Imagenomic Portraiture 2.3.4 Skin Softening Tutorial (October 2016 Version)

Screenshot of the Portraiture User Interface

Despite 114,000+ views as of the time this was written, my Imagenomic Portraiture video tutorial received some complaints that it was hard to see the before and after because the model I used had such perfect skin. As a result of that feedback, I'm doing another version where it is much easier to see the before and after results.

Before and After of the video tutorial image - click the image for a larger version

I also got some feedback asking me to "just get on with it", so this new video starts off with the quick and dirty version and then has something extra afterwards for those who want more details about how to use my favorite skin softening product.

Video Tutorial - 2016 Edition

Without further adieu, here's the new video tutorial with my same boring voice:

Click here for the video page on YouTube

How does this compare to...

As of October 2016, I still think this is the best product on the market for skin softening.

Sure, you can find tutorials that show you how to do your own skin softening without a plug-in, but the power here is in the great defaults and the masking feature. I also find the results to be more pleasing than any other product I've used including Color Efex's Dynamic Skin softener, onOne Perfect Portrait, Portrait Professional, and more. I also have more high end professional photographers tell me that this is their go to product of choice more than any other, so I'm not the only one who swears by it.

Special Offer – Save 15%

See the Discount Coupon Code page for the latest code if this doesn’t work

CLICK HERE to use my coupon code RONMART2012 when you check out for a discount on the following products: (click banners to learn more)

Get all three products below at a discounted rate in this suite.

If you see a photo of mine that has skin, Portraiture
is the ONLY product I use for skin softening.

Want to get rid of noise from your images?
Noiseware is the king of noise removal while preserving detail – period!

Miss film and want to get that classic look and grain back?
Realgrain might be just what you are looking for!

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• Original Imagenomic Portraiture 2.3 Review
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• REVIEW: Imagenomic Portraiture 2.0 -vs- Nik Software Dynamic Skin Softener
• What Photoshop books should I read?
• What plug-ins should I buy? (for Photoshop & Lightroom)
• Imagenomic Noiseware, Portraiture & RealGrain Updated (15% Off Coupon Code)
• Portrait Professional 10

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

I am a featured photographer for Imagenomic. I did this promotion because I love Noiseware and Portraiture and because Imagenomic was an early supporter of this blog. I do not get compensated for being featured photographer, and I did this article without any solicitation or request from Imagenomic.

on1 Perfect Suite 9.5 Released - Video Overview

My friends at on1 Software released the latest version of its popular photo editing suite called Perfect Photo Suite 9.5 at 9:00 AM Pacific today so I decided to give a quick walkthrough of some of the new features that caught my attention. Check it out..

Of course that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check out the official press release here:

PRESS RELEASE: Introducing Perfect Photo Suite 9.5

We take user feedback seriously. Our team has worked hard the past several months to improve performance and user experience in the latest release of our photo-editing app – Perfect Photo Suite. In this latest release, version 9.5, we’ve improved performance and usability for customers in several areas which include; browsing photos, portrait retouching, processing speed, feature additions, and enhancements.

Browse

Browsing photos is one of the key improvements and one of the most important tasks for photographers. Today, photographers use Perfect Browse as a front end to their workflow with other programs like Adobe® Lightroom® and Photoshop®.

Speed

The biggest reason to adopt this workflow is speed. Browsing photos must be fast, period. Improved speed in viewing photos assists in organizing photo libraries and helps determine what photos you want to work on. Specifically, the ability to view large Raw files in detail can take forever with some apps. Not with Perfect Browse. Users will see up to a 50% increase in speed with the latest version. Quickly seeing all the detail in photos without pixilation allows for faster culling, sorting, and rating. Then send your photos with the ratings intact to Lightroom or other applications, faster than ever before.

Organize

We’ve also added new features to Perfect Browse, which makes it a great standalone option for getting organized. on1 Albums allow you to create a collection of your favorite photos and provide a fast way to view them without searching. Want to drag and drop photos into an album? It’s simple to do right in Perfect Browse. Select the photos you want to add to the album and drag them to the Album Hot Spot. Photos in an on1 album can live anywhere, whether in the cloud or on your computer.

Faster Retouching and Effects

Another area we’ve focused on is improved speed and performance for portrait retouching and filters in Perfect Effects. Perfect Portrait is now faster than ever for auto face detection, and finding the details of the face, eyes, lips, and mouth. With easier to adjust control points and smoother sliders it makes for much quicker portrait edits. Many of the filters in Perfect Effects have been updated to use the computer GPU to make them much faster.

