™ 3, the next major release of its powerful photo editing and management software, with over 200 new features including Faces, Places and Brushes. Building on the innovative Faces and Places features introduced in iPhoto® ’09, Aperture 3 makes it even easier and faster to organise large photo libraries. Aperture 3 introduces new tools to refine your photos including Brushes for painting image adjustments onto parts of your photo, and Adjustment Presets for applying professional photo effects with just one click. Stunning new slideshows let you share your work by weaving together photos, audio, text and HD video.

“Millions of people love using iPhoto to organise, edit and share their digital photos,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Aperture 3 is designed for both professionals who edit and manage massive libraries of photos and iPhoto users who want to take their photos further with easy-to-use tools such as Brushes and Adjustment Presets.”

“Aperture 3 gets it right,” said National Geographic photographer, Jim Richardson. “The image editing tools are exactly what I have been asking for, they’re so easy to use and give me a level of control that I never even thought possible.”

“I chose Aperture because it was the most powerful archiving application around, but it’s now an unbelievable imaging tool as well,” said Bill Frakes, Sports Illustrated staff photographer. “I am beyond impressed with the massive changes made in Aperture 3.”

Aperture 3 allows you to organise large photo libraries with even more flexibility using Projects and the new Faces and Places. Faces uses face detection and recognition to find and organise your photos by the people in them. You can view faces across your entire photo library or view just the faces that appear in selected projects. In a new view that speeds up the organisation process, Aperture 3 displays faces that have been detected but haven’t yet been named. Places lets you explore your photos based on where they were taken, and like in iPhoto, Places automatically reverse geocodes GPS data into user-friendly locations. In Aperture 3, you can assign locations by dragging-and-dropping photos onto a map or by using location information from GPS enabled cameras, tracking devices or your iPhone® photos.

The new Brushes feature allows you to add professional touches to your photos by simply painting effects onto the image. Aperture 3 includes 15 Quick Brushes that perform the most popular tasks like Dodge, Burn, Polarize and Blur, without the complexity of layers or masks. Brushes can automatically detect edges in your images to let you apply or remove effects exactly where you want them. Aperture 3 includes dozens of Adjustment Presets that apply a specific style or look to the entire image with just a click. You can create your own custom presets or explore the techniques of other photographers by importing theirs.

Aperture 3 makes it easy to share your work with stunning slideshows that weave together photos, audio, text and HD video. You can select one of six Apple designed themes or choose your own transitions, background, borders and titles, and even add your own soundtrack. You can export your slideshows directly to iTunes® to take with you on your iPhone or iPod touch®. You can also share photographs as beautiful prints, create custom-designed hardcover books and publish to online photo sharing sites like Facebook and Flickr, right from Aperture 3.

Pricing & Availability
Aperture 3 is available through the Apple Store® (http://www.apple.com/uk), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of £169 (inc VAT) and existing Aperture users can upgrade for a suggested retail price of £79 (inc VAT). A downloadable 30-day trial version is available at http://www.apple.com/uk/aperture/trial. Aperture 3 runs as a 64-bit application on Mac OS® X Snow Leopard® on Macs with Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Full system requirements, online tutorials and more information on Aperture 3 can be found at http://www.apple.com/uk/aperture.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

AKVIS Software Inc. updates AKVIS Coloriage, a cutting edge tool for coloring black-and-white photos. Old albums of black-and-white photos will shine with all their original colors, helping users relive lost memories and warm the hearts of their family and friends. With automated operation and class-leading usability, even inexperienced users can achieve genuinely realistic results.

Version 7.0 introduces a new mode for the Pencil tool, Multicolor mode, as well as other improvements. AKVIS Coloriage is available for Windows and Mac as a Photoshop plug-in and a stand-alone edition.

About AKVIS Coloriage
Using AKVIS Coloriage to colorize a black-and-white photo is as easy as handling a coloring book. In fact, “coloriage” means a coloring book in French.

Simply grab the pencil, select a color from the palette, draw a rough outline within the area to be colorized and Coloriage will do the rest. The program recognizes the borders and paints in the new color automatically, keeping the original tone transitions and enhancing them with colors. Using Coloriage requires no manipulation with layers and no manual painting whatsoever. Coloriage analyzes the original shades of grey on the black-and-white picture to produce a shiny new picture with genuine colors and natural tones.

With AKVIS Coloriage, a perfect gift for a loved one is just a few clicks away. Adding color to their memories can become an exciting gift for the older folks. For example, one user, Robert, used Coloriage to make the perfect Mother’s Day Gift.

Version 7.0 includes a new mode for the Pencil tool, Multicolor mode, as well as the Multicolor palette in the Settings Panel to manage this mode. In this mode it is possible to draw several colors at once. It is helpful for complex patterns and objects with clear boundaries, where many areas would have to be marked by the pencil, such as tree branches against a sky, a bush with many flowers, or the buttons on a shirt. This new mode is available for advanced licenses (Deluxe, Business).

Version 7.0 also offers an improved interface design, improved compatibility with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6), support for 64 bit to the plug-in version (compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CS4 64 bit), compatibility with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, a new installation program for Windows, an improved print dialog box (it’s now possible to select a printer and its resolution), and an update to the program’s documentation.

The program is popular among professionals and amateurs alike. Here is an extract of a user’s testimonial:

“The greatest software of this kind ! I have a lot of old B&W pictures taken with my first 35-mm camera back in the sixties that I like to colorize, because the pictures seem to come alive. I used to colorize ..using several layers (one for each color) and it worked fine, but it took a lot of time and was tiresome to paint the colors inside the different areas of the photo. It could take hours to colorize a picture. Until I tried AKVIS Coloriage. The program is so smart that you only have to mark inside an area (i.e. face or clothes) the color you want, and in some mysterious way AKVIS Coloriage manages to fill it with the specified color exact to the area-border. It’s like PURE MAGIC, and colorizing a whole picture only takes a few minutes with a little practice.” (Hakan Elfving, Finnland)

AKVIS Coloriage is available for both Mac and Windows platforms, and comes packaged as a Photoshop plug-in or as a stand-alone application. A fully featured 10-day trial of AKVIS Coloriage is available for free from the company Web site. The product costs from $97 to $246 depending on the license type. Registered users can upgrade to Version 7.0 for free.

Canon today announces the development of a plug-in that will enable quicker and easier editing of EOS MOVIE footage in Final Cut Pro. A free Beta release of the plug-in will be available to download for testing and evaluation in March 2010.

‘EOS MOVIE Plug-in-E1 for Final Cut Pro’ is being developed to provide an even smoother workflow for EOS MOVIE users who edit using Apple’s Final Cut Pro software suite. The plug-in will enable the ‘log and transfer’ of video footage from Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR cameras – all of which offer full 1080p HD video recording.

The plug-in will convert EOS MOVIE footage to Apple’s high quality ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users will also be able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily – further enhancing the experience of EOS MOVIE users when editing their footage.

Topaz Labs announces the release of the Topaz Detail 2 Photoshop plug-in, which features a user-requested speed boost, a totally redesigned user interface, and more detail enhancement tools and presets. Detail 2 brings a quicker and more effective detail enhancement workflow to photographers.

According to Dr. Albert Yang, president of Topaz Labs, “Since the release of Detail 1, users have responded with overwhelming feedback about the unique capabilities of this new technology. However, many customers felt that it was too slow. In this new release, we were able to push the technology further and triple the speed of the program.”

Topaz Detail’s underlying algorithm employs the most recent advances in detail enhancement technology. This new technology provides the unique ability to enhance detail and micro-contrast, with no over-sharpening, edge artifacts or halos, which often occur with other sharpening tools. Topaz Detail features three levels of detail control, high-quality image sharpening, natural feature enhancement, and black and white conversion.

“We’re really excited to offer this major Topaz Detail upgrade to our customers,” said Eric Yang, Marketing Manager. “It represents a huge advancement in both technology and product usability and is sure to greatly enhance any photographer’s workflow.”

The new user interface is dark and sleek, and includes useful interface options to customize the user’s workflow. Detail 2 has a valuable lineup of new features including a redesigned and adjustable user interface, undo and redo buttons a new presets layout and a new blur reduction tool.

Topaz Detail’s flexible image enhancement capability is idea for photographers and allows them to revive and intensify intricate image details that can really help define an image.

Topaz Detail 2 is a free upgrade for existing customers and retails for $39.99. It is compatible with Windows and Intel-based Macs. For more information please visit the Topaz Detail webpage at: http://www.topazlabs.com/detail. To sign up for a free 30-day trial for Detail, please visit: http://www.topazlabs.com/downloads. Topaz products are available for purchase online anytime at: http://www.topazlabs.com/store.

Topaz Labs LLC, a privately owned company in Dallas, Texas, is an innovative provider of advanced image and video enhancement technology. With today’s widespread use of digital still cameras, digital video cameras, and HDTV, the need for high-quality digital images and videos has greatly increased. Topaz Labs’ mission is to bring practical state-of-the-art image and video enhancement technology to both photography and videography professionals and consumers.

Unified Color Technologies (http://www.unifiedcolor.com), the experts in high dynamic range imaging (HDR), today announced that its hallmark software application, HDR PhotoStudio, is now also available for Mac operating systems. Powered by Unified Color’s next-generation color model, Beyond RGBTM, HDR PhotoStudio is the only solution capable of creating realistic-looking HDR images that unlock the full range of color as perceived by human vision.

HDR PhotoStudio provides photographers with complete control over the colors within an image and a comprehensive toolbox to address the effects of merging multiple exposures, while simultaneously improving workflow. Available for immediate download through http://www.unifiedcolor.com, the Mac version of HDR PhotoStudio is being offered for an introductory price of $99.00 throughout the month of February, which represents a savings of over $50.00.

“In response to requests from photographers, we are excited to introduce HDR PhotoStudio to the Mac faithful,” said Alfred Zee, CEO of Unified Color Technologies. “With HDR PhotoStudio, Mac users can finally produce full-color HDR images that they envision, without concern that their dynamic range or colors will be clipped or shifted by applications constrained by traditional narrow gamut color models. With our technology, photographers can unlock the full color spectrum while preserving a realistic look and feel to their images.”

HDR PhotoStudio’s unique 32-bit floating-point technology and Beyond RGB color space is the only HDR-capable software which can accurately depict and edit all the colors the human visual system can recognize. Most other offerings are forced to reduce image quality to bring an HDR photo into a color range it can manage, often losing image data and clipping the full scope of colors in the process. While the current evolution of HDR photography has been dominated by oversaturated and unnatural-looking images, mainly due to these software limitations, HDR PhotoStudio enables photographers to unlock their complete photographic vision enables by creating the most true-to-life look for HDR images.

About HDR PhotoStudio
HDR PhotoStudio also offers a comprehensive tool set that addresses some of the common difficulties in HDR photography, including Unified Color’s unique halo reduction slider to fight the notorious haloing problem of HDR images, a patented HDR noise reduction technique, the unique Veiling Glare adjustment designed to cut down on the image haze from compounding lens glare, a Color Tone Equalizer allowing simultaneous management of saturation in six basic color channels, and a customizable recipe button to save macros.

HDR PhotoStudio supports Unified Color’s native BEF file format which enables the most efficient HDR image compression in the industry so photographers can easily manage and archive the large resulting files. An included BEF-converting Photoshop plug-in, enables the finalized HDR image to then be applied to a Photoshop project. HDR PhotoStudio also supports the RAW files from all the major camera manufacturers as well as TIF, JPEG, BMP and OpenEXR formats.

For more information on HDR PhotoStudio or to download a free trial, go to the Unified Color website at http://www.unifiedcolor.com/.

System Requirements
Intel Macintosh 2.5 GHz dual core CPU with 2GB minimum RAM (4GB is recommended) running Mac OS 10.5.x (Leopard) or Mac OS 10.6.2 (Snow Leopard).

About Unified Color
Unified Color Technologies is redefining the capabilities of visual technology with a unique color system that powers the next-generation of high dynamic range (HDR) imaging devices and software. A significant improvement over current industry standards, Unified Color’s new Beyond RGBTM color model presents a versatile color platform which is able to map a much larger color space encompassing the full human visual spectrum including colors found in nature and man-made light sources. Beyond RGB is available for licensing to digital imaging companies looking for a competitive market advantage. Powered by the Beyond RGB color model, the company’s flagship HDR PhotoStudio has set a new industry standard for creating, depicting and editing the most realistic HDR images. More information about Unified Color can be found at http://www.unifiedcolor.com.

Adding Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, Olympus E-P2, Click black / white points, newly calibrated lenses, and more…

Just one month after the initial release of Bibble 5 Pro, we are already releasing our first update! Version 5.0.1 adds support for Canon’s new flagship camera, the 1D Mark IV and for Olympus’ E-P2, and adds a one-click tool to set black / gray / white points, and includes Andrea – the Film Simulation plug-in from Sean Puckett (nexi.com/andrea).

Version 5.0.1 is a free upgrade for all Bibble 5 customers. Customers who purchased Bibble 4 since September 2006 can upgrade for free to Bibble 5. Customers who purchased Bibble 4 Pro before September 2006 can upgrade for $99. Click Here to login to your account to redeem your upgrade offer, or Click Here to purchase a new license.

New Click Black / Gray / White tool
This tool is a great way to quickly set curve points based on image content, to neutralize and deepen shadows and set the output white point. This much-requested feature from Bibble Labs’ customers further expands the wide array of image adjustments possible in Bibble 5.

Powerful 3rd Party Plug-ins
This release also includes the free version of Andrea – a powerful and exciting plugin for Bibble 5 build by Sean Puckett. Rediscover 90 years of traditional photo films and papers in B&W and color! Andrea, the film simulator for Bibble 5, takes your digital camera back to the film era with picture perfect simulations of image-making classics! Andrea is the evolution of AndyPRO, the preeminent film simulator for Bibble 4, and contains all of the simulations from AndyPRO.

2 New Cameras & 13 Newly Calibrated Lenses
Rapid updates for RAW file support for new cameras was a hallmark of Bibble 4, and we’re thrilled to be able to return to that tradition with Bibble 5. Two new RAW formats have been added, color reproduction quality for several current cameras have been improved, and this release also adds 13 newly calibrated lenses based of community generated lens calibration data. This version also includes fixes for several issues found in the initial 5.0 release.

Picmeta Systems released version 5.5 of its Picture Information Extractor (PIE) with numerous enhancements. A new freeware allows track based geotagging.

PIE is a photo browser and viewer with multi format support and extensive metadata functionality. The latest version adds geotagging with an interactive map and full batch capabilities. Reading and writing of EXIF and IPTC metadata is faster, a search function has been added and the import feature includes a browsable summary of created folders and transferred files. The makernote database has been updated to support the current line of digital cameras.

While PIE 5.5 allows viewing and manually setting the photo coordinates in a map, the new Picmeta PhotoTracker automatically geotags photos based on track data from GPS exchange files. This virtual connection between GPS receiver and digital camera works with any device.

The focus of PIE lies on the first steps in the imaging workflow, such as importing, renaming, viewing and tagging. The concentration on repetitive tasks that normally affect 100% of the photos allows PIE to be lean and fast. With less than 4MB and running on all Windows versions from Windows 95 to Windows 7, PIE is also perfectly suited for photographers on the go.

Other products by Picmeta Systems are PrintStation, a program for creating photo albums and proof sheets, and PIE Studio, which combines the metadata features of PIE with the printing functions of PrintStation.

Pricing and Availability
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PIE 5.5 and PhotoTracker can be downloaded from the Picmeta Website. Both run on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7. The update to PIE 5.5 is free for all registered users. The full version of PIE costs US$ 35, Picmeta PhotoTracker is free.

For further information on PIE visit http://www.picmeta.com/products/picture-information-extractor.htm.

For further information on PhotoTracker visit http://www.picmeta.com/products/phototracker.htm.

About Picmeta Systems
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Picmeta Systems aims at making the workflow of digital photography easier and more productive. The basic approach is enabling automation and batch processing with consistent use of metadata. Easy-to-use interfaces and fast operation make the products suited for amateur photographers and professionals alike.

Corel® PaintShop Photo™ Pro X3 Delivers New Organisation, Editing and Creative Projects for Today’s Digital Photographer
Latest Version of Powerful Photo Editor Meets the Evolving Needs of Photo Enthusiasts

Maidenhead, UK – 26 January 2009 – Corel Corporation (NASDAQ:CREL) (TSX:CRE) today announced Corel® PaintShop Photo™ Pro X3, the latest version of its renowned photo editing program, that brings advanced photo management, editing and creative tools together to deliver everything the photo enthusiast needs in one package. Combining professional quality tools for organisation and photo editing along with burning, sharing, and for the first time, high definition (HD) video capabilities, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 has been developed to meet the evolving workflow needs of today’s digital photographer.

Complements DSLR Cameras, Provides New Creative Possibilities for Photographers
As high-performance DSLR cameras have become mainstream, hobbyists have a wealth of creative options to explore their passion for photography. But the power of these cameras also presents challenges: amateur photographers are shooting more images than ever and image file sizes continue to grow, making organisation and management a critical part of the digital photographer’s process. With these large collections of images, users need new ways to speed and simplify the selection and enhancement process. They also want to work with the HD video that’s now popular in their media mix. Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 stands apart from other applications by combining editing, photo management and creative projects in a unique way.
“Photo enthusiasts are taking advantage of the amazing quality and power of today’s DSLR cameras and as a result, they need workflow and editing tools that were previously only available in professional photo applications,” said Petter Nordwall, director of product management for Corel PaintShop Photo Pro. “Now with Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3, organisation, editing and creative projects have come together in a single, affordable package. Whether you’re quickly sorting and rating your favorites out of hundreds of photos or sharing using Facebook or Flickr, it’s never been faster to create professional-looking results.”
Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 Highlights
· All-new Organizer: The new integrated Organizer includes tools for rating, tagging, locating and quickly touching up image files. The Organizer also makes it easy to select images and view them in multiple ways. In just a few clicks, RAW images can be converted to another format for posting, photo sharing or printing.
· Multi-photo Adjustments: Editing and enhancing is faster than ever now that changes made to an image can be captured and easily applied to multiple photos, removing the tedium of making the same changes over and over again.
· Smart Carver™: Quickly achieve impressive results by seamlessly and realistically removing objects and scaling without distorting the image.
· Express Lab: Bringing the most used tools together in one place, the Express lab now adds Color Balance, Local Tone Mapping, Contrast/Brightness, Sharpen and One Step Noise Removal.
· Camera RAW Lab: Supporting more than 350 RAW formats, the new RAW Lab makes it easy to adjust a variety of settings, such as white balance, exposure, brightness and saturation before processing. Adjustments made to any RAW image can be copied and applied to other RAW images in the Organizer.
· Object Extractor: It’s quick and easy to precisely mask fine image details that are otherwise difficult to preserve – even challenging cases such as fly-away hair, wisps of smoke and tree branches.
· Project Creator: This one-stop tool makes it easy to create, edit and share projects. Produce photo books, collages, cards, calendars and photo slideshows including HD video in a few clicks. Share to YouTube™, Facebook® or Flickr®. Photo projects can also be printed through Corel’s online print service.
Familiar Favorites Plus New Photo-Painting Features
In addition to a number of new and enhanced features, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 continues to offer the advanced photo editing power of favorite features including HDR Photo Merge, Local Tone Mapping, Curves and Levels adjustments, Perspective Correction, plus tools including the Learning Center that help new photo enthusiasts get familiar with the application and create great results fast. Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 also includes Corel® Painter™ Photo Essentials 4 to get started with digital art. Offering the unique Auto-Painting palette, Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 enables users to create a stunningly realistic work of art from a photo in just three easy steps.
Pricing and Availability
Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 is now available at a suggested retail price (SRP) of £79 for the full version or £59 for the upgrade. The product can be purchased as an electronic software download (ESD) today from http://www.corel.com and boxed software will be shipping across Europe, Middle East and African retailers in February. Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 will also be available globally in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Polish, Chinese Traditional and Japanese. All prices include VAT.
To purchase an ESD or download a free, fully featured 30-day trial, please visit http://www.corel.com/paintshop.
New Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X3 Offers Exceptional Tools for Video and Media Enthusiasts
Today, Corel also introduced Corel® VideoStudio® Pro X3. The latest version of Corel’s powerful consumer video editing software enables video enthusiasts to easily create professional-looking productions in a simplified and streamlined environment that’s driven by maximum speed and performance. Available at a new SRP of £79 for full or £59 for upgrade, Corel VideoStudio Pro X3 can be purchased as an ESD from http://www.corel.comand will be shipping across Europe, Middle East and African retailers in February. Corel VideoStudio Pro X3 will be available globally in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Chinese Traditional and Japanese. All prices include VAT.
To purchase an ESD or download a free, fully featured 30-day trial, please visit http://www.corel.com/videostudio.

DxO Labs is pleased to announce the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 for Windows that adds RAW support in both in its Standard and Elite editions for the following cameras:

* Pentax K-7
* Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
* Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
* Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
* Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1.

This release also improves stability and removes a color cast at very high ISO for Nikon and Pentax cameras.

Furthermore, 81 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering the Canon 7D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, REBEL XTi/400D, DIGITAL REBEL XSi/450D and REBEL T1i/500D; Fuji S5; Nikon D200, D300, D300s, D50, D3000, D5000 and D80; Panasonic LX3 and GH1; Pentax K-7; and Sony A230, A330, A500 and A550.

Availability and price

DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 for Windows, both Standard and Elite editions, is immediately available from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at the following prices:

* DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 Standard edition: $169 / 149 € / £ 99
* DxO Optics Pro v6.1.2 Elite edition: $299 / 299 € / £ 199

€ and £ prices include sales taxes and VAT.

DxO Optics Pro 6 for Mac is scheduled for release during the first quarter of 2010 and will be available as a free upgrade to customers who have purchased version 5 or higher after June 1, 2009.
System Requirements

* 2 GB RAM minimum
* 400 MB available disk space
* To process RAW images larger than 20 MPixels, a 64-bit operating system with 4 GB RAM is strongly recommended

Windows:

* Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent (Pentium Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
* Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bits, Windows 7

About DxO Optics Pro
DxO Optics Pro is an award-winning automatic image enhancement software for enthusiastic amateur and professional photographers shooting in JPEG or RAW format. World-renowned for its unique automated optical corrections (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, lens softness), and its state-of-the-art RAW conversion, DxO Optics Pro addresses the entire spectrum of image quality issues, including noise removal, exposure optimization, keystoning correction, color control and dust removal. Its fully-customizable and easy-to-use interface makes it an unrivalled productivity tool, able to process hundreds of images in just a few clicks.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com
About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:

* Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing, for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);
* Image quality evaluation and measurement tools, for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com

Hamrick Software, the developer of VueScan, the world’s most widely used scanning software, has released its latest version 8.6 – with more than 65 improvements and features added, 110 problems fixes and 80 additional scanners supported in the last 12 months,

“With the release of Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 (Leopard) our business has grown significantly. Many customers realize they don’t need to buy a new scanner, and can use their existing scanners with VueScan. It is nice to see VueScan meeting new needs, since many scanner manufacturers haven’t supported their older scanners on Windows 7 or Mac OS X 10.6 (Leopard).” says Ed Hamrick, President of Hamrick Software.

VueScan 0.1 was first released in 1998 with support for a single scanner on Windows only. Within 5 years VueScan supported more than 400 scanners, and had acquired a good reputation through word of mouth. After 11 years of development, VueScan now supports over 1200 scanners on 3 operating systems, has been downloaded more than 5 million times, and is the scanning program of choice for more than 170,000 customers worldwide.

“We have many small but clearly defined features that make a world of difference for many of our customers. Some features are for photographers, some for people working with thousands of scans, some are for beginners who have never used a scanner. We’ve also worked hard to support scanners that manufacturers don’t support any more, and it is clear that this is paying off as more and more people turn to us for support. says Ed Hamrick.

VueScan is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. VueScan offers a full range of advanced features; including options for scanning faded slides and prints and automatically adjusting images to optimum color balance that reduces the need to manually do it in Photoshop. It includes built-in IT8 color calibration of scanners, producing colors that look true to life, batch scanning and other advanced and powerful scanning and productivity features, including PDF output.

For a detailed listing of VueScan features, see:

http://www.hamrick.com/abo.html.

VueScan is available in two editions, Standard Edition ($39.95 USD) and Professional Edition ($79.95). The Professional Edition adds unlimited free upgrades, advanced IT8 color calibration and support for raw scan files. Multi-user licenses are available. A fully functional, trial copy of VueScan can be downloaded from

http://www.hamrick.com/.

Based in Phoenix, AZ, Hamrick Software was founded in 1991. Its first product was VuePrint, an easy to use JPEG viewer for Windows that for many years was the recommended image viewer for AOL, with more than 100,000 users. In 1998, the company first released VueScan, a program for scanning with flatbed and film scanners, there are now more than 170,000 users all over the world.

AKVIS announces the release of AKVIS Magnifier v.3.0 for Windows and Macintosh, an efficient tool to resize digital images. Featuring advanced photo resizing algorithms, AKVIS Magnifier enlarges digital pictures to super-high resolution producing stunning enlargements and poster-size prints. The program is available as a plugin to a photo editor, as well as a standalone edition.
Version 3.0 offers a new interface and improved compatibility. Support for 64 bit has been added to the plug-in version (now compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS4 64 bit); compatibility with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8; Compatibility with OS Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) and Windows 7. Added new measurement units to specify the size of the output image. In addition to pixels and per cent, it is now possible to set the size in centimeters, millimeters or inches. Upgrade for registered users is free.

AKVIS Magnifier makes it easy for anyone to produce professional-looking enlargements out of digital images. The product is available for both Windows and Mac.

AKVIS Magnifier allows resizing images without visible loss in quality. If you attempt to blow up a picture (increase its resolution) using the standard Resize command of a photo editor, you will notice that the resulting photo is blurred and pixelated. The reason is that the input photo didn’t contain enough information for the new size. AKVIS Magnifier will cope with this problem and deliver good results.

Featuring advanced enlargement algorithms, Magnifier enlarges digital pictures to super-high resolution for producing stunning poster-size prints. The algorithm keeps edges smooth, sharp and clearly defined, while improving image appearance by removing unwanted noise and compression artifacts.

Resizing pictures with AKVIS Magnifier yields a much higher quality than simple bicubic interpolation. Depending on particular needs, AKVIS Magnifier can be fine-tuned to produce images that look exactly as required for a given purpose. The software allows enlarging an image to a super-high resolution of up to 30000×30000 pixels, making a 100×100 inch (2.5×2.5 meter) poster easily printable at typographic quality of 300dpi.

Version v.3.0 offers a new interface and improved compatibility. Support for 64 bit has been added to the plug-in version (now compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS4 64 bit); compatibility with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8; Compatibility with OS Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) and Windows 7.

Added new measurement units to specify the size of the output image. In addition to pixels and per cent, it is now possible to set the size in centimeters, millimeters or inches. A new dialog box – Preferences – has been introduced. The dialog box contains the general program settings, such as switching on/off the Autorun mode, choosing the interface language, etc.

AKVIS Magnifier is available as a stand-alone application as well as a Photoshop plug-in.

Whether creating poster-size images or adding resolution for printing an enlargement, AKVIS Magnifier will make your prints look sharper and better defined.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use. Details are available at http://akvis.com/en/magnifier/index.php .

The registered users of Magnifier can update their version for free.

AKVIS Magnifier Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $129 USD or 99 Euro, downloadable from akvis.com. Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle for $ 325 USD, a savings of $ 714 over purchasing each separately. For Business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

Bibble Labs, Inc today announces the immediate availability of the all-new Bibble 5 Pro Photographic Workflow application for Windows, Mac and Linux, bringing to market a new level of power, speed and control to digital photography.

Bibble 5 Pro excels in the areas that matter most to today’s photographers, including flexible tools for organizing and managing digital photographs, the most complete selective editing tools offered in a photographic workflow application, and RAW conversion and editing speed up to 88 times as fast as other leading applications.

Real Power, Really Fast

Bibble 5 Pro includes a totally new, completely multi-threaded image processing engine, allowing it to process images faster than anything else. Efficient enough to be perfectly usable on netbooks and older computers, yet powerful enough to take full advantage of 4, 8, 16 or even more CPU’s, Bibble 5 Pro is designed to fully utilize all the computing power available to it. On high-end computers, Bibble 5 Pro is up to 88 times faster in processing and exporting images that other leading applications, while on single CPU computers and more modest machines, Bibble 5 Pro can still be 2 to 8 times faster. “With dual core processors now being replaced with four-core processors, and with 6- an 8- and higher core count processors on the horizon,” says Eric Hyman, founder and owner of Bibble Labs, “it’s clear that utilizing the full power of those additional CPU’s is the key to true workflow performance.”

Total Editing Power and Freedom: Unrestrained Selective Editing

Bibble 5 Pro’s Selective Editing framework allows its image editing tools to operate on the complete image or a limited portion of an image, fully integrated into a totally non-destructive workflow. “The ability to apply just about every tool Bibble 5 offers within freeform curves or brushed regions opens up amazing editing possibilities” says Jeff Stephens, President of Bibble Labs. “This exemplifies our commitment to building the most flexible, most powerful, and most widely available photographic workflow application.” Essentially any image adjustment tool offered in Bibble 5 Pro – including 3rd Party Plug-ins – may be applied selectively to key portions of images, allowing an unparalleled level of creative control: quickly apply multiple white-balance settings to fix difficult or mixed lighting situations, apply noise reduction only to the deepest shadows, sharpen only key points of interest, the possibilities are endless.

Bibble Labs continues to offer the industry’s only RAW-level plug-in API, allowing 3rd Party developers to write image editing tools that can access decoded RAW files, TIFF’s and JPEG’s directly within Bibble 5’s image editing pipeline. With Bibble 5 Pro’s plug-in API, every plug-in built for Bibble 5 is also open to the full power of Selective Editing, adjustment Presets, edit History and all of Bibble 5 Pro’s other workflow advantages.

Asset Management: Innovative, Powerful and Flexible

Importing images into catalogs allows Bibble 5 to summarize information about the photos in that catalog which enables searching or browsing by a wide range of metadata. Such tools are indispensable when working with a large body of images; yet it is the optional nature of Bibble 5 Pro’s Cataloging system that makes it uniquely powerful. “Catalogs and metadata searching and browsing are critical when working with tens of thousands of images or more” says Stephens. “But hand me a memory card with a dozen photos while I’m working in Bibble 5 – that’s when its flexibility really starts to shine.” Bibble 5 Pro allows the photographer to quickly switch to ‘File System’ mode, allowing them to just click on the folder where these few images are stored and go to work on them right away. Those images are not imported into the catalog, but all Bibble 5’s other tools and capabilities can be applied.

Multiple Catalogs can be open at once, while browsing or searching across all open catalogs, which provide immense storage and organizational flexibility. Unique and powerful “Refine” browsing allows photographers to gradually narrow their photographic collection down to show only the images that are necessary at that moment. Bibble 5 Pro is the only photographic workflow application to provide this level of flexibility and choice in the critical decisions that each photographer faces regarding cataloging and asset management.
Solid Platform For Future Advancements

“We continue to be committed to bringing value to our customers after they purchase our products,” says Stephens, “and we already have some exciting things in store for later versions of Bibble 5.” Bibble 4 was upgraded and enhanced with major features twelve times over several years, adding major new components release after release. Bibble 5 will carry on this tradition, with the first free update planned in Q1 2010.
Availability, Upgrades, and Pricing

Bibble 5 Pro is available immediately for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers for $199.95 from http://bibblelabs.com. Bibble Labs customers who purchased Bibble 4 since September, 2006 are eligible for a free upgrade to Bibble 5 Pro. Earlier Bibble 4 Pro customers may upgrade to Bibble 5 Pro for $99.

Bibble 5 Lite will follow, scheduled in the first quarter of 2010. Bibble 4 Lite customers who purchased Bibble 4 since September, 2006 will have immediate access to Bibble 5 Pro until Bibble 5 Lite is available.

Bibble 5 Pro includes RAW support for many of the newest SLR’s available, including Canon 7D, S90 and G11, Nikon D3s, and D5000, Pentax K-x, Sony’s a850 and a550, and many others. Bibble 5 is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and has lower hardware requirements than many other applications in its class.

Bibble Labs, Bibble Pro and Bibble Lite are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bibble Labs, Inc. Noise Ninja is a trademark of Picture Code LLC. Camera brands and models are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Inpaint is a smart tool that fills the selected area with pixels taken from outside the selection boundary. This allows users to seamlessly remove objects from a background, which may be very useful for removing objects and people that got caught on the tape inadvertently. For instance, users can easily remove a person standing behind them on a beach — and the beach will be all theirs! The same applies to scratches, noise and all kinds of objects that do not belong to the photo or spoil the composition. Inpaint is affordable, easy to use (select-and-run principle) and requires absolutely no knowledge of photo editing. Just select the object to remove, define the area to be used for generating the texture and click the Inpaint — Run command! That’s it

For the personal and professional user, Inpaint is a standalone application that makes image manipulation simple. Inpaint lets users select an element in an image file to remove and launches the restoration process. Inpaint scans the pixels in the surrounding area and intelligently generates an appropriate replacement texture.

With Inpaint, users don’t have to be a digital media master to get their images exactly how they want them. No more messing around with cut and paste, drag and blur or clone and stamp functions.

They can pull monkeys off their branches, pull birds out of the sky, tear up highways, and erase corporate logos. Get the clean professional looking images that presentations, advertisements and photo albums deserve.

Besides photo restoration, Inpaint can be used for texture synthesizing for different objects.

Want to learn more? Make sure to check out the Inpaint video tutorials (http://www.teorex.com/inpaint-video-tutorials.html)!

For more information visit teorex.com/inpaint.html (http://www.teorex.com/inpaint.html)

Zoner Software, the innovative software company and developer of graphics software, has released the new version of its Zoner Photo Studio photo management, editing and sharing software for Windows.

For more than 15 years, Zoner Software has designed software especially for avid photographers, and the company’s development team leverages user input for each new version. “Photographers want a fast, efficient product that helps them get the most out of their photos. They want an all-in-one solution. Most photographers can’t afford to waste time going from one program to manage their photos, another for panoramas, another for Web sharing… and so on until they’re exhausted and out of time. That is why Zoner Photo Studio has all these features built in,” said Pavel Minar, Managing Director of Zoner Software.

The latest version introduces new and more efficient ways to manage, edit and especially share photos. The module for RAW files has seen a complete overhaul. The new modular interface for processing RAW files looks great and works even better, and supports queueing for easy work with large batches of files. Settings for processing each file in queue can be fine-tuned until the moment the queue is processed. For easier work with large photo archives, the new version introduces a Catalog view—virtual folders that automatically organize pictures by timeline, no matter where they are on disk.

Users who need to create photos from documents with pictures will love the new tools for acquiring pictures from PDFs, and JPEGs from any file. The new version adds into its palette of creative tools a Droste Effect tool and vastly improved Panoramas. And underlying it all, the new version brings an improved processing core and enhanced algorithms so users can search faster and get more out of their multi-core computers.

Zoner Photo Studio is designed to satisfy a wide range of users – from amateur photographers, to semi-professionals and professionals; Zoner Photo Studio is even great for organizations. The product is available in two versions:

Zoner Photo Studio 12 Home is handy for point-and-shoot photographers looking for one-click editing features, and flexibility for creatively sharing photos, as well as creating calendars, panoramas and other presentation formats.

Zoner Photo Studio 12 Professional offers advanced photographers and avid hobbyists a wide selection of features designed with their workflows in mind, covering everything from organizing and editing, to publishing.

Zoner Photo Studio 12 is available as a free 30-day trial at http://www.zoner.com

IDimager Systems, Inc. today announced the latest release of their award-winning digital image management solution, IDimager V5. More than a year in development, IDimager V5 represents the companys most comprehensive release to date. Sporting an extensive set of new features and enhancements, this latest release of IDimager is more intuitive, powerful, faster, and just plain more fun to use.

