Review: The Art of Photographic Lighting By Eib Eibelshaeuser

Rocky Nook - The Art of Photogrpahic Lighting

Rocky Nook Press recently sent me a review copy of Eib Eibelshaeuser's new book, The Art of Photographic Lighting.  It took me a little longer to write this review than it normally does for two reasons: I kept re-reading paragraphs that seemed particularly significant, and I found myself taking notes.  Both of these slowed me down as I am usually a fast reader. I think I was expecting a book with drawings of how to arrange lights, but instead I found that it was much more involved than that. … [Read more...]

(Review) ASKetch for the iPad

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OK, I'm still playing with my iPad and loving it, and I found another software App that is a lot of fun. ASKetch by Andrew Kern is supposed to work with finger motions and strokes alone, and not be used with a stylus or pen tool. I'll tell you what it is supposed to do (and it does it very well). Let's look at ASKetch as Mr. Kern meant it to be. First, I'll quote: ASKetch is a simple black & white procedural sketching program for drawing with your fingers. It is designed from the ground … [Read more...]

(Review) FileApp: A Great iOS File Manager

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The iPad is a great thing. It is not, however, a computer. It's a shift away from the familiar hard drive directories. The new iPad owner has to surrender to a new way : you can't really root around the hard drive looking for a file, all user experience is controlled by an app, and getting the right app is key. As most of us have found out, finding that right app is a bizarre mixture of dumb luck, suggestions from co-workers and friends and the endless lists of best 10 apps proliferating on the … [Read more...]

A Better Batch Picture Processor Script for Photoshop CS5

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In general,  I am fascinated by the scripting possibilities of Photoshop. The unspoken "BUT" is that I have to make a living and lately "A living" means more work for less money so there's more work. So it is just a romantic thought that lingers in the back of my lizard brain hoping to surface when I don't have any work or gardening or cats to feed... I had a problem recently. One that seemed destined to slow my workflow down to a crawl. To fit within a project requirement I needed to somehow … [Read more...]

Review: Marketing Fine Art Photography By Alain Briot

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Rocky Nook Press Press sent me a review copy of Alain Briot’s new book, Marketing Fine Art Photography, and I was delighted for two reasons. First, Rocky Nook’s volumes are beautifully bound and printed on acid-free paper and are a delight to hold and work from because they stay flat and open as you read or work from them. The second reason is that Alain Briot is a learned and articulate photographer and writer who shares his expertise in a relaxed and candid manner as though his reader is a … [Read more...]

Download: Adjusting Perspective with Photoshop

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We were discussing Dr. Roach's ebook yesterday. By "we", I mean a motley group of photoshop users of varying degrees of experience , expertise and interest. It became very clear early on that the name of the book is deceiving. Yes, it is an introduction to Photoshop and all its possibilities. (And I do mean all) Yet, we think it would be better described as the most complete introduction to advanced techniques for beginners. Some of you may roll your eyes at this section, the squaring of images … [Read more...]

Photoshop CS4 Retouching: Curves, Levels & Exposure.

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In reality, most images can be fixed with curves, levels, and exposure, and perhaps sharpening. 90% of post-production image editing will use these tools. This section is devoted to revisiting the most fundamental of photoshop tools in depth. Virtually every image benefits by some adjustment. Whether you decide to begin each adjustment with curves because i said it's most often used for beginnings, or whether you decide to go with levels first will be something that will develop as a matter of … [Read more...]

Photoshop CS4 : Image Editing- Adjustment WIth Curves

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Adjusting the tonal range of an image can be accomplished one of two ways: Levels (which provides only three anchor points for control: black, white, and midpoint) Curves (which allows for the use of up to 16 anchor points within the tonal range curve allowing for an increased control over the resulting tonal range)   Adobe Photoshop CS4: An Introduction by Dr. Michael N. Roach is now for sale as a PDF Price: $4.99 Sample Pages: There are still a lot of people … [Read more...]

Photoshop CS4 : Intro to Color Settings, Menus, Tools, Healing Brushes

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This section of Dr. Roach's Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Beginners focuses on best practices when starting a project plus a guided tour through the menus and tools. You might think that this information is not useful to you but I have to admit that, even after 10 years of using Photoshop, I am learning something every time I prepared these sections for upload. Up until I read this section, I've never take the time to adjust my color settings until the end of the project when I am ready to output to … [Read more...]

I’m Loving My Magpul iPhone Field Case!

Photo by Britt Stokes

DigitalAppleJuice.com is a great place to talk about all things Apple. And, digital imaging. And how you create artwork in the digital age. And... well, you get the point. So I decided to devote a few paragraphs to a new product I found for the iPhone. I recently ordered some items from a retailer in California. While on their website, a new item caught my eye - a Magpul brand case for my iPhone 3G (they also make a case for the iPhone 4). I was intrigued... Magpul is famous in the … [Read more...]

Review: Disc Cover by BeLight Software

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Even though CD's are becoming less used, DVDs for data storage are still going strong, and personal projects such as iMovie and iPhoto still have a strong usage of labeling  for stored material. Disc Cover 3 is a delightful software that allows you to print DVD labels and covers and case booklets for music, archives, and anything you are saving to disc.  Jewel case inserts can be made easily and cleanly from a tremendous number of pre-designed templates with layouts and art importable from … [Read more...]

Download: Dr. Roach’s Photoshop CS4 for Beginners

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Update: Now that CS5 version has been released as an app, we are no longer offering this pdf for free However, Adobe Photoshop CS4: An Introduction by Dr. Michael N. Roach is now for sale as a PDF Price: $4.99 Sample Pages: There are still a lot of people using Photoshop CS4 even though Photoshop CS5, and now Photoshop CS5.5, has been out for some time. We were contacted by a few students who are still in need of this information so, in the spirit of sharing, this series … [Read more...]