Fine-Tuning of Photos by Adjusting a Few Powerful Sliders and Presets Is Automatic, Quick and Fun

ANAHEIM, Calif. (21 February, 2010) –– Athentech Imaging Inc.’s Perfectly Clear® iPhone – a powerful new application of the company’s world-renowned image-correction technology unveiled last fall – has received the 2010 DIMA Vision Award as one of 2010’s most distinctive, one-of-a-kind upcoming digital imaging products.

Athentech Imaging’s “one click” Perfectly Clear® iPhone app assures that the millions of photos taken by iPhone users can be optimized for exposure, color accuracy, sharpness and depth with a single touch, the company said. Perfectly Clear® iPhone is currently available as an online download via the Apple iTunes App Store for $2.99 USD – http://www.athentech.com/iPhone.html.

“We’re very pleased to be honored by DIMA for our image correction technology in an elegant app that enhances some of the most advanced, exciting new technologies developed by Apple,” Athentech Imaging President Brad Malcolm said. “iPhone and iPod users now have easy access to the most advanced picture correction available anywhere thanks to our Perfectly Clear® iPhone solution. We’re also looking forward to launching Version 2.0, which will contain very powerful new functionality for enhancing the quality of mobile images.”

Vision Award winners were selected from dozens of entries evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of members of the photo / imaging trade press. The DIMA panel of judges made their selections based on the product’s innovation, its clear advantages over competitive products, and its benefit to users.

The potential impact of Perfectly Clear® iPhone is enormous. Currently, Apple’s iPhone is the second-most popular source of images (after a Canon camera) uploaded to Flickr, according to statistics maintained by that leading online photo sharing site – and it is by far the most used mobile device. “What has occurred in a relatively short period of time is that a very large number of people all over the world who take, print, share or receive photos are now looking at fully optimized images corrected by Perfectly Clear®,” Malcolm said. “Now with the availability of Perfectly Clear® iPhone, that number is growing further.”

Perfectly Clear® also is now available as a small iPhone library. Athentech Imaging’s remarkable image-correction technology can now be licensed for integration into third-party Apple iPhone applications. It provides powerful automatic image correction instantly on the iPhone and iPod Touch – as well as Apple’s new iPad.

For parties interested in learning more, Malcolm is scheduled to deliver a presentation in the PMA Photo Applications / iPhone Pavilion (#1830) – where Perfectly Clear® iPhone will be a featured application – at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21. This presentation will be hosted by Glyn Evans of The iPhoneography Blog.

Press-Specific Events
Athentech Imaging, the world’s leading independent developer of image-correction solutions, will be on hand at PMA’s press-only event – Sneak Peek – from noon-3 p.m. today, with a limited number of access codes for copies of its latest iPhone app as well as its Windows Photoshop plug-in. The press also is invited to visit Athentech Imaging’s Technology Suite on an informal walk-in basis, 3-4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, when the company will conduct “demos” of upcoming products and answer questions.

How Perfectly Clear® Works
The inherent problem with cameras of all types is that they optimize image capture for only one object or element in a photograph – meaning that other objects or elements may be improperly exposed. The human eye sees everything as it actually appears, and Perfectly Clear® “sees” every object in an image similar to the human eye. Athentech’s ground-breaking image correction algorithms treat each pixel in a digital photograph as if it was captured by its own camera. So every pixel in an image is separately optimized for exposure, color accuracy, color vibrancy, tint, sharpness, depth, noise – even “red eye.”

“Perfectly Clear® was invented for the digital world,” Malcolm said. “It’s modeled on the physics principles of light. Traditional analogue-based approaches actually damage true color, create artifacts, and cause clipping. But Perfectly Clear® essentially operates like the human eye, optimizing and correcting the light in every pixel to perfectly preserve the photographer's memory. From the experiences of our customers, we’ve learned that an accurately reproduced image will re-trigger memories far better than an inaccurate correction – which is why we’re unique in our ability to recreate what we call ‘Real Color’ and therefore help drive greater sharing and printing of images.”

More imaging businesses are choosing Athentech Imaging’s solution, including many who prefer it over more recognized brands of image enhancement software they receive as part of their overall equipment purchase. Along with its integration into a variety of imaging software products, online fulfillment sites and editing systems, Perfectly Clear® is currently installed in more than 55,000 retail photo kiosks, several thousand minilabs, numerous online photo sites and labs, and millions of copies of imaging software in nearly 40 countries.

About Athentech® Imaging Inc.
Athentech® Imaging Inc. is an entrepreneurial, privately held company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The company is involved in three industries and markets: digital imaging, signal processing (for medical applications), and earth sciences. For more information, please visit: http://www.athentech.com.

###

Athentech and Perfectly Clear are registered trademarks of Athentech Imaging Inc. Any other corporate names and trademarks in this document are the property of their respective companies.