“IDimager has always been ahead of the competition by offering state-of-the-art technology, an innovative feature set, and customer support that’s second to none, ” said Hertwig van Zwietering, president at IDimager Systems, Inc. “Now, with the release of IDimager V5, we’ve extended that lead in many areas and have set the bar high for the future of digital image management”.

New powerful features of IDimager V5

IDimager V5 puts you in control of your workflow, and gives you the power and flexibility you need in a digital asset management (DAM) tool. New features in IDimager V5 include:

* Windows 7 support: IDimager V5 is now fully compliant with Windows 7, both 32 and 64 bit editions. Windows Vista and XP 32 and 64 bit systems are supported as well.
* speech labeling: IDimager V5 is the first DAM tool to introduce speech labeling. With a microphone or headset attached to your computer, you can label images using voice-controlled commands.
* face labeling: The new face labeling module will speed up the process of identifying people in your images. The found faces will be outlined in the images and shown as thumbs in a sortable list. You can use the standard labeling function to simply name either a single face or a group of faces.
* new label assignment panel: The new Label Assignment Panel makes cataloging a breeze. Labels for selected images are immediately visible in the panel as active buttons. From there you can add, remove, or edit labels with just one or two mouse clicks or by using the keyboard. To further speed up your workflow, you can create your own label sets with combinations of labels you frequently use, and you can choose to assign keyboard shortcuts to these sets to assign multiple labels with one keystroke.
* a feature-rich download tool: IDimager V5 is quite possibly the most advanced image downloader in the market today. But even more importantly, it is fully integrated with the rest of the application, so once you download your images, much of your cataloging work has already been done for you!
* non-destructive editing: IDimager V5 supports non-destructive editing, providing capabilities that are typically only found in high-end image editors. But because IDimager’s powerful editing functions are fully integrated into the main application, you can streamline your workflow while making your images look the best that they can be. And you can even edit your pictures while your images are off-line.
* enhanced GEO labeling support: IDimager takes GPS- and geo-location editing seriously, and IDimager V5 features a completely redesigned GPS panel. You can use the GPS panel to assign geo-location data to any image or label in your IDimager catalog. GPS panel also supports track logging devices, which provide an ideal way for the user to accurately supply geo-location data for a large number of images.

Pricing and Availability

IDimager V5 is now available globally in English, German, Italian and Dutch as an electronic software download (ESD). The product is available in two versions: “Personal Edition” and “Professional Edition”.

Personal Edition is available at $69 (USD) and the Professional Edition is available at $139 (USD).

For more information, to purchase an ESD or download a free, fully featured 30-day trial, please visit http://www.idimager.com/downloads/products.

About IDimager Systems Incorporated

IDimager supports the digital image market with effective image management solutions, using state of the art technology, with a customer centric and pro-active approach towards support and development. For more information, visit http://www.idimager.com.

As most photographers know, the Hasselblad range of digital cameras produces some of the sharpest, most detailed, and highest resolution images currently available. In order to get the most from these incredible files, we have developed a powerful processing toolbox that not only gets every nuance and detail out of the world’s largest raw image files, but enables advanced processing and image enhancement techniques. And now, with the launch of Phocus 2.0, the world’s most powerful image processing software has grown even stronger.

Phocus 2 boasts a range of new features, such as an improved user interface that drastically reduces the learning curve for high-end imaging. Even if new to Phocus, the average photographer will be able up to speed in less than 15 minutes.

Phocus 2.0 features increased speed, increased functionality, and the ultimate processing quality for Hasselblad digital images. Phocus enables photographers to reap the full benefits of the precision optics in Hasselblad lenses, providing automatic digital lens corrections for color aberration, distortion and vignetting, the Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS) for outstanding and faithful colors, automatic moiré removal directly upon raw data, preserving image detail.

Highlights of the new software

* Advanced Highlights Recovery, Shadow Fill and Clarity tool
* Ability to use floating tools
* Loupe function
* Customization options of the user interface
* Scene Calibration tool for equalizing intensity and removing cast
* Lens optimization for all Carl Zeiss lenses
* Advanced Histogram controls
* Extended preview controls during tethered capture

Phocus can be seen as yet another step in Hasselblad’s efforts to provide the most advanced technology and the most uncompromising image quality in a format that is simple to learn and to use. So that you can concentrate on what’s really important – your photography.

Nik Software announces today that it has shipped Viveza® 2, the latest upgrade to its award winning and revolutionary photo editing software for selective color and light control. Viveza 2 now offers users robust global adjustments and precise selective controls that utilize Nik Software’s award-winning U Point® technology. Viveza 2 eliminates the need to create complicated selections or layer masks and provides a powerful solution for users looking to save time and effort when editing images.

“The first release of Viveza was truly revolutionary and introduced the most effective way to selectively edit photos,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software. “With Viveza 2, we listened to a wide range of photographers and added even more control and a new level of precision to make Viveza 2 not only more powerful, but also an essential tool for anyone who regularly edits photos.”

Viveza 2, powered by Nik Software’s patented U Point technology, is the most powerful and precise tool available to globally and selectively control light and color in photographs. With U Point technology, users can quickly select areas of an image to adjust by pointing and clicking and then using simple to use mouse-controlled sliders to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, structure, shadows, red, green, blue, hue, and warmth in a fraction of the time needed by other tools.

“It’s simply faster, easier, and more powerful than anything I’ve got in my own bag of tricks, which is why Viveza 2 is my new tool for making fast, accurate selections,” said Scott Kelby, editor of Photoshop User magazine and author of The Digital Photography Book, Volumes 1-3. “This is a plugin that every serious photographer has to consider, because now the rules have changed. After all these years, making accurate selections is still one area that gives even the pros fits, but Viveza 2 changes all that without the complexity and steep learning curve.”

Key features of Viveza 2 include:
• Powerful Color Control Points, enabling precise selective control of color and light
• New global image adjustments
• New and powerful levels and curves adjustments
• New shadow recovery—global or selective
• New fine detail structure enhancements
• Improved color rendering and increased precision of selections
• Improved timesaving user interface, including improved slider controls, slider favorites, multiple zoom states, keyboard nudging, grouped Color Control Points, and multiple undo levels
• Smart Filter support (Photoshop® only)
• Selective Brush tool (Photoshop only)
• Multi-image support (Lightroom® and Aperture™ only)
• New 64-bit support on Microsoft® Windows

Pricing and Availability
Nik Software’s Viveza 2, offering support for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, is available via electronic and boxed delivery directly from Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) or through specialty camera retailers. A complete list of resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

Viveza 2 retails for €199.95. Registered customers that already own Viveza can upgrade for €99.95 at http://www.niksoftware.com/viveza (all prices incl. 19% VAT). Customers who purchased Viveza after September 22, 2009 are eligible for a free upgrade to Viveza 2, which can be requested by sending a copy of the invoice as well as the Viveza product key via e-mail to supporteu@niksoftware.com or faxing it to 0049-40-471135-35.

To watch a video introduction of Viveza 2, learn more, and download a free trial version, please visit http://www.niksoftware.com/viveza.

About Nik Software
Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions for the growing digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (http://www.upoint.com), Dfine®, Viveza®, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.

Photodex Corporation has released ProShow 4.1, the latest version of its award-winning photo and video slide show software for Windows. ProShow 4.1 makes it easy for users to get their slide shows online and in front of friends, family or clients with new integrated uploading to Facebook, Vimeo and Twitter. Version 4.1 also features an all-new Slide Style Manager and dozens of new, user requested features that help make ProShow better than ever.

“We know what a huge part social networking sites play in our customer’s lives. It’s a place for them to communicate with friends, family and even reach out to potential clients. That’s why we integrated uploading to these sites directly into ProShow 4.1 and made it a very simple and quick process”, said Paul Schmidt, President and Founder of Photodex Corporation.

Users with Facebook and Vimeo accounts can now directly upload their slide shows from ProShow Gold or Producer 4.1 to their profile. Slide shows are sent in video format in either normal quality or high definition. Once a new slide show has been uploaded, it can be automatically announced on Twitter using ProShow 4.1’s new Twitter feature. ProShow automatically creates a new tweet announcing a show upload and provides a link for followers to view it. URLs are automatically shortened and a personalized message can be sent with each tweet.

Other notable updates in ProShow 4.1 include a newly designed Slide Style Manager which allows users to quickly sort, filter and manage styles in their personal libraries. Users accessing large libraries of Slide Styles will experience greatly improved speed when loading the Slide Styles dialog and previewing complex styles. ProShow 4.1 also includes dozens of new, user requested features including time-saving additions in the Slide Options dialog, new Theora video output, improvements to the Layers and Captions lists and more. A full list of new features can be seen on the Photodex website at: http://www.photodex.com/products/proshowgold/new.html

Pricing and Availability
ProShow Gold 4.1 and ProShow Producer 4.1 are available now from http://www.photodex.com or by calling 1-800-37-PHOTO. Upgrades can also be purchased online or by phone.

About Photodex Corporation
Founded in 1987, Photodex Corporation is a leading publisher of software for working with digital content. Photodex creates innovative products that enable users to create compelling slide show presentations with photos, video and audio, and to manage their digital files. Photodex’s user-friendly, affordable software offers power, speed, and simplicity for millions of computer users worldwide.

DxO Labs is pleased to announce the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro v6.1 for Windows that adds RAW support for 3 new cameras – the Canon EOS 7D and PowerShot G11, and the Nikon D3000.

For this new release, DxO Labs fixed several bugs and also made some improvements to the user interface, based on customer feedback and suggestions, including:

* Full screen display mode for increased visual comfort
* Additional shortcuts for improved productivity
* Additional presets for increased flexibility

Furthermore, 56 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering the Canon 7D, 400D, 450D, 500D, Nikon D3, D300, D300s, D40x, and D3000; the Olympus E-30, E-420, E-510, and E-620; and the Sony A300, A850 and A900.
Availability and holiday season price

DxO Optics Pro v6.1 for Windows, both Standard and Elite editions, are immediately available from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at an exceptional 30 % discount until December 31, 2009:

* Standard edition: £ 69 instead of £ 99 (or a savings of £ 30)
* Elite edition: £ 139 instead of £ 199 (or a savings of £ 60)

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro 5 after June 1, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6. All other users benefit from the following exceptional 40% discounts until December 31, 2009:

* DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Standard: £ 29 instead of £ 49.
* DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Elite: £ 39 instead of £ 69.

Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone, recently released on Oct. 9, 2009, is now available worldwide in all countries with iPhone App Stores, providing users with a quick and easy way to edit, upload, view and share photos directly on their iPhones. Holding the No. 1 position for all “Top Free” applications for nearly three weeks and remaining the “Top Free” spot in the Apple App Store Photography category, Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone has been downloaded over 3 million times in the U.S. and Canada. Essential editing tools, such as crop and rotate along with creative one-touch effects and filters, are now available in supported countries. In addition, the application gives users access to their entire online collection of photos from Photoshop.com and allows them to share them directly within the application.

Availability
The Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone application is now available as a free download in all countries with iPhone App Stores. The application is initially available in English only. For more information, visit: http://mobile.photoshop.com/iphone. Users can also connect with Adobe via Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/photoshopdotcom) or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/photoshopdotcom). To join the conversation, follow @photoshopdotcom on Twitter.

onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative, timesaving solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers, today announced the immediate availability of Plug-in Suite 5 for Adobe Photoshop. Designed to solve the most common problems facing photographers in the areas of color correction, enlarging, masking and professional photographic effects, the Plug-in Suite 5 combines full versions of six essential software tools in one affordable package: FocalPoint 2, PhotoTune 3, PhotoFrame 4.5 Professional Edition, PhotoTools 2.5 Professional Edition, Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition and MaskPro 4.

With support for Photoshop CS2, CS3 and CS4 the onOne Software Plug-in Suite 5 now includes the new onOne Panel which provides quick access to all products, Windows 64 bit support and the ability to access select plug-ins from within Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 and Apple Aperture 2.1. Plug-in Suite 5 is available for electronic download immediately and physical boxed copies will be shipping by December 5, 2009.

“We are excited to announce the immediate availability of Plug-in Suite 5, our biggest product update and release in over 4 years,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “This release is the culmination of working closely with both professional and enthusiast photographers to ensure that Plug-in Suite 5 continues to solve the most common problems they face by providing high quality, easy to use products at an incredible value. We are particularly pleased about partnering with NAPP to include content from some of the biggest names in the Photoshop community.”

Plug-in Suite 5 includes full versions of the following onOne Software products:

FocalPoint 2 – Like bringing the camera lens inside Photoshop, this new version of FocalPoint 2 gives photographers the best way to add the most realistic depth of field and selective focus control to any image after it is photographed. Photographers now have an incredible amount of flexibility and control over the look of the blur with FocalPoint 2’s new blur algorithm, FocusBrush, Lens Presets, featuring 18 from Rafael Concepcion from NAPP, and multiple FocusBug features.

PhotoTune 3 – Getting great color doesn’t have to be so hard. This new version of PhotoTune 3 uses patented eye-fidelityTM technology, originally developed by and licensed from imsense to optimize the dynamic range, color and sharpness of images so that they look more true-to-life. The improved Wizard offers fast color and tone correction in as little as two steps while giving pro users direct access to advanced and innovative controls. SkinTune, which represents two years of research and analysis of thousands of skin tones, now offers one-click color correction of portraits and the option to correct just the skin in an image.

PhotoFrame 4.5 Professional Edition – With PhotoFrame 4.5, you can add the perfect finishing touch to your images with over 100 exciting new professionally designed frames, backgrounds, textures and layouts, featuring content from NAPP’s Cory Barker and professional photographer Kersti Malvre. With one thousand design elements like film edges, borders, textures, backgrounds and adornments, PhotoFrame 4.5 Professional Edition even has complete layouts where users can simply drop an image in and they are done. It is the easiest and fastest way to add an authentic darkroom touch with a film edge or to create beautiful albums or scrapbook pages.

PhotoTools 2.5 Professional Edition – PhotoTools 2.5 is the highly acclaimed Photoshop plug-in that allows photographers of all skill levels to maximize the full power of Photoshop with its ability to preview and combine Photoshop Actions in a single, intuitive interface. Designed by photographers for photographers, PhotoTools 2.5 Professional now includes a new MaskingBug control based on the FocusBug control from the award-winning FocalPoint plug-in. The new MaskingBug allows photographers to create high-quality masks to selectively apply effects to images. With over 30 new creative effects, including presets from NAPP’s Rafael Concepcion, for a total effect library of 280, photographers can easily find, combine and save the results to create images that truly stand out.

Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition – The industry standard for enlarging photos, Genuine Fractals 6 enlarges images up to 1,000% while maintaining sharp edges and important image details. Genuine Fractals 6 now includes an automated gallery wrap feature and output options for tiling an enlarged photo. No other resizing plug-in is as widely used by more professionals than Genuine Fractals.

MaskPro 4 – For those times when you need to extract a subject from a photo, Mask Pro 4 uses a color-based method that allows users to easily remove unwanted backgrounds from your photos. Mask Pro’s unique Color Decontamination technology allows users to get realistic results by maintaining transparency in hard to mask objects like hair, smoke and glass in a fraction of the time using traditional tools.

Availability

The new Plug-in Suite 5 is available now to new users for $599.95 and to existing users of previous versions of the Plug-in Suite for $199.95. Purchased separately the products would normally cost $1,300. Customers who own any one or more of the products in Plug-in 5 will be able to upgrade as well by visiting http://www.ononesoftware.com/upgrade/. For more information on the Plug-in Suite 5, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com/.

About onOne Software

onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, develops time-saving software solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers. onOne Software solutions have been created to help photographers spend more of their time behind the camera taking pictures instead of the computer workstation. Such solutions include a wide range of easy-to-use plug-in enhancements for Adobe® Photoshop®, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture, Apple iPhoto and iPhone applications. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit http://www.ononesoftware.com/ or call 1-888-968-1468.

© 2009 onOne Software. All rights reserved. onOne Software and the onOne Software logo are registered trademarks in the United States, and all are the property of onOne Software. Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

November 24, 2009 – muvee, the pioneer and leader in home movie-making software and services, today announced the launch of muvee Reveal version 8, the latest in home movie-making software. muvee Reveal version 8 boasts features including music trimming on multiple music tracks, direct YouTube and Facebook upload options, and personal branding through logo insertion on your movies.  It is also optimized for NVIDIA CUDA Graphics Processor Units (GPUs), enabling up to 8X faster saving times and superior video preview performance.

For over eight years, muvee has been creating automatic video editing software and services for consumers. muvee Reveal version 8 surpasses all previous programs in the muvee family with enhanced personalization features, sharing options and editing capabilities.

In three steps, consumers can create professional-looking home movies in minutes by selecting photos and video, adding the music of their choice, then choosing a style. With patented media analysis and production algorithms which include face, scene and motion detection for videos, and beat and emotional analysis for music, muvee Reveal automatically selects the best scenes, adds effects and transitions according to the style chosen, and syncs everything to the beat and emotions of the music.

“When we sat down to design muvee Reveal version 8, we were adamant about adding ever more powerful personalization and sharing features without complicating the user experience. Now users can upload to Facebook and Youtube in a single step, brand their muvees for blogs and vlogs by including their own logos, and even string together favorite artist’s choruses to create that unique, personal, professional-looking home movie along with their personal music mix,” says Terence Swee, CEO, muvee. “We can now actually say it’s enjoyable to both create and watch home movies!”

muvee Reveal version 8 comes complete with 10 styles, including a new Kinetic style. Styles allow the user to enhance the mood of their home movies with special effects and transitions. Additional stylePacks can be purchased at http://www.muvee.com

muvee Reveal version 8 is available for $79.95 at http://www.muvee.com.

For more information about muvee, visit http://www.muvee.com

About muvee
Since 2001, muvee has been developing software and services featuring patented technology that lets people create and share professional-quality instant home movies out of unedited video, photos and music. muvee develops consumer products for a range of platforms and devices including PCs, Online (shwup.com), digital cameras, mobile phones and photo kiosks. muvee’s global customers include HP, Dell, Nokia, LG, Olympus, Nikon and Creative Technology.

AKVIS Software Inc. releases version 10 of AKVIS Sketch for Windows and Macintosh. The software converts photos to color and B&W pencil drawings and watercolor paintings. Version 10.0 has a new tool – Stroke Direction, which makes the effect of a hand-drawn sketch yet more realistic thanks to the ultimate control over the hatch direction.  New presets have been added, the Preview Window improved and other features made available. The program is now compatible with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6).  The plug-in version also works with Photoshop CS 4 64 bit and PhotoShop Elements v. 8. This version competes with hand drawn art in flexibility and will spur the creativity of the user.

AKVIS Sketch is an award-winning program for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings. The program has already won the recognition of   professionals and delighted home users with its neat results. However, there is no end to perfection and the company released a new version of AKVIS Sketch with many improvements.

With AKVIS Sketch you do not need to handle a pencil to feel like an artist. All you need to create your original work of art is good taste and AKVIS Sketch. Make any photo look like a B&W or color drawing, imitate the technique of graphite or color pencil, charcoal or watercolor painting.

Version 10 presents a new tool – Stroke Direction, which makes the effect of a hand-drawn sketch yet more realistic thanks to the ultimate control over the hatch direction. Draw guiding lines to set the hatching, for example, for round objects (like apples, the moon, etc) and the hatching will follow the curves of the object, as if it was drawn by a human artist.

Also new to v.10.0 : a new parameter in the Edges tab called Edge Strength, which controls how edges are drawn by affecting the intensity of lines and details. The Preview Window has been improved. Due to popular demand, the Preview Window now not only displays how the photo will appear as a drawing, it also shows the effect of applying a canvas, making the selection of just the right texture faster and more efficient.

The new version offers three new AKVIS presets and is now compatible with Windows 7 and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6). The plug-in version is now compatible with Photoshop CS 4 64 bit and PhotoShop Elements v. 8.

As the program offers a new installer, it is important to deinstall the previous version before installing the new one.

The program works in an entertaining way. You can observe the conversion of a photo into a drawing or watercolor painting in real time and even interrupt the process (Esc button) when the required result is achieved.

Once you have converted your photo into a drawing, you can add some special effects (the Background tab).  Create a blend of a drawing and a photo; imitate motion or add a “time machine effect” by swirling the background. Put an accent to certain parts of the image by blurring the rest of it in an artistic way. It is especially useful when the final drawing contains too many details in the background that divert attention.

Also, the parameters on the Canvas tab let you add a rough surface to your image, as if it has been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.

It is also possible to add a signature or a greeting to your pencil drawings to personalize the work of art.

Many photo editing enthusiasts have already appreciated the Sketch’ s features. Take a look at the examples gallery (many created by users) at http://akvis.com/en/sketch/examples-pencil-drawing.php

Sketch can be useful on many occasions. Surprise your friends and relatives by presenting them with their pencil portraits. Make a watercolor drawing out of a photo from your last nature shooting to decorate your room. Convert your own photo into a color sketch to print on a T-shirt. Create a comic out of your party videos.

The program can be helpful to designers who need to quickly bring images to one style for a web-site or an advertisement booklet.

Using batch processing in Photoshop or Paint Shop pro (only for the plug-in version) you can even convert a film into a cartoon. Like here: http://akvis.com/en/sketch-tutorial/cartoon-film.php
For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use. Details are available at http://akvis.com/en/sketch/index.php

AKVIS Sketch is available as a stand-alone application, as well as a plugin to a photo editor.
The plugin version of AKVIS Sketch is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and PhotoImpact. AKVIS Sketch runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Window7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

AKVIS Sketch Home License (plugin or standalone) sells for $72 USD or 55 Euro,  downloadable from http://akvis.com . The upgrade for the users of version 9 is free! Registered users of the previous versions can ugrade to version 9.0-10 for $39. Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Sketch, ArtWork, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Enhancer, LightShop, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtSuite)  for USD $325 USD, huge savings over purchasing each separately. For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

“We first started with VSO Image Resizer as a simple tool toresize and convert images between different formats.Then we added the watermark feature, the possibility to add a border to the picture and supported new formats.

With this new version, we target the ever-growing digital frame market” explains Fabrice Meuwissen, Executive manager of VSO Software.

The new feature is a “transfer assistant” to automatically resize and load your pictures on a digital frame.

Before loading the photo, simply open the “transfer assistant” in the program, and select the screen resolution of your frame. An integrated search engine enables you to find out the technical specifications of your frame if necessary.

Once you’ve plugged your digital frame into your PC, VSO Image Resizer will use the info tagged with the transfer assistant, and load the selected pictures onto the frame in one click. The space saved by the resizing enables you to put more pictures on your frame and ensure the best quality by resizing them to the right aspect ratio!

This automatic transfer feature also comes with a bonus: an easy, state of the art method to optimize the display of the pictures on the frame. This embedded seam carving technology is a smart “content aware” resizing method to keep the full content of an existing picture without distorting the image. No more disturbing black bars or unflattering stretching of pictures to fill in the frame!

Whether you want to compress, convert, create copies, import, edit or organize a single picture or a whole batch, Image Resizer will do the job in one click.

The software has a free version that comes with a pop up window. The pop up is removed with the purchase of the full version. It is also distributed with some digital frames manufacturers.

Key Features

* Reduce photo size, perfect for web publishing/share photos by email
* Integrate in windows explorer or works as a stand-alone application
* Digital frame transfer assistant
* New seam carving method to optimize picture display on digital frames
* Works on file, folder and subfolders
* Configurable compression/resolution ratio
* Customizable templates for renaming files : Iphone wallpaper, PAL , NTSC, Ipod etc..
* Webmaster tool : Add your logo or watermark file
* Import directly from your memory cards
* Save history of destination folder
* Supported file formats: Jpeg, gif, bmp,tiff and RAW formats: Canon .CR2, Nikon .NEF, .MRW Minolta , Sony, etc
* Converts between different graphic formats
* Integrated in windows explorer or works as a stand-alone application
* Imports directly from your memory cards
* Fast processing of single picture or batch images
* Configurable compression/resolution ratio
* new engine, 2x faster, support multi-core CPU
* Indicates amount of space saved after compression
* Saves history of destination folders
* Optimized for Windows XP / Vista 32bits and 64bits/ Windows 7
* Multilingual support, answer guaranteed within 24hours (48 hours on week ends)

System Requirements

Windows XP/ Vista / 7, 32 and 64 bits

Two Pilots has released a new version of Exif Pilot. With Exif Pilot, you can see not only your photo image but also the accompanying metadata. You can view, edit, and create EXIF data.

Flash energy, aperture, exposure time, ISO, focal length… You may or may not be familiar with these technical characteristics, but you can adjust these camera settings, or you can simply photograph in automatic mode. In either case, these parameters define the quality of the photo images. Each time you take an image, your digital camera records date and time information along with technical parameters. This information is stored in a special format called EXIF. That is one of the advantages of digital photography.

In the new version of Exif Pilot, the list of supported image formats is significantly expanded. Now the program allows reading and editing the following file formats: JPEG, TIFF, PNG, DNG, NEF, PEF, CRW, and JP2. Read-only support is provided for these formats: PSD, RAF, CR2, MRW, ARW, and many others.

You can edit the date and time of your images. A necessary feature for crossing time zones while traveling, for instance. EXIF data are shown in a simple table without the need for difficult adjustment. The program also allows you to export data to an Excel table for analysis and storage. Batch editing is available with the Pro version.

With Exif Pilot, you can see what your digital camera knows and change the data as well.

Exif Pilot product line includes Exif Pilot Lite (free version), Exif Pilot, and Exif Pilot Pro.
The programs work on Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/7 platforms.
See more about Exif Pilot Pro here: http://exifpilot.com/exif-software.html
Download free trial version: http://www.exifpilot.com/load/exifpro.exe
Exif Pilot Pro price: 39.95.

For more information about Exif Pilot software contact Two Pilots.
Voice: (212) 202-5531
http://www.exifpilot.com/

imsense, the Cambridge company which develops eye-fidelityTM Dynamic Range Correction technology to deliver the perfect picture has today announced the general availability of its imphoto for pc software.

imphoto for pc reveals the details in photos, bringing detail out of the shadow whilst totally respecting brighter zones and maintaining colour balance.  It’s designed to shorten digital imaging’s most important step to correct brightness and contrast, and it does so automatically, in the blink of an eye, delivering the best possible quality – the perfect picture.

imphoto is available in three versions:
• imphoto demo is a free application with restricted functionality where images can only be saved in JPEG format and where they are resized and scaled to a maximum height/width of 500 pixels.
• imphoto home edition allows processing of any sized JPEG image and also provides additional features including control sliders for rendering settings to adjust gamma, brightness and contrast, allowing users to reveal the image to their own preferences
• For the professional and keen amateur, imphoto pro edition views, processes and save any type of image in their natural format and resolution.  In addition to the core features this version provides batch processing, handling of linear 32-bit per channel HDR images and the ability to save in multiple formats.
• A restricted functionality version, imviewer, is also available on the iPhone, with a full implementation of imphoto currently in Apple review.

CEO of imsense, Philippe Dewost, said “eye-fidelity technology has resulted from over 10 years of research and eight patents to date.  Bringing this technology to market through the imphoto product means that everyone, whether a keen amateur or a professional has the opportunity to reveal the detail in their photos, bringing pictures out of the shadows but without changing any other effects, so that the image they remember seeing is revealed.”  Philippe continued: “imphoto is orders of magnitude faster than any existing solution and produces unmatched quality so that everyone can see the pictures they want, whether for sharing with friends or for publishing professionally.”

The product is endorsed by Michael Freeman, (http://www.michaelfreemanphoto.com) who said “I’ve just revisited some images I’d previously processed using high-end photo-processing software.  With imphoto, I can get a more natural result in a fraction of the time”

imphoto retails at $29.99 for the home edition and $99 for the professional edition. A dedicated site, http://www.imphotonow.com has also been launched with the opportunity for photographers to share their processed photos.

New DxO Optics Pro 6 sets new bar for high ISO RAW conversion and further extends optical fault correction

New features include an improved user interface to increase accessibility and productivity. 33% introductory discount through December 31st

November 3, 2009 – DxO Labs is pleased to announce that the latest version of its award-winning software solution for demanding photographers, DxO Optics Pro version 6, will be released in early November. This new version provides the best-ever images from extreme ISO shots and further extends optical fault correction, while increasing both accessibility and productivity.

DxO Optics Pro 6 will be offered with an exceptional 33% introductory discount through December 31, 2009.

A New Bar for High ISO RAW Conversion
While camera manufacturers keep competing for high ISO performance, DxO Labs now offers the image processing technologies which are critical to delivering top-notch image quality from such extreme ISO shots In low-light conditions, photographers must choose between using low ISO and risking unnatural flash lighting or camera shake, or using high ISO settings with its typical image noise and loss of colors and details. But now, thanks to a new technological approach, DxO Optics Pro 6 sets a new bar for RAW conversion: photographers can push their cameras to the ISO limits and even beyond — as much as one to two stops above their usual ISO settings! — and still get great photos without any noticeable loss in image quality.

“Advances in DxO Optics Pro 6 are able to significantly reduce the noisy color cast and the low spatial frequency color blotches that typically ruin very high ISO shots and more generally any photo with deep shadows,” explains Frédéric Guichard, DxO Labs’ Chief Imaging Scientist. “Removing strong low frequency noise involves processing pixels over a very large neighborhood while preserving fine details. To achieve natural-looking and sharp images, we leave some purely colorless noise in the image, producing a grain that looks strikingly similar to the finest grain from silver halide times.”

DxO Labs’ new de-noising technology significantly extends the effective dynamic range and best leverages the higher bit-depth that modern sensors provide. Cleaning noise out of dark regions of the images allows photographers to digitally relight them (e.g. using DxO Lighting tool). Overall, with DxO Optics Pro 6 photographers end up with many benefits:

- Great photos when shooting at their camera’s highest ISO and beyond;
- Extended dynamic range thanks to the ability to slightly under-expose their shots (with negative EV bias), thus avoiding clipping highlights and still minimizing noise in the lowlights;
- Digital relighting of shadows or dark areas of their images without adding noise.

Extended Optical Fault Correction
DxO Optics Pro has long been recognized for its unrivalled automatic optical fault correction based on DxO Optics Modules — laboratory-grade mathematical models characterizing the optical faults of each particular camera & lens combination which are computed for each focal length, each aperture, each focusing distance, etc. More than 1600 DxO Optics Modules are available today and can now be automatically detected and downloaded to the application — and this number is growing at an accelerated pace.

Also, for photographers who desire to adjust optical correction for a creative purpose, or to handle lenses that are not calibrated yet, DxO Optics Pro 6 now provides controls to manually adjust distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, and sharpness (USM) for any lens.

As DxO Optics Pro expert users always look for more precise controls, DxO Optics Pro 6 features an additional fine detail adjustment which specifically deals with the preservation of high spatial frequency texture and details of the images — another demonstration of DxO Labs’ consistent effort to bring the best to the optical faults correction so photographers can obtain the most perfect images.

Improved User Interface
DxO Optics Pro 6’s user interface has been revamped to ease the first hands-on experience for beginners, providing them with the easiest RAW Conversion tool delivering best quality without the pain. For experts and professional photographers, productivity and control levels have also been improved.

New features include, among others:
- Workspace customization for easier access to the photographer’s preferred tools;
- Detachable and multi-line “Project” window for multi-monitor display and full-screen image preview;
- Correction comparison between several candidates (for selecting preferred photo rendering);
- Streamlined access to DxO Presets for increased productivity;
- Automatic detection and download of missing DxO Optics Modules;
- More ergonomic user interface for better accessibility.

Additional Camera Support
Both the Standard and Elite editions of DxO Optics Pro 6 add support to the Olympus D-SLR family, along with latest Sony and Nikon cameras:

- Olympus E3, E30, E410, E420, E450, E510, E520, E620;
- Sony A230, A330, A380;
- Nikon D300s.
Availability and exceptional introductory price

For Windows:
DxO Optics Pro 6 for Windows Standard and Elite editions are scheduled for release in early November 2009 from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers, and will be available at an exceptional 33 % discount until December 31, 2009:
- Standard edition: £ 69 instead of £ 99 (or a savings of £ 30)
- Elite edition: £ 139 instead of £ 199 (or a savings of £ 60)

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro 5 after June 1st, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6. All other users benefit from the following 40% discounts until December 31, 2009:
- DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Standard: £ 29 instead of £ 49.
- DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro 6 Elite: £ 39 instead of £ 69.
Prices include sales taxes and VAT.

For Mac:
DxO Optics Pro 6 for Macintosh is scheduled for release in early 2010. A Macintosh intermediate release, DxO Optics Pro 5.3.6, fully compatible with Snow Leopard, is scheduled for end of November. It will also include support for additional camera bodies.

System Requirements
• 2 GB RAM minimum
• 400 MB available disk space
• To process RAW images larger than 20 MPixels, a 64-bit operating system with 4 GB RAM is strongly recommended

Windows:
• Intel Pentium 4 processor or AMD equivalent (Pentium Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
• Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bits, Windows 7 Macintosh:
• Universal Binary (G4, G5 or Intel-Mac)
• Mac OS X.4 or X.5 or X.6

About DxO Optics Pro
DxO Optics Pro is an award-winning automatic image enhancement software for enthusiastic amateur and professional photographers shooting in JPEG or RAW format. World renowned for its unique automated optical corrections (distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, lens softness), and its state-of-the-art RAW conversion, it addresses the entire spectrum of image quality issues, including noise removal, exposure optimization, keystoning correction, color control and dust removal. Its fully-customizable and easy-to-use interface makes it an unrivalled productivity tool, able to process hundreds of images in just a few clicks of a mouse.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com.

About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:

• Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing, for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);
• Image quality evaluation and measurement tools, for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.

For more information, visit DxO Labs’ website at http://www.dxo.com..

AKVIS Software Inc. has released Noise Buster 7.0 for Windows and Macintosh with further improvement to its noise suppression algorithm, as well as many other improvements.

Whether your digital images are from a digital camera or a scanner, you may often notice the so-called “noise”. It can be seen as grains that compromise the smoothness of a photo or random red and blue pixels which spoil the color accuracy of a snap-shot. Such images can be improved with noise removal software. The idea is to achieve a balance between removing noise and keeping fine details in a picture.

AKVIS Noise Buster reduces both luminance and color noise in digital images without blurring the edges of objects. Your photos remain sharp and crisp, while the unwanted artifacts disappear.

Noise Buster begins by applying the “Auto Filtering” preset to an image. Automatic Filtering has been improved in Version 7.0, but you can still make adjustments to parameters to achieve the result you want and observe any changes in the preview window.

A histogram displaying the noise level and noise components (color and luminance noise) of an image helps you to decide which parameters should be adjusted. Separate setting areas for luminance and color noise allow you to deal with each kind of noise in the most efficient way.

The program tips help you to achieve the best result. Hovering your mouse over a parameter makes the application display a hint about this setting.

AKVIS Noise Buster 7.0 includes the following improvements. Registered users can upgrade for free:

* The noise reduction algorithm has been improved.
* Automatic filtration has also been improved. It makes adjustments for particular kinds of noise based on four noise suppression parameters.
* Support for 64 bit has been added to the plug-in version (now compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS4 64 bit).
* Compatibility with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 has been added.
* Now compatible with OS Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) and Windows 7.
* Bugs have been fixed in both the Windows and Macintosh versions.
* The Print Dialog Box (in standalone version) has been improved. Now a printer can be selected as well as its resolution.
* The interface has been redesigned (New Skin).
* The installer has been updated.
* Program documentation has been updated.
* Working with the Preview Window and the Before/After tabs is now more intuitive.

AKVIS Noise Buster is available as a standalone application and as a plug-in.

