Anthropics have released the new Portrait Professional 9, a portrait airbrushing program that has actually been “trained” in human appearance, using thousands of example photographs. For any given face, the software creates custom controls specifically to enhance that particular face. For example, if the face has a heavy jaw or double chin, Portrait Professional’s jaw slider control will reduce the fatness of the jaw. On the other hand, if the jaw was rather weak or small, the slider would subtly enlarge it. The software contains over 100 intelligent sliders of this nature, plus an automatic touch-up brush to give the user fine control over the appearance of the face and hair. In addition, Portrait Professional 9 incorporates new patent applied for ClearSkin® skin beautifying technology. The software is available in two versions, Standard and Studio, costing $65.95 and $99.95, respectively.

onOne Software has announced a new application to remotely control Canon EOS DSLR cameras using an iPhone or iPod Touch. The new DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone application allows photographers using a supported Canon EOS DSLR that is connected to a WiFi enabled computer to remotely control the settings of the camera, fire the shutter, review images, and even get a live preview. The software comes in two versions – the Professional edition, which is available for $19.99 with a limited time introductory price of $9.99, and the Lite edition, available for $1.99. The DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone may be purchased immediately from the App Store within Apple iTunes software.

Website: List of supported DSLR cameras

Adobe will be raising the UK pricing of its CS4 products from 1st July 2009. Blaming sharp fluctuations between UK and European exchange rates, the price increase will equate to a price rise of up to 10%. Photoshop CS4 will increase from £485 to £534 (ex VAT). To achieve a better balance, Adobe is reducing some Euorpenan prices of CS4 by up to 13%.

onOne Software has announced a free, Lite version of PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition. Based on the exact same feature set as PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition, PhotoTools 2 Lite includes 14 of the most popular effects found in both PhotoTools 2 Standard Edition and PhotoTools 2 Professional Edition. The 14 effects available in PhotoTools 2 Lite range from reproducing classic photographic effects like Bleach Bypass and Cross Process, to reproducing film stock such as Kodachrome® and Velvia®, to modern effects, including automatic skin smoothing. PhotoTools 2 Lite is offered at no cost and is only available as an electronic download direct from onOne Software.

Website: Photo Tools 2 Lite

Kate Labs have released Frame 1.0, a piece of software developed for testing digital cameras and lenses. The application is available for Mac OS X and Windows, and offers a graphical user interface as well as a command line prompt. Frame 1.0 can be used to conduct tests of exposure, signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range, tonal range, colour sensitivity, resolution and vignetting. All results can be exported to standard ASCII, XML, HTML, and CSV documents, which enables compatibility with third-party applications. The price is €99 and a 14-day trial version is also available.

Website: Kate Labs

ACDSee Pro 3 is now available for public beta testing. ACD Systems International expects several thousand professionals to participate in the beta period and lend feedback in the development process, much like the 2,500 testers who helped shape the Pro 2 version. Anticipated for full release in the fall, ACDSee Pro 3 retains the same fast and flexible features photographers rely upon for their creative work and incorporates an enhanced user experience built around the key steps of managing, viewing and processing images.

Website: ACDSee Pro 3 Beta Downloads

Avanquest has released Avanquest SendPhotos, a new free application that enables Apple iPhone users to take a photo, back it up online and share the image with friends instantly all through one click of a button. The new iPhone application automates instantaneous photo uploads to the SendPhotos personal portal for organising an entire photo collection online, making images easily accessible to friends, families and business associates. Moreover, the iPhone application’s built-in photo editor allows colour and contrast adjustments to images and provides the ability to annotate, crop and ‘smudge’ out parts of a photo. Also unveiled today is the SendPhotos iPhoto Plug-in for the popular Mac Photo Gallery application, which gives users of the popular iLife ’09 iPhoto Macintosh application a simple one-step method for publishing of photos to the SendPhotos service.

Nik Software has announced that Dfine 2.0, its plug-in offering photographers advanced and powerful noise reduction for their digital images, is now available for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and higher. “Dfine 2.0 now joins Sharpener Pro 3.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Silver Efex Pro and completes the Lightroom update for our entire line of software plug-ins for photographers,” said Michael J. Slater president and CEO of Nik Software. This update, like previous Lightroom compatibility releases, is offered to Dfine 2.0 users at no additional cost.

Website: Dfine 2.0

Adobe has released its Photoshop Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate, available immediately as a free download for existing customers of Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Elements 7, Premiere Elements 7 and Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac. The Camera Raw 5.4 Release Candidate extends raw file support to an additional 26 camera and camera back models including the Canon EOS 500D (EOS Rebel T1i), Epson R-D1x, Kodak EasyShare Z980, Nikon D5000, Olympus E-620, Olympus E-450, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1, Sigma DP2 and 18 Hasselblad models.

Website: Adobe Camera Labs

Nik Software offers free webinars are facilitated by Nik Software’s product specialists and highlight all Nik Software products as well as special topics. Furthermore the attendees are invited to interact with Nik Software’s experts: subsequent to a 30-45-minute presentation there is a live chat for asking and discussing questions. The trainings are in English and German language and highlight all software products developed by Nik Software, including Dfine, Viveza, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro (pictured) and Sharpener Pro as well as Nikon’s Capture NX 2. The webinars are subdivided into beginners-trainings for photographers with little or no previous knowledge and advanced-trainings starting in October 2009.