New Features

In addition to all the performance enhancements, Perfect Photo Suite 9.5 also has some great new features. The Line Mask tool allows you to create a straight path for masking sharp edges where brushing is difficult. Luminosity Masks have also been added for users to work on the luminance values or lighter and darker parts of a photo based on a specific selection.

To learn more about Perfect Photo Suite 9.5 and the rest of the new features, availability, and pricing, please CLICK HERE.

Conclusion

I started preaching a while back that this is a viable alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom (webinar video) and it seems each 6 months it gets better and better. The performance and reliability updates of this version make it the best version yet, so it’s definitely worth checking out the free trial when you get a chance!

Where to order

Click here to get a free trial to check it out today. Fortunately it runs side by side with previous versions so there’s no need to fear installing it.

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• One Perfect Photo Suite 8 (B&W Products Comparison)
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• Photoshop-Free Editing in Perfect Photo Suite 8 Webinar

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

15% Off All onOne Software Store Products until August 31, 2014

Thanks for attending my onOne Software webinar today!

Click here and enter the coupon code ronmart15 to save 15% off all products in the store including presets and eBooks, so load up your cart!

Here’s an example of how to use the code:

Conclusion

The video for the webinar will be here soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, download a free trial to play around with the software or purchase using the links above today!

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• Ron’s Recommendations
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• Home Studio on a Budget
• How do I get my kid to look at the darn camera?
• How much is my photo or video worth?
• Noise Reduction Software Roundup Conclusion (DISCOUNTS)
• Photographers Gift Guide / Recommendations
• Things You Need AFTER You Buy Your New Camera - Must Have Photography Accessories
• What Camera Bag should I buy?
• What Photoshop books should I read?
• What camera gear should I bring to Disney, Universal, Six Flags, etc...?
• What plug-ins should I buy? (for Photoshop & Lightroom)
• What tripod Should I Buy? (includes heads & monopods)
• Where should I display and/or sell my pictures online?
• Which Printer Should I Buy? Epson or Canon?
• Which books should I read?
• Which camera should I buy?
• Which lens should I buy?

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

First Thoughts: Perfect Photo Suite 8 Final Release

I’ll be doing a full review soon, but in the meantime here’s my initial thoughts on the main products included…

Perfect Enhance 8

Perfect Enhance is basically like your develop module in Lightroom. It’s the place where you get started with your basic editing as well as where you revisit for your final touches. I love the graphical layout and sharpening panel.

Perfect Effects 8

This module gets a whole lot better thanks to the new Perfect Brush and Gradient Tool. Everything you liked before is there with subtle but powerful user interface enhancements.

Perfect Effects 8 - Dynamic Contrast is similar to Nik's Tonal Contrast
(Red hair is a visible mask painted with the new perfect brush)

Dynamic Contrast is going to be a big hit because it’s similar to what Nik’s Tonal Contrast does but with visual presets and editing aids to help control how much effect is applied using the Detail sliders.

Perfect Portrait 8

Perfect Portrait will feel familiar, but the improved blemish eraser now features content aware fill so it is as effective as Photoshop’s default spot healing brush.

Perfect B&W 8

Perfect B&W doesn’t seem to have changed much feature wise, but it definitely seems more stable. The brushes are helpful now as well.

Perfect Resize 8

No big changes for Perfect Resize, but its integration is seamless.

See my summary at the end for more thoughts…

PRESS RELEASE: onOne Software Announces Availability of Perfect Photo Suite 8

New Perfect Eraser for Content-Aware Fill, Enhance and Browse Modules, Perfect Batch Processor, and Re-imagined Effects Module Evolve Popular Plug-In Into a Complete Photo Editing Solution for Every Workflow

Portland, OR – November 26, 2013 – onOne Software, Inc., a leading developer of innovative digital photography solutions, today announced the availability of Perfect Photo Suite 8—the Photographer’s Choice for Photo Editing. Perfect Photo Suite 8 is a full-featured, standalone photo editor that also integrates seamlessly with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, and Apple Aperture. It includes all the best tools a photographer needs to create stunning images.

Key new features include the Perfect Eraser, with content-aware fill technology; the Perfect Enhance module for essential photo adjustments; a new Browser that streamlines direct access to images wherever they are located; the Perfect Batch engine that applies presets to multiple images with a single click; and a re-engineered Perfect Effects module, with twice as many adjustable filters, customizable presets, and integrated FocalPoint technology. These new tools and capabilities alongside Perfect Photo Suite 8’s eight modules, one-click presets, tools for automated enhancements, and powerful controls allow photographers to enhance, retouch, and stylize images in a layered workflow, replace backgrounds, create high-quality enlargements, and prepare images for output—giving them the ability to express their creativity and transform their photos quickly and easily.

