Free Presets We've released a bunch of freebies lately to help you get more out of your software. This post gives you access to all of them in one convenient place. Photofocus LOOKs for Perfectly Clear Complete V3 Inspired Style presets for Macphun Luminar 44 Free Presets for Photomatix Free Presets for OnOne Super Deal on Perfectly Clear Complete (version 3) Perfectly Clear Complete started shipping this AM. We've got an exclusive bundle that saves you a bunch of money Perfectly Clear Complete v3 ($129 … [Read more...] about Free Presets & Exclusive Software Bundle for Photofocus Readers
aperture
HDR 101: Shooting Brackets
Human eyes are incredible for viewing the world and seeing into shadows and highlights all at the same time. The basis of HDR photography is making several exposures at varying brightnesses and combining them in a powerful software app like Photomatix so we can view a photograph the same way we view the real world--into the shadows and highlights at the same time. We call it “bracketing” or “shooting for HDR” or “shooting brackets.” Every interchangeable-lens camera I’ve seen for sale in the last seven years offers automatic bracketing, but … [Read more...] about HDR 101: Shooting Brackets
Understanding Equivalent Exposure Pay attention – there’s a Quiz
Let’s think technical for a moment. A properly exposed image is created by mixing three key elements, known as the Exposure Triangle—Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO—to produce the right amount of lightness and darkness for a photograph. There are almost endless combinations that can be used to achieve an equivalent exposure. Leaving your camera in full auto mode will usually guarantee a perfect exposure, but not necessarily a perfect image. To be creative, a photographer decides how much of each element’s value to use based on the element’s … [Read more...] about Understanding Equivalent Exposure Pay attention – there’s a Quiz
Lens Review: Lensbaby Twist 60
This new Twist 60 lens from Lensbaby has my full attention right now. There are always new lenses boasting extreme sharpness or wide apertures or super telephoto, but Lensbaby steps aside from the sharper-faster-longer race and makes tools that actually help me be more creative. In short, it's a marvelous hunk of metal and glass, it's affordably priced, and I think you'll love it too. Keep reading for the reasons why. Petzval for the 21st Century Petzval was a scientist in the 1800's who created a new lens design, and it made big … [Read more...] about Lens Review: Lensbaby Twist 60
Photography’s Basics: Aperture
The aperture in a lens is photography's analog to the irises in our eyes. Our irises enlarge to let in more light in dim circumstances. They contract to a smaller size reducing the amount of light in bright places. The aperture (also known as the f/stop) in a lens does the same thing. Of course, there's a lot more to it.The aperture not only controls exposure, it is a creative tool too. Want the background out of focus? Choose the right aperture. Need things sharp front to back? There's an aperture for that. Bokeh? Yep. It's all about the … [Read more...] about Photography’s Basics: Aperture
