Name: Express Digital Darkroom Core Edition 9.1 Software, Full Version for the Advanced Amateur to Edit, Enhance, Manage and Archive Images for Windows
Brand: Express Digital
SKU: ISWXDDCE9
Price: 479.00 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 2 (1 reviews)

Express Digital Darkroom Core Edition 9.1 Software, Full Version for the Advanced Amateur to Edit, Enhance, Manage and Archive Images for Windows

Express Digital Darkroom 9.0

Express Digital

Express Digital Darkroom Core Edition 9.1 Software

Adorama

Computers

Computer Software

Photo Editing Software

Express Digital Photo Editing Software

Express Digital Darkroom 9.0 

Buy: Express Digital Darkroom Core Edition 9.1 Software, Full Version for the Advanced Amateur to Edit, Enhance, Manage and Archive Images for Windows Delivery Method: CD/DVD, Operating System: PC/Windows

Express Digital Darkroom software is image management and enhancement software designed for the advanced amateur and serious digital photography enthusiast. Express Digital Darkroom software creates a comprehensive studio environment for the passionate digital photographer. The software provides all the necessary studio elements including, image management, enhancement tools, proofing capabilities, local print options, e-commerce capabilities and electronic print fulfillment in a single vendor solution. Express Digital Darkroom software provides increased efficiency and many creative options for the digital photographer who shoots recreationally, dabbles in portrait and event photography or who is looking to establish or grow a professional business.Express Digital Darkroom offers a scalable open architecture, making the software compatible with many of the industry's digital cameras, all Windows-based printers and digital mini-labs. In addition, Express Digital Darkroom software comes complete with a PhotoReflect.com Internet storefront, as well as electronic print fulfillment by using Express Digital's Labtricity network of professional labs. Open RAW and proprietary digital camera files, organize and manage all your images, add borders, enhance images using built-in color, sharpness, brightness and contrast adjustments, review images with the slide-show feature and print locally to any Windows-based large or small format printer. Get professional quality results by using Express Digital Darkroom, the right software for the real digital photographer.

I am providing this update to my review and to respond to the comment labeled Fabulous.  Note that I do not work for Express Digital nor PhotoReflect and that the following update is based on my experiences and opinions.   

DARKROOM PROS: I agree that the Darkroom software (ver 9.1) is relatively easy to set up and quick to use if and only if the end user only wants to print and sell photos with custom borders and with minimal image editing and little color correcting. It is very easy to select the image, size the image, crop the image, position the image, set exposure, set contrast, add a  slight color shift, and add a selected border to each image.  Adding text into predefined locations on the photo generally is extremely easy (there remain a few bugs with the date codes). Packages can be configured for rapid on-site printing using dye sublimation printers. Plus the program includes order history and order entry. These features by themselves work wonderfully and in my mind justify the price of the software. 

DARKROOM CONS: There are many. It is not easy to color correct an image in Darkroom. Both yahoo forum users and I have experienced problems with color correction of images. I believe it is because of the way in which Darkroom handles quick color correction. For example, Darkroom uses one color picker: you can select to correct for white or for black or for grey color points, but you can not select more than one color point for color correction. Just clicking between a white and a black color point will result in color shifts in the image. As a workaround and to properly handle color correction, I found it best to perform my color correction in Photoshop, Nikon Capture NX2, or similar image editing software where I can use both the white and black (and occassionally grey) color points to quickly and properly adjust the color, contrast, and tone of the image based on color codes, and then import the saved image into Darkroom to add a border template, text, and make positional corrections.  The use of the color codes eliinates visual differences and provides for quick color selection. Specific editing of parts of the image (i.e.: dodging, burning, etc.) are best performed in Photoshop, Nikon Capture NX2, etc. as I find Darkroom's image editor difficult to use. While the Green Screen feature works satisfactorily in Darkroom if you properly light your green screen and subjects, I find it easier to use PhotoKey 4 Pro (recently upgraded to 5) for my green screen work because it better handles bad lighting and photographer errors.  Afterwards, I just import the saved image into Darkroom to add the border. Furthermore, saving images in the photoworkshop as a new file will cause you to loose your positional location in the photolibrary.  To return to your former place to edit the next photo, you need to write down the image number and then scroll back to that location.  Overall, this requires intense concentration and wastes a lot of time at events if you are also selling a CD with the edited image with a border. Darkroom imports images into a hidden directory. Copying the image file or moving the image file out of Darkroom causes file handling and numbering problems in the photolibrary since Darkroom adds data files for edited images keyed to the original image file name.  I've also experienced problems with backups if the Darkroom hardware key is not in the computer when the making the backup since the backup software can not find the hidden directory. 

EVENT USE: I tested the use of Darkroom to display images at events, but considering the cost of purchasing Darkroom software for each viewing station along with its complexities and workarounds, I purchased another vendors event software designed to easily handle multiple viewing stations, multiple tech stations for editing and printing of photos, and an optional  server. I note that using a server at an event is nice because I am able to automatically and simultaneously upload the images from the memory cards into a working directory, a display directory, and a backup directory. At the viewing stations the customers see the images from the display directory and place their orders which are printed out with a file number. The table techs use the working directory to import the customer ordered images by file number into the photo image editor for color correction, then into PhotoKey if green screen is used, and then into Darkroom for border addition and printing.  Prior to, during, and after the event, I photograph black, white and grey cards to test the lighting and to check the color ranges for my color correction. I don't do specific time consuming image editing (dodging, burning, specific color correction, etc.) at the event because that is best done in a controlled studio setting. I have thought about using the software at weddings, but decided to wait until Darkroom fixes many of the problems mentioned herein because the workarounds are time consuming. It is easier at the reception to display the wedding images already taken on viewing station monitors and an overhead projector and have staff take orders so the images can be edited, color corrected, printed, and then sent to the customer with additional marketing materials.

PHOTOREFLECT:  Darkroom is also designed to work with PhotoReflect's storefront - a digital internet photo lab where customer's may order photo packages. I've experience difficulty and "bugs" in setting up a PhotoReflect studio storefront to be used with the Darkroom software. Part of the difficulty is that in Darkroom you have to "right click" on the catalog and then try to figure out how to upload only selected pictures (the good ones) from the photolibrary thumbnails plus a custom price list, plus a template set for each job. It is tedious work and very time consuming. It could be made to work easier. To confuse the on-line customer, PhotoReflect both places their logo on the photo studio's storefront and on a splash page with their logo. Of note, the PhotoReflect website uses flash which prevents Ipad and Iphone users from placing orders. I have also experienced problems with PhotoReflect notifying me to process customer orders placed on the PhotoReflect storefront. In my opinion, the PhotoReflect storefront is not customer friendly.

FUTURE: I am hopefull that one day Darkroom will correct their software to improve the green screen capability, improve the color correction features, repair the bugs, and improve the interaction with the PhotoReflect website. Additionally, maybe PhotoReflect will one day remove their logo from the individual studio storefronts to make the storefronts look more professional and find a solution to allow Ipad and Iphone users make purchases on the PhotoReflect storefront. Until such time, I have closed my PhotoReflect storefront.    FestivalFoto