Velvia 50 will be the film of choice for leading landscape, nature and other photographers who will appreciate its high color saturation, image depth and dramatic color reproduction."For more info visit fujifilm usa.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Fujichrome Velvia 50 Returns
Fujifilm have re-released Velvia 50, one of my favourite films for colour photography. This release has been prompted by a deluge of requests by photographers since the line was terminated in 2005. The main reason for the termination was the difficulty in finding materials to replace several components of the film itself. Since then however the researchers at Fujifilm have found alternative materials that replace the problem materials. In their own words
Lexar Announce Image Rescue 3 Image Recovery Software
Lexar Image Rescue 3 allows camera users to recover lost or deleted photos, videos, and audio files, irrespective of the flash memory card format, manufacturer, or mass storage compliant reader. Image Rescue is designed for both professional users and consumers. The redesigned user interface, takes the user through an intuitive image recovery process, which has extensive recovery capabilities, and also offers live online customer support in the form of a chat link in addition to its existing support features. For more information visit Lexar.com.
Monday, February 26, 2007
My Day @ Focus On Imaging 2007
Talk about tiring, I spent much of the day travelling ... I was up early today, and after getting only four hours sleep ... No, I wasn't partying. I was however, rudely awakened by two absolute cretins playing football outside my window at 2:30am.
Ok, what has this got to do with my experience of Focus On Imaging 2007? Let's just call me the grey man ... That's pretty much how I felt and looked all day. Although I still did it with a smile on my face.
The show itself was a real pleasure to attend, crowds of fellow Imageers, Photographers, Professionals, Amateurs, Students and fellow Writers of Light. There were many exhibitors it was a pleasure to meet. Nikon, Fuji, Apple, Adobe, Sigma, Kata, Corel, and many, many, more. Notably absent was Canon (shame on you).
The show took me about 3 hours to take in ... Yeah, I did visit all stands and having an eidetic memory, means, I can replay much of what I see and in great detail. After the first three hours I had lunch and then went back for more ... I did regret one thing, not being able to go again tomorrow.
I enjoyed seeing much of the work on display. There were photo exhibits and competition entries aplenty. There were a number of schools in attendance, some of which had talent which left me very impressed, and making note of their names for future reference.
The plethora of paper companies and film and paper companies present left me with a smile on my face ... Yes, I did say film. Apple and Adobe were showcasing Aperture and Lightroom Respectively. The crowds at all booths were overflowing. I was told however that yesterday was even busier.
For photographers looking for groups and societies to join, there were many in attendance ... I met with several fellows from the RPS (Royal Photographic Society) and was enjoying watching these venerable gentlemen huddled over their laptops discussing several technical issues. I must have looked stupid with the big smile on my face, but no apologies I was in my element and surrounded by kindred souls.
From what I saw, this is going to be a good year for imaging and photography. As I said I'm very tired today, but I will write more tomorrow.
Ok, what has this got to do with my experience of Focus On Imaging 2007? Let's just call me the grey man ... That's pretty much how I felt and looked all day. Although I still did it with a smile on my face.
The show itself was a real pleasure to attend, crowds of fellow Imageers, Photographers, Professionals, Amateurs, Students and fellow Writers of Light. There were many exhibitors it was a pleasure to meet. Nikon, Fuji, Apple, Adobe, Sigma, Kata, Corel, and many, many, more. Notably absent was Canon (shame on you).
The show took me about 3 hours to take in ... Yeah, I did visit all stands and having an eidetic memory, means, I can replay much of what I see and in great detail. After the first three hours I had lunch and then went back for more ... I did regret one thing, not being able to go again tomorrow.
I enjoyed seeing much of the work on display. There were photo exhibits and competition entries aplenty. There were a number of schools in attendance, some of which had talent which left me very impressed, and making note of their names for future reference.
The plethora of paper companies and film and paper companies present left me with a smile on my face ... Yes, I did say film. Apple and Adobe were showcasing Aperture and Lightroom Respectively. The crowds at all booths were overflowing. I was told however that yesterday was even busier.
For photographers looking for groups and societies to join, there were many in attendance ... I met with several fellows from the RPS (Royal Photographic Society) and was enjoying watching these venerable gentlemen huddled over their laptops discussing several technical issues. I must have looked stupid with the big smile on my face, but no apologies I was in my element and surrounded by kindred souls.
From what I saw, this is going to be a good year for imaging and photography. As I said I'm very tired today, but I will write more tomorrow.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Luminous Landscape On The Art of Cropping
Luminous Landscape have published an excellent article on the subject of photographic composition and the art of cropping. The article, as usual, is well illustrated and definitely worth a read.
Digital Domain Release Qimage v2007.160
Digital Domain Inc. have announced the release of Qimage v2007.160. The full featured printing software for professional photographers is available for Windows in three editions: the Lite Edition at $34.95, Professional Edition at $49.95, and Studio Edition at $89.95. There is also a free 30 day trial available for download. For more information visit Digital Domain Inc.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Lightroom-News
As an Adobe Photoshop Lightroom User you may be one of the increasing number of folks who are hungry for resources and info on your chosen RAW workflow application. PixelGenius decided earlier this month to launch Lightroom-News.com to provide users with up to date info, hints, tips and other goodies. Martin Evening will be sharing duties as Editor in Chief with Jeff Schewe. Both of whom helped shape the Product. Contributing Editors include; Ian Lyons, Sean McCormack, Seth Resnick & Andrew Rodney. Pop on over and take a look, you wont regret it.
Light Craft Releases LightZone 2.2 Open Beta
Light Craft releases a public Beta of LightZone 2.2. The LightZone 2.2 Beta 1 release is available for Windows and Mac, and can be downloaded from LightCraft.
What's new in LightZone 2.2 Open Beta
Features
Enhanced configuration with other applications
Star ratings for images
Faster performance
Enhanced color scheme
New xmp functionality
Fixes
A new print layer allows printing without having to change default printer
Cropping and rotation problems
Fixed SSE2 issues in Noise Reduction tool
What's new in LightZone 2.2 Open Beta
Features
Enhanced configuration with other applications
Star ratings for images
Faster performance
Enhanced color scheme
New xmp functionality
Fixes
A new print layer allows printing without having to change default printer
Cropping and rotation problems
Fixed SSE2 issues in Noise Reduction tool
Steampunk Cool
Reading both Engadget and Gizmodo, I was fascinated by their coverage of a garage based project to create a keyboard that looks like it belonged in a Steampunk world. The Keyboard looks very cool and is only let down by the soft backing and the poor implimentation of the spacebar.
