Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

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Mykii Liu

Mykii is an energetic and kind soul that loves sharing his passion for technology and photography! Outfitted with 15 years of IT experience and 10 years in the portrait photography industry, he adds a different perspective on trending technology and reviews. A couple fun things of the many things he's done include being a Guest Blogger on Scott Kelby's Blog, being featured on Framed Network and being a participant in Adobe's Creative Jam.
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Latest posts by Mykii Liu (see all)

Getting Samsung’s 860 QVO solid state hard drive is a no brainer

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Samsung had released the 860 QVO SSD line in the end of 2018 as their entry level and most affordable SSD. Samsung has been a leader of solid state storage for almost a decade and has brought much of that technology down to a price range that everyone should jump on. I've got my hands on the 1TB model, the lowest capacity that Samsung makes alongside a 2TB and 4TB model. The QVO is currently only available with the SATA III interface, and I haven't heard of any plans to make it available in other interfaces, but I'd imagine that there would be … [Read more...] about Getting Samsung’s 860 QVO solid state hard drive is a no brainer

What resolution monitor should you buy as a photographer — 1080p or 4K?

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When it comes to monitor resolutions, there are really two monikers that are being thrown around today — 1080p and 4K. While 1080p screens look good for monitors that are smaller than 27", 4K tends to be what is recommended by the local Best Buy salesperson if you want a high resolution screen that is 27" or larger. I can't explain exactly why, but if I were to take a guess, I'd say it's because the marketing hype is all about 4K or they don't know any better. Dang marketing schemes. If you're looking to buy a monitor, I'd throw another option … [Read more...] about What resolution monitor should you buy as a photographer — 1080p or 4K?

The photography business management software you didn’t know you needed

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I'm a pretty spontaneous guy and already am easily distracted by shiny, expensive objects, so when it comes to focusing on the logistics of running the photo business, I kind of freak out and forget some things — but did I need something to help out with that? I've always wanted something, I just didn't know that I needed it though. There are plans for shoots, changes to shoots, more shoots to book along with shoots that cancel, haven't paid or I haven't delivered on top of those I haven't had a chance to address at all. So not only was I … [Read more...] about The photography business management software you didn’t know you needed

Photoshop CC 2018/2019 and macOS Mojave 10.14: Black artifacts

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One can probably imagine the amount of annoyance felt when unwanted black freckles show up on an image you're cleaning up. Not very long ago, I smashed more than three dollars worth of Hi-Chews in my hand out of sheer frustration over a bug known in Adobe's Photoshop CC 2018 and 2019. Sadly, it was unknown to me, but known to Adobe. Adobe has the bug aptly named, "Black artifacts on image after using the Liquify filter." The issue comes down to having graphics acceleration turned on when using the Liquify Filter when you're using certain … [Read more...] about Photoshop CC 2018/2019 and macOS Mojave 10.14: Black artifacts

Why switch from Apple Photos to Adobe Lightroom?

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If I didn't know much about photography and just wanted photos to easily sync up with my Mac and all my iOS devices all while being able to lightly edit photos, Apple Photos would be a grand piece of software. The option for iCloud Photo Library within the Photos app makes it super easy and hassle-free to have your photos synchronized to a remote server (iCloud), and consequently other Macs, iPads and iPhones that have that feature turned on. That's pretty awesome because if you lose your device, you at least know your pictures are safe on … [Read more...] about Why switch from Apple Photos to Adobe Lightroom?

JPEGmini Pro comes to Capture One 12

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I've been a long time user of JPEGmini Pro, which helps shrink down JPEG file sizes to help save space and decrease website loading times while still retaining image quality. I've used it in my workflow with their Lightroom plug-in to produce images to clients and update my website via Lightroom Presets. Capture One users though, had to first export their images to a location on the hard drive, then drag them into JPEGmini Pro in order to take advantage of the software. In the last major update brought to Capture One, they enabled support for … [Read more...] about JPEGmini Pro comes to Capture One 12