The plug-in version of Noise Buster offers batch mode that can improve a series of photos automatically. Batch processing saves a lot of time when you need to correct a number of photos taken with the same camera settings in similar circumstances. The Noise Buster plug-in is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Corel Photo-Paint, Painter and Paint Shop Pro Photo, PhotoImpact, etc.

The software runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP /Vista/ Win 7; and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6.

Registered users can upgrade the software for free. The users who tried the previous version of Noise Buster and have their version expired, now have an opportunity to test the software again. Download the program.

AKVIS Noise Buster sells for $49 USD. It also comes bundled with AKVIS Enhancer (detail-revealing software) for $83 USD. Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plug-ins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Retoucher, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Enhancer, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Sketch, Decorator, LightShop, ArtSuite, SmartMask, Magnifier, ArtWork) for USD $325 USD, a savings of $513 over purchasing each separately. For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key permits activation of the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

Also, if you would like a coupon good for a 30% on Noise Buster or on any of our other products, take part in our Halloween Offer, which lasts until November 7, 2009. Send a photo of yourself in a Halloween costume and receive a coupon!

Phase One, the world’s leader in open-platform medium format camera systems and solutions, today released Capture One 5 PRO. Known for rendering superior quality images from a wide range of pro DSLR, Mamiya and Phase One medium format cameras, Capture One PRO is now enhanced with workflow accelerators to handle large volume shoots faster.

Capture One 5 PRO is the RAW converter and workflow application with the broadest tethered shooting support, not only for Phase One digital backs, but also for DSLRs from Canon and Nikon. This version adds support for additional DSLR models and RAW file support for selected Leaf digital backs.

“Today’s pro photographers are shooting with both medium format and DSLR cameras, so having a truly professional quality digital darkroom, that can manage RAW files from both systems, makes life easier,” said Carsten H. Olsen, Phase One product manager for Capture One. “Capture PRO helps photographers reduce the time and effort required to deliver stunning ready-to-use images with excellent color and detail.”

About Capture One 5
Capture One 5’s simple, intuitive interface is designed to achieve superior image quality through easy-to-use tools that match a professional photographer’s daily workflow requirements. Now pros can:

-  Get an instant view of image focus with the Focus tool and use the Focus Mask for quick selection of images with correct focus;

- Perfect the appearance of smooth, soft skin tones with the Skin Tone Enhancer;

- Add vignettes to the edges of your images for artistic effect (follows crop);

- Adjust individual color channels easily with RGB Levels and Curves;

- Access and edit an expanded set of IPTC metadata fields.

For complete product details, please see http://www.phaseone.com/5.

Pricing and availability
Capture One 5 is available in three versions: Capture One 5, Capture One 5 DB and Capture One 5 PRO; each version is localized for Chinese (simplified), Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Swedish.

Capture One 5 PRO is available via download for 399 USD and 299 EUR through Phase One’s Online Store http://www.phaseone.com/store and through leading professional photography dealers worldwide. Capture One 5 is available for 129 USD and 99 EUR.

Existing Capture One 4 PRO customers can upgrade to Capture One 5 PRO for 99 USD and 69 EUR. Existing Capture One 4 customers can upgrade to Capture One 5 PRO for 299 USD and 229 EUR. Please visit Phase One’s Online Store http://www.phaseone.com/store for other upgrade options and free trials.

For a comparison between Capture One and Capture One PRO please see: http://www.phaseone.com/comparison.

System Requirements
Capture One 5 for Microsoft Windows requires at least an Intel Pentium 4 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free hard disk space as well as Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7.

Capture One 5 for Apple Macintosh requires at least an Intel-based Mac, 2 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free hard disk space as well as Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or Mac OS X 10.5.8.

About Phase One
Phase One is the world’s leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions. Phase One medium format cameras, digital backs and lenses are designed to deliver superior quality image capture and investment value. Phase One’s Capture One software helps streamline capture and post-production processes for both medium format and DSLR cameras. Phase One products are known for their quality, flexibility and speed enabling pro photographers shooting in a wide range of formats to achieve their creative visions without compromise. For more information about the products, visit the Phase One web site on http://www.phaseone.com.

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Nik Software Announces Viveza® 2 for Adobe® Photoshop®, Lightroom® & Apple® Aperture™
Now offers a complete range of new and powerful selective and global adjustments for fast and efficient photo editing

New York, NY (PhotoPlus Expo Booth #766) – October 22, 2009 – Nik Software announces today Viveza 2, an upgrade to its award winning and revolutionary plug-in for selective color and light control. Available in December, Viveza 2 now offers users robust global adjustments and precise selective controls that utilize Nik Software’s award-winning U Point® technology. Viveza 2 eliminates the need to create complicated selections or layer masks and provides a powerful solution for users looking to save time and effort when editing images.

“New global image controls added to Viveza’s powerful selective editing capabilities now enable users to quickly and easily perform virtually all of their color and light adjustments within a single step,” said Michael J. Slater president and CEO of Nik Software. “New features such as shadow recovery, structure control, increased precision of selections, and user interface improvements together give users ultimate control, enabling truly spectacular results.”

Viveza 2, powered by Nik Software’s patented U Point technology, is the most powerful and precise tool available to globally and selectively control light and color in photographs. With
U Point technology, users can quickly select areas of an image to adjust by pointing and clicking and then using simple to use sliders to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, structure, red, green, blue, hue, and warmth in a fraction of the time needed by other tools.

Key features of Viveza 2 include:
• Powerful Color Control Points, enabling precise selective control of color and light
• New global image adjustments
• New and powerful levels and curves adjustments
• New shadow recovery—global or selective
• New fine detail structure enhancements
• Improved color rendering and increased precision of selections
• Improved timesaving user interface, including improved slider controls, slider favorites, multiple zoom states, keyboard nudging, grouped Color Control Points, and multiple undo levels
• Smart Filter support (Photoshop only)
• Selective Brush tool (Photoshop only)
• Multi-image support (Lightroom and Aperture only)
• New 64-bit support on Microsoft Windows

Pricing and Availability
Nik Software’s Viveza 2, offering support for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, will be available via electronic and boxed delivery directly from Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) or through specialty camera retailers. A complete list of resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers.

Viveza 2 retails for $199.95. Customers that already own Viveza can upgrade for $99.95. Customers who have purchased Viveza after September 22, 2009 will be eligible for a free upgrade to Viveza 2.
To watch a video introduction of Viveza 2 and to sign up to be notified when the software is available, please visit http://www.niksoftware.com/viveza2.

About Nik Software
Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions for the growing digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (http://www.upoint.com), Dfine®, Viveza®, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.

Honestech, Inc. today announced the availability of FOTOBOX Plus, a USB device solution that enables the creation of rich multimedia slideshows from photos and videos.  Priced at $79.99, the product can now be purchased on Honest Technology’s Web site, and at leading retailers and/or on their Web sites, such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, Micro Center, OfficeMax and others.

Unique in the market, FOTOBOX™ Plus contains an integrated memory card reader and embedded PC software with FLASH memory, and automatically runs without any installation—making multimedia slideshow creation more convenient for both novice and professional computer users.

Key Facts
FOTOBOX Plus addresses the needs of novices and professionals through two modes:

Easy Mode is recommended for users with limited knowledge of photo software or that don’t require editing tools.  Users can just import their photos, select their favorite theme template and view their final creation.

Advanced Mode is designed for those that want more control over their slideshows, offering photo editing capabilities, themed templates, motion effects, and title, background music and narration options.
The technology is compatible with all Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, and can be used on netbooks, as CD and DVD drives are not required.
FOTOBOX Plus supports high-definition MPEG video, with resolutions up to 1920 x 1080, and standard television resolution up to 720 x 480.
Users can publish the slideshows to multiple disc types, including DVD, SVCD and VCD, and multiple file formats, including MPEG 1, MPEG 2, AVI, DV-AVI and WMV.  The multimedia can be directly uploaded to Facebook or YouTube, and put into iPod and PSP formats, as well.
Resources
For more information about FOTOBOX Plus, please visit http://honestech.com/main/FOTOBOXPlus.asp.
A video demo of FOTOBOX Plus can be found on YouTube.
Tags
Honest Technology, Honestech, FOTOBOX, multimedia, slideshows, PC, memory card, USB, photo, video, software, retail, camera, peripheral

About Honestech, Inc.
Honest Technology, or Honestech, Inc., is a premier supplier of digital video and audio communication and entertainment solutions.  Founded in 1998, as a pioneer of real-time MPEG encoding/decoding software technologies, the company is transforming the way high-quality digital video and audio are captured, delivered and experienced, and is integrating this communication into users’ daily lives.  For more information, please visit http://www.honestech.com.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today introduced Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 beta software for Macintosh and Windows®, a public preview of new and improved functionality to be delivered in the next major release. Lightroom is the essential digital photography workflow solution, helping serious amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance, and showcase all their images from one application. Available as a free download on Adobe Labs, Lightroom 3 beta delivers a preview of new tools that will be in Lightroom 3, including more intuitive importing, unparalleled noise reduction and sharpening tools and enhanced slideshow capabilities. Adobe encourages photographers to test this early selection of new features and provide the product team with their feedback.

“We are extremely fortunate that a strong community of photographers have rallied around Lightroom, helping to evolve the application and making it a meaningful part of their photographic workflows,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for Professional Digital Imaging at Adobe.  “While we’re still hard at work on Lightroom 3, we recognise the value our customers bring to the development process and want their input so we can deliver the best final product possible.”

New in Lightroom 3 Beta
Lightroom 3 beta has been completely redesigned with under-the-hood efficiencies to better handle growing image libraries and improve responsiveness with a higher-quality processing engine. In the Library module, a rebuilt import system makes bringing photos into the software more intuitive. Users can easily specify the source and destination of their images, and save common processing, metadata or destination settings as easy-to-reuse presets.

In the Develop module, an overhauled processing engine allows users to create the highest quality images. Improved Capture Sharpening and Colour Noise Reduction tools provide superior results while still preserving an image’s edge detail and contrast. A new Grain tool adds a film-style grain to images, and two new Vignette modes help photographers get a more natural look.

Lightroom 3 beta also offers advanced output options, including the ability to export slideshows as videos with audio and title screens that can be posted to video-sharing sites or optimised for mobile media. New watermarking capabilities enable photographers to embed text or graphic information directly on an image and then adjust the size, position and opacity. In addition, photographers can customise print layouts and save settings for future use, giving them refined control over their images.

Adobe Photoshop Family
Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended software are at the heart of the Photoshop family, joined by solutions for users at every level who want to bring out the best in their digital images. Photoshop Lightroom addresses the workflow needs of serious amateur and professional photographers, helping them manage, find, enhance and showcase images in impactful ways. Adobe Photoshop Elements software provides exciting tools and sharing options for photo enthusiasts. Lastly, snap shooters can access Photoshop.com for free to simply fix and enhance photos, and quickly share those images on Photoshop.com or on social-networking sites.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta is available as a free download to anyone on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Visit http://www.labs.adobe.com/downloads to learn more and download the beta. Feedback can be submitted on the Lightroom forums: http://forums.adobe.com/community/lightroom. Users also can connect with Adobe at http://www.facebook.com/lightroom or http://www.twitter.com/AdobeLR, and can add the tag #AdobeLR3 to tweets about the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/uk.

Lexar Image Rescue 4 Delivers Enhanced Image Recovery Capabilities for Photographers Shooting with Any Memory Card

New Features on Award-Winning Software Include One-Step Recovery Process, Automatic Updates to Ensure Continuous Compatibility, and Expanded Language Support

Fremont, CA, October 20, 2009—Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, announced today the launch of Lexar® Image Rescue™ 4 software, the newest version of Lexar’s popular image recovery software. Image Rescue 4 enables photographers to recover most lost or deleted images and videos from any memory card form factor, from any manufacturer, and is compatible with all mass storage-compliant card readers. New features on the award-winning software include an easy-to-manage one-step recovery interface, automatic updates to ensure the software’s compatibility with new RAW images and operating systems, and expanded language support. For additional information about Lexar Image Rescue 4 software, visit http://www.lexar.com/software/image_rescue4.html.

“For professional and hobbyist photographers alike, the thought of losing any important pictures or videos is a nightmare,” said Jeff Cable, director of marketing, Lexar Media. “With its extensive recovery capabilities, Image Rescue 4 software is a powerful yet simple tool to help get those files back, and preserve special memories or assignments that might otherwise have been lost forever. The latest version of Image Rescue software will provide a friendlier user interface, support multiple languages and help photographers around the world recover their lost images and videos, regardless of which brand or type of memory card they use, providing valuable peace of mind to both professionals and consumers alike.”

Lexar Image Rescue 4 software is compatible with PC and Mac® operating systems, and supports multiple languages, including English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. When recovering an image, the award-winning software scans every sector of a memory card and automatically reports any errors. The software also allows photographers to perform low-level formatting of their cards, enabling them to restore the card’s factory settings. Downloadable Lexar Image Rescue 4 software is included with the purchase of any Lexar Professional CompactFlash® (CF) and Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC™) memory cards, and can also be purchased online at http://www.lexar.com.

Bits&Coffee has released BatchPhoto v. 2.6, a powerful Windows picture converter program that makes it easy to annotate, touch up, transform, apply effects, convert and rename hundreds of pictures in a single operation. Instead of enhancing and adjusting pictures individually, BatchPhoto lets you select a group of images, define a series of edits, and apply them in a single operation.

With version 2.6 BatchPhoto is now fully compatible with the new operating system from Microsoft(R), Windows 7 and has a new major feature: Auto Rotate.

Most of the latest digital cameras now came equipped with orientation sensors that recognize the portrait or landscape orientation of the camera when taking a picture and save this information into the image file. In spite of this feature the portrait images are still saved as landscape by most digital cameras and need to be rotated afterwards by the user.

BatchPhoto makes the task of rotating digital photos very easy and fast by processing hundreds of pictures in one session and by taking advantage of multi-core processors to speed-up the process. The operation can be performed even without starting the application, directly from Windows Explorer’s contextual (right-click) menu.

BatchPhoto is an image converter software that can read and write more than 130 image file formats, including: JPEG, TIFF, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP, EPS, TGA, and PSD. It can also read RAW image formats from most DSLR digital cameras.

Overall, BatchPhoto has 40 graphical filters that can be applied to pictures. The filters are divided into four main categories: Annotate, Touch Up, Transform, and Effects. The program is designed with productivity and ease of use in mind, so the user can save settings and use profiles for speeding up common tasks. BatchPhoto adds itself to Windows Explorer’s contextual (right-click) menu, so the user can apply predefined or custom defined profiles to groups of pictures with ease.

BatchPhoto v. 2.6 runs under all versions of Windows, including Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. It comes in two editions: Home and Pro priced at $29.95(US), and $59.95(US). BatchPhoto may be purchased securely online at http://www.batchphoto.com/. Quantity discounts and site licenses are available. A free 30-day trial version can be downloaded from the same web address.

Reallusion, Inc., a pioneer in advancing 3D animation and imaging technology, has launched iClone 4.0™, the latest edition of their popular 3D filmmaking and animation software.

iClone 4.0 introduces new features that combine video production with 3D real-time animation. The result is a powerful production tool for motion graphics, 3D animation and video compositing.

New features include:

Real-time Video textures & 3D/Video compositing
Drag-&-Drop editing for rapid scene creation
Edit and animate any non-human character type, including animals, creatures, cartoon figures
Real-time Facial Animation for puppeteering
Motion Paths for props, cameras, particle FX & actors
HDR & Image-based lighting atmosphere FX
Enhanced spring dynamics, water and particle effects

“iClone is the tool of choice for a daily TV news magazine. There is no other 3D package that gives you such speed,” said Thorsten Strack, Executive Director, L4 Kreation, Germany. “I have never worked with a 3D package that gives so much creative freedom; it feels like filmmaking, not 3D editing.”

iClone has introduced students, professionals and independent filmmakers worldwide to the real-time art of 3D animation, digital storytelling and digital content creation. Additional information, as well as demo videos and sample work created with iClone 4.0, is available at: http://www.reallusion.com/iclone.

ROYALTY-FREE CONTENT
In addition to Google 3D Warehouse, a favorite of users of Google’s free 3D modeling tool SketchUp, Reallusion’s content store offers a plethora of royalty-free, ready-to-use 3D content for iClone and their other family of products. Users are encouraged to add their work to the hundreds of content creators who are already selling their creations to other members of the iClone community. Whether it’s a city scene, assets that might make for a tales of elves and sorcery or some tree textures to fill in an outdoor scene, Reallusion’s content store has it all. For more information, visit http://www.reallusion.com/contentstore.

PRICING and AVAILABILITY:
Download versions and box versions of iClone will be available from the Reallusion Online Store at http://www.reallusion.com

Standard version is available at £69.99 inc and £139.99 inc for Pro version.

Availability at leading retailers worldwide will follow. Business site licenses, with prices based on volume requirements, and educational discounts are available directly from http://www.reallusion.com. Free trials and upgrades are also available at the Reallusion website.

About Reallusion, Inc.
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Reallusion is a leader in the development of Hollywood-like 3D cinematic animation tools for PC and mobile platforms. Recognized as an industry pioneer, the company provides consumers with easy-to-use character animation, facial morphing and voice lip-sync solutions for real-time 3D filmmaking and previsualization for professional post-production. Reallusion’s core technologies are widely used by consumer and professional content developers and are embedded in leading consumer devices worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.reallusion.com.

Camera Bits, Inc. (http://www.camerabits.com), a pioneering provider of software for professional digital photographers, today announced the launch of its new camerabits.com website, the introduction of its improved Photo Mechanic user manual and the October 22, 2009 general availability of Photo Mechanic version 4.6.2, the industry standard photo browser and workflow accelerator software. The launch of Photo Mechanic 4.6.2 will coincide with PhotoPlus Expo in New York City from October 22 – 24, 2009 where attendees can view live, cross-platform demonstrations of innovative workflow solutions only possible with Photo Mechanic in Camera Bits’ booth (#967).

The new camerabits.com website will continue to host the many resources that have maintained Camera Bits’ strong sales and outstanding customer service record, including its user forums, with more than 21,000 posts covering 4,500 topics by 3,100 members. In addition, the new camerabits.com will have a library of video tutorials, helpful for both beginners and professionals alike, detailed feature/function descriptions and screen captures, Photo Mechanic user reviews, the story behind the founding of the company in 1996, the development of the software and biographies of key personnel at Camera Bits. It will also serve as the home of the improved Photo Mechanic user manual, which incorporates several new sets of intuitive instructions, tips and techniques for version 4.6, including:

·      GPS functions,

·      Speeding up captioning,

·      Searching and finding photos,

·      Uploading status indicators,

·      New HTML template exporter,

·      Sample Adobe and Capture NX2 IPTC/XMP preference settings,

·      A full Variables list,

·      Command summaries,

·      Keyboard shortcuts and an

·      Expanded FAQ section.

Photo Mechanic 4.6.2

Photo Mechanic 4.6.2’s improvements were designed to continually advance its speed and integration with other imaging hardware and software, in addition to fully supporting Mac OS X Snow Leopard. New product features include:
·      Improvements to uploading templates, including those from PhotoShelter and Zenfolio;

·      Changes to the handling of structured keywords in XMP to better perform with Adobe applications that use structured keywords;

·      Improvements with RAW file handling and support for RAW files from new camera models built by Canon, Nikon, Olympus and more; and

·      Stability, speed and service improvements for both Leopard and Snow Leopard, including improved SpotLight searching, the ability to “Browse with Photo Mechanic” via the Finder, and a separate handler for Navigation Services Dialogs to protect against known OS issues.

“When you buy software from a vendor you are really investing in that company. You trust that company to look after your valuable images,” said Nick Didlick, photojournalist. “I can’t think of one company I trust more with the management of my photos than Camera Bits. It always amazes me that they can offer the kind of customer service they do – it is simply unmatched. My advice to other photographers is to update to the newest of Photo Mechanic because if they are not they’re really missing out. What they have in their software – today – they developed it because they know you’ll want to use it – 3 or 4 years out.”

Photo Mechanic is by far the most popular photo editing software used by photojournalists, major newspapers and news organizations, including The Associated Press, which standardized its workflow around Photo Mechanic, as well as educational institutions and the U.S. Military.

“We are very pleased to present our customers with so many new enhancements to our services and software,” said Dennis Walker, founder and president/CEO of Camera Bits. “Photo Mechanic has evolved into the industry standard photo browser and workflow accelerator over the past many years, as is evidenced by the strong demand for version 4.6 by our thousands of customers worldwide. We wanted our website and user manual to reflect the same degree of advancement. These new resources will take the user experience to a whole new level; we have always put photographers’ interests first, and we have continually developed Photo Mechanic, the new website and the manual to address as many of their needs as quickly and effectively as possible.”

For additional information about Camera Bits or Photo Mechanic, please visit http://www.camerabits.com or call (503) 547-2800.

About Photo Mechanic
Photo Mechanic is a photo browser and workflow accelerator that has set the standards in its field for more than a decade. Users of the program can speed through the import, captioning, and editing process at a rate that goes unmatched, thanks to Photo Mechanic’s straightforward design and wide range of customizable workflow tools. The program’s powerful Ingest command reads images from memory cards, flattens directory structures, applies IPTC metadata, creates backups on separate disks and renames files – all in a single step. Photo Mechanic speeds through the editing of large numbers of photos to select keepers, rename, classify, and organize, and its many output options allow photographers to easily create Web galleries and slideshows, print contact sheets, transfer photos to an FTP server or upload them to an online archive, share photos via email, store favorites and much more.

About Camera Bits
Camera Bits is a pioneering provider of software for professional digital photographers. Technology visionary and president/CEO Dennis Walker founded the company in 1996 with a simple purpose – design powerful, intuitive software that will improve the workflow of the digital photographer. Among the first of Camera Bits’ innovative developments were the unified color artifact and noise filter Quantum Mechanic, moiré pattern reducer Moiré Eraser, and “banding” noise filter Band Aide. The success of programs led to the development of the prize member of the Camera Bits’ digital arsenal, Photo Mechanic, a photo browser and workflow accelerator that to-date is unmatched in its vast capabilities. To learn more about the history of Camera Bits, the technology behind its software, the man behind it all, on how to apply for educational discount, please visit http://www.camerabits.com or call (503) 547-2800.

Topaz Labs announces the release of Topaz ReMask, a fast and highly efficient Photoshop plug-in for masking and cutting out digital images. Topaz ReMask allows specific image elements to easily be isolated in one image and then seamlessly merged into another image. Topaz ReMask easily integrates into Photoshop, enhancing the functionality of the masking process.

Masking and cutting out image elements are very common tasks among photographers and graphic designers, but the process is generally repetitive and slow, especially when it comes to intricate details like hair and fur. Even with other masking tools on the market today the process still tends to be inefficient. Topaz ReMask’s advanced technology is revolutionizing and expediting the masking process, especially for more complex image masking.

“Extracting complicated objects from non-trivial backgrounds in a photograph is an involved and tedious task,” said Dr. Yang, President of Topaz Labs. “Topaz ReMask makes this task a lot easier by employing some remarkable recent breakthroughs in alpha-matting research in addition to our own innovations.”

Topaz ReMask’s advanced technology operates by using a tri-map, or user-generated mask-map, made up of three tones: white, black and gray. Users are able to quickly define the elements in their image that they want to keep using white; elements they want to get rid of using black; and elements that they want ReMask to figure out using gray. The tri-map technique significantly reduces masking times while increasing the cutting accuracy of delicate and complex image elements.

“Masking programs are in high demand, and over the years have received many requests to develop a better extraction tool from our user communities. We have responded with a quicker, more accurate cutout and masking tool,” said Eric Yang, Marketing Manager for Topaz Labs. “Topaz ReMask makes difficult masking of hair and fine edges almost effortless.”

Photographers and graphic designers looking for a quicker and more accurate way to extract objects in their digital images are invited to try out the new Topaz ReMask plug-in for free using the 30-day free trial. Topaz ReMask is priced at $69.99 with a $29.99 limited-time introductory price. For more information, please visit the Topaz ReMask webpage at: http://www.topazlabs.com/remask.

Topaz Labs LLC, a privately owned company in Dallas, Texas, is an innovative provider of advanced software technology solutions for digital still cameras and digital video cameras. Topaz Labs’ mission is to bring practical state-of-the-art image and video enhancement technology to photography and videography professionals and consumers.

Acronis released today the first backup and recovery software optimised for netbooks’ screen size and unique hardware configuration. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition delivers the patented disk-imaging technology and bare metal restore technologies of the Acronis True Image family combined with an option for online backup.

Acronis True Image Netbook Edition is the latest addition to the award-winning Acronis True Image portfolio, following the release of Acronis True Image 2010. Acronis is strengthening its leadership by expanding its consumer offerings with solutions that meet specific needs and deliver best value for data protection and disaster recovery.

In a single product designed for the booming netbook market – market research firm DisplaySearch measured netbook sales growth at 40 percent from Q1 2009 to Q2 2009 – Acronis True Image Netbook Edition delivers the flexibility of where and how often to backup netbooks. From its intuitive graphical interface, users can back up their entire disk locally and to any attached device. One-Click Protection and powerful scheduler allows users to simply create and automate regular backups. Additionally, users can store their critical data online using the optional Acronis online service.

Acronis® True Image Home Netbook Edition supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Home and XP Professional operating systems and requires a minimum screen resolution of 1024×600. The new software supports netbooks that use Intel’s Atom 230, 330, N270, N280, Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540 chips or the VIA C7-M chip.

“By delivering the first-ever netbook-optimized backup and recovery software, Acronis is continuing its pledge to develop industry-leading solutions,” said Jason Donahue, CEO of Acronis. “The netbook market is growing rapidly and netbook users deserve the award-winning power of our disk-imaging technology”

Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition, priced at £23.95, can be downloaded at http://www.acronis.co.uk/homecomputing/products/trueimage/netbook/.

ACDSee Pro 3 Offers Photographers Triple Threat of Speed, Flexibility and Value

New version of ACDSee Pro photo management software known for viewing, browsing and organizing digital images introduces new image processing and publishing capabilities

VICTORIA, British Columbia – Sept. 29, 2009 – ACD Systems International Inc. today unveiled ACDSee™ Pro 3, a new version of its leading digital image management software that retains the same fast and flexible features photographers rely upon and incorporates an enhanced user experience that delivers professional level workflow tools at a tremendous value.

ACDSee Pro 3 builds on its reputation as a leading viewer, browser and organizer with new advanced speed capabilities in the editing and online stages. For example, the program’s unique process mode integrates two highly prized features – nondestructive image editing and precise pixel-level editing – into one seamless application.

“ACDSee Pro 3 is geared around saving time and offers photographers the ability to customize their own workflow and speed up the process of preparing and sharing their photos,” said Cam Carmichael, product manager for ACD Systems, who noted that more than 10,000 professional photographers worldwide participated in the beta test program. “The Pro 3 structure makes it easy for users to achieve their desired results quickly and efficiently.”

Introduced in early 2006, ACDSee Pro has historically been designed around mode-based operations, so this new, updated version will be familiar to current ACDSee Pro users. The software emphasizes four areas of activity – manage, view, process and online – that optimizes each step in the photography workflow in one application.

“I’m on assignment overseas often and the last thing I want to worry about is my workflow,” said Peter Pereira, a photojournalist and 4SEE Photo Agency photographer. “I’ve been a longtime ACDSee Pro user and the latest version is top-notch image software. I’ve tried them all and this is my favorite.”

Manage: Digital asset management
ACDSee Pro 3 provides photographers with the capability to manage digital assets to their own specifications using both folders and metadata. The manage mode speeds the process of browsing, cataloging, retrieving, and presenting collections with flexible time-saving tools. New additions to the robust sharing capabilities allow users to distribute their creative work effortlessly through SMTP-enabled e-mail applications such as Gmail™ and Yahoo!® Mail Plus, and publish images to their Web sites via a new FTP uploader.

As in previous versions of ACDSee Pro, ACDSee Pro 3 supports the management of more than 100 file types and will be regularly updated to support the latest RAW formats as new camera models are released

View: Unparalleled image viewing
In view mode, images can be seen in full size at unparalleled speeds. Photographers can quickly scan through selected images with click advance or auto advance features, or flip between images using the new filmstrip window and remain oriented within a large group of files.

Process: Dynamic imaging processing
ACDSee Pro 3’s new process mode integrates nondestructive image editing and precise pixel-level editing into one seamless application. Users can take advantage of the new mode to dynamically adjust images of any format, from RAW files to TIFFs and JPEGs, and easily complete both global nondestructive adjustments and pixel-level editing on any image in one intuitive workflow. Unlike other programs that make users wait while changes apply, ACDSee Pro 3 allows users to see the outcome of their adjustments in real time.

Online: Photo sharing with free storage
Photographers can easily store and share images online without leaving the application in ACDSee Pro 3’s new online mode, which connects users to a free 2 GB account on the ACDSee Online Web site. The online mode is a convenient way to create, store, share and manage albums and access images when away from the desktop computer. ACDSee Pro 3 image folders can quickly and easily be dragged and dropped directly on the secure, password-protected online storage space. The ACDSee Online site, which is powered by Amazon Web Services™, the same secure infrastructure that backs Amazon.com and its affiliated sites, offers a hierarchical folder tree structure so images can be easily organized.

Availability
ACDSee Pro 3 is available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase at $169.99 (USD) by visiting http://www.acdsee.com. Registered owners of ACDSee Pro, Pro 2 and Pro 2.5 are eligible to upgrade for less than $90.00 (USD).

About ACD Systems
Headquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International Inc. is one of the world’s leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software, including the renowned ACDSee image management tool and Canvas, an advanced technical illustration and graphics program. ACD Systems has millions of consumer and business users and more than 33,000 corporate customers, including many Fortune 500 companies. For further details, please visit http://www.acdsee.com.

ACD and ACDSee are trademarks of ACD Systems International Inc. and may be registered in Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan or certain other jurisdictions. Canvas is a trademark of ACD Systems of America, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Trademarks of ACD Systems of America, Inc. are used under license by ACD Systems International Inc. or its subsidiaries.

All other marks, products and company names are the property of their respective owners.

magenomic announced today the release of Portraiture 2 for Adobe Lightroom.  This latest Portraiture 2 product edition from Imagenomic delivers all of the productivity benefits of fast and accurate skin retouching to the Lightroom user community, and complements earlier introductions of Portraiture 2 for Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture.

Portraiture 2 versions for Lightroom include native 32 and 64-bit support for Windows Vista, and support for the latest Mac Intel platforms and OSX releases for Apple computers.  All of the familiar features and controls that have made Portraiture 2 popular with Photoshop and Aperture users are now available in the new Lightroom edition.  Lightroom users also benefit from two Portraiture workflow usage modes, using both the Edit In and Export techniques for individual and batch image editing and processing.

“Lightroom users make up an important part of our customer community, and this latest version of Portraiture 2 is designed to meet their demands and expectations,” says David McDonell, CEO of Imagenomic.  “We have spent considerable time and effort to ensure that Portraiture 2 works seamlessly within the Lightroom workflow, and that it conforms to our highest technical and performance benchmarks for all Imagenomic products; this latest release meets these stringent criteria and we anticipate that the Lightroom community will agree,” McDonell added.

This latest Portraiture 2 edition is available for immediate use on a free, 15-day trial basis from the company’s website.  For new customers, the Lightroom edition is available for purchase at $199.95.  For registered users of Portraiture 2 for Photoshop or Aperture, the Lightroom edition is available at the discounted price of $99.95.  See http://www.imagenomic.com for additional details.

Imagenomic is honored to announce that Portraiture 2 has been recognized by American PHOTO magazine with a 2009 Editor’s Choice Award in their July/August issue.  You can read more about what the editors had to say about the software by visiting http://www.imagenomic.com to find the link to American PHOTO online.

About Imagenomic

Imagenomic is the creator of the award-winning Noiseware, Portraiture and RealGrain software product series for digital photography.  Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, Imagenomic LLC is a privately held, independent software vendor specializing in digital imagery enhancement solutions.

Using our proprietary, patent-pending algorithms, the company is focused on creating high performance software tools for retouching, noise and artifact removal, sharpening and other image correction and enhancement processes.  Imagenomic’s products have been acclaimed by a global customer community and industry peers for their superior processing speed, picture quality and overall ease-of-use.  For more information, visit us online at http://www.imagenomic.com

All Company and Product names referenced herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Datacolor, a global leader in color management solutions, continues its long heritage for providing photographers, photo enthusiasts, and other creative artists, with precision color management solutions with the introduction of its new Spyder3Studio SR™ calibration system.  The new system is built on the solid foundation of Datacolor’s extremely popular, and highly revered Spyder3Studio Kit.  The Spyder3Studio SR now offers photographers a complete solutions package and represents a true breakthrough in performance and price.

Color management is essential for today’s complex digital imaging technologies.  To ensure outstanding results, proper color management should occur at three primary points during the photographic process:  image capture, digital desktop image manipulation, and print output.  Designed with a strong understanding of the needs of creatives and photographers, Datacolor’s Spyder3Studio SR offers an uncompromised calibration solution for each stage of the process to help create, view, and share photographs as they were envisioned.

The Spyder3Studio SR workflow solution includes the new, and highly decorated, SpyderCube™ RAW calibration device that eliminates any need for traditional 18% gray cards; the Spyder3Elite™ monitor calibration tool which has become an industry standard and trusted by millions of photographers and enthusiasts; and the new Spyder3Print SR™ (Strip Reader) which offers significant advances in creating ICC printer profiles.  Together, these components are far superior to anything on the market because each is designed to do a specific job, and do it extremely well.

“Datacolor’s Spyder3Studio SR is the most comprehensive color management system photographers and photo enthusiasts can have to ensure perfect calibration throughout the imaging process,” says Christoph Gamper, Vice President, Consumer Business Unit, Datacolor.  “It is an extremely attractive package, both in design and pricepoint, and was created by photographers for photographers to address their specific needs with specific solutions.”

Spyder3Print SR (Strip Reader) is a new spectrocolorimeter that incorporates significant advancements in ICC printer profile technology and a new software algorithm ensures fast, easy and accurate measurements for outstanding color and black-and-white prints.  Users at all levels of expertise will now be able to easily and quickly create ICC profiles in minutes by using Datacolor’s Strip-Reading Spectrocolorimeter and SpyderGuide.  The Spyder3Print SR provides outstanding results with any combination of inks, paper, and printer.  While users will immediately notice the benefits of the Spyder3Print SR in their color prints, custom ICC profiles for outstanding fine-art quality black-and-white prints is really where the product excels in performance.  Like every other component of the Spyder3Studio SR, the Spyder3Print SR is designed to do one specific job, and do it well.

Datacolor’s new Spyder3Studio SR is currently available at retail outlets and photo specialty dealers nationwide with a suggested list price of $599.00

Datacolor will exhibit its new Spyder3Studio SR for the first time at Photoshop West in Las Vegas (October 1-3) and at PhotoPlus Expo in New York (October 22-24).

About Datacolor
Datacolor is a global leader in color management solutions and color communication technology.  The world’s leading brands, manufacturers, creative professionals and consumers have been choosing Datacolor’s innovative technology and solutions to consistently achieve the right color for nearly 40 years.  A Swiss held company, Datacolor’s global presence encompasses a sales, service and support network serving customers in more than 65 countries throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia, along with 13 worldwide operation and production facilities. Industries served include apparel and textile, paint and coatings, automotive, plastics, photography, home theater and others. For more information about Datacolor and its products or services, visit http://www.datacolor.com

Adobe today released the Photoshop Camera Raw 5.5 plug-in and DNG Converter 5.5 Release Candidates available immediately for download at http://labs.adobe.com. The update extends raw file support to four of the latest popular camera model releases, including the Nikon D300s, Nikon D3000, Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic DMC-FZ35. The Release Candidate also includes a correction to the demosaic algorithms in the raw conversion process for Bayer sensor cameras with unequal green response.
Adobe is providing the update as a release candidate to benefit from additional feedback from the community before publishing a final version on Adobe.com. Adobe continues its commitment to provide photographers greater artistic freedom with access to the latest raw image formats directly within Photoshop. Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw supports the same functionality for TIFF and JPEG files.
Pricing and Availability
The Photoshop Camera Raw 5.5 plug-in and DNG Converter 5.5 Release Candidates are available as free downloads for existing customers of Photoshop CS4. Click here for more information and to download: http://labs.adobe.com. Feedback on the release candidate can be provided on the Adobe User to User forum (http://forums.adobe.com/community/cameraraw).

