AlphaStar – the bundle of professional lighting effects
The AlphaStar bundle of professional lighting effects is designed for those who require a variety of lighting effects for a large number of shots.
This package offers the possibility to create any desired ambiance and set the tone for any scene. It gives you the opportunity to introduce powerful but subtle light effects, just as well as strong dramatic accents or high-key moods, from sunrise to sunset, in which every detail can be easily adjusted with a couple of mouse clicks. You’ll also find here several convenient presets with pre-built scenes that have been carefully developed by professional photographers and are sure to meet your needs no matter what genre you work in: fashion, architecture, portraiture or advertising photography.
AlphaStar’s lighting effects are created using high-quality optical elements and advanced, non-linear digital processing techniques. The result is excellent quality of light and the optimal image area illumination. In addition to that, the AlphaStar bundle offers an extended range of light effects for creating even the most subtle mood, as well as for creating dramatic accents that can be effectively used both in single images and in large photo collections.
The AlphaStar bundle consists of three modules – each with its own purpose:
AlphaStar Standard is a powerful module with advanced image processing algorithms which allows you to create a whole range of different lighting effects which can be adjusted using just one slider. It contains 12 sliders, 5 of which are devoted to the creation of natural light effects (daylight, twilight, dusk, night and moonlight), while the other 7 sliders allow you to set the tone for any chosen situation.
The module is available in two versions: one for light effects with a standard contrast (1) and one for light effects with an increased contrast (2).
AlphaStar Deluxe – this module represents a new approach to traditional lighting effects composed of highly-skilled-engineered optical elements to create the most subtle and yet dramatic lighting effects. By using its advanced algorithms it is possible to adjust extremely subtle variations in brightness without losing image details or breaking photo composition rules.
Deluxe modules are composed of several optical components that work in concert to produce the desired effect. You can use them for low-key and high-key lighting, for creating dramatic accents and for creating even the most subtle changes of tone. The Deluxe version is equipped with a Reflector Panel and 2 Chasers – one Red, another Blue. They may be controlled separately or in combination with each other. In addition they also have their own dedicated settings – Correction 1 and Correction 2. These settings allow you to adjust the overall brightness of the scene (e.g., when you want to increase the brightness), or you may use them to control a specific color component (e.g., exposure). All these parameters have an extremely flexible range of adjustment, allowing you to correct all sorts of mistakes, compensate for incorrect exposure, adjust the overall ambiance or even exaggerate the lighting effect.
AlphaStar Ultimate – this module is designed for those who want to get the most out of their photographic images by adding extra special effects.
In addition to all its other features and options, it offers Advanced Color Correction which makes it possible to adjust not only the color temperature but also to create various gradients of color over a chosen area. This is especially useful when there are multiple light sources present in a shot or when you wish to make small details stand out more strongly on a colored background. This module also offers its own set of continuous controls for adjusting the color temperature and brightness of the illumination. The latter function is especially useful when working with a fluorescent light, which creates a certain kind of “haze” in the scene.
These modules are available for purchase separately or as a bundle.
AlphaStar Standard 1 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for interior and landscape photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Standard 2 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for portrait photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Deluxe 1 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for fashion photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Deluxe 2 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for architecture photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Ultimate 1 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for advertising photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Ultimate 2 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for landscape photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Standard 3 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for architecture photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Standard 4 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for advertising photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
AlphaStar Deluxe 3 – an additional package that contains 4 special presets for landscape photography, each preset being essentially a short video animation piece made by professional photographers. These preset scenes can be used to create various ambiance and mood, with all of them imposing a very subtle and mysterious atmosphere with low-key lighting.
Conclusion
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The AlphaStar Series from Color Grading Central is a perfect tool that can be used by anyone who wishes to add extra glamor to their images. And while it offers some very good presets, they are not the best option for professional photographers. Those who wish to use this product should know that there are quite a few issues right now, so you should consider purchasing only the modules that you need. What’s important is that this plug-in provides an incredible range of control over color temperature, brightness and saturation, as well as over light intensity, etc., which allow you to produce any type of desired effect.