Turbo Photo
From an emerging developer in the People's Republic of China (the same team that brought us the Recomposit photo masking and compositing tool) Turbo Photo is a complete "digital darkroom" with a powerful RAW Importer module that lets you bring in files from most makes of DSLR. It gives the user control over both exposure and color, then goes on to provide a range of cropping, resizing, retouching, special effects, image management, exporting and printing, and batch processing tools.
Turbo Photo's "Digital Beauty" feature makes it easy to erase spots and blemishes from portraits, while tuning the skin tone and level. A professional version of this feature is available separately and provides complete control over all the parameters.
Turbo Photo lets you batch resize, convert format, rename, rotate or flip, defog, reduce noise, sharpen, add dates, and make basic adjustments to color and exposure. It is especially strong in batch processing of all types. One other notable feature is the "what's wrong" wizard which can detect common faults and suggest remedies. For example, if you have taken a series of handheld photographs of the same subject, it can analyze for camera shake and correct it.
The developer's products are supported by several lively forums -- clear indication that they have found their market.
Comment
Turbo Photo has been vigorously developed for several years and is becoming a powerful challenger to other, established editors in the U.S. and Europe. Some of its effects can be very subtle, like free shape changing which can alter (for example) the shape of a person's face.
The developer shows enough examples on its website to make the product thoroughly intriguing -- to a point where you just have to download and try it. Fortunately, you get the full featured version in the free trial, and it lives up to expectations.
Many users appreciate the limitless history, the "smart erase" feature that lets you remove objects from the photo, and the extensive batch processing menu. But does the defogging filter help to ruin the mystery of foggy landscapes? Yes, but you don't have to use it, as there are plenty of other features that are truly helpful. Highly recommended.
Tech info
- OS: Windows 2000, XP and above
- Price level: Approx. $30 (with unlimited free upgrades)
Stepok Image Lab
Stepok Image Lab has taken its name from "step" and "OK" (but it does not set it typographically as StepOK.) It is a Chinese company that began research and development in 2002.
From the same vendor:
- Recomposit
- Digital Beauty
- Stepok's Raw Importer
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