Today, Imatronics launched version 3.0 of their powerful and easy-to-use virtual tour solution. Panorama Express 3.0 leverages the results of over 15 years of cutting-edge imaging research and development to bring users the full benefits of the only authentic and comprehensively patented virtual tour system.

Panorama Express 3.0 is designed to make it easy for anyone to create, manage and publish spectacular virtual tour packages. Users can simply open their photos (standard 2D or panoramic) and Panorama Express automatically creates a professional virtual tour complete with transition effects, attractive cute skin packaging, engaging startup screens and more. For the demanding professional, Panorama Express comes packed with powerful features that empower the user to add even the most advanced features very quickly and easily.

The vast array of unique and powerful features in Panorama Express 3.0 set it apart from the competition. Features Include:

• Easy-to-use 1-step virtual tour wizard for simple virtual tour creation
• Smooth, high-quality full-screen rendering
• Multiple 360-degree panoramic scenes, on the fly panoramic image generation from donut images
• Multiple still image (standard 2D) scenes
• Visual high-speed batch editing of all scenes and enhanced multimedia content
• Powerful and flexible data loading options for fast virtual tour delivery
• Visual specification of initial scene to load for greater control over virtual tour presentation
• Customizable virtual tour navigation controls
• Multiple synchronized interactive maps and compasses
• Multiple hotspots and transition effects
• Multiple motion effects including full-fledged non-linear navigation movies with frame-by-frame editing capability
• Fully customizable cute skins with dynamic resizing capability
• Background sound track for the entire virtual tour and separate background sound tracks for each scene
• Integrated image processing with flexible output options
• Highly intuitive user interfaces based on intelligent animated component grouping technology
• Engaging multimedia experiences with automated and user-activated multimedia popup windows with videos and movies, photo slides, animated text and voice narration, 3D visualizations and more

About Imatronics:
Imatronics is a leading provider of software for creating and distributing virtual tours and multimedia content. Imatronics’ corporate mission is to empower the user to create the best-valued virtual tours by providing best-of-breed solutions that are extremely easy to use, immensely powerful and backed by years of cutting-edge research. With patent rights to the core technologies underpinning the industry, Imatronics is uniquely positioned to drive the use of high-impact virtual tours in advertising, real estate, tourism and other application areas.

Patent Information:
On July 28, 2009, Imatronics was issued a broad-based patent on the technology used in Panorama Express 3.0. U.S. Patent Number 7567274 is the only authentic and comprehensive patent for a virtual tour system. The full text of the patent can be viewed here: http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=7567274

View Sample Virtual Tours Here:
http://www.imatronics.com/panorama_express_samples.html

Download Free Trial of Panorama Express Version 3.0 Here:
http://www.imatronics.com/panorama_express/PanoramaExpressSetup.exe

* A Date Shot option has been added to the Index pulldown menu in the Folder Naming dialog, opened when Create subfolder for each transfer in the Primary Destination panel under Options is selected and the Edit button is clicked to change the folder naming rule.
However, the Date Shot used in this case is not the shooting date recorded in image file Exif information, but rather the date the file was created.  Therefore, if the images were captured while the camera’s clock was not accurately set, or if creation date information is overwritten, images will be transferred to a folder named using a different date than the shooting date information stored in image Exif data.

* A Use subfolder with same name if it exists option is now available when Create subfolder for each transfer in the Primary Destination or Backup Destination panel under Options is selected.

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# Adds support for D300s, D3000, Coolpix S570, S640, S70, and S1000pj
# A Send notification mail to my address (Email ID) checkbox has been added to the Share Settings dialog displayed with the my Picturetown upload function.
# New Album is now displayed in the Subject (Required) text box in the Share Settings dialog displayed with the my Picturetown upload function.
# An issue that prevented printing at paper sizes of A2 (420 x 594 mm) and larger has been resolved.

However, images may not print correctly if the Rotate to fit box in the Print dialog is checked.
# Error message “ViewNX has encountered a problem and needs to close” was displayed and ViewNX quit unexpectedly when attempting to print images after opening the Page Setup dialog from the File menu.  This issue has been resolved.
# Errors in the explanation of axial color aberration compensation in ViewNX Help have been corrected.
# When Index Print was selected from the Print As: pulldown menu in the Print dialog and the back or next arrow for the print preview was clicked, a portion of the preview image was displayed as completely white, and the printed image exhibited the same completely white portion.  This issue has been resolved.
# When RAW (NEF/NRW) images were converted to JPEG format from the Convert Files dialog, some converted images exhibited a red cast in thumbnail.  This issue has been resolved.
# Windows – An issue that prevented accurate acquisition of Wikipedia keywords for images captured at western longitudes in the southern hemisphere using the GeoTag function has been resolved.

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SeeFile Software (http://www.seefile.com), the leading developer of web server software for sharing media files, is pleased to announce SeeFile 4.7. This new version offers an elegant web interface, an easy to use media bank and a delivery system accessible from any standard web browser. New development included backend changes, making page loads and image processing faster, optimizing the layout, and adding functionality. SeeFile 4.7 includes the following new features:

—Optimized and easier-to-use user interface
—Email notifications
—Complete log history per user and action
—Annotations on multi-page PDF files
—Full support for current web browsers: Firefox 3.5, Safari 4 and Internet Explorer 8

The system monitors shared folders and volumes, tracking any changes in the file structure. When a change occurs, SeeFile instantly updates its database and web interface to synchronize with the file structure. Also, while SeeFile is detecting changes it automatically renders previews and imports metadata. All of this means that SeeFile customers spend less time uploading files (since there is no uploading required) and less time getting files approved.

A different approach to digital asset management and delivery
Currently available Digital Asset Management systems force users to change their workflow, adding more costs in training and in creating an optimized database. SeeFile offers a solution focused on small and midsize companies. Installing SeeFile takes only minutes, and the solution works like a FTP server (allowing creation of users with home folders) that will fit into nearly any workflow. The system offers all the standard tools available on digital asset management/delivery software. An administrator can create data fields that can be used to tag documents, all the fields, including the imported EXIF, IPTC and XMP metadata, are searchable. To respond to greater expectations from a Web 2.0 application, SeeFile offers collaboration features including annotations on selected areas of images and PDFs, and online approval. With SeeFile, companies involved with photography, print, video, brand management and advertising can archive their media files and manage several projects with their customers for a fraction of the price of other solutions.

Pricing and Availability
The software is priced from $499 to $4,995, depending on number of user licenses. For more information, please contact Marilina Fernandez at SeeFile Software 617-262-2464, info@seefile.com, or visit http://www.seefile.com.

About SeeFile Software
SeeFile LLC is a software development company based in Boston. SeeFile was founded in 2003 with the goal of making digital asset management and delivery platforms easy to install, use and affordable for small and midsize companies. SeeFile has received rave reviews from several graphics and photo magazines. For more information contact us at info@seefile.com.

CDWinder, one of the leading media cataloging applications for the Windows platform, receives a further update today. CDWinder now creates previews for video files, has its own built-in 3D-GeoTagger that also geotags azimuth and tilt, and offers a new Locr-Upload feature. CDWinder also has an improved Find function, up to 20% faster than before, and remembers the last query you used, and the last path you cataloged. And there are a lot more features and enhancements.

“The cataloging of video thumbnails is a major step forward, a feature many of our customers have been asking about. And with the built-in 3D-geotagger we can now also create those amazing geotags with azimuth and tilt that we’ve been able to catalog and rave about for some time now.” said Andreas Becherer, chief developer of the CDWinder team. But the new release includes even more features and enhancements, such as the Locr Upload feature and increased Find performance.

CDWinder for Windows works on Windows 2000 or higher and is tested on Vista and the upcoming Windows 7. There is also a version for Macintosh called CDFinder, available as Universal Binary for Power PC and Intel-Macs. The demo version of CDWinder is unlimited in time, but restricted to 25 catalogues. A single user license is 29 Euro / 39 USD. Multiple licenses for business or network use are available, and priced depending on the number of clients and features required.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release (or for a sample, copy or demo), contact Andreas Becherer or visit cdwinder.com.

About CDWinder
CDWinder is one of the most proven and extensive media cataloging applications for Windows. CDWinder reads and catalogues text files, photo-data, song files, and many other file formats from various memory devices. CDWinder specializes in support for geotagged photos – with the unique GeoFinder offering location based photo search, KMZ export, Google Earth integration and much more. Launched back in 2000, it has evolved into a cross-platform solution that also easily integrates in networks and offers superior workflow integration. Comprehensive video tutorials show what CDWinder offers today.

CDWinder is very easy to use. Useful features like auto cataloging and a powerful and fast search engine make it an integral part of any work flow. CDWinder records more than just standard data: It reads meta data of various photo and video file formats, as well as meta data of MP3 and AAC audio files, and adds title, year, and genre to audio CDs. Even the content of zip and other archive types are added to the catalogue. CDWinder even checks data integrity with integrated FileCheck algorithms. Customers are especially thrilled by the thumbnails created and stored for all their pictures and videos, giving them a quick and comprehensive overview over their complete collection.

CDWinder is the Windows counterpart of CDFinder, the leading disc cataloging application for the Apple Macintosh. Together, both programs form a cross-platform media management solution, and are being used by more than 47.000 users in 83 countries, from Single-User up to Site licenses. The list of CDWinder pro users also includes NASA, The New York Times, Volkswagen, BMW, Philips, the Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Rand McNally and IKEA.

X-Rite continues to evolve ColorMunki by listening to our customers and enhancing our color management offerings accordingly–supporting the latest packages such as Corel, QuarkXPress, and Photoshop CS4. Version 1.1 also offers the ability to control lighting conditions under which color is viewed. Like everything else with ColorMunki, we’ve made this pro-like step easy,” states X-Rite Senior VP of Sales and Marketing Iris Mangelschots.

ColorMunki 1.1 Key Advantages:

* More Precise, Pro-like Display Control–now, for the first time, users can easily adjust light functionality when color matching–even from display to display, including:
o Optimized Display Luminance–based on either ambient light measurement or user specified values;
o User-defined ambient light levels–quickly evaluate work environment lighting before profiling;
o Optimized display contrast and brightness (backlight) workflow–with all-new automated pass/fail contrast-clipping test where user proceeds to next step when passed for a quicker workflow;

o More precise control of display luminance–with target and actual measured luminance values displayed and an option for automatic video LUT adjustments;
o User-defined profile naming.

* Expanded AppSet support:
o CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4*;
o Adobe InDesign CS4* (Mac/Windows);
o QuarkXPress 8*.

* Expanded palette synchronization:
o Corel PainterX*;
o Adobe Photoshop CS4*;
o Adobe InDesign CS4* (Mac/Win platforms);
o QuarkXPress 8*.

ColorMunki Photo version 1.1 also contains the end-user license agreement to install and run ColorMunki Photo software on an unlimited number of computers, allowing for a greater degree of flexibility to color manage multiple computers typically owned by photographers.

The ColorMunki Family Of Products:

* X-Rite ColorMunki Photo–a completely integrated color control solution to calibrate displays, projectors and printers for accurate screen-to-print color matching, designed especially for wedding, portrait and event photographers—or any passionate advocate.
* PANTONE ColorMunki Design–a fully integrated color inspiration and control solution that offers agencies, corporate in-house and freelancers the freedom to capture and design with any color from the visible spectrum. Includes essential color control functions for calibrating displays, projectors and printers including spot-color optimization.
* PANTONE ColorMunki Create–tools developed to work seamlessly with today’s most popular design applications to create, manage, search, verify and share color palettes, then view the colors accurately with an included monitor calibration device.

ColorMunki Photo comes with an in-the-box DVD-flash-based Interactive Training Video (http://www.colormunki.com/colorknowledge/training?type=photo). Designed to make color more fun and easy, this interactive user driven educational tool covers color management basics and all aspects of ColorMunki, in seven-languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Japanese.

“The ColorMunki family of products reflects the X-Rite commitment to developing tools that make exceptional color management easy to implement into every creative’s digital imaging workflow,” Mangelschots adds.

About X-Rite

X-Rite is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which includes color industry leader PANTONE, Inc., develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services, http://www.X-Rite.com. *Corel, Adobe and QuarkXPress are registered trademarks and the property of those companies.

The Plugin Site (http://www.thepluginsite.com) just released Version 2 of Plugin Galaxy for MacOS X. Plugin Galaxy 2 is a plugin for creating special effects and enhancing images with the help of more than 160 basic effects. It works in various graphics applications including Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Fireworks, Photoline, GraphicConverter and Illustrator. It supports 8bit and 16bit RGB and grayscale images.

New in Version 2

Version 2 of Plugin Galaxy was reprogrammed from ground up in order to provide enhanced functionality and performance. It is now available as an universal binary that works natively on Intel-Macs. It offers all effects in a new resizable dialog and renders more than two times faster. The new Layers and Blend features lets you apply multiple effects to the image in one session and create sophisticated effect combinations that were not possible before. The new batch processing option applies the same effect to hundreds of images with a few clicks. Saving and opening filter settings as preset files is now supported, too.

Ten new effects, many new effect features and 400 presets are included. The new Play button generates random slider values, which are displayed as preview animations. Support for the alpha channel of image layers was greatly enhanced and the preview now also works correctly for selections. The new Constant Size check box makes sure that the same output is rendered for different image sizes.

Effects Overview

Plugin Galaxy 2 provides filters for transparency manipulation, blurring, texture and pattern generation, noise creation, mirroring and warping. It also includes metal, chrome, neon, pop art, glass, page curl, rainbow, sunshine, sunset and star effects and lets you enhance, colorize, add edges to your photos and even encrypt them. There are also effects like feedbacks, grids or zooming. Additionally Plugin Galaxy includes presets for creating fire, rain, snow, water surface, metallic text, contrast and frame effects as well as rendering cosmic scenes.

Unlimited Possibilities

All Plugin Galaxy 2 effects are accessible from a single dialog. Thousands of potential effects can be created with the help of sliders, check boxes, color boxes, preview coordinates and blend modes. The Play button (known from Harrys Filters 3) generates random animations in the preview for exploring the possibilities of the 160+ main effects and the Jump button produces random filter settings. With the Layers feature you can also apply multiple effects to the image without leaving the Plugin Galaxy dialog. Additionally you can save filter settings as preset files and open them for later use. 400 presets are already included with Plugin Galaxy. Many Plugin Galaxy effects also affect the transparency of image layers, which offers further possibilities.

For Beginners as well as Experts

Plugin Galaxy 2 offers four modes for adjusting the effects from the simple Novice Mode to the sophisticated Expert Mode. The Classic Mode is very similar to the previous version of Plugin Galaxy and the Manual Mode makes all essential controls available without switching between tab sheets. You can also apply the same effect to a large number of images by batch processing them in Cloak Mode.

What Makes It Special

Unlike many other effect collections you can select all Plugin Galaxy 2 effects from a single dialog and apply multiple effects without leaving the plugin, which saves a lot of time. The Play and Jump Buttons can give you new effect ideas with the help of random settings. The more than 160 basic effects can be used to create unlimited effect variations with the help of various controls and by combining and blending the effects with each other. All in all, Plugin Galaxy also offers many useful effects and features in a package with a low price.

Availability & System Requirements

Version 2 of Plugin Galaxy is available for MacOS X as well as Windows. Plugin Galaxy 2 sells at $69.95 (Regular License) or $39.95 (Academic/Educational License). It can be purchased at http://www.thepluginsite.com/products/plugingalaxy/. A demo version with a few free effects can be downloaded at the same URL.

Company Info

The Plugin Site is located in Nuremberg, Germany, and develops mainly Photoshop plugins. We created the Harry’s Filters, ColorWasher, FocalBlade, LightMachine, B/W Styler, ContrastMaster, Plugin Commander, Edge & Frame Galaxy, HyperTyle, HTML Shrinker and Photo Galaxy products. We co-produced Alpha Magic with Hollywood FX and Pinnacle and also co-developed the FilterMeister plugin development environment with AFH Systems.

Topaz Labs releases the long-awaited, Aperture-friendly Topaz Fusion Express for Mac. Topaz Fusion is an Aperture plug-in that allows Topaz Photoshop plug-ins to be imported into Aperture, providing Aperture users with the same image-editing capabilities and features that Photoshop users currently enjoy.

Topaz Fusion Express is changing the way that photographers process their images. Fusion Express brings the simplicity and vibrancy of Topaz plug-ins and fuses them with Aperture, giving photographers total control over their workflow. “Previously, Aperture users have not been able to use Topaz plug-ins, or have had to go through the process of exporting images into Photoshop to edit them, then import them back into Aperture,” says Eric Yang, Marketing Manager of Topaz Labs. “With Fusion Express, Aperture users can now run their Topaz plug-ins in Aperture without interrupting their workflow.”

Topaz Fusion Express provides users with direct access to the Photoshop bundle plug-ins: Adjust, DeNoise, Simplify, Clean 2 and DeJPEG, in a convenient and efficient form. Fusion Express is available free of charge to all Topaz users. For more information visit the Topaz Fusion webpage at http://www.topazlabs.com/fusion.

For additional information on Topaz Labs enhancement software, visit http://www.topazlabs.com.

Topaz Labs LLC, a privately owned company in Dallas, Texas, is an innovative provider of advanced image and video enhancement technology. With today’s widespread use of digital still cameras, digital video cameras, and HDTV, the need for high-quality digital images and videos has greatly increased. Topaz Labs’ mission is to bring practical state-of-the-art image and video enhancement technology to both photography and videography professionals and consumers.

Professional Photographers Can Now Quickly Create The Right Mood with Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 from Auto FX Software

Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 is a suite of 60 professional imaging filters that give photos a distinctive professional look and feel. Easily create a professional ‘mood’ that normally takes hours to achieve – all in just a few seconds. Mystical empowers the user with a set of tools that rival what professionals can do in Photoshop.

Nashua, New Hampshire (PRWEB) July 3, 2009—Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 is a suite of 60 production oriented filters that enhance the look and feel of a photo, allowing the user to quickly and efficiently capture the perfect mood for their shot. The results generated by this amazing piece of software are beautiful. Professional Photographers spend years mastering the techniques and tricks that this software automates for anyone to use.

Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 includes unique Portrait Filters that improve skin color, eliminate wrinkles and skin blemishes, enhance eyes, lips and hair and reshape facial features to accentuate natural attributes. New lens filters simulate graduated filters and polarizers. New sharpening filters provide amazing detail and clarity in images unachievable using traditional filters available in Photoshop. New HDR filters enrich the colors, saturation and tonal depth of photos in unique and eye-appealing ways.

Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 uses an intuitive brush-on / brush-off methodology to give the user precise control over the results. Dynamic rendering allows the user to combine an unlimited number of filter combinations to enhance their images in a non-destructive environment that fosters creative exploration and experimentation without the need for all the layers, masking and techniques necessary in Photoshop.

Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 also includes over 300 instant effect presets that give the user a rapid start to perfecting the look of their images. The workflow for adding enhancements to images is made easier by the intuitive onscreen previewing system and robust selection of tools and brushes that apply the effect with precise results. New effects like Afternoon Sun, Moon Glow, Color Tone, Soft Sepia and High Key Blast give the photographer a powerful repertoire of choices.

Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 includes 60 new effects:

Antique Photo ~ Afternoon Sun ~ Black and White ~ Color Bleach ~ Color Contrast ~ Cool Colors ~ Color Mixer ~ Color Tone ~ Green Foliage ~ HSB Adjust ~ Moon Glow ~ RGB Adjust ~ Saturate Colors ~ Sepia ~ Warm Colors ~ Vitality ~ Blue Sky ~ Hand Tinting ~ Gradient Tinting ~ Under Color ~ Cool Gray ~ Warm Gray ~ Dark Contrast ~ Darken Colors ~ Deepen Tones ~ Enriched Black ~ High Key Blast ~ Level Adjustments ~ Multiply Darks ~ Over Exposed ~ Darken and Sharpen ~ Under Exposed ~ Washed Out ~ Polarizer Filter ~ Graduated Filters ~ Sharp Posterize ~ Lighten and Sharpen ~ Sharp Contrast ~ Sharpen Details ~ Image Brush ~ Soft Sepia ~ Soft Black and White ~ Soft Contrast ~ Hard Posterize ~ Soft Posterize ~ Soften Details ~ Smooth Depth ~ Smooth Range ~ Smooth Skin ~ Skin Color ~ Flesh Tone ~ Enhance Eyes ~ Enhance Hair ~ Enhance Lips ~ Reshape ~ Enlarge / Reduce ~ HDR Color Pop ~ HDR Contrast ~ HDR Darken ~ HDR Black and White

For examples of what Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 can do visit this link: Mystical TTC 2.0 Product Details

Feature Highlights:

* MTTC 2.0 ships with both a stand-alone application and a Photoshop compatible plug-in that works in popular programs like Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and Corel Draw
* Effects are resolution independent, dynamic and non-destructive and allow free experimentation without changing the original image
* Users can stack effects using Effect Layers then save the combination as a Layer Preset that can be applied to other images allowing the user to create their own custom library of effects
* Supports Adobe Photoshop Actions, Layers and Last Filter Commands
* Free Training Videos are offered at: Mystical TTC 2.0 Training Videos
* Detailed Tutorials are provided at: Mystical TTC 2.0 Tutorials

System Requirements:

Windows
2000 / XP / Vista

Macintosh
OS X (all versions)

About Auto FX Software:
Founded in 1994, Auto FX Software has grown to become the largest developer of Adobe Photoshop plug-ins in the market. Auto FX Software is exclusively focused on the development and marketing of visual imaging software for creative professionals. Auto FX products are distributed around the world and are also available for purchase on the Internet at the Auto FX Software Website.

Contact Information:
For additional news, information and product demos, visit our web site at Auto FX Software Website or call us at 205-980-0056.

Picmeta Systems released version 5.2 of its Picture Information Extractor (PIE), which includes numerous new features such as batch editing of IPTC metadata.

The new PIE 5.2 is smallest photo browser and viewer available that integrates an editor for IPTC data with batch editing capabilities. With just 3.8MB and support for all Windows versions from Windows 95 to Windows Vista it is perfectly suited for photographers on the go, or for those who want a lean and fast addition to their desktop environment.

Editing of metadata now works with all RAW formats. Many formats allow EXIF and IPTC metadata to be written directly into the file, thus no external database or sidecar file is required. The EXIFcare technology ensures that all information contained in the file is maintained. For example, the makernote block which hosts many vendor-specific data will not be overwritten as it usually happens with other programs. If needed, the data will be stored in XMP sidecar files that are fully compatible with Adobe Photoshop. While other XMP-enabled applications add an XMP header to each file, PIE only updates already existing XMP data. Therefore, modification of the original file is limited to the minimum required.

The extensive metadata features of PIE allow batch manipulation of date/time values or automation of repetitive tasks such as transferring and renaming of image files. Vertical photos are automatically and losslessly rotated. Thanks to a large database of vendor-specific formats PIE is able to read makernote data of most cameras.

Other products by Picmeta Systems are PrintStation, a program for creating photo albums and proof sheets, and PIE Studio, which combines the metadata features of PIE with the printing functions of PrintStation.

Pricing and Availability
————————————
A free evaluation version of PIE 5.2 can be downloaded from the Picmeta Website. The software runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP and Vista. The full version costs US$ 35. Licensed users are entitled to lifetime free updates.

For further information on the product visit http://www.picmeta.com/products/picture-information-extractor.htm.

About Picmeta Systems
——————————-
Picmeta Systems aims at making the workflow of digital photography easier and more productive. The basic approach is enabling automation and batch processing with consistent use of metadata. Easy-to-use interfaces and fast operation make the products suited for amateur photographers and professionals alike.

For further information about Picmeta Systems visit http://www.picmeta.com.

LaserSoft Imaging presents the new SilverFast 6.6.1, the first software in the world to perfectly capture raw data from photographs and slides.

To effectively, quickly and thoroughly protect valuable memories against decay and destruction, the Kiel software company has developed a format that contains not only all image information, but also the dust and scratch information derived from the scanner’s infrared channel: the 64-bit HDRi format.

This file serves as the ideal starting starting point for further processing steps – regardless of when, how and where. Traditional procedures perform infrared-based dust and scratch elimination directly during the actual digitalisation process, making it impossible to guide the process or modify the results afterwards. In extreme cases, this can cause fine image details to be lost forever, without the user noticing right away.

The new 64-bit HDRi format by LaserSoft Imaging registers all the information of the original in its entirety while simultaneously embedding all the correction information in the image file. HDRi surpasses the principle of “non-destructive editing,” since the user can optimise all corrections at any time. Instead of directly guiding the scanner, SilverFast HDRi enables the user to read the raw data at maximum speed and process it as though he had direct access to scanner images.

More information is available at:

http://www.silverfast.com/highlights/hdri/en.html

About LaserSoft Imaging (R) AG:

LaserSoft Imaging (R) was founded in 1986 by physicist Karl-Heinz Zahorsky, who developed the SilverFast (R) concept in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein. Today SilverFast (R) is regarded as the standard scanner and digital camera software for both novices and professionals. Only SilverFast (R) is bundled with such a large number of many manufacturers, such as Canon, Epson, HP, Leica, Microtek, Pentacon (Praktica), Plustek, Quatographic, Reflecta, Samsung and others.

With over 2 million licenses sold worldwide, SilverFast (R) is the most successful scanner software in the world.

The SilverFast (R) software was awarded the EDP Award for the software featuring the best colour management.

BenVista is proud to announce the new version of their specialized digital image enlargement software: PhotoZoom Pro 3. Designed for both Mac and Windows platforms, PhotoZoom Pro 3 is available as of today.

Over the past ten years, the BenVista PhotoZoom series has competed at the highest level of image enlarging, thanks to its patentend S-Spline technology. With PhotoZoom Pro 3, BenVista introduces the latest generation of their technology, called S-Spline Max. BenVista’s statements are promising.

Says D.S. Schoolwerth, CEO at BenVista: “Just compare the enlargement results with those of any other solution on the market, and you will find that PhotoZoom Pro 3 gives the highest quality”.

Besides the new S-Spline Max technology, PhotoZoom Pro 3 offers various other substantial improvements. Multi-processor support is added to increase speed, and PhotoZoom Pro 3 can be used not only as a standalone application, but also as an Adobe Photoshop compatible Automation plug-in and Export plug-in. Schoolwerth: “By offering choice, we ensure that PhotoZoom Pro 3 fits into anybody’s workflow efficiently”.

BenVista PhotoZoom Pro 3 offers batch processing, cropping, and convenient presets. A very wide range of image file formats, various types of metadata, and Raw as well as HDR images are supported. Similar to BenVista’s existing S-Spline technologies, S-Spline Max can be fine-tuned. The new Film Grain feature adds a refined kind of grain that was specifically designed to complement the S-Spline Max technology. All customized settings can be saved to be used again later.

Free demo versions of PhotoZoom Pro 3, for both Mac and Windows platforms, can be downloaded directly from the BenVista website: http://www.benvista.com. An inviting upgrade offer is available for registered users of PhotoZoom Pro and PhotoZoom Pro 2.

Cooliris v.1.11: Smooth, Cultivated, and Fully Integrated

Cooliris is all about giving you a super-smooth experience when you’re browsing the web. That’s why in our newest incarnation, version 1.11, we’ve changed the way Cooliris interacts with you in some really fundamental but really important ways.

MULTITASKING (OR, HOW TO DO 10,000 THINGS AT ONCE, IN STYLE)

Let’s face it, we’re all busy people, and we probably have the shortest attention spans in the history of mankind. Never is this more apparent than in our web navigation habits, when we’re trying to juggle work, social networking, entertainment, finances, and news updates. Sometimes there’s blinking between all of those tasks. Sometimes there isn’t.

In light of this, the Cooliris experience now scales to your level of immersion. Full-screen is now an option rather than a default, allowing you to make Cooliris your centerpiece or just another window.

A big change is that Cooliris now features tabbed browsing. This enables you to run multiple instances of the app, and lets you jump freely between Cooliris, other tabs, and desktop programs such as email clients and iTunes. You can even run it in the background as a music player, cycling through your favorite music videos while you work.

A URL FOR EVERY OCCASION, AND CONTENT SHARING!

With Cooliris available in tab, there’s now a URL for any item or Wall of content. What does this mean?

– Set a 3D Wall view as your homepage to have your favorite photo and video search results and all the latest news and entertainment right at your fingertips, every time you fire up your browser!

– Bookmark single items or an entire Wall to your browser, so you can quickly relocate photo albums from your local computer drive or photo sites such as Flickr.

– Even share your 3D Wall with friends by giving them its URL.

Sharing your 3D Wall is super easy. Here’s how to give it try: (1) View a Wall of public content as you normally would; (2) copy its unique URL from your browser’s address bar; and (3) paste it anywhere you’d like, such as in your blog post or email, Twitter, Facebook, you name it. When your friends or readers click the link, they will see your Wall in Cooliris (or be prompted to download Cooliris if they don’t already have it).

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

For Flickr aficionados, Cooliris now allows all photos on a single Wall to be complete with title, author, description, and tags, and can jump between sets and pools. And on MySpace, you can now enjoy photos from any page in a streaming content wall.

There’s a whole set of new interface revamps as well, giving you smoother, more apparent scrolling and niftier navigation options.

Our brand new version 1.11 is now available at http://www.cooliris.com for Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux) and Internet Explorer. A beta version for Safari (Mac) is also available.

Adobe Updates Photoshop Lightroom, Camera Raw and DNG Specification

Adobe today released the final Photoshop Lightroom 2.4 and Camera Raw 5.4 updates, available for immediate download at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/. Both updates bring additional raw file support to 31camera and camera back models including the Canon EOS 500D, Nikon D5000 and 18 Hasselblad models. A full list of the newly supported camera and camera back models is below.

In addition, Adobe released an update to its Digital Negative specification (DNG), the public archival format for digital camera raw data. DNG addresses the lack of an open standard for raw files created by individual camera models, helping to ensure that photographers will be able to access their files in the future.

DNG 1.3 now includes opcodes, a defined list of operations and their parameters for performing complex activities in the raw file conversion process. These activities include corrections and enhancements that are beneficial when performed prior to the demosaic process but are difficult due to a camera’s limited processing power. They also include corrections and enhancements that can only be performed after the demosaic process such as lens correction. By utilising opcodes, photographers can maintain the advantages of raw mosaic data, giving them increased opportunity to improve their photographs with the maximum amount of image data preserved. The DNG SDK has also been updated to reflect the changes to the specification.

Pricing and Availability
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.4 update is available as a free download for existing Lightroom 2 customers and Camera Raw 5.4 is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. For more information and to download the updates visit: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/. Details on the updated DNG Specification and SDK are available on http://www.adobe.com/dng.

Additional Supported Camera and Camera Back Models
Canon EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i /Kiss X3 Digital)
Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
Epson R-D1x
Hasselblad (3FR files only) CF-22, CF-22MS, CF-39, CF-39MS, CFH-22, CFH-39, CFV, 503CWD, H2D-22, H2D-39, H3D-22, H3D-31, H3D-39, H3DII-22, H3DII-31, H3DII-39, H3DII-39MS, H3DII-50
Kodak EasyShare Z980
Nikon D5000
Olympus E-450
Olympus E-620
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Pentax K-7
Sigma DP2
Sony A230
Sony A330
Sony A380

AKVIS Software Inc announces the update of AKVIS ArtSuite to version v.5.0. ArtSuite is a collection of versatile effects for decoration of photos. The Standalone version offers new Hand Painted Photo Frames. These frames have been designed by artists specially for ArtSuite. Also new to version 5.0: new interface design; improved compatibility of the plugin with Photoshop CS3, CS4 on Macintosh computers; improved texture generation options in the Texture effect; new interface language added – Italian. Upgrade for registered users is free.

Whether you plan to upload holiday photos on a web-site to share with your friends or you wish to decorate a personalized greeting card, you can rely on AKVIS ArtSuite – it will add elegance and style to any photo.

AKVIS ArtSuite does not only offer edge effects for adding photo frames to digital photos, but it is being constantly enriched with new artistic effects as well. Thanks to the large number of effects and a rich Pattern Library, the software can generate an endless number of effect versions.

The effects are grouped as follows:

Edge Effects (Photo Frames) allow generating a photo frame for a digital photo. It can be a classic frame with wood carving or a funny frame with some cheerful frogs along the border. Photo frames samples that come with ArtSuite can be easily tailored to any photo. Select a color for the frame; choose its form, its style, brightness, and the intensity of the applied edge effect. It is possible to create a frame with ragged edges, scratched surface, a page curl, etc. It can be a wooden frame with figured carving or a frame with an ornament. It is also possible to load the user patterns and textures to create a unique photo frame.

Artistic Effects allow experimenting with photos – convert a photo into a B&W image and consequently add a color shade to it; replace colors on an image, add a texture (chosen from the built-in Texture Library or one created by the user) so that the image looks like drawn on a canvas, brick wall, corrugated paper, etc.

Version 5.0 offers new Hand Painted Photo Frames. These frames have been designed by artists specially for ArtSuite. Please note that these frames are only available in the standalone version for technical reasons.
http://akvis.com/en/artsuite-tutorial/frames/hand-painted-frame.php

Also new to version 5.0: new interface design; improved compatibility of the plugin version with Photoshop CS3, CS4 on Macintosh computers; improved texture generation options in the Texture effect; new interface language added – Italian.

The program can be used as an independent application (standalone) and as a plug-in to a photo editor.

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin is compatible with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and Ulead PhotoImpact.

AKVIS ArtSuite runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.5, PowerPC G3 / Intel and above.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use. Details are available at http://akvis.com/en/artsuite/download-artistic-effects.php

AKVIS ArtSuite Plugin sells for $49 USD; AKVIS ArtSuite Standalone for $ 69

Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Enhancer, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Sketch, LightShop, SmartMask and ArtSuite) for USD $325 , a considerable saving over purchasing each separately. For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and a laptop.

VSO Software announces the release of PhotoDVD 3, a major new version of its award-winning DVD slideshow software.

DVD Photo slideshows are now widely used to share pictures in an original way. But creating a slideshow can be a heavy and confusing process if one doesn’t use the right tool.

“Our aim was to create a simple, no-fuss application, combining at the same time the support of specialized formats to suit advanced photographers” explains Fabrice Meuwissen, Executive manager of VSO Software.

