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Need A Digital Film Stock? There’s a Plugin for That

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 12, 2013
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , . 2 comments

model_fs
This past week I had a chance to get reacquainted with one of my longtime favorite (but obscure) image plugins.  The aptly named Film Stocks plugin from Digital Film Tools simulates the look of many classics.  In fact you’ll find 288 different color and black and white stocks that match  photographic film stocks, motion picture stocks, and historical photographic processes.

The package is $99, which may seem a little high at first, but its accuracy and depth are quite refreshing.  The filter simulates the grain structure, response curve, and gamma of traditional film stocks.  I’ve met the developer personally, and I can tell you that they are quite passionate about the accuracy of the looks. The looks were built through extensive research of actual film stocks.

FilmStocksUI1

You’ll find presets to match stocks from the following companies:

  • Agfa
  • Fuji
  • Ilford
  • Kodak
  • Polaroid
  • Rollei

The looks themselves can also be modified. Multiple looks can be layered or individual parameters can be adjusted.  Easy to use masking tools let you blend or obscure effects selectively.  A very attractive vignette generator can be used to produce organize results as well. The plugin works on both 8 and 16-bit images to give greater color accuracy.

Screen Shot 2013-04-12 at 6.05.01 AM

You can check out a demo version here

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Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

How to Approach Editing Video in Photoshop

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 10, 2013
Posted in: Technique & Tutorials. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

The act of editing a video can often seem a bit overwhelming.  This is because it is a very specialized process and one that differs greatly from many photographic or design tasks.  Understanding the standard workflow can help you complete an edit in less time and with less stress.  Let’s explore the essential steps at a high level (we’ll dig much deeper in later posts).

Ingest

01Ingest

The first step to editing video is to transfer the footage from your camera or memory cards.  Video files are much larger than photographs, so you’ll often spend a lot more time at this stage.  Additionally, the hardware choices you make (such as card reader and hard drive) can have a huge impact on your success and frustration levels.

Organize

02Organize

The act of editing a video is really the process of getting organized. Essentially you need to be able to find the best parts and separate them from the parts that aren’t so good (or can’t be fixed).  Spending a little more time up front on making the best selects as well as using metadata and rankings can dramatically improve the editing process.

Edit

03Edit

The editing process is really three parts.  First you edit away the portions of a clip that aren’t useful to your narrative goals.  Once the clip is trimmed, you’ll then sequence it in a timeline.  This process involves changing the order of clips in order to tell the most engaging story or to create a logical flow.  Finally, the timing of clips is often refined by either trimming or adding transitions.  This final stage improves the overall rhythm and flow of your story.

Mix Audio

04Audio

Because the volume of your clips will come in at different levels, you’ll need to mix your tracks to achieve a pleasing sound.  Perhaps you need to bring your narration track louder or pull the background sound down on a clip so its not overpowering the music track.

Color Grade

05ColorGrade

For many photographers, one of the first tasks they tackle is that of fixing color and exposure issues.  When editing video, you’ll want to put this task near the end.  There are several reasons for this reordering.  First, because video is a sequential medium, you’ll often make adjustments based on the shots that come before and after a clip.  Additionally you may change the look of a clip based on the mood you’re trying to convey. There is also a technical reason for this approach.  Using color and exposure adjustments in Photoshop increases the demand on your computer.  As such performance can slow down which can impact the ability to view clips in real-time (an important part of the edit stage).  Typically you can quickly adjust a clip to see if its “usable,” but then discard the adjustment layers until you’ve finished the actually editing stage.

Export 

06Export

Once you’re project is all done, you’ll find several publishing options available.  From Photoshop you can create master quality QuickTime video files for archiving as well as DPX image sequences so you can exchange with other professional tools.  You’ll also find the ability to export H.264 video files for use on the web or several portable media players.

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The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

Photomatix Quick Start – How To Make Great HDR Tone Maps

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 9, 2013
Posted in: HDR, Tips. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 comment

PFPMstepend

I wanted to give you a quick start guide on loading and processing images into Photomatix Pro to create the initial tone map.  The process is straight-forward and quickly generates results. Here’s our streamlined approach.

Step One: Up and Running

Launch Photomatix Pro from your applications folder.  For quick access add to your Mac’s Dock or Window’s Task Bar.

Step Two: Load Bracketed Photos 

Choose File > Load Bracketed Photos to load a series of images.  Ideally these images are shot using the tips in our HDR Primer.

Step Three: Choose Preprocessing Options

PFPMstep3

You have several choices in Preprocessing Options dialog. Not all of these are relevant for every image. Make any changes then click Preprocess to continue.

