Craving the vivid colors of Velvia, the rich blacks of Kodachrome (including every variation from 1936), the sensitivity of Ektachrome or the glow of black and white infrared film? In 2005 Exposure began as a “film simulator” that could create effects derived from the analysis of film stocks, with presets emulating the warmth, softness and realistic grain of these and other color and black-and-white film stocks. Presets could be adjusted as desired and applied to a batch of images using Photoshop Actions. Exposure was said to be able to mimic the grain of films such as Ilford 3200 Delta, as well as the discontinued Ektachrome EES and GAF 500. Additional capabilities included such studio and darkroom effects such as cross processing, push processing and glamour portrait softening, all within a non-destructive workflow.
Over the years the plugin has evolved by going beyond film simulation to add support for a wide range of techniques from analog photography and can now be thought of as a general creativity tool. Version 4 adds new texture overlay effects built from high resolution photos of light leaks, dust and scratches, and borders. This is said to help add detail to new presets for alternative photographic processes such as cyanotype, lith printing and wet plate photography. The addition of more color channels, a B/W Color Filter and a Split Toning Control make it easier to create black and white effects, while increased saturation channels and color split toning ease the creation of color effects. Also contributing to the increased ease of use is a completely redesigned user interface and new controls that help users quickly explore the plugin’s wide range of effects or develop new custom looks. Black & white and color film are now combined into one filter, so everything is in one place.
Exposure 4 for Mac and Windows Photoshop CS4 or later can be purchased on the Alien Skin Software site for $249. A trial version is available for download.
