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From PHOTOWORKSHOP.COM Product News and Reviews
Adobe Announces Photoshop Elements 9 Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 software for Windows and Mac, offering a complete photo solution to anyone who wants to organize, edit, create and share extraordinary photos. With the newest version of this popular photo-editing software, Adobe delivers powerful new technology to equip every consumer with the ability to achieve professional results easily and quickly. Photoshop Elements 9 uses powerful technology to make even the most complex results achievable for anyone. Adapted from Photoshop CS5's celebrated Content Aware Fill feature, the content intelligence in the Spot Healing Brush analyzes what's in the image and quickly de-clutters or repairs photos (like removing tourists from a crowded scene or an obstruction, such as a telephone pole) with a swipe of a brush, magically filling in the background. The same content intelligence synthesizes missing pixel information to create a stunning panorama from multiple photos, without leaving any gaps or blank spaces. For the first time, the popular Photoshop Elements Organizer is available on both the Windows and Mac platform, to help users quickly organize, find and display photo and video clips from one convenient location. The Auto-Analyzer takes the work out of finding the best shots by automatically searching a user's collection of photos and assigning a tag based on quality, such as lighting, focus or contrast. People Recognition also automatically creates People tags, so you can find your favorite people fast and it becomes more intelligent over time as it learns to associate specific faces with names. After users make their photos look better than ever, they have various sharing options, including posting photos directly to Facebook or creating one-of-a-kind interactive Online Albums with animated templates. In addition, users can share their memories with personalized photo creations like scrapbook pages, photo books, calendars and cards that can easily be printed from home or via online print service providers. The flexible photo creation workspace allows users complete control over how they design their photo books, by automatically placing photos within a template or providing access to any Photoshop Elements editing feature from directly within the layout mode. For added convenience, now Photoshop Elements 9 Windows and Mac users have the option to purchase Plus, which offers 20GB of storage for automatic online backup and sharing (up to 15,000 photos or four hours of DVD-quality video), as well as ongoing deliveries of new tutorials, artwork and interactive online templates sent directly to the desktop software. A benefit to all Photoshop Elements users is virtually anywhere access to photos and videos online or via select mobile devices at Photoshop.com. Photoshop Elements 9 Windows and Mac is available for a suggested retail price of US$99.99, and users can purchase Plus from within the product for US$49.99/year. Plus is available in the U.S. only. Tenba Expands Messenger Collection with New Bags for iPad Devices and Smaller Camera Systems Tenba has recently expanded its urban-inspired Messenger collection to include a new Mini Photo/Laptop Bag and Small Camera Bag. These new bags incorporate the soft, body-hugging and retro-discreet styling of the company's courier-style messenger bags, but in compact sizes for smaller camera systems. The Tenba Messenger Mini Photo/Laptop Bag and Small Camera Bag are constructed of military-grade, 1000 denier nylon: the most time-tested, durable, weather-resistant textile in the outdoor industry. Each model offers a variety of pockets and other storage spaces to keep digital camera equipment and accessories organized and protected. Space is thoughtfully and efficiently laid out for cables and card readers, mobile hard drives, chargers and much more.
The Mini Photo/Laptop bag fulfills the hundreds of requests that Tenba has received for a smaller Messenger bag with a padded sleeve for compact digital devices like the Apple iPad or 13-inch Macbook, or other similarly sized netbooks and laptops. It also features adjustable dividers in the main section to protect a small camera system comprising a DSLR body with 2 to 3 lenses, flash and accessories. The dividers can be removed to turn the Mini Messenger from a camera bag into a traditional courier-style bag for everyday use. The Small Messenger Camera Bag fits a comparably sized camera system DSLR with 2-3 lenses, flash and accessories--but was designed for photographers who do not want to carry their iPad, laptop or other digital devices. The new Messenger Mini Photo/Laptop Bag and Small Camera Bag are available now at suggested retail prices of $84.95 and $114.95 respectively. Both bags come in black, olive and burnt orange, and the Mini Photo/Laptop Bag is available in four additional colors: blue, chocolate, platinum and plum. See a full video demonstration of Tenba products or visit the Tenba website for more information.