With a new design, playlist management, menu and chapter creation PhotoDVD 3 now offers all the options required to make a professional-looking slideshow:

- A wizard-style interface to guide user through the steps of slideshow creation
- Photo enhancement tools
- Transitions, panning and zooming effects, Hotpoint…
- 3 channels of text and music to create different atmospheres
- Quick burning to DVD
- A live preview to see slideshow during creation

The software creates a DVD-like video of your pictures and music, with a menu complete with chapters, audio and subtitles selection. With PhotoDVD anyone can turn into the director of its own movie of memories! Wedding, Birthday, Holidays, Tribute, Business presentation, Real Estate Screenshot of DVD menu Software screen Sample

About the company
VSO Software is an innovative software editor located in the south of France (Toulouse). Famous for its burning applications, VSO Software is now focusing on the photography market, dedicated to producing high quality software with user friendly interfaces, such as VSO Image Resizer, PhotoOnWeb, PhotoDVD 3…
Key Features
• Support picture formats and digital cameras: JPG, PNG, TIF,GIF, BMP, ANI, PCX, EMF, WMF, and more…
• Support native RAW formats : Canon RAW .CR2, Nikon .NEF, .DNG, Minolta, etc
• Supported audio formats for background music: MP3, WMA, OGG, MPC, WAV, APE, FLAC
• Awesome automatic pan and zoom effects
• Fullscreen (4:3) and Widescreen (16:9) output
• DVD output on DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW media (Single or Double Layer)
• Specify a focus point for each picture (highlighted by zoom techniques)
• Picture editing (rotation, black and white, sepia, etc.)
• Add your comments as subtitles tracks (3 tracks available)
• Add audio playlists for different background music (3 tracks available)
• Supports both PAL and NTSC formats
• Fast and highgrade MPEG2 encoder
• Burns automatically to DVD or hard drive
• Fast preview module
• Top filters for resizing (linear, lanczos, bicubic)
• Advanced DVD-like menus with audio, chapter and subtitle selection
• Optimized for Windows XP / Vista 32bits and 64bits/ Windows 7
• Multilingual support, answer guaranteed within 24hours (48 hours on week ends)

System Requirements
Windows XP/ Vista / 7, a hard drive with at least 4,3 GB free space, a DVD burner, a graphic card compatible with DirectX 9
Available for immediate download in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, etc…on http://www.vso-software.fr

Hasselblad has released Phocus 1.2 software for Apple Mac computers, featuring a number of major enhancements.

Phocus 1.2 has been substantially improved with regards to tethered shooting, image export and processing, and has been equipped with several brand-new features and workflow enhancements.

Among the highlights:

# Speed & Performance – improved tethered capture, viewer performance, export speed.

# New Features – navigator and gray scale tools.

# Workflow – exporting direct from 3FR raw files, exporting directly to PSD 8 and 16 bit files, improved viewer sharpness, improved print functionality, plus more…

For a complete list of new features, please consult the Phocus read-me file.

Download Phocus 1.2 by clicking here

For a quick overview of the many features within Phocus, please consult our newly updated User Manual, available here

Phocus 1.2 for Windows users coming soon!

Look for the Windows version 1.2 later this month, featuring the same functionality as Phocus 1.2 for the Mac platform.

Windows-specific improved functionality includes: Overlay tool, hand tool, rotation tool, custom white calibration tool, “hot-folder,” and a new and updated version of the User Manual (UK/US).

Says product manager Lars Elmo, “With the arrival of the soon expected Phocus 1.2 for our Windows users, Phocus will be a truly cross-platform, full-speed product.”

Text by Alice B. Miller

New DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 adds support for 7 new cameras including Nikon D5000 and Canon 500D along with 155 new DxO Optics Correction Modules

This new release coincides with the publication of data and rankings for Nikon D5000 and Canon 500D on http://www.dxomark.com.

Paris, France – June 10, 2009 – DxO Labs is pleased to announce the release of its new DxO Optics Pro version 5.3.4, which supports the two latest models from Canon and Nikon — the EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i or Kiss Digital X3) and the D5000, respectively. These two new cameras have generated a lot of attention among photo enthusiasts.

Along with the new Nikon and Canon cameras, DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 supports five additional models among the ones most frequently asked about by our customers — the Fuji S100FS, Pentax K-m, and Pentax K200, Sony A200 and Sony A300.

With these seven new models DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 adds 155 new DxO Optics Correction Modules and now supports more than 1,400 camera body/lens combinations!

The release of DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 is accompanied by the publication of RAW sensor data and DxOMark Sensor rankings for the Canon EOS 500D and the Nikon D5000 on the dxomark.com website, along with reviews for both.

As a bonus, an in-depth “Insight” article is also available online that analyzes the RAW sensor data for these two cameras as an example of how to use the dxomark.com database to make comparisons between sensor models.

“This new release of DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 reflects our determination to provide the highest-quality RAW image processing support for new camera models just as soon as we possibly can, as well as our desire to listen to our customers about the cameras and lenses they want us to support,” said Cyrille de La Chesnais, Director Sales & Marketing, DxO Labs Consumer Business. “As a further demonstration of this commitment, our imaging scientists have gone the ‘extra mile’ to give the photographic community timely and in-depth RAW sensor data for these two cameras that have just appeared on the market,” he added.

DxO Optics Pro prices and availability

* DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 Standard: $169 / 124 € ex VAT and sales taxes
* DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 Elite: $299 / 249 € ex VAT and sales taxes

All customers who bought DxO Optics Pro since 1st August 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 5.3.4.
For other users:

* Upgrade to DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 Standard: $95 / 69 € excl. VAT and sales taxes
* Upgrade to DxO Optics Pro 5.3.4 Elite: $125 / 89 € excl. VAT and sales taxes

Each DxO Optics Pro license includes a stand-alone application, an Adobe Photoshop plug-in and an Adobe Lightroom plug-in, and allows installation on two computers.

For more information, visit DxO Labs website at http://www.dxo.com

Camera Bits Reaches Milestone of 35,000 Licenses Sold of Photo Mechanic™ Version 4.0+; Announces Record Sales for Latest Quarter

Celebrates Sixth Year Anniversary of Photo Mechanic 4 with Release of Version 4.6.1

Portland, Oregon—June 1, 2009—Camera Bits, Inc. (http://www.CameraBits.com), a pioneering provider of software for professional digital photographers, today announced it has surpassed the milestone of 35,000 licenses sold of its version 4.0+ Photo Mechanic™ photo browser and workflow software. The company also reported record sales of Photo Mechanic in its most recent quarter and released version 4.6.1 of Photo Mechanic on the sixth year anniversary of the availability of version 4.0.

Since its first release in 1998, Camera Bits’ Photo Mechanic has been a mainstay of professional photographers utilizing software to let them efficiently browse, caption, and manage digital images.  Photo Mechanic is by far the most popular photo editing software used by educational institutions, the U.S. military, photojournalists and major newspapers and news organizations including The Associated Press, which standardized its workflow around Photo Mechanic.

“We are so proud to have earned more than 35,000 loyal users of Photo Mechanic since our original release more than 10 years ago, and very pleased to have achieved a record number of sales in our latest quarter—it is a testament to the quality, flexibility, speed and power of our software,” said Dennis Walker, founder and president/CEO of Camera Bits.  “We would like to offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the Camera Bits community of professional photographers, friends and fans that have contributed so much over the years in helping to make Photo Mechanic the premier software solution for any photographer with lots of images to sort, manage and edit.”

Workflow: Import, Edit, Annotate and Output with Photo Mechanic

Photo Mechanic’s powerful ingest utility enables users to edit photos while they are being imported from a memory card, or several cards simultaneously.  With Photo Mechanic, users can read the images from a memory card, flatten the directory structure, apply IPTC metadata, create a backup on a separate disk and rename files – all in a single step.

Users of Photo Mechanic can quickly rotate, preview, tag, classify, crop, rename, copy, and delete photos to speed the editing process.  With Photo Mechanic users can add IPTC metadata (such as caption, keywords, photographer, city, state, etc.) to photos both individually and in batches.  Photo Mechanic also enables users to adjust capture dates and times, embed GPS coordinates, and extract JPEG previews from RAW photos; lock previews and pan them around together to compare details efficiently; and manually arrange photos in an arbitrary order, including across multiple folders.

Photo Mechanic makes it easy to add common IPTC/XMP metadata information to groups of photos at once. Users can utilize the IPTC Info dialog to add or update a file’s metadata; use the IPTC Stationery Pad to add metadata to a group of images at one time; use the Structured Keywords panel to streamline keyword entry; and reduce time and improve accuracy when captioning files by using the Code Replacement feature.  The innovative Variables Technology of Photo Mechanic gives users the power to harness the various types of metadata, including Exif and XMP, for the purposes of sorting and organizing photos, renaming photos, and formatting text for output to print or slideshows.

With Photo Mechanic users can create web galleries, print contact sheets, transfer photos to an FTP server or upload them to an online archive, send photos to clients via email and archive “keepers” by burning them to CDs or DVDs.

“I’ve been using Photo Mechanic since the late nineties, and have yet to find another program that competes with it in speed and flexibility,” said Reed Hoffmann, VP and Director of Education and Training at Blue Pixel. Inc.  “Teaching workshops around the world I have to be familiar with all the popular imaging software, and it leads the pack in these areas.  I tell people that Photo Mechanic’s the hub of my digital workflow – all my photos come into my systems through it, get moved, sorted, labeled, re-named, captioned and then sent out from it.  I couldn’t function nearly as efficiently without it.”

Photo Mechanic Version 4.6.1

Photo Mechanic Version 4.6.1 incorporates many improvements and fixes to the new features of version 4.6 including:

·      Live Ingest;

·      Embedded GPS coordinates in photos individually or in a batch using GPS log files;

·      New Upload templates such as Secure FTP, Amazon S3, ExposureManager, Flickr, Gallery 2, SmugMug, and Zenfolio;

·      A Convert RAW to DNG command;

·      New Exporter templates for Goggle Earth, Soundslides, and HTML or Flash slideshows;

·      A loupe tool in the Contact Sheet view;

·      File upload status indicators in the Contact Sheet; and

·      An auto-advance after tagging feature in the Preview window

For additional information about Camera Bits or Photo Mechanic, please visit http://www.CameraBits.com or call (503) 547-2800.

Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate Now Available

Adobe has released its Photoshop Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate, available immediately as a free download from Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com. The “release candidate” label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all customers.

The Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate extends raw file support to an additional 26 camera and camera back models including the Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i), Nikon D5000, and 18 Hasselblad models. The full list of newly supported cameras and camera backs is below.

The camera raw functionality in Adobe Photoshop software provides fast and easy access to supported raw image formats produced by many leading professional and mid-range digital cameras. Working with these “digital negatives” provides photographers with greater artistic control and flexibility while maintaining the original raw files. Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw supports the same functionality for TIFF and JPEG files.

The Camera Raw team would like the community to help verify the quality of the Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate through normal usage to ensure that the application is tested on a wide variety of hardware and software configurations not available internally at Adobe. Feedback can be provided on the Adobe User to User forum (http://forums.adobe.com/community/cameraraw).

Pricing and Availability

The Photoshop Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. Click here for more information and to download: http://labs.adobe.com

Additional Supported Camera and Camera Back Models

Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i)
Epson R-D1x
Hasselblad CF-22, CF-22MS, CF-39, CF-39MS, CFH-22, CFH-39, CFV, 503CWD, H2D-22, H2D-39, H3D-22, H3D-31, H3D-39, H3DII-22, H3DII-31, H3DII-39, H3DII-39MS, H3DII-50
Kodak EasyShare Z980
Nikon D5000
Olympus E-450
Olympus E-620
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Sigma DP2

Nik Software arranges free and interactive live-webinars

Online-trainings help photographers to expand their expertise for optimizing their digital images and workflow

Hamburg, 20th May 2009 – Nik Software offers live online-trainings to all interested photographers. These free webinars are facilitated by Nik Softwares product specialists with a long experience in training and highlight all Nik Software products as well as special topics. Furthermore the attendees are invited to interact: Subsequent to the presentation there is a live-chat for asking and discussing questions directly with Nik Software’s experts.

“Due to the new compatibility of our plug-ins with Aperture and Lightroom the number of people with access to our software has highly increased. But most photographers just do not have any specialist knowledge regarding Photoshop, and contrary to graphic artists they do not have neither the time nor the patience trying to create the perfect picture for hours”, says Dirk Schoettke, Managing Director Nik Software GmbH. “And working with our tools, they don’t have to! Our webinars show the participators how to optimize their workflow and their digital images without investing much time or afford. Nik Software makes it possible to create outstanding pictures with just a few clicks.”

Detailed information about Nik Software’s current webinars may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/trainings.

The trainings are in English and German language and highlight all software products developed by Nik Software, including the award-winning plug-ins Dfine®, Viveza™, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™ and Sharpener Pro™ as well as Nikons® Capture NX 2. The webinars are subdivided into beginners-trainings for photographers with little or no previous knowledge and advanced-trainings starting in October 2009. The beginner classes demonstrate the basic functions and techniques, photographers visiting the advanced classes will deepen their knowledge and receive valuable tips and tricks of the professionals. Furthermore Nik Software offers webinars focussing special topics like optimizing the workflow and wedding, portrait or landscape photography. The webinars comprise a presentation lasting 30-45 minutes followed by a chat where Nik Software’s product specialists attend to the questions of the participants. It is necessary to register at http://www.niksoftware.com as the number of attendees is limited.

In the future some well-known guest-trainers like Robin Preston, Calvin Hollywood or Juergen Mueller will present also live-webinars also and will answer to the participants questions. Current dates are announced on the Nik Software homepage and in general the attendance is free of charge.In addition the participators have the opportunity to receive a special code in some webinars that allows them to purchase selected products at a reduced price.

Product Descriptions

Dfine 2.0
Dfine improves the quality of digital photos by easily eliminating Contrast and Color noise as well as “banding” while maintaining rich details. Automatic noise reduction streamlines workflow and U Point technology provides unprecedented selective control and power. For more product information including video lessons visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/dfine

Viveza
Viveza, powered by U Point® technology for direct on-image editing, is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images. For the first time, corrections and enhancements to brightness, contrast or color can easily be made in a fraction of the time needed by other tools without the need to create complicated selections or layer masks. For more product information including video lessons visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/viveza

Color Efex Pro 3.0
Color Efex Pro 3.0 filters are the leading photographic filters for digital photography. Widely used by many of today’s professional photographers, the award-winning Color Efex Pro includes U Point technology for superb selective control and offers 52 traditional and stylizing filters that let users quickly and easily perform high quality retouching, color correction and creative enhancements. For more product information including video lessons visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefexpro

Silver Efex Pro
Silver Efex Pro provides complete power and control to create professional quality black-and-white images from your color digital photographs, and features award-winning U Point technology for precisely controlling detail and tonality. Advanced imaging algorithms protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black-and-white film types, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine help produce the highest quality black-and-white images possible while providing more freedom to experiment. For more product information including video lessons visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro

Sharpener Pro 3.0
Sharpener Pro 3.0 is the most advanced and powerful sharpening solution for photographers, eliminating the guesswork typically required for achieving superior printed results while providing
the most control possible. New adaptive sharpening algorithms, award-winning U Point technology for selective sharpening, and sharpening soft proofing that allows inspection of results before
printing all combine to ensure images have the desired sharpness of detail with repeatable, professional results. For more product information including video lessons visit: http://www.niksoftware.com/sharpenerpro

Nik Software, Inc.
Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions for the growing digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (http://www.upoint.com), Dfine®, Viveza™, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.

Control, Time Savings Shine Through in ACDSee Pro for Mac
ACD Systems’ first professional Mac application enters beta testing and offers photographers fast workflow tools with an emphasis on viewing, browsing and organizing images

VICTORIA, British Columbia – The wait is over for professional photographers who want a faster, affordable, all-in-one photography workflow system to use on their Macs. ACD Systems International Inc. today opened beta testing for its new ACDSee™ Pro Photo Manager for Mac, the first version of the company’s acclaimed Pro Photo Manager software for Mac applications.

Beta downloads of ACDSee Pro for Mac are available at http://www.acdsee.com/proformac. Already, more than 2,800 devoted Mac users have signed on to participate in the beta period and provide feedback to ACD Systems developers for use in formulating the final version, which is set for release in 2010. To further bring Mac enthusiasts into the development process, ACD Systems compiled an advisory panel of 50 users to solicit insights on key workflow features that professional and advanced amateur photographers want and need.

“The number of photographers utilizing Macs is growing, and now these dedicated Mac followers can take advantage of photo management software features that have, up until now, been limited to PC systems,” said Tarjin Rahman, product manager for ACD Systems. “ACDSee Pro for Mac is the integrated image viewing, managing and editing solution that helps photographers take control of their workflow.”

Built from the ground up, ACDSee Pro for Mac will include the full set of fast workflow features that photographers have come to expect in ACDSee products. The initial beta release of ACDSee Pro for Mac will focus on the fundamentals of browsing, viewing, organizing and printing images.

Live Browsing
Unlike catalog-based photo applications, ACDSee Pro for Mac skips the cumbersome step of importing files that are already on a hard drive or connected device. ACDSee Pro automatically detects external devices, including cameras, photo frames and memory cards, and allows users to simply drag and drop images onto a hard drive.

Professional photographers will also save time when it comes to accessing folders, which can be done live, in real time. ACDSee Pro instantly populates the file list with photo thumbnails.

“Navigating and viewing images without having to go through the import phase saves time and gives professional photographers the control they need in the creative process,” said Rahman.

Quick Viewing
With ACDSee’s proprietary viewing technology, ACDSee Pro for Mac allows image viewing at unparalleled speeds – even large, high-resolution photos. More than 40 file types can be viewed, including common RAW formats, and photos can be displayed in full-screen presentation mode for maximum impact.

ACDSee Pro provides flexibility to quickly review just one photo or a series of photos. Users can scan through selected images at the click of an arrow key and use the filmstrip window to remain oriented within a large group of files. To add speed to the workflow process, photos can easily be rated and tagged in View mode.

Robust File Format Support
Unlike most photo applications, ACDSee Pro for Mac supports browsing and organizing of additional file formats, including videos and documents. Users can also view file formats which are not decodable by ACDSee Pro, if the files’ native applications are installed on their systems.

Organizing Flexibility
Beta testers will find that ACDSee Pro for Mac offers complete control over image storage on the computer. Quick and simple file organization stays true to the Mac philosophy with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Folder item counts help users see how many files and folders are stored in each location. Images can be organized into hierarchical custom categories that are virtual, meaning there’s no need to duplicate images.

With ACDSee Pro, users have live access to manage files on a hard drive and applicable connected devices, and can move, add, delete and rename folders and images within folders. ACDSee database information like categories and ratings, file properties like size and resolution, and EXIF data like ISO speed and focal length is available in the Properties pane. Finding images is fast and easy with complex browsing capabilities and instant thumbnail retrieval. Users can also complete common workflow steps like converting file formats and resizing and renaming files much more quickly using batch tools, which enables these functions to be performed on many files at once.

Printing Control
Like other ACDSee Pro for Mac features that save time, printing images is fast and efficient. Beta testers can print single images, multi-image pages and contact sheets, and can select output size and orientation. Preferred options can be saved as presets to streamline the workflow process.

Future Features
Additional features planned for subsequent beta releases of ACDSee Pro for Mac include professional non-destructive image processing; digital asset management leveraging IPTC, XMP, and EXIF metadata standards; browsing of unconnected devices; and integration with Mac OS X technologies including Quick Look, Cover Flow and Spotlight.

Pricing and Availability
ACDSee Pro for Mac is in beta testing at http://www.acdsee.com/proformac. The full release of the product is anticipated for release in 2010. At that time, ACDSee Pro for Mac will be available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase at $169.99 (USD) by visiting http://www.acdsee.com.

About ACD Systems
Headquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International Inc. is one of the world’s leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software, including the renowned ACDSee image management tool and Canvas, an advanced technical illustration and graphics program. ACD Systems has millions of consumer and business users and more than 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500 companies. For further details, please visit http://www.acdsee.com.

ACD and ACDSee are trademarks of ACD Systems International Inc. and may be registered in Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan or certain other jurisdictions. Canvas is a trademark of ACD Systems of America, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Trademarks of ACD Systems of America, Inc. are used under license by ACD Systems International Inc. or its subsidiaries.

All other marks, products and company names are the property of their respective owners.

ddisoftware, Inc. is pleased to announce Qimage 2009.250, our professional photographic printing software for PC/Windows.  This major revision offers a number of minor UI tweaks and some bold new features that make optimal quality photo printing even easier.  Behind-the-scenes tweaks include a new installer that allows users to install both program files and application data in user-selectable folders, automatic checks to ensure that saved printer setups are compatible with updated print drivers, and other time saving enhancements.  New features include a “menu cheater” that allows direct access to dozens of commonly used functions that previously required drilling down into menus, and powerful new photo album functionality for the Studio Edition that allows users to organize photos into user defined photo albums.

Unlike other photo applications that force users to create albums in order to work with photos, Qimage Studio Edition allows users to choose their own workflow.  You can work with photos in your existing folders or you can create albums to organize photos across multiple folders.  The choice is yours.

For existing Lite/Pro users who want the new album features, keep in mind that our trade-up program is still being offered where you only need to pay the difference between your existing Qimage edition and the Studio Edition to get lifetime free upgrades to Qimage Studio from that point forward.  Just click Trade Up from the Qimage web site for details.

For a detailed description of v2009.250 features, see the table at http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/news.htm#latestver

Serif, a leading developer of professional and consumer-oriented desktop publishing, design and graphics software, today released its most powerful digital photo editing software to date, PhotoPlus X3 Digital Studio.  The latest offers high-end image editing capabilities and enhanced ease-of-use that make advanced photo editing more accessible and affordable than ever.

Sophisticated features such as High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, Raw Photo Studio and 48-bit dynamic color make PhotoPlus X3 best in its class, while the QuickFix Studio, Makeover Studio and other task-focused studios make professional-quality fixes easy and fast for all – from novice users to seasoned software pros.

Key new features and benefits include:

·    Raw image processing – process and fix Raw images from digital cameras at the highest quality using the Raw Photo Studio

·    High Dynamic Range imaging (HDR) – combine shots with different exposures for stunning HDR photos.

·    High Color Images – work with 48-bit color photos for the highest quality results

·    Quick and easy image correction and enhancement with the addition of more Studios

·    New effects such as realistic metal and glass effects add subtle reflections to create eye-catching special effects

·    Microsoft HD Photo support – open and save in this new format which offers significantly better compression efficiency

Resources such as the new Black and White Studio offer full control over the mood and style of greyscale images.  In addition, PhotoPlus X3’s improved filter gallery gives users the opportunity to enhance images with effects including kaleidoscope and page curl, and enhanced usability features, intuitive interface and an all-new Print Layout Studio have boosted speed, efficiency and performance.

“Serif is thrilled to announce the release of PhotoPlus X3 which makes it even easier to fix photos and add professional effects to images,” says Gary Bates, managing director of Serif. “PhotoPlus X3 offers an unsurpassed combination of usable features and high-end digital darkroom power making it the ideal choice for anyone looking to get the most from their digital photos.”

Availability

PhotoPlus X3 will retail at $79.99. Existing Serif Software users should contact (800) 557-3743 for further information on upgrade pricing.  PhotoPlus X3 is available today directly from Serif and will be coming soon to major retailers such as Buy.com, Frys and Amazon.

Roxio(R), a division of Sonic Solutions(R) (NASDAQ:SNIC) , today announced Roxio PhotoShow(R) Touch, a version of the company’s popular multimedia slideshow creation and online sharing application designed specifically for multi-touch, Windows 7-based systems. The result of close collaboration with Microsoft Corp. in developing for Windows 7, PhotoShow Touch enables families to compose and share entertaining slideshows using simple finger gestures to directly manipulate objects on screen. For example, to zoom in and out of photo collections, users simply touch the screen and pinch fingers together or apart.

Whether they are photos or footage shot during a recent vacation, college graduation or other important family event, PhotoShow Touch makes it fun and interactive for families to turn these personal memories into an expressive multimedia story. PhotoShow Touch desktop application connects users seamlessly to the Web-based PhotoShow service, where slideshows can be shared and enjoyed via the Web, on DVDs, TVs, handheld devices, and popular social media sites.

“PhotoShow Touch will light up the multi-touch interface on Windows 7 and delight consumers by making the process of creating a slideshow as engaging and fun as the results,” said Matt DiMaria, general manager, Roxio. “Our User Experience design and development efforts around PhotoShow Touch, our first touch-centric product, will serve us extremely well as natural user interaction becomes the common interface in computing and touch systems grow in the market.”

PhotoShow Touch is part of a new generation of applications and services from Roxio that are the result of a design-led development initiative. The elegantly designed products, which are based on extensive usability testing, make digital media tasks extremely accessible and provide consumers a fun and intuitive environment in which to work.

“Independent software vendors like Roxio have always played a key role in enhancing and expanding the Windows experience, which will continue to be the case with Windows 7,” said Jeff Price, Senior Director of Windows Product Management at Microsoft Corp. “Digital media based applications such as PhotoShow Touch are a very practical use of multi-touch technology and are particularly well suited to the natural user interface metaphor, bringing back a tactile element to the experience of working with personal content such as photos.”

PhotoShow Touch makes it easy and enjoyable for families to turn personal memories into expressive stories. Using simple touch, drag and release gestures, users can reorder and rotate photos, then tap to select a pre-defined PhotoShow Style. The one-tap styles automatically generate a polished production, complete with animated introduction, soundtrack, and appropriate transitions based on a theme such as Sports, Music Videos, Greeting Cards, Vacations, Birth Announcements, and many more. Users may further enhance and customize their PhotoShow using touch input to dynamically add, size, and position animated graphics, as well as insert caption treatments and decorative borders. A range of professional music tracks (included) or personal music set the mood for the show. Users can share a completed show through email by simply dragging it onto an icon of a friend or enjoy shows on PCs, DVDs, TVs, handheld devices, and popular social media sites with Roxio’s online PhotoShow basic and premium services (http://www.photoshow.com). A video overview of the PhotoShow Touch is available at: http://www.roxio.com/go/oem.

PhotoShow Touch is expected to be available shortly on PCs from major manufacturers. The application is part of a new range of products from Roxio for Windows 7 and the emerging Touch-Screen and Netbook PC segments.

About Roxio

Roxio enables consumers to easily manage, share, and enjoy personal digital media content and conveniently access premium Hollywood entertainment from a broad range of connected devices. A wide array of leading technology companies and developers rely on Roxio applications, services and technologies to bring innovative digital media functionality to next-generation devices and platforms.

Roxio is a division of Sonic Solutions (NASDAQ:SNIC) , headquartered in Marin County, California.

Forward Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, including the launch, distribution, and market acceptance of Roxio PhotoShow Touch. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Sonic Solutions’ annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release should be read in conjunction with Sonic Solutions’ most recent annual report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contain a more detailed discussion of the Company’s business including risks and uncertainties that may affect future results. Sonic Solutions does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements.

Sonic, Sonic Solutions, Roxio, the Roxio logo, and PhotoShow are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by Sonic Solutions in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners and, in some cases, are used by Sonic Solutions under license. Specifications, pricing and delivery schedules are subject to change without notice.

Source: Roxio

Nik Software announces today that Sharpener Pro 3.0, its popular digital photographic plug-in offering the most advanced and powerful sharpening solution for photographers, is now available for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and higher. Sharpener Pro 3.0 eliminates the guesswork typically required for achieving superior and consistent selective sharpening results. The update is available now as a free download to current owners at http://www.niksoftware.com/lightroom.

“Sharpener Pro 3.0 now joins Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Silver Efex Pro for Lightroom, enabling photographers to incorporate the leading sharpening solution into their Lightroom workflow,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software. “Sharpener Pro has been one of the most anticipated additions for Lightroom compatibility and we are pleased to announce that it is available. This update, like previous Lightroom compatibility releases, is offered to Sharpener Pro 3.0 users at no additional cost.”

Sharpener Pro 3.0 installs as a plug-in for Lightroom 2.3, itself a free update from earlier versions and available for download at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates. Once installed, Sharpener Pro 3.0 is accessible via the Lightroom Photo>Edit In… menu. Edits made using the plug-in within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. Sharpener Pro 3.0 also takes advantage of Lightroom’s efficiencies for everyday tasks, including the ability to edit multiple images in one session, increasing productivity for photographers.

About Sharpener Pro 3.0

Featuring Nik Software’s patented U Point technology, Sharpener Pro 3.0 enables photographers to selectively sharpen objects within their images. U Point-powered Control Points are easy to use and offer precise control over sharpening intensity without the need to create complicated selections and layer masks.

Additional key features of Sharpener Pro 3.0 include:

• Output Sharpening—Provides the ultimate control to create perfectly sharpened images on all devices and media types such as display, inkjet, continuous tone, half tone, and hybrid tone
• Creative Sharpening—Enhances fine details and textures with new structure, focus, and local contrast tools for drawing attention to desired areas within the image
• Industry-First Sharpening Soft Proof—Allows detailed inspection of sharpening results on screen before printing, eliminating costly test prints
• Output Presets—Enables custom settings to be saved for consistent, professional results
• RAW Presharpener—Retains and enhances sharp details within images without amplifying noise and other artifacts
• Multi-Image Support (Aperture & Lightroom)—Provides compatibility with multi-image support in Aperture and Lightroom, allowing photographers to easily copy and paste settings between images to maintain consistency
• Powerful Selective Tool (Photoshop only)—Enables the use of Photoshop’s brush tools to paint in sharpening selectively
• Smart Filter Support (Photoshop only)—Provides compatibility with Adobe Photoshop’s Smart Objects enabling adjustments to sharpening after Sharpener Pro has been applied

Pricing and Availability

The fully compatible Sharpener Pro 3.0 product, offering support for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, is available immediately for electronic delivery directly from Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) or through specialty camera retailers. A complete list of resellers may be found at http://www.niksoftware.com/resellers. Current owners of Sharpener Pro 3.0 may download a free update at http://www.niksoftware.com/lightroom.

Nik Software also announced that all of its photographic filter products are being updated to support Lightroom as well, finally a Complete Collection Lightroom edition will be be released this summer. As
these Lightroom-compatible versions become available, current owners of the Photoshop-version will receive updates free of charge. All products are expected to be available by the end of the second
quarter of 2009.

The suggested retail price of Sharpener Pro 3.0 is €199.95 (incl. VAT). Upgrades from any previous version are available for €99.95 (incl. VAT). Sharpener Pro 3.0 installs as a plug-in for either Adobe Photoshop, Apple Aperture 2.1, or Lightroom and is available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems, including Vista and Leopard. For more information about Sharpener Pro 3.0, including video tutorials showing the software running within Photoshop, Aperture or Lightroom and a free 15-day fully functional trial version, please visit http://www.niksoftware.com/sharpenerpro.

KVIS Software Inc. announces the release of AKVIS MultiBrush v.4.0 for Windows and Macintosh. AKVIS MultiBrush makes it easy to retouch damaged photos and enhance portraits. It is available as a standalone application as well as a plugin to the most popular photo editors. AKVIS MultiBrush is a new enhanced version of AKVIS Stamp, therefore the registered users of Stamp can activate MultiBrush for free.

AKVIS MultiBrush makes it easy to retouch photos and enhance portraits in Windows and Mac. Featuring a collection of healing and enhancement brushes, cloning and stamping tools, AKVIS MultiBrush helps artists, photographers and home users to perform portrait enhancement, retouch image flows and remove unwanted objects from digital pictures. AKVIS MultiBrush removes wrinkles, scars, scratches, and enhances imperfect skin on portraits in the most natural way. Spots, stains, and dust are easy to mask and remove.

The Chameleon Brush of MultiBrush heals skin problems and removes dust, spots and scratches without affecting background texture, lighting or colors. This unique brush is similar to Adobe Healing Brush, yet offers more flexibility and customization options.

The Artistic Cloning mode makes AKVIS MultiBrush truly unique. This innovative mode makes it possible to clone parts of a picture in a really smart way. Sample, adjust and re-source parts you’re about to multiply through the image, and create impressive collages with little effort.

There are many more tools in AKVIS MultiBrush to retouch and enhance portraits, restore scratched pictures, and create artistic collages and compositions. All pens and brushes found in AKVIS MultiBrush feature automatic adjustments to preserve the original’s color and tonal range, texture and brightness, lighting and shadows. As a result, the restored part of the image or the cloned object blends into the original background seamlessly and looks absolutely natural.

AKVIS MultiBrush is a new enhanced version of AKVIS Stamp. The name change reflects the tremendous changes in the program. Now it has much more functionality and improves compatibility with the newest versions of Windows and Macintosh and such photo editors as Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, etc. The registered users of Stamp can activate MultiBrush for free.

AKVIS MultiBrush makes the advanced healing tool available for stand-alone customers and users of photo editing products such as Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Paint Shop Pro and PhotoImpact, Corel Photo-Paint, ACD FotoCanvas and Photo Editor, and many more supporting Adobe Photoshop plug-in architecture on Windows and Mac platforms.

AKVIS MultiBrush sells for $49.00 USD. Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Sketch, Chameleon, MultiBrush, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster,  Decorator, Enhancer, LightShop, SmartMask,  ArtSuite, Magnifier and ArtWork) for USD $325 USD, huge savings over purchasing each separately. One license allows activating the software on two computers, for example, on a desktop and on a laptop.

For a free trial, AKVIS offers 10 days to play with the fully functional program.  http://akvis.com/en/multibrush/download-brush-tools.php

Easypano is pleased to announce the availability of Panoweaver 6.00 Professional and Panoweaver 6.00 Batch, which offer the ability to stitch both cylindrical and spherical panoramas from single-row/multiple rows of normal digital photos or fisheye photos.
Main features of Panoweaver 6.00:

* Support automatic stitching and manual stitching
* Recognize the lens type automatically
* Stitch spherical panoramas from fisheye photos
* Stitch cylindrical panoramas from single-row/multiple-rows of photos
* Support creating HDR panoramas

* Support stitching Camera RAW files
* Convert HDR to LDR image
* Support two blenders: PWBlend and Smartblend
* Support Raynox lens
* Stitch 16 bit panoramic image
* Right click stitching
* Support CPU with dual core
* Save unfinished project
* Output single panoramas to Flash, QuickTime and Java players
* Support streaming loading for Flash panoramas
* Support customization of the Loading Window for Flash.
* Batch stitch up to 100 groups of photos to panoramas (available in 6.00 Batch)
* Batch export panoramas in Flash, QuickTime and Java players (available in 6.00 Batch)

Availability & Pricing

Panoweaver 6.00 is currently available in English, German and Japanese, for Windows® at the following prices:
Panoweaver 6.00 Professional: US$499.95 / 499.95€

Upgrade to Panoweaver 6.00 Professional from 5.00 Professional: US$200.00 / 200.00€

Panoweaver 6.00 Batch: US$999.95 / 899.95€

Light Crafts Introduces Aurora, the Powerfully Simple Photo Management Software

Now available for download, Aurora simplifies the complexities of getting to great photos

Palo Alto, Calif. – April 21, 2009 – Light Crafts today announced the introduction of Aurora, powerfully simple photo editing, organizing and sharing software that answers the need of consumers who are looking to bring out the best in their digital photos. Aurora is intuitive to use, enabling anyone to go from download to expert in a matter of minutes.

“We believe everyone’s photos should look great, and we are proud to introduce Aurora as a powerfully simple solution to help photographers of all stripes achieve amazing results for their digital images,” said Fabio Riccardi, founder and CEO of Light Crafts. “Aurora makes it possible, for the first time, to easily edit photos so that they reflect what you saw in real life when you captured the image. We spent years studying how the human eye processes images, and we built Aurora to mimic that ability so that edited photos reflect the actual memory you captured.”

Aurora’s visual photo editor is powered by sophisticated algorithms that simplify the complexities of advanced photo-editing by presenting suggested improvements to photos in an intuitive what-you-see-is-what-you-get fashion. A pop-up image selector lets users see a range of improvements and pick exactly how their edited photos might look simply by clicking on the desired improved image.

Aurora’s powerfully simple solution not only edits photos, it also has sophisticated tools to help organize photos, has online back-up services to help keep photos safe, and makes sharing photos easy with photo publishing tools and photo sharing capabilities with sites like Flickr and Facebook.

Aurora’s key features include:

Visual photo editing: The strength of Aurora lies in its intuitive, powerful, visual editor which presents suggested improvements in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get fashion. The unique relight tool essentially “turns on” the light inside the image, creating better, more realistic photos. Users can also straighten, adjust color strength and warmth, crop, zoom and adjust red-eye in a simple, intuitive and visual way.

Organizing and viewing of photos: Aurora allows consumers to easily import photos from their camera or computer, re-arrange and re-name them, then tag and rate favorites for easy viewing and retrieval.

