At the end of 2017 Anthropics Technology Ltd launched PortraitPro Body 2, the latest in their line of editing tools for portrait photographers. The company is known for creating software that aims to simplify the editing process by using machine learning to automate much of the process. So how does PortraitPro Body 2 work and is it really easier than editing traditional methods?
Upon loading an image into the software, we are presented with a series of instructions for selecting the subject of our portrait. This process takes about a minute, but is easy to complete thanks to clear instructions and visual examples.
Once the selection is complete, PortraitPro Body 2 takes us through to the editing stage. Here we have several different sections of editing tools to choose from. The Shape Sliders section gives us a series of sliders which allow us to make general edits (such as making the body curvier or taller) or specific edits to parts of the body such as abdomen or arms. The Shape Tools section offers us brushes to adjust specific areas in a variety of ways, such as warping, expanding or contracting areas.
After we’ve finished adjusting the body shape, PortraitPro Body 2 has a few other useful tools to help us finish our image. The Skin tools let us easily smooth skin to reduce blemishes, cellulite or shadows and the Face section includes a very basic version of the tools from PortraitPro 17.
The next section is the Warp Fixer, which is a new tool unique to PortraitPro Body 2 that existing users will love. Often when you are doing body reshaping in traditional editing software you’ll find that elements in the background get warped out of shape, something that is really noticeable on straight lines such as architecture or furniture. The Warp Fixer lets the user fix this easily and intelligently. Another new feature in version 2 is Lite Mode, this lets us skip the selection phase at the beginning and gives us only a limited range of the editing tools.
PortraitPro Body 2 makes it possible for photographers to edit their own full body portraits. The sliders make most of the work almost automatic, so you’re not fiddling around with brushes and layers, and it’s easy to check your work by holding the return key. Anthropics offers a free trial of the software, so if you’re interested in trying the software you can do so without buying it. On the other hand, if you’re ready to go ahead and invest, you’ll be pleased to know that the basic version of the software comes in at under 40 US dollars and you can get a 10% discount using the coupon MC4669 on the buy page.