It seems like the folks over at Alien Skin never sleep and are constantly working on making this RAW photo editor better and better. That’s evident in the latest version of Exposure X3.

Photo © Theodore Kefalopoulos https://teokefalopoulos.weebly.com/
This screenshot of an edit in progress by Greek photographer Theodore Kefalopoulos shows Exposure’s Layers panel and Brushing panel. A half-planar gradient is shown being applied to the sky in the image.

By far my favorite piece of Alien Skin software, Exposure X3 is much more than simply a RAW photo editor or a plug-in that lets you apply beautiful presets (although Exposure works very well for both of those functions).

With the latest updates, Exposure X3 has made it easier and more efficient to organize your images with collections, keywords and all the other tools you need to search and keep track of your files. And you can work directly from your folders, so there’s no need for cataloging.

Other notable new features include the ability to view images side-by side and, better yet, use virtual copies to save precious hard drive space. Of course, the software features non-destructive editing.

Photo © Andrea Livieri https://www.andrealivieriphoto.com/

Photo © Andrea Livieri https://www.andrealivieriphoto.com/
This before and after edit shows how Exposure X3’s new linear radial effects can transform a photo. In this strikingly sparse image by Italian photographer Andrea Livieri, three of Exposure’s new graduated filter presets are layered and blended, transforming the mood of the image from even weather, into weather with contrasting moods, where distant sunlight contrasts with heavy skies.

Exposure X3 offers more than 500 gorgeous customizable presets that range from classic black and white to cinema effects and much more. And with the new linear and radial gradient tools, you can make more accurate adjustments whenever you need to.

Photo © Sue Bryce https://suebryce.com/
This beautiful portrait by master photographer and educator Sue Bryce demonstrates her use of Exposure for color toning. Exposure was used for color fading and temperature.

To dig deeper into the latest features, head over to AlienSkin.com, where you’ll also find a link to download a free trial.

Exposure X3 is cross platform compatible but you’ll need Mac OS C Yosemite (10.10) or newer; Windows 7 64-bit or newer as a base. To use the software as a plug-in, you’ll need Adobe Photoshop CS6 or Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 or newer and Adobe Lightroom 6 or Adobe Lightroom CC 2015 or newer.

The software costs $149 but you can upgrade for $99. With all the expanded functionality of X3, it’s definitely worth the price.