Turn Photographs into Works of Art with Serif PhotoPlus 11: Review for the Artistically Inclined
Introduction
When you think that digital photography has perfected the realistic photo image, the artist steps in and says, “Let’s take this realistic, perfect photo and make it more than real. Let’s make it a high art form.” If Serif PhotoPlus 11 has not done this, then it has come close to it. The key to all of this is the talented artist who navigates this software as well as he does his artist’s palette.
The Quick Fix Studio, Filter Gallery, and Instant Artist are the three main areas that result in blemish-free digital photographs, to the enhancement and alteration of the photo being worked into an object of art. The drop-down menus in the horizontal tool bar at the top of the screen guide you while many of the same tools are located vertically on the left-hand side for instant access.
Serif PhotoPlus 11 demands study if you are new to this level of digital photography. Fortunately, the “?” (question mark) icon is readily available for help when you need it, with easy-to-follow directions for completing the task you have chosen.
The screenshots below will give you an idea of what can be accomplished with this software. The more software savvy the artist is, the greater the art that will come from his or her talent. You can bet there will be software gurus who discover they have the heart of an artist, too. Talent and practice can go a long way.
Product Features (5 out of 5)
What’s Hot:
Study the tutorials, the samples, and Creating New Pictures and Creating New Animation at the very beginning.
Product features fall into four tool groups: Quick Fix Studio, with all the tools to make a digital photo image look its best; Filter Gallery for enhancing the image and adding a creative flair to it; Instant Artist for making the digital image look like Impressionist, Expressionist art, etc.; and the Extract Tool for removing part of a digital image and adding mattes, edges, and so on.
It is also possible to change your digital photo extensions with the Export Optimizer under the File menu.
Performance (4 out of 5)
What’s Hot:
With recipe-style instructions for creating limitless effects and altering digital photos, this software lends itself to advanced and professional digital photography aficionados.
Help & Support (4 out of 5)
What’s Hot:
There is abundant help in the software itself. You can go to Serif’s website, too, for ample information. If you want to contact Serif in the States, there is an 800 number for Sales and Customer Support, but technical support is
(603) 886-6642. Just click on Help in the software and then click Contacting Serif for other telephone and fax numbers. Want to send technical support an email? Send it to support@serif.com.
Price to Value (4 out of 5)
What’s Hot:
For what Serif PhotoPlus 11 can deliver, if you have imagination and talent, the price is nice.
Installation & Setup (4 out of 5)
What’s Hot:
The download and installation were smooth, though the download did take a while, even on DSL.
User Interface (4 out of 5)
What’s Hot:
Serif PhotoPlus 11’s Interface is smooth. The issue here is that there are so many effects that can be achieved that remembering how to do them is impossible. Fortunately, Help in the form of a question mark icon ("?") is right there with step-by-step actions to achieve the desired results.
Images
Suggested Features
Software that would give digital photos a three-dimensional effect would be very interesting.
Conclusion
Serif’s PhotoPlus 11 lends itself to artists with high-tech software savvy. From enhancing a digital photo so it will look its best to taking that same photo and creating a work of art out of it, this software is the 21st-century artist’s paintbrush. Salvador Dali would have loved this!
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