Some software updates are cyclical—you always know that an update to Adobe Creative Suite is imminent about 18 months after the last release. Updates to other applications are less predictable but worthy of attention since they may be free to current users and often provide extra incentive for non-users to add another application to his or her digital toolbox.

Adobe CS4 news is covered elsewhere (see the January 2009 issue of PDN for Dan Havlik's review of Photoshop CS4 and go to www.pdngearguide.com for my review of Premiere Pro CS4) so I thought I'd check out some updates that received less fanfare than CS4 but are, nonetheless, noteworthy.



SLIDESHOWS THAT ARE AS GOOD AS GOLD

First up is version 4 of Photodex's ProShow Gold and ProShow Producer—perhaps the best two slide-show applications on the market, although they're PC-only. Following close on the heels of a 3.5 upgrade (see my review of ProShow Gold 3.5 at www.pdngearguide.com), which added Blu-Ray disc burning capabilities and a free Lightroom plug-in, version 4 expands creative options with Slide Styles and animated Gif support, enhanced audio controls as well as a long list of other helpful improvements that makes this a must-have update.

Producer now offers a keyframe editor, adjustment layers and the ability to blur images, backgrounds or video. Perhaps the two most interesting new features are Slide Styles and adjustment layers. Both applications come with a long list of Slide Styles with preset creative effects such as zooming or panning, grayscale, sepia, filmstrip borders, for single or multiple images.

Also new is the ability to save your custom effects, which is a real time saver. Producer's Adjustment Layers work similar to those in Photoshop (and are non-destructive) with the ability to use gradients and masks for interesting effects. For more information and trial versions of both applications go to: www.photodex.com. ProShow Gold 4 is priced at $89.95; Producer is $249.95. Upgrades are free for one year from date of purchase.

Mac users should check out the latest version of Boinx's FotoMagico version 2.6. slideshow software. Available in Express ($49) and Pro ($149) versions (upgrades are free for 2.x users), FotoMagico provides pretty much everything you need for creating a sophisticated slideshow. There's a new plug-in for Aperture and the Pro version supports Adobe Lightroom 2 libraries. While you're at www.boinx.com, also take a look at BoinxTV—a new live video production software application for Mac.

Now available for Max OSX, ContrastMaster does a great job pulling details from shadows and highlights and creating punchy—and dramatic—contrast effects.

MASTER CONTRAST

Mac users should also go to www.the pluginsite.com for the new OS X version of ContrastMaster. Already available for Windows, the Mac version is a welcome addition to photographers who want—or need—a highly capable plug-in that works wonders with, you guessed it, contrast. The plug-in is well thought out and offers a multitude of controls for tweaking highlights and shadows (and simulating HDR). Presets are also included and are very effective but slider bars provide the best fine-tuning, of course.

The interface is extremely user-friendly and provides three preview options so you can quickly experiment with different looks without having to close the plug-in window. It's easy to go a little overboard but equally as effortless to moderate an image's contrast. What was most surprising was how much detail this plug-in can pull from shadows. A demo version is available on the site but my guess is that you'll be more than willing to shell out the $69.95 for the regular license once you try it.

With a new interface and tons of controls, the latest version of Portraiture works wonders on skin tones.

A WELCOME FACELIFT

Also on my favorites list is the recently released Imagenomic Portraiture 2. Version 2 is worth the upgrade for the new user interface alone. But in addition to the very welcome facelift, Portraiture 2 really takes this plug-in to the next level with a new preset manager, fine-tune controls, the ability to automatically generate a new layer mask or document, and support for multiple CPUs, as well as full support for Adobe CS4 32- and 64-bit versions. But despite the additional features, the plug-in is actually easier to user and works wonders on skin tones with very little effort. The update is free for Portraiture 1 users and costs $199.95 for new users. (www.imagenomic.com)

If you like the look of film, take a look at DxO's FilmPack 2.0. The latest version features an updated interface with an intensity slider, 27 new film profiles—including 3 infrared options, Polaroid and Fuji instant film, Fuji Provia 400, Kodak Ektachrome 100G, among others—bringing the total to 50. Also new is a series of eight color filters for use with black-and-white conversions. FilmPack is incredibly simple to use and is more powerful than it may seem at first glance. Available as a plug-in and a standalone application, FilmPack 2.0 costs $99; upgrades from version 1.x are $49. An update to DxO's excellent Optics Pro is available as well. For more information go to: (www.dxo.com).


BLOWN AWAY BY BOKEH

If you want to be really blown away, head over to www.alienskin.com and take a look at Bokeh (yes, it does exactly what the name implies). This new plug-in from Alien Skin is, in a word, amazing.

The designer, Terence Tay, worked with a variety of lenses known for their ability to create the best bokeh highlights and the care that was put into developing this plug-in is obvious. A long list of presets provides a good starting point and allows you to choose from a number of different lenses, blur amounts and shapes.

Bokeh also provides tools to simulate tilt-shift, adjust depth-of-field, choose an aperture shape (there are 11 options), add vignettes—basically, your options are pretty much limited only by your imagination. And you can save your custom settings, too.

Although there are no selection tools in the plug-in, it's easy to import a selection from Photoshop and work from there. Frankly, I'm not giving up my Lens Babys (or even my Holga) but Bokeh is more convenient to use and provides such precise control—and gorgeous effects—that it is now a permanent resident of my plug-in list.

A trial version, along with tutorials and other information, is available at the Alien Skin site; the full version costs $199 and is well worth the price.