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Thursday, March 23, 2006
onOne Announce PhotoFrame Pro 3.0
Looks like they've been busy over at onOne Software, Inc., they announced PhotoFrame Pro 3 at PhotoShop World 2006. This update to the classic edge treatment and framing effects tool looks like its a worth a look. Improvements include the capability to show variations and several effects and treatments side by side. New features include the addition of thousands of new treatments, A built in Frame Browser, A Frame Preview Grid, A random generator and the powerful new Layer Mask Mode. Visit onOne for more info.
Friday, March 17, 2006
d'artiste : Matte Painting Review
d'artiste - Digital Artists Master Class: Matte Painting, with Dylan Cole, Alp Altiner and Chris Stoski; ISBN: 1-921002-16-6
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, March 2006
Published by: Ballistic Publishing
Requires: N/A
MSRP: US$55.00 (soft slipcover edition)
I've long had an appreciation for special effects-based movies and epics, including impressive productions like Star Wars, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet. These movies impressed me when I was a younger, and as I grew older my appreciation didn't wane but only increased with my exposure to the crafts that came together to allow films like these to come into being. The fantastic vistas often portrayed in the amazing productions were often being nothing more than paintings.
Now let me apologize for that last statement. I said "nothing more than paintings" but in reality, the craft of Matte Painting is one of the most challenging and also can be one of the most rewarding when things come together as planned. In the early days, mattes were often used as scenery fillers to create scenes which would have been too expensive to recreate just for a film. They have evolved into something which allows the use of computer-generated virtual sets and imagery digitally blended with live actors to recreate fantastic scenes as well as everyday environments.
This book, like others in the d'artiste series primarily features the work of three artists who work in the industry, in this case: Dylan Cole, Alp Altiner and Chris Stoski. These artists have worked on movies such as Daredevil, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. They also produce conceptual and finished art for games and books.
Matte painting, it seems, is an obsolete term according to Dylan Cole who insists that it’s more relevant to call it virtual environment art. Personally, I don't care much for the trend in revisionism that we see occurring far too often these days. It is apparent though that the modern matte artist is doing a lot more than just painting. The use of 3D tools and photo imaging applications has changed their world and ours irrevocably. Many matte artists also work as pre-visualization or concept artists, giving shape to and bringing to life the vision of the storyteller during the pre-production phases of movie making.
d'artiste: Matte Painting is an excellent example-based tutorial book which takes you step-by-step through the process of creating some amazing scenes. Each tutorial demonstrates that matte artists need an amazing grasp of spatial relationships and dynamics, light, color, mood and atmosphere.
The examples from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Lord of the Rings and also The Tower of London were excellent (not in the least because they're so familiar to me). Watching how the artist built up the scene using their preferred tools and the way the critical decisions were arrived at helps to expand one's appreciation of the art and also demonstrated ways by which I could improve my own work. Each tutorial is followed by a gallery showcasing the works of artists invited by the featured artist. Pretty much all of the work presented in these galleries is inspiring stuff. This book may not be an obvious choice for review, but as someone who works in Photoshop and who often uses 3D to create illustrations for my design work, I really appreciated the showcased work. I learned several new things, which in anyone’s books is always a good thing.
Cons: I'd like to see a few hands-on tutorials with a CD containing the associated files. The lack of general availability of the title is also an issue, but it's somewhat forgivable considering the specialized nature of the subject.
Pros: Well presented with excellent production values. The artists presented in the book are all top notch. d'artiste: Matte Painting is aimed at the artist who is interested in the art of bringing imaginary worlds to life. It explores the world of matte painting as seen through the eyes of current masters of the art. It showcases scenes from both real and imagined worlds, demonstrating just how effective matte painting can be. If you are thinking about becoming an imageer or just want to improve your abilities when it comes to working with your photos and composite images, or even if you just like collecting books about the art of movie making or fantastic imagery, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
This book can be purchased directly from the ballistic publishing book store.
This review has been reproduced in its entirety from Kickstartnews.com
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, March 2006
Published by: Ballistic Publishing
Requires: N/A
MSRP: US$55.00 (soft slipcover edition)
I've long had an appreciation for special effects-based movies and epics, including impressive productions like Star Wars, The Day the Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet. These movies impressed me when I was a younger, and as I grew older my appreciation didn't wane but only increased with my exposure to the crafts that came together to allow films like these to come into being. The fantastic vistas often portrayed in the amazing productions were often being nothing more than paintings.
Now let me apologize for that last statement. I said "nothing more than paintings" but in reality, the craft of Matte Painting is one of the most challenging and also can be one of the most rewarding when things come together as planned. In the early days, mattes were often used as scenery fillers to create scenes which would have been too expensive to recreate just for a film. They have evolved into something which allows the use of computer-generated virtual sets and imagery digitally blended with live actors to recreate fantastic scenes as well as everyday environments.
This book, like others in the d'artiste series primarily features the work of three artists who work in the industry, in this case: Dylan Cole, Alp Altiner and Chris Stoski. These artists have worked on movies such as Daredevil, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. They also produce conceptual and finished art for games and books.
