Primatte Chromakey
Instead of being a general masking plugin, Primatte Chromakey is a true Chromakey tool that replaces a blue or green background in a specially taken picture with an alternative background. This is a tried-and-tested technique that comes from the world of film and television but has only recently become popular among stills photographers. As you would expect, it gives a cleaner result than that achieved by other software working on images with pictorial backgrounds. It is ideal for studio portraiture and fashion shots because it can deal efficiently with wisps of hair and the soft edges of clothes.
Primatte Chromakey comes with all the masking, compositing and color correction tools you need to create a superb end result. You can remove color tinges that may be noticeable in semi-transparent areas. The vendor recommends users to photograph their subjects against Chromakey foam-backed fabric for best results. It does not, of course, have any influence on the original lighting of the subject -- and the background must be wrinkle-free for best results.
Primatte Chromakey has a relatively high price tag and is aimed at professional and semi-pro photographers who work to a deadline and do not have time for hand masking.
Comment
What is the best Chromakey tool for stills photographers? This one, according to most reviewers. It allows you to photograph your sitter and background separately -- in the confidence they will matte together perfectly when you create the composite image. If you want an alternative to a photographed background you can use the vendor's Backdrop Designer product to create a pattern "similar to muslin drapery."
Tech info
- Plugs into: Photoshop 5.5 and higher, Elements 2.0 and higher
- OS: Windows 2000 onward; Mac OS X
- Price level: Approx. $300
Digital Anarchy
Created in 2001 to develop high quality filters at a reasonable price, Digital Anarchy is a small, privately owned company that develops new products for designers and photographers. It has a whole range of Photoshop filters, including the highly successful 3D Invigorator, and plugins for Apple's Aperture.
From the same vendor:
- 3D Invigorator
- Backdrop Designer
- Knoll Light Factory
- Texture Anarchy
- ToonIt! Photo
©trl