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The All-New Tilt-Shift Function

2013-06-18 16:02:00 GMT



ACDSee’s newest and most fascinating effect… Tilt-Shift! Use the Tilt-Shift function to transform your photo into a miniature-scale model. Here’s how with ACDSee 16:

  1. In Edit mode, in the Add group, click Tilt-Shift.
  2. On the Tilt-shift panel, set the options as described below.
    Use the guides on the image to place the effect. The inside boxes represent the points where the focus is transitioning to blur. Complete blur occurs at the outside boxes. Move the boxes to define where the effect will begin or end. Hold down the Shift key while positioning the effect to lock the to nearest 45° angle, for straightness.
  3. Do one of the following:
  • Click Done to accept your changes and close the panel.
  • Click Cancel to discard your changes and close the panel.

Options - Blurring
Select the type of blur you want from the Blur drop-down menu.

  • Lens Blur
  • Gaussian Blur

Amount: Specifies the amount of blur applied.
Bokeh Frequency: Specifies how often the bokeh shapes occur.
Bokeh Brightness: Specifies how bright the bokeh shapes appear.

Drag the slider to the right to intensify the effect.

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Pinterest - A Photographers Inspiration Hot Spot

2013-06-13 16:14:15 GMT

We all have those moments where we surf the internet and procrastinate. How about using this time to find a little photography inspiration!

Here’s our list of the Pinterest boards we find most inspiring!



Ccil G. A France based photographer that uses Pinterest to showcase her own work. But not only that, she also showcases work by famous photographers and other images she finds intriguing.

Klaus Herrmann, uniquely compiles his photography boards by color. Feeling blue? Check out his “Photos I Love - Blue” board for some beautiful blue inspiration.

Ton Roque. His Pinterest account features some of the greatest photos ever taken. You won’t find a shortage of stunning and inspiring photography here that’s for sure.

Trey Ratcliff. Self described as a warm-hearted, old-school gentleman explorer with really cool toys. His Pinterest boards are categorized by country and there are a lot!

And while you’re engrossed in Pinterest, check out our ACDSee boards. You’ll find all kinds of golden treasures there.
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"Stuff your Dad says" Father's Day Facebook Contest

2013-06-11 18:54:00 GMT

Win FREE ACDSee!

Does your dad give you some great, but crazy funny fatherly advice? Does he have a tendency to blurt out embarrassing stories and opinions at inopportune times?

Well, use those funny quips to get a free ACDSee upgrade or a new ACDSee Photo Editing Program!

To enter, share the craziest, most embarrassing thing your dad has said. Just keep it as clean as you can without it losing its impact.

Winners!
Once all entries have been submitted and the entry with the most votes will have his/her choice of the following ACDSee Products or upgrades:

  • ACDSee Pro 6 or Pro 3 (Mac)
  • ACDSee 16 
  • ACDSee Photo Editor 6

Voting starts on June 17th, winner to be announced on June 21st!
Go here to enter: http://bit.ly/12jygcU

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ACDSee 16 Highlights & Enhancements

2013-06-06 19:16:00 GMT

Now that ACDSee 16 has been out for a few weeks, we hope you’ve had a chance to give it a try. If not, you can download your free trial here.

One of the new features in ACDSee 16 in comparison to ACDSee 15 is the user interface. Here are a few of the most talked about upgrades:

Overall
New color choices! In the Quick Start Guide, you have three choices for background color. The new default being light, but you can still choose silver or charcoal.

Manage Mode
There were lots of updates done to Manage mode on ACDSee 16. Take a look at the comparison of ACDSee 15 and ACDSee 16 below:

ACDSee 15



ACDSee 16


You’ll notice ACDSee has a more clean, professional looking interface, with matching scroll bars, and the preview image is now scaled to fit the manage mode window - no longer any wasted space on right side!




   


Now with ACDSee 16, you can access key shooting information while managing, viewing, and editing your photos. The new Info Palette conveniently displays a host of data alongside your photo, without distracting you from your workflow.



