Software How To

Got Questions About Photography? Professional Photographer and Photoshop Expert Scott Kelby Has Got Answers.

As more photos are made on more types of devices, there’s a need for resultant images that aren’t just “OK” but as good as they can be. And part of the need, it would seem, is that some folks don’t want to spend a lot of time learning complex programs to get the image results they want. Companies like Athentech Imaging aim to make it a one-click affair.

Photo/Graphic Edges (PGE) from Auto FX Software has been with us for many years and the company recently released their latest version, 7.0, Platinum Edition ($249, stand-alone and plug-in; $129, upgrade for owners of Version 5 or 6). The interface is identical to that used by all Auto FX Photoshop plug-ins. If you already use another Auto FX plug-in, such as Mystical Lighting or Mystical Focus, learning to use PGE should be easy. Even if you’re not familiar with Auto FX products, you’ll likely find the interface to be very straightforward and uncluttered, with plenty of room to work on your images.

Whether you shoot people, products, or landscapes and nature, Mystical Tint Tone and Color 2.0 offers a cornucopia of 60 filters to add subtle to striking effects to enliven and enrich your photos.

Most Shutterbug readers are familiar with a Photoshop feature that automatically detects and creates a mask for an object, thanks to the tutorials we’ve posted in the past. But that capability pales in comparison to a “hidden” masking tool that you’ll learn how to use below.

This tutorial is about a common image-killing editing error that you may be guilty of yourself, and demonstrates how easy it is to fix. It’s all about using the wrong Lightroom slider for certain simple tasks when there’s a better approach that’s just as easy to implement

Over the years we've discussed why some photographs are more compelling when converted to b&w and how some processing methods are more complicated than others. And this holds true for landscape scenes, portrait photos, nature images, and other popular genres.