Good Source of Reading

February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I have accidentally stumbled upon a rich source of photographic resource online, and more about how I got there in a later post. While previewing a book online, I noticed a list of related content being displayed on the side and followed one. I arrived at a Web site called issuu.com (read it as issue, leave it to the Internet!) I started looking around, did a few quick searches and found that there are a large number of photographic books, magazines, portfolios, etc. at least for viewing online and many being available to download. Let me give you a few quick links, but also suggest that you type in your search phrase, photographer or author name, subject, and find out what else is available. Fair warning though, it may become a time sink!

Minimalist Lighting

Photoshop CS5 Pocket Guide

Fotoblur Magazine

…

and the list goes on. You will be surprised at the variety of subjects and the quality of available resources. Give it a try. Share your finds and comments here with others if you like.

 

 

 

Filed Under: All Posts, Camera and Lens, Landscape, Lighting, Lightroom, Macro, Nature, Photoshop, Portrait, Software

Color to B&W

February 7, 2012 By 2 Comments

Color to B&W

Here is a quick synopsis of this evening’s presentation on converting color photographs to B&W:

  1. This was a program on converting color photographs to B&W not about B&W photography in general, so some subjects were intentionally left out
  2. The human visual system is very complex, very capable, with flaws that ironically help us make sense out of the world that surround us. The main factors that influence our vision, color perception, and tonal structure are:
    1. Color constancy
    2. Tonal constancy
    3. Equiluminosity
    4. Simultaneous contrast
  3. We perceive colors with the influence of the factors above. Therefore, not every color photograph will not necessarily convert to B&W well. We have to accept that and learn to live with that
  4. The tools for B&W conversion mentioned, although there were many more, were (1-4 in Photoshop):
    1. Look at the channels, RGB, Lab, CMYK. If a channel has acceptable B& image, copy the channel and paste it as a layer
    2. Use Channel Mixer adjustment layer, click on Monochrome check box and mix the channels according to image content and taste
    3. Add HS adjustment layer, change its blend mode to Hue. Above this add another HS layer and reduce saturation to zero. Now on the first HS layer you can pick the channels and move the hue slider for different effects. (I was clicking on the wrong blend mode during the presentation, that’s why it did not work.)
    4. Add B&W conversion adjustment layer and use the color channel sliders to change the luminosity of color channels. Remember that is a global adjustment unless you use layer masks (a different lesson session)
    5. In Lightroom HSL panel, reduce the saturation of each color channel to zero and adjust the luminosity of each channel according to image content and desired results. Tweak with the saturation and vibrance sliders as well as the color temperature and tint sliders. Make additinal tonal adjustments with the curves if necessary
    6. Use Split Toning panel to add toning effects if desired. Use the Hue for highlights and shadows and adjust the saturation for the desired results. The warm tone I indicated I used often were Hue=40 Saturation=10 for highlights and shadows
    7. If you wanted to apply real split toning with different hue for highlights and shadows, experiment with cool and warm hues for highlights and shadows. Remember, a little goes a long way.

In all digital editing the result should not scream “Photoshopped!” Photoshop or Lightroom are tools just like your lenses and cameras. What matters in the end is your photograph not the tools or techniques you used.

Also note that there are quite a few more B&W conversion tools and toning methods. I tried to cover those that are easy to replicate. In a longer workshop I may cover more detail and include different tools, if there is interest that is.

One Web site that you will find interesting to visit is http://www.webexhibits.org/ . There I used pages from their Color Vision and Art content, although other sections are quite interesting. You will learn plenty there about photography although the content does not specifically refer to it.

 

 

Filed Under: All Posts, Lightroom, Photoshop, Software

Editing Photographs Presentation

January 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Editing Photographs: Train Your Eyes to Pick the Right ToolThe presentation titled “Editing Photographs: Train Your Eyes to Pick the Right Tool” slides are below. They are viewable on screen.

Editing Photographs

 

Filed Under: All Posts, Photoshop, Software

When the Frost is on the . . . Window

January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Now that winter has finally kicked in, and the overnight temperatures dip into the single digits, there’s a good chance you’ll discover frost on your windows depending on the types of windows you have.  The best way to photograph frost is to have the camera on a tripod with the camera back parallel to the window pane.  It’s not always easy to accomplish, and here is a Photoshop technique to help.   If you have to take the photo at an angle and can’t get everything in sharp focus, you can take several imagess, each with a different section in focus, then merge them in Photoshop.

