Alien Skin Exposure – 2022
Alien Skin Exposure is a photo editing workflow that comes with RAW image processing and organizing system.
The software is quite similar to Adobe Lightroom CC in many aspects but has some unique features too that helps it stand out.
With over 500 film presets and over a dozen of Lookup Tables (LUTs), the software can be an attractive choice for many professional photographers.
In addition to this, the developers have introduced some new features to this tool to make it more dynamic.
Some notable mentions are the new 3D color masking, enhanced ‘Brush Tool’, ‘Overlays’, etc.
And the best part?
It can also be used as a plug-in to Adobe Lightroom that enables you to make full use of either of the apps without paying anything extra.
That said, Alien Skin Exposure or Exposure 5 (as it’s popularly known as), is far from perfect.
When compared to the top programs, the software produced average results while executing some advanced functions.
And in the following section, I talk about this issue with more details (along with the high points of the tool).
So without any delay, let’s get straight into the meat.
Alien Skin Exposure Pros
#1. Unlike most of the advanced photo editing software, Alien Skin Exposure has a pretty clean and user-friendly interface.
It looks exactly like the Lightroom CC interface, with the left panel showing image source folders, and all the tools and properties are on the right side.
Finally, the large middle section is the viewing area where all the action happens.
Now, a professional user won’t have any issues finding his/her way to different features. But if you have never used a similar program, then get ready to spend the first few days getting familiar with the software and its various functions.
That said, my overall experience with the software was outstanding. And anyone who’s a professional or has even a slight experience working on Lightroom CC would enjoy the user interface of Exposure 5.
And for those who are new in this game can refer to the in-house tutorials to shorten their learning curve.
#2. Now, it’s time to talk about the core part of the software, i.e., its full set of features.
Since it can do all the essential tasks of a photo editing software (like cropping and trimming), I’ll get straight to the advanced functions that make the main difference.
The software uses nondestructive layers that seamlessly blend all the small adjustments you make on your image.
Besides this, the light effects under the ‘Overlays’ section work exceptionally well. It enables you to add light to certain areas of your image without distorting the other parts.
And the best part?
You can choose any effect from the library with just a single click and adjust the intensity manually.
In addition to this, the ‘Overlays’ also includes borders and textures, something you don’t find in Adobe Lightroom.
Similarly, the software boasts more than 500 presets, including 10 types of color films, 9 kinds of B&W, Bokeh, Cinema, Portrait Touch Up, and so on.
Just hover your pointer over any preset, and it instantly shows you how your image would look with that preset.
In one word – outstanding!
And not-so-surprisingly, this wide range of presets also happens to be the biggest strength of this program.
What’s more?
From the previous version, Exposure allows users to use the metadata or add keywords to create smart collections.
That way, you can find a specific photo (s) from your library within seconds. And to make it more efficient, you can also add labels and color tags.
#3. As per the system requirement of Alien Skin, the Exposure 5 software can run smoothly on Windows 7 64-bit or newer and macOS X Yosemite (10.10) or later versions.
#4. Alien Skin offers one of the widest range of export options including sharing photos on social sites.
So, once you’ve done working on your projects, feel free to share them on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter straight from within the software.
Alien Skin Exposure Cons
#1. No doubt, Exposure 5 is a feature-rich program that renders almost a full-fledged editing workflow.
But there are some areas where I found the software produced sub-par results.
For example, Exposure can’t process RAW files as efficiently as Lightroom CC or DxO Photolab.
Similarly, the noise reduction, color grading, Spot Heal Tool, and lens correction functions were okay.
The software did produce good results, but it was nowhere near what you get while using Lightroom CC or DxO Photolab.
#2. Alien Skin is yet to roll on a dedicated app for smartphone users. So, if you want a photo editing software for your phone, then look somewhere else.
#3. Unlike Adobe products or Cyberlink PhotoDirector, you don’t get free cloud storage with an Alien Skin Exposure license.
Alien Skin Exposure pricing plans and payment methods
Alien Skin has a straightforward, one-off pricing for its products, and Exposure 5 is no different.
The software comes in two different variants – Exposure 5 and Exposure 5 Bundle.
The ‘Bundle’ pack comes with some extra plug-ins and integrated Snap Art natural media. Thus, it costs a bit more than Exposure 5 at $149.
On the other hand, Exposure 5 comes only with the Exposure 5 plug-in for Lightroom and Photoshop and costs just $119.
The good thing is, both the variants come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Plus, you get to test drive the software for a month for free.
It can’t get better, right?
Finally, as per payment methods, they accept PayPal and credit cards.
Do I recommend Alien Skin Exposure?
Though it comes with 500+ presets and low purchasing cost, I would still not recommend the software to most of the user.
Why?
Simply because:
- Alien Skin Exposure trails behind other products in critical aspects (see ‘Cons’ section).
- Some of the other programs like Lightroom, DxO Photolab, and Cyberlink PhotoDirector brings more value than Alien Skin.
In fact, PhotoDirector costs half the price of Alien Skin.
That said, if you need those presets and the light effects, you can go with it.