Get your camera body’s sensor cleaned and checked for free at WPPI

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Dust. It's annoying to clean off the shelves you have, but it's even more annoying to clean your own sensor. There are kits and tools to make it easier, although there isn't anything easier than handing your camera over to someone who works for your camera manufacturer — better yet, it is free if you're attending WPPI. I'd check with your manufacturer to see if they've got a presence at WPPI first and then see if they've got their cleaning booth up. I know for a fact that FujiFilm has their Check and Clean station that will gladly accept your … [Read more...] about Get your camera body’s sensor cleaned and checked for free at WPPI

eGPU: Why you should or shouldn’t get one

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eGPU's, external graphics cards connected over the relatively new Thunderbolt 3 connection, are fascinating pieces of hardware that enable Thunderbolt 3 equipped laptops to use high performance desktop graphic cards. With an entry price point of around $400 for a plug and play system for both Mac and PC, you might want to see if it's worth the money for your laptop. These devices range in sizes but are typically smaller than the average desktop computer and come either prepackaged with a graphics card or come as an enclosure only. The latter … [Read more...] about eGPU: Why you should or shouldn’t get one

Oben CTM-2500 5-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod

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Anything carbon fiber is freakin awesome and this Oben CTM-2500 5-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod is no exception to that. If anyone is looking for a super lightweight, durable and sturdy stick to either hold your camera up, hold your lens up, hold you up or bring someone down, this is one to consider. Sports and wildlife photographers that need the convenience of mobility over a tripod will enjoy the stability that this will give your large lens and the weight savings compared to an aluminum monopod or tripod. Features and details With a … [Read more...] about Oben CTM-2500 5-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod

Moving from Apple Photos in macOS Mojave 10.14 to Lightroom Classic CC

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Apple's updated Photos app in Mojave included some very helpful features for those in their ecosystem, but still not enough for me to keep using Apple Photos over Lightroom Classic CC. In this post, we will show you a quick and dirty way to move your photos from Apple Photos to Lightroom Classic CC. For those of you who own a 2008-2011 Mac and haven't been able to update your Mac OS to Mojave, you can still move from Photos into Lightroom by following along with the guide here, which is confirmed to work for OSX 10.10-10.13 — although, this … [Read more...] about Moving from Apple Photos in macOS Mojave 10.14 to Lightroom Classic CC

I just saved this $100 SD card from being unusable

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Okay, so here's the deal. You know that little lock switch on the side of the SD card? The one that you move to lock the card from being written on? Well, it works. It works really well. Almost too well on some occasions — like when that little lock switch becomes loose or even worse, missing! My wonderful Lexar Professional 64GB UHS-II 2000x Gold card ended up having one that was loose. Every time I plugged it into my Fujifilm X-T2, no matter how carefully I placed it in there with the card unlocked, the switch would slide to lock! It … [Read more...] about I just saved this $100 SD card from being unusable

How to import folder hierarchies into Apple Photos

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If you're new and fresh into the Apple ecosystem and want to use Apple Photos to hold all your images, you'll want to save a bit of time on re-organizing your folders of images that you may already have made. In an update to Apple Photos in High Sierra, Apple realized that users that a folder containing other folders with images in them would have to spend a ridiculous amount of time recreating that same organization within the Photos App. Thankfully, Apple has added this simple and not very known fix along with a couple of other hidden … [Read more...] about How to import folder hierarchies into Apple Photos

Dock & Cool Your MacBook for Max Performance!

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Docking your MacBook to a screen at your home or office gives the best compromise between portability and performance! I've been docking my MacBooks to monitors at my home office since my first MacBook Pro from 2010! So, why wouldn't you? The MacBooks are fantastic little machines that can pack a punch while being so portable-- but the 13" or 15" screen can leave one desiring more real estate to play with. So why not get the benefit of having a desktop setup with a laptop and bump up the performance while you're at it with a SVALT Dock? Things … [Read more...] about Dock & Cool Your MacBook for Max Performance!

ViewSonic’s VP 2785-4K is such a beast!

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The worst thing you can do in your workflow as a visual artist is to blow a whole lot of money on expensive camera gear, and skimp out on the equipment that is needed to view what you capture. Having a poor monitor is just as bad as having a super poor lens-- I mean, it's great if you're being spontaneously artistic and aren't expecting realistic colors. I've been given the opportunity to take a look at the ViewSonic VP2785-4K display, and I think that this screen is super awesome! Here's a few reasons why... Thought-out Features Like the … [Read more...] about ViewSonic’s VP 2785-4K is such a beast!

Apple updates the Photos App in macOS High Sierra!

