OLYMPUS Studio 2 supports professional photographers and engaged amateurs to get perfect results out of their images within a minimum of time. The software provides various functions and powerful tools to assist your workflow, such as examining and selecting the best shot from a large number of images, searching for a desired image from folders and albums, editing and processing images you have shot, printing pictures, etc.

Features:
- PC-control of the camera
- Image editing functions
- Batch processing
- Rapid processing of RAW files
- Automatic tone adjustment

Olympus Studio 2.1 (the new version of Olympus’ professional workflow software, with added support for the E-3 DSLR) includes the following improvements:

- Support for “E-3” DSLR
- Added “Add IPTC Information” function under Transfer Images, RAW Development and Batch Processing.
- Added New skin (Professional) which is the most suitable for viewing and sorting photos.
- Added the function to show Pop-up Information for a file.
- Improved the function to narrow down by Color Mark.
- Improved the operability of the function to sort images.
- Added the function to display the background processing status in the status bar.
- Added the function to select the next operation after saving files.
- Improved the display speed in Thumbnail Area (Windows).

There is a 30 days Trial, and it can be downloaded here.

Tags: OLYMPUS Studio Photo, OLYMPUS, photo editing software, OLYMPUS Studio Photo trial

Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX

Most Nikon camera users process their images with Capture NX software that provides direct control over any region in a digital image and enables selective editing or enhancements without complicated layer masking techniques. Capture NX works with TIFF and JPG files and provides superior processing of Nikon’s RAW format, which is the main reason for the wide use of this software. Image edits are fully non-destructive and can be modified at any time and in any order, even after the file has been closed and reopened. File sizes do not substantially increase no matter how many edits are added to the original image.

In order to make processing easier and more pleasant, Nik Software, Inc. (established in 1995, it has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals) announced a new powerful photo editing software bundle designed specifically for professional and advanced amateur photographers: Color Efex Pro 2.0, an award-winning package.

“Professional photographers and advanced amateurs have recognized Nik Color Efex Pro as a big part of their photographic workflow because of its simplicity and power. Bringing Color Efex Pro 2.0 and Capture NX together offers photographers an easy to use and complete photo editing solution,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software, Inc. Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX includes 75 award-winning filters that offer a tremendous range of traditional and stylistic photo enhancements.

• Capture NX and Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX are available via electronic purchase in the United States for $329.95 (purchased separately) or together for a limited time at a $30 discount.
• Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX Complete Edition (75 filters total): $179.95
• Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX Select Edition (45 filters total): $99.95
• Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX Standard Edition (19 filters total): $59.95
• Capture NX: $149.95

Capture NX and Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX run on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. To purchase and to find out more about this software package go to http://www.niksoftware.com/nxbundle.
.

Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Photoshop

On the other hand, Photoshop users can now upgrade to Color Efex Pro 3.0, the latest version of Nik Software’s award-winning Color Efex Pro collection of photographic filters for Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, which integrates Nik Software’s patented U Point technology for precise selective editing control (Using U Point powered Control Points, you can make selective corrections or enhancements by placing a Control Point directly on any part of an image – such as sky, skin, grass, or a building – and adjusting the level of opacity of the effect on that specific part of the image), includes new and updated filters, and features a completely redesigned user interface.
Notable features in Color Efex Pro 3.0 also include a Filter List organized by photography styles, a resizable window that easily accommodates large monitor sizes, large before/after image previews, a Navigator Loupe, and the ability to save favorite filter sets. Photographers and photo enthusiasts of all skill levels will be able to use Color Efex Pro 3.0 for such tasks as traditional filter enhancements, color correction, image retouching, creative enhancements, and more. Color Efex Pro 3.0 also supports Photoshop’s layer masks and is optimized for pressure sensitive devices such as Wacom® pen tablets.
Color Efex Pro 3.0 is available in three versions:
• Complete Edition is $299.95;
• Select Edition is $159.95;
• Standard Edition is $99.95.

Tags: Color Efex Pro 2.0 for Capture NX, Color Efex Pro 2.0, Capture NX, Color Efex Pro, color efex

A new set of Photoshop actions (called Travel & Landscape Workflow Action Pack) have been added to the shop at That’s My Monkey, a website for digital photographers. The Travel & Landscape Workflow Action Pack is available for $89.95. That’s My Monkey also offers a Wedding and Portrait Workflow Action Pack – also $89.95 – and a Master Sharpener Action Pack for $19.95. Here’s a link to their website.

The Action Pack includes tools for improving skies, mimicking the effects of traditional filters like polarizers and graduated neutral density filters, and offers several options for monochromatic and toned conversions.

There are also actions for resizing and rotating images, adjusting contrast and saturation, correcting color balance and more.

Most of the filters in the Travel & Landscape Workflow Action Pack are also customizable. By using the “undo” command after running the majority of these actions, two layers are created; the lower is your original image and the upper is the action affected version. This allows you to decrease the effect created by the action by lowering the opacity of the upper layer. In the case of the toned conversions, many interesting effects can also be achieved by changing the layer blend mode of the upper layer.