The keyboard was created by The Steampunk Workshop, and the process of creating it from an IBM Model M "Clicky" keyboard, is detailed here. The above images are from their final unit. Below I have re-engineered the image in photoshop to reflect what I think the unit should have looked like with a spacebar to match.
Whilst this isn't a creative imaging product ... it was cool enough to merit mentioning as a "I want one of those" type of post. Besides I did imageer the above image using photoshop although not enough to make me happy with the result, I intend to keep playing.
New Products From Canon
Things are definitely hotting up with product annnouncements for PMA ... Canon announced a slew of new products, including the new Canon Eos 1D Mark III, which is a 10 million image pixel, 10 fps digital SLR that is substantially improved over its predecessor. Canon has also announced the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, Speedlite 580EX II flash and Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2/E2A.
Other camera products include the 7.1-megapixel PowerShot A570 IS and A560 digital cameras, the PowerShot SD750 and SD1000. Also announced was Canon's TX1, which is a hybrid shooter which handles both 7.1 megapixel still images and 720p video.
Canon also announced 3 new printers, the new portable PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer, the PIXMA iP3300 and PIXMA iP1800.
I really like the Powershot SD750 ... the back of the camera features a large lcd display. They've done a nice job with this compact.
Other camera products include the 7.1-megapixel PowerShot A570 IS and A560 digital cameras, the PowerShot SD750 and SD1000. Also announced was Canon's TX1, which is a hybrid shooter which handles both 7.1 megapixel still images and 720p video.
Canon also announced 3 new printers, the new portable PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer, the PIXMA iP3300 and PIXMA iP1800.
I really like the Powershot SD750 ... the back of the camera features a large lcd display. They've done a nice job with this compact.
Focus On Imaging 2007 Show Info
Earlier this month I mentioned the Focus on Imaging 2007 show. Focus is Europe’s biggest annual imaging event and begins this Sunday at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. The show is open on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from 10am to 6pm and on Wednesday, February 28th at 10am to 5pm.
For the professional imageer, buyers, manufacturers, distributors or even the hobbyist, FOCUS ON IMAGING is the one event you must attend this year. There are over 200 exhibitors and plenty of product launches. Click here to see the exhibitor and latest floorplan for the show.
For more information on the show visit Focus On Imaging.
For the professional imageer, buyers, manufacturers, distributors or even the hobbyist, FOCUS ON IMAGING is the one event you must attend this year. There are over 200 exhibitors and plenty of product launches. Click here to see the exhibitor and latest floorplan for the show.
For more information on the show visit Focus On Imaging.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Alain Briot Master Files CD
Alain Briots new Master Files CD is now available for immediate purchase. This CD features 12 Master Files of his most popular photographs. Also included is an in-depth video tutorial on how and why he created the Master File. For more information visit Beautiful Landscape.
Public Photography And The Law?
One of the topics that seems to be causing a lot of discussion in the Photography forums and at a number of online photographic communities is the concept of legislation, here in the UK, to restrict the taking of photographs in public places. This purported Law would require the photographer to carry an ID card, which is to be presented when challenged. Whilst a Law such as this would be of concern to all of us, try as I might to find out more about the proposal, I can't find the proposal anywhere.
A lot of the problems photographers have been experienced have been as a result of ill considered or truly ignorant action by members of the public, security officers and others. In fact the actions of a certain group of photographers (paparazzi) has also raised some concerns about what photographers have the right to shoot in public and also about the right to privacy.
Whilst I agree, that we need to protect our children, protect against potential terrorists and be on guard against the violation of our right to privacy. We also need to understand that real photographers also have the right to use their cameras in public. In fact there are no laws preventing photography in public except in a very few specific circumstances.
The problem with Laws like this, is that they don’t affect the very people it is aimed against, as much as they do the rest of us ... The Laws prohibiting handgun ownership have done nothing to stop the criminal from getting and using one on the rest of us. There are many such examples of similar failures in the Law.
I'm an avid photographer, and enjoy shooting urban and rural landscapes. I also enjoy shooting photos of people going about their normal lives, with the hope of capturing the essence of a moment, or of some aspect of humanity. Would a law such as this make a criminal of me and the very work I do? Quite possibly. Instead of requiring me to carry an ID card they should instead look at the criminals and how to deal with them more effectively.
As a photographer, I also have to be considerate of the world around me, and not just wander around blithely pointing my lenses at everything I see. Some well considered advice is, to be a conscious photographer and not a snap happy fool. Am I aware of what I'm shooting? If there are children involved, do I have the permission of the childrens' parents or guardians amongst other factors ... this last activity requires the utmost sensitivity and dare I say, due care and consideration, as to whether or not in this current climate is actually a wise thing to do at all.
I take care to ensure, that if I'm taking photos in public, I do so in full light of day, as the saying goes ... I act as though I am supposed to be there, and I avoid raising my camera around children, if I can help it. If approached, I show people what I am doing. I will even show my photos to people on camera so that they are put at ease. Full disclosure... I also make no attempt to be defensive, unless of course I have to, because of self defence reasons. Some people will try to attack you and for no other reason other than ignorance and fear.
Our Governments are right about the idea of penalising criminal activity, but not with laws that are ill considered and nothing more than reactionary. Especially laws which would severely impact on our freedoms and which criminals would readily flout.
There is a petition if you are interested at proposed restrictions regarding photography in public places on the 10 Downing Street website. Visit, and if you feel strongly, sign it ... For more information, Simon Taylor, the individual who started the petition has expanded on his reasons for doing so at http://www.phooto.co.uk/rights.shtml, where there are some very good links.
For a good summary of your rights as a photographer, here in the UK, visit Sirimo, which has an excellent PDF on the subject. There is also a good take on the whole petition and the issues at hand on Spiked-online and Amateur Photographer.
A lot of the problems photographers have been experienced have been as a result of ill considered or truly ignorant action by members of the public, security officers and others. In fact the actions of a certain group of photographers (paparazzi) has also raised some concerns about what photographers have the right to shoot in public and also about the right to privacy.
Whilst I agree, that we need to protect our children, protect against potential terrorists and be on guard against the violation of our right to privacy. We also need to understand that real photographers also have the right to use their cameras in public. In fact there are no laws preventing photography in public except in a very few specific circumstances.
The problem with Laws like this, is that they don’t affect the very people it is aimed against, as much as they do the rest of us ... The Laws prohibiting handgun ownership have done nothing to stop the criminal from getting and using one on the rest of us. There are many such examples of similar failures in the Law.
I'm an avid photographer, and enjoy shooting urban and rural landscapes. I also enjoy shooting photos of people going about their normal lives, with the hope of capturing the essence of a moment, or of some aspect of humanity. Would a law such as this make a criminal of me and the very work I do? Quite possibly. Instead of requiring me to carry an ID card they should instead look at the criminals and how to deal with them more effectively.
