Will ‘Snapseed’ be part of your workflow?…
The wonderful people over at Nik Software have just released a new piece of software named ‘Snapseed’, which I must say after trying it out for an hour or so; is truly an amazing piece of software.
The biggest advantage of the product is the ease of use and the speed of how it alters your images as you move sliders, textures and focal points around the image.
Here is an examples from the site, image courtesy of Snapseed.
As the images below show, there are pre set categories, or filters that once you click on, allow you to view your image with the alterations done. If you like it, apply it, if you don’t cancel it and go back to the start. Each adjustment is saved before you go onto the next category and once all your alterations are complete you simple export it to iPhoto with one click, alternatively you can save it wherever you like on your harddrive.
Now there is one draw back, but it is small; you cannot import Raw images only jpegs, but they are imported in the same size you originally captured it and there appears to be no loss in quality, compression of resolution. However, depending on your image capture order, for example, one flash card records Raw, the other records in jpeg, then this is simple. If you don’t have this ability on your particular camera body and you shoot Raw, then export the image from Lightroom as a jpeg, once done just drag the image over to the Snapseed interface and it is immediately imported and workable; How easy is that?
Now, the other advantages, firstly, there is an IOS application for iPhone and iPad, but now there is also a Mac Version as well. I think the main advantage of this will be in the ability to make quick adjustments to any of your images and get them published quickly and easy onto say, 500px, Flickr or your blog. Additionally there is no need to open any other application, for example Photoshop CS or Lightroom etc, so even on a mac book pro 13.3; there is no waiting around for filters to be applied, the speed is truly amazing.
Now the only other thing I have done with the image I have shown in the before and after is opened it in PSCS5 and added some localised sharpening in the luminosity channel, that’s it. I would perhaps not add a frame on every image, but on this occassion it kind of suits the final product.
The first image below is the original Raw image, captured with a Nikon D700 and a Nikon 70mm -200mm f/2.8 at 200mm. The image below that is the altered images after applying some filters from Snapseed. Click on the second image for larger view.
So, you can take a look at the App Store publication here and if you like it then for £13.99 ($19.99), it’s your’s to keep.
For me I think this is an excellent addition to the arsenal of plug in’s and software I use. It won’t replace OnOne Perfect Suite, or Nik Colour Effect Pro 4, or even Topaz’s great plugin’s, but then again it isn’t meant to. If you own an Ipad, then I believe this will be an incredibly easy and time saving piece of software for you.
The applying of filters in Snapseed, click on image for a larger view
As it is owned and designed by Nik Software, then you can pretty much guarantee that there will be updates soon and there will no doubt be great additions to what is already a great piece of software.