And speaking of thumbnails, ACDSee 16 has larger thumbnail images and check out the new file type icons and the darker background.



   


View Mode
And last but not least, we’ve heard great praise on the Video Player updates. If your are on Windows 7 or higher, you’ll notice that ACDSee 16’s control panel has been simplified. With fewer buttons, it looks a lot less clunky and more chic.



ACDSee 15



ACDSee 16


These are just a few of the new user interface upgrades. Give ACDSee 16 a try and share on our Facebook page what you like most!

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UPDATED - What ACDSee Product is right for me?

2013-06-04 16:16:58 GMT

Lately we’ve been hearing “Which ACDSee product is right for me?”. A few months ago we wrote a quick explanation of each our top products, but with the recent release of ACDSee 16 we figured it was time for an update.

So, to cut down on confusion, here are the features included in ACDSee 16, ACDSee Pro 6 and ACDSee Photo Editor 6.

ACDSee 16
Managing your growing photo collection has never been this easy. And with more ways to edit and perfect your shots like a pro, you’ll be proud to share your best through the cloud and social media. With ACDSee 16, you’ll be looking at your photos in a whole new light.

Photo Managing Features

  • Organize photos using a combination of folders, keywords, ratings, color labels, metadata, and categories.
  • Organize photos during import.
  • Find photos fast – build and store searches based on metadata, file properties, data, event, keyword, rating, location, and edited state.
  • Visually tag images with color labels.
  • Customize access to external editors.
  • Create hierarchical keyword trees.
  • Customize and save workspace layouts, metadata views, file sort order, and shortcut keys.
  • Reverse geocoding by selecting a pin on the map.

Photo Viewing Features

  • View images with the fastest technology on the market.
  • Support for over 100 formats, including image, audio and video.
  • View photos at full screen.
  • Examine details with Zoom, Navigator, Magnifying Glass and Histogram tools.
  • Quickly tag photos for further editing or review.
  • Display data alongside your photo conveniently with the info palette.

Photo Editing Features

  • Rescue photos that are too light or too dark using patented LCE technology.
  • Instantly adjust exposure and remove color cast.
  • Erase flaws and unwanted objects with Heal and Clone.
  • Eliminate red eye with one click.
  • Choose from 45 creative effects.
  • Add text, custom borders, vignettes, drop shadows, matte and edge effects.
  • Restore original images at any time for worry-free editing.
  • Draw freehand on images, or add lines and shapes.
  • Quickly brush on any editing or special effect to selected areas of photos.
  • Target mid-tones with the Clarity tool for extra definition.
  • Smooth out grain and noise patterns between edges with the Smart Blur filter.
  • Apply a gradient to any editing effect to subtly progress across your photo.
  • Attain a realistic bokeh effect with the new Lens Blur filter.
  • Simulate the popular Tilt-Shift effect to transform your photo into a miniature-scale model.

Photo Sharing & Publishing Features

  • Share and store photos on the ACDSee Online cloud space.
  • Easily print photos and contact sheets.
  • Create screensavers and slideshows of photos.
  • Optimize and upload photos to FTP-managed web spaces.
  • Email photos through a desktop client or webmail.
  • Upload photos to SmugMug, flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.
  • Automatically sync drives.
  • Burn to CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray.


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ACDSee Pro 6
ACDSee Pro 6 includes all the features in ACDSee 16 listed above as well as features requested by professional photographers and advanced amateurs. ACDSee Pro 6 has everything you need to perfect your images, fast. Carry out digital asset management and all the essential tasks of your photography workflow, from import to final presentation, in one complete solution.

Pro 6 Photo Managing Features
  • Selectively remove metadata to protect privacy and intellectual property.
  • Speed up workflow with native 64-bit support for Windows operating systems.
  • Improved color management with multi-monitor support.

