• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Oben CTM-2500 5-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod
  • Datacolor SpyderX Elite review and installation guide
  • BenQ SW271 monitor offers perfect color and resolution
  • Cecilia Humboldt 14L backpack offers stylish, customizable storage
  • Stacking up ProGrade Digital’s SDXC card and reader with SanDisk

Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Menu
  • Blog
  • Photo
    • Shooting
    • Gear
    • Lighting
    • Reviews
    • Close
  • Video
    • Shooting
    • Gear
    • Lighting
    • Reviews
    • Close
  • Learn
    • Maximize Lightroom
    • HDR
    • Video
    • Lightroom
    • Photoshop
    • Close
  • Gear Guides
    • The Ultimate GoPro Kit
    • Architectural Photography
    • Close
  • Business
  • Drones
    • Stills
    • Video
    • Gear
    • Post-Processing
    • Close
  • Inspiration
  • News
  • Software
    • Adobe
    • Apple
    • Mobile
    • Skylum
    • Windows
    • Close
  • Podcasts
    • Audio Podcasts
    • Video Podcasts
    • Close
  • Contests

Will onOne’s Perfect Photo Suite replace Photoshop or Lightroom?

Vanelli 11/29/2014 10

I originally created the Aviator in 2011 using Lightroom and Photoshop as my editing tools. When onOne announced the release of their New Perfect Photo Suite, I was inspired to recreate the Aviator using their new standalone program. I’ve been using onOne for years as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom, but this was the first time I created a project from scratch using their standalone program. I wanted to see if I could work start to finish in Perfect Photo Suite and get the results I wanted. I’ve included a free video at the end of the article.

My Approach

Since the concept of the Aviator was already established; use textures and color to create a composite of a young woman in front of a World War II plane I had to figure out how to use the Standalone version to create these effects. This was a new approach for me, so I budgeted a little time just to play with the software and get familiar with the workflow. After about 30 minutes, I was acclimated to the new software environment. I was able to make the image look aged with color and texture similar to how I created it in Photoshop.

Each tool has it’s purpose but still works together

Perfect Portrait: Enhancing eyes, lips and skin.

I first started with a photo of the model. Perfect Portrait auto selected her eyes, lips and skin. The software places pins outlining the eye with a color pin in the center aligned with her pupil. I was able to tweak the selection and apply my own settings. For the most part, Perfect Portrait did the bulk of the heavy lifting. The whites of her eyes were balanced with the sharpness of her iris. Perfect Portrait selected the lips in a similar way. If her teeth were showing, the software would have whiten them along with adding vibrancy to the color of her lips.

My favorite feature of Perfect Portrait is how it enhances skin. The skin doesn’t look fake or plastic thanks to the many options I can change. The software starts by making a preliminary mask of the skin which I can edit with a brush. Setting the mask view mode to show a red layer mask helps me make a better selection. I like to include a small part of the hair around the subjects face. This ensures a smooth transition.

onOne Eyes
onOne Lips
onOne Skin mask
onOne Skin options

Perfect Layer: Extract the subject and created the composite.

Perfect Layers makes it easy to composite two or more images. Like Photoshop, Perfect Layers use an editable layer mask. The quick mask brush makes it easy to select the majority of the background. The masking brush in combination with checking Perfect Brush option allowed me to make a more complicated mask, especially around the hair. Once I masked out the image, I created a “Stamped Layer”, the same as merging multiple layers together in Photoshop. I then made the new stamped layer a “Smart layer”; yes the same as a smart object in Photoshop, so I could have the option to change any effect after I created them.

onOne Layers
onOne Layer Masking
onOne Layer Masking results
onOne Masking brushes
onOne Layer Masking brush
onOne Smart Layer

Perfect Effects: Filters to create the Aviator look.

I spent the majority of my time in Perfect Effects. I use Perfect Effects as my main go to plugin to create special effects. Once I create an effect I like, I save it as a preset. Not only does this speed up my workflow on future projects, but it serves as a note on how I created a certain look. I’ve included the same Perfect Effect I used to create the Aviator at the end of the article. Blank Layer mask were automatically added to each filter. Simply use a masking brush inside Perfect Effects to paint in or out the effect. I used the Grid mode to see how each effect will be applied to the image. It was just a matter of looking and clicking on which one I liked best. A huge timesaver.

onOne Perfect Layers
onOne Grid view select
onOne Grid view

Perfect Enhance: Apply a few finishing touches.

Perfect Enhance is similar to Lightroom’s develop module. I was able to make photography enhancements quick and easy. I enhanced the shadows, tweak exposure, tone and color in the image along with increasing the sharpness.These effects were subtle but made a difference.

onOne Perfect Enhance

Perfect Resize: Enlarge the image to the final print dimensions.

