PSReye Magazine Cover

The PSRI magazine, PSReye Focus is on sale at 25% savings. In case you did not get a chance to purchase your own copy, or want to purchase additional ones for yourself or friends, the sale is offered directly by MagCloud and will end on March 21, 2010.

Shipping charges depend on the delivery speed, the lowest cost option at $1.40 per magazine arrives within about one week. MagCloud accepts PayPal or credit card payments and you will receive your copy in your mailbox within about one week although they indicate 1-2 weeks.

Topaz DeNoise Plugin

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.

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

Topaz Adjust Plugin

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.

A '58 Plymouth Fury in 1960

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.

'55 Oldsmobile with Bungalow

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.

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