Instructions on how to combine images together, align them, and merge them in Photoshop can be found HERE.

Filed Under: All Posts, Macro, Photoshop

Create Output From Lightroom for Printmakers

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

PrintMakers, Inc.Our local print lab, Printmakers, Inc. does a great job producing excellent quality output. However, the third-party software used as the intermediary, E-FTP and ProDesign are mainly created for photographers who order quantity and variety. If you want to order enlargements and if you do not do it frequently enough the process can be unduly complex. I have written an extensive tutorial on Kept Light Photography on how to create files directly from Lightroom that you can easily upload using their simpler software, E-FTP which is my choice. You may want to take a look at it before your next order.

Filed Under: All Posts, Lightroom, Software

Lightroom 4 Public Beta

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Adobe announced yesterday the availability of Lightroom 4 public beta which anyone can download and use free of charge (download link at the bottom). It is exactly what it says, a preview version of the product. It will install along side of your existing Lightroom if any and will not import any existing Lightroom catalogs. This is to ensure the integrity of your live catalogs and to reinforce the idea that it is not yet ready for being your production software. Below are my quick observations to give you a head-start in your exploration.

After the installation, you can choose a folder to import to get a good taste of what is in the planned release of the software. Some features may not be visible and may emerge in the final version and others may actually disappear. I did a quick review to see what the changes are, I am happy to say that some features remained stable, some have been improved, and a few new features are added. Those of you who have read my two-part post on my site on Lightroom exposure and Brightness sliders might remember how confusing these sliders were. In a very good move, Adobe software engineers restructured the adjustment tools that appear to be more intuitive and easier to understand. A snapshot of the Basic panel is on the left.

Although it may take some getting used to the new paradigm my initial reaction is positive, they make sense and work as I expect. There are other changes here and there, some new features in the Adjustment Brush panel which may come in handy once we fully understand what they actually do.

There are a couple of new modules, Map, and Book are the new additions. Map will help in geotagging photographs on a world map and the Book module allows creating books on Blurb. Additionally, the book module can export the created collection as a PDF file. The Print, Web, and Slideshow modules seem to be about the same, although I have not fully explored every nook and cranny.

If you import a bunch of photographs that have some adjustments applied in an earlier version of Lightroom the applied adjustments may appear in LR4 as if you are working in the old version. The adjustment sliders will look like that of LR3. If this happens, look for an exclamation mark on the lower right corner of the image display portion of the interface and click on it. That will update the adjustments to the new standards and you will see the new adjustment sliders.

Download your copy from Adobe Labs.

Filed Under: All Posts, Lightroom

Mac Attack

December 27, 2011 By

… no, not that kind! This information came to me by way of Ted Haley who got it from Dennis Ryan. It informs the Mac users against a phishing attack. It is published in MacWorld, it must be legitimate, at least as a concern. If you are a Mac user, take a look a this article and see what you need to do.

Filed Under: All Posts, Digital

A New Magazine …

December 18, 2011 By

… and, it is free! Published by the Nielsen Photo Group (publishers of PDN and Rangefinder) has introduced PIX, The Photographer’s Field Guide, and online magazine. The premier issue is available for viewing and for the time being it is free. There is plenty of gear information along with some interesting photography. Take a look at it, the price is right.

Filed Under: All Posts, Camera and Lens, Computer, Gear, Lighting, Lightroom, News, Photoshop, Printer, Software

Slideshows for the Holidays

November 10, 2011 By

Photodex, the maker of the popular Proshow Producer and Gold, and a PSRI sponsor has nice ideas for the holidays. Visit their blog to get some idea seeds and get to work! You have only a few weeks left for the holidays (I know I am slightly exaggerating, but not by much) to produce these shows and share with friends and family. Remember that PSRI members get a special discount on Photodex products, check the members only pages to find out the code if you are interested in purchasing a copy.

Take a look at the post.

Filed Under: All Posts, Digital, Software

Lightroom On Sale

October 3, 2011 By

LightroomI got the heads up from Ken Zirkel that B&H has Lightroom at 50% off, $149.99. This is a very attractive price if you were holding for a good time to purchase it. I also suggest that anyone interested in this deal check the price with Alan. Hunt’s may have the same deal locally. Here is the B&H deal. The sale ends on October 4, 2011, tomorrow!

Filed Under: All Posts, Lightroom, Software
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