A Purty Pickshur? No, no, no... it's APERTY

Folks, I'm not a "landscape photographer", but I take landscape images. I'm not a "street photographer", but I have taken many images that would be considered "street" photography. I'm not a "nature photographer", but I've shot many'a birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Fish? maybe I haven't shot a lot of fish. But you get the picture (metaphorically speaking). I'm not one to be defined by labels.  

So, when I say, I'm not a "portrait photographer", I have certainly taken many portrait photos, going back nearly 60 years. But do I make a living as a portrait photographer? Certainly not. But there are those of you reading this, (and I'll make sure you see this and read it), and do I have an exciting bit of news for you! 

And it's called Aperty  It's a brand new editing program from Skylum, the makers of Luminar Neo.  This is no tool added to Luminar Neo, uh-uh, this is a brand spanking new, stand-alone editor, created by Skylum specifically for portrait photographers!

Details can be found in the May press release from Skylum, which you can read in full here, but for you, who are always in a rush, here are the highlights:

Recognizing the increasing demand for time-saving tools in portrait photography that would enable professional and semi-professional photographers to focus on creative growth and client engagement,Skylum is collaborating with renowned portrait photographer Julia Trotti to develop this specialized software solution. Set for release in September 2024, Project “Barcelona” will empower photographers by automating routine face retouching processes through an efficient, AI-optimized workflow that runs locally on the user’s device, making it as easy as applying presets

Designed with the specific needs of portrait photographers in mind, the new app’s key features include:

Skin Toning:  Make subtle changes to the skin tone of specific areas thanks to an accurate facial skin segmentation model; remove the red hue or unify the overall color. On top of that, the new app's state-of-the-art face mesh model provides unique makeup correction capabilities, allowing the application of extra textures like blush, highlight, and contour, and changing the color of lips, brows, and other elements.

Eye Enhancement: Add iris flare, remove redness, and adjust eye shape with a comprehensive suite of tools to perfect a subject’s eyes in portraits.

Teeth Whitening: Ensure radiant smiles with advanced teeth whitening and brightening capabilities.

Makeup Application: Enjoy customizable options for creative makeup styles and colors to compliment any complexion, clothing, or backdrop.

Bokeh Effects: Create stunning depth-of-field effects with the bokeh feature, adding dimension and allure to portraits.

Body Enhancement: Adjust bodily proportions to correct posture and account for unflattering angles,making sure portraits capture subjects in their best light.

Also, not mentioned in the press release: batch editing capability. I know that's important to photographers processing  large numbers of photos!

Intrigued? I know you are. Aperty will be available in September 2024. I don't have pricing right now, but I do know that 1000 portrait photographers who place an advance order right now, can get it for $199! Another thing I do know, is that come September, Aperty is probably going to cost a whole lot more than $199.

Use this here link to be one of the lucky (and quick acting) first 1000.

Don't wait!

In August, I'll be getting a beta copy of Aperty, and will be able to post some of my own edited portraits on this blog, but for now you'll just have to be happy with the two samples supplied by Skylum which illustrate some of the tools that will be part of the suite.

So that's one bit of news from Skylum, but that's not all. Read on...

As far as I know, the Luminar Neo Summer Sale continues! That means great savings are still available on Luminar Neo, and all Luminar Neo related goodies from the marketplace. That also means, that in addition to those great Summer Sale savings, you can save even more, 20% more, to be precise when you use this discount code at checkout: AFF-7ky9M0

What? You're not interested in making great portrait photos, or any great photos? Well someone you know does. Copy this post link and share it with all of your photographer friends. They'll thank you later.

Ciao!