“We are extremely excited about Perfect Photo Suite 8,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “This version is the result of what photographers have been asking for, not only from us but from the industry as a whole. We’re grateful for the contributions and feedback the photography community has invested in our effort and we believe that we’ve created an extraordinarily powerful image editing tool that meets their specific needs in return.”
After a successful public beta program for Perfect Photo Suite 8, many photographers had a chance to try out the new version and give their feedback. “The attention to your user’s needs is unmatched,” said Rebecca Lyyski, owner of Lyyski’s Designs. “As a graphic designer and photographer with an elevated workload, your product has made editing my professional photography a pleasure instead of a chore,” she adds. Greg Lambert, public beta user and onOne Software photo contest winner shared, “Perfect Photo Suite 8 continues to evolve by refining its existing capability, streamlining the interface and providing some new and exciting tools and presets to enable photographers to produce the images they visualize when they press the shutter button.”

The New Perfect Photo Suite 8 Features:

• Eight integrated modules – Effects, Enhance, B&W, Portrait, Mask, Layers, Resize, and Browse. Each module is designed to target a specific image-processing task. Together, they help photographers enhance, retouch, and stylize images in a layered workflow, replace backgrounds, create high-quality enlargements, and prepare images for use in various capacities.
• New Module! Perfect Enhance provides essential tools for basic enhancements, such as brightness and contrast adjustments; colorcast, dust spot, and power line removal; and the addition of vignettes. It is an ideal module to start with when using Perfect Photo Suite 8 as a standalone application or when quick corrections are needed.
• New Module! Browse provides convenient and direct access to image files wherever they are stored—whether they are on a computer, an external drive, a connected network, or on a cloud-based storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Apple’s Photo Stream.
• Reimagined! Perfect Effects – As a cornerstone of Perfect Photo Suite 8, the Effects module has been redesigned by adding adjustable filters and customizable presets, making it the most powerful and versatile image stylization tool available on the market today.

Twice as Many Adjustable Filters to create the most sought-after looks, including:

• Dynamic Contrast – Adds stunning clarity to images and makes them pop by exaggerating the levels of contrast, without sacrificing highlight and shadow detail, creating halos, or affecting saturation.
• Lens Blur – Includes the best parts of FocalPoint technology to create bokeh, tilt-shift, and selective focus effects after the shot.
• HDR – Gives images the edgy look of high dynamic range. Settings are adjustable and create effects that range from subtle to surreal.
• Vintage – Turns photos into a nostalgic memory with retro-style filters.

Powerful brushes provide the right results for specific editing tasks:

• Perfect Eraser removes objects with content-aware fill technology
• Retouch Brush uses spot healing to remove small distractions
• Clone Brush removes unwanted items by replicating and covering specified areas of an image
• Masking Brush reveals underlying layers or selectively applies effects
• Perfect Brush delivers precise edge-detection masking

Hundreds of Customizable Presets are available throughout Perfect Photo Suite 8 that make it easy for any photographer to instantly create an image they love. Presets can also be used as starting points for creativity and efficiency. Presets are included in the Enhance, Effects, B&W, Portrait, and Resize modules.

Improved Masking Bug in the Effects and Layers modules make mask creation easier and more intuitive.

Perfect Batch engine simultaneously applies presets from multiple modules and a watermark to a selected group of images.

Availability and Pricing

The new Perfect Photo Suite 8 is now available at www.ononesoftware.com/store. Perfect Photo Suite 8 is available in three editions: Premium, Standard, and for Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture.

The Premium Edition works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, Apple Aperture, and as a standalone application. It is priced at $179.95. Owners of previous versions of Perfect Photo Suite Premium Edition can upgrade for $99.95. For a limited time, orders of Perfect Photo Suite 8 Premium Edition will include a special collection of Professional Presets and The Essential Video Guide to Perfect Photo Suite 8, which provides a comprehensive collection of getting started training videos for Perfect Photo Suite 8—for free ($80 value). This offer ends on December 3, 2013.

Perfect Photo Suite 8 for Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture works with Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop Elements, and as a standalone application. It is available for $129.95; upgrades are $79.95. The Standard Edition works as a complete standalone photo editor and is available for $79.95. For more information on Perfect Photo Suite 8, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com. A 30-day Money Back Guarantee backs all onOne Software products.

About onOne Software

onOne Software, Inc., is a leading developer of innovative software tools and apps for digital photography and offers time-saving software solutions for photographers of all levels, from enthusiasts to professionals. Leveraging its extensive history as successful plug-in developer for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, and Apple Aperture, and continued development of cutting-edge technology, onOne publishes unified solutions that offer both full-featured photo editing capabilities and the flexibility of traditional plug-ins. Founded in 2005, onOne Software is a privately held company located in Portland, Oregon. For additional information, visit www.ononesoftware.com.

