Printing Workflow Presentation

If you like to review the presentation I made this evening, February 23, 2010, you will find the information on my site. I recommend that you watch the slide show one slide at a time with full effects, showing the transition from one state to the next. The PDF files are for convenience and for printing if you like. You may ask questions if you have any; if you do, please do so where the post is on my site so the questions and answers have context and accumulated information.

Topaz DeNoise, Photoshop Plugin Review

This is the second in a series of review of Topaz Labs plugins for Photoshop.  I’m not a Photoshop expert, and the tools that I use have to be easy to understand and straightforward to use.  I have used Topaz DeNoise for about a month now and have found that I can rescue images that I normally would have deleted, but saved for emotional reasons.  Now I have more confidence in using high ISO settings and long exposures, knowing that I can correct the image sensor noise these techniques generate.

You can read my full review of Topaz Denoise and see how I’ve used this tool , including a few image examples.

Topaz DeNoise is available individually or as part of a Photoshop Bundle. The price of Topaz DeNoise alone is around $80 and the complete Photoshop Bundle retails for about $180, a savings of $160 off the separately priced plugings.  Topaz Labs offers a number of upgrade paths if you choose to purchase an individual plugin, then decide to upgrade to the full Bundle.

Topaz Labs is getting ready to release a new versions of their plugins, and the company policy is to provide free upgrade to a new version to owners of the current version.  I will update my DeNoise review when the new version becomes available. Visit the Topaz Labs Web Site for more detail and to purchase your copy.  PSRI members be sure to take advantage of your Topaz Labs discount code.

Discounts for PSRI Members

As the punch line from an old commercial goes “Membership has its privileges!” Our sponsors, in addition to their generous contribution to our fund raising efforts, also offer discounts to our members. These are specially coded discounts available to PSRI members. The following table lists the companies offering discounts. To take advantage of these discounts you need to obtain the proper discount code from one of the officers. When you wish to purchase one of these products, make sure to take advantage of the discounts which will save a few dollars to you and show our support to these companies who support us.

I will announce the codes again on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at the meeting and will distribute them through our internal email news.

Vendor	Discount
Photodex, Proshow Producer and Proshow Gold	20%
Nik Software, all their products	15%
Topaz Labs, full line of their products	15%
Printmakers, Inc., on prints, books, special items	7%
HDR Soft, Photomatix HDR software	20%

Photoshop Turns 20

Four men who started the software that has become the standard talk about the “good old days.”

Topaz Adjust, Photoshop Plugin Review

Topaz Labs makes a series of very interesting plugins for Photoshop. Their software integrates with Lightroom, Aperture, and iPhoto but currently only on the Mac platform. Windows platform is on the horizon for Ligtroom integration.

I have worked with one of these plugins, Topaz Adjust which can produce excellent results with reasonable ease. Although it has a few quirky points, and a huge potential to go overboard, this is a very interesting piece of software if used with restraint and personal vision. Read my full review to gain a better insight of this product and watch for another module review coming soon, Topaz Denoise.

Topaz Adjust is available individually or as part of a Photoshop bundle. The price of Topaz Adjust alone is around $50 and the complete Photoshop bundle retails for about $180. PSRI members receive a 15% discount on all Topaz Labs products, watch your e-mail for the newsletter for details. This discount code is for PSRI members only. We will be raffling for some copies of Photoshop bundle kindly provided by Topaz Labs soon.

Topaz Labs is getting ready to release a new version of all their plugins and they promise that most of the quirkiness you will read about in my review will be addressed. I will update my review when the new version becomes available. Visit Topaz Labs Web site for more detail and to purchase your copy.

… and his drawings

If you liked Michael Paul Smith’s time-travel photographs from the past, take a look at his drawings and paintings. They are rendered with great technical detail, great technique, and they manifest strong artistic vision. The drawing below is his “first attempt to draw with colored pencils.” Colored pencils? Explore all his collections and galleries for real gems.

A Different Kind of Photography

Flickr has millions of photographs; now I don’t know the exact number but it seems to house a huge volume of photographs. Many, obviously not all by any stretch of imaginations, are similar photographs of places people have visited, friends having good time, animals caught in interesting and cute poses, and so on. In that haystack, I have stumbled upon a photographer and his unique work that both amazed and very pleased me.

Michael Paul Smith combines his mastery of model building with his photography and the result is akin to some kind of time-travel. His affinity to mid 1950s automobiles and his roots still strong in his hometown compelled him to build models of the era, cars, trucks, diners, car dealerships, country roads, and so on. I find his model building skills are extraordinary and his photography quite original and exacting. I have his permission to use these couple of photographs to give you a taste of what awaits you. I encourage you to visit his flickr collection and have a trip down the memory lane. Thank you Michael for your vision, and for your permission to use the photographs in this post.

Flat Rate Book Sale — winkflash ;)

Winkflash, a North Kingston prining company, has announced a sale of their hard cover photo books.  I’ve built two books using this company and was satisfied with both.  The offer is to print a photo book up to 100 pages of your images at the base price normally charged for 20 pages. 

You don’t have much time to take advantage of this offer; it’s on until 10 February 2010.
 More details at their website.

Winkflash Flat Rate Book Sale

National Wildlife Federation Photography Contest

Today I received notice of the annual photography contest organized by the National Wildlife Federation. Prizes total $30,000 in three divisions: Professional, Amateur, and Youth.  You can enter up to 25 images for a single entry fee of $20, which includes a one year membership  if you are not already a member of NWF.

More details here:    NWF Photo Contest

PSRI Competition Scores

Scores from the third PSRI competition are now posted.

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