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The only constant thing in Apple is change, and thankfully-- one of the biggest changes to macOS includes an update to the Photos app! There's a lot more for us to play with now, but the biggest changes include a more logical organization, more tools to use while editing, and the ability to jump back forth to Photoshop.  Organization The sidebar gets a great little makeover that makes a huge difference in terms of what you're seeing at first glance! The first thing that drew my attention is the little folder, called Media Types, that now … [Read more...] about Apple updates the Photos App in macOS High Sierra!

The term “Crushed Blacks” has got people confused!

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What seems to be a misused phrase in the photography community is being made increasingly more confusing by those who don't understand what they're saying. In a conversation I had with an aspiring photographer about his editing process on a particular image, he shared some usual color correction tips and then said that he "crushed the blacks." Shortly afterward at work, I had a conversation with another photographer who ranted and raved about another local photographer because of how he "crushed the blacks" in all his images. He then … [Read more...] about The term “Crushed Blacks” has got people confused!

Gear Review: Ruggard Padded Equipment Wraps!

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Padded and protective wraps have been on the market for more than 10 years now and they're a fantastic and affordable way to add some protection to your gear, especially when you don't have a dedicated, protective camera bag. I definitely welcome Ruggard's padded equipment wraps as a slightly more affordable option to Tenba and Domke's offerings of protective wraps. If you're like me, a person on the road a lot that keeps gear light and carries a camera handy 80% of the time but without the rest of the kit, then you'll enjoy the added peace … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Ruggard Padded Equipment Wraps!

Make Facebook Display Your Photos in the Highest Quality!

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If you've uploaded to Facebook, you may have noticed that Facebook does something funky with the pictures that you post. With 350+ million pictures being uploaded every day, it is no surprise that Facebook wants to save on bandwidth and costs. The Problem. Photographers know that the images uploaded to Facebook tend to look like junk, especially after they've gone through hours of editing (or have spent money for someone to retouch their images). Even clients get a little crazy when the images they upload-- those wonderful family pictures … [Read more...] about Make Facebook Display Your Photos in the Highest Quality!

Finally! A Monitor that Displays Colors Correctly!

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My colleagues at Photofocus have heard me and seen me say some very choice words during a time, not so long ago, when I had a monitor that wouldn't or couldn't calibrate! At first, I couldn't tell if it was the calibration tool I was using, or the monitor itself! Monitor Calibration Now color calibration is super important-- it makes it simple for you to edit your images on your machine and basically have it be seen on other color calibrated devices they way that you intended it to. There's a standard called sRGB that was developed to help a … [Read more...] about Finally! A Monitor that Displays Colors Correctly!

A Simple Way to Add Some Organization to Your Desktop

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A lack of organization can really kick you in a sensitive area if you're on a time crunch or are called to produce a photo or document of some sort. So here's a tip: don't be a digital slob! You might be a digital slob if your desktop is littered with a bunch of folders and files to the point where you can't see the beautiful wallpaper that is supposed to be displayed underneath. You might not be a complete slob if it takes you more than 5 seconds to find a file or folder on your desktop, that just means that you're one of those organized … [Read more...] about A Simple Way to Add Some Organization to Your Desktop

The Drobo 5C’s performance, from a budget conscious perspective.

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There's a new box on the block! It is a whole lot more affordable and all of what we'd expect in terms of quality from Drobo. Bottom Line: The 5C is an affordable, super simple and easy to use, expandable, directly-attached storage device that can hold up to five 3.5" drives of various brands and capacities for computers that may or may not use USB-C. This magic black box is purposefully featuring a USB-C port for all those who are early adopters, but also features backward compatibility with USB 3.0 over USB-A as well as many other … [Read more...] about The Drobo 5C’s performance, from a budget conscious perspective.

Do it! Put a Seagate FireCuda in your 27″ iMac!

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I just wrapped up installing a Seagate 2TB FireCuda gaming hard drive into a 2012 27" iMac, and boy is it worth it! The reason I chose this specific hard drive is due to the technology that this drive uses. Seagate, back in 2010, launched one of my favorite affordable upgrades for laptops-- a hard drive line called Momentus XT. This hard drive differs from the usual hard drives by combining the then new technology of solid state storage with the larger, more spacious, traditional platter hard drives. This combination drastically improved … [Read more...] about Do it! Put a Seagate FireCuda in your 27″ iMac!

Adobe Lightroom 2015.7 may not fully support macOS Sierra.

