Product Overview of Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is a powerful and feature-rich photo editing software designed for creative professionals and enthusiasts alike. Developed by Serif, it offers a comprehensive suite of tools to edit, enhance, and manipulate images, making it a robust alternative to other industry-standard photo editing software.
What Affinity Photo Does
Affinity Photo is tailored to help users perform a wide range of image editing tasks, from basic retouching and adjustments to complex multi-layer compositions. It supports various image formats, including RAW files, JPEG, TIFF, and even Photoshop documents (PSD). The software is available on multiple platforms, including Mac, Windows, and iPad, ensuring a seamless workflow across different devices.
Key Features and Functionality
Personas
Affinity Photo utilizes a unique workflow system called “Personas,” which are essentially different digital workspaces tailored to specific tasks. The main personas include:
- Photo Persona: The default workspace for general photo editing, featuring tools for retouching, cropping, selections, and applying adjustments and filters.
- Develop Persona: Dedicated to RAW image processing, allowing users to optimize and enhance the dynamic range, color information, and detail of RAW files.
- Liquify Persona: For making distortions and applying warping effects to images, useful for creating caricatures or other creative distortions.
- Tone Mapping Persona: For advanced tone mapping and HDR adjustments.
- Export Persona: For preparing and exporting images in various formats.
Non-Destructive Editing
Affinity Photo offers a non-destructive editing workflow, similar to Adobe Photoshop. This allows users to make adjustments and edits without permanently altering the original image data, providing the flexibility to experiment with different creative possibilities.
RAW Processing
The software seamlessly handles RAW files from various cameras, enabling users to optimize and enhance the images captured, including adjusting dynamic range, color information, and detail.
HDR Merge and Focus Stacking
Affinity Photo includes powerful features for combining multiple images:
- HDR Merge: Combines bracketed exposures to create high dynamic range (HDR) images with enhanced detail and contrast.
- Focus Stacking: Combines multiple images taken at different focus distances to create a single image with sharp focus from foreground to background.
Layer-Based Editing
The software features a robust layer-based editing system, allowing users to create multiple layers to isolate different elements, blend them seamlessly, and apply selective adjustments without affecting the underlying image data.
Precise Masking Tools
Affinity Photo includes precise masking tools, enabling users to create feathered or hard-edged masks for selective editing and blending layers seamlessly.
Live Filters and Adjustments
Users can non-destructively apply filters and adjustments using “Live Filters,” which are placed on separate layers rather than being applied directly to the image. This includes filters such as Blur, Sharpen, Noise, and Lighting.
Panorama Stitching and Other Tools
The software also features a built-in panorama stitching tool to merge photos seamlessly and create wider scenes. Additionally, it includes tools for sky replacement, lens correction, selective color adjustments, and support for Look-Up Tables (LUTs).
Stock Panel
Affinity Photo integrates a Stock Panel that allows users to search for images from Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay directly within the application, providing easy access to free images without leaving the software.
Pricing and Availability
Affinity Photo is available for a one-time purchase price of $54.99, eliminating the need for a subscription. It does not offer a free trial or a free version, but its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface make it a valuable investment for creative professionals.