In fact, you have several ways to do it in Exposure: Multiselect and edit, Save a preset, Previous button applies last edits to any selected image and Shortcut keys let you copy and paste a preset. We still can't figure out an efficient way to apply Lightroom Develop module edits to a selection of images, so we were charmed by this feature. You can select a set of images as you are browsing and apply an edit to all of them. So there's no Library and Develop module. Unlike Lightroom's famous modules, Exposure X allows you to use any command at any time. In addition to the basic features in Exposure X, Lee pointed out a number of innovations the new application introduces.
You can't do local edits, just global edits.You simply rely on your normal system backup routine. There's also no specific backup facility, as there is in Lightroom.This version does not handle video files, printing or Web output.
Meanwhile there are important omissions from the feature set compared to Photoshop and Lightroom worth highlighting: We'll be interested to see if Exposure X competes with Photo Mechanic as a file browser. You can't save particular configurations but the changes are remembered between sessions. You can move panels anywhere and even hide them. You can't save alternate keyboard shortcuts but it is high on the list of enhancements, Butterworth told us.Īnd the user interface itself is configurable. Shortcuts let you show and hide various elements of the interface. User InterfaceĮxposure includes a number of handy keyboard shortcuts to common editing functions to make things a little more efficient for those who like to keep their hands on the keyboard. They want it to be the best photo browser available. Expanded support from Exposure 7.īutterworth confirmed that there is no limit to the number of images Exposure X can handle. Star ratings, flags and color are available to let you classify your photos. The new file system features let you rename, move, flag and filter your images. That's an important feature to keep in mind. This flexibility also means if Exposure can't handle your camera's Raw format, you can still take advantage of its image processing with a Lightroom or Photoshop export. You can simply use Exposure for image enhancement. So you aren't obliged to abandon your Lightroom catalog. It functions as a plug-in for Lightroom and Photoshop or as a standalone application itself. FEATURESĮxposure's feature set shares a common theme, Lee told us. They've rethought the whole catalog concept, eventually eliminating it in favor of a simpler, more spry approach. Rather than create a whole new platform, Lee told us, Alien Skin has "added on" new organizational capabilities to Exposure 7.īut, as we've come to expect from Alien Skin, they didn't just add on features. So they've decided to turn Exposure into a more efficient tool "that can handle every part of your workflow," including organizing and editing images.
With Exposure X, Alien Skin is turning its attention from the creative effects developed for Exposure 7 to what it calls "the practical side of photography." As photographers themselves, they've been using Lightroom for years and appreciate its wealth of good ideas but have grown tired of a number of "hassles." Let's take a look at what's behind this new image editing package.