Matte painting, it seems, is an obsolete term according to Dylan Cole who insists that it’s more relevant to call it virtual environment art. Personally, I don't care much for the trend in revisionism that we see occurring far too often these days. It is apparent though that the modern matte artist is doing a lot more than just painting. The use of 3D tools and photo imaging applications has changed their world and ours irrevocably. Many matte artists also work as pre-visualization or concept artists, giving shape to and bringing to life the vision of the storyteller during the pre-production phases of movie making.
d'artiste: Matte Painting is an excellent example-based tutorial book which takes you step-by-step through the process of creating some amazing scenes. Each tutorial demonstrates that matte artists need an amazing grasp of spatial relationships and dynamics, light, color, mood and atmosphere.
The examples from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Lord of the Rings and also The Tower of London were excellent (not in the least because they're so familiar to me). Watching how the artist built up the scene using their preferred tools and the way the critical decisions were arrived at helps to expand one's appreciation of the art and also demonstrated ways by which I could improve my own work. Each tutorial is followed by a gallery showcasing the works of artists invited by the featured artist. Pretty much all of the work presented in these galleries is inspiring stuff. This book may not be an obvious choice for review, but as someone who works in Photoshop and who often uses 3D to create illustrations for my design work, I really appreciated the showcased work. I learned several new things, which in anyone’s books is always a good thing.
Cons: I'd like to see a few hands-on tutorials with a CD containing the associated files. The lack of general availability of the title is also an issue, but it's somewhat forgivable considering the specialized nature of the subject.
Pros: Well presented with excellent production values. The artists presented in the book are all top notch. d'artiste: Matte Painting is aimed at the artist who is interested in the art of bringing imaginary worlds to life. It explores the world of matte painting as seen through the eyes of current masters of the art. It showcases scenes from both real and imagined worlds, demonstrating just how effective matte painting can be. If you are thinking about becoming an imageer or just want to improve your abilities when it comes to working with your photos and composite images, or even if you just like collecting books about the art of movie making or fantastic imagery, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
This book can be purchased directly from the ballistic publishing book store.
This review has been reproduced in its entirety from Kickstartnews.com
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Gordon Parks Dies
Another Photographic great passes. Gordon Parks, director and photographer dies at the age of 93. He is know for his contributions to Life magazine and as the director of the movies "Shaft" and "The Learning Tree" among others. Parks was a modern day Rennaisance Man who wrote, composed music, made films and was a prolific photographer. His life and career should serve as an inspiration for all creative souls.
Friday, March 10, 2006
AKVIS LLC release Noise Buster 1.1
AKVIS LLC today announced the release of AKVIS Noise Buster V.1.1 for Windows and Macintosh. AKVIS Noise Buster is a photoshop compatible plug-in which is designed to reduce noise in digital and scanned images. The results are quite impressive and at $49 US for the download version quite reasonable. Noise Buster reduces both luminance and color noise on images without substantially affecting other aspects of the photo. The Download a trial version here.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Buying DSLR Lenses
One of the most commonly asked question I've been asked about Digital Cameras is dealing with lenses. Which Lens, what range and how much. If you are buying a lens for film this is still a tricky question but for digital this is further compounded as it all depends on your sensor size. When it comes to the size of lens to get this factor will greatly affect the effectiveness of your lenses focal length ... as many of you are aware a 50mm lens isn't always a 50mm lens. This is due to the fact that many Digital SLRs have sensors which are about 1/3 smaller than 35mm film. This is referred to as a Focal Length Multiplier or more correctly an FOV (field of view) Crop.
This smaller sensor is why when buying a lens you have to pay a lot of attention to what its intended use is. Many cameras have an FOV Crop of 1.5 or 1.6 meaning that a 50mm lens will in essence be the optical equivalent of a 75 or 80mm respectively. Buying the right lens is crucial ... many photographers who are starting out with digital cameras will buy the lenses which are bundled with the DSLR.
Major bit of Advice #1 - Don't buy digital lenses unless you plan to sell on your lenses with the camera when you upgrade (unless of course you upgrade to a camera which will be compatible with your lenses).
My recommendation is that you buy lenses which are designed for full frame sensors especially if you want to focus on landscapes and portraits. This kind of buying will ensure you have full use of your lenses when you upgrade to a full frame based DSLR. My basic assumption here is that most photographers will eventually seek to upgrade to full frame sensors at some time in the future.
Major bit of advice #2 - When you decide to upgrade and can afford it - upgrade to a full frame sensor based camera ... currently only Canon have cameras such a sensor based on the 35mm frame size. Remember this though, your lenses will only be compatible if you buy with the future in mind.
In Canon EOS based DSLRs there are two lens types available: EF and EF-s type lenses. EF-s type lenses are designed specifically with a handful of Canons D-SLRs in mind and these lenses are not interchangeable with earlier models or full frame or 1.3 FOV Crop based models because of the depth of their rear optical elements. Using an EF-s Lens on an incompatible unit will most likely damage the Camera. This is one reason why I usually recommend buying an EF based lens.
Major bit of advice #3 - Do your research...
There are many ways to do this and besides the most obvious which is to go to a store and try out the lenses directly (which requires that you know what you are doing) there are some excellent resources online for getting some preliminary answers.