As a photographer, I also have to be considerate of the world around me, and not just wander around blithely pointing my lenses at everything I see. Some well considered advice is, to be a conscious photographer and not a snap happy fool. Am I aware of what I'm shooting? If there are children involved, do I have the permission of the childrens' parents or guardians amongst other factors ... this last activity requires the utmost sensitivity and dare I say, due care and consideration, as to whether or not in this current climate is actually a wise thing to do at all.
I take care to ensure, that if I'm taking photos in public, I do so in full light of day, as the saying goes ... I act as though I am supposed to be there, and I avoid raising my camera around children, if I can help it. If approached, I show people what I am doing. I will even show my photos to people on camera so that they are put at ease. Full disclosure... I also make no attempt to be defensive, unless of course I have to, because of self defence reasons. Some people will try to attack you and for no other reason other than ignorance and fear.
Unfortunately as a species, we've lost our innocence, and all because of factors like child abuse, terrorism, other sad and tragic circumstances and even the actions of the paparazzi and other press hounds.
The reality is that there are those out there who don't act based on any other reason than they think they know the law. As a photographer learn the Law and your rights under it. Also learn to be considerate and to respect that with rights come responsibilities and that your rights and freedoms mean nothing if you trespass on those of your fellows.
Our Governments are right about the idea of penalising criminal activity, but not with laws that are ill considered and nothing more than reactionary. Especially laws which would severely impact on our freedoms and which criminals would readily flout.
There is a petition if you are interested at proposed restrictions regarding photography in public places on the 10 Downing Street website. Visit, and if you feel strongly, sign it ... For more information, Simon Taylor, the individual who started the petition has expanded on his reasons for doing so at http://www.phooto.co.uk/rights.shtml, where there are some very good links.
For a good summary of your rights as a photographer, here in the UK, visit Sirimo, which has an excellent PDF on the subject. There is also a good take on the whole petition and the issues at hand on Spiked-online and Amateur Photographer.
Lexar Announce 8 GB 300x Professional CF Cards
Lexar announced several new Professional 8 GB 300x (45 MB/sec, 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes, or 42.9 MiB/sec). These cards achieve fast throughput because of their support of the Ultra DMA protocol (UDMA). Lexar have also announced a FireWire 800 CompactFlash reader and dual media USB 2.0 reader.
Sigma SD14 Retail Debut Announced
Sigma announced that their new SD14 digital SLR will start shipping on the 6th of March. The SD14 was originally supposed to go on the market in November or December of last year, however several issues pushed the date back. I'm eager to see what this new offering from Sigma and Foveon can actually deliver. The 14 Megapixel X3® direct-image-sensor promise to deliver some excellent results.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Camera Raw 3.7 for Photoshop CS2 now available
Adobe have released Camera Raw 3.7, a free update of their RAW plug-in for Photoshop CS2. Support has been added for RAW files from the Nikon D40 and Pentax K10D, and includes informal support for several Phase One backs and the Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro. Version 3.7 also supports cross-application compatibility between Lightroom 1.0 and Photoshop CS2 RAW processing settings. For more information visit Camera RAW, to download Adobe Camera Raw 3.7, together with an updated DNG Converter, visit the following links for Windows and Mac versions.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Ships
Adobe are shipping Photoshop Lightroom 1.0, they have also released a 30 day trial version. Lightroom™ is Adobes workflow tool aimed at professional photographers. It is designed for managing, adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs and RAW files. It also allows the non-destructive editing and enhancement of these files. For more info or to try Lightroom out, visit product page at Adobe.
RealGrain 1.0.1
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou
Published by: Imagenomic
Requires: Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 or Elements 3/4 or a recent edition of a plug-in compliant program; Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.x/10.4.x; 256MB RAM, 10MB available hard disk space MSRP: US$99.95
Of all the tools Imagenomic makes, RealGrain is my favorite. The main reason for this is its versatility and the accuracy with which it emulates a wide variety of film types and film development processes. With this useful plug-in you can emulate black & white or color films from Agfa, Fuji, Ilford and Kodak. You can even emulate effects such as cross processing, split toning, black & white or color infrared, sepia toning and a whole lot more. The range of film stocks which are emulated is awesome. RealGrain is available separately or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite along with Portraiture and Noiseware Professional.
Like all other Imagenomic offerings RealGrain really needs no manual. The user interface in the filter speaks for itself. I got to grips with it quickly with no need to refer to the manual and had hours of fun trying things out. The ability to automatically adjust grain size so that it is based on an images physical dimensions and resolution is another feature which puts this plug-in ahead of its competitors.
The ability to control how grain is generated is one of the best implementations I've seen yet with only one competitor producing better results. Even though the addition or manipulation of digital grain isn't quite perfect, in RealGrain it is still by far the most versatile with control over the tonal range, balance and intensity as well as grain size. The only way to improve upon this would be to develop a method of modeling the shape of chemical film grain so that you could more accurately represent the real world equivalents.
With the range of film stocks and looks being emulated it is hard to see what could be added to improve this easy to use tool. Nonetheless, I have some suggestions for Imagenomic for emulations I'd like to see: selenium toning, sistan toning, cyanotypes and lithprinting among others.
Cons: Would like to see some more control over the look of the grain. I think there's still some work to be done by Imagenomic to create more realistic looking grain. It would be nice to be able to access all the presets in one place.
Pros: RealGrain is fast and easy to use. Highly configurable. Excellent selection of film types. Great value for the money. This is without a doubt one of the best tools of its kind. With a few small improvements in how film grain is handled and the addition of a few more film type effects it will be hard act to beat. Highly Recommended.
Published by: Imagenomic
Requires: Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 or Elements 3/4 or a recent edition of a plug-in compliant program; Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.x/10.4.x; 256MB RAM, 10MB available hard disk space MSRP: US$99.95
Of all the tools Imagenomic makes, RealGrain is my favorite. The main reason for this is its versatility and the accuracy with which it emulates a wide variety of film types and film development processes. With this useful plug-in you can emulate black & white or color films from Agfa, Fuji, Ilford and Kodak. You can even emulate effects such as cross processing, split toning, black & white or color infrared, sepia toning and a whole lot more. The range of film stocks which are emulated is awesome. RealGrain is available separately or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite along with Portraiture and Noiseware Professional.
Like all other Imagenomic offerings RealGrain really needs no manual. The user interface in the filter speaks for itself. I got to grips with it quickly with no need to refer to the manual and had hours of fun trying things out. The ability to automatically adjust grain size so that it is based on an images physical dimensions and resolution is another feature which puts this plug-in ahead of its competitors.