PhotoFrame Pro 3.1 has been renamed to PhotoFrame 3.1 because of the launch of PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition incorporating the complete onOne Software Pro Digital Frame Bundle collection.
The two digital frame collections created for onOne Software are Photoshop plug-ins that provide photographers thousands of frame and matte selections that add a professional finishing touch to any digital image. Both editions of PhotoFrame 3.1 allow users to quickly and easily create gorgeous edge effects to complement any picture.
Also new are automatic frame rotation, which will rotate your frames to match the horizontal or vertical orientation or your images, easier to access the Frame Grid, to help you quickly find and apply the perfect finishing touch to your image, and several new “Show Me How” video tutorials, to help you get the most out of PhotoFrame Pro 3.1. And for additional customization, the choices are endless with PhotoFrame’s selection of border and edge effects such as drop shadows, bevel, glow, border and texture.

Available in early November 2007 PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition will include exclusive frame content designed by eight photographers and Adobe® Photoshop® Gurus Dave Cross, Helene Glassman, Jack Davis, Jim Divitale, Kevin Kubota, Laurie Excell, Rick Sammon and Vincent Versace.
These packages are compatible with Adobe Photoshop CS2 and CS3 and Adobe Photoshop Elements on both Macintosh (OS X 10.4.8 and higher) and Windows (both XP and Vista).
Registered owners of the now discontinued Pro Digital Frame Bundle may request a PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition replacement DVD for $9.95 plus shipping and handling.
PhotoFrame 3.1 and PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition are available from onOne Software authorized distributors and resellers, or direct from onOne Software at http://www.onOnesoftware.com.

Features:
* Over 4000 frames & borders
* Frame Browser makes finding frames easier than ever
* Frame Preview Grid previews multiple frames at once
* Random Frame Generator automatically adds random frames
* Layer Mask Mode applies border effects directly as a layer mask
* Save your Favorite frames for fast and easy access in the future
* Perfect for wedding albums and scrapbooks
* Use any color, even a color from your image with any frame

Photoshop Action Pack, a collection of 87 Automator Actions, has a new CS3 version for Mac-based Photoshop users, allow to script nearly all of Photoshop’s functionality from within Apple’s Automator. Automator also lets you build automation workflows that include more applications than just Photoshop. With the Photoshop Action Pack collection of Automator actions, you get logical operations and conditional functionality that you don’t have with Photoshop’s built-in actions.
The new version, is primarily a maintenance update that offers improved rendering when using the Save for Web features. In version 3.5, Save for Web under CS3 yielded images that appeared washed out, but, now this has been fixed.
Version 3.6 also provides a completely redesigned Render action that now takes up far less space in the work flow window, making navigation of your work flow a little easier.
As for new features, I can mention The Strip Extra Channels action which removes all extra channels from a document, leaving only the component color channels that are relevant to that document’s color mode.
The Photoshop Action Pack is available for free download at www.CompleteDigitalPhotography.com.

Tags: adobe photoshop, Photoshop Action Pack, photoshop cs3, adobe cs3, adobe photoshop cs3

One True Media is the only place online where you can combine photos, video, music and special effects in completely new ways to create amazing video montages. It allows you to take advantage of the site’s advanced, easy-to-use editing capabilities by Simply uploading the photos and video you want to include in your montage. Later on you can share your montages via e-mail, by posting to a blog or social networking site like YouTube or Facebook, or by creating your own TiVo channel and inviting your friends and family with broadband-enabled Series2TM or Series3TM Tivo boxes to subscribe, where they can watch your montages on TV.

The new site features include:
• New QuickStyles for everyone in the family – from fun “School Days” to hip “Glam,” to freewheeling “Vintage Pop,” One True Media has a QuickStyle that will reflect your mood and tell your story. Award-winning directors created 20 new concepts incorporating eye-popping special effects – with many more to come by years’ end. One True Media Premium subscribers have free access to all QuickStyles; if you’re not a subscriber, you can purchase a single-use QuickStyle for just $2.99.
• Expanded Song Library: With more than 140 new popular songs to choose from, you’ll find music that fits any montage – from rock to classical and everything in between.
• Instantly send your montage to your friends’ mobile phones: Thanks to a partnership with mywaves, the top consumer mobile video destination, you can send your creations to any multimedia/video-enabled phone in the world. Starting now, you can send your montage from your computer to friends’ mobile phones by just typing in a number.
• New Facebook Application lets you post your creations on Facebook almost instantly – no more cutting and pasting! One True Media already offers an easy way to post your montages on YouTube (where One True Media montages have gotten more than 12 million views) and MySpace; now it’s just as easy to add your creations to Facebook.
• Sophisticated editing capabilities give you a mountain of options for your montage, including new colors and font styles for text slides, new background colors for text slides, the ability to rotate video and even the ability to split your video clip into multiple clips! If you shoot your video sideways, One True Media is the only place on the Web where you can rotate it for easy viewing. As before, One True Media montages are high-resolution, television-quality, far superior to computer-quality digital video.
• New Online Slideshow Creator: for those who prefer a simple slideshow, the Slideshow Creator lets you drop in your photos and video to produce a top-quality Online Slideshow in just minutes.