  • Align Source Images — If you shot your photos handheld or had any camera shake\.
  • Remove Ghosting — Only use this option if there are moving objects or subjects in the series.
  • Reduce Noise — Check this box the if the series contains RAW files.
  • Reduce Chromatic Aberrations — Minimizes the appearance of color fringe or shifting at the edges.
  • RAW Conversion Settings — Adjust the white balance and color model used when converting the RAW images.

Step Four: Adjust to Taste

PFPMstep4

Click the Tone Mapping / Fusion to change how the images combine. The Settings window lets you adjust the settings. There are several controls (which we’ll explore in future posts).  Mousing over a slider will give you details about its purpose (see the helpful text at the bottom of the window). With the buttons at the bottom of the window you can undo or redo settings, restore the default settings, and load and save presets.

The Preview window shows a preview of the final tone mapped image. You can adjust the preview size using the magnifier icons on top. Remember, the preview is just that (a preview).  Final result may differ slightly when using the Details Enhancer and Fusion/Natural methods.

The Presets panel lets you select a style for your images.  If you don’t see the presets visually, choose View > Show Show Preset Thumbnails..  Try different presets to choose a style you like from the thumbnails listed on the Presets panel. You can filter the preset display to show only those of the type you are interested in, by selecting a category name from the pop-up menu item on top of the panel. For example, you could use this to show only presets categorized as “Realistic.” Once you’ve chosen a preset, it will load new settings into the settings window which can be modified to taste.

Step Five: Finish and save the image

PFPMstep5

Clicking on the Process button located at the bottom of the Settings window processes your image at original resolution so that you can then save it.

Before saving, you can add a finishing touch to your image. The Finishing Touch panel lets you increase the contrast of your image, sharpen it, or adjust the saturation of individual colors.  The use of this panel is very desirable for many images.

To save your image, choose File > Save As. The processed image has 16 bits per color channel. However, you can choose to save it as 8-bit JPEG or 8-bit TIFF, if desired. Saving as 16-bit TIFF is recommended for further processing in other image editing tools.

More to come on Photomatix.  Give it a try today.

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lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

Skip Cohen University Professional photo education for wedding & portrait photographers.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

A Cool Phone App for Panoramic Photos (Even 360˚ Shots)

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 7, 2013
Posted in: Reviews, Tips. Tagged: , , , , , , . 3 comments

I just wrapped up two days in the desert shooting panoramic and time-lapse shots (much more to come).  It was a part of two projects (some new training for Lynda.com which will be out soon and my NAB workshop).

photo 1
While in the field I had a chance to try out some new phone apps. One of the one’s I put through the paces is 360 Panorama by  Occipital.  The app is available for both iOS and Android for only 99¢.  It behaves in a way similar to Microsoft’s Photosynth, but works very fast with excellent automatic clean-up and blending.

photo 3

Once you press the start button you just slowly pan and tilt.  I found that keeping my arm at the same length worked best to generate a very usable panoramic photo. A few tips that I followed.

  • Make a tight a circle as you rotate.  I kept my elbow tucked in
  • Make a single smooth pass.  Yes it looks like you’re doing a weird dance.
  • Choose good light over low light.  Phones are only so good (though I shot and am sharing some sunset images so you can see the results).
  • In low light: move a little, then pause; move, pause…

When the image is shot, you  can view it as either a 360˚ or Stereographic view.  You can also share it via Facebook and Twitter or embed the player on other sites.  The file can also be output as a flattened image to your camera roll or emailed.

panorama_Stereo_Ocipital

Here’s the flat version

panorama_Flat_ocipital

Here’s  the interactive version — http://360.io/wAKUM6

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lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

Skip Cohen University Professional photo education for wedding & portrait photographers.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

Photofocus Podcast April 5

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 5, 2013
Posted in: Audio Podcast. Tagged: , , , , , , . 1 comment

NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE: The Photofocus Podcast Feed HAS CHANGED!

Here is the new feed: feed://feeds.feedburner.com/photofocuspodcast
Download episode here…   or get it on iTunes

PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.

Rich and Scott record a special podcast live from Alaska.  They breakdown how they get ready for a professional shoot.

Topics include:

  • What gear to bring and what to leave
  • How to get gear on location
  • How to get the shot by setting objectives
  • Using multiple camera bodies
  • Scott’s Eagle shot he’s still trying to get
  • Pre-visualization strategies
  • What makes a great photo
  • How to photograph birds
  • What is the best depth of field for action?
  • Plus the announcement of our new HDR Learning Center

Hosted by Rich Harrington & Scott Bourne

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lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

Skip Cohen University Professional photo education for wedding & portrait photographers.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

Why Edit Video in Adobe Photoshop?

