We’ve all heard disaster stories about photographers who lost all of their images due to a computer or hard drive failure. So do yourself a BIG favor and watch the video below, explaining a safe method for backing up all your precious files.
Taking macro shots can be quite fun, particularly if you're shooting some interesting subject matter. It's good to remember that there are times when your depth of field can get so shallow as to throw parts of your subject out of focus...
Did you miss photographing the last heavy snow? Or perhaps you are not too fond of shooting outdoors in cold weather. Now you need a photo with snow falling. Don't despair. It's rather easy to add snow digitally to any photo, color or black and white, with programs like Adobe Photoshop (CS and earlier)...
Perhaps the coolest feature of digital imaging programs is that they let our imaginations soar. Using our imagination, and working with the latest technology, virtually any effect is possible. I thought I'd share a few techniques that illustrate how...
In the old days, in a wet darkroom, we frequently sepia toned our black and white prints. The real goal of sepia toning a print was to alter the chemicals in the emulsion to improve the life of the image. But, of course, many folks simply liked the look...
Photoshop, in one version or another, is the image-editing application of choice by the majority of photographers. Although it can work miracles with images, the quality and effectiveness of the result is in large part due to what is done initially when...
There's something about a good black and white image that makes it jump off the page. It should be simple, direct, and hit you right between the eyes. It stands on its own. It doesn't even need color to make it stand out. It has a full range of tones from a true, deep black all the way to a clear white...with detail throughout.
New developments in digital technology have given the artist new tools; digital cameras and software programs with incredibly creative options have allowed artists in all media to advance their work beyond the ordinary. While Jeff Berman, whose work appears on these pages, admits that new technology has opened creative doors, he also knows that at the heart of any work is an eye...
One of the reasons photographic purists usually refer to black and white prints as “monochrome” is that it’s a more precise descriptive term that also covers images produced in sepia and other tones.
You may not think of Photoshop as being a flat-bed scanner tool, but it's way ahead of whatever is in second place. Recently we had a customer who wanted a whole shoebox of family snapshots scanned and converted to digital files. This could have been a very time-consuming job if it were not for Photoshop CS and the delightful way it works with all flat-bed scanners. ...
I had a thought (it happens!) back in the `80s. I was thinking how great it would be to create a portrait piece of someone that combined several images together to show the many facets of that individual. Let's take an example. Suppose you were commissioned to do a portrait of a young man. His interests may include playing football, swimming, sailing, playing guitar...
Pop quiz: What's the keystroke to sharpen an image in Photoshop 6.0? If you said Crtl/Cmd+S you're wrong--that's the combination for Save. Don't start guessing wildly because this is a trick question. This elementary shortcut does...
Hello, and welcome to Output Options. In this column, I'll be covering issues and topics related to how you can get the most from your images after you've made the pictures and have downloaded them into your computer. Whether you need information...
This month I'm going to focus on optimizing your digital images for display on the web. The biggest challenge most photographers face is creating a good print, but web display can be just as challenging and has its own unique set of needs. Images shown on the web or in e-mail need to find a balance between the size and the quality of...