The ability to control how grain is generated is one of the best implementations I've seen yet with only one competitor producing better results. Even though the addition or manipulation of digital grain isn't quite perfect, in RealGrain it is still by far the most versatile with control over the tonal range, balance and intensity as well as grain size. The only way to improve upon this would be to develop a method of modeling the shape of chemical film grain so that you could more accurately represent the real world equivalents.
With the range of film stocks and looks being emulated it is hard to see what could be added to improve this easy to use tool. Nonetheless, I have some suggestions for Imagenomic for emulations I'd like to see: selenium toning, sistan toning, cyanotypes and lithprinting among others.
Cons: Would like to see some more control over the look of the grain. I think there's still some work to be done by Imagenomic to create more realistic looking grain. It would be nice to be able to access all the presets in one place.
Pros: RealGrain is fast and easy to use. Highly configurable. Excellent selection of film types. Great value for the money. This is without a doubt one of the best tools of its kind. With a few small improvements in how film grain is handled and the addition of a few more film type effects it will be hard act to beat. Highly Recommended.
Portraiture 1.0.1
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou
Published by: Imagenomic
Requires: Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 or Elements 3/4/5 or a recent edition of a plug-in compliant program; Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.x/10.4.x; 256MB RAM, 10MB available hard disk spaceMSRP: US$169.95
The Portraiture plug-in is designed is to simplify the process and shorten the time it takes to carry out digital photo portrait retouching. With features like intelligent smoothing and blemish removal, an auto-mask feature that recognizes optimal skin tones and controls for fine-tuning the effect, you really can't go too far wrong. Portraiture is available separately or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite which also includes Noiseware Professional and RealGrain.
The presets that come with this powerful plug-in, are more than enough to retouch most digital images. However for the user who requires finer control over the look and feel of retouched images there are a wide array of fine control sliders which will allow exacting Retouchers to adjust things to their hearts content.
The plug-in is really easy to use. In fact, I very quickly began asking myself if that was all there was to it. Obviously, there has been a lot of effort put into this tool and it's pretty evident when you see just how simple it is. My only complaint is that although I can see the benefit in time saving alone, I can't understand why Portraiture v1.0.1 is a full $100 more than the Noiseware Plug-in which is also part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite along with Portraiture.
Version 1.0.1 is the latest release of Portraiture and fully supports native Intel Mac systems, as well as Microsoft's Vista operating system. Portraiture v1.0.1 is also optimized to support Photoshop CS3 in both its release and public beta versions.
Although there is no built in spot removal or blemish removal tool, the absence is forgivable mainly because those sorts of photo repair tools are almost invariably already part of most photo editors. I did find the Skin Tones Mask capability very impressive. By using a selection tool I was able to restrict the application of the filter to a narrower range of tones making the effect all that more effective.
Cons: The absence of an integrated blemish and spot repair tool is a minor gripe, but the high price is a bit of a concern.
Pros: Fast and easy to use. Highly configurable. Skin Tones Mask feature is very well implemented. The Portraiture v1.0.1 plug-in is the ideal tool for photo studios that deal with portraiture, glamour and fashion imagery. Portraiture is available by itself or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite. Highly Recommended.
Published by: Imagenomic
Requires: Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 or Elements 3/4/5 or a recent edition of a plug-in compliant program; Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.x/10.4.x; 256MB RAM, 10MB available hard disk spaceMSRP: US$169.95
The Portraiture plug-in is designed is to simplify the process and shorten the time it takes to carry out digital photo portrait retouching. With features like intelligent smoothing and blemish removal, an auto-mask feature that recognizes optimal skin tones and controls for fine-tuning the effect, you really can't go too far wrong. Portraiture is available separately or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite which also includes Noiseware Professional and RealGrain.
The presets that come with this powerful plug-in, are more than enough to retouch most digital images. However for the user who requires finer control over the look and feel of retouched images there are a wide array of fine control sliders which will allow exacting Retouchers to adjust things to their hearts content.
The plug-in is really easy to use. In fact, I very quickly began asking myself if that was all there was to it. Obviously, there has been a lot of effort put into this tool and it's pretty evident when you see just how simple it is. My only complaint is that although I can see the benefit in time saving alone, I can't understand why Portraiture v1.0.1 is a full $100 more than the Noiseware Plug-in which is also part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite along with Portraiture.
Version 1.0.1 is the latest release of Portraiture and fully supports native Intel Mac systems, as well as Microsoft's Vista operating system. Portraiture v1.0.1 is also optimized to support Photoshop CS3 in both its release and public beta versions.
Although there is no built in spot removal or blemish removal tool, the absence is forgivable mainly because those sorts of photo repair tools are almost invariably already part of most photo editors. I did find the Skin Tones Mask capability very impressive. By using a selection tool I was able to restrict the application of the filter to a narrower range of tones making the effect all that more effective.
Cons: The absence of an integrated blemish and spot repair tool is a minor gripe, but the high price is a bit of a concern.
Pros: Fast and easy to use. Highly configurable. Skin Tones Mask feature is very well implemented. The Portraiture v1.0.1 plug-in is the ideal tool for photo studios that deal with portraiture, glamour and fashion imagery. Portraiture is available by itself or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite. Highly Recommended.
Noiseware Professional 4.1.1
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou
Published by: Imagenomic
Requires: Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 or Elements 3/4 or a recent edition of a plug-in compliant program; Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.x/10.4.x; 256MB RAM, 10MB available hard disk space MSRP: US$69.95
Imagenomic creates tools and Photoshop plug-ins for imageers, designers and photographers. The Noiseware Professional plug-in consists of a standalone program and a couple of plug-ins which are designed to remove noise and grain, while also preserving most fine details. Noiseware Professional is available separately or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite along with Real Grain and Portraiture.
Noiseware Professional supports 16-bit images, a necessity for any professional photographer who is shooting RAW images. Users can apply a number of presets — up to 14 in all — which cover pretty much any situation. You can create and save your own presets and recall them at any time for use on specific projects.
Noiseware Professional is extremely useful for the photo editor, production artist or photographer who is shooting high ISO images or who has very little time to adjust scanned images which contain excessive noise. The effects of this filter can be quite subtle in some situations, but the beneficial effects are useful and noticeable nonetheless. Noiseware Professional is also designed to deal with some of the problems caused by JPEG compression artifacts, a real bonus in my mind. The feature is well conceived and I think Imagenomic should definitely put some additional development effort into the next version.
Noiseware does a lot of the work up front by calculating the noise levels in your chosen image. The presets will usually allow you deal with most issues immediately. If you are not happy with a preset, you can then make use of the control slider arrays. Even the most tweak-happy editors will be pleased with the controls too. With four tabs for Detail, Frequency, Tonal Range and Color Range, and over 35 control sliders, you can play for hours.
