Shape Makes it Pop | Midtones Global/Local Contrast Manager
Shape is our new plugin for Photoshop CC to manage the contrast of an image and anything relates to it.
The ability to control so many adjustments at once in live preview makes it easy even for photographers not expert with Photoshop.
Why Shape
We designed Shape with a completely new approach capitalizing on what we did in the past with other plugins.
To start we asked ourselves, which kind of tool does a photographer really need? The answer was: a qualitative, powerful, flexible contrast manager given that native digital files are “flat”.
But which kind of contrast? A Local contrast, like the one used in NEXT, or Global contrast like Photoshop curves?
The solution was to keep the best of the two worlds! Easy to say, not so easy to do.
VitaminBW 2 | Advanced Black & White Conversion and Editing
VitaminBW 1 got a prominent place in the Black and White community because of its conversion quality and the stunning capabilities of Triple Tone. Unfortunately, it missed the live preview and was a bit slow. Recently, thanks to the know-how achieved developing the new plug-ins, we set out to make this outstanding product far better by improving on some of its weaknesses and adding extra features.
Live Preview
VitaminBW 2, thanks to the new super fast engine, adds a live preview. You will be able to compare different settings in a while.
Flexible Output
LEA
You can now get the black and white layer flattened or layered in a stack, exactly as VitaminBW 1, for an advanced and flexible tonal editing.
Gamma Control
Gamma is a powerful new tool that controls luminosity before the image boost. More options are the Repeat function and the auto pre-filtering.
32bit Plugin
Version 1 was a script. Version 2 is a plug-in that uses its internal engine working at 32bit stretching the local histogram much better.
CC and later – €19.2 upgrade from VitaminBW 1
Trial version available
Double USM 2 – The next generation sharpener
Double USM 2 is a sharpening tool working separately on Dark and Light halo’s components of an image. With a double set of sliders, Double USM 2 fills the gap and lets you tweak halos precisely, to fit your image processing needs.
Recently, thanks to the know-how achieved developing plug-ins as Wow!, Mask Equalizer and Next, we set out to make this outstanding product even better by improving on some of Version 1 weaknesses and adding extra features.
CC and later – €18 upgrade from Double USM1
Read more or watch the video
Introducing NEXT. The Next Generation ALCE
ALCE has been our bestselling product for many years and, since the release of ALCE2, its core functionality has not changed significantly. Recently, thanks to the know-how achieved developing plugins such as Wow! and Mask Equalizer, we set out to make this outstanding product even better by improving some of ALCE’s weaknesses. Specifically, we focused on: creating a live preview, improving the embedded halos suppress tool, adding three masking sliders and finally switching to Quad-Core processing and 32bit computing capabilities, not available in Photoshop.
The result was the Next Generation Local Contrast Enhancer, which we decided to rename NEXT.
Live Preview
ALCE missed the preview. Its routine was very complex and it has been necessary to consistently improve the speed. NEXT is at least three times faster compared to ALCE at 8 bit and eight time faster at 16bit.
It means virtually live preview.
Halos Control
ALCE embedded an halos suppress tool. We have consistently improved it but, when needed you can deactivate it to get even further contrast. Despite this we still were not satistied and added a brand new masking option.
Masking
We added three new masking sliders. They are hidden when you open the panel in compact mode. You can now progressively mask highlights, midtones and shadows. Works well in shadows and to remove halos in flat backgrounds.
32bit Core
ALCE was a script, NEXT is a plug-in. It means that it uses its own engine working at 32bit without color quantization and stretching the local histogram much better. With NEXT gradations, highlights and shadows are smooth as never before.
Read More And Watch Videos
Discounted Price For ALCE Customers
Check Out Wow! Frequency Equalizer Pro
For those who don’t know it, Wow! Classic Edition is an exclusive Photoshop plugin that, under the hood, decomposes your image in five different frequency bands that you can boost or smooth just using its five dedicated sliders. Wow! adds style, image sharpness, and three-dimensionality together with incredibly smooth transitions.
The brand new Wow! Frequency Equalizer Pro adds the exclusive Decompose function. You can now turn each frequency into its pixel layer for a better and more precise frequency based retouching. You can paint, clone and heal on the exact frequency layer that contains the features you need to target, with high precision, giving you unprecedented control over the retouching process.
Wow! + Mask Equalizer. Two Thoroughbreds Working Together
Mask Equalizer is a Photoshop plug-in to create sophisticated masks using multiple luminosity ranges quickly. Load one preset with just one click, to start to create your perfect mask. Instantly preview the result switching back and forth from mask to comp mode. Feather the mask, modify its contrast or opacity. The plug-in works with adjustment layers, advanced objects or groups.
We warmly suggest considering to buy one of our convenient bundles of Wow and Mask Equalizer. This plug-in is entirely independent of Wow!, but it shines when they are used together.
Page Photo Credits
Two girls: © Irina Gromovataya / depositphoto.com
Man: © Sergey Galushko / depositphoto.com
Model: © Irina Gromovataya / depositphoto.com
Family Portrait: © Jani Bryson / depositphoto.com
Interiors Video: © Roberto Bigano /www.bigano.com
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