Software Reviews

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Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Oct 03, 2019  | 

Adobe just released Photoshop Elements 2020, the most powerful derivative of Photoshop to date. Available for $99 (or bundled with also-new Adobe Premier Elements for $149 retail) the latest version features automation powered by Adobe Sensei, their amazingly potent AI engine, and three access levels to suit Beginners, Intermediate Users and Experts. If you haven’t seen Elements recently (and I suspect many of you fall into that category) you will be surprised by the range and capabilities of this inexpensive photo editor. What follows here is my recap.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jan 24, 2019  | 

What I don’t know would fill a 300TB hard drive, that’s for sure. But I thought I had a pretty good handle on Exposure X4 from Alien Skin. I’ve been using Exposure in its progressive incarnations for a long time, so I was really surprised to learn that it has powers I never knew.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jan 03, 2019  | 

If you do any photo editing, you’ve probably heard about the collection of plugin filters called Nik. The package has been around for close to 15 years, and now it’s in the DxO barn so we can be confident that it will remain compatible and relevant for years to come.

The Editors  |  Oct 05, 2018  | 

If you want to build an online photo album or digital portfolio of your images to share on the web, there are many ways to do it. But one of our favorite options has been the jAlbum photo gallery software, which we have reviewed several times over the years.

Joe Farace  |  May 01, 2018  | 

The following is something people tell me when I suggest using a plug-in or specialized software for enhancing or retouching portraits: “But you can do that in Photoshop!” That’s because when it comes to software for wedding, portrait, and boudoir photographs, everyone has an opinion—sometimes a strong one—even if they’re wrong.

Jack Neubart  |  Feb 15, 2018  | 

Capture One Pro is a top-echelon Raw image processor and editor, courtesy of the people behind Phase One cameras and backs. For this software review, I tried Capture One Pro, which is now on Version 11, on images shot with various cameras, ranging from Nikon to Canon to Phase One.

George Schaub  |  Jan 24, 2018  | 

Shutterbug, a member of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), once again joined forces with 30 other member magazines from around the world to choose the winners of the annual TIPA Awards for the best photo/imaging products in 40 different categories. The award process began in early 2017 with an initial selection of a wide range of products conducted by TIPA’s Technical Committee, on which Shutterbug’s Editor-at-Large George Schaub serves. 

George Schaub  |  Nov 09, 2017  | 

I have been using Epson’s Advanced B&W Photo printing mode for many years in a series of the company’s desktop printers but always wished the print software offered a way to see my image adjustments in real time. So, when Epson announced their new Print Layout software, which offers a “live preview” (among other controls) in Advanced B&W Photo mode, I contacted them to give it a whirl. 

Joe Farace  |  Oct 24, 2017  | 

There’s more to black-and-white photography than an absence of color. One reason purists refer to black-and-white images as “monochrome” is that it’s a more precise term covering photographs made in sepia and other tones.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Aug 24, 2017  | 

If you’ve ever had the itch to paint—or to turn one of your digital images into a great looking painting without taking up a brush—then Corel Painter Essentials 5 may be just the ticket. 

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Jul 30, 2017  | 

Maybe you can’t fool Mother Nature—but who says you can’t give her a facelift? 

Jack Neubart  |  Jan 27, 2017  | 

I’ve worked with all the popular film emulators and black-and-white conversion plug-ins, looking for the one that met my workflow and esthetic requirements. After countless hours, I’m still not fully convinced of their efficacy as such. Still, they are fun to use and do fill a niche. So far, I’ve found Alien Skin’s Exposure X2 does the most convincing job so that I feel comfortable enough within my own alien skin—see what I did there?—that I’ll continue to use it, so to speak.

Steve Bedell  |  Dec 06, 2016  | 

It appears our friends at Anthropics Technology are at it again! Not content with software that can practically take the face of Fido and turn it into Angelina Jolie using PortraitPro, the London-based company has introduced PortraitPro Body, an image editing program that can potentially transform that wimpy teenager down the block into Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, or add curves to any woman that would make a Kardashian green with envy.

Joe Farace  |  Nov 08, 2016  | 

Proving you can, in fact, change your tune; Paul Simon revised the lyrics to “Kodachrome” when performing the song in Central Park in 1991 to “everything looks better in black and white.” Picky photographers insist “monochrome” is more precise because it covers images made using sepia, blue, or other tones, while images using only shades of gray are black and white.

Jon Sienkiewicz  |  Oct 06, 2016  | 

The monochrome mode on most digital cameras is a convenience that is best avoided. Conventional wisdom says that it’s far, far better to shoot Raw and convert to monochrome—or at least to start with a color JPEG. But Fujifilm suggests that their ACROS film simulation mode might even top the best Raw converters. Does it? 

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