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Reviews of photography products that enhance the enjoyment of taking pictures. Published frequently but irregularly.
Alien Skin Ships Exposure 5
11 June 2013
Alien Skin promised Exposure 5 in June and today they've delivered its $199 photo effects software with a refreshed user interface and a new preset browser to show how the image is affected by any preset.
The new version functions as a standalone application or a plug-in. What we didn't know in April, when the company announced the new version, was that it would be compatible with Photoshop CC as well as version back to CS5. It's also compatible with Elements, Lightroom and Aperture.
But the anxiously-awaited features include the new user interface with a new dark theme and texture controls that allow separate control of borders, light leaks and dust & scratches. The side panels are collapsible and parameters are scrollable.
New Interface. Dark theme, texture controls, collapsible side panels, scrollable parameters.
And in the new preset browser, the effect thumbnails show you what they'll do to the image before you apply any of them.
Preset Browser. Effects are rendered on the thumbnails so you can see what they do before they do it.
"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."
Nguyen Portrait. Photographer Peter Nguyen enhanced this portrait with Exposure 5.
And you'll still find the look of discontinued films, darkroom tricks and lo-fi camera quirks that the software is famous for.
On Our System. We've just installed Exposure 5 for review. This shot shows the original (top right) transformed by a Kodak 200 Gold - Indoor Lighting preset. A small yellow popup over the preset (left) shows the full name and describes the effect..
See the press release below for the details.
Alien Skin Software Ships 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 today announces the immediate availability of 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 and Availability
Exposure 5 is now available through http://www.alienskin.com for $199 USD. Owners of any version of Exposure may upgrade for $99 USD. 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, CS6 or CC
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 or newer
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 or newer
- Apple Aperture 3 or newer
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows users need Windows 7 or newer. Apple Macintosh users need Mac OS X 10.7 or newer. An Intel Core 2 processor or compatible is required.
A monitor with 1280x768 resolution or greater is required.