OptikVerve Labs Press Release 03/11/04

virtualPhotographer Filter Proves Popular Photoshop Plug-In Adds Rich Professional Film Styles to Digital Photos With Just One Click

PORTLAND, OR - November 3, 2004 - virtualPhotographer, a software plug-in by OptikVerve Labs that allows photographers and graphic artists to instantly apply high quality, professional photographic styles to digital images, has passed 200,000 downloads since the filter debuted three months ago.  The software can be used with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, Photo-Paint and other popular imaging applications. The plug-in is free and available for download at Download.com, Pluginsworld.com and the company’s web site at www.optikvervelabs.com.

virtualPhotographer lets photographers with minimal knowledge of digital photo editing achieve professional results easily and quickly. Professional photographers and graphic artists will find the plug-in gives them exceptional control and best-quality results without spending hours with complex photo editing tools. 

The power of virtualPhotographer lies in its pre-programmed “presets,” over 50 one-click selections that instantly add photographic styles, and filter and darkroom techniques to a digital photo. The presets automatically apply combinations of film grain, color modification, B/W, soft focus, high contrast and many artistic effects to achieve the same professional-looking images that used to take hours of digital editing. A single preset in virtualPhotographer could involve 10 to 20 steps in a typical photo editing application.

All presets can be manually adjusted for even finer control, and can be saved as custom settings so that photographers can apply their own style to a collection of their photos. In addition, the plug-in includes manual settings to recreate the use of a film camera and darkroom techniques, including film type (film or slide), ASA speed, emulsion, color filters, B/W tinting, contrast and blur, among others.

“The response to virtualPhotographer has been overwhelming to us. It’s proof that our users have probably been as frustrated as we are at spending more time at the computer than with our cameras,” said Peter Rowe, science officer at OptikVerve Labs. “The reason we’re getting such great feedback is that our users are getting professional results in seconds versus hours.” 

virtualPhotographer is available for Microsoft Windows 98, ME, 2000 and XP. OptikVerve Labs is investigating a version for the Apple Macintosh.

OptikVerve Labs
OptikVerve Labs was founded by photographers to foster creativity in digital photography through passion. The company’s first product, virtualPhotographer, is a free plug-in that lets anyone achieve professional photographic results quickly and easily. The company is located in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.optikvervelabs.com