Software News

Here’s a quick Photoshop tip from Aaron Nace of Phlearn. Have you ever shot an image and, for whatever reason, you just aren’t satisfied with the color? Maybe it looks too washed out or, by contast, too saturated? Or maybe the color looks just plain off.

OK, listen up. If you’re rolling your eyes because “real photographers use real cameras,” we have two suggestions for you to consider: Either replace your five-year-old phone or watch the tutorial below. Then, if you’re still not convinced, go ahead and ridicule mobile photography all you want.

CES is not a big imaging software show as evidenced by the short list of new products, though we did find a new camera profiling tool, updated monitor calibration tools, an old favorite Raw converter brought back to life under a new name, and software for editing on the fly and sharing photos.

ArcSoft introduced a Mac version of Perfect365. This software uses advanced facial recognition technology for one-click portrait touch-ups, letting you effortlessly adjust up to 21 individual facial features. Perfect365 allows you to add creative effects such as eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks, colored contact lenses, under-eye circle removal, and blemish removal. The software is available as a free download (www.perfect365.com) or in a premium edition ($39).

IInstagram has introduced five new creative filters for its popular, photo-sharing app: Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Perpetua, and Aden.

Here is my dilemma. Since discovering OpenAI’s DALL•E 2 image generator a few weeks ago, I’ve had good success and great fun creating images I’m truly proud of. No, it’s not photography, but it’s still pretty amazing. More importantly, however, it raises a fundamental question: Is it ethical to publish AI-assisted images instead of photos of living, flesh and blood models, even with clearly-worded disclaimers? Frankly, I’m torn by this predicament.

Adobe is constantly adding new features to Lightroom so it’s easy to miss some of the coolest fresh stuff. That’s why we like to highlight cool new Lightroom tools that you may have missed.

Show your best images to the world and earn bragging rights when your photograph is selected to join the Shutterbug Photo of the Day gallery. It doesn't matter whether you shoot with a smartphone or a Hasselblad—if you have the talent, let it be recognized.