I keep getting offers for this software and I'm pretty sure I don't need it but it got me wondering, do any of you use it?
Hi Matt,
Yes I use it, although portraits are not my main subject matter.
Is it useful or does it just automate things we would normally do in LR or PS?
No, it does way more than LR or PS, and it is a real time saver (productivity tool). Not that Photoshop would not allow to do most things this software does, but it requires a lot less skill to pull it off (and does it possibly better) than most people can achieve.
I don't focus on portraits but that part of my business has been picking up in the last year. I typically shoot for a natural look which may be another reason this may not be for me.
Like any tool,
you decide how much to apply and how much to keep untouched. I do caution against going overboard with the Face shape 'adjustments', but they do have their use. I recently had to retouch a portrait of someone who naturally has a rather angry look. So I added a bit (just a bit) of a smile to the face, and it was interesting to see that the software didn't only change the corners of the mouth, but also some other facial muscle groups. I do not have enough experience to know about such subtle enhancements which keep it looking natural, but the software does.
As for skin adjustments, it goes way beyond simply blurring at some detail level, it uses a large library of skin tissue samples to address issues in the various parts of the face. Forehead pore structures are different for e.g. cheeks, noses, or upper lip areas. Also the relighting feature can take face shape into account, and add shadows and highlights in the right places across the face, because it has built in knowledge of physiognomy and bone-structure.
So if you want to use the built-in knowledge of skin and face structure and have a productivity boost, this tool is very much worth its money, IMHO. But as always, restraint reveals the master's skill.
Cheers,
Bart