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Hard Facts about Software - part 5 of 1 2 3 4 5 6

Published 01/10/2012

Stockbox Photo

Looking for a more obvious revenue driver? Very recently updated, Stockbox Photo Gallery Software provides an opportunity for photographers to create their own stock photo library and sell their work online and stop paying commission to third-party sellers. The Windows, Mac and Linux compatible software claims to 'put photographers back in control' and provide a fast and scaleable solution.

Via a fully featured SEO-optimised gallery maker and digital asset manager, users can auto generate thumbnails, watermark images, implement a user registration system and user lightboxes, view pictures as a slideshow, integrate a rights-managed pricing calculator, batch upload media, enjoy advances search features, offer instant downloads, a fully integrated shopping cart and secure online payment processing.

The Stockbox Photo Gallery Software can be used 'out of the box' as a standalone website, or can be added to one that already exists. With a webbased admin control panel photographers are said to have all that they need to create a dynamic, e-commerce enabled photo gallery website.

There are two versions of the software currently available (both as new update 5.10): an Enterprise Version and a Professional Version. The Enterprise option is in fact the fuller package, costing $999 for a one-payment licence fee. This price is however, for a branded version that features the text and link 'Powered by Stockbox Photo Gallery Software' at the bottom of the gallery. Should you require an unbranded 'clean' version, it's an additional $100. The same is true when buying the Professional Version, which is a more affordable $599 branded, or $699 without. The licence fee includes 12 months of support, after which in order to continue receiving support and updates, there's a fee of $120 per annum for the Pro licence or $240 for the Enterprise one.

While that may sound pricey at first, it's a lot cheaper than a custombuilt site and it goes without saying that Stockbox Photo doesn't take any commission on your sales. Head to the URL below for a side-by-side comparison of the features of both programs; in a nutshell the Enterprise option adding a Lightroom plug-in, order delivery via FTP, a banner slideshow on the gallery homepage, the ability to link banner slideshow images to specific URLS, and include a 'most popular' and 'new additions' section on the gallery home page.

www.stockboxphoto.com

PhotoAcute

With a tagline of 'more pixels', PhotoAcute is described as an application that lets photographers overcome the limits of their cameras, namely by increasing resolution beyond the capabilities of your sensor. It is also claimed to expand dynamic range and depth of field, reduce the effects of handshake, noise and chromatic aberrations, plus, in offering 'RAW in, RAW out' processing, allows photographers to include PhotoAcute as part of their usual workflow.

An extra 'carrot' here is provided via the fact that as an Imagemaker reader you're being offered 30% off PhotoAcute, this generous offer lasting the remainder of 2012. Version 3 has just been released, and, for any doubters, a free trial version is downloadable for personal evaluation from the URL provided below. Otherwise a 'Lite' version for compact and prosumer digital cameras without Raw support costs $29, while the Professional version with Raw support for DSLRs costs $149. A full list of cameras and lenses supported is available on the website.

PhotoAcute software works by processing sets of photographs taken in continuous mode, and converting a sequence of images - thus acquiring more information than is available from just one shot - into a single, low noise picture. This is leant the appearance of having been taken with a much higher resolution/better camera. Thus small, thin and far away objects, textures and inscriptions become more recognisable.

And by combining several photographs, noise in low light images is also reduced without detail being lost, as may happen during regular in-camera noise reduction. Furthermore PhotoAcute corrects for geometric distortion, namely that caused by camera optics - a slight fisheye effect when shooting at the widest angle for example - so that photographers end up with a natural looking photo with corrected perspective. Also put right is pixel fringing or chromatic aberration.

Another advantage is dynamic range expansion, particularly if the sequential shots have been taken in exposure bracketing mode, to preserve both shadows and highlight detail. An alignment function even allows PhotoAcute to produce HDR imagery from misaligned photos, while very near and very far subjects can be captured acutely if combining multiple images taken at different focus distances.

http://photoacute.com

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1st Published 01/10/2012
last update 09/12/2022 14:54:57

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