I waited until the end of the project to scale the image to the final print size of 24 by 16 at 180 ppi. I could have started with the proper dimensions in the beginning but a larger file means more processing time with each of the filters. Since I was experimenting, I wanted to save precious time. and stay in a creative mode not wait for the filters to render. I’ve used Perfect Resize for years when scaling images for prints as large as 4 foot by 8 foot in size. I haven’t experience any low quality issues and have been happy with the printed output.

onOne Perfect Resize

Watch My Workflow

FREE Plugin: The Aviator Preset

FREE onOne Trial: Perfect Photo Suite

Will I ditch Photoshop and Lightroom?

The real question is can Perfect Photo Suite be a replacement for Photoshop and Lightroom. The answer is yes (especially with its new Browse Module). Will I ditch Photoshop or Lightroom, No, those other tools are too deeply ingrained in my workflow.

I think it’s great onOne is giving consumers an alternative. Casual users or users intimidated with Photoshop will be happy. I don’t foresee Photoshop or Lightroom disappearing but then again, fellow author Lisa Robinson didn’t foresee her beloved Aperture disappearing either. She wrote about her switch to Lightroom in Breaking up with Aperture.

My personal thoughts and advice

I’ve been using onOne’s plugins since they were created in 2005. I’ve found the company very open to feedback from photographers. When a new plugin worked, they heard my praise. When a new plugin didn’t meet my expectations, they heard that too.

The only problem now is I’m hooked. onOne’s plugins have made me become lazy at Photoshop. I honestly can’t remember how to enhance a model’s skin or create a snappy duotone without using a plugin or Lightroom.

My buddy Brian once said, “onOne creates plugins so you can spend less time editing and more time shooting“. Either way, I’m happy with the results. So here is my advice. If you are fluent with Photoshop and Lightroom, use onOne as a plugin. If you are new to Photography and haven’t gotten the hang of Lightroom, download a free trial of onOne’s standalone Perfect Photo Suite. Either way, you’ll find great tools to help you create stunning images.

  • About
  • Latest Posts

Vanelli

Robert Vanelli (Vanelli to his friends) is a working photographer, educator and author living in Florida. After a successful career as a three-time, Triple Crown Karate champion, Vanelli turned his attention to teaching the visual arts. As an experienced educator, Vanelli has created several photography and digital workflow programs including Click for Kids.

Currently he is teaching workshops, writing for Photofocus and creating tutorials for various plug-in companies and for the Vanelli and Friends series.

You can find out more about Vanelli at www.VanelliandFriends.com

Latest posts by Vanelli (see all)

  • Blurry pictures: What causes them and how to get sharp photos - February 9, 2019
  • Quick Tip: Create your own Actions, Presets & Luminar Looks - February 8, 2019
  • Would you pay 3.5 million dollars for this photo? - February 4, 2019

Categories: Opinion Photography Photography Reviews Software Tutorials Tags: composite free Lightroom ON1 OnOne Perfect Effects Perfect Enhance Perfect Layers Perfect Portrait Perfect Resize Photoshop preset replace review workflow

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
 

You May Also Like:

Please support our partners:

Adobe Stock – The marketplace where videographers and photographers make money with their video footage and still photographs. Become a contributor today!

Lume Cube – Proudly known as the World's Most Versatile Light™, Lume Cube represents the future of LED Lighting.

ACDSee – Experience ultimate creative freedom with the world's first digital asset manager and RAW editor with layers. ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 is the answer to your creative graphic and photography needs.

Illuminati Instruments – Maker of the Illuminati meter that measures flash & ambient, color temperature and chromaticity in a compact case that links to a smartphone.

B&H – B&H is a world renowned supplier of all the gear photographers, videographers, and cinematographers need and want to create their very best work.

Skylum – Your photos, more beautiful in minutes. Makers of Luminar, Aurora and Photolemur, Skylum adapts to your style and skill level. Check out the new Luminar 3, now available.

Perfectly Clear Complete – Built for precision. Made for beauty. Perfectly Clear has mastered the science of intelligent image correction - creating superior quality photos in record time, so you can get back to doing what you really love...in no time. Special Photofocus deal here.

V-Flat World – Lightweight and easy to transport, the Foldable V-Flat from V-Flat World makes it easy to travel, collapsing down to 40 x 40 x 2 inches. Learn more at vflatworld.com.

Adobe Creative Cloud – Creative Cloud gives you the world's best apps and services for video, design, photography and the web, whether you're a beginner or a pro! Plans start at $9.99/mo. at adobe.com.

Viewbug – Learn and improve your photography with over 500 videos. Trusted by millions around the world, join over 2 million photographers who already use Viewbug.

