S.U.P.E.R. Part 11: Vivid-Pix Picture-Fix Software
In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown from Frogfish Photography review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too.
For the eleventh instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at the Vivid-Pix Picture-Fix Software.
Vivid-Pix have created a very simple piece of software to use that has been designed especially for underwater images. If you want a simple, “one-click” solution to improve your images, then this might be for you. You can even edit multiple images at once, so if you have a series of very green or blue, washed out looking images, you can process them all in a couple of minutes.
Once you have selected your image(s) to edit, the software gives you a grid of 9 different images so that you can select which one you like best. The software adjusts colour, brightness, contrast and sharpness. Once you have selected your preferred option, both the original and the edited version of the image are opened up in the software. You can then make further adjustments, such as rotating, cropping, converting to black and white, and tweaking the colours, brightness and contrast. Most of the controls are done using sliders that allow you to move back and forth on each setting until you are happy. You can compare your corrections to the original (in the left hand panel) and see if you like your work.
Once you are satisfied with the image you have, simply select the button marked Save Vivid-Pix and the image will be saved into the same folder with a different name, so that you still have your original file too.
This software is not aimed at the serious underwater photographer, but at divers who like to take photos on their dives and want a quick and easy way to improve their underwater images. It can only process jpg files, and does not offer a huge array of editing tools that more expensive and complicated software on the market do. But it is simple and fun to use.
The website has video tutorials to talk you through how to use the software, and you will pick it up in minutes as it really is intuitive to use. The price is $49.99 (approx. £35) and you can see if you like before buying the software by using a 30 day trial option.
Be sure to give it a try (and you can even win a copy of the software in the Scubaverse monthly photo contest).
For more information visit www.vivid-pix.com.
To find out more about Nick and Caroline and Frogfish Photography, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