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While the list of supported OS's for Macs extend from 10.10 to 10.12 for the latest version of Adobe's Lightroom, there have been various issues with Lightroom 2015.7-- panels disappearing, brush size glitches and of course, the one I personally have, erratic curve adjustment. I like to adjust the curves for basically all of my images. If I need to add a point in the middle of the curve, I can do so without any problem. Once I try to grab the points at in the corners, crazy things start happening. Sometimes, I'll drag straight up and … [Read more...] about Adobe Lightroom 2015.7 may not fully support macOS Sierra.

Photographer’s Review – iPad Pro

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Holy crap. I caved. I really bought an iPad. Not just any iPad, the newest 9.7" iPad Pro! I'm not new to the iPad world. I deal with them every day I work! I just no longer owned one after my original iPad Mini got a little outdated for me. Many of you know, fellow author here on Photofocus, Vanelli. Ever since I met him, he's been hounding me for not having an iPad at the trade shows that I've seen him at-- WPPI and Photoshop World. I never really thought about the benefits of having one (besides being able to write on one, or watch movies, or … [Read more...] about Photographer’s Review – iPad Pro

Moving from Apple Photos to Lightroom – The WHY and the HOW!

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So you've decided to step up your photography game and get Adobe's Lightroom to manage and edit your photos, eh?! This guide will help you get your photos from Apple's Photos into Adobe Lightroom. As of the date of this publication, there isn't an everyday tool or utility that transfers an Apple Photos Library to Adobe Lightroom, like there is an Apple Aperture Library to Adobe Lightroom tool. While this gets your images into Lightroom, this, however, does not go over editing within Lightroom. There are a load of resources here on … [Read more...] about Moving from Apple Photos to Lightroom – The WHY and the HOW!

PEOPLE! Stop Fearing the New iPhone!

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I'm going to try to tone this down a little bit, as I've willingly participated in absolutely ridiculous and brainless conversations regarding the iPhone 7 with people. Everything from conspiracy theories like, planned obsolescence, to thoughts like "my life as a professional photographer is now doomed" have been made known to me. C'mon people. Really? I don't think anything has been as dramatic in politics, recent news, The Bachelor and other random TV shows lately... except for … [Read more...] about PEOPLE! Stop Fearing the New iPhone!

Apple’s Photos: The Hidden Power Tools

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Apple's Photos for Mac was a combination between the previous generation's iPhoto and Apple's discontinued professional software, Aperture. Good thing is that everyone with a new-age Mac can get Photos for free! While free may not get you all the crazy powerful tools that you'd find in Photoshop, thanks to some hidden tools that were donated from Aperture, at least you can make some decent global edits to the photos you have. Get Started Obviously, you'll need to get some images into the Photos app in order to start-- either import straight … [Read more...] about Apple’s Photos: The Hidden Power Tools

Lexar’s 633x 200GB microSDXC Card

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I've had this card for over 6 months, and I get so baffled every time I think about it. 200GB in a microSDXC card! That's just ludicrous! Every time I think about what I could do with this card, I kind of freak out. It shouldn't really surprise me in this day and age, but I can't help it. A little tiny chip, the size of your pinky fingernail that weighs as much as a paperclip, can hold more than a base model MacBook Air or Pro and the top of the line iPhone at 128GB right now! Really, that's ridiculous. With this kind of storage, many people … [Read more...] about Lexar’s 633x 200GB microSDXC Card

A Year and Some Change with the Fujifilm X-T1

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I can't believe how fast time has flown by. I remember when I started to slowly sell my special Canon gear after the purchase of my Fujifilm X-T1. Do I miss the Canon? How did my X-T1 hold up? Well the experience has been kind of different, but still positive. If you missed out on why I switched, take a read here. Do I Miss the Canon? Honestly, I miss having all my lenses and interchangeability of the lenses with my Canon film bodies. I would say that I miss having security stop me for having a Canon body. I find myself being stopped and … [Read more...] about A Year and Some Change with the Fujifilm X-T1

Instagram Grids– Hot or Not?

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Grids. Banners. Cubes. Whatever you call them. More and more companies and individuals have been jumping onto this trend since the Summer of 2015. The owners of these instagram accounts segment one photo into typically 3, 6, 9, 12+, square blocks and post them in a progressive order, typically by using some apps that make it pretty simple-- like Giant Square or Banner Pic. The result is a pretty interesting Instagram profile that can break down the feed into sections or just displays the photo in a unique way. Instagram has been changing a … [Read more...] about Instagram Grids– Hot or Not?