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Reviews of photography products that enhance the enjoyment of taking pictures. Published frequently but irregularly.
Alien Skin Redesigns Exposure 5 Interface, Adds Preset Browser
24 April 2013
Alien Skin Software has announced its $199 Exposure 5 will feature a refreshed user interface and a new preset browser to show how the image is affected by any preset. Upgrades for anyone who purchased the previous version before March at $99 and are free if purchased in March or later.
Terence Tay, who designed Exposure 5, said, "Creative control and increased productivity were essential design objectives. It's now much easier and faster for photographers of all levels to find the right look for their photographs."
New Interface. Shown in the new dark theme, the texture controls allow separate control of borders, light leaks and dust & scratches. Side panels are collapsible, parameters are scrollable.
Preset Browser. Platinum (cool) is selected but all the effects are previewed. Note it's scrollable (because there are a lot of them).
In our Dec. 27, 2012 story Exposure To The Rescue, we describe how we used Exposure 4 to make a layer adjustment to an old photo we had retouched.
As we noted, "We were able to polish the image with Exposure 4's extensive filter set. We minimized grain and fine-tuned contrast with the Glamour Shot filter and added a warm tone to the print with the sepia Daguerrotype filter." And it's still a happy memory.
The new version will be availabe in June, the company said.
Nguyen Portrait. Photographer Peter Nguyen relied on Exposure to enhance this portrait.
Alien Skin Software Announces Exposure 5
Visual preset browser makes previewing effects faster and easier. Dark user interface lets photographers concentrate on their photos. Program offers greater creative texture control.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Alien Skin Software has announced Exposure 5, the new version of its flagship photography effects software. Exposure 5 enables digital photographers to achieve accurate film simulation, using a wide range of creative effects in a simple interface. Significantly, Exposure 5 can be used as a plug-in with popular host software or as a standalone program for even greater flexibility.
Exposure 5 brings all the creative tools of traditional film photography to the world of digital, such as the look of discontinued films, darkroom tricks and trendy lo-fi camera quirks. Popular classic films like Kodachrome, Polaroid and even Panatomic-X are accurately simulated. Hundreds of preset effects can be applied with a single mouse-click, helping photographers achieve their desired look quickly. Exposure 5 includes both color and black-and-white processing so there's no need to switch between tools.
"With Exposure 5, a photographer's vision is the only element separating an ordinary image from an extraordinary one. Creative control and increased productivity were essential design objectives," said Terence Tay, designer of the new Exposure 5 software. "It's now much easier and faster for photographers of all levels to find the right look for their photographs."
The entire user interface has been redesigned with productivity in mind. A darker theme reduces distractions around the photo and matches other popular tools. The preset and editing panels can be hidden, to further remove distractions and allow more room for the photograph. The new visual preset browser shows how each preset will look when applied to an image. Users can see many presets at once, for quick exploration. In addition, favorites and recently used presets are just a click away.
Significantly, Exposure 5 includes many new textures for a greater variety of vintage and Lo-Fi looks. There are now separate controls for adding borders, dust & scratches and light leaks. A new randomize option allows a user to easily explore multiple variations on a particular look.
Exposure 5 integrates with the popular tools many photographers use in their professional workflow: Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and now Apple Aperture. Now Exposure 5 can also be launched as a standalone application. That is especially useful for fast batch-processing or as part of a workflow that includes tools that do not support plug-ins.
To help users get started and for advanced techniques, the Alien Skin Web site has a library of tutorial videos and example images.
Pricing & Availability
Exposure 5 will be available in June 2013 through Alien Skin for $199. Owners of any version of Exposure may upgrade for $99. Free upgrades will be automatically sent to everyone who purchased Exposure 4 directly from Alien Skin Software in March 2013 or later.
Host Requirements
Exposure 5 may be used as a standalone program or a plug-in. When it is used as a plug-in it requires one of the following host applications:
- Adobe Photoshop CS5 or later
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 or later
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 or later
- Apple Aperture 3 or later
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows users need Windows 7 or later. Apple Macintosh users need Mac OS X 10.7 or later.
An Intel Core 2 processor or compatible is required. A monitor with 1280x768 resolution or greater is required.
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