Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

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The Digital Photographer's Software Guide
Lucis Pro
Vendor: Image Content Technology
Purpose: For image correction and some unusual artistic effects
Description
Lucis Pro (pronounced “Lou-sis Pro”) is stand-alone PC software that creates some
highly original special effects, using a patented image-processing algorithm called
Differential Hysteresis Processing (DHP). It reveals detail in bright and shadowed areas
simultaneously, and provides a set of tools that allow you to change the appearance of
the image so that it resembles (somewhat) the work of certain artists. For example, the
Klimpt feature gives a sparkly, surrealistic effect not entirely unlike that of Gustav Klimpt.
Winslow creates a watercolor effect and is named in honor of the great American watercolorist
Winslow Homer. No attempt has been made to put an artist’s name to the
Sculpture effect, although this is one of the best in the package. Applied to portrait shots,
the effects succeed in turning a nondescript photograph into a vibrant image.
Comments
To say the least, Lucis Pro is an unusual piece of software. Before dismissing it as just
another art-imitation package, you should check out the many examples on the vendor’s
site. There is no doubt that it does have real value, more than enough to match its list
price (which is high compared to other products in this category). However, it is one of
the few programs of its kind that delivers unexpected and aesthetically pleasing results.
Lucis Pro sells chiefly to professional photographers, many of whom have become highly
skilled at using it. Some of them take original images with a view to using Lucis Pro on
them from the outset; others choose images that seem right for this kind of treatment.
Either way, results have been stunning (especially in the work of Californian photographer
Charr Crail, www.charrcrail.com), pushing the boundaries of the medium further
than is possible with conventional tools. The vendor is also introducing a new plug-in
version called LucisArt Pro for Windows and Macintosh. Unlike a discontinued earlier
version, this will give you the full power of Lucis Pro 5.0 within Photoshop and
Photoshop Elements.
Version: Lucis Pro 6.0 (2008)
OS: Windows XP and Vista
RAM: 256MB (or 5–7 times the image size)
Supported file formats: JPEG and TIFF (not PSD)
Price level: To be announced, LucisArt Pro approx. $600
Address: Image Content Technology LLC., 220 Rt12, Suite 5, PMB 344, Groton, CT 06340,
United States
www.lucispro.com