Photoshop Tips,Tricks and Advice

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Adobe Photoshop to me is a constant learning process. I have only scratched the surface of what can be done with this fabulous program. As a constant student, I am always interested in new ideas of how people use the program. And even if I do not use their technique myself, some of what is done is fused in my mind, more on a subconscious level.

And when I look at an image and see where I want to go with it, I have more of an intuitive, and counter-intuitive approach of how I reach that result. After all, if we all used the same techniques, all our photos would have the same monotonicity. They would lose impact. You may become the master of the technique but at a loss of your creative edge. And ultimately, your images would drift into the sameness of the collective whole.

An example of this is when everyone was using the flood program,

It was catchy for awhile, and I even have some photos that I applied this to in my Flickr Archives. This photo at one time had reached number 1 in interestingness, had over 2,600 views, and 95 called it a favorite. At most it was a cheap trick of an easy program to use.

I have had better photos, and perhaps my best, Foggy Wood, has had over 1,100 people call it a favorite, and nearly 67,000 views. Why? Because this photo has genuine impact. It separates itself from the pack of any my photos, and perhaps many other excellent photographs. This in part was a fluke. Foggy Wood is 90 percent the composition and the shot, and 10 percent processing. I remember when I processed that shot it took less than five minutes. And believe it or not, I did not even have Photoshop. It is the kind of picture when "God presses the shutter," as Ansel Adams would say. At least it felt that way to me.

The point is to gain impact, to absorb what others are doing and then strike out on your own. When you take that great shot, and you will, the processing will fall just in place, like falling dominoes.

Now, I am going to recommend a site that has some excellent Photoshop videos. I recommend that you just watch them and absorb. Don't worry if you don't get the technique down pat. Remember you are adding this to your creative intuitive reason, and when you get into the flow of processing you will use what you need naturally.

By the way, the book below is my favorite Photoshop Book.

Todays Must Reads: Photography News

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How Every Flickr Photo Ended Up For Sale, by Jim Goldstein
An article about how the Flickr API is used by companies and individuals without regard to copyright and a commentary on whose fault this is. A must read for every Flickr user who values his or her photographic art.

I need your Help Badly, By Kris Kros aka Joe
Joe has been a good friend of mine for years. In his field of photography he is the best. Right now, he is facing a crisis in his life and needs our help. He is selling his Fine Art work for a tenth of what it is worth.

How to Win Photography Contests, by PhotoCritic
This lengthy article can serve more than as a suggestion on how to win contests. It gives an in-depth view on what makes photographs great. A must read for any photographer who wants to improve his or her art.

Power to the Photographer: assault and battery

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Just a fun post today, and I hope I captured your attention with the title. But I actually do have a recommendation about batteries, and then I promise something fun. If you use AA batteries in any of your cameras or camera accessories (especially flashes), I recommend that that you get the new pre-charged batteries.

The advantage of these batteries is that they can sit for up to a year and hold their charge, so when you go to your camera bag and get these batteries for your flash they are charged and ready to go - even if you put them in your bag six months ago.

I discovered these batteries when I was researching the field photo storage project I am working on. (More about the photo storage project later.)

The project required an emergency backup power pack that could charge from a USB port. By the way, it's great for cell phone emergencies and for point-and-shoot cameras that run out of juice in the field and you do not have another camera battery.

Below, continue to the fun at the Museum of the Obvious:

A totally amusing link to release your inner creativity. It's better than sliced bread!

Photo Editing: The Best Programs and Filters

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If you are like me, photo editing is always a quest for finding the best tools. We just want each of our images to be more impressive than the one before. We strive for excellence.

And that quest can empty your pockets pretty quick. Soon you learn, though, what works best for you and find that many of those expensive filters you have bought have remained unused.

Now, I have some recommendations. These are the programs and filters that I use time and time again. And some of the recommendations might surprise you.

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The essential list:

Photomatix: This is the standard HDR (High Dynamic Range) program that everyone uses. It's one of the best and if used properly can really enhance the colors and details of your image.

Photo Impact Pro: It's a program that is very similar to Adobe Photoshop. The advantage of this program is the cost factor. It is much cheaper than Adobe Photoshop CS3 but has many of the same functions. In some ways I prefer this program over CS3 for editing some of my images. The photo above, and this photo, were edited strictly in Photo Impact Pro and Photomatix. I like Photo Impact Pro because sometimes the edited pictures have qualities that I cannot achieve in Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended: This is the premier photo editing tool, at least until CS4 arrives. You can take a lifetime learning all the things that can be done with this fabulous program. The major cons of this program are the expense and the steep learning curve.

Filters I use most frequently:

Imagenomic: I use their pro noise reduction program. They do have a free community program that I used for awhile. The only problem I see with the community program is that it greatly reduces the size of the file you are working on.

Nik Software Color Efex Pro™ 3.0: This is a great program for making those photos pop. I love this program and all the filters that are included.

Viveza: It's also a program by Nik Software. Its ability to selectively adjust light, color, and contrast by control points is essential for the pro photographer. I use this program often.

Tiffin Dfx software: This product is sold by the same company that makes excellent filters for lenses. I highly recommend this this comprehensive suite of useful filters, and I use their filters often.

