Ever since I switched to mirrorless with my Sony a7R II, I've been trying to figure out the easiest way to clean my sensor. As you might know, without the mirror to protect the sensor, mirrorless cameras can collect a lot of dust spots! I've gone through a lot of options — blowers, sensor swabs, etc. Most of them are ineffective, hard to use or both. I would be fine getting my cameras cleaned by a professional, but here in Toronto, for some reason, the only store who can clean Sony sensors takes two business days, which in most cases doesn't … [Read more...] about Easy sensor cleaning with Visible Dust’s Arctic Butterfly 724s
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Portrait Tips: How to combine photos for the best expressions using layers in Luminar
Photographing large groups of people is the most challenging assignment you'll get as a portrait photographer. Each person expects you to make them look great in the final portrait, but there's always at least one person with a half blink or a nose tickle and there's definitely one person who is just looking off into space while everyone else has a winning smile. Sigh. The easiest thing way to manage this is to make many pictures and then combine them together into one with everyone's face look great. It's simple to use Luminar to make this … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: How to combine photos for the best expressions using layers in Luminar
How to Create a Colorful Silhouette Using HDR Tools
In the days leading up to WPPI, I was lucky enough, to go along with the rest of the Photofocus team, to check out some of the sights around Las Vegas. Way before dawn on Saturday, we drove out to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and photographed the sunrise and the dramatic light scenes that followed. In the darkness before twilight, the distant city lights reflected in the sky as an orange glow. I wanted to capture this as best I could. I decided that by putting my two yucca plants as the foreground element in silhouette against … [Read more...] about How to Create a Colorful Silhouette Using HDR Tools
6 Tips for Protecting your Camera at the Beach
I'm lucky enough to be spending a few days relaxing with my family on a beach. On our way there, I was charging my camera batteries and starting thinking of a few tips for keeping my camera safe while still snapping on the sandy shore. Isn't my Camera Body Weather-Sealed? Luckily yes, most camera bodies are weather-sealed, which helps keep out most of the sand and rain. But unless you're at hiking at a rocky beach, white sand grains are so fine that they really are unnoticeable until it's too late. I'm sure you've heard horror stories about … [Read more...] about 6 Tips for Protecting your Camera at the Beach
Adobe Market and Photoshop Assets
Creative Cloud has a plethora of added extras and there maybe one or two you miss, or forget from time to time. Adobe Market is one of those I forget, then when I need it turn my head to the skies and thank whoever dreamed it up. Where You’ll Find It I’m using a Mac here so I’ll find the CC logo at the top of the screen, if you’re on a PC then it’ll be down the bottom right. You may have visited this before to update your applications or look for fonts. What You’ll Find In Adobe Market Looking at the Market can sometimes be a little … [Read more...] about Adobe Market and Photoshop Assets
Instant Replay: Local Adjustment Tools with Glyn Dewis
Glyn Dewis joined Rob Sylvan and Levi Sim help you learn to master local adjustments. Global adjustments (changes that affect the entire photograph) in Lightroom are terrific, but learning the local tools will take your photography to the next level, and give you the polished look that master photographers have used for decades. If you've not learned from Glyn before, you're in for a real treat. He's a not only a masterful image maker, but also a joy to learn from. Hosted by: Rob Sylvan and Levi Sim Produced by: Rich Harrington and … [Read more...] about Instant Replay: Local Adjustment Tools with Glyn Dewis
Using Photoshop Art Brush To Make A ‘Painted On’ Effect
I recently wanted to put an image on some wood in photoshop, but wanted it to look like it had a border. I looked for Photoshop brushes and they all did a pretty good job, but what I really wanted was a technique that I could use to get various effects. This was my solution; Photoshop Art Brush Photoshop Art brushes work a little differently to regular brushes. Used with a graphics tablet it can give a more natural feel for digital painters. In this tutorial I won’t be using a tablet but I will be using the different settings. As you can … [Read more...] about Using Photoshop Art Brush To Make A ‘Painted On’ Effect
Instant Replay: Lightroom Q&A
In this episode, Rob Sylvan and Levi Sim answer questions about Lightroom. There are several terrific gems and pro-user tips on tools like making presets, using the print module, adjustment brush presets, and more. Hosted by: Rob Sylvan and Levi Sim Produced by: Rich Harrington and Photofocus.com https://youtu.be/DXWIQZw25aA?t=6m37s … [Read more...] about Instant Replay: Lightroom Q&A