Pro 6 Photo Viewing Features

  • Quickly tag photos for further editing or review.
  • Perform high-quality decoding on RAW images.

Pro 6 includes Developing Features (not an available mode in ACDSee 15)

  • Non-destructively process RAW, JPEG, TIFF and more.
  • Adjust the brightness and contrast of different tone bands.
  • Achieve HDR results from a single image.
  • Fix barrel, pincushion and fish-eye lens distortions and perspective distortions.
  • Boost saturation without affecting skin tones with the Vibrance tool.
  • Preview the results of adjustments in real time.
  • Adjust individual or overall color with improved Advanced Color tools.
  • Brush on non-destructive adjustments in real time.
  • Apply hue-based brightness adjustments and saturation-based tinting in the dedicated Black and White mode.
  • Apply vignetting to any cropped image.
  • Use the Cross Process tool to add a surreal, retro effect.
  • Achieve a dreamy effect with Soft Focus.
  • Non-destructively reduce red eye.

Pro 6 Photo Editing Features

  • Batch edit groups of photos – rotate, crop, convert file type, add watermarks and more.

Pro 6 Photo Sharing & Publishing

  • Upload photos to Zenfolio.
  • Watermark photos to protect against copyright infringement.

Essentially ACDSee 16 is the standard version of ACDSee Pro 6, with Pro 6 aimed at professionals and offering more freedom. But, both are photo management programs that are built for photo adjustment.

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ACDSee Photo Editor 6 
ACDSee Photo Editor 6 makes it easy to create the photos you’ve always envisioned. Apply stunning effects and filters, work with object layers effortlessly, quickly correct common photo flaws, and make advanced edits like a pro. With ACDSee Photo Editor 6, you have the power to transform any shot into your most extraordinary one yet. ACDSee Photo Editor 6 is a great tool for creating cards, labels and other fun page layouts.

Object Layers
  • Accessible canvas-like work area for arranging photos, text, and other objects, like shapes and lines.
  • Layer or group objects, change their order, and experiment with opacity and blend modes to create amazing photo layouts.
  • Selectively adjust any object, or apply changes to the entire layout.

Layouts Made Easy

  • Comfortably select from among overlapping objects.
  • Choose the exact place where you want to paste your elements with the Paste and Place option.
  • Open, load and utilize brush files to enhance your layouts.
  • Resize, crop, rotate and correct your photos.
  • Easily work with drop shadows, transparencies and text.

Go Ahead and Play

  • Experiment with effects with peace of mind, knowing that your originals are always safely preserved.
  • Dynamic Adjustments allow you to quickly modify existing effects, switch their order, hide, or delete them at any time.

Correct Photo Flaws

  • Powerful fast-fix tools, including Red Eye, Dodge, Burn, Sharpen, and Smudge.
  • Erase imperfections, blemishes, and unwanted objects with the Repair Tool.
  • Auto-adjustment features include one-click Auto Color Balance, Auto Levels, Auto Sharpen, and Auto Contrast.
  • Auto Fix makes all the necessary adjustments for you at once.
  • Alternatively, take full control of each adjustment using sliders.

Stylize Photos

  • Apply vignetting to create polished portrait-style photos.
  • Create a sense of motion with the Blur tools.
  • Manipulate color and era with the sepia effect and with comprehensive Black and White mode.

Edit in Batches

  • Save time by using the Batch Processor to edit groups of photos.
  • Fix color, lighting and sharpness issues, or apply artistic effects, to everything all at once.

Shape Your Shots

  • Combine objects and photos.
  • Punch out photos using an array of pre-defined shapes, or design your own custom shapes.

Say More with Words

  • Add text to your photos, change up font and color, isolate a single word or phrase.
  • Wrap your text inside a shape, or along a custom or preset text path.

Fast Track to Results

  • The Adjustments Palette gives you quick access to all the alterations you can apply to photos, objects, and text.

Work with Metadata

  • Add and edit EXIF and IPTC information.


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