Website: Nik Software Webinars

ACD Systems International has opened beta testing for its new ACDSee Pro Photo Manager for Mac, the first version of the company’s Pro Photo Manager software for Mac applications. Already, more than 2,800 devoted Mac users have signed on to participate in the beta period and provide feedback to ACD Systems developers. To further bring Mac enthusiasts into the development process, ACD Systems compiled an advisory panel of 50 users to solicit insights on key workflow features that professional and advanced amateur photographers want and need. Beta downloads of ACDSee Pro for Mac are available at www.acdsee.com/proformac and the final version is set for release in 2010.

To celebrate DxO Optics Pro’s 5th birthday, DxO Labs offers a 25% discount on DxO Optics Pro and DxO FilmPack for the entire month of May. DxO Optics Pro is a piece of software that automatically enhances each photo with respect to the camera, the lens and the shooting conditions. It is also a powerful RAW converter with functionalities like noise reduction, contrast and colour corrections for a wide range of digital cameras. DxO FilmPack is a program that allegedly allows digital photographers to rediscover the styles, colours, and grains of the most famous silver-halide films. The promotional prices are £74.25 for DxO Optics Pro v5.3.3, £149.25 for DxO Optics Pro v5.3.3 Elite and £44.25 for DxO FilmPack.

Übermind has released Maperture Pro, a feature-packed professional version of Maperture, a geotagging plug-in for Apple Aperture 2. The Pro version adds several highly requested features, including: importing Tracklog data from a wide-array of GPS devices; altitude (Z-axis) tagging; support for reverse geocoding; options for customizable keywords; as well as the ability to copy and paste geotag data. Maperture Pro is now available for direct download from Übermind’s products page. You can try a fully functional version of the plug-in free for 15 days. Then, at any time, you can easily purchase a software license from within the plug-in for $39.95.

Website: Maperture Pro

The newest update to Mac OS X Leopard, version 10.5.7, adds system-level raw support for 14 new cameras and digital backs. These include four Leaf cameras and backs, six DSLRs, two interchangeable-lens rangefinders and two advanced compacts. Click through / read on for the full list of newly added cameras and backs.

Serif has released a new photo editor called PhotoPlus X3 Digital Studio. Key new features include raw image processing, HDR, support for 48-bit colour photographs, new effects such as realistic metal and glass effects, and Microsoft HD Photo support. Resources such as the new Black and White Studio offer full control over the mood and style of greyscale images.  In addition, PhotoPlus X3’s improved filter gallery gives users the opportunity to enhance images with effects including kaleidoscope and page curl. PhotoPlus X3 retails at $79.99 and is available today directly from Serif.

ddisoftware has announced Qimage 2009.250, a major revision of its professional photographic printing software, Qimage. New features include a “menu cheater” that allows direct access to dozens of commonly used functions that previously required drilling down into menus, and powerful new photo album functionality for the Studio Edition that allows users to organise photos into user defined photo albums. Behind-the-scenes tweaks include a new installer that allows users to install both program files and application data in user-selectable folders, automatic checks to ensure that saved printer setups are compatible with updated print drivers, and other time saving enhancements. The Qimage Lite Edition costs $34.95, the Professional Edition can be yours for $49.95, while the Studio Edition is $89.95.

Website: Qimage Latest Version

MAGIX Xtreme PhotoStory on CD & DVD 8 is now available in the UK. The program, which has already been launched in the USA, lets you liven up your pictures in just three steps: select images, add effects and music, and enjoy the show. Slideshows can be burned not only as DVDs with decorative menus, but also uploaded directly from within the program to YouTube. MAGIX Xtreme PhotoStory on CD & DVD Deluxe is available at £29.99 inc from all major UK retailers and online partners including Amazon and PC World.

TweetPhoto has introduced a new, free photo sharing service for Twitter, which is claimed to “revolutionise photo sharing”. TweetPhoto allows users to easily upload and automatically publish links to photos on Twitter. The new service boasts many toolsets currently unavailable on other sites which make photo sharing on Twitter convenient and transparent, the company says. “As more people use the service the velocity of the social river of tweets increases exponentially. This makes it exceedingly difficult to view every tweet, especially the ones with links to photos. TweetPhoto was specifically designed to meet this challenge,” stated Rodney Rumford, co-founder of TweetPhoto.

Website: TweetPhoto

Andrey Tverdokhleb has announced version 3.9.5 of his Mac-only raw developer, Raw Photo Processor. The new release includes entirely new camera profiles for the Canon 5D MkII, 1Ds MkIII, 50D, the Sony A900, the Olympus E620, E3, E30, the Panasonic G1 and LX3 and more accurate profiles for the Sony A700, A350, A300, A200, A100, the Olympus E410, E420, E510, E520 and the Kodak SLR/c, SLR/n, 14NX, 14N and ProBack. Furthermore, it adds support for the Canon EOS 500D (T1i, KISS X, pictured), the Canon SX1 IS and the Kodak Z1015 IS.

Website: Raw Photo Processor

Adobe today announced the launch of the Adobe Education Creative Lectures to showcase Creative industry best practice and encourage skill development for both students and lecturers. The tour will combine hands-on training days for lecturers, working in the Creative/Media HE colleges and universities, validated by industry certification, alongside lecture days for students on-site at the college campuses. The free one-day Creative lectures will be held at locations across the UK and are run directly by Adobe, with several locations in association with Jigsaw, Phoenix Software and Academia.

Website: Adobe Creative Lectures