How to create snow in Photoshop
In today's Photoshop tip, learn how to create snow using a custom brush, filters, and an adjustment layer. Similar techniques can be used to create rain, as well! … [Read more...] about How to create snow in Photoshop
Create Your Own Signature Watermark as a Brush
Some photographers use watermarks to promote who they are and others use it to prevent people from stealing their images. Adding a large watermark on your image can take away the beauty of it but in some cases it's necessary. If you need to added a watermark to your image, here's an elegant way to add your personal signature as a watermark in Photoshop. 5 Steps to Create your Signature Brush Step 1: Start with your signature or find a handwriting font you like. Since we are creating a brush, we don't have to extract the signature from the … [Read more...] about Create Your Own Signature Watermark as a Brush
Healing Wrinkles and Blemishes in Realtime with Photoshop CC
Editor's Note: Don't miss this week's free event on when to jump from Lightroom to Photoshop. I get a phone call from Sandy Parks, an award winning action adventure author. Her current book REPOSSESSED was in the final editing process and she needed a new portrait for the back cover of her book. We collaborated on a few ideas and scheduled a shoot the following day. Sandy is an attractive woman in her late 50s. She already looks great. Normally we have a makeup artist on set fixing blemishes and softening wrinkles. For this shoot, we were … [Read more...] about Healing Wrinkles and Blemishes in Realtime with Photoshop CC
ParticleShop – First Look
When Corel, the people behind Corel Paint, announce that theyre releasing a Photoshop and Lightroom plugin it peaks ones interest, so I bought the Starter Pack and gave it a try. Starting image for this post comes from Fotolia Starter Pack As an online purchase the download was fast and the installation was quick and easy. The Starter Pack plugin comes with 11 different brushes and costs $49.99 (Appx 32.50 / 44.60). Full brush sets can be added for a 24.99 for me here in the UK, thats about $38, so I was in no rush to start filling my … [Read more...] about ParticleShop – First Look
Painting In HDR With Snapseed
Google's Snapseed has undergone a facelift of late and one of the things Ive found helpful is the ability to brush in the HDR filter. Applying The HDR Scape Filter To apply the HDR filter tap the pencil icon in the bottom right corner Then slide up to reveal the filters. Among the filters is the new HDR Scape. This works much better than the Drama that you may have added before. Here add the adjustments to suit. In this example Im only adjusting for the portion of the image under the desk. The wall and windows Ill do later. Ill tap the … [Read more...] about Painting In HDR With Snapseed
Lightroom Hangout: Brushable Gradients and Other Local Magic with Colin Smith
You gotta join us live for our next Google+ Hangout, totally free of charge. Not only will you learn terrific techniques, but if you tune in live, you can be entered to win excellent prizes to help you in your work. (Note: MUST BE TUNED IN LIVE TO WIN). We kick off Tuesday 6/23, 5:00pm Eastern, 4:00pm Central, 3:00pm Mountain, and 2:00pm Pacific. 5:30pm in Newfoundland. RSVP here and it'll show your local time. I've been so jealous of Photoshop for the last year: it got brushes added to the gradient tools in ACR, but since Lightroom wasn't … [Read more...] about Lightroom Hangout: Brushable Gradients and Other Local Magic with Colin Smith
Repairing Old Photos in Photoshop
Have any old photos lying around? Whether you want to repair some family heirlooms or add a new service to your photo business, we've got you covered. Learn how to repair old photos in Photoshop using the Healing Brush, Spot Healing Brush, and the Clone Stamp Tools. Tools used in this tutorial: Spot Healing Brush: This tool works just like a brush. When you dab or create a brush stroke, Photoshop will analyze the surrounding area, and attempt to replace your blemish with that information. For best results, the Spot Healing Brush should be … [Read more...] about Repairing Old Photos in Photoshop
Quick Tip: Head Swap in Under 2 Minutes
Lets set up the scene. You have a 55 member family shoot. You loose count the ratio of kids to adults but all you know is that the kids out number the adults by a long margin. The ONLY time the family can all be together is 2 pm in the afternoon which adds to the stress by shooting in crappy light. You try to not let the fact this is the 1st time ever all the kids, parents and grandkids have ever been together. The Shoot You have an action plan and you go down you shot list like the pro you are. In spite of the less then ideal light, the day … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Head Swap in Under 2 Minutes
Create a Signature Watermark in Under 2 Minutes with Adobe Brush
