onOne Software has just launched Perfect Layers 1.0, an application that gives photographers the ability to easily create and work with layered files in their workflow application of choice. Hitherto available as a Public Preview, Perfect Layers supports the creation of layered files that can be opened and edited by Adobe Photoshop and can be used directly from within Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe Bridge and Apple Aperture. Perfect Layers 1.0 is available as a standalone product at the special introductory price of $99.95 until the end of this month. From 1 July 2011, Perfect Layers will be available for $129.95 and included as part of the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5. Owners of Plug-In Suite 5 can upgrade to Perfect Photo Suite 5.5, which will include Perfect Layers, at no additional cost.

DxO Labs today released DxO Optics Pro v6.6 for Mac and Windows. The new version provides improved image correction, along with raw image file support for five hitherto unsupported digital cameras including the Nikon D5100, the Olympus E-5, the Panasonic GF1 and GF2, and the Pentax K-r. Additionally, more than 100 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering numerous Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax, and Sony cameras. All DxO Labs customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro since 1 June 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.6.

Fotobounce 3.5 allows users to!manage, store and share digital photos securely within a private network of friends and family, referred to as “Bouncers”. One of Fotobounce’s key features is its face recognition technology that automatically detects faces when photos are found or imported. As faces are detected by Fotobounce and tagged by the user, this “trains” Fotobounce to learn who people are and helps automate the tagging process. Version 3.5 brings improved face detection accuracy and speed enhancements, as well as support for Twitter and Eye-Fi memory cards. A new product called Fotobounce Viewer has also been released. Fotobounce Viewer allows users to browse Fotobounce libraries remotely and securely from Android, Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

Website: Fotobounce

Leaf Raw Converter 1.2.6 adds support for Leaf Aptus-II 12, Leaf Aptus-II 12R, Leaf Aptus-II 12 for AFI/HY6 and continues to support files from all of Leaf’s older models. The Leaf Raw Converter enables you to convert the non-standard files created when shooting images to Compact Flash card on Leaf back to a standard Leaf format which can be read by other applications such as the Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw plug-in. The Leaf Raw Converter supports both Macintosh® and Windows® operating systems, including Windows 7 32 and 64 bit.

Raven-App has released Eye-Share for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. The app makes it easy for users to import, store, transfer, organise, personalise and share photos and videos, individually, in specially created albums, or as slideshows with music. Eye-Share is free and available now on iTunes.

Sigma has released Sigma Photo Pro 5, the latest version of its proprietary raw developer and photo viewer/editor for Mac OS and Windows. Version 5 adds support for raw image files produced by the Sigma SD1 digital SLR camera, and comes with a new user interface that offers more convenient operation. Sigma SD and DP series digital camera owners can download the software from the website below.

Website: Sigma Photo Pro

SoftColor Automata is a workflow automation solution for advanced colour correction, image editing and colour management. “The core of Automata’s workflow automation is SoftColor’s in-house developed spectral illumination detection algorithms which makes it possible to teach the computer to think about colours like a human being,” the developer says. “For the end-user this gives an automatic and fully customizable solution to fix white balance, exposure and contrast problems.” The program is available immediately for $199 through the website below.

Binary Distribution has announced the UK release of Vertus Fluid Mask 3.2. This application is a still-image masking tool that works as both a standalone program and a plug-in to Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Its Visual Image Segmentation technology enables users to create super-fine mask selections with ease, the developers say. Priced around £99, Vertus Fluid Mask 3.2 is available to download immediately from DownloadBuyer.com, and in boxed formats from Amazon.co.uk.

The iOS 5 beta release includes over 200 new features that will be available to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users this Autumn. For photographers, new features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject. The new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organise your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go.

The Mac OS X Lion operating system will be available to customers in July. With more than 250 new features and 3,000 new developer APIs, Mac OS X Lion features Multi-Touch gestures, system-wide support for full screen apps, and Mission Control for instantly accessing everything running on your Mac. Mac OS X Lion will be available in July as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard from the Mac App Store for £20.99.

TouchUp Pro is a new photo editor for the iPhone and iPad. TouchUp Pro offers a quick, clean interface that lets you edit photos in a matter of seconds. TouchUp Pro 2.2.11 is available from the iTunes App Store and BlackBerry App World for $1.99 (USD).