Tags: one true media, slideshow, youtube, facebook, movie editing, photo editing, online editing

AKVIS Frame Suite is an impressing collection of edge effects. Thanks to its 12 effects and a rich Frame (Texture) Library, the software can generate an endless number of photo frame versions (from classic to most fancy ones). Besides, it is possible to generate a unique frame out of your own samples. Just save a square or rectangular pattern as a graphic file and use it to generate an original photo frame. Whether you plan to upload holiday photos on a web-site to share with your friends or you wish to decorate a birthday card, you can rely on AKVIS Frame Suite – it will add elegance and style to any photo.

The use of this plug-in or software is very simple: select a color for the frame; choose its form, its style, brightness, and the intensity of the applied edge effect. You can apply a texture (chosen from the Texture Library or created by you) to an image so that the image looks like drawn on a canvas, brick wall, corrugated paper, (it can be a wooden frame with figured carving or a frame with an ornament), even a transparent border, etc.

AKVIS offers 10 days of fully functional use and the Frame Suite sells for $49 USD. The program is available in two versions as an standalone program and as a plug-in to a photo editor (Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter, Corel Photo-Paint, and Paint Shop Pro, ACD FotoCanvas, and Ulead PhotoImpact). You can also purchase a larger package, AKVIS Alchemy bundle (Enhancer, Chameleon, Stamp, Retoucher, Coloriage, Noise Buster, Decorator, Sketch, LightShop and Frame Suite), for $325 USD.

Tags: photo border, photo frame, frame, border, akvis frame suite, akvis

PhotoTune 2.2 is an easy-to-use colour-correction Adobe Photoshop plugin comprised of two plugins: ColorTune and SkinTune. ColorTune works like an eye exam to figure out precisely what is wrong with a digital image (designed for anyone who wants great looking images without spending hours behind the computer screen manually adjusting curves and levels sliders), while SkinTune instantly finds the nearest acceptable skin color from a library of skin samples and automatically corrects the image (based on complete libraries for different races, including African, Asian, Caucasian, Latin, and Middle Eastern).

SkinTune technology features specialized algorithms designed specifically for skin color adjustment – all the adjustments are totally independent, so adjusting brightness, as an example, has no effect on hue or saturation. This is important because a small adjustment can easily result in an out-of-gamut skin color.
To use the SkinTune technology, a user need only open an image in Photoshop and select PhotoTune 2.2 – SkinTune from the Filter menu. After two clicks of the mouse, SkinTune instantly finds the nearest acceptable skin color from the selected library, and automatically corrects the image. After SkinTune does its magic, users are able to use SkinTune’s tools to adjust hue, brightness, contrast, and saturation. All adjustments will stay within the boundaries of the library to ensure perfect, life-like results.

With ColoTune, during each step of the patented Color Wizard process, users are presented two side-by-side preview images that have been altered in different ways. Users simply click on the best looking image between each pair. The entire six-step process only takes about 15 seconds. In comparison, if a user spends an average of 10 minutes fixing an image with Photoshop’s Curves, Levels, and Hue & Saturation it will take them 16 hours to color correct 100 images. With PhotoTune 2.2 and ColorTune technology, 100 images can be processed in less than one hour.

PhotoTune 2.2 is available for purchase directly from onOne Software at http://www.ononesoftware.com and later on from resales.

Tags: phototune, skintune, colortune, photoshop plugin

If I do a research in my friends circle about what free photo viewer they use, ACDSee Software would win the biggest percent of users (second place, by the way, is reserved to Picasa from Google). ACD Systems are probably aware of the great success, so they released yesterday the full version of photo management software program ACDSee Pro.

The commercial edition of ACDSee Pro 2 is available at a 30 percent discounted price of $90.99 for beta testers and existing ACDSee customers who choose to update their software (retail price is set for $129). The beta edition expires Sept. 30, 2007, but a 30 days trial will stand available at the ACDSee website.

ACDSee Pro recognizes more than 100 file formats (including larger RAW NEF, CRW, and TIFF files), and allows users to rename, categorize, and organize their images.

Tags: acdsee, acdsee pro, acdsee pro 2, photo management

Clickbooq is highly interactive and engaging. The design, management, and hosting service allows you to create Flash-based and HTML versions of your Portofolio – by the way, the uploading and configuration system is intuitive, easy to use. IPTC and EXIF data are uploaded with the photo. The portfolios use full screen images in the 3:2 aspect ratio.
What Clickbooq offers:
– A wide range of design options – choose from a full palette of colors, webfriendly typefaces, border treatments, background styles, and image transitions.
– Upload custom logos, backgrounds, music, and content pages plus add links to other websites and contact emails.
– Store 2,000 images in a personal Image Archive.
– Send select images to clients, prospects and friends as private web galleries and slideshows.
– Allow visitors to print single-image comp cards, complete with image title, copyright information, and website address.
– Hosting on clickbooq’s secure servers, including 10 email accounts and use of custom domains.
Prize:

Tags: Clickbooq, online portfolio, photo gallery