Normalize updated. De-Instagram your Instagrams.

Instagram Walden filter, fixed with Normalize

Normalize is an extremely easy to use image auto-enhancing app from the maker of Auto Adjust. Its no-button solution helps fix many bad photos. It’s a fast, easy way to bring new life to dull pics. The app helps make colors more vibrant and hard to see details stand out. It can also help restore the natural look of images that have been processed with faux-lomo apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram. Not always, but often enough to be worthwhile addition to your toolbox.

Normalize 1.1 was recently released. Read more about the app ~~and how you can win a free copy of it~~ after the jump. >>>

“I wanted to make something without all the complicated controls without pulling a Final Cut Pro X,” says the app’s developer Joe Macirowski. “Normalize focuses its algorithm towards white balancing and takes special considerations so it can un-Instagram things (you can paste in web content instead of saving it first).”

I found Normalize to be amazingly easy to use. Simply load or paste an photo, let Normalize process, and save. The new update adds a slider that allows you to adjust the intensity of the processing.

I am glad that Normalize is in my toolbox. Normalize did a decent-enough job of color balancing and adjusting the tone of my raw images — about as well as many other auto-enhance apps, such as Primasnap. It didn’t work for all images I ran through it. Sometimes, I found it added unnatural color casts to images that were pretty much tonally balanced to begin with. Overall, for everyday enhancing of most raw images, I found that there are other Dynamic Range Correction apps that do a consistently better job of one-click image scrubbing — Perfectly Clear and ACDSee Camera Flash are two that I recommend.

Normalize did a good job of lightening dark images. It at least salvaged otherwise unusable images and got them to the point where they didn’t look bad or could then be imported into other photo apps to help remove color casts and other anomalies.

But, where Normalize excelled for me is the good, sometimes great job it did at defiltering processed images from Instagram, Hipstamatic and other apps. I ran several Instagrammed and Hipstamatic’ed images through Normalize. Many times, the results were pretty impressive at how well it restored much of the natural color, contrast and tonal qualities of the image. See the sample images above and below. For that possibility alone, it’s worth considering adding to your toolbox.

Promo Code Giveaway

UPDATE: All the promo codes have been given away, but Normalize is only $0.99 in the App Store. We’ve got a link below. =M=

I’ve got a few copies of Normalize to give away. We’re trying something different this time and I hope this works well. To be eligible to win, simply enter the giveaway below. Check out the entry. By following us on Facebook and Twitter, you can get up to three chances for a promo code.

Cut-off time to enter is 11:59 PM Eastern Time, today, Thursday, July 19, 2012. Winners will be determined by Random.org. One code per reader, please. Your email address is used for entry and contact only. Life In LoFi will not use or sell your email address for any other purpose.

Winners will be notified by email, Facebook message or Twitter direct message — be sure to check your spam filter. If you enter, be sure your email, Facebook or Twitter info is correct or your code will go to someone else.

Normalize is normally $0.99 in the App Store. It’s a Universal app that works great on iPhone or iPad. Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 5.0 or later.