Sharing and publishing: Aurora enables consumers to email, print, and connect directly to their photo sharing, social networking and accounts from within Aurora making it easy to share select photos online on sites like Flickr and Facebook.

Online back-up: Photos are one of those truly irreplaceable items. Aurora’s optional online back-up service is powered by Amazon.com and stores photos to keep them out of harm’s way. Online back-up plans are available for $4.95 per month. Users can simply hit “online back up” from within Aurora to sync directly with their Amazon storage account.

“Aurora is the answer for intuitive photo editing,” said Tracey Clark, photographer (http://www.traceyclark.com), mom and founder of ShutterSisters.com. “I love its unique way of presenting editing options. In my experience using the software, Aurora makes it easy for anyone to improve and beautifully enhance their images.”

Aurora is available for $19.95 and can be purchased for download to a PC at http://www.lightcrafts.com.

About Light Crafts, Inc.
Light Crafts, Inc is a company that believes everyone’s photos should look great and that getting them to look that way should be simple. Light Crafts’ patent-pending image processing technology powers Aurora, the powerfully simple photo editing, organizing and sharing software, and the award-winning LightZoneTM digital image editing application suite. Light Crafts was founded in 2004 by Fabio Riccardi. The company is privately-funded and based in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Light Crafts and Aurora, please visit http://www.lightcrafts.com.

AKVIS Software Inc. announces the release of AKVIS Retoucher plug-in v.3.5 for Windows and Macintosh. The plug-in allows restoring damages photos by removing dust, scratches, stains, and by reconstructing the missing parts of a photo. The new version fixes bugs and improves compatibility with the newest versions of Photoshop CS3, CS4 on Macintosh and Windows. Upgrade for registered users is free.

Few things in life stir our memories and emotions the way photographs do. Unfortunately, as time goes by, old photographs fade out, get stained, or get otherwise damaged.  In order to preserve them, many people digitize their photos to pass these cherished images on to future generations.

AKVIS Retoucher plug-in restores damaged photographs with minimal effort and amazing results. Surface defects such as scratches, water spots, flakes and stains can be removed automatically, just select the defects and run the program. The wide variety of capabilities are demonstrated at
http://akvis.com/en/retoucher/examples-image-restoration.php

Besides, the software is able to reconstruct the missing parts of a photo using the information of the surrounding areas. So you can restore a torn photo or a photo with some parts missing. AKVIS Retoucher is also a handy tool for improving the composition of your photos. You can remove date stamps, logos, small irrelevant details (wires, refuse bins, etc). If you need to increase the canvas size (from one side or proportionally) to bring the main object into focus, AKVIS Retoucher will help you to fill the blank areas of the canvas with appropriate image textures.

The application is straightforward and can be used by amateur photographers who have never performed retouching/image restoration before. The main rule is to mark the entire area, you want to restore (for example, the entire scratch). Otherwise, AKVIS Retoucher will try to re-create the scratch, as it analyses the neighboring pixels to fill in the damaged area.
http://akvis.com/en/retoucher-tutorial/index.php

Version 3.5 fixes some bugs and improves compatibility with the newest versions of Photoshop CS3, CS4 on Macintosh and Windows.

The full functional trial version of AKVIS Retoucher is available at http://akvis.com/en/retoucher/download-image-restoration.php

AKVIS Retoucher Plugin is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Corel Photo-Paint, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo and Photoimpact, Picture Publisher pro and other digital imaging software that supports third-party plugins.  The software runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.3.9-10.5, PowerPC/Intel.

AKVIS Retoucher sells for $87 USD, downloadable from http://akvis.com . Home users can enjoy the full line of AKVIS plugins in the AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Enhancer, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Sketch, LightShop, SmartMask, ArtSuite, Magnifier and ArtWork) for $325 USD. For business licenses consult the official web-site. One license key allows activating the software on two different computers.

Bits&Coffee has released BatchPhoto v. 2.5, a powerful Windows photo manipulation program that makes it easy to annotate, touch up, transform, apply effects, convert and rename hundreds of pictures in a single operation. Instead of enhancing and adjusting pictures individually, BatchPhoto lets you select a group of images, define a series of edits, and apply them in a single operation.

With version 2.5, BatchPhoto introduces a new major feature: Raw Photo Development. DSLR digital cameras can save the raw image data as read by the optical sensor without any loss or additional processing. The resulting files often called raw images or digital negatives need additional processing on the PC with a specialized software.

Almost every digital camera manufacturer has one or several different file formats for storing the raw image data, which leads to poor support from software vendors. BatchPhoto can read and convert most of those formats, including formats from digital camera makers like: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, Kodak, Pentax.

By taking advantage of multi-core processors BatchPhoto can convert hundreds or even thousands of raw images to common image formats like JPEG or TIFF in a single session. Custom defined settings like White Balance or Demosaicing allow the user to control the development process in detail. Additional filters and transformations can be applied to photos in the same session (e.g. Watermark, Resize, Sepia and so on).

BatchPhoto can convert the raw images to dozens of image formats, including: JPG, TIF, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP, EPS, TGA, and PSD. It can also change the meaningless names assigned by digital cameras to custom keyword based names, in the same operation.

A second new feature introduced in version 2.5 is the ability to create PDF documents from multiple images. In the same process each image can be annotated, watermarked, and adjusted. So instead of sharing individual pictures the user can share a PDF album with dozens.

Overall, BatchPhoto has more than three dozen graphical filters that can be applied to pictures. The filters are divided into four main categories: Annotate, Touch Up, Transform, and Effects. The program is designed with productivity and ease of use in mind, so the user can save settings and use profiles for speeding up common tasks. BatchPhoto adds itself to Windows Explorer’s contextual (right-click) menu, so the user can apply predefined or custom defined profiles to groups of pictures with ease.

New features in v. 2.5 include: support for RAW images, support for creating PDF files from multiple images, support for multi-page TIFF and GIF images, and an improved graphical user interface.

BatchPhoto v. 2.5 runs under all versions of Windows, including Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. It comes in two editions: Home and Pro priced at $29.95(US), and $59.95(US). BatchPhoto may be purchased securely online at http://www.batchphoto.com/. Quantity discounts and site licenses are available. A free 30-day trial version can be downloaded from the same web address.

Bits&Coffee SRL is a privately held software company from Craiova, Romania (European Union). At Bits&Coffee we create software products that help our users be more productive when working with digital photographs. For more information, contact Bits&Coffee, street Spania P6-3, 200726 Romania. Phone: +40(722)242-277 Fax: +40(351)430-046

Avanquest SendPhotos is a new tool that enables photography enthusiasts to organise an entire photo collection online, making images easily accessible to friends, families and business associates. Working across Mobile, PC and Web, Avanquest SendPhotos provides users with a personal online portal to save a lifetime of images into digital albums and then share them with the people they choose. Currently in beta mode, everybody can use Avanquest SendPhotos now and enjoy 1GB of free storage space, enough to store approximately 2000 photos*.

Download Avanquest SendPhotos for free now at http://www.sendphotos.com.

In addition to sharing their own photos, users can invite friends and family to ‘share-back’ their images. The owner of an Avanquest SendPhotos space simply provides permission to the ‘visitor’ and they upload images to complement an album. This provides the opportunity to create a comprehensive photo album for a social event, such as a wedding or birthday party. Users create permission settings for all photo albums, ensuring complete privacy to avoid any embarrassing situations.

SendPhotos is created by Avanquest Software, a leading developer and publisher of business and consumer software for the global PC market. It is an online photo sharing solution that combines mobile phone, PC and Web 2.0 technologies. Membership at Avanquest SendPhotos includes a free mobile phone client, a free PC client, and free online access with 1GB of online storage space throughout the duration of the beta phase. Screenshots for Avanquest SendPhotos are available at http://screenshots.sendphotos.com and a short, entertaining video is accessible online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Myjf80QVqA

Avanquest SendPhotos comprises:

Avanquest SendPhotos Mobile software is installed on a mobile phone, making it easy to share snaps on the move and keep personal pages on http://www.sendphotos.com continuously up to date. Within two clicks, photos taken on a phone are uploaded and automatically backed up. Selected friends and family can view photos moments after they have been taken to discover exactly what their loved ones are doing and where they are. A convenient Set-up Wizard walks users step-by-step through the creation of their Avanquest SendPhotos Web login and general application settings. Furthermore, the software allows mobile subscribers to avoid costly data charges that can otherwise occur when uploading photos whilst roaming.

Avanquest SendPhotos is the only all-in-one free photo sharing solution that provides certified support for more than 140 mobile phones from leading manufacturers in the market today. This includes the world’s first Android-powered smartphone, the T-Mobile G-1, Apple’s latest iPhone and Blackberry’s Bold and Pearl handsets. The soon to be released Avanquest SendPhotos iPhone version even includes a photo editor with easy-to-use control of cropping, colouring, contrast and fun features that enable smudge and text addition to images.

Avanquest SendPhotos PC enables people to organise, edit and share their digital photos. Users can upload, download and synchronise photos and albums on their own personal pages at http://www.sendphotos.com, allowing only a selected few or the entire world to see them. Those with access can download high resolution photos in their original size and quality, and ‘share back’ by uploading their own for a comprehensive online photo album and photo exchange. An editing tool is also included in Avanquest SendPhotos to reduce redeye, crop pictures, correct colour and change the contrast of photos, making it convenient to enhance an image before sharing it.

Avanquest SendPhotos also allows photos to be optimised for rapid download so that users without broadband internet access can obtain the images quickly.

Avanquest SendPhotos Web provides users with personal photo pages at http://www.sendphotos.com for storing, uploading and sharing digital pics. The space can be accessed from any internet connection in the world, so digital photos and digital images can be backed up, stored and synchronised regardless of location. Privacy is a priority at Avanquest SendPhotos and access to digital photos is only available to authorised family and friends.

An easy to use interface makes it simple for people to arrange digital pics and holiday snaps into friend and family albums or animated slide shows. A simple drag and drop function with animated icons makes it easy to transfer photos online to external websites such as Picasa and social networking websites such as MySpace. Additionally, users can directly access an album PhotoFlow created in Avanquest SendPhotos, with the option of embedding it into a website or blog.

Avanquest SendPhotos is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German editions at launch.

Nik Software announces today that Silver Efex Pro, its popular digital photographic plug-in offering the most advanced, complete, and straightforward black-and-white solution, is now available for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and higher. The update is available now as a free download to current owners of Silver Efex Pro. “With Silver Efex Pro now joining Viveza and Color Efex Pro for Lightroom, three of our most powerful products offer photographers even more efficient ways to apply image enhancements seamlessly within Lightroom,” said Michael J. Slater president and CEO of Nik Software. “Our goal is to provide compatibility with popular photo applications such as Lightroom. Offering these free updates for Lightroom enables our users to continue their workflow using their favorite plug-in products regardless of which application they use.” “Silver Efex Pro installs as a plug-in for Lightroom 2.3, itself a free update from earlier versions and available for download at www.adobe.com/downloads/updates . Once installed, Silver Efex Pro is accessible via the Lightroom Photo>Edit In… menu. Edits made using the plug-in within Lightroom are non-destructive in nature, with edits applied automatically to a newly generated TIFF file and not the original. It also takes advantage of Lightroom and its efficiencies for everyday tasks, like the ability to edit multiple images in one session, saving time and increasing productivity for photographers.” About Silver Efex Pro Silver Efex Pro uses a range of advanced imaging algorithms that protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of 18 emulated black-and-white film types, and a state-of-the-art grain engine that truly mimics the traditional silver halide process to create the highest quality black-and-white images possible from scanned or digital color photographs. Nik Software’s patented U Point technology, also found in Silver Efex Pro, provides easy-to-use tools for direct on-image control of tonality, contrast, and structure. Precisely controlling specific areas of a photo can be achieved easily using just a few mouse clicks without the need to create complicated selections and layer masks. Silver Efex Pro combined with U Point technology offers users unprecedented control over selective tonal and contrast adjustment in black-and-white images. For more product information including video lessons visit: www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro Working seamlessly within Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture, Silver Efex Pro begins by presenting photographers with a basic “neutral” conversion of their color image to black-and-white. One-click adjustments can be made from a choice of nearly 30 preset styles from nostalgic processes like the ambrotype and tintype to classic artistic renderings, trendy high contrast, soft focus or grainy images that emulate the most popular film types and shooting styles. This initial set of creative options can be used as is or as a starting point for photographers who wish to create and even share their own customized black-and-white styles. In addition, color filters, variable toning controls (includes sepia, selenium, split-toning and user-defined colors for maximum flexibility), vignettes, burning, and more only add to the number of advanced stylistic effects photographers will enjoy with Silver Efex Pro. Nik Software also announces that all of its remaining photographic filter products are being updated to support Lightroom. The next plug-in will be Sharpener Pro 3.0. As these Lightroom-compatible versions become available, current owners will receive updates free of charge. All products are expected to be available by the end of the second quarter of 2009. Pricing and Availability The fully compatible Silver Efex Pro product, offering support for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, is available immediately for electronic delivery directly from Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) or through specialty camera retailers. A complete list of resellers may be found at www.niksoftware.com/resellers. Current owners of Silver Efex Pro may download a free update at www.niksoftware.com/lightroom. The suggested retail price of Silver Efex Pro is $199.95. Silver Efex Pro installs as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom or Apple Aperture 2.1 and is available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems, including Vista and Leopard. For more information about Silver Efex Pro, including video tutorials showing the software running within Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture and a free 15-day fully functional trial version, please visit. About Nik Software Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions for the growing digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology (www.upoint.com), Dfine®, Viveza™, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.

Phase One releases Capture One 4.7 New file format packages Phase One RAW images with applied settings; new support for JPEG and TIFF files; more tethered support COPENHAGEN, April 2, 2009—Phase One’s Capture One version 4.7 introduces a new enhanced image package file format to make it easier to share adjusted Phase One digital back-generated RAW files. It also permits adjustment of both JPEG and TIFF files. And it adds tethered shooting support for Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D3X. New features include: NEWLY-DESIGNED FILE FORMAT for Phase One RAW files The Enhanced Image Package (.eip file extension) permits packaging of a Phase One RAW image file together with the adjustment settings applied to the RAW file, with no changes to the original RAW file or re-arrangement of settings. Ideal for photographers working with retouchers or pre-press, the .eip file format makes it easier to share adjusted Phase One RAW files and helps simplify image archiving and management. The concept is simple and based on well known, proven ZIP technology (but without the file compression). It is possible to capture directly to .eip or to convert existing files into .eip files. The .eip format leaves the original RAW file untouched, so it is always possible to ‘unpack’ the original RAW file and settings. SUPPORT FOR JPEG and TIFF files as ‘Input’ Files Many unique attributes of Capture One 4 have been available only for Phase One back users or DSLR shooters using RAW capture. With v4.7, JPEG and TIFF support has been added. All of the existing technology in Capture One 4 is activated for both JPEG and TIFF files with the exception of the Lens correction tools. Now, scans, or older archived files that are in TIFF or JPEG format can be added to existing work and adjusted using Phase One’s patented algorithms. Note: For optimal image quality, it is still recommended to capture and work with images in RAW format. ADDED TETHERED CAPTURE SUPPORT (PRO and DB versions) Canon 5D Mark II Nikon D3X AVAILABILITY Capture One 4.7 is available now and comes in three versions: 4.7, 4.7 PRO and 4.7 DB.  Capture One 4.7 is a free service release to existing Capture One 4.x owners. Capture One 3.x customers can upgrade to a similar version of Capture One 4.6 at no extra cost. About Phase One Phase One is a leading provider of digital image capture and work flow management technology.  Phase One 645 Camera Systems and P+ digital backs open new possibilities, putting the focus back on the moment of capture. Phase One Capture One software helps streamline the capture and post-production process.  Supporting DSLR, medium- and large-format photographic equipment, Phase One products are renowned for their superior quality, flexibility and speed — enabling pro photographers to realize their most subtle and most complex visions without compromise. Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai. For more information about the products, visit the Phase One web site on http://www.phaseone.com. Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S.  All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

FotoMaps is a photo gallery built with flash and XML that lets you put your photos on a map. Choose any map you like, then place each photo at the exact location where it was taken. Zoom in and out, drag the map around, and explore your photos.

Try the demo:
http://www.fotomaps.net/demo

Displaying your photos on a map provides a fun and meaningful way to browse, and geographical context allows your photo album to tell a story.

FotoMaps isn’t just for photographers and portfolios. Businesses in tourism, real estate, and advertising use it to create unique location-specific showcases. How you use it is only limited by your creativity.

Unique Map Interface

The FotoMaps interface is 3D map that zooms, scrolls, and drags with smooth dynamic motion. Click a region to zoom closer, then click a photo to view. It’s quick, precise, and intuitive. Photos can be individual or grouped into slideshows, allowing you maximum flexibility of arrangement.

Easy to Use & Full of Options

FotoMaps is easy to use and update, requiring no knowledge of Flash or coding. Anyone can make a FotoMap and anyone can view it. All of your photos and configuration options are controlled with external XML file, and we’ve got step-by-step instructions if you ever get lost along the way.

What’s New in Version 2.0

* Redesigned interface with a sleeker look and quicker navigation
* New features like a zoom slider, cache control, photo frames
* Revamped config file with many new options – you now have the ability to turn on/off all of the features
* Brandable – add your own logo and link to the menu bar (pro version only)
* Permalinks to each photo or slideshow so you can bookmark and share links to photos within the application
* Improved photo captions, now auto-expanding to fit all of your content
* Improved slideshow control, including keyboard navigation
* Improved “About” screen with more control over formatting and support for HTML links
* Photo links – specify any URL to jump to when a photo is clicked (pro version only)
* Background music (pro version only)

For a full features tour see:
http://www.fotomaps.net/features.html

Download FotoMaps Now – FREE

FotoMaps is free to use for non-commercial sites.

Download FotoMaps 2.0 now:
http://www.fotomaps.net/download.html

FotoMaps Pro offers extra features and a commercial license, for only $29.
Learn more about pro features at:
http://www.fotomaps.net/download.html

Find Out More

For more information about FotoMaps including features, demo, FAQ, resources, and free download please visit our website: http://www.fotomaps.net.

Unified Color today introduced its innovative new digital imaging software, HDR PhotoStudio, at the Photographer’s Marketing Association (PMA) conference and trade show.

Poised to become the new standard in digital photography, HDR PhotoStudio offers major advances in color modeling, color accuracy and image file compression. With HDR PhotoStudio, photographers can easily merge and edit pictures taken at various exposures into a single, stunning HDR image.

“Our application is backed by a unique color model based on human vision. The issue with just about every color model backing other imaging applications is that it is coupled with an obsolete technology, the CRT (cathode ray tube),” said Igor Tryndin, CTO of Unified Color. “Our color model is decoupled from any physical display device. Instead, we model visual information in terms of how the human eye sees it.”

HDR PhotoStudio has solved the problem of “color shift,” which occurs when color changes (shifts) during adjustments (for example, a change in brightness or contrast). Tryndin points out, “Our unique color model ensures the highest degree of separation between brightness and color in your images. So when you adjust brightness, there is no change in your image’s color.”

An ideal solution for digital archiving, Unified Color’s new BEF file format offers industry-leading file compression, so photographers get the most accurate color, full gamut, HDR images, all in a file comparable to the size of a JPEG. They will also save disk space and experience quicker uploads and downloads.

“With the BEF format you can save HDR images at a quality level that matches any display technology available today, and even those not yet invented,’” said Dr. Sergey Bezryadin, Unified Color’s Chief Scientist. “You can depend on the BEF format for the life of your image because the format of the image is tied to human vision, not a display device that will eventually become outdated, as we have experienced with CRTs. As display technology improves, so too will the quality of your images.”

HDR PhotoStudio is the culmination of many years of research and development, which has resulted in 12 patents awarded to Unified Color and Dr. Bezryadin, a former professor of physics at Moscow University of Electronic Technique.

Photographers can also use HDR PhotoStudio to edit their images, especially when accurate color is required. With its intuitive, easy-to-use editing tools, “Photographers may find themselves, like I did, turning to HDR PhotoStudio to perform brightness and color edits on their images,” said Unified Color Marketing Director (and longtime photographer) Joyce Fee. “At first I used our product just to perform my HDR merges. Then, I experienced how powerful the various editing tools were, and now I manage my color, brightness and contrast adjustments in HDR PhotoStudio instead of Photoshop, where I used to use to make these adjustments.”

For photographers who want to work with Photoshop and also benefit from Unified Color’s file compression ratios, there is BEF Plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®, so BEF formatted files edited and saved in Photoshop will continue to benefit from Unified Color’s compression ratios and superior quality.

“Ultimately, we want to partner with a camera manufacturer to build an HDR camera based on our technology,” said CTO Tryndin. A true HDR camera would enable anyone with a camera to capture HDR scenes—the lightest and darkest details all captured in one shot. In fact, on February 19th Ricoh™ announced the availability of their new CX1 digital camera with a dynamic range of 12 EV equivalent, an indication that HDR is gaining in popularity outside the realm of professionals and serious hobbyists.

Tryndin’s response to the new CX1: “I’m encouraged. The Ricoh announcement is an obvious manifestation of the HDR transition trend we have been predicting. With the arrival of HDR features to the mass market of digital imaging, the Unified Color platform is a major milestone on this path, as it is a clear, no-compromise choice for any photographer – simply because it matches human vision.”

About Unified Color
Unified Color is an imaging technology company that has developed a unique, next-generation, multi-patented, high dynamic range (HDR) photography application. The Unified Color platform offers major advantages for editing and compressing digital images: High Definition, High Dynamic Range, High Precision imagery, establishing a new paradigm that enables photographers to produce images that are the ultimate in quality.

Adobe Releases Final Lightroom 2.3 & Camera Raw 5.3 Updates

Adobe has released Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and Camera Raw 5.3, available immediately for download at www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/. The Lightroom 2.3 and Camera Raw 5.3 updates, originally posted as release candidates for community testing on Jan. 23, provide raw file support for the newly-released Nikon D3X and Olympus E-30 cameras.

The Lightroom 2.3 update also provides support for eight additional languages including Dutch, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, Swedish, Korean, Chinese (simplified) and Chinese (traditional). Additionally, it addresses several issues including a solution to a memory leak that affected some customers of the Lightroom 2.2 release.

Lightroom has received tremendous support from the photography community, and companies have released plug-ins that further extend Lightroom 2’s capabilities. Today, Nik software announced that its Viveza plug-in for colour refinement and light control is now compatible with Lightroom 2, and Photomatix recently updated its Lightroom HDR plug-in to work smoothly with Lightroom 2. To discover more plug-ins compatible with Lightroom 2 visit the Lightroom Exchange home page: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?l=-1&loc=en_us&event=productHome&exc=25&Submit=Filter.

Pricing and Availability
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 update is available as a free download for existing Lightroom 2 customers and the Photoshop Camera Raw 5.3 plug-in is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. Both updates can be downloaded at www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

Corel Corporation (NASDAQ:CREL)(TSX:CRE) today introduced Corel® Painter™ 11, the newest edition of the world’s leading painting and illustration software. With more than 40 new and enhanced features, Painter 11 provides the most inventive drawing and painting tools available, making it the ultimate art studio for those ready to expand their definition of creativity.

Since its inception, Corel Painter has set the standard for painting and illustration software. With Painter 11, artists can now expand their digital toolset with the most advanced painting and natural media tools available. New pressure-sensitive brushes allow hand and brush to fluidly work as one, producing brushstrokes that are unrivaled in texture and precision. Enhanced drawing tools and customizable media allow users to create distinct art every time.

“The cornerstone of Painter’s success has always been our loyal user community. During the development cycle for Painter 11, we listened closely and carefully to what these talented artists were saying about our product – the features they loved and the new features they needed as they worked with Painter on a day-to-day basis,” said Rob MacDonald, Product Manager for Corel Painter. “With Painter 11, we’ve successfully addressed many of the key areas our users highlighted while also delivering some exciting new features that will further expand artists’ creative options.”

Changing What’s Possible in Art
In developing the newest version of Corel Painter, the Corel team focused on four key areas:

Enhancing the Creative Process
Painter 11 offers artists the ability to enhance their creativity through the freedom to create and customize brushes and media variants to their precise specifications. With unique new tools including new artistic media, new hard media brushes, and new selection tools, Painter 11’s unique toolset enables users to create art that would not be possible working with traditional media.

Going Beyond the Digital Darkroom
With Painter 11, artists can expand their digital toolset with painting media designed to extend the capabilities of digital photography programs such as Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo and Adobe® Photoshop®. New color management improves color recognition when importing files from other applications and individual color profiles per document create greater color accuracy for each file.

Learning from Unlimited Experimentation
For those looking to embark on an artistic education, Painter 11 offers the ability to experiment with color theory and composition much faster than in a traditional environment, and without the toxins and mess. With the option to undo brushstrokes and other effects, this digital art studio provides the ability to experiment in an unlimited capacity, giving students, teachers, and other new users the confidence to explore a wide variety of artistic techniques.

Increasing Performance and Productivity
Artists using Painter 11 can enjoy creating in an inviting environment that is optimized for their workflow. Enhanced brushes perform up to thirty percent faster than in previous versions, making this the fastest, most responsive version of Painter yet.

“I’ve been using Corel Painter for more than 18 years. This program has been a vital and integral part of my artistic workflow for the last 16 years. With the enhancements in brush technology and the expandable color palette introduced in Painter 11, I now have an even more powerful toolbox with which to express myself on the digital canvas!” said Jeremy Sutton, Portrait Artist (JeremySutton.com) and Founder of the new educational website, PaintboxJ.com, which features Painter 11 video tutorials, articles and new custom brushes. “Kudos to the Painter development team who sought out and listened to feedback from the artistic community and worked with us to make this version the best Painter yet. I highly recommend diving in, if you’re new to Painter, or upgrading from earlier versions so you can enjoy the new, improved features of Painter 11.”

For more information about Corel Painter 11 and to see a detailed list of new and enhanced features, and to view exceptional art created using Corel Painter, please visit www.corel.com/painter. To learn more about how Corel Painter is used worldwide, please visit the product’s community site at www.painterfactory.com.

Pricing and Availability
The English version of Corel Painter 11 is available tomorrow (Feb. 25) as an electronic download through www.corel.com and is priced at $399 US for the full version and $199 US for the upgrade. The boxed product featuring new, environmentally-aware packaging is also available immediately for preorder and is priced at $429 US for the full version and $229 US for the upgrade.

About Corel
Corel is one of the world’s top software companies with more than 100 million active users in over 75 countries. We develop software that helps people express their ideas and share their stories in more exciting, creative and persuasive ways. Through the years, we’ve built a reputation for delivering innovative, trusted products that are easy to learn and use, helping people achieve new levels of productivity. The industry has responded with hundreds of awards for software innovation, design and value.

Our award-winning product portfolio includes some of the world’s most widely recognized and popular software brands, including CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, Corel® Painter™, Corel DESIGNER® Technical Suite, Corel® Paint Shop Pro® Photo, VideoStudio®, WinDVD®, Corel® WordPerfect® Office and WinZip®. Our global headquarters are in Ottawa, Canada, with major offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Taiwan and Japan.

© 2009 Corel Corporation. All rights reserved. Corel, CorelDRAW, Corel DESIGNER, Paint Shop Pro, Painter, VideoStudio, WinDVD, WinZip, WordPerfect, and the Corel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. All other product names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners.

Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging technology, today announced a new and exciting software product, Studio Solution software for professional photographic studio owners. Utilizing Canon’s core imaging and printing technologies, new Studio Solution software, features a fully automatic workflow to simplify studio operations while maintaining the highest degree of image quality. Through electronic input and filing, Studio Solution software will help consolidate scheduling, contracting, invoicing, image capture, ordering, minor retouching and printing into a single program.
As a complete workflow automation system, Canon’s Studio Solution software allows for greater staffing efficiencies with improved turnaround time, for increased profitability. Designed to integrate with Canon EOS cameras, imagePROGRAF and PIXMA Pro printers, Canon’s Studio Solution software ensures studio owners and operators are maximizing their time and equipment.

“Studio Solution software provides the link between our highly successful camera and printer products. This software will improve studio productivity and profitability,. It offers full studio operation in a single application,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “If our cameras and printers are the bricks by which photographers build their businesses, then Canon’s Studio Solution would be the mortar holding it all together.”

This new, simple-to-learn software solution – made possible by combining Express Digital’s technology and workflow along with Canon’s proven image processing expertise – provides full studio automation from scheduling and billing to image capture, retouching and printing. Beginning with administrative scheduling, customer information is entered into the Canon software and will follow customer jobs through ordering and invoicing. A file is created for each customer with complete order details. Images are then attached to each customer job order for optimal filing efficiency. The Studio Solution software then transitions to a studio sales tool by providing on-screen image previews on various Canon media to give the customer an accurate rendering of how their final print will look on various substrates.

The most integral software feature is Canon’s core image processing, providing automatic color management, image resizing and minor image re-touching for stunning prints with minimal labor. These automatic processes help reduce the need for timely and expensive image editing, allowing for greater margins and uptime in any Canon-equipped photo studio. Once the final job is printed through the software, an invoice is automatically generated, complete with order details and customer information, without additional manual input.

Canon U.S.A. is offering a flexible support and training program along with Studio Solution software with classroom-type training as well as on-site and online training programs. Canon will be announcing a program which will enhance the marketability of studios that use Canon EOS digital cameras, Pixma Pro and iPF printers, Studio Solution software and genuine ink and media.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2008†, with global revenues of US $45 billion, is listed as number seven in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2008 list, and is on the 2008 BusinessWeek list of “Top 100 Brands.” At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future” – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

WnSoft has announced PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.6, a tool that allows creating impressive slide shows. Slide show can be created as executables and screensaver (.SCR) files, HD video, DVD video disc or iPhone video. Powerful yet flexible and easy-to-use, the program enables quick export of slide shows to Youtube and Vimeo.

It is always a delight to share pictures and impressions with friends and relatives. But if you want to turn it into something special, consider creating a slideshow. Enhanced by music, animation and comments, it ensures absolutely fascinating experience for those who watch it.

And PicturesToExe Deluxe 5.6 provides a user with all the necessary tools to create a great-looking slide show quickly and easily. Moreover, slide shows created with PicturesToExe Deluxe can be used for presentations and portfolios. “With simple installation, a straight-forward interface and output options, WnSoft PictureToExe Deluxe for Windows has been popular with professional photographers for years, for its speed and the case of show production.” – states Professional Photographer magazine.

PicturesToExe Deluxe allows to customize each slide and add sophisticated animation and stunning transition effects, including 3D effects and smooth Pan/Zoom effects of highest quality. A comment and an audio file can be added to each slide. Mini-player in the main window allows quickly playing the slideshow in this preview window.

What is more, the program features a timeline integrated into the main window, to synchronize slides with soundtrack. The software enables a user to password protect a slide show or assign an expiration date. Unlike slide shows created with some other programs, PicturesToExe Deluxe slide shows are free from disturbances like program or company logos.

Pricing and Availability

runs under Windows 2000/XP/Vista and requires 256 MB RAM and DirectX 9 or higher. The Deluxe edition is available at 75 USD. All the registered users are entitled for free upgrades of the program and two years of free upgrades for VideoBuilder (program to burn DVD-Video discs).

Adobe has released Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and Photoshop Camera Raw 5.3 Release Candidates, both available immediately for download from Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com. The ‘release candidate’ label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all customers. The Lightroom and Camera Raw teams would like the community to help verify the quality of this update through normal usage as this will ensure that the application is tested on a wide variety of hardware and software configurations not available internally at Adobe.

Both release candidates provide additional raw file support for the Nikon D3X and Olympus E-30 cameras. In addition,the Lightroom 2.3 Release Candidate provides a solution to a memory leak that affected some customers of the Lightroom 2.2 release.

Adobe is also pleased to announce the availability of Lightroom in eight new languages, including Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Korean, Chinese (simplified) and Chinese (traditional). The Lightroom 2.3 Release Candidate available on Adobe Labs includes these additional languages, and Adobe greatly appreciates any feedback the community can provide the Lightroom team.

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DxO Labs announces today the immediate availability of DxO Optics Pro v5.3.2, now supporting the Canon EOS 5D Mark II (DxO Optics Pro Elite Edition) and Canon PowerShot G10 (DxO Optics Pro Standard or Elite Edition),.

32 new DxO Optics Correction Modules are also made available for a variety of cameras including the Canon G10, 350D/DIGITAL REBEL XT/Kiss Digital N, 400D/DIGITAL REBEL XTi/Kiss Digital X, 450D/DIGITAL REBEL XSi/Kiss X2, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 1D Mark II N,1Ds Mark III, 5D Mark II, the Nikon D40, D40x, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D200, D300, and the Fujifilm Finepix S5 Pro.

In addition, this new version includes various improvements, including installation of the plug-in version for Adobe Photoshop CS4.

Availability
DxO Optics Pro v5.3.2 and upgrades are available immediately for Mac and Windows platforms from the DxO Labs e‑store (http://www.dxo.com) and from quality resellers.

All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro since August 1, 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 5.3.2.

About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions that provide excellence in digital imaging. In addition to its DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack products for Mac and Windows, aimed at serious and demanding photographers, the company also licenses patented intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain:
· Embedded software and silicon architectures for real-time still and video image processing, for consumer electronics OEM/ODM (such as digital camera and camera phone vendors);
· Image quality evaluation and measurement tools, for imaging component suppliers (camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors) as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.

For more information, visit DxO Labs website at http://www.dxo.com

I have invested a number of days to ensure that this list of presets is accurate and reflects those presets previously offered in this group. In many cases, the original preset developer did not provide a before and after photo. Therefore, I used a number of my own photos that I thought best showed off the potential of each preset. I hope the authors of the presets agree.

In some cases links were changed to provide you with direct links back to the originator of the presets. These presets are all available FREE for downloading. Where presets link to “for sale” presets I will have indicated this. This list will be maintained as new presets are posted in this Flickr group. In order to facilitate the maintenance of this list, I would ask, that those offering presets (and want them to be included in this list) would kindly provide a before and after photo! (see the examples here and in my Photostream).

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If you’re only resizing images about 200% or so, Adobe Photoshop’s own algorithms work just fine. Simply choose Image > Image Size and enter your new dimensions. Bicubic is a good overall choice, while Bicubic Smoother is good for enlarging and Bicubic Sharper for reducing image size. If you’re going larger, it’s time to consider a plug-in, and you have a wealth of choices available to you. To be honest, they all do a good job, but when it comes to our images, good is seldom good enough – we want the best and nothing less.

Over the years, I’ve used Fred Miranda’s Resize actions, Photozoom Pro, Blow-up, and Genuine Fractals. I always shied away from the early versions of Genuine Fractals though because I didn’t want to deal with a proprietary file format and the hassles that involved. Newer versions though have eliminated the need to save as a .STN file. Sure, it greatly reduces the size of the scaled image, but it’s one more step in my workflow, and I have enough of those.

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Breeze Systems Release NKRemote 1.0: remote capture software for Nikon D3, D700, D300, D90 and D200 cameras

14th January 2009: Breeze Systems announce the immediate availability of NKRemote 1.0; Windows based software to control Nikon DSLR cameras from a PC. Breeze Systems’ highly regarded software has been used to control Canon cameras since 2001. NKRemote 1.0 is the first full release of similar software for Nikon DSLR cameras and currently supports the Nikon D3, D700, D300, D90 and D200.

NKRemote 1.0 offers Nikon professionals a straightforward, easy to use tool to control Nikon DSLR cameras from a PC, display live images on a PC screen*, autofocus and manually control focus* from a PC, plus comprehensive time lapse control. The large preview image optionally displays flashing highlights to indicate over-exposed areas, grid overlay and crop marks to assist accurate alignment, black and white images and focus point overlay. Customers can view pictures without interrupting shooting. NKRemote 1.0 can also run as photo booth software for events.

