Recently, I gave a workshop on using Photoshop CS3 to make Black and White photos. The photo below was converted using the tips that I spoke about in the workshop. As part of the workshop, I created a web page with links to information on how to create better Black and White photos. (role down to March 10, 2008)
For the photo below, I used the Black and White adjustment layer to convert it to Black and White. The Black and White settings were Red 83, Yellow 71, Green 17, Cyan 21, Blue 12, Magenta -1. I also used a Curves layer to add some contrast and did a little Doge and Burn to fix some of the hot spots and dark spots.
Below are the before and after photos:
Before
After
Microsoft has developed a very nice and informative web page for photographers. The page has sections on downloads, articles, a blog and more. Check out Microsoft Professional Photography.
I was working with someone the other day that was moving from using Jpeg to using RAW. He was upset that he could not see his RAW photos in Windows Explorer.
Well you can see your RAW photos in Windows, if you download the Windows RAW Viewer.
You need to download the Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer for Windows XP. When you have this installed, you will be see your RAW files just like your Jpeg files.
Matt Kloskowski who is know as one of the three “Photoshop Guys”, has a nice blog on Lightroom. On Mondays, he has presets that he sets up and offerers for us to download. This Monday he had one called The “300″ Look.
I tried the preset and then did a little additional work in Photoshop.
Here is a before and after look.
Before
After the preset
So what do you think?
I saw this type of photo and had to give it try.
For people that are new to photography, Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed confuse many people.
They are not sure what it is, and how or why you would use them. The web site Cameraporn.net has a nice article explaining Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed and how to use the.
(The web site Cameraporn.net is a strange name, but it a photography web site that has nothing to do with porn.)
You can read the article at Cameraporn.net.
I found a very helpful sight for people who what to get into Portrait Lighting.
The web site Sublime-light.com has a 12 part section on Portrait Lighting.
Each section is about two pages and it covers the general information on lighting.
Check out Portrait Lighting For Beginners.
For December I thought I would share with you my top five web sites. I visit these web sites a few times a week. They offer a broad range of photographic information that will appeal to all photographers.
1) Digital Photography School
This web site offer general tips and information on how to improve your photography.
2) Rob Galbraith
Rob’s web site offers general news on the photography industry. The site is very helpful in keeping you up to date on what is happing in the world of photography.
3) Digital Pro Talk
David Ziser who is a professional wedding and portrait photographer runs this web site. His site offers general photography information and some helpful how to videos.
4) Photoshop Killer Tips
This site is run Matt Kloskowski. Matt’s site offers quick Photoshop video tutorials that target a variety of Photoshop functions or tools. Each of the videos run about five minutes and are free.
5) Photoshop Insider
This site is run by Scott Kelby. Scott talks about everything from Photoshop to tripods and everything in between.
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/
I hope you find these sites as informative as I do.
Recently, I did a lecture on what to do with all your photos. As part of the lecture, I created a web page with links to all kinds of cool things to do with your photos. Check out the links.
While read a few other bogs today, I came across the Canon Infobank web site.
This is an encyclopedia of information on the use and operation of Canon equipment (camera, flash and lens). The information is very informative.
Canon Infobank
Lexar has a nice web page filled with Digital Photography Tips and Lessons from some well known photographers.
Lexar Digital Photography Tips and Lessons
Below is a photo I took at an abandoned hospital in Essex County, NJ.
The photo was taken at 6:30 AM with a Canon 20D and a 70 to 300 mm lens.
How would you like to take a free online photography class that you work on at your own pace? Well a photographer by the name of Jodies Coston offers a Free Online Photography Course sponsored by morguefile.com. The course is free and open to the public. The program is a little old, but the basic information is still appropriate.
The web site covers topics such as Composition, Aperture and Shutter Speed, ISO and Grain.
It also covers Camera Filters, Soft Focus, Zooming and Panning. There are additional lesions on Landscape, Nature and Travel Photography, Portraits and Studio Lighting.
Check out Jodies Coston Online Photography Course
NatureScape.com is a web site dedicated to Nature Photography. It is packed full of information and items for the Nature Photographer. The website has an archive of articles that are free to download. It also has forms on all aspects of Nature Photography and there is even a store that you can buy various items to help you with your next Nature Photo Shoot.
Anyone new to Nature Photography might want to check out the article The Basics of Nature Photography.
One of my favorite blogs, The Digital Photography School has a nice introduction article on how to pose a person for portrait shots. You can find the article at A Posing Technique from A Girl With a Pearl Earring.
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