• DxO ViewPoint 6 review

    ByRod Lawton

    Verdict: 3.5 stars DxO ViewPoint takes perspective and distortion adjustments to a new level of precision, adding AI masking for its ReShape Fusion local perspective adjustments and the ability now to open and edit RAW files directly, saving your work non-destructively using ‘sidecar’ files. But there are still some issues. The ReShape Fusion tools go so deep that surely only a few images/photographers will need them, and workflow issues remain despite the RAW editing. Remember too that many programs also have distortion and perspective tools, so it’s a lot to pay when you may already have some of these features.

  • DxO ViewPoint 6 released with new perspective controls and direct RAW editing

    ByRod Lawton

    DxO has launched ViewPoint 6, the latest update to its geometric, perspective and distortion correction software. It includes two key changes, one that allows precise and controlled perspective adjustments for individual objects rather than the whole scene and another that completely overhauls the ViewPoint workflow to make it much more useful for many photographers.

  • Who knew a crop could make such a difference to a photograph?

    ByRod Lawton

    There are two reasons to crop an image. There’s a practical reason – to make the photo fit a specific print size, screen size or image placeholder on a website. But there’s also creative cropping, which you use to make an image work better. I don’t often use creative cropping because it ties you down in the way you can display it. This example, however, has changed my mind.

  • Canva, the new owner of Affinity, launches Canva ProSuite – so what’s new for photographers?

    ByRod Lawton

    These are somewhat confusing times for Affinity Photo users. First, Canva acquires Affinity and rolls the three desktop apps (Photo, Designer, Publisher) into one and second, Canva starts the integration of Affinity with its powerful and extensive web-based AI-powered design tools. Affinity Photo has become a small cog in a very big machine, so does it still have enough to tempt photographers?

  • DxO PhotoLab 10 review: excellent, expensive, specialised

    ByRod Lawton

    Verdict: 4 stars PhotoLab 10 brings a number of new features, mostly around masking options. But while the new depth masking is excellent, the Control Brush is interesting and the people/feature masking is powerful, the masking choices and interactions are getting ever more complex. Outside of that, there’s really not a lot that’s new except for color grading and AI dust removal. Definitely worth having, but other programs have them already. Fundamentally, PhotoLab 10 remains a powerful, technical tool for ultimate raw image quality, but lacks in-depth image-organising and effects tools. It’s excellent at what it sets out to do, but it might not do everything you’re looking for.

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    Lightroom Classic’s Parametric Curve: what it does, why it’s different

    ByRod Lawton

    Lightroom Classic’s Tone Curve panel has two modes. There’s the regular Point Curve mode, where you click to add control points to the curve and then move them around to change the curve shape – experienced photo editors will know this tool inside out – but there’s also a Parametric Curve mode. Is this just for beginners, or is it a new and better way to make curves adjustments?