Basic Lenses to aim for -
50mm 1.4 or lower for standard and lowlight shots.
A 24mm for wide angle shots,
A 100/105mm for portraits and for an added bonus ensure it has a macro capability
A decent zoom lens in the 70 or 80-200 or 300mm range f4 will do to begin and if you can afford it better.
Bear in mind that you have to consider the FOV Crop
For excellent lens reviews try DPReview and Fred Miranda.
Where to buy ... See #3
There are many merchants out there who provide excellent service and who have been around for a while. Sure you can save £5 or more with some site or other but far too often these are fly-by-nighters who will abscond with your and lots of other peoples money ... so do your research and look for sites which will provide you with near instant feedback to your questions ... a site which will respond in 48 hours is just so much crap and if you run into a problem with the kit you will most likely not hear from them at all ... Don't buy from ebay unless the seller has a decent and long time track record and a lot of positive ratings.
In the UK, I've bought from Jessops and believe it or not Amazon.
You can also try other suppliers like Warehouse Express and Pixmania.
You can also vet dealers or check prices by visiting Reseller Ratings, Kelkoo or Pricegrabber.
Last thing I want to cover has to do with Brand versus third party lenses … I can only say here, that if you can afford to buy L series glass stick with Canon Lenses. Likewise with Nikons best glass. However if you, like many, are on a budget then by all means look at the Lenses produced by Sigma and Tamron for your Camera. Many of these have been reviewed at sites like DPReview and Fred Miranda already mentioned above.
I hope this has been useful …
For some excellent technical articles and info -
Steve Hoffmann's Nature and Lanscape Photography.
For an Excellent Reference of Digital and photographic Terminology visit DPReview.
This smaller sensor is why when buying a lens you have to pay a lot of attention to what its intended use is. Many cameras have an FOV Crop of 1.5 or 1.6 meaning that a 50mm lens will in essence be the optical equivalent of a 75 or 80mm respectively. Buying the right lens is crucial ... many photographers who are starting out with digital cameras will buy the lenses which are bundled with the DSLR.
Major bit of Advice #1 - Don't buy digital lenses unless you plan to sell on your lenses with the camera when you upgrade (unless of course you upgrade to a camera which will be compatible with your lenses).
My recommendation is that you buy lenses which are designed for full frame sensors especially if you want to focus on landscapes and portraits. This kind of buying will ensure you have full use of your lenses when you upgrade to a full frame based DSLR. My basic assumption here is that most photographers will eventually seek to upgrade to full frame sensors at some time in the future.
Major bit of advice #2 - When you decide to upgrade and can afford it - upgrade to a full frame sensor based camera ... currently only Canon have cameras such a sensor based on the 35mm frame size. Remember this though, your lenses will only be compatible if you buy with the future in mind.
In Canon EOS based DSLRs there are two lens types available: EF and EF-s type lenses. EF-s type lenses are designed specifically with a handful of Canons D-SLRs in mind and these lenses are not interchangeable with earlier models or full frame or 1.3 FOV Crop based models because of the depth of their rear optical elements. Using an EF-s Lens on an incompatible unit will most likely damage the Camera. This is one reason why I usually recommend buying an EF based lens.
Major bit of advice #3 - Do your research...
There are many ways to do this and besides the most obvious which is to go to a store and try out the lenses directly (which requires that you know what you are doing) there are some excellent resources online for getting some preliminary answers.
Basic Lenses to aim for -
50mm 1.4 or lower for standard and lowlight shots.
A 24mm for wide angle shots,
A 100/105mm for portraits and for an added bonus ensure it has a macro capability
A decent zoom lens in the 70 or 80-200 or 300mm range f4 will do to begin and if you can afford it better.
Bear in mind that you have to consider the FOV Crop
For excellent lens reviews try DPReview and Fred Miranda.
Where to buy ... See #3
There are many merchants out there who provide excellent service and who have been around for a while. Sure you can save £5 or more with some site or other but far too often these are fly-by-nighters who will abscond with your and lots of other peoples money ... so do your research and look for sites which will provide you with near instant feedback to your questions ... a site which will respond in 48 hours is just so much crap and if you run into a problem with the kit you will most likely not hear from them at all ... Don't buy from ebay unless the seller has a decent and long time track record and a lot of positive ratings.
In the UK, I've bought from Jessops and believe it or not Amazon.
You can also try other suppliers like Warehouse Express and Pixmania.
You can also vet dealers or check prices by visiting Reseller Ratings, Kelkoo or Pricegrabber.
Last thing I want to cover has to do with Brand versus third party lenses … I can only say here, that if you can afford to buy L series glass stick with Canon Lenses. Likewise with Nikons best glass. However if you, like many, are on a budget then by all means look at the Lenses produced by Sigma and Tamron for your Camera. Many of these have been reviewed at sites like DPReview and Fred Miranda already mentioned above.
I hope this has been useful …
For some excellent technical articles and info -
Steve Hoffmann's Nature and Lanscape Photography.
For an Excellent Reference of Digital and photographic Terminology visit DPReview.
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