Conclusion

I wasn’t a big fan of Focal Point and I hated its “bug”, so I’m not too sad to see it go. With the Perfect Brush making masks easy, I find myself using the brush quite often – much like I use U-Point controls in the Nik Collection.

I’m also excited about how fast and reliable this version seems to be, and how the brushes feel as effective and powerful even more so than the one in Lightroom.

With the browse and enhance modules, it’s now very possible to do all your work just in the onOne Suite. The lack of a good noise reduction solution is probably its biggest handicap, but if you aren’t using noise reduction software, then you’ll probably not even notice this issue.

I’ll have more to say in my upcoming full review of the new suite, but my early testing makes it a no brainer upgrade for me. The perfect brush, dynamic contrast, improved performance and better integration make it the most flexible and powerful version yet.

Where to order

Click here to order and learn more.

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Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

GUEST BLOG: Processing “Ray Ban” by Don Hoekwater

Ray Ban by Don Hoekwater
Purchase this photo at http://hoekphotogallery.com/

Story behind the original

Priscilla is a dear friend of mine who graciously accepted an invitation to be my guinea pig as I set off to learn more about studio lighting. At the time I zipped right by this image as I really didn’t have an idea of what to do with it.

Almost a year later I was prowling around some of my original shoots and came across this again, this time it caught my attention. I’d been wanting to do more fashion work and had been gathering feedback from other fashion photographers. One very relevant comment asked what I was trying to sell in my images. So, when I saw this one again and how the Ray Ban on the glasses popped right out, the game was afoot. Then challenge then to make this image into something that one may find in a Ray Ban ad.

Processing Steps

The first thing I did was crop it to a point I thought emphasized the message and put the focus on the the Ray Ban text

Once I had that set it was time to remove those flaying strands of hair.

Once those were out of the way I took the image for a pass through onOne’s Perfect Portrait. Priscilla had done her makeup perfectly so there wasn’t much to touch up in that area.

The next thing was to define her jawline a bit and reduce the fingers a bit. This was done with the liquify tool in Photoshop CS6. You’ll notice I also made a bit of a change to her expression. I didn’t want a big cheesy grin but something slightly more upbeat (photograph error on not getting this in the original shoot).

Next thing was to bring out her eyes a bit (see below). In my mind I wanted the eyes and glasses to enhance the Ray Ban logo. I chose blue because I like the color. ;) But I do think it makes a nice contrast to a of the red in the image.

I noticed her hand was a bit blown out, so I added a layer and changed the blend mode to Multiply. Since I only wanted to tone down the hands I added a layer mask and painted in the the reduced highlights in the fingers.

At this point I added a little bit of a sharpen using the Nik Collection’s Sharpener Pro 3. Not much, but I did want the glasses to be more crisp.

f you look closely at the previous image you’ll see that the reflection in the glasses is her dress, hand, and the floor. I didn’t think that would be something an ad rep would want to see so I decided to grab an image of a sports car and make it look somewhat as if she were about to get into it.

I used Quick Selection Tool to get a general selection, then refined it with the Lasso Tool. Once I had the selection as I wanted it I simply used the Paste Into feature to place the car image within the frames of the glasses.

A few tweaks and reduction in size and I had it as I liked. Now that looks much more like something you’d see in a fashion ad!

Since the focus was supposed to be on the Ray Ban text I didn’t want the car to overwhelm that, so I added a layer and set the blend mode to Multiply with a layer mask only on that part. It actually ended up making the white Ray Bay text stand out even more, so I was happy with it.

The overall image was just a tad bright, and the part of the triangle formed by her right jaw and hand, with the hair, seemed a bit distracting, so I once again added a layer and put a Multiply blend mode on it, then backed the opacity to 78% (see above). I didn’t want to darken her eyes anymore so I put a layer mask and painted out the eyes.

Finally, I did a little more work on her nose and this is what came of the entire project. I want to do something like this again, this time shooting for this effect rather than having to crop it. Even so I’m happy with the outcome and hope you enjoyed going through this with me.

Like Don on Facebook, or purchase this photo at http://hoekphotogallery.com/. You can also see more of Don’s work at http://www.hoekphoto.com.

Conclusion (by Ron)

I thought Don did a great job on this photo and it was fun to see how he edited it. When I first saw this photo I thought he had used Simplify because it just felt a bit cartoon like, so I was even more impressed that it was mostly done – in Photoshop with a little help from Perfect Portrait and the Nik Collection by Google. 

Where to order

Purchase this photo at http://hoekphotogallery.com/.

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• GUEST BLOG: Beagle Man by Steve Foster

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.