namesuppressed has updated their Softener plugin for Adobe Photoshop and compatible image programs. Softener gives digital photos the dreamy look of glamour photos by adding soft focus effects to any image.

Practical applications include smoothing skin in imperfect photos, and adding soft focus effects to digital wedding photos. Softener reduces the need to use special lenses when taking photos - the same soft focus effects can be recreated digitally.

Softener includes a range of preset effects, from subtle glows and romantic soft focus effects, through to strong blurs and glossy magazine effects. Presets can be used as the basis for an effect and tweaked to get the desired result, or new settings can be created from scratch. User created presets can be saved for later use.

Softener is used by all kinds of digital photographers, for everything from weddings, baby photos & portraits, through to glamour photography and corporate photos.

The latest update corrects issues with the preview display, and is a free upgrade for all registered Softener customers.

Softener 1.23 is available now for a retail price of $14.95. Softener may be purchased directly from the namesuppressed website at http://www.namesuppressed.com/

Adobe has released the long awaited update to their flagship Photoshop package. Photoshop CS 2 includes a host of new features, including improved healing brush and red-eye removal. The Vanishing Point tool allows you to edit objects in a image without altering their perspective.

More details are available from Adobe's website at http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html

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• Frischluft has updated their Lenscare plugin to version 1.2, improving support for After Effects and adding multiple CPU support. The Frischluft website also includes screenshots of the filter in action, in video clips for George Michael and Digital Diva, as well as the movie I, Robot.
• McFilters from PixelRibs is a brand new collection of plugins that uses the selection mask to modify the effect. It focuses on effects like depth of field and motion blur. McFilters sells for 55.75 Euros (about $73 US Dollars).
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• Softener v1.21
  

  Softener (our soft focus Photoshop Plugin for Windows) has been updated with some minor bugfixes:

  • Small fixes to the uninstaller improves workings on Windows XP
  • Slight change to the interface to reduce some confusion customers experienced.
  • Tweaks to the preview counter (for all those who noticed it getting excessively high!)

  Softener is perfect for adding soft focus to portrait and wedding photos, so download the free trial of Softener now, and start designing some great photos.

  
  
  
• Corel acquires Jasc & Paint Shop Pro
  In case you missed the announcement from October last year, Corel Corporation has bought Jasc Software, the makers of Paint Shop Pro. Corel already has their own line of graphics software, including Painter and Photo-Paint. Corel has promised to continue development of PSP, and most of the Jasc team are still working at Corel, so hopefully it will remain business as usual.