ALIEN XENOFEX 2 MOVIE
ALIEN XENOFEX 2 SKIN
ALIEN XENOFEX 2 FULL

On top of which, NX2 is also Nikon’s ultimate RAW conversion software.) What’s a Plug-in?Īs many of you well know, a plug-in is an add-on software app (or applet) designed to work seamlessly within a host application. While it comes close to NX2, Viveza lacks the larger program’s flexibility and overall utility. (Both NX2 and Viveza, a plug-in, were developed by Nik Software and utilize proprietary technology you won’t find in Photoshop. Now, my tune has changed somewhat, especially once I began to process images in Nikon’s Capture NX2, where I began to realize a new world of possibilities.

As I said, there was a time when I thought I couldn’t live without them.

ALIEN XENOFEX 2 SKIN

And if these aren’t enough for you, Alien Skin also has Xenofex and the Eye Candy series. The last three produce a range of enhancements from subtle to stark, falling under what we’d call effects, although we might describe Bokeh more as a simulation tool. Of these, the first two are primarily aimed at making images more usable-technically, utility tools. The Alien Skin plug-ins under discussion are Blow Up 2, Image Doctor 2, Bokeh (the newest, hence still in its first generation), Exposure 2, and Snap Art 2. Okay, enough with my philosophical meanderings… Today, the only other viable competition comes from Nik Software-and really, it’s arguable which plug-ins are better.

ALIEN XENOFEX 2 FULL

The only plug-ins that surpassed these in the past came from Kai’s Photo Tools– I mean the full range, not the paltry few remaining ones we find these days.

ALIEN XENOFEX 2 MOVIE

And Alien Skin’s plug-ins are so vast and furious (soon to be a movie playing at a theater near you) that there’s no end to what you can do with an image. That said, darn it, these things are fun! If you’re willing to suspend disbelief and accept them for what they are, plug-ins open up new vistas. Homer sees the forest but never the trees, whereas Lisa approaches each tree with a deliberate step, taking time to study the branches. At the end of the day, consider whether you want to be Homer or Lisa (Simpson, if you haven’t gotten with the program). But when you’re no longer using imaging tools to realize your vision or make a bolder visual statement, you’re crossing that line and fooling yourself into thinking you’re producing more imaginative pictures, when in fact you’re falling into an abyss you may never crawl out of. And once I realized that I was allowing myself to be swept up in this mania of adding effects just for the sake of doing so, without rhyme or reason, I pulled back and placed some restraints on myself– actually, it’s an ongoing process.Īnd, granted, it’s a fine line. As with other plug-ins, I at times became so enchanted by them that I lost sight of the original image or my purpose in using the plug-in. I’ve worked with Alien Skin Software plug-ins for years. Follow this image through its various iterations brought about though the use of Alien Skin Software's plug-ins. Breezy conditions dictated a fast shutter speed (1/500) and the shade mandated a high ISO (1600). I made this f/4.5 exposure of these columbine blossoms with a Nikon D300 and Nikon 10-24mm lens (at 24mm), by available light. A wide range of add-ons to help you create sometimes startling, sometimes pretentious images.

Alien xenofex 2