One of Noiseware Professional's more thoughtful functions allows you to apply different processing levels by auto bracketing the setting to same image. You can view the effects in a tabbed view from which you can then select the desired result. This would work better without the tabs and in the form of a display matrix. Like the JPEG compression artifact component, auto bracketing is clearly area that Imagenomic can expand in future plug-in releases.
Cons: The tabbed interface for the auto bracketing feature would be better served by a matrix type preview. My only real concern is that some detail can be lost, but well exposed and well focused images aren't really affected.
Pros: Intuitive and fast. Highly configurable. The auto bracketing feature is really nice. Great value for the money. Noiseware is aimed at all users who need a tool for controlling noise in their images. Working with Noiseware you can appreciate the work that's been put into this excellent and easy to use plug-in. If you don't have the luxury of time then you owe it to yourself to try Noiseware Professional. You won't regret it. This release is also optimized to support Photoshop CS3 in both the release and public beta versions. Highly Recommended.
Published by: Imagenomic
Requires: Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3 or Elements 3/4 or a recent edition of a plug-in compliant program; Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.x/10.4.x; 256MB RAM, 10MB available hard disk space MSRP: US$69.95
Imagenomic creates tools and Photoshop plug-ins for imageers, designers and photographers. The Noiseware Professional plug-in consists of a standalone program and a couple of plug-ins which are designed to remove noise and grain, while also preserving most fine details. Noiseware Professional is available separately or as part of the Imagenomic Professional Plug-in Suite along with Real Grain and Portraiture.
Noiseware Professional supports 16-bit images, a necessity for any professional photographer who is shooting RAW images. Users can apply a number of presets — up to 14 in all — which cover pretty much any situation. You can create and save your own presets and recall them at any time for use on specific projects.
Noiseware Professional is extremely useful for the photo editor, production artist or photographer who is shooting high ISO images or who has very little time to adjust scanned images which contain excessive noise. The effects of this filter can be quite subtle in some situations, but the beneficial effects are useful and noticeable nonetheless. Noiseware Professional is also designed to deal with some of the problems caused by JPEG compression artifacts, a real bonus in my mind. The feature is well conceived and I think Imagenomic should definitely put some additional development effort into the next version.
Noiseware does a lot of the work up front by calculating the noise levels in your chosen image. The presets will usually allow you deal with most issues immediately. If you are not happy with a preset, you can then make use of the control slider arrays. Even the most tweak-happy editors will be pleased with the controls too. With four tabs for Detail, Frequency, Tonal Range and Color Range, and over 35 control sliders, you can play for hours.
One of Noiseware Professional's more thoughtful functions allows you to apply different processing levels by auto bracketing the setting to same image. You can view the effects in a tabbed view from which you can then select the desired result. This would work better without the tabs and in the form of a display matrix. Like the JPEG compression artifact component, auto bracketing is clearly area that Imagenomic can expand in future plug-in releases.
Cons: The tabbed interface for the auto bracketing feature would be better served by a matrix type preview. My only real concern is that some detail can be lost, but well exposed and well focused images aren't really affected.
Pros: Intuitive and fast. Highly configurable. The auto bracketing feature is really nice. Great value for the money. Noiseware is aimed at all users who need a tool for controlling noise in their images. Working with Noiseware you can appreciate the work that's been put into this excellent and easy to use plug-in. If you don't have the luxury of time then you owe it to yourself to try Noiseware Professional. You won't regret it. This release is also optimized to support Photoshop CS3 in both the release and public beta versions. Highly Recommended.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
The Essential Color Manual for Photographers
Reviewed by: Mario Georgiou, February 2007
Author: Chris Rutter
ISBN: 2-940378-11-8
Published by: RotoVision
Requires: N/A
MSRP: US$29.95, UK£25.00
Author Chris Rutter has been involved in photography for over 20 years. He has a degree in Photographic Science from the University of Westminster, and his work has appeared in a number of leading magazines, including Digital Photo. Rutter is also the Technical Editor for Practical Photography magazine, the UK's top-selling photography title. He describes himself as a "quiet, unassuming insomniac with a steely determination to spend as much time as possible away from the office," and that he has a "healthy appetite for the great outdoors and a genuine fear of having his own photo taken."
The Essential Color Manual for Photographers is another excellent book in the Essential series from Rotovision. The book has been created to provide photographers with an understanding of color as it relates to the digital and photographic worlds. The book features 10 chapters, dealing with key color concepts. In the first chapter issues like color theory, color spaces and systems are explained simply and effectively. Concepts like color blindness and other limitations in visual acuity are also covered, all of which I found particularly useful as inclusions.
The second chapter deals with image capture technologies and how they handle and affect color. The chapter also discusses ISO equivalency, image compression artifacts and very briefly deals with film based image capture. This chapter although brief, does provide an overview of the current state of the art. However, the coverage of film capture, while useful, lacks depth.
The third chapter deals with the quality of light and covers concepts such as color temperature systems and white balance, along with coverage of optical color filters. The information here, although brief, does a very good job of explaining why scenes look so different at varying times of the day and also provides a good jumping off point to explore this further in other reference books.
Chapters 4 and 5 deal with Digital Considerations and Workflow — issues such as color management and calibration. These chapters do a very good job of explaining color spaces, gamut and bit depth. They also cover device constraints and the importance of device calibration and profiling. I found that the visual examples for bit depth failed to adequately convey the subtleties of this issue, although the histogram accompanying the images helped somewhat.
The sixth chapter looks at what basic tools and controls can be used to tune your images colors. Here the reader is introduced to and attention is paid to tools like the Hue/Saturation dialog, Levels, Curves and Color channels.
Chapter 7 is the first one delves more deeply into the subject of color and covers theories like complementary and harmonious colors. It also details situational and thematic color handling such as dealing with skin tones, mixed lighting situations, limited color palettes, using color to evoke a mood, and the issues surrounding the capture of seasonal color. All through this section (which runs about 38 pages), the subjects being discussed are supported by some very well chosen photographs which richly illustrate and help reinforce the reader's grasp of the theories being explained.
The next two chapters deal with specific techniques. The subject matter is handled well and provides you with some excellent and useful ways to enhance a broad range of images. Techniques like color balancing, saturation, film type emulation, black & white conversion, and duo and tritones are clearly explained, providing valuable information and well organized explanations. Other techniques such as color popping, solarization, cross processing (where you process print film using slide processing or vice versa), and the digital emulation of infrared are given detailed coverage as well. Most importantly here, the issues are well discussed and again provide the reader with plenty of fuel for their creative work.