As photographers, it's always a good idea to watermark your work. Not only is it an extra level of protection, but its also a chance to brand things a bit. In this tutorial I'm going to show you how to use Adobe Brush (a free app for iOS soon for Android). What is Adobe Brush? I first heard about Adobe Brush while watching the keynote from Adobe Max earlier this October. At first I figured its not an app I would EVER use. I do not use a lot of different brushes and I am terrible illustrator. Then it dawned on me. I could turn my signature … [Read more...] about Create a Signature Watermark in Under 2 Minutes with Adobe Brush
Using the Advanced Healing Brush in LR5
Are you looking for a great way to touch up your images or remove blemishes? Well you have access to the Spot Removal tool which is surprisingly versatile. Advanced Healing Brush (a.k.a. the Spot Removal tool) Lightroom 5, Adobe Bridge and Photoshop CC 2014 all share the Camera Raw 8 processing engine. What this means is there is only one Camera Raw that is shared by all three applications. The user interface in Lightroom is different than that of Camera Raw hosted by Bridge or Photoshop. Note: For purposes of clarity, when I say Lightroom I … [Read more...] about Using the Advanced Healing Brush in LR5
Remove Wrinkles in Photoshop
In this video, you'll learn how to quickly remove wrinkles from your images in Photoshop. Disclaimer: This is only one way to remove wrinkles in Photoshop. … [Read more...] about Remove Wrinkles in Photoshop
Best Kept Photoshop Secret Alternative to Dodging & Burning
Have you ever been working away in photoshop, keyboard short-cutting like no other, when suddenly you do something that is unexpected and awesome? It happened to me when working on a image of the French Quarter in New Orleans. This technique is one of the best kept secrets in Photoshop and it has changed the way I post process forever. The original image, shot in New Orleans in 2004. For years I have been reading all these crazy complicated ways to dodge, burn, lighten, darken and vignette. Complex stuff involving layers and masks and … [Read more...] about Best Kept Photoshop Secret Alternative to Dodging & Burning
Removing Shadows and Distractions in a Photo
In this tutorial I walk you through my entire process to develop this image. You'll learn how to: Make adjustments in Camera Raw (or Lightroom) Paint in selective adjustments to remove shadows Remove distracting elements with the Clone Stamp and Healing Brush tools Improve accuracy with the Quick Selection tool This is a complete workflow I used to create this image (which made the Upcoming list at 500px). Disclaimer: This is just one way to use Photoshop. ______ … [Read more...] about Removing Shadows and Distractions in a Photo
Double Up on Lightroom Adjustment Brushes
Editor's Note For complete coverage of the new Lightroom 5.2 features click here. There have been many times when I've used Lightroom's adjustment brush to its maximum use. In other words I'm getting positive changes, but I've hit the highest value on the slider. In the past, I'd need to paint paint another mask on and apply those settings again. This also comes into play when I take a two pass approach. For example, I'll use the settings two times at less than maximum when softening skin, in order to maintain better realism. This takes … [Read more...] about Double Up on Lightroom Adjustment Brushes
Multiple Undos and Paint Backwards in Time with the History Brush
Photoshop offers a cool tool to work backwards in time. The Photoshop History Brush lets you combine multiple states of an image. The technique is incredibly useful and powerful. Give me two minutes and I'll show you a how to take complete control over your post processing. Can't see the video? Click Here. Disclaimer: This is just one way to control your workflow....go ahead and give it a try. ______ … [Read more...] about Multiple Undos and Paint Backwards in Time with the History Brush
Get Results with Photoshop’s Spot Healing Brush
Photoshop offers many intelligent tools to quickly fix image blemishes. One of those is the Spot Healing Brush tool. It gives you the ability to heal blemishes with a short brush stroke. It can quickly remove blemishes and imperfections in photos without the need of setting a sample point. Open a photo with a blemish (such as a skin tag, pimple, or sun spot.) Select the Spot Healing Brush tool in the Tools panel. Choose a soft-edged brush from the Options bar. Set the brush to be a little bit larger than the problem areas. The keyboard … [Read more...] about Get Results with Photoshop’s Spot Healing Brush
Masking Layers with Brush Opacity
Guest post by As this is my first post with Photofocus, Id like to start off by thanking Scott for the opportunity to share some Photoshop tips and techniques with you. By way of introduction, I am an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop, an award-winning trainer, I have been featured three times on Photoshop User TV, and I have been writing online since 2002. One of my readers, Steve, does a lot of work with landscape HDR photography but recently created an image that included a person. The HDR process did not produce a very flattering … [Read more...] about Masking Layers with Brush Opacity
