Exposure (Photoshop Compatible Plug-In)
Alien Skin's Exposure, announced in January 2006, is a Photoshop compatible* (See compatible listing below) plug-in which allows you to give
your digital photographs the look and feel of film. In the world of digital photography more and more of our
photographs are looking almost too "perfect," with good exposures, accurate colors, and low noise - at least
at lower ISO sensitivities. It is for this reason that many film photographers hesitate on making the switch to
digital, and even when they do they still use their film cameras for times when they want the look of film.
You see, not everyone likes the high contrast, sharp, and clean look of digital still photographs. Many
wedding and landscape photographers still shoot with film due to it's grain, wider dynamic range, and broader range
of color.
* Exposure is compatible with: Adobe Photoshop CS or later; Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 or later; Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 or later;
or Corel Paint Shop Pro 9 or later.
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What makes Exposure Unique?
Real film grain is nothing like noise on today's digital cameras.
The amount of grain in a particular film varies based on the tonal range
of the image, often varies in color, and is not square like a digital
pixel. The folks over at Alien Skin shot images with over 40 different
films and compared them with the same image taken with the Canon EOS 20D
Digital SLR. They then measured the differences between the film image
and the digital image, examined the grain of film under a microscope,
then used custom software to develop film presets for the Exposure plug-in.
All this work behind the scenes is what gives Exposure its photographic
power, and a plug-in that truly separates itself from others on the market.
The Power is in its simplicity.
The last thing most photographers want to do is sit in front of a computer all day editing images. They would much rather
be out shooting. Exposure includes over 40 film presets that allow the photographer to choose which "film look" they would like. It
is really that simple! Yes, the software gives you the ability to tweak virtually every setting including: color, saturation, grain, tone
and focus, but the presets become the perfect starting point. Exposure even allows you to create your own presets by simply saving the changes
you have made.
Below is a listing of film presets that are included with Exposure:
Color Film Presets
Agfa RSX II 100
Fuji Astia 100F
Fuji NPH 400
Fuji Provia 100F
Fuji Provia 400F
Fuji Velvia 100
Fuji Velvia 100F
GAF 500
GAF 500 Warm
Kodak Ektachrome 100G
Kodak Ektachrome 100GX
Kodak Ektachrome 100VS
Kodak Ektachrome EES
Kodak Ektachrome EES - Subdued
Kodak Ektachrome mid-1792s (blue)
Kodak Ektachrome 25
Kodak Ektachrome 25 (Sharp)
Kodak Ektachrome 64
Kodak Ektachrome 200
Cross Processed Agfa Optima
Cross Processed C41 Film in E6 Chemicals
Cross Processed E6 Film in C41 Chemicals
Cross Processed Ektachrome 100 Plus
Cross Processed Ektachrome Elite 100 ES
Cross Processed Provia 100F
Lomo Cross Processed - Agfa Film
Lomo Cross Processed - Fuji Film
Lomo Cross Processed - Kodak Film
Lomo Cross Processed - Konica Film
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B&W Film Presets
Fuji Neopan 100 Acros
Fuji Neopan 10 Acros (grain off)
Fuji Neopan 1600
Ilford Delta 100
Ilford Delta 100 (grain off)
Ilford Delta 3200
Ilford HP5 Plus 400
Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop
Infrared - Ilford 200 SFX
Infrared - Kodak HIE
Infrared - Konica 750
Kodak T-MAX 100
Kodak T-MAX 100 (grain off)
Kodak T-MAX 3200
Kodak TRI-X 400
Kodak TRI-X 400 Pushed 1 Stop
Kodak TRI-X 400 Pushed 2 Stops
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In total, Exposure includes 90 film presets (48 Color and 42 B&W) plus many other additional pre-designed filters such old film, intense fading,
low contrast, slight dark fading, yellow shift, Harsh Landscape, Sepia - Full Tone, Gold Toning Split, and more. Since you can alter all settings
and then save them as a new filter - your creative options are pretty much limitless.
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Example Photographs Enhanced with EXPOSURE!
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| Fuji Neopan 100 Acros compared to the digital original |
Fuji Neopan 1600 B&W Film Filter compared to the digital original |
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| Ilford Delta 3200 B&W Filter compared with the Fuji Neopan 1600 B&W Filter |
Kodak T-MAX 3200 compared with the Fuji Neopan 1600 B&W Filter |
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| Original! Shot with Canon EOS Rebel XT) |
Fuji Velvia 100F Color Filter Applied |
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| Fuji Neopan 100 B&W Film Filter Applied |
Fuji Neopan 1600 B&W Film Filter Applied |
Pay Attention to Details
The images above help to give you an idea how different each film
setting is. The overall tonal range, grain, contrast, and saturation
are quite different from film to film as is the grain. It's the
grain and the control over it that really makes Exposure a plug-in
worth owning. Click
on the images above for an enlargement.
In the two examples below you'll see side-by-side cropped photo's.
These have been cropped at 100% magnification in order to give you
an enlarged view of the quality of the film grain that Exposure
generates. Unlike other programs that try to simulate grain
by adding more noise "dots," Exposure creates grain that truly looks
film like. You cannot appreciate the film-like quality on a 4x6"
print, but make an 8x10" or 11x14" enlargement and the difference
is noticeable.
Side-by-Side Filter Examples
The comparison image above shows a small cropped (100%) portion of the original image. This crop makes it easier
to see the differences in grain and exposure between some of the film settings.
The color comparison image above shows a small cropped (100%) portion of the original image. This crop makes it easier
to see the differences in color, tone, and grain between a few of the color film presets.
Exposure's Film Grain vs. Photoshop Noise
In the next two side-by-side photographs I took a color photograph of downtown Portsmouth, NH and added a b&w film filter to it
in Exposure. I then tried to duplicate the output using LEVELS and NOISE within Photoshop to try to simulate the same film look.
Film Filter using Exposure Noise Added in Photoshop
Exposure is much more than what it seems. Yes, Exposure is a powerful plug-in for photographers who would like the ability to simulate the look of current
and discontinued film stocks, but the software also helps to speed up other image enhancements with easy-to-use sliders to control curves and more advanced
algorithms for tools such as focus (sharpness & blur), Color (Filter, Saturation, Cooling & Warming), and full control over grain - allowing you to add variable
levels of grain in shadows, midtones, or highlights. You're even able to adjust grain size and color variation. By default, all changes made within
Exposure's pop-up control panel do not affect the original layer. Instead a new layer is created, allowing you to quickly create a few scenarios to compare.
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