#ALIEN SKIN EXPOSURE X 4 REVIEW MANUAL#
#ALIEN SKIN EXPOSURE X 4 REVIEW UPGRADE#
#ALIEN SKIN EXPOSURE X 4 REVIEW FULL#

I showed results to several long-time darkroom professionals and they all agreed that, from tonal response, to color, to film grain, these simulations accurately mimic the look of the original film stocks.įigure 3 – Exposure 4’s film presets provide an extremely accurate simulation of a huge variety of film stocks.Įxposure’s Preset browser is very nice. These simulations are very well-engineered.

The black and white film selection is even larger, and includes simulations of films by Agfa, Fuji, Ilford, Kodak, and Polaroid. So, for example, on the color end you get Fuji Pro, Fuji Reala, Kodak Portra, and more.

#ALIEN SKIN EXPOSURE X 4 REVIEW FULL#

Categories include color films of various kinds, black and white films, black and white infrared, color infrared, cross processing, lo-fi, and more.įigure 2 – Exposure 4 ships with an amazing array of presets, grouped into categories.Įxposure’s film simulation has always been top-notch, and version 4 continues to provide a full assortment of presets that mimic the look of specific film stocks.

Presets are grouped into categories, and within each category you’ll find dozens of different options. Ranging from black and white, to color, to highly stylized, Exposure offers a collection of looks that should satisfy just about any need.

#ALIEN SKIN EXPOSURE X 4 REVIEW MANUAL#

While Exposure presents a very nice collection of manual controls, the fact is that you might never need to touch them because of the astounding selection of presets. However, you may find that you simply never need any of Exposure’s individual editing controls. Well-organized, and intuitive in their function, it’s easy to immediately see the function of any particular command. If you’ve got any familiarity with modern image editing tools, you should be able to find your way around Exposure’s sliders with little trouble. The right side houses tabbed palettes for customizing presets, or creating new looks of your own.įigure 1 – Exposure’s interface is clean and simple, but provides an incredible amount of power. The left side offers an interface for previewing and choosing a preset, while the middle of the window shows a large preview of your final effect. As before, the entire interface is kept in a single window. Revamped interfaceĪlien Skin has revamped the Exposure 4 interface, making tweaks to the layout and design of the plug-in, but also dramatically accelerating Exposure’s UI. A fully-functional demo version can be downloaded from the Alien Skin web site.

#ALIEN SKIN EXPOSURE X 4 REVIEW UPGRADE#

Alien Skin Exposure 4 lets the digital photographer wallow deeply in traditional film and processing looks, providing one-click access to sophisticated film stock simulation, as well as the ability to create toy camera looks like those you’ll get from smart phone apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic.Īvailable for both the Mac and Windows versions of Photoshop and Lightroom, Exposure 4 retails for $249, or $99 for an upgrade from a previous version. Hobbyist photographers who’ve never set foot in a darkroom now have an aesthetic for everything from archaic, alternative processes to Polaroids and toy cameras. There’s a curious irony to the “death of film.” As the rise of digital shooting has caused camera makers, film manufacturers, and processing facilities to abandon traditional analog technology, it has also created more interest in film-based processes than ever before.

Alien skin exposure x 4 review