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Getting started with Optics Pro Starter Edition (continued)

Workflow provides the first clue that you'll be able to batch pictures needing similar processing. But Workspace is really interesting, as it has a "mode" selection for Wizard, Fully Automatic, Key Controls, and Expert Controls. As I'm a reviewer that plunges into software before reading any manual, I noticed that Fully Automatic is checked by default. So I moved back to the File menu and opened one of my pics.

A thumbnail of the image appeared in the upper left. It's not resizable, so I moved the cursor over the icons along the top of the screen. A pause at each pops up a title, and I tried clicking on a couple that looked familiar; Rotate and Mark image as Don't Process. A checkmark in the upper left corner of the thumbnail changed to what looked like two meshed gears and a box with an X to indicate the image won't be included in a batch process.

To the right is an icon with meshed gears titled "Start batch." It looked promising, so I clicked it. Suddenly the window disappeared and a new progress window appeared. Progress is shown by two bars, the top shows progress of the batch, while the bottom details the progress of each picture. When finished, a window appears giving the option to view the processed image, or to be done. I selected view.

A new window opened with thumbnails of the images to the side, and an enlarged image in the main area. This window is resizable, so I stretched it open, creating a large image of my original picture, shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A


Here's the workspace, thumbnails, and my original image. Roll over picture for a larger image.

A dialog box appeared telling me the processed picture is loading. It takes only a few seconds, during which you'll notice a couple of new icons on the screen. One is titled "Display corrected image." Clicking on that icon I'm startled.

The corrected image appeared immediately, and at first I thought... it's just brighter. Then I clicked on the "Display original image" icon, displaying the old picture.

Aha... I see what's happened. The shadow areas have been opened up without the highlights getting blown out! A few moments of clicking back and forth corroborated that belief, and my first test was a success.

I tried another image, one with more hidden shadow. And the result was even more apparent. Figure B shows the before.

FIGURE B


Before processing with DxO Optics Pro Starter Edition. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The after image, with DxO's corrections, is shown in Figure C.

FIGURE C


The after image. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Note how you can now see not only the raised panelling in the background, but the grain of the wood as well.

Emboldened, I tried a holiday lighting photo taken with a high ISO setting and wide angle. In this series, the results show DxO's other two features: noise reduction and wide angle distortion correction. The first image, Figure D, is the original.

FIGURE D


The original of a holiday lighting scene. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Below, in Figure E, is the same image with DxO's automatic corrections.

FIGURE E


Optics Pro's corrections for this lighting scene. Roll over picture for a larger image.


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