The final chapter introduces us to the works of four distinctly different photographers and provides web links so that readers can further explore the work of these well chosen talents. I enjoyed following up the book with and exploration of their online portfolios.
Cons: I would have liked to see more in-depth coverage of digital technology and workflow. A couple of the examples could have benefited from better source images.
Pros: Clean design, layout and writing. Excellent coverage of the subject of color. Superb selection and use of examples. This is another excellent book from Rotovision and one which will help to clarify the issue of color for budding digital imageers and photographers. Like the previous Essentials book it uses language and examples which make it approachable for readers of all skill levels. Highly recommended for all photographers who work with digital technologies.
Author: Chris Rutter
ISBN: 2-940378-11-8
Published by: RotoVision
Requires: N/A
MSRP: US$29.95, UK£25.00
Author Chris Rutter has been involved in photography for over 20 years. He has a degree in Photographic Science from the University of Westminster, and his work has appeared in a number of leading magazines, including Digital Photo. Rutter is also the Technical Editor for Practical Photography magazine, the UK's top-selling photography title. He describes himself as a "quiet, unassuming insomniac with a steely determination to spend as much time as possible away from the office," and that he has a "healthy appetite for the great outdoors and a genuine fear of having his own photo taken."
The Essential Color Manual for Photographers is another excellent book in the Essential series from Rotovision. The book has been created to provide photographers with an understanding of color as it relates to the digital and photographic worlds. The book features 10 chapters, dealing with key color concepts. In the first chapter issues like color theory, color spaces and systems are explained simply and effectively. Concepts like color blindness and other limitations in visual acuity are also covered, all of which I found particularly useful as inclusions.
The second chapter deals with image capture technologies and how they handle and affect color. The chapter also discusses ISO equivalency, image compression artifacts and very briefly deals with film based image capture. This chapter although brief, does provide an overview of the current state of the art. However, the coverage of film capture, while useful, lacks depth.
The third chapter deals with the quality of light and covers concepts such as color temperature systems and white balance, along with coverage of optical color filters. The information here, although brief, does a very good job of explaining why scenes look so different at varying times of the day and also provides a good jumping off point to explore this further in other reference books.
Chapters 4 and 5 deal with Digital Considerations and Workflow — issues such as color management and calibration. These chapters do a very good job of explaining color spaces, gamut and bit depth. They also cover device constraints and the importance of device calibration and profiling. I found that the visual examples for bit depth failed to adequately convey the subtleties of this issue, although the histogram accompanying the images helped somewhat.
The sixth chapter looks at what basic tools and controls can be used to tune your images colors. Here the reader is introduced to and attention is paid to tools like the Hue/Saturation dialog, Levels, Curves and Color channels.
Chapter 7 is the first one delves more deeply into the subject of color and covers theories like complementary and harmonious colors. It also details situational and thematic color handling such as dealing with skin tones, mixed lighting situations, limited color palettes, using color to evoke a mood, and the issues surrounding the capture of seasonal color. All through this section (which runs about 38 pages), the subjects being discussed are supported by some very well chosen photographs which richly illustrate and help reinforce the reader's grasp of the theories being explained.
The next two chapters deal with specific techniques. The subject matter is handled well and provides you with some excellent and useful ways to enhance a broad range of images. Techniques like color balancing, saturation, film type emulation, black & white conversion, and duo and tritones are clearly explained, providing valuable information and well organized explanations. Other techniques such as color popping, solarization, cross processing (where you process print film using slide processing or vice versa), and the digital emulation of infrared are given detailed coverage as well. Most importantly here, the issues are well discussed and again provide the reader with plenty of fuel for their creative work.
The final chapter introduces us to the works of four distinctly different photographers and provides web links so that readers can further explore the work of these well chosen talents. I enjoyed following up the book with and exploration of their online portfolios.
Cons: I would have liked to see more in-depth coverage of digital technology and workflow. A couple of the examples could have benefited from better source images.
Pros: Clean design, layout and writing. Excellent coverage of the subject of color. Superb selection and use of examples. This is another excellent book from Rotovision and one which will help to clarify the issue of color for budding digital imageers and photographers. Like the previous Essentials book it uses language and examples which make it approachable for readers of all skill levels. Highly recommended for all photographers who work with digital technologies.
Friday, February 16, 2007
ACDSee 9.0
ACDSee have updated ACDSee Suite to Version 9. New features include; Faster viewing with Quick View mode, Easier photo fixes with One-click red-eye reduction, Shadow/Highlight tool, Private folders, ACDSee Showroom widget for showing your photos on your desktop, Print Layouts And some excellent organisational tools such as the Calendar Events View, Auto Categories and Group By. The powerful Table of Contents feature also makes it easier to find and view your photos.
For more information visit ACDSee.
For more information visit ACDSee.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Nikon Releases Capture NX v1.1
Nikon have released updaters for their Capture NX application which will take it to v1.1. The Mac version is now a Universal Binary with spport for native performance on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs, the Windows version has introduced compatibility with the 32-bit version of Vista. Rob Galbraith has published a page providing more details of the changes and improvements with links to all the updates.
Akvis Sketch Version 3.0 Released
Akvis have released version 3.0 of their Sketch plug-in for Photo Centric Software such as Paint Shop Pro, Adobe PhotoShop and others. This revision is a relatively minor upgrade and addresses a few bugs and compatibility with Windows Vista. AKVIS Sketch is a plugin for converting photos into pencil sketches and watercolor drawings.
For more information visit the Sketch plug-in page at AKVIS.
For more information visit the Sketch plug-in page at AKVIS.
Imagenomic Update Plug-ins
Imagenomic have announced that their Noiseware Standard and Pro plug-ins, and their newest products, Portraiture and RealGrain, have been updated to support the latest software applications, hardware platforms and O/S releases from Adobe, Apple and Microsoft, respectively.
The plug-ins and software tools now include support for native Intel Mac systems, as well as Microsofts new Vista operating system.
The plug-ins and software tools now include support for native Intel Mac systems, as well as Microsofts new Vista operating system.
Imagenomic's plug-in versions of these titles also extend their trademark speed, superior picture quality and ease-of-use functionality into Photoshop's ongoing Creative Suite 3 public beta program, and the commercial release currently scheduled for this Spring.Imagenomic's latest plug-in releases are available as free upgrades to existing customers, and can be downloaded directly from the product update page of the company's website.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Windows Vista and RAW Metadata
There is apparently a problem with editing RAW metadata using Microsofts tagging tools in Vista. The problem being that it purportedly destroys Metadata in any RAW files edited. This problem is causing some users and News sites to take an I told you so stance, however I like any other user out there who relys on their data being kept intact are waiting for the lowdown from industry pundits before upgrading.
