PhotoPlus Expo 2011: After the Capture

We've covered some of the latest camera technology on the show floor. Today, we're looking at some of the tools available to help photographers out once the image has been captured. Photos need to be processed, stored, printed and shared. Check out a few of the PPE exhibitors who want to make all of that happen.

Athentech
A plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom, Athentech's Perfectly Clear software is designed to make otherwise complicated photo editing ridiculously simple. It applies a default processing algorithm to any photo, boosting contrast, removing red eye among other things. Once the default processing has been applied, parameters like exposure, color vibrancy and skin tone correction can be adjusted for an even more dramatic effect.

Noise reduction can be applied at various strengths. Perfectly Clear didn't develop this noise reduction formula - it's produced by a company in Europe called Stoik. Despite these levels of control, Perfectly Clear isn't a plug-in for the absolute control freak. Instead, it can be customized to your liking and used to batch edit a massive number of photos to give them a uniform look in a short amount of time without ever creating a layer. Perfectly Clear is available from Athentech starting at $199.

Western Digital
Western Digital continues to offer storage devices of all shapes and sizes for photographers. Basic WD Passports for the Mac have been given a slight redesign and continue to offer 1TB of storage space for around $100. The whole array of Western Digital products conform to a sleek design aesthetic.

For an added layer of security, WD now offers a rugged Nomad case for its Passport storage devices. The case is sealed to protect your data from dust and weather elements with a latch that offers access to your devices ports. You can read up on it at Western Digital's site, and you can find a review of the Western Digital My Book Studio at our sister site, DesktopReview.com.

Blurb
Looking for something to do with those photos packed onto your hard drive? Blurb can help you turn a hard drive full of images into a high-quality book. They've just added new ProLine professional paper options to the roster. Download the free software, pick a template and add your photos and text where you want them. Blurb books allow for plenty of customization from paper type to layout. Pocket-sized books start at $3.95 and hardcover books start at $28.95.

Canon Pixma Pro-1
Canon launched the Pixma Pro-1 just prior to the start of the show. It's the mystery printer we first got a glimpse of at Canon Expo last year. It's a sizable inkjet printer targeting advanced enthusiasts and pro photographers. It uses a new FINE printhead to deliver high quality prints up to 13 x 9 inches.

We got a preview of the Pro-1 in action Wednesday night. For more details and specs, read the launch coverage on our sister site, PrinterComparison.com.

There's still more to come from PhotoPlus Expo 2011, so stay tuned!