Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Alien Skin Bokeh 2 Review

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Bokeh 2 is a plug-in from Alien Skin that allows you to create all kinds of focus effects and vignettes.  As with other plug-ins from Alien Skin, Bokeh 2 is now updated to deliver full 64-bit support with Photoshop CS5 (it also works with Lightroom 3).  And, it is quite peppy even with my aging Windows Vista machine.

Software products often tend to get pushed back in the review cycle in favor of camera reviews here on Photography Bay, which is a bit of a shame for the cool stuff like Bokeh 2.  When I got around to actually putting Bokeh 2 to use, I was really amazed at the power that it gives you to take your images so far beyond what is practical when using Photoshop or Lightroom alone. [Read more…]

 

Alien Skin Announces Bokeh 2 Plug-in

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Alien Skin has announced Bokeh 2, which is the latest version of its creative focus and lens simulation plug-in.  Bokeh 2 offers 64-bit support for Photoshop CS5, as well as support for Lightroom 2 or greater.

Bokeh 2 retails for $199 and is a $99 upgrade for Bokeh 1 users.  If you purchased Bokeh 1 in April 2010 or later, then the upgrade is free.

More details and sample images in the press release below. [Read more…]

Alien Skin Exposure 3 Plug-in Now Available for Photoshop CS5

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Alien Skin has released the Exposure 3 plug-in for Photoshop CS5 with full 64-bit support, and tight Lightroom integration that does not require Photoshop. Exposure 3 retails for $249, and owners of prior versions of Exposure can upgrade for $99.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Alien Skin Blow Up 2 Review

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Alien Skin Blow Up 2

Alien Skin’s Blow Up 2 is a Photoshop plugin designed to help you create images that are larger than the native resolutions coming out of your camera.  Alien Skin provided me with a review sample of Blow Up 2 and mentioned words like “presets”, “single-click” and “take the complexity out.”  I took them up on their claims and gave it a spin.

While I don’t enlarge many prints beyond 8×10, I have, on occasion, used Photoshop’s bicubic image sample method to enlarge prints up to 20″ x 30″.  I have always thought that this capability in Photoshop works pretty well.  That was, however, until I saw the results from resizing using the Blow Up 2 plugin. [Read more…]

Alien Skin Software Discounts Require Math Skills, Expire Oct. 21

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Alien Skin

Alien Skin, makers of Bokeh, Blow Up 2, Exposure 2, Image Doctor 2 and Snap Art 2, has a couple of discount offers that run through October 21.

Here’s the word from Alien Skin, part of which will require you to put your thinking cap on:

Everything in the Alien Skin store is 20% off, but just until October 21st. And no we aren’t going to extend it. If you don’t already know how our products will make your work go faster and look better, then check out our web site. It is chock full of beautiful example images, informative videos, rave reviews, and demo versions.

Also, Jeff Butterworth, CEO, snuck an Easter egg into Snap Art 2 when no one was looking. If you enter 111 into the Random Seed for the Stylize filter then it will render something out of the ordinary. He’ll give you a concrete reward for finding the Easter egg. Do you know the mathematician who discovered that beautiful shape? You can use his first name (without accents) as a coupon code in our online store to get 25% off. Consider this the math nerd version of our sale, both of which end on October 21st.