Epson Stylus Pro 4900 Professional Inkjet Photo Printer Epson America has recently introduced the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 17-inch printer. Leveraging Epson's latest engineering technology featured in the award-winning Epson Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 combines the precision of Epson's MicroPiezo TFP print head with the performance of Epson UltraChrome HDR ink to deliver high quality prints, fast print speeds, and an extremely wide color gamut. Utilizing ten colors, including Orange and Green, Epson UltraChrome HDR ink technology produces the widest color gamut ever from an Epson Stylus Pro printer and is certified by Pantone to cover 98 percent of the PANTONE FORMULA GUIDE solid color palette1. Combined with Epson's AccuPhoto HDR screening technology, this ink dramatically raises the level of print quality. The one-inch wide, 360 nozzle Epson MicroPiezo TFP print head excels in dot shape accuracy, dot placement and producing high quality prints at fast speeds. In addition, it features the latest ink-repelling coating and auto nozzle verification technologies that virtually eliminate clogged nozzles. The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is designed to offer professionals a powerful combination of performance, flexibility and ease-of-use. It includes automatic switching between roll and cut-sheet media, allowing users to have both the front paper cassette and roll feeder loaded with different media types and automatically switch between them with a simple driver selection. In addition, the high-capacity paper cassette holds up to 200 sheets of 8.5"x11" to 17"x24" sized sheets. The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is available in two configurations: the base model for photography and a Graphic Design Edition including an EFI eXpress RIP. Epson Stylus Pro 4900
The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 Standard Edition and Graphic Design Edition will be available in December 2010 through Epson Authorized Professional Imaging Resellers for $2,495 and $2,995 (MSRP) respectively. The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is supported by a standard Epson PreferredSM Limited Warranty, a one-year program that includes toll-free advanced telephone access Monday through Friday and unit exchange service in the unlikely event of any hardware failure. Optional Epson PreferredSM Plus Service Plans are also available, offering one or two additional years of protection. For additional information on the Epson Stylus Pro 4900, visit www.proimaging.epson.com.
Nik Software Releases New HDR Efex Pro Software Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) today began shipping HDR Efex Pro, a completely new High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging solution designed to help professional and amateur photographers quickly and easily achieve a full spectrum of HDR enhancements. HDR Efex Pro overcomes limitations in other software products with a revolutionary all-in-one approach and multiple tone mapping algorithms that enable realistic and artistic results to be created start-to-finish within a single tool. Introductory videos, free trial versions, and live online training can be found at www.niksoftware.com/hdrefexpro. "Our HDR Efex Pro beta group had over 500 photography industry professionals and HDR enthusiasts and the feedback from this group has been both comprehensive and incredibly positive," said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. "We have incorporated much of their feedback and I am confident that this product will advance HDR imaging." HDR Efex Pro brings innovative and best-in-class technologies to HDR photography. HDR Efex Pro enables a wide variety of options, including single-click visual style presets, as well as global adjustments such as exposure, contrast, structure to fine detail contrast, and a new HDR Method option. This feature makes use of four tone-mapping algorithms, which enable virtually unlimited HDR "looks" that can be adapted to a particular HDR style of photography. Nik Software proprietary U Point technology is also incorporated into HDR Efex Pro, providing precise selective fine-tuning of images without the need for complicated selections or layer masks. Photographers can precisely control selective adjustments with a single mouse-click providing the ability to quickly create amazing results. Finishing adjustments, such as vignette controls and levels & curves, make it possible to easily accomplish a range of enhancements within HDR Efex Pro. HDR Efex Pro also enables photographers to create popular and dramatic HDR images from a single exposure. This feature allows photographers to reprocess a single image in which an exposure series was not previously shot or for subject matter that does not lend itself to multiple exposures. Key Features
Pricing and Availability HDR Efex Pro is available now for electronic and boxed delivery directly from Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com), through specialty camera retailers, and through online and national resellers. A complete list of Nik Software resellers may be found at www.niksoftware.com/resellers. The suggested U.S. retail price of HDR Efex Pro is $159.95. The software is available as a free update to those who purchased the Nik Software Complete Collection within North America after July 25, 2010. Complete Collection owners who purchased prior to July 25, 2010 may add HDR Efex Pro to their Complete Collection for just $99.95 by calling Customer Service at 888-284-4085 (or 619-725-3150). HDR Efex Pro installs as a 64-bit plug-in for Adobe Photoshop CS4 (Windows only) and CS5 (Windows and Macintosh), and as a 32-bit and 64-bit plug-in for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 or later (Windows and Macintosh) or Apple Aperture 2.1 or later (Macintosh). For more information about HDR Efex Pro, including a detailed product video and image gallery, please visit www.niksoftware.com/hdrefexpro. © Copyright by PHOTOWORKSHOP.COM |