The reality of this situation is that this problem isn't one of Microsofts making, but one caused by all the unique versions of file formats out there from every Camera manufacturer. Look into RAW files and the lack of a standard for the cause of this problem.
To be perfectly frank, if you are using the tools found in an OS to do this rather than professional tools, then you're a big fool. If you are feeling like you want to live on the edge by being an early adopter, then you just might bleed a little more than you need to. Before jumping on the anti-Microsoft bandwagon take some time to learn about real workflows rather than assume that users are stupid enough to use stock tools for professional purposes. This is an issue for more than just Microsoft, please, please, if you're going to post a bug notice like this get your facts straight and put it in context rather than just come off sounding like a fanboy taking a poke.
Bottom line is ... If you have to edit the Metadata in your RAW files do it using a professional App. Preferably one created by the manufacturer of your digital camera. Likewise, if you want to upgrade to a new OS, please, please make sure the apps you use on a day to day basis are fully supported in that OS. Do your research...
This post was prompted by posts at several sites describing a bug in Vista which may destroy the Metadata in Camera RAW files. If you want to see the articles which prompted this post visit Gizmodo and News.com. This Microsoft Knowledgebase article has further and more relevant info...
The reality of this situation is that this problem isn't one of Microsofts making, but one caused by all the unique versions of file formats out there from every Camera manufacturer. Look into RAW files and the lack of a standard for the cause of this problem.
To be perfectly frank, if you are using the tools found in an OS to do this rather than professional tools, then you're a big fool. If you are feeling like you want to live on the edge by being an early adopter, then you just might bleed a little more than you need to. Before jumping on the anti-Microsoft bandwagon take some time to learn about real workflows rather than assume that users are stupid enough to use stock tools for professional purposes. This is an issue for more than just Microsoft, please, please, if you're going to post a bug notice like this get your facts straight and put it in context rather than just come off sounding like a fanboy taking a poke.
Bottom line is ... If you have to edit the Metadata in your RAW files do it using a professional App. Preferably one created by the manufacturer of your digital camera. Likewise, if you want to upgrade to a new OS, please, please make sure the apps you use on a day to day basis are fully supported in that OS. Do your research...
This post was prompted by posts at several sites describing a bug in Vista which may destroy the Metadata in Camera RAW files. If you want to see the articles which prompted this post visit Gizmodo and News.com. This Microsoft Knowledgebase article has further and more relevant info...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
A Resolution On Resolution
So your trying to figure out what camera to buy ... do you go out and spend money on a 12 Megapixel compact, or go all out and buy a 10 or 12 Megapixel DSLR? It's an easy question to answer really ... forget all that nonsense about more is better ... the 12 megapixel images on the compact may be pretty good but you'll probably find that they are somewhat inferior to the 10 Megapixel DSLR. A lot of this has to do with the size of the sensor. Even more has to do with the capabilities of the sensor, and a combination of its sensitivity, dynamic range and the optics that the DSLR has to offer over the more compact and admittedly handier pocket cameras.
Quite simply, DSLR have larger sensors, and these larger sensors are able to record more information than the equivalent point and shoot based sensor. There are a number of technical reasons for this, but trust me it is the case. Remember, we're talking about cameras which are released in the same generation.
Before you go out and blow a pile of money, stop and think ... what do you want your camera for? Are you a photographer looking to create Art or Photos you can use for your work or business ... or will you most likely be a happy snapper who will most likely not print anything larger than a 4x6 inch or 5x7 inch print.
If you fall into the latter camp then buy a compact or pocket based Digicam. These at 8 megapixels will be able to produce effective looking prints up to even 8x10 inches. If you are a professional or fancy yourself as one then by all means get yourself a DSLR.
Don't ask me which one, because I will always spring for a full frame like the Canon EOS 5D or 1Ds MkII. but for many these full frame cameras are a bit rich. However having come from a film background, I enjoy the fact that with a full frame I can switch back and forth between my Film and Digital SLR's without too much adaptation. And my lenses all work the same ...
For an interesting read, visit More Megapixels Does Not Mean More Quality, at Digital Camera Review.
Quite simply, DSLR have larger sensors, and these larger sensors are able to record more information than the equivalent point and shoot based sensor. There are a number of technical reasons for this, but trust me it is the case. Remember, we're talking about cameras which are released in the same generation.
Before you go out and blow a pile of money, stop and think ... what do you want your camera for? Are you a photographer looking to create Art or Photos you can use for your work or business ... or will you most likely be a happy snapper who will most likely not print anything larger than a 4x6 inch or 5x7 inch print.
If you fall into the latter camp then buy a compact or pocket based Digicam. These at 8 megapixels will be able to produce effective looking prints up to even 8x10 inches. If you are a professional or fancy yourself as one then by all means get yourself a DSLR.
Don't ask me which one, because I will always spring for a full frame like the Canon EOS 5D or 1Ds MkII. but for many these full frame cameras are a bit rich. However having come from a film background, I enjoy the fact that with a full frame I can switch back and forth between my Film and Digital SLR's without too much adaptation. And my lenses all work the same ...
For an interesting read, visit More Megapixels Does Not Mean More Quality, at Digital Camera Review.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom News
Martin Evening and Jeff Schewe have launched a new site, Lightroom-News.com. The site is dedicated to educating and informing Lightroom Users. Contributing Editors are photographers Ian Lyons, Sean McCormack, Seth Resnick & Andrew Rodney. Visit Lightroom News for more info.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
What Is A Picture Worth?
The online photographer has an interesting post which relates the experience Mike Johnston had with trying to get insurance for his photography gear and the questions it raised for him as a Photographer. It's well worth a read as it'll make you think seriously about taking care of your images. Pop on over to The Online Photographer.
DxO Optics Pro & Genuine Fractals Bundle
onOne Software and DxO Labs have created a bundle of two of their excellent solutions for imageers and photographers. DxO Optics Pro is a solution for automatic digital image enhancement, and onOne Software’s Genuine Fractals, is a Photoshop® plug-in that produces high-quality enlargements from digital image files. These bundles are available for a limited time from the online stores of onOne Software and DxO Labs.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Kodak Enhancement Plug-ins
Kodak have announced a set of professional and standard Image Enhancement plug-ins for Photoshop and plug-in compliant applications. These plug-ins are from ASF (Applied Science fiction), and are now part of Kodaks new digital product line and are very useful for pro and amateur alike. Included in the set are:
Digital GEM - which automatically reduces noise/grain.
Digital GEM Airbrush - an airbrush effect for smoothing skin and other details.
