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+--- Thread: Studio 64 bit Stand Alone Great. As a Lightroom Plug in its AWESOME! (/showthread.php?tid=923)
Studio 64 bit Stand Alone Great. As a Lightroom Plug in its AWESOME! - ShaunCunninghamPhoto.Com - 03-04-2011
The 64 bit Studio V10 is simply AWESOME! It operates within Lightroom 3 brilliantly and has seamlessly integrated my editing and retouching workflow. I'm blown away.
I'd seen the ad (after ad, after ad) in all the photography magazines. Curiosity got the better of me and I downloaded the the trail version (9). I was pleasantly surprised with the results and the limited amount of time and know-how needed to achieve them and so I immediately bought the full version.
I'll be honest and say that the novelty wore off pretty quickly. It wasn't that PP9 failed to perform (it performed well enough) but the fact that I had to import images into Lightroom to develop them, then export them from Lightroom, re-open them again in PP9 for retouching and then export them again really made my workflow a pain - and frankly it is arduous enough. Also, with large files, I noticed some quirky rendering issues that showed the limitation of the standard version (for large file handlers like me).
However, I recently discovered that Version 10 became available as a 64 bit Studio version but not only that, it works as a plug in to Adobe Lightroom 3. I upgraded from 9 to 10 for $89 and couldn't wait to give it a run for its money. I will attest to the fact that being able to integrate the development, editing and PP10 retouching within the overall Lightroom workflow is a MASSIVE benefit for professional photographers. I have given it a good test run and I have never been so excited since the introduction of sliced bread.
Being able to use PP10 in my Lightroom workflow is a serious advantage to me but it's not just the fact that the process is easy it's the results that count in the end and they are incredible. You could spend hours and hours in Photoshop doing what you can do in minutes in PP10 (at least for portraits).
The skin adjustments in PP10 are simply breathtaking. Version 9 seemed to overcompensate too much and I found myself always backing off the adjustments to something more subtle and realistic. PP10 is definitely more intelligent but the range of adjustments remains totally in the eye of the beholder. From spot removal and pore adjustments to a very intelligent retouch brush, PP10 is a breeze to use and the results are incredible. The V10 GUI has been set up to operate much like Lightroom itself (image to the left, sliders to the right - "mm, there's an idea for a photographer's song").
I'm so excited by the results, I've been sat at the computer for hours on end, completely ignoring my responsibilities or innate desires for food and water. It's simply that good. Grab it now. Integrate it into Lightroom and watch your photos take on seriously new life!
Picto - shauncunninghamphoto.com