Profile: James Philip Pegg - Artist

::: Artist Name::: James Philip Pegg ::: Media::: Illustrator, painting, art photography. ::: Website::: http://philpegg.multiply.com/ http://gallery.passion4art.com/members/artnacogdoches/homepage.html ::: 1 ::: When did you first realize you were an artist? Did you draw as a kid? Color outside the lines? Being the son of an artist, I had my drawing table next to my dad’s. I think... »»

Photoshop CS4: Introduction to Adjustments Menu

I’ve been teaching workshops on the new Adobe Photoshop CS4 for the last several months. The part of CS4 that has drawn the most comment and the highest response has been the addition of the new Adjustments panel. Individuals who are upgrading from the older CS, CS2, and CS3 find this the most positive part of the upgrade. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of other... »»

Topaz Labs DeNoise: Another Winning Photoshop Plugin

A few weeks back I wrote about TopazLabs application TopazAdjust3, and I liked it so well that it obviously influenced me to take a look at its sister (brother?) application DeNoise.  Topaz Labs makes applications for both still and video imaging, and it is the digital still imaging area that have my interest because Photoshop from Adobe is the center of my workflow and I like... »»

Photoshop Plugin: Topaz Adjust

I don’t know how many hours I have put in writing actions to allow me to produce some of the currently popular photoshop effects; really more than I want to admit.  By the time I’ve worked my way through reading tutorials, performing the action(s), refining the effect(s), redoing the action(s) and getting client feedback, I have quite a bit of time committed to some projects. ... »»

PHOTOGRAPHIC MULTISHOT TECHNIQUES by Juergen Gulbins & Rainer Gulbins

I’ve been neglecting a new book that’s been on my desk for a month.  When I first glanced at Juergen Gulbins and Rainer Gulbins new book PHOTOGRAPHIC MULTISHOT TECHNIQUES  I realized that several of the techniques discussed involved the new Adobe Photoshop CS4, and at the time I hadn’t upgraded yet.  I put PHOTOGRAPHIC MULTISHOT TECHNIQUES aside until I had upgraded... »»

Profile: Mihailo Vukelic

::: Artist(s) Name::: Mihailo Vukelic ::: Publisher::: (self-published?) Image ::: Website::: http://solon-fyre.deviantart.com/ ::: 1 ::: Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? What’s your favorite color? When did you first realize you were an artist? Did you draw as a kid? Color outside the lines? I grew up in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. At 11 I moved to the U.S. with my family. My favorite... »»

ART TEXT 2 by Belight Software

Almost a year ago I reviewed Art Text by BeLight Software [ http://www.belightsoft.com ] and found it very useful. Now there is a new and completely revamped version in Art Text 2 which sports a reworked and much improved interface. While most of Art Text 2’s effects can be achieved if you are a (very) proficient Photoshop user, Art Text 2 makes the same effects possible in ... »»

A Photographer’s Frame of Mind: Why Artists Should Read Scott McCloud

While laid up with the flu and not venturing outdoors in the cold, I decided to reread one of my favorite authors.  Scott McCloud is a literate cartoonist who has produced three of the most analytical and concise looks at comics as art in our society. His UNDERSTANDING COMICS—THE INVISIBLE ART in 1993, REINVENTING COMICS—HOW IMAGINATION AND TECHNOLOGY ARE REVOLUTIONIZING AN ART FORM,... »»

The Nikon Creative Lighting System: Using the SB-600, SB 800, SB 900 & RiCi Flashes

As a landscape, architectural, and product photographer I seldom actually photograph people, and most of my artificial lighting is done with "hot light", that is, continuous lighting done with Lowell or similar tungsten-balanced equipment. Therefore, flash units for me are usually confined to snapshots and general family pictures. My experience with on-camera flash has been limited to the... »»

Photoshop Basics: Make Color Image B&W and Sepia

While advanced versions of Photoshop (CS3 and CS4) have the option to produce a black and white print from a color image, older versions of Photoshop and some other programs depend upon other methods of converting the color image to black and white. Desaturate: Obviously, the simplest method of converting a color image to black and white is to desaturate it.  This will produce a black and white... »»