Snapseed is an entirely new photo application designed specifically for the iPad. Snapseed enables anyone to create amazing photos with a wide variety of innovative filters and tools, including Grunge, Vintage and Drama and Nik’s revolutionary U Point technology. With Snapseed, users can enhance, edit, and share their photos via social networks, email and even print via Apple’s AirPrint Wi-Fi printing standard. Snapseed for iPad is available now for €3.99 / $4.99 on the Apple App Store.

Billed as a “photo presentation tool that provides users with a diverse variety of beautifully themed slide show templates to use to share their mobile photos with friends and family”, Amoveo by Eternal Empire is a new app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices running on iOS 4.1 or later. Amoveo’s slideshow templates utilize an innovative “Quick Scroll” interface to help viewers navigate through the pictures they receive with ease. The program supports both 3G and Wi-Fi internet connections, and gives users the option of sending out photo slideshow through a variety of different methods including e-mail, Facebook and YouTube. Available on iTunes, Amoveo sells for $2.99.

The Wedding Photographer’s Toolkit is an iPad app packed with photography tips, tricks and how-to’s for the modern wedding photographer. “Learn poses from the pose guide, get lens selections from the lens guide and learn retouching, composition and complete lighting all in one easy to navigate app,” the developer says. “Use the toolkit section to learn about online resources, conferences that include sample contracts, shotlists and business forms.“The Wedding Photographer’s Toolkit is $12.99 and available now on iTunes.

The OptimumCS-Pro iPhone app is an optimum camera settings tool for photographers, cinematographers and videographers. Designed for any kind of photography where maximum sharpness over a large depth of field is required, OptimumCS determines the camera settings that will result in the sharpest photographs “the laws of physics will allow”, developer George Douvos says. This approach is quite different from practices based on the international depth of field standard, which have the goal of finding the largest aperture that will provide acceptable sharpness on relatively small prints. Additions versus the original OptimumCS application include several different distance scales, emphasising near or far distances, circles of confusion for film sizes up to 8x10”, and optimum sharpness data for longer focal lengths. OptimumCS-Pro is available now on iTunes for $3.99.

CyberLink has released a public Beta of PhotoDirector 2011, an innovative photo workflow software for photography enthusiasts. Photo Director offers a raw converter, a photo editor and a photo sharing tool in a single package. Any user who downloads the Beta version and provides “valid feedback” of their experience by June 20th will receive the official release version for free. For more information, visit the website below.

Update: Beta testing is over, the final version is out now (21 June 2011).

Carrafix today released Photo Boost 1.0, their new photo enhancement application for the Apple iPhone/iPad. Utilising the multi-touch support of the devices, Photo Boost provides a number of filter effects including Stretch, Colorise, Focus, Twirl and Bump. All effects actions can be undone with a simple touch. When you’re done, you can share your art via Twitter, Facebook or email from within the application. Photo Boost 1.0 for iPhone is $1.99, Photo Boost HD 1.0 for iPad is $4.99, with both versions available on iTunes.

Fusioncam is a new toy camera app for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. Developed by Hong Kong based Stepcase, Fusioncam features multiple exposure capabilities as well as toy camera effects and easy photo sharing. Today, the app can be downloaded free of charge from iTunes. Tomorrow you can buy it for $0.99, while the regular price will be $1.99.

Kodak has now introduced social network connectivity to the Kodak Picture Kiosk. Version 5.0 of the Kodak Picture Kiosk software enables users to access and print the photos they’ve published or shared on Kodak Gallery, Facebook and Picasa Web Albums. With no need for media such as memory cards consumers just have to log in to one of these sites to instantly access their photo albums and make prints, collages, greeting cards or photo books using the Kodak Picture Kiosk. This new feature will be available in the UK starting next month.

Western Digital has released the newest version of its WD Photos photo viewer app. The updated app now works with the WD TV Live Hub media center from an Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android compatible smartphone or tablet, allowing users to create content with their iOS or Android device and send it directly to anyone with a WD TV Live Hub media center for big screen viewing. The app is available for free on iTunes and the Android Market.