Digital ROC - that corrects, balances and restores color
Digital SHO - which optimizes contrast and exposure.
Free trial versions of the plug-ins are available for download at the Kodak.ASF site.
Digital GEM - which automatically reduces noise/grain.
Digital GEM Airbrush - an airbrush effect for smoothing skin and other details.
Digital ROC - that corrects, balances and restores color
Digital SHO - which optimizes contrast and exposure.
Free trial versions of the plug-ins are available for download at the Kodak.ASF site.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
DOP feature Preview of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Digital Outback Photo have posted a preview of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Version 1.0. It's well worth a look as it helps to clarify a number of issues some users had with Beta 4. The preview is a good read, as it lists some of the features users had wished for. It also lists some of the shortcomings, and there are a few, mainly in the area of correcting optical distortion, advanced dual monitor support and image enhancement for noise and sharpness, amongst other capabilities. Ready the preview here, it's well worth your time.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The Practical Zone System, 4th Edition
Review by Mario Georgiou, February 2007
Author: Chris Johnson
Publisher: Focal Press/Elsevier
300 pages
ISBN: 0-240-51652-4
US$ 29.95 £ £18.99 EUR 28.95
One of the things that Focal press does well is create very approachable books on highly technical subjects, and Ansel Adams Zone System is certainly one of the most technical concepts a photographer will ever deal with. The Author, Chris Johnson, was a friend and student of Ansel Adams. He is also a Professor of Photography at California College of Arts and Crafts.
In this book Chris provides photographers with the information, so that they can understand and effectively use the zone system in their daily shooting process. It enables the photographer to apply it in the darkroom, in the studio and also out in the real world.
It also provides the reader with an understanding of how to test and calibrate their equipment, so that they can more effectively control their results using their workflow. For the visual photographer this is the book to buy, by stripping away the heavy technical covereage found in other books and visually bridging the concepts and he makes the ideas in the Zone System very approachable.
One of the most important parts of this system, is to be able to pre-visualize the images and expose accordingly. The method of previsualization is explained and clues are given via illustrations and diagrams which help the reader understand how to make valid decisions in this process.
If however you are a more technically savvy individual, you might want to begin with this excellent book and then move on to a more in-depth and technical title. I did find the 100 plus pages of appendices very interesting and full of useful reference and technical info relating to both film and digital image capture and processes.
The practical Zone System is filled with useful tips, development and film charts for traditional photographers and useful tips for digital photographers. My only gripe is that the photographs and examples suffer from being printed using standard printing, rather than a hifi process, which would do justice to the examples provided. As a result many of the images come off lacking detail in the highlights and shadows.
Cons - Some of the examples could have benefited from better examples and printing.
Pros - Well written and easy to follow. Excellent use of Charts and references throughout.
The Practical Zone system is a great starting point for photographers of all types to get an introduction to one of Ansel Adams key theories on photography. It is a book, which is let down, only by the quality of the printing, but, which should, nonetheless, be in the library of any photographer who wants to understand, the use and control of tonality, in black and white images. It will also enhance, the readers understanding of their work in colour. Chris Johnson very effectively deals with both film and digital processes. His coverage of workflow and digital output helps provide the groundwork for anyone with even a modicum of technical ability, to be able to produce images that meet and do justice to their creative vision. Highly Recommended.
Author: Chris Johnson
Publisher: Focal Press/Elsevier
300 pages
ISBN: 0-240-51652-4
US$ 29.95 £ £18.99 EUR 28.95
One of the things that Focal press does well is create very approachable books on highly technical subjects, and Ansel Adams Zone System is certainly one of the most technical concepts a photographer will ever deal with. The Author, Chris Johnson, was a friend and student of Ansel Adams. He is also a Professor of Photography at California College of Arts and Crafts.
In this book Chris provides photographers with the information, so that they can understand and effectively use the zone system in their daily shooting process. It enables the photographer to apply it in the darkroom, in the studio and also out in the real world.
It also provides the reader with an understanding of how to test and calibrate their equipment, so that they can more effectively control their results using their workflow. For the visual photographer this is the book to buy, by stripping away the heavy technical covereage found in other books and visually bridging the concepts and he makes the ideas in the Zone System very approachable.
One of the most important parts of this system, is to be able to pre-visualize the images and expose accordingly. The method of previsualization is explained and clues are given via illustrations and diagrams which help the reader understand how to make valid decisions in this process.
If however you are a more technically savvy individual, you might want to begin with this excellent book and then move on to a more in-depth and technical title. I did find the 100 plus pages of appendices very interesting and full of useful reference and technical info relating to both film and digital image capture and processes.
The practical Zone System is filled with useful tips, development and film charts for traditional photographers and useful tips for digital photographers. My only gripe is that the photographs and examples suffer from being printed using standard printing, rather than a hifi process, which would do justice to the examples provided. As a result many of the images come off lacking detail in the highlights and shadows.
Cons - Some of the examples could have benefited from better examples and printing.
Pros - Well written and easy to follow. Excellent use of Charts and references throughout.
The Practical Zone system is a great starting point for photographers of all types to get an introduction to one of Ansel Adams key theories on photography. It is a book, which is let down, only by the quality of the printing, but, which should, nonetheless, be in the library of any photographer who wants to understand, the use and control of tonality, in black and white images. It will also enhance, the readers understanding of their work in colour. Chris Johnson very effectively deals with both film and digital processes. His coverage of workflow and digital output helps provide the groundwork for anyone with even a modicum of technical ability, to be able to produce images that meet and do justice to their creative vision. Highly Recommended.
Raw Workflow from Capture to Archives
Review by Mario Georgiou, February 2007
Authors: Philip Andrews, Yvonne Butler and Joe Farace
Publisher: Focal Press/Elsevier
304 pages
ISBN: 0-240-80752-9
US$39.95 - £24.99 GBP
Raw Workflow deals with one of the most important issues affecting Digital Photographers today. Most digital cameras today are capable of recording images in Jpg, however being a lossy format it is far from desirable for use by imageers and professional photographers. Some cameras even support recording to TIF, however the format of choice is actually the cameras native format - RAW. RAW data of course varies from camera to camera and as a result there are many flavours to choose from. Nikons NEF, Canons CRW and so on... there has even been an attempt to standardize the data by Adobe, DNG.
As a result of this, the photographer is spoilt for choice, especially when it comes to selecting a preferred format. RAW is ideal because it is somewhat equivalent to the film negative. There is however one distinction, and that is, that you can effectively reprocess the original data over and over again.
This book from Focal press attempts to clarify the issues photographers have to deal with on a day to day basis. As with many of the books from this imprint, it is well laid out, and easy to follow and has a nice combination of technical content, easy