HDR Learning Center – Check out new ways to use High Dynamic Range photography to make compelling images. Free tutorials and posts to get results. Produced in partnership with HDRsoft.

ThinkTAP – New online education for photographers by working professionals. Be one of the first 50 people to buy our new time-lapse training for only $99 (that’s 60% off); use the code TL50.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tauratinzwe says

    November 29, 2014 at 11:36 am

    Do you have enough influence to convince OnOne to resurrect the PhotoFrame module? They’ve kept a very few of these effects in PerfectEffects, but many are lost and none contain the flexibility of the original PhotoFrame. It was the OnOne plug-in that got me to first use OnOne and the one I used the most. I’ve tried to beg them to revive it on their facebook page without response. They would get more sales if they brought it back.

     
    Reply
    • Vanelli says

      November 29, 2014 at 11:44 am

      Taurantinzwe…. did you hack my email and see I’ve been begging too? lol I agree it was a great tool. I developed multiple uses for … frames inside other frames for an abstract look. I’m still curious why they let it go

       
      Reply
  2. Raewyn's Photos says

    November 29, 2014 at 2:14 pm

    I got the free version of the 8 software and it froze my computer – to the point of having to restart it. So I am very dubious of this software. Thanks for showing the good side to it and make me think more about updating. 😀

     
    Reply
  3. dierk says

    November 30, 2014 at 2:09 pm

    after I read this I looked at the tutorial about textures ….. and bought it right away!
    It seams to do all what I missed in LR today.
    Thanks for telling us.
    dierk

     
    Reply
    • Vanelli says

      November 30, 2014 at 5:59 pm

      Sweet.. make sure you show the results!!!!

       
      Reply
  4. AlanH says

    December 1, 2014 at 2:05 pm

    Sorry, it won’t replace Photoshop or Lightroom for me until they get a lot of the bugs worked out and it becomes more stable! Just sayin… And, for the record I go all the way back to 2000 with Genuine Fractals and have been an OnOne customer since they started; I’ve owned the last 3 or 4 versions of the Suite.

     
    Reply
  5. Don Lee Brown says

    December 10, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    Vanelli,
    This is one of the best tutorials I’ve watched… you’re a ‘great’ teacher and make it very easy to understand. Excellent job, I’ve become a fan! I also agree with the first comment by Tarratinzwe…, OnOne, bring back PhotoFrame, it was a real winner and we miss it !

     
    Reply
    • Vanelli says

      December 10, 2014 at 9:11 pm

      Thanks Don!

       
      Reply
  6. Peter Patershuk says

    March 17, 2015 at 9:03 am

    I shoot in RAW
    Do I need to use Lightroom first then PPS9 or does PPS9 equal LR and I don’t need to purchase LR
    Thanks

     
    Reply
  7. mike mahlke says

    May 17, 2015 at 5:28 am

    My reason not to buy on1 is simple. I have only computers with 4GB Ram, bought one or two years ago (2013 and 2014). And I bought the black and white module. It does not work right with 4GB Ram. Adobe PSE 13 works very good with my Computers and ACDsee too.

     
    Reply

Comment Policy: Vigorous discussion is welcome. Please use your real names and respect one another.

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Our eBooks

  • Develop Great Images in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (Scribd | iBooks)
  • The Basic Beginner’s Guide to Photography Light & Exposure (iBooks)
  • Secrets of HDR (iBooks)
  • 72 Essays on Photography (iBooks | Amazon)

Footer

Photofocus

Regardless of the type of photography you focus on, Photofocus is here as a helpful and educational resource for the aspiring and professional photographer. Our goal is to assist in your success as an artist.

Advertise on Photofocus

Our eBooks

  • Develop Great Images in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (Scribd | iBooks)
  • The Basic Beginner’s Guide to Photography Light & Exposure (iBooks)
  • Secrets of HDR (iBooks)
  • 72 Essays on Photography (iBooks | Amazon)

Follow Us On Twitter

Follow @photofocus
Follow @rhedpixel
Follow @amesphoto
Follow @bryanesler
Follow @PhotoLevi
Follow @vanelli
Follow @chamirastudios
Follow @HahnNaturePhoto
Follow @LauriNovakPhoto
Follow @lightroomers
Follow @michaelmuraz
Follow @MikeJHagen
Follow @rodharlan
Follow @scottwyden
Follow @TracieJeanPhoto
Follow @Matthew_JordanS
© 2019 Photofocus · All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Advertise
    • Marketing Kit
  • Authors
    • The Publisher
  • Contact Us
  • Legal
    • Contests
    • FTC Disclosures
    • Review Guidelines
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.