Chris Breeze writes “We receive a steady flow of requests for a Nikon equivalent to our powerful and user friendly camera control software for Canon cameras. Pre-release versions of this application have been enthusiastically received by Nikon users. NKRemote 1.0 extends the initial range of Nikon DSLR cameras supported and combines them in a single application.”

NKRemote 1.0 has been developed by Chris Breeze, who has established a worldwide reputation for digital camera software since 2001 (including DSLR Remote Pro, DSLR Remote Pro Multi-Camera, PSRemote, BreezeBrowser Pro and Downloader Pro). NKRemote 1.0 is available from Breeze Systems’ website http://www.breezesys.com priced at US $95. This price includes one year’s free upgrades. Customers who have bought pre-release versions of the program (formerly known as D300 Remote and D90 Remote) will be issued a free license for NKRemote.

NKRemote 1.0 runs on WIndows XP or Windows Vista (32-bit versions only). Download a 15 day free trial from Breeze Systems’ website http://www.breezesys.com.

*Please note: The Nikon D200 does not support live view display or manual control of focus

XDepth Raw Converter: A Digital Raw Photo Development, Processing and Compression Software Released Free of Charge

XDepth Raw Converter is a high quality raw development and 48bit image processing software featuring proprietary XDepth Jpeg-compatible compression technologies and several exclusive features

SAN RAFAEL DE ESCAZU, Costa Rica, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/—Trellis Management Co. Ltd. announces the availability of XDepth Raw Converter for Windows, a raw photo development and image processing software with integrated XDepth Raw and XDepth 48 image compression technologies.

XDepth Raw Converter is capable of reading raw files from most DSLR cameras and allows conversion of raw data to its jpeg-compatible XDepth Raw file format, shrinking raw files down to one fourth the original size. The XDepth Raw file format not only offers raw image compression but it also introduces copyright protection by securing author and copyright information within the file itself. Security features of the XDepth Raw file format can also be enhanced to offer full DRM – Digital Rights Management, using certified digital signatures and time-stamps.

XDepth Raw Converter is a professional-grade raw development software featuring a fully High Dynamic Range 96bit/pixel floating point rendering engine. With its integrated HDR Tone Mapping Operators, HDR Contrast adjustment and color-picking custom white balance selection, XDepth Raw Converter offers outstanding image processing functionalities.

Although specifically designed for raw development, XDepth Raw Converter also works with 48bit/pixel images by loading and saving Tiff, PNG and XDepth 48 file formats thus providing a complete solution for any high bit-depth image processing need. The integrated XDepth 48 image compression technology is able to save jpeg-compatible 48bit/pixel images featuring high compression and the exclusive XDepth reconstruction technology.

XDepth Raw Converter is available completely free of charge for both personal and professional use.

Learn more and download XDepth Raw Converter by visiting the dedicated website at: http://raw.xdepth.com/.

About Trellis Management
Trellis Management is a privately held company focused on technology IP’s licensing, acquisition and sale. Trellis Management is not related nor affiliated with the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG).

Lightroom 2.2 is now available on Adobe.com. (Mac, Win)  The release includes new camera support for the following models:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II
• Canon PowerShot G10
• Panasonic DMC-G1**
• Panasonic DMC-FX150**
• Panasonic DMC-FZ28**
• Panasonic DMC-LX3**
• Leica D-LUX 4**

We’ve also fixed a few bugs that were introduced with the Lightroom 2.0 release:

Lightroom 2 Bugs – Fixed

• Images rendered from the Slideshow export process produced a jagged effect on hard edges relative to the quality of normal JPEG export
• Increased the number of characters allowed in Web gallery labels beyond 150 characters
• Catalogs with hundreds of root (top level) folders caused very slow launch times
• Drag and drop to move a subfolder to a different folder showed the incorrect photos in the grid
• Print Sharpening produced edge artifacts in certain conditions
• Density defaulted to 100 percent for initial stroke regardless of position of slider
• The  Adjustment brush created blocky, straight edges to brush strokes under certain conditions
• Lightroom could become unresponsive when using the graduated filter under certain conditions
• It was possible to lose the ability to edit an adjustment brush setting after applying a graduated filter with hidden pins
• Turning auto-mask on produced a lag in Lightroom performance in when applying the adjustment brush
• Print to JPEG functionality produced a low resolution image when printing photos with panorama aspect ratios
• Extended characters in a folder name caused Edit in Photoshop functionality to fail
• Smart collection did not respond to changes in custom metadata

Lightroom 2 Enhancements

• Camera profiles are now available in the Calibration panel in the Develop module.  These profiles are designed to provide different interpretations of raw capture.

**With the release of Camera Raw 5.2 (and upcoming Lightroom 2.2 release) there is an important exception in our DNG file handling for the Panasonic DMC LX3, Panasonic DMC FX150, Panasonic DMC FZ28, Panasonic DMC-G1 and Leica D-LUX 4. In this release the native, proprietary files from these cameras can only be converted to linear DNG files. A linear DNG file has gone through a demosaic process that converts a single mosaic layer of red, green and blue channel information into three distinct layers , one for each channel. The resulting linear DNG file is approximately three times the size of a mosaic DNG file or the original proprietary file format.

This exception is a temporary solution to ensure that Panasonic and Leica’s intended image rendering from their proprietary raw file format is applied to an image when converted DNG files are viewed in third party software titles. The same image rendering process is applied automatically in Camera Raw 5.2 and in Lightroom 2.2 when viewing the original proprietary raw file format.

In a future release Adobe plans to update the DNG specification to include an option to embed metadata-based representations of the lens compensations in the DNG file, allowing a mosaic DNG conversion. In the interim Adobe recommends only converting these files to DNG to allow compatibility with third party raw converters, previous versions of the Camera Raw plug-in or previous versions of Lightroom.

source : Adobe

The Plugin Site Released the Mac Version of ContrastMaster

The Plugin Site (http://www.thepluginsite.com) is proud to announce the release of ContrastMaster for MacOS X. ContrastMaster is a plugin for effective contrast enhancement as well as creating dramatic contrast looks, photorealistic paintings and HDR-like effects. It can turn low-contrast photos into vivid and detailed images and transforms ordinary photos into interesting and dynamic shots.

ContrastMaster works with dozens of applications under MacOS X as well as Windows. For accelerated rendering it supports multiple processors and cores. ContrastMaster works with 8bit and 16bit RGB images. It is available in English as well as German language.

Overview
ContrastMaster offers three local and four global contrast adjustment methods as well as various masking, saturation and brightness options. The three local adjustment methods allow you to dramatically improve contrast in small image details without blowing out highlights or damaging the image. You can apply these three methods separately or use various options to mix them together for even better results.

The four global methods (S/H-Contrast, Stretch, Equalize and Polarize) work on the tonal range of the image and help to improve the result even further. There is also an option for changing the brightness of the image. The masking options let you conveniently remove the ContrastMaster effect from an image area where you do not want to have it applied, e.g. skin areas, a blue sky or a wall. This can be done with the help of shadow/highlight and color masking options. Additionally, a saturation mask feature lets you improve saturation without oversaturating the image.

Sophisticated Algorithms
ContrastMaster offers three sophisticated methods for enhancing contrast in small image details. They are called Dynamic, Adaptive and Local. In fact, these three methods utilize five algorithms in total, because the dynamic and adaptive methods each use another algorithm for certain control settings. Each of these algorithms adjusts the contrast of image details in its own special way, which makes ContrastMaster useful for different types of images and allows you to produce a variety of effects and looks.

Each of the three methods lets you adjust the size of the image details that are affected, the effect intensity and the way the contrast is adjusted. Additionally, the Dynamic Contrast methods lets you avoid artifacts or noise without lowering the effect intensity, the Adaptive Contrast methods automatically adjusts image details of different size at the same time, and the Local Contrast methods lets you independently increase and decrease the contrast in image details as well as influence the brightness character of the effect. Each of the three methods also offers special shadow/highlight adjustment options as part of the algorithm.

For Beginners as well as Experts
ContrastMaster offers six modes from the simple Novice mode to the sophisticated Expert Mode. Whereas Novice and Expert mode let you apply all contrast effects at the same time, the remaining four modes let you apply each of the three local effects and all the global effects individually. Moving the mouse over a control displays a detailed explanation in the Help box, so you don’t need to read the manual before using ContrastMaster.

Each of the seven tab sheets offers a button menu with various local presets for quickly applying useful settings. Furthermore, there is a global preset feature that allows you to save and reuse useful settings later. Several global presets are already delivered with ContrastMaster. There is a FX Values check box on the Prefs tab for using strong instead of medium effect intensities as the defaults. That way people who mainly want to produce special effects with ContrastMaster do not need to readjust sliders all of the time. ContrastMaster also lets you adjust up to three different effect settings at the same time and switch between them by using the Preview tab sheets, so you can experiment with different effect settings and conveniently compare them without leaving the ContrastMaster dialog.

Why ContrastMaster Is Different
There is no other tool available that offers as many methods for contrast adjustment as ContrastMaster. ContrastMaster is not only more effective at squeezing image details and contrast out of photos than most other tools, it also offers more options for fine-tuning and controlling image contrast than any other tool. Additionally, the Adaptive Contrast method is not available in any other software.

You can also use ContrastMaster to give a single photo the look of a HDR image while avoiding the overhead of HDR photography. With its masking options you often do not need to create selections or layer mask for selectively applying the ContrastMaster effect, which saves you a lot of time. ContrastMaster also offers special features that are not found in most other tools, e.g. spilt views, logged settings, 17 histogram types, own defaults, blown highlights detection, rendering time estimation, novice/expert modes, local presets and preview tab sheets.

Availability
ContrastMaster sells at $69.95 (Regular License) or $39.95 (Academic/Educational License). It can be purchased at http://www.thepluginsite.com/products/photowiz/contrastmaster/
A demo version can be downloaded at the same URL.

Company Info
The Plugin Site is located in Nuremberg, Germany, and develops graphics, video and web software. We created the Harrys Filters, ColorWasher, FocalBlade, LightMachine, B/W Styler, Plugin Galaxy, Plugin Commander, Edge & Frame Galaxy, HyperTyle, HTML Shrinker and Photo Galaxy products. We co-produced Alpha Magic with Hollywood FX and Pinnacle and also co-develop the FilterMeister plugin development environment with AFH Systems.

Photodex Corporation today announced the release of ProShow Producer 4.0, the all-new generation of its award-winning photo and video slide show software for professionals. ProShow Producer 4.0 has powerful new features that streamline workflow and offer a broader range of creative possibilities. As the industry’s leading professional slide show software, ProShow Producer outputs to over 40 formats including DVD, Blu-ray and Flash.

“Creating professional output can be very time consuming. We wanted to optimize the workflow of creating a polished and professional looking show”, said Paul Schmidt, President and Founder of Photodex Corporation. “Producer 4.0 has simple-to-use, one-click features, that allow users to achieve professional results in less time and with less work. Combined with an all-new interface the path to professional slide shows is much simpler and more powerful.”

ProShow Producer 4.0 makes creating advanced special effects simple and hassle-free with the new Slide Styles feature. Slide Styles are pre-made effects that can be easily applied to any slide in a show. ProShow Producer 4.0 comes with over 75 pre-made Slide Styles ranging from camera flashes to more advanced multi-layer montages. Each Style can be previewed and then easily applied to an image or set of images for an instant effect.

Users can create and save their own Styles, allowing them to set up custom libraries for specific show types like weddings, sports events or portrait sessions. Slide Styles can change the way professionals use Producer to create shows for clients by cutting production time and providing a more polished and professional-looking result. Talented experts can now produce extremely sophisticated effects that all ProShow users can use.

Additional creative features in ProShow Producer 4.0 include the ability to add Adjustment Layers to any slide in a show. Adjustment layers can be used to create dramatic, non-destructive changes to all layers below them, making effects like a moving spotlight or a soft image filter effortless. Editing keyframes is also made easier thanks to the all new multi-track Keyframe Editor that displays a larger layout for precise control over keyframes. Users can now blur any photo or video using the new Blur tool; essential for creating professional backgrounds, montages and effects.

ProShow Producer 4.0 also comes equipped with Notes and Layer Names, new features that help users organize and catalogue certain elements in their slide shows. Notes appear as small icons in the Slide List and are best used to describe how a certain slide effect was achieved, while Layer Names allow users to apply custom names to each layer in a slide to keep them more organized.

For a complete list of new features in ProShow Producer 4.0, please visit the Photodex website at: http://www.photodex.com/products/producer/new.html

Pricing and Availability
ProShow Producer is available now for $249.95 from http://www.photodex.com or by calling 1-800-37-PHOTO. Upgrades can also be purchased online or by phone from $89.95.

About Photodex Corporation
For over 20 years, Photodex has put customers first with award winning software and outstanding customer service. Photodex’s popular ProShow product line combines quality, performance and the widest array of options for creating and sharing slide shows. Photodex is committed to providing excellent customer service and provides every user with free technical support 7-days a week.

Meant to Be Seen, the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D gaming and home entertainment has joined forces with Hill Thompson, a talented MTBS member, to release Photoforms, a software program that lets anyone create true stereoscopic 3D images from a 2D picture.

Similar to the experience movie goers get in 3D theaters, gamers use S-3D technology at home for superior game immersion, visual beauty and game enjoyment.  In video games, stereoscopic 3D hardware makes explosions fly out of the screen and adds a depth that makes the display look like a window rather than a flat projection. Sample hardware includes iZ3D 3D monitors, TDVision head mounted displays, and a growing selection of 3D HDTVs.

Photoforms works in conjunction with free stereoscopic 3D driver software that supports windowed 3D viewing.  While the utility has been tested with iZ3D LLC drivers, additional compatibility is expected as alternate driver developers offer the same ability.  A future update is expected to include full screen support as well.

“Photoforms lets you transform any 2D picture into a true, stereoscopic image.  The process requires the artful eye of the user. Using simple built-in tools, you manipulate the image in a real-time 3D environment with the help of 2D image depth cues and easy mouse control.  The end result is a stereoscopic image that is as breathtaking as you want it to be.  When you are satisfied with your piece, just take a screen capture of it, and it will be stored as a stereo image that can be played back on any 3D solution,” explained Hill Thompson, Photoforms’ author.

Photoforms can dimensionalize a landscape or even accentuate the 3D details of a human hand.  Combined with stereoscopic drivers and a 3D display, the end result can look like a window, or have objects or people seem to reach out to the viewer.

“Hill and I are in agreement that this is a great way to draw attention to the benefits of stereoscopic 3D technology.  3D gaming and cinema are obvious, but free do it yourself 2D/3D photo conversion is an opportunity our industry can’t afford to miss,” said Neil Schneider, President & CEO of Meant to be Seen.

While Photoforms has an independent website, the official forums, image galleries, and beta releases of the software are being made available at mtbs3D.com, and jointly connected through the Photoforms website.

“There is a short learning curve in getting this software to work with your favorite photographs.  MTBS has the largest 3D community base in the world, and we already have very active forums and galleries.  This is a great addition to help grow our industry, add some fun, and let new Photoforms users benefit from our members’ experience,” Schneider explained.

“I have personally converted all types of images into 3D.  Paintings, landscapes, people…the opportunities are endless.  I think everyone will enjoy this program, and I like the idea of my software being used to help grow 3D awareness.  Neil offered to help launch the software, which I thought was a great idea since Meant to be Seen is a terrific site that serves as the 3D industry’s community,” said Hill Thompson.

Jointly with AMD, iZ3D, Blitz Games Studios, The Game Creators, and Guild Software, Meant to be Seen is also completing its final month of survey collections for the U-DECIDE Initiative.  U-DECIDE is the first industry backed effort to determine the true opinions about 3D technology in the home and cinema by experienced 3D gamers, and customers who don’t yet own 3D equipment.

By visiting http://www.mtbs3D.com/udecide.shtml, respondents can let their voice be heard and have a chance of winning one of nearly 60 great prizes donated by U-DECIDE sponsors. Prizes include 3D monitors, ATI 4800 series graphics cards, and a wide selection of video games.  The survey closes January 1, 2009.

“The Photoforms software is compatible with anaglyph (red/blue) glasses for those who don’t yet own a true 3D display.  However, just by completing a U-DECIDE survey online, you could win a 3D monitor of your own,” said Schneider.

Preliminary U-DECIDE Initiative results already demonstrate that nearly all respondents want game developers to officially support stereoscopic 3D technology, and over 90% of gamers think that 3D is either “must have” or “intriguing” technology.  These statistics include gamers who don’t yet own 3D equipment for themselves.

To download a free copy of Photoforms and participate with its galleries and forums, visit http://www.mtbs3D.com or http://www.Photoforms.com.

About Meant to be Seen (MTBS)
Meant to be Seen is the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D gaming and consumer technologies.  Featuring news, active forums, educational guides, reviews & certification of games and more, MTBS is the first stop for stereoscopic 3D excitement.  For more information, visit http://www.mtbs3D.com.

Jalbum.net, the premier community of photographers and cutting-edge digital presentation tools, today launched Jalbum Widgets and expanded the reach of digital images across the Web. Already the software of elite photographers, Jalbum offers its millions of users a free and simple way to display images on any web site, as well as limitless options for personalizing custom displays. With the release of Jalbum Widgets, anyone with digital images can now incorporate face detection and tagging, build conversations around images, monitor popularity and enable any viewer to spread the word.

“By incorporating the best of modern interactive features into millions of Jalbums, we’ll let the world’s most forward photographers finally challenge the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words,” said Andreas Sjölund, CEO of Jalbum. “We will continue to develop Jalbum to meet the needs of the people who enhance our understanding of the world.”

The Widgets launched today, and incorporated in the free download available at http://www.jalbum.net , are:

Comments – enabling end users or creators to add context to albums or individual photos. The most demanded feature from existing users, this dialog will enhance the creative process.

Visitor Counts – simple tracking counter to determine the popularity of individual images will eliminate the need for configuring logging tools and let photographers build understanding of their audience’s interests.

About – displays more information about the album and the photographer. It also allows for easy browsing between different albums from that user.

Sharing – allowing Facebook, Myspace, Digg and other social interaction site sharing in a simple and intuitive way.

Face Recognition – award-winning Polar Rose Face Recognition Widget lets users sort, search, and share their albums based on who appear in the photos.

“We are thrilled to partner with Jalbum.net to establish new standards for high- quality sharing of digital photos,” said Nikolaj Nyholm, CEO of Polar Rose. “By incorporating Polar Rose’s unobtrusive face recognition, Jalbum users are given an easy option to see familiar faces in scenes from their world.”

“Our users trust Jalbum to continuously leap-frog static photo sharing tools,” said David Ekholm, Jalbum Founder and CTO. “The widgets we release today are a reflection of the Jalbum community’s desire to challenge the frontiers of digital image display.”

About Jalbum
Stockholm, Sweden based Jalbum.net is the premier community of photographers and cutting-edge digital presentation tools. Jalbum was started as a hobby project by David Ekholm in 2002. Over four million downloads of Jalbum software have enabled amateur and professional photographers alike to create more than 22 million custom and expressive albums. Creators may display photographs on the Jalbum.net network or host them on their professional or personal websites. Funded by Nordic Venture Partners since 2006, Jalbum currently has 10 employees.

When I’m on vacation, I take two types of shots:

1. Regular travel photos, where we’re posed in front of a monument, and I shoot the quaint restaurant we ate at, and all the standard tourist stuff that chronicles your vacation, and would make a great travel slideshow to show friends back home.

1. Shots that just appeal to me as a photographer, which don’t always show a place like most people would expect. For example, I could shoot for a week in Paris and not have a single shot of the Eiffel tower; an act which would make most wives bludgeon their husbands upon return from their trip.”

So, I’m making two different books, which is what got me wanting to try a slightly different workflow.

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Adobe has released an update to its Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in, available immediately as a free download on Adobe.com. Adobe Camera Raw 5.2 extends raw file support to an additional seven camera models, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Panasonic DMC LX3. This update provides several new enhancements including the Targeted Adjustment Tool for on-image refinements and output sharpening for print or screen output. Also, users now have the ability to create a snapshot of all adjustments made to an image as a bookmark for future reference.

In addition, Adobe has updated Camera Profiles, which are now available natively within Camera Raw 5.2 and DNG Converter 5.2. Camera profiles provide the visual starting-point for photographers using a raw processing workflow. Adobe supplies different styles of profiles while also providing the ability for customization.

The new Camera Raw 5.2 plug-in supports the following additional seven camera models: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon PowerShot G10, Panasonic DMC-G1, Panasonic DMC-FX150, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Panasonic DMC LX3 and Leica D-LUX 4. Photoshop Lightroom, leveraging Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw technology, will add support for the cameras listed above in a future update.

Pricing and Availability
The Photoshop Camera Raw 5.2 plug-in is available as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, and Premiere Elements 7. Follow this link to download the update:  http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/. The Adobe DNG Converter 5.2 is also available today as a free download at http://www.adobe.com/dng.

Adobe Camera Raw is the gateway for opening Raw images into the main editing space of Photoshop, but Adobe Camera Raw is also a great space for optimising images quickly and easily. Many of the basic tasks such as straightening and cropping images, correcting exposure and adding a vignette can all be achieved faster and more easily than performing these same tasks in the main editing space of Photoshop.

If you have not yet explored the ACR interface or are having trouble breaking old habits then the following tutorial is designed to make you think again.

These days most professional photographers capture images in the Raw format rather than the JPEG format. The Raw format offers greater flexibility in achieving different visual outcomes while ensuring a high quality finished result. The JPEG file format can offer great quality so long as only minor editing is required after the image has been captured.

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Ideally, 14-bit RAW files contain 4 times more information than 12-bit RAW files in the shadows. Realistically the gain may be limited somewhat by noise, but the noise levels also improved, leaving us with more bits to use. This much dynamic range just begs being made visible.

The picture above was taken in Central Park. The picture on the left side was processed via this HDR method.

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- Digital Photo Professional 3.5.1
- EOS Utility 2.5.1
- Picture Style Editor 1.4.1
- WFT Utility 3.3

Canon Software Updates

“I tested Sharpener Pro 3.0 on a wide variety of image types, and in every instance I was able to produce better results than I could using Unsharp Mask alone. I also compared the results to Photokit Sharpener, which I find to be a very good tool. The results were similar, but I had much better control over the sharpening process, and more visual feedback to what was happening with Sharpener Pro 3.0.”

“If you’re looking for a tool to assist with creating the sharpest, natural looking image possible, Sharpener Pro 3.0 is impossible to beat. I personally don’t find the RAW Presharpening to be that useful for my workflow, but I can see where it would have a place for some users.”

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- Added supported models
EOS 50D, EOS 5D Mark II, and PowerShot G10.

- Changes made in the RAW image processing of the EOS DIGITAL products
RAW processing results are now the same as those of Digital Photo Professional.

-Supports Microsoft Pro Photo Tools.

Canon RAW Codec 1.4.0

” *  GPU acceleration: No more jagged pixels at various zoom levels.  Instead, what you see is what you get at any zoom ratio, from .07% all the way up to 3200% (and everywhere in between).  This gives us previews of cloned/healed data clipped to the brush and faster performance from the color management engine, HDR preview adjustments, and much more!”

“* 64-bit (Windows): If you’re running Windows on a 64-bit OS (officially Vista, XP64 possible but unsupported) you can now address ridiculously large amounts of memory.  [Look for more performance benchmarks soon. ”

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from Yanik Chauvin

The Drag And Drop Method To Importing To Adobe Lightroom 2.0.

onOne Software Announces Genuine Fractals 6

The industry standard for resizing images to any size adds several new features and includes support for Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2

New York, NY (October 23, 2008) PhotoPlus Expo Booth #1055 – onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, today announced Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition and Genuine Fractals 6 Standard Edition. Genuine Fractals 6 adds several new features designed to help photographers get the best enlargements possible. These new features include texture presets, a new gallery wrap function, batch processing, tiling for smaller printers and support for Adobe® Photoshop® CS4, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® 2.

Available in November, Genuine Fractals 6 represents onOne Software’s continuing commitment to provide photographers with the industry standard for resizing images with no loss in image quality and sharpness.

“Genuine Fractals has been the go-to application of professional photographers for high-quality image resizing for over a decade,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “Due to significant improvements in digital cameras enjoyed by photographers and ready access to large format printers, it’s become more important then ever to improve the feature set and functionality of Genuine Fractals.”

“A key strength of Photoshop is that it provides users with many choices on how to complete any task, so that you can always find the best tool for the job,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for professional digital imaging at Adobe. “When it comes to the common task of resizing images, Genuine Fractals further expands those choices so that customers can be assured of getting the best results.”

New Features in Genuine Fractals 6
Texture Presets – Genuine Fractals 6 now includes texture presets allowing photographers to get the most out of the patented resizing algorithm that powers Genuine Fractals. The presets are designed to give users an easy way to set the key algorithm parameters to get the highest quality enlargement based on the type of image the user is starting out with no matter the size or subject matter.

New Gallery Wrap Feature – Photographers are often faced with losing part of their subject when some of the image is wrapped around the thick frames used to create canvas gallery wrap prints. With Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition, photographers have an easy way to increase the edge areas of the image by reflecting or stretching the margins to allow for canvas wrapping without having to sacrifice important details in the image.

New Batch Processing – Photographers who need to resize multiple images can now do so in a very efficient workflow thanks to the new Batch Processing feature in Genuine Fractals 6. Based on the Batch Processing Engine developed initially for onOne Software’s PhotoTools Professional Edition, photographers can choose which files to resize, change file names, save files to a new location and file type, change and embed a specific color space to the new file and optionally add a customized watermark to help protect the photographers work.

Tiling for Smaller Printers – This new tiling feature allows photographers to resize their images to any desired size and then have Genuine Fractals 6 create the necessary documents so that the image can be printed on a smaller format printer. For example if the photographers desired output size is 24” x 30” but their printer can only print a maximum size of 8” x 10” they can use the new tiling feature to break the final 24” x 30” file into a matrix of nine 8” x 10” images that are returned as separate files in Photoshop.

Support for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 and Apple Aperture 2.1 – In addition to support for Adobe Photoshop CS4, Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition will also support Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 and Apple Aperture 2.1 putting the industry standard for image resizing inside these photography workflow applications.

Additional Enhancements – Several other features of Genuine Fractals have been improved including the document size presets which make resizing and cropping to fit much easier; an improved crop tool that allows photographers to define a crop in any direction as well as additional user experience improvements.

Genuine Fractals Editions Compared
Genuine Fractals 6 is available in a Professional Edition and a Standard Edition. The table below outlines the differences between the two editions.

Genuine Fractals 6
Feature Description Professional Edition Standard Edition
Resize images up to 1000% Yes Yes
Control new pixel detail in continuous tone areas Yes Yes
Control new pixel detail on edges to eliminate edge halos Yes Yes
Apply sharpening based on luminosity only Yes Yes
Add simulated film grain for perceptual sharpness Yes Yes
Includes over 60 document size presets for common photographic, paper and video sizes Yes Yes
Save your own custom presets Yes Yes
Supports cropping and resizing in one step Yes Yes
Supports resizing RGB images Yes Yes
Supports resizing grayscale images Yes Yes
Supports resizing CMYK images Yes No
New texture presets Yes Yes
New batch processing Yes Yes
New auto tiling feature for small format printers Yes Yes
New automatic gallery wrap feature Yes No
New support for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Yes No
New support for Apple Aperture 2.1 Yes No

Availability and Pricing
Genuine Fractals 6 comes in two editions – a Professional Edition and a Standard Edition and are available for $299.95 and $159.95 respectively direct from onOne Software and select, authorized resellers in the United States and around the world. Upgrades from previous versions of Genuine Fractals are available for $99.95. Genuine Fractals 6 is also available as part of Plug-In Suite 4, an integrated suite of six plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 and Apple Aperture 2.1.

Genuine Fractals 6 does not support the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS4 for Windows but does support the 32-bit versions of Photoshop CS4 for both Mac OS X and Windows.

Genuine Fractals 6 may be pre-ordered immediately from onOne Software at http://www.ononesoftware.com and will be available through the worldwide network of authorized resellers in early December 2008. Customers who pre-order Genuine Fractals 6 will receive a copy of Genuine Fractals 5 initially and then will receive a free upgrade to Genuine Fractals 6. For a complete list of authorized resellers, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com/resellers/.

About onOne Software
onOne Software, Inc. a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, develops time-saving software solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers. onOne Software solutions have been created to help photographers spend more of their time behind the camera taking pictures instead of the computer workstation. Such solutions include a wide range of easy-to-use plug-in enhancements for Adobe® Photoshop®, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Lightroom®.

onOne Software delivers the highest quality software products to users by working with industry leaders and continuing to develop core technologies for professional photo solutions on both Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit http://www.ononesoftware.com or call 1-888-968-1468.

Update to award-winning software package includes new versions of PhotoFrame, PhotoTools and Genuine Fractals

New York, NY (October 23, 2008) PhotoPlus Expo Booth #1055 – onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, today announced the upcoming release of Plug-in Suite 4.5.  The latest version of onOne Software’s Photoshop® plug-in collection combines the recently announced Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition, PhotoTools 2 Professional Edition and PhotoFrame 4 Professional Edition in addition to Mask Pro 4, PhotoTune 2.2, and FocalPoint 1.0.

“Our mission at onOne Software is to make photographers’ lives easier by allowing them to work within the applications they are comfortable with,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software.  “In addition to brand new versions of PhotoFrame 4, PhotoTools 2 and Genuine Fractals 6, the new Plug-In Suite 4.5 adds support for Photoshop CS4, Lightroom 2 and Aperture 2.1 so users can seamlessly integrate these valuable products into their existing workflow.”

Plug-In Suite 4.5 includes full versions of the following onOne Software products:

Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition can resize digital images over 1000% with no loss of detail or sharpness. Version 6 now includes texture presets, a gallery wrap feature, batch processing, tiling for small format printers, and support for Lightroom 2 and Aperture 2.1.

PhotoTools 2 Professional Edition is a flexible yet powerful Photoshop plug-in that utilizes the power of Photoshop Actions to provide a complete library of effects created by Kevin Kubota and Jack Davis.  These effects may be previewed, stacked and blended together just like filters over a camera lens and its built-in batch processing engine helps improve productivity. Version 2 now includes a new effects library, over 120 new effects, masking capabilities and support for Lightroom 2 and Aperture 2.1.

PhotoFrame 4 Professional Edition can be used to create stunning border and edge effects that look like they came out of the darkroom.  Users can select from over a thousand edges, including authentic film and artistic mediums. Version 4 now includes a new frame library, improved library management options, new content, output options, and integration with Lightroom 2 and Aperture 2.1.

Mask Pro 4.1 easily creates high-quality masks and selections even from tough subjects like hair and glass, making it easy to place a subject in a new background.

PhotoTune 2.2 provides professional quality color correction in an easy-to-use interface. PhotoTune 2.2 includes ColorTune for general color correction and SkinTune for color correcting skin tones accurately.

FocalPoint 1.0 simulates selective focus or tilt-shift lenses, helping photographers blur and/or vignette an image to focus a viewer’s attention.

Availability and Pricing
Plug-In Suite 4.5 will be available in January 2009 to new users for $499.95 – a savings of $799.75 if purchased separately. Registered users of Plug-in Suite version 4 will automatically receive a free upgrade to version 4.5 via a downloadable software update.  Existing users of Plug-in Suite version 1, 2 or 3 can upgrade to Plug-In Suite 4.5 for only $199.95. Customers who own any other product from onOne Software can upgrade for $399.95. For more information on the Plug-In Suite 4.5, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com.

About onOne Software
onOne Software, Inc. a leading developer of innovative software tools for photographers, develops time-saving software solutions for professional and advanced amateur photographers. onOne Software solutions have been created to help photographers spend more of their time behind the camera taking pictures instead of the computer workstation. Such solutions include a wide range of easy-to-use plug-in enhancements for Adobe® Photoshop®, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop Lightroom.

onOne Software delivers the highest quality software products to users by working with industry leaders and continuing to develop core technologies for professional photo solutions on both Macintosh and Windows operating systems. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit http://www.ononesoftware.com or call 1-888-968-1468.

Published: Friday, October 24, 2008

from Yanik Chauvin

Award-winning video creation platform now provides professional photographers with tools to produce and market professional-quality videos

New York, NY, October 22, 2008 – Animoto (http://animoto.com), the video creation platform that lets users quickly and easily create professional-quality videos from their own photos and music, today released Animoto for Photography (http://photography.animoto.com). Built on the Animoto for Business platform, Animoto for Photography lets professional photographers easily create unique, professional-quality videos that can be emailed, burned to DVD and resold, or distributed online via blogs, websites, social networks and mobile devices. Animoto for Photography debuts this week at the PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo in New York City.

“Animoto for Photography takes the heavy lifting out of video creation, allowing photographers to create stunning video in minutes and spend more time taking photos,” said Brad Jefferson, CEO & co-founder of Animoto. “Until now, the process of editing photos into professional videos has been time-consuming and difficult, requiring expensive software. Animoto changes everything, giving photographers the fastest, easiest, and most affordable way to produce professional-quality video from their photos.“

Adding to the already popular Animoto for Business features, such as a royalty-free library of hundreds of pre-cleared songs, Animoto for Photography incorporates two new features designed specifically for photographers.

- Photographers can now easily adjust the speed at which photographs are displayed in their Animoto videos. In addition to Animoto’s default speed, derived from the tempo of the selected song, half and double speeds are now available. Half speed emphasizes each photograph longer and is ideal for wedding, portrait, and baby videos, while double speed creates a more energetic video, perfect for action sports or senior portrait videos.

- Videos can now include a custom “call to action” button at the end. This optional feature turns an Animoto video from a passive viewing experience into an active marketing tool for lead generation. For example, photographers can create a button to “book appointment” that links to their appointment page, or one to “purchase prints” with a link to their order page.

“Animoto is a perfect fit for professional photographers,” said award-winning wedding photographer, Linda Jennings. “I can quickly upload my photos, pick just the right song, and Animoto automatically creates a show-stopping video. And when the video is complete, I can easily share it in more ways than ever before: email, blogs, my own website, Facebook, iPhone. The possibilities are endless with Animoto.”

Vicki Taufer, an international photography speaker & co-owner of VGallery adds, “The production value of Animoto videos is breathtaking and well beyond the video editing ability of most professional photographers I know. Video montages that took days to create now take only minutes, allowing me to create and sell more videos. All serious photographers can benefit from the power of Animoto for Photography.”

Animoto for Photography is a subscription service that gives unlimited access to create, present, view, share, download and sell professional-quality videos. Subscriptions cost $99 per user for three months, or $249 per user for one year. With the subscription, in addition to benefiting from all the standard Animoto.com consumer features, photographers gain access to a large library of music licensed for commercial use, are able to produce videos with minimized Animoto branding, and are granted access to unlimited DVD-quality video downloads.

The heart of Animoto is its Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology that thinks like an actual director and editor using the same sophisticated post-production skills and techniques that are used in television and film. The technology takes into account every nuance of a song: the genre, song structure, energy, rhythm, instrumentation, and vocals. No two videos are ever the same; even videos generated with an identical set of images and music will each have a completely distinct set of motion design. Videos are produced in widescreen format and can be emailed, embedded on any website, or downloaded in DVD-quality formats for display on computers, televisions, and even large projection screens.

More information about Animoto for Photography can be found at http://photography.animoto.com

About Animoto
The founders of Animoto Productions include veterans of the entertainment industry who share a passion for helping people share their stories and express themselves through online media by innovating technologies in the field of video production. Animoto Productions, founded in August 2006, is based in New York City with an office in San Francisco. Visit http://animoto.com.

Adobe has released updates to Photoshop Lightroom and the Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in, both available immediately as free upgrades for Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 users. The releases provide added raw file support for 15 digital cameras including the Nikon D90, Nikon D700, Canon EOS 50D and Canon EOS 1000D. The Lightroom 2.1 update also includes improvements to Photoshop integration, Web module stability for Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit operating systems, performance with 64-bit Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers, and Keyword migration from Lightroom. A complete list of improvements is available in the Lightroom update documentation.