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 4, 2013
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a Comment

When Adobe unveiled the robust video editing capabilities with Photoshop CS6, the response from many was a simple “Why?”  In some regards this is a legitimate question as for most, Photoshop is closely linked with digital photography.  It’s the tool used to develop and process images captured by cameras into a more useful state. Of course, why can’t the same logic be applied to both video and photographic cameras (especially since these cameras seem to often be on a collision course as well)?

DSLR Camera

Photoshop and its Video Roots

It’s important that you realize that Photoshop and Video have a long history together. Photoshop began (in part) as tool for Industrial Light & Magic (www.ilm.com) the noted special effects company.  In 1987, Thomas Knoll began writing an application to edit and display grayscale images on his Macintosh computer.  His brother John was a visual effects supervisor at ILM and encouraged his brother to pursue it as a full application for editing.

PSV01-01b

Originally the application was called ImagePro, but was quickly renamed Photoshop (as the previous name was taken).  The software was used to help with visual effects in the film The Abyss (directed by James Cameron). The application was sold to Adobe and first shipped in 1990 as a Macintosh only program.

The program has been used by video and film professionals for years. I first used it professionally working for a television station that designed all of its on-air graphics using Photoshop. I then found myself using its powerful tools to create graphics for use with nonlinear editing systems like Avid, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere Pro.  In fact Adobe estimates that 95% of all video editors used Photoshop in their professional workflow.

Why Edit in Photoshop?

So let’s return to the first question.  Why edit video in Photoshop when there are so many video editing tools already on the market?  The simplest answer I can give is “Because you want to.”  Of course there’s lots more reasons like its simplified timeline that’s perfect for quick edits or its incredible ability to color correct using the Photoshop tools you know and love.

Editing_video-ps1

For many photographers, Photoshop is their home base. It’s where they feel most comfortable and like working.  Adobe has responded by enhancing the well-loved application adding highly functional, yet easy to use (and even familiar) tools to get the job done.

I had the joy of working with the Adobe team as they developed these features.  I can ensure you that the goal is to give you just what you need for basic video editing. It’s essentially there to help millions of photographers and designers get all that the DSLR and other video, off their hard drives and start putting it into action.

If you need to fix a few shots, it’s a great tool. If you need to assemble a short video for the web, it’s a really good tool. It’s got a lot of features, and what really stands out is its clean and simplified interface for assembling video clips together quickly.

 

We’ll keep looking in-depth at Photoshop and video in the coming weeks.

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lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

Skip Cohen University Professional photo education for wedding & portrait photographers.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo - Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.

 

The Super Secret Shortcut Keys for Photoshop Filters

Posted by Richard Harrington on April 2, 2013
Posted in: Tips. Tagged: , , , , . 1 comment

pssecretsfilters

I find that I use Photoshop’s filters to solve lots of problems.  Whether its defocussing a problem selection or running a dramatic adjustment like Topaz Adjust.  Often times I want to reuse a filter on a series of photos, getting identical or similar results as the previous image.  Here are useful shortcuts when working with filters in Photoshop (built-in or third-party).

Repeat the previous filter:

  • Command+F (Ctrl+F)
  • Runs the last filter again with the previously used vales. No dialog box opens.
  • Mac Think “I command the filter to run again”
  • PC Think “I control the filter to run again”

Reopen previous filter with same settings loaded

  • Command+Option+F (Ctrl+Alt+F)
  • Opens the last filter dialog box with previously used values loaded.Can adjust then apply it.
  • Mac Think “I want command the last filter, but with options to adjust”
  • PC Think “I want control the last filter, but with alternatives to adjust”

Fade the previous filter:

This lets you adjust its opacity and blending mode to mix its results with the original image:

  • Command+Shift+F (Ctrl+Shift+F)
  • Must run immediately after a filter.  Let’s you mx back original with a fade amount as well as use blending modes.
  • Mac Think “I command the filter to fade and blend”
  • PC Think  “I control how the filter fades and blends”

Trust me… these are useful.

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This Post Sponsored by:

lynda.com Learn photography anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace—from bite-sized tutorials to comprehensive courses. Try lynda.com free for 10 days by visiting lynda.com/ Photofocus.

Skip Cohen University Professional photo education for wedding & portrait photographers.

The Topaz Labs Image Enhancement bundle. Open up a world of creative possibilities with a seamless, integrated workflow. You don’t need to be a Photoshop wizard to look like one.

Gigapan.com. The revolutionary GigaPan EPIC robotic camera mount lets you capture and combine thousands of images into one incredible, interactive panorama. Save 10% with the code PHOTOFOCUS.

Drobo – Not only is Drobo 5D fast, but it’s easy-to-use, expandable, flexible, and protected.