Nikon Capture: This is a great program for editing raw pictures non-destructively. I shoot in raw, and this is the program I use to tweak my photos before editing in Adobe Photoshop or Photo Impact Pro.

Lucis Art: This product adds a very creative unique touch to your photos. It does not work with all photos, but you can get spectacular results. I would add that if you are on a budget this should be the last program that you buy.

These are the programs that I use. You do not need them all at once. I would suggest starting with Photo Impact Pro and the community version of Imagenomic, which is free. Then as you learn and develop skills, start ramping up to the next level. You will know when it is time.

Photographing for Dollars: Sports Photography

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In photography there are certain ways to assure an income. One thing to keep in mind, though - you have to be good. Event photography brings immediate results.

The selling scenario:

A simple formula to follow is if there is avid interest in an activity and you can capture things that stir people's emotional ties, those photos will sell. This is how I do this:

I go to an event such as a Natural Bridge Speedway race. I take pictures. People become curious about the guy with the camera. After the race, I send an email to the owner of the track, and tell them what I am up to. Plus I give them a link to a book I made on Blurb, and hope that they are impressed.

When I go to subsequent races, I bring the books and 8x10s, which are presented nicely in a case. I make sure that I give some photos and books to the owner of the track.



Now, I have their blessings to sell, but I still keep a low profile and let people approach me. Everything sells like hotcakes. I keep my prices low, like ten for an 8x10, and twenty for a book.

A small profit margin, but sales are repeated over and over.


This sounds simple enough, but you need to use tact, and be graceful. And be sure to thank the owner of the event for this special opportunity.

If this is all that happens, you will make some income. However, there are other possibilities.

Start thinking in a larger perspective. Could your photos be used for event promotions? And think of the countless products that could be made and sold through the event owners, or even the participants. Be creative and think out of the box, and even more income could come your way.

Now, this is a small-time operation that is run on a dime. Some people specialize in event photography and have the photos developed on the spot. Operations like this one have really capitalized on event photography.

Personally, I could not develop on the spot. Each photo takes time for me to process and I am very particular in getting the image enhanced just like I like it, but developing on the spot would definitely increase sales.

Shooting Wide: The Sigma 10-20mm Lens

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When it comes to shooting wide, there is only one solution in my mind: The Sigma 10-20mm lens.

The picture at left, (taken by me in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia) shows the beautiful result of using this lens set at its widest setting, 10mm. As you can see there is minimal distortion for shooting at such a wide angle. This picture was taken holding the camera about 90 degrees to the scene.

If you follow the lines in the picture, you can see for yourself the quality of the shot you can get with this lens.

I read plenty of reviews, both good and bad, from prominent lens reviewers before purchasing this lens and and I wondered why there was such a divergence in opinion. Then I looked at the pictures of users of this lens and that made up my mind. This lens was for me.

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The lens is like one thick barrel - it is substantial and has a tight feel when you zoom in and out. I am well pleased with landscape shots I make with this lens.

In the picture of Lynchburg, there is minimal distortion. If you hold the camera and tilt up or down while looking through the view finder you will find that you can add a little distortion with an artistic bent. I do this often to emphasize the clouds or the landscape. The picture of the James River illustrates this technique. I consider this a plus for this wonderful lens.

If you want to shoot wide and are wondering which lens is for you, I think you will agree that this is one fantastic lens.

Buying through these Amazon ads found on my website helps support my photography and this blog.

Photographing for Dollars: Wedding Photography Hints

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So you have that expensive camera and have posted on Flickr, getting glowing comments. Perhaps some mail has come and you have some sales. You want that more expensive lens, and you want to justify the purchase. This article is for you.

Turning pictures into dollars happens fast when you do niche photography, and do a good job of it. One area of niche photography is capturing that memorable moment when the ring is placed on the finger.

Wedding Photography:

Photographers specialize, and perhaps the best known is the classic wedding photographer. They can get between 400 dollars to 2,000 dollars per wedding. Wedding photography is hard work, and you only have one time to get it right. And you better get it more than right to please your customer. If you choose this path, my hat is off to you. But you better be prepared and below is some suggested reading:

A suggestion to an aspiring wedding photographer is to add some features to their total package. Some would be wedding announcement cards, specialized postage stamps, and envelope sticker seals. All of these products can be made on Zazzle, and they do a great job, and the turnaround is fast. Below is an example of what one person did with Zazzle, and from their sales you can see it was quite effective. My experience with them is quite positive.

Bridal Shower postage stamp
by

photoinspiration

Make custom postage With Zazzle.com
Browse more Weddings - Engagements Postage

One thing that is essential for today's wedding photographer is the wedding book. I publish books on Blurb and am quite pleased with the quality. The book creator they use is easy to use, and interfaces nicely with Flickr, as well as other sites.

Wedding photographers have to offer a total package. Develop a list of all that you will be offering your potential clients. Be creative, and offer things the client would not normally suspect. (Like the Zazzle stamps and cards above.) And also see: 21 tips for wedding photographers.

Brad, a very successful local photographer that I have gone on photo shoots with, specializes in weddings. Take a look at his site, and get a feel what is involved in being a successful wedding photographer.

Look for a future article on sports photography, which is a niche that I am developing for myself.