In addition, Adobe has released a new set of camera profiles available on Adobe Labs. The camera profiles are targeted at improving Adobe’s default raw processing and emulating the colour rendering provided by camera manufacturers. The update includes added support for the Leica M8, Canon EOS 50D, Canon G9, Nikon D90 and Pentax models. Camera profiles are the visual starting point for the raw processing workflow. Since image preferences vary by photographer, Adobe minimizes surprises by supplying default camera profiles that closely emulate the visual looks that photographers normally see from their cameras.

The 15 new digital cameras supported in Lightroom 2.1 and Camera Raw 5.1 include the Canon EOS 1000D, Canon EOS 50D, Fuji FinePix IS Pro, Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS, Leaf AFi II 6, Leaf AFi II 7, Leaf Aptus II 6, Leaf Aptus II 7, Nikon D700, Nikon D90, Nikon Coolpix P6000, Olympus SP-565 UZ, Pentax K2000, Sigma DP1, and Sony A900. Additionally, Adobe recently released Camera Raw 4.6, which includes the same raw file support for Photoshop CS3 customers.

Pricing and Availability
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.1 is available as a free download for existing customers at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/. Photoshop Lightroom 2 can be purchased through the Adobe Store at http://www.adobe.com/store. The estimated street price is £199.00 ex Vat for new users with an upgrade price of £79.00 ex Vat for registered users of qualifying Lightroom customers. The updated camera profiles are available as a separate download on Adobe Labs at http://labs.adobe.com.

The Photoshop Camera Raw plug-ins are available as free downloads for existing customers. Camera Raw 5.1 for Photoshop CS4 users and Camera Raw for Photoshop CS3 users are available at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/.

Phase One A/S today announced the immediate availability of Capture One 4 PRO, the RAW workflow software for photographers focused on transforming RAW files into the highest quality photographs.

Capture One 4 PRO has been designed to enhance the image quality of professional digital captures. It is built on a darkroom paradigm to enhance images and minimize the need for post-production. The workflow is responsive and flexible, adapting to a photographer’s needs.

“Phase One supports pro photographers who prefer straightforward, responsive, effective options to meet uncompromising standards of quality,” said British fashion photographer Drew Gardner. “So you find in Capture One 4 PRO an experience more consistent with what photography is all about. Using Capture One 4 PRO is more like stepping into a darkroom than entering a post-production computer class.”

Capture One 4 PRO Builds on RAW Workflow Innovations

Capture One 4 PRO is designed to satisfy a photographer’s specific work preference and situation. It offers freedom to create custom tool tabs with existing personal toolsets, and to work with multi monitor setups.

World leading tethered shooting is delivered by connecting a Phase One digital back or a supported DSLR camera to the computer and capturing images directly into Capture One 4 PRO.

The Styles feature has been redesigned to give photographers broader choices in exploring and creating unique looks that can be controlled and reproduced to create an exclusive signature.

An enhanced Color Editor feature permits fine-tuning of image colors with precise adjustment tools. Color adjustments can be saved as presets or as customized ICC profiles for consistent reproduction across multiple images.

A new Skin Tone tool lets photographers easily set and reproduce skin tones shot under various light conditions, even without using a gray card.

New Lens Correction tools improve image quality by compensating for undesired lens characteristics. These tools minimize chromatic aberration, purple fringing, distortion, sharpness falloff and light falloff. They permit creative effects such as image framing with a new vignetting tool.

“Phase One pioneered RAW workflow software,” said Jan Christiansen, marketing director at Phase One. “Now, Capture One 4 PRO takes these innovations to the highest level, with a clean, intuitive interface to give photographers a creative edge with superior image quality.”

Capture One 4 PRO supports Phase One and Mamiya medium format cameras and RAW files from a wide range of cameras including: Canon, Epson, Fuji, Konica Minolta, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony. Please see http://www.phaseone.com/4 for specific models.

Pricing and Availability
Phase One Capture One 4 PRO is available now in English through Phase One’s worldwide partner network http://www.phaseone.com/Content/ContactUs/LocateDealer.aspx and Phase One’s e-shop at http://www.phaseone.com/Content/EshopMenu.aspx.

Other language versions are planned for release at a future date. Capture One 4 PRO is free for registered users of Capture One PRO 3.x. Its estimated street price is USD399 and EUR299. Recommended minimum system requirements are Macintosh OS X 10.5.5 or later, Intel® based processor, or Microsoft Windows® XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 and Windows .NET Framework v3, Intel Pentium 4® processor, 1 GB RAM and a 1280 x 800 resolution screen. More information on product features is available at http://www.phaseone.com/4.

About Phase One
Phase One is a leading provider of digital image capture and work flow management technology. Phase One P+ Series digital backs and camera systems open new possibilities, putting the focus back on the moment of capture. Phase One Capture One software helps streamline the capture and post-production process. Supporting DSLR, medium- and large-format photographic equipment, Phase One products are renowned for their superior quality, flexibility and speed—enabling pro photographers to realize their most subtle and most complex visions without compromise.

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

For more information about the products, visit the Phase One web site on http://www.phaseone.com.

Phase One and Capture One are registered trademarks of Phase One A/S. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of the Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 product family, the highly-anticipated release of industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical breakthroughs in workflow efficiency – and packed with hundreds of innovative, time saving features – the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, interactive, film, video and mobile.

Customers can choose from six new versions: Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, Production Premium and Master Collection. The combination of Creative Suite and the new capabilities of Adobe Flash® Player 10, also available today (see separate press release) deliver new levels of creativity and expressiveness across media channels. Designers using the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family will gain unprecedented creative control using the new expressive features and visual performance improvements in Adobe Flash Player 10 to deliver breakthrough Web experiences across multiple browsers and operating systems.

“Creative Suite 4 and Flash Player 10 introduce vital time-saving features, new levels of integration and the jawdropping innovations our design and developer customers expect from us,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president, Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “CS4 continues to fulfill our promise to customers to break down more barriers in cross-media workflows, while also providing new services and collaboration tools that help them manage complex client demands.”

As part of the CS4 product launch, the largest in Adobe’s history, also available today are brand new versions of Photoshop® CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, InDesign® CS4, Illustrator® CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, Fireworks® CS4, Contribute® CS4, After Effects® CS4, Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4, Encore® CS4, Soundbooth® CS4 and Adobe OnLocation™ CS4.

Intuitive Workflows Improve Creative Efficiency
A simplified workflow in Adobe Creative Suite 4 enables users to design across media more efficiently by making it easier to complete common tasks and move content seamlessly among applications. InDesign CS4 includes a new Live Preflight tool that allows designers to catch production errors and a newly customizable Links panel to manage placed files more efficiently. The revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling tool in Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended automatically recomposes an image as it is resized, preserving vital areas as it adapts to new dimensions. An expanded version of Dynamic Link in CS4 Production Premium enables users to move and update content between After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth CS4, and Encore CS4 without rendering, saving countless hours in production. With deep XMP metadata support, the production workflow is simplified, resulting in online
content that gives viewers new ways to interact with and search for video, while giving content owners new opportunities to track and monetize content.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 brings 3D center-stage providing the ability to paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools in Photoshop CS4 Extended. Flash CS4 Professional now offers the ability to apply tweens to objects instead of keyframes, providing greater control over animation attributes. Also in Flash CS4 Professional, the new Bones tool helps create more realistic animations between linked objects. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.

New and Expanded Services Extend Capabilities for Online Collaboration
Adobe Creative Suite 4 now also offers a host of services* for online collaboration. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, allows real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share color harmonies with Adobe Kuler™. Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores and sound effects; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Creative Suite 4 and its associated point products are immediately available through Adobe Authorized Resellers and the Adobe Store at http://www.adobe.com/store. Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium is US$1799, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, and US$2499 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection. To reward customers for staying current, Adobe is offering Creative Suite 3 customers moving to Creative Suite 4 a lower upgrade price than it offers to those moving from older, qualifying versions. For a limited time, a special introductory offer enables customers with older qualifying products to enjoy the same lower price with savings of up to US$200 off their actual upgrade price. For more detailed information please visit http://www.adobe.com/creativesuite.

Adobe Flash Player 10 is available immediately as a free download for Windows, Macintosh and Linux platforms (including new support for Ubuntu 7 and from http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com.

Camera Raw 4.6 and the DNG Converter 4.6 has been posted to Adobe.com for Mac and Windows. This will be the last Camera Raw update for CS3 customers and it includes support for raw formats from the following 15 camera models:

• Canon 1000D (Digital Rebel XS/EOS Kiss F)

• Canon 50D

• Fuji FinePix IS Pro

• Kodak EasyShare Kodak Z1015 IS

• Leaf AFi II 6

• Leaf AFi II 7

• Leaf Aptus II 6

• Leaf Aptus II 7

• Nikon D700

• Nikon D90

• Nikon Coolpix P6000

• Olympus SP-565 UZ

• Pentax K2000 (K-m)

• Sigma DP1

• Sony A900

One the hardest images to make is the dramatic landscape. We have all been there. Great vista, Great sky. Big white clouds, or clouds in a glowering dark mass, or wispy fog…it is often the sky that makes the shot. Who wants an amazing vista with a clear blue sky…nothing to look at in the top half of the image?

Invariably exposing for the vista, for good color and detail in the land and foreground, produces a totally washed out sky, and exposing for the sky produces a dark, dense, landscape. Even when exposure values for sky and land are fairly balanced…as they may be on a bright sunny day with big puffy white clouds, you know you going to lose the detail in the cloud highlights.

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Photoshop may be the industry standard — but that covers a lot of industries. So the program’s interface is pretty general. As it has increased in complexity, many of its efficiencies have been hidden. And it can be very difficult to demonstrate any you’ve discovered to coworkers or friends.

Enter Configurator. Adobe will release this utility on Adobe Labs when Creative Suite 4 ships but we got a prelease version to play with. And we went right to work, building two custom panels to handle two tasks we do every day: resize images and retouch them.

The little application, we explained, “lets you build your own Photoshop control panels written in Flash (without having to learn Flash). Configurator, an AIR-based application, lets you drag and drop widgets and controls to build your own tool, which can easily be shared with your coworkers.”

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Trellis Management Co. Ltd. presents its latest image compression technology for digital cameras at the upcoming PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo.

XDepth Raw is the only image compression and file format solution able to function both as a common Jpeg and as a Raw image.

Too often amateur and professional photographers alike wondered why they couldn’t have all the flexibility and precision of a Raw shot within a universally compatible format like Jpeg.

XDepth Raw not only fully satisfies the need for a compatible and flexible format but it also provides exponentially more precision and dynamic range than current cameras can capture. XDepth Raw is infact capable of storing up to 72bit/pixel at full High Dynamic Range.

XDepth Raw images are recognized as Jpeg files by any software application on virtually every operating system and can be previewed and used as common jpegs. When opened with XDepth-enabled software instead, the same files are recognized and loaded as Raw camera pictures.

Camera makers employ all sorts of algorithms in order reduce the size of their Raw images although still remaining in the realm of the “heavy digital pictures” as Raw files can take up to 1.5 MBytes for each Mega-Pixel. XDepth Raw reduces on average this figure to 0.2 MBytes for each Mega-Pixel of resolution, featuring an outstanding 7:1 compression ratio compared to the uncompressed Raw file.

XDepth Raw employs a proprietary technology able to literally restore the original fine details found in the uncompressed Raw picture at high bit depths without sacrificing visual quality.

The XDepth brand will be sponsoring the PDN PhotoPlus Expo Press Room area for the entire event.

Attending interested parties can request a live demonstration of XDepth technologies by booking an appointment online through the PhotoPlus Connect service.

Learn more about XDepth Raw by visiting the dedicated website at: raw.xdepth.com

Soften skin with Lightroom 2

A new release of the venerable GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is now available for download. Version 2.6 offers a variety of new features, user interface improvements, and is also the first release to include support for the Generic Graphics Library (GEGL), a powerful, graph-based image editing framework.

The GIMP is an open source graphics editor that is available for Linux, Windows, and OS X. It aims to provide Photoshop-like capabilities and offers a broad feature set that has made it popular with amateur artists and open source fans. Although the GIMP is generally not regarded as a sufficient replacement for high-end commercial tools, it is beginning to gain some acceptance in the pro market.

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Source for GIMP version 2.6 (Stable)

GIMP releases available from gimp.org and its mirrors contain the source code and have to be compiled in order to be installed on your system.

GIMP 2.6.0 is now available at ftp://ftp.gimp.org/pub/gimp/v2.6/. You may want to read the Release Notes for GIMP 2.6.

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ACD Systems International Inc. today today unveiled ACDSee™ Photo Manager 2009, the latest version of its powerful digital organization and photo sharing software designed especially for avid amateur photographers, scrapbookers and crafters.

Improved features combine to make ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 the quickest, most flexible and affordably priced organization software available for at-home use. Users enjoy real-time viewing, management and editing of multiple image files, whether they be treasured family photos or digital design elements for creative projects.

“The ACDSee team is actively seeking input from users about what they want and need to manage their growing digital image collections,” said Melanie Wood, community manager for ACD Systems. “The new functions we have built into ACDSee Photo Manager directly address feedback from our users and the larger community of avid photographers who want and need more options for quick and easy organization and sharing.”

Now, ACDSee Photo Manager adds these new features designed to help users manage their growing digital images, stay organized and share memories with family and friends:

Staying organized with new tools from ACDSee
The new Import tool puts this power into the hands of users, who can now rename, back up, categorize and add keywords to images as they are acquired from a camera, card reader, CD/DVD or other storage device. Used in conjunction with ACDSee Photo Manager’s Auto Categories, which automatically organizes images according to camera metadata, organization is completed as collections grow.

Protect and share custom organization
ACDSee users love that they can supplement camera metadata (IPTC and EXIF) with their own custom metadata, including categories and ratings, in ACDSee Photo Manager. Customers can now protect and share this custom information with other ACDSee users by embedding it into their images. Users who manage many image types can now include important information even with file formats that don’t support camera metadata, such as PNGs, PDFs and GIFs.

“We have heard from many digital designers and ACDSee users that custom metadata is an important feature,” Wood said. “For designers, it’s important to protect their copyright, and for users, they want to be able to easily search for and locate digital elements from their favorite kits.”

Frame and share photos
Photographers can quickly and creatively add a finishing touch with a custom border, drop shadow or edge effect, then share favorite images with friends and family with quick uploaders to online tools like flickr™. Users can show off photos in auto slide shows and screensavers that now include creative presentation options such as pan & zoom, black & white and sepia effects and music.

Save originals
ACDSee Photo Manager automatically saves and preserves the original image file when it is first opened for editing within the software. Users can restore to the original at any time after making image edits like adjustingcolors, cropping or adding creative elements, such as borders, frames and effects.

Save searches
Users can build complex searches based on folder name, file name, location, custom categories, ratings and other metadata, then save time by storing custom search criteria for future use.

Pricing and availability
ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 is available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase for $49.99 (USD) at http://www.acdsee.com. Users can bundle this program with ACDSee Photo Editor 2008 for the combined price of $79.99 (USD). Photo Editor is the companion software that helps users of any skill level enhance photos and create their own digital layouts to print and share.

About ACD Systems
Headquartered in British Columbia since 1993, ACD Systems International Inc. (TSX: ASA) is one of the world’s leading developers and marketers of digital imaging software, including the renowned ACDSee image management tool and Canvas, an advanced cross-platform technical illustration and graphics program. ACD has delivered value to a global marketplace through Internet distribution and through partnerships with manufacturers and developers. ACD has millions of consumer and business users and over 33,000 corporate customers including many Fortune 500 companies. For further details, please visit us at our corporate web site: http://www.acdcorporate.com/.

ACD, ACD Systems and ACDSee are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACD Systems Ltd. in Canada, the United States, or certain other jurisdictions. Trademarks of ACD Systems Ltd. are used under license by ACD Systems of America, Inc. Canvas is a trademark or registered trademark of ACD Systems of America, Inc. in Canada, the United States, or certain other jurisdictions. Trademarks of ACD Systems of America, Inc. are used under license by ACD Systems Ltd.

Other trademarks, product names, company names, brands and service names mentioned herein are property of their respective owners.

PHOTOKINA 2008—Phase One today introduces pioneering advances in medium format digital photography that offer professional photographers more opportunity to perfect the moment of image capture, and reduce post processing work.

Phase One is demonstrating the following products that will ship in volume during Q4 2008—Booth B1, Hall 4.2.

– Advanced digital image capture. Sensor+ technology establishes a new paradigm for medium format camera systems. For the first time, photographers can choose to shoot at either 15 or 60.5 megapixels at full frame, with no change in sensor coverage. In addition Sensor+ will add higher light sensitivity.
– Capture One 4 PRO workflow software. Achieves the highest level of image quality possible in RAW processing.
– Extended lens range for Phase One 645 camera system. Successful alliances with Leica Camera, Mamiya and Hartblei are yielding high-quality optics with a growing range of available lenses. Now includes Phase One Classic one year or Value Added 3-year warranty.

SENSOR+ TECHNOLOGY
The Phase One P 65+ operates at a capture rate of up to 1 frame per second with a resolution of 60.5 MP resolution and the industry’s largest live capture area (53.9mm x 40.4). It offers a sensitivity range from 50 to 1600 ISO. Intelligent image compression technology (IIQ) produces choice of small 40 MB or large 60 MB RAW files.

Built into the P 65+, Sensor+ technology offers a capture mode by which photographers can “dial down” to 15 MP resolution (pixel size 12 x 12 microns) and gain an ISO range of 100 to 1600 with smaller file sizes (ranging from small 10 MB to large 15 MB RAW files) for faster post processing.

CAPTURE ONE 4 PRO puts the photographer in control
Newly architected Capture One 4 PRO allows photographers to enhance and develop RAW digital files with excellent color and detail reproduction.

Unlike other imaging software, Capture One PRO does not enforce an arbitrary workflow. Rather, this application enables you to customize your menu, building the interface and custom palettes that best suit your work style or situation.

New or enhanced features include:

- Lens enhancement tools solve distortion, sharpness falloff, light falloff and can produce customizable vignetting for creative effects.
- Selective Color provides an intuitive toolset for customizing image colors to perfection.
- With the all-new Skin Tone tool photographers can easily set and reproduce skin tones shot under a variety of light conditions even without using a gray card.
- A redesigned Styles feature enables photographers to explore and create unique “looks” and to reproduce them consistently with ease.

Capture One and Expression Media software are being demonstrated together at the Microsoft booth Hall 04.1 Stand H049 G031.

NEW LENS RANGE
In addition to the Phase One 3.5/45 mm Tilt-Shift lens introduced earlier this month, Phase One is announcing a new lineup of high-quality lenses optimized for high resolution digital capture, including: 28mm f4.5, 45mm f2.8, 80mm f2.8, 120mm f4.0, 150mm f2.8, 75-150mm f4.5 zoom. These lenses are supported by the industry’s most comprehensive, advanced warranty and support program.

Phase One is also demonstrating a new 80 mm leafshutter lens, vertical grip, and additional accessories for the Phase One 645 camera system, that will be available Q109.

Pricing and Availability
Phase One P 65+ digital camera systems are expected in Q4 2008. The P 65+ digital back starts at 39,900 USD, 29.990 EUR; the P 65+ camera system starts at 41,990 USD, 31.990 EUR.

Capture One PRO customers can upgrade to Capture One 4 PRO at no extra cost. For new customers, it is 399 USD and 299 EUR through Phase One’s e-shop. Capture One PRO release is planned for October 15, 2008.

Volume shipments of lenses will begin Q4 2008. The 80mm leafshutter lens will begin shipping Q109.

About Phase One
Phase One is a leading provider of digital image capture and work flow management technology. Phase One P+ Series digital backs and camera systems open new possibilities, putting the focus back on the moment of capture. Phase One Capture One software helps streamline the capture and post-production process. Supporting DSLR, medium- and large-format photographic equipment, Phase One products are renowned for their superior quality, flexibility and speed—enabling pro photographers to realize their most subtle and most complex visions without compromise.

Phase One is an employee-owned company based in Copenhagen with offices in New York, London, Tokyo, Cologne and Shanghai.

For more information about the products, visit the Phase One web site on http://www.phaseone.com.

All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

One of the great new features in Lightroom 2 is the graduated filter tool. Though simple, It can have a very powerful effect on one’s photos, as we’ll see. From darkening a washed out sky, to emphasising the billowing clouds of stormy sky, the graduated filter tool in Lightroom 2 is incredibly customizable.

Rather than me tell you about it, I have included an example of the tool in use, and some screenshots of my workflow in Lightroom 2 as I was working on an image of a longtail boat in Thailand.

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Over thirty of the Image-Space Lightroom Tips and Tricks in one easy to read or print ebook format.

Includes the Library Module, Develop Module and the general use of Lightroom.

Example Tip Topics:

• Simple and easy folder structure
• Show filmstrip ratings and picks
• Visual keyword usage indicator
• Display exposure bias on thumbnails
• Fix missing metadata dates
• Thumbnail icon tricks

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85 Lightroom Presets

Included in this free collection Lightroom presets designed by Jack Davis:
8 White Balance presets
11 Tone Curve presets
4 Vibrance presets
18 HSL presets
12 Black & White presets
5 Warm Tinting presets
5 Cool Tinting presets
8 Dark Vignette presets
8 Light Vignette presets

Designed to provide you with a streamlined workflow, these presets for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom were designed by Photoshop Guru Jack Davis to help you get the most out of Lightroom. Organized and setup in a traditional workflow, these presets will help you quickly set the correct white balance, choose a tone curve, adjust vibrance, HSL, convert to black and white and add a vignette.

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Hold on tight now. I’ve just finished these 10 (!) Dave Hill presets and guess what, They work pretty well on some of my images. Wait a second….Who the heck is Dave Hill then? Well if you don’t know that, you’re not reading this because of your Google search, I suppose? . Dave Hill is a famous photographer which uses a special technique on his images (have  a look for yourself: www.davehillphoto.com). With the right light in your photos together with these free Dave Hill presets, you might get a smile on your face. Each preset has a black & white version as well. Go go go…

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FastPictureViewer is a small and fast image viewer, so simple compared to usual photo viewers that its purpose might not be immediately apparent. The program is optimized to do just one task: browse entire folders of digital photos as quickly as possible, while allowing for rapid sharpness checks (instant flip to 100% view), enabling single-click copy of the keepers to a preset folder along with single-keystroke Adobe XMP and Vista rating / labeling. A small EXIF window coupled with an instant, high-precision RGB histogram give you all the information you need about the picture. That’s about it, but it makes for one of the fastest image culling tool available, also ideal for full-screen chimping directly off the camera (or memory card), over USB2. Of course FastPictureViewer can just as well be used for speed-browsing, rating or labeling an existing picture collection, but it does not offer any image editing, enhancing or cataloging function, it’s just a bare bone, quick photo viewer.

Noteworthy features:

- Vista support (runs as Standard User with UAC enabled).
- Unicode support, handles image and folder names in any written language.
- Color management let you see your Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB images with accurate colors.
- Support for custom color profiles, to match calibrated monitors and high-end displays.
- Automatic tracking mode, displays the last image added to the picture folder automatically.
- Configurable automatic advance mode, displays the next picture automatically at user-settable interval.
- High precision linear R,G,B histogram with optional compression and per-channel normalization.
- EXIF shooting data display with shutter speed, f-stop, ISO speed, exposure compensation and more.
- Instant flip to the next image using either the keyboard, a mouse click or a scroll of the mouse wheel.
- Easy browsing of tens of thousands (yes!) of images at a time, even in deeply nested multiple sub-folder hierarchies.
- Instant switch between fit-to-window and 100% mode views from a single key press (or click), optional high-quality image rescaling.
- Adobe XMP sidecar files creation and update (stores rating, labels, urgency settings in Adobe XMP-compliant metadata format).
- Embedded metadata writer for JPEG/TIFF/HD Photo/JPEG-XR files (Adobe XMP rating/labeling and Windows Vista rating).
- Mouse ‘click-and-hold’ instantaneous 100% zoom and configurable instantaneous 50%-6400% right-click magnifier.
- Seamless multiple-subfolders browsing, in one single continuous sequence (easily browse an entire drive or CD/DVD at once).
- Drag & drop support, drop a folder or a set of files on FastPictureViewer to quickly view them.
- Single-click or single keystroke background copy of the “keepers” to a preset folder, without disruption of the viewing flow.
- Plug’n'play integration with optional automatic browsing of inserted media or digital camera: view images straight off the camera.
- Shell integration with “Open with FastPictureViewer…” context-menu options for local folders and drives.
- Supports file associations from Windows Explorer (“Open With…”) to e.g. associate JPEGs with FastPictureViewer.exe
- Instant automatic detection of new images added anywhere to the folder tree, while you browse (real-time “hot folder” concept).
- Multi-monitor awareness and huge monitor support, with full-screen borderless kiosk mode available at the press of the F11 key.

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Adobe Introduces Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended

Landmark Release Packs Powerful Editing Punch and Harnesses the Creative Potential of 3D

London, UK — 23rd September, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended, the highly anticipated, new editions
of the professional industry standard for digital imaging. Providing a fluid user experience, complete creative control and higher efficiency, Photoshop CS4 leverages the power of the latest hardware to extend imaging possibilities and offer faster, more flexible ways to accomplish core tasks like image adjustments and masks. All of these features and more can be found in Photoshop CS4 Extended, which serves users with advanced motion graphics functions, dramatically expanded 3D visualisation capabilities and precise image analysis.

Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended will be available as stand?alone applications or key components of the Adobe Creative Suite® 4 family.

“Photoshop is about delivering cutting edge innovation that really pushes the boundaries of digital image editing,” said Kevin Connor, vice president of product management for professional digital imaging at Adobe. “This version is no exception with some stunning new imaging technology that complements our work to bring more control, simplicity and speed to everyday tasks. By streamlining the most popular workflows for the professional, technical or home user, Photoshop CS4 bring new levels of accessibility to the gold standard in digital imaging software.”

Complete Creative Control and Effortless Efficiency
Photoshop CS4 software now makes impossible tasks, possible. Content?Aware Scaling adds a revolutionary technology that enables users to intelligently size and scale images with a simple drag of
the mouse. New Auto?Align and Auto?Blend modes generate composites based on extended depth of field and 360 degree panoramas now with seamless tones and colors.

Finding, previewing and managing image assets jumps to a new level of power and convenience with Adobe Bridge CS4, beginning with fast start?up performance, right through to speedy transfer of images to Photoshop CS4. New path?bar navigation and workspace selection buttons across the top of the Bridge window let you instantly go to just the right display for every task. Also included are new Camera Import controls, visual folder navigation, and a Carousel View for larger image?group selections.

Photoshop CS4 takes advantage of the latest graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware to deliver superior performance. The software offers a smooth pan and zoom experience that allows users to easily edit images at the highest magnification while maintaining clarity. The new Canvas Rotation tool makes it simple to rotate and work on an image from any angle. Photoshop CS4 helps keep work areas clutter?free with a new unified application frame, tab?based interface and self?adjusting panels that make it easy to quickly access advanced tools and provide a more fluid way to interact with the application.

Harnessing the Power of 3D
Photoshop CS4 Extended includes all the new features of Photoshop CS4 plus the ability to manipulate 3D imagery easier than ever before. Now, creativity knows no bounds, as users can paint directly on 3D models and surfaces, merge 2D files onto 3D images and animate 3D objects. The 3D engine has been rebuilt from the ground up to provide faster performance, allow editing of properties like light and the ability to create more realistic renderings with a new high?quality ray?tracer. Video professionals have the ability to turn any 3D object into a video display zone and can animate 3D objects and properties with ease. In addition, the core motion graphics editing has been improved with more efficient single?key shortcuts.

“The 3D painting enhancements in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended save us valuable time by enabling artists to paint directly on our 3D flight simulator models in Photoshop instead of using a separate 3D paint program,” says Luis Barcena, executive VP of databases and modeling for Aechelon Technology, Inc., a leader in real?time computer graphics applications for training, simulation and entertainment markets.

“Additionally, the ability to perform localised color correction in Photoshop CS4 Extended lets us easily colour correct and balance simulated environments and terrain databases using images taken in different climates to achieve a more realistic and compelling user experience.”

Photoshop CS4 Extended software continues to challenge traditional use, allowing medical professionals to volume render multiple medical image scans (DICOM image stack) into a volume that can be viewed from all angles.

The Evolution and Expansion of the Adobe Photoshop Family
The Photoshop product family has experienced an unprecedented year, in which new products have been introduced and every existing product has been updated. The year began with the anticipated launch of Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac, winning Best of Show at Macworld 2008. The launch of Photoshop Express in the Spring marked a new direction for the line—a free, rich Internet application (RIA) for anyone who wants to store, sort and show off digital photos online with eye?catching effects. In July, major updates and enhancements were made to the popular Photoshop Lightroom™ 2 solution for serious photographers, followed by the launch of Photoshop Elements 7 and Adobe Premiere Elements 7 software for hobbyists and now, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended for professionals.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended for Mac OS X on Intel®?based and PowerPC®?based systems and for Microsoft® Windows® XP and Windows Vista™ platform are scheduled to ship in October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorised Resellers and the Adobe Store at http://www.adobe.co.uk/store. Estimated street price for Adobe Photoshop CS4 is £485 and £755 for Photoshop CS4 Extended. Upgrade pricing is available. For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies and pricing, please visit: http://www.adobe.co.uk/photoshop

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.co.uk.

Adobe will launch the new Adobe Creative Suite CS 4 applications thourhg a special webcast on September 23th.

adobe webcast site : http://adobe.istreamplanet.com/

Cosmetic Eye Adjustments With Adobe Lightroom 2

London, UK, August 28th, 2008 Anthropics Technology announces a new batch-processing version of its Portrait Professional software. This innovation brings the successful Portrait Professional software to photographers who would benefit from retouching large volumes of portraits, for significant time saving and happier customers. The software will be demonstrated at PhotoKina and available for sale from October 2008.

Portrait Professional has been a runaway success for the past two years; allowing photographers to easily retouch individual photos in a matter of minutes. Now Portrait Professional Lab makes it possible to automatically retouch the faces from entire photo shoots, without having to perform artistic work on each photograph. A wedding photographer with 300 pictures could do all the work in 10 minutes needing only to select photographs to process, configure the automatic retouching and approve the results. This is a major time-saver for photographers, allowing them to be more productive and have happier customers, says Andrew Berend, CEO of Anthropics Technology, some photographers still enjoy the artistic, manual retouching process, but others deal with a volume of photographs that makes manual retouching impossible.

Portrait Professional Lab builds on the intelligent automatic retouching capability of the current Portrait Professional software. By adding facial feature recognition technology, the process can be automated for whole sets of photographs. The result is software that scans images for faces, maps the features, and applies enhancements to them, without user intervention.

More about the Company and Portrait Professional
A new version of Portrait Professional, Version 8.1, will also be released at Photokina. Portrait Professional software has been trained using 1000s of portraits to perform skin tone improvement, facial sculpting and lighting correction, remove wrinkles, spots, glare and skin imperfections without removing the underlying texture of skin.

Anthropics Technology has been a key innovator in the industry since launching Portrait Professional in 2006, with a team that has previously won a technical Oscar, among other achievements

Portrait Professional website

London — Aug. 26, 2008 —Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 7 software, a milestone release of the No.1 selling consumer photo-editing software*. Available for Windows®, Photoshop Elements 7 makes it quick and easy to organise, edit, create and share amazing photos with others by leveraging the editing power of Photoshop software, the professional standard for image editing.

In addition, Adobe today announced Adobe Premiere® Elements 7 software, a complete video-editing solution. Available separately or together in a single retail bundle package, Adobe Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premiere Elements bundle give photo and video enthusiasts everything they need for a complete digital imaging experience.

“With Photoshop Elements our ultimate goal is to give users the ability to tell personal and high-impact stories with their photos,” said Doug Mack, vice president and general manager of Consumer and Hosted Solutions at Adobe. “We strike a balance between editing punch and ease, so a user doesn’t have to be a pro to produce impressive results.”

Create Picture-Perfect Photos with Powerful yet Intuitive Editing Tricks
Photoshop Elements makes it easy to tell amazing stories through memorable photos. The new Scene Cleaner, based on Adobe’s innovative Photomerge® technology, creates the ideal photo by letting users simply brush away unwanted subjects, such as tourists in a vacation shot who may be impacting the main subject of the photo.  The new Smart Brush helps users apply incredible effects to a specific area of a photo with a single stroke, making it a snap to improve lighting and add rich textures with access to more than fifty sophisticated effects. Common editing tasks, such as whitening teeth or brightening blue skies, are a breeze to fix with the one-step Quick Fix tools. Surfaces can be softened while retaining edges and details crisp with a new filter ideal for portrait shots. Also, a new selection of Online Albums, based on Adobe Flash® technology, offers users a richer interactive experience.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and Adobe Premiere Elements 7 for Windows will be available in local retail outlets in October 2008. Consumers can pre-order the products at http://www.adobe.com and http://www.amazon.com. The products will be available separately for £65 ex Vat. Photoshop Elements 7 & Premiere Elements 7 bundle also will be available for £95 ex Vat.

*Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service (April 2002 to April 2008) based on units sold (North America).

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com.

Selective editing
One of the problems with the first version of Lightroom was its lack of selection-based adjustments. Any changes you made to a photo were applied to the entire image. For many photos, this wasn’t a problem—changing the exposure, color balance, or other tonal setting throughout an image made sense. But, if you had an image that had a perfectly exposed sky and an underexposed foreground, for example, you couldn’t selectively change the foreground without making the sky look bad.

To make those types of changes in Lightroom 1.0, you needed Photoshop or another image-editing application. You would edit the image out of Lightroom, and then have to deal with a second version (or third or fourth, depending upon how much you edited it) of a photo in your Lightroom library.

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LiveEdit, a Web-based software tool for photographers, advertising agencies and other imaging professionals, is now available to the public. The revolutionary online program puts image workflow and images at the fingertips of its users anywhere, anytime—allowing imaging professionals to cut costs and save time across the entire process.

The new service was created by professional photographers for optimal creativity and time management. Its intuitive interface is divided into to four core applications: Edit, Retoucher, Archive and Stock, giving photographers the ability to:

• Collaboratively edit photo shoots
• Compare and share retouching comments
• Archive images
• Sell photos 24 hours per day
• Create layouts
• Edit the color of images
• Rate photos
• Create Contact sheets
• Enable clients to independently access high-resolution photos they need, when they need them

“Creative companies face business continuity problems because too often one person holds all of the knowledge about creative assets,” says Darren Lipman. “Live Edit empowers everyone at a creative company to make the best use of creative assets.”

Users are able to track their entire archive in one place, which will enable them to showcase and sell more photos by creating a personal stock site. LiveEdit offers:

• Secure login
• Customized branding
• Functions and features that are fast, in-depth and easy to use

Agencies and companies who utilize the service will find a myriad of benefits, including savings when it comes to storing and cataloguing photography. The software has been successfully used by a variety of companies, including InStyle magazine, Conde Nast Publications, Proctor and Gamble, L’Oréal.

For photographers, LiveEdit (http://www.liveedit.com) helps them save time and money when it comes to reduced production times, and helps keep everyone who uses it more organized – especially considering that imagery can be accessed with ease from anywhere on the planet.

“The way in which professional photography is administered and disseminated is antiquated, inefficient and cumbersome,” says Lipman. “LiveEdit brings ease and efficiency to this process, vastly speeding up time to market for photography. Its features help bring the photo profession into the modern era, where the cycle from shoot to end product must happen in days – not weeks or months.”

About LiveEdit
Live Edit is a limited liability company based in New York City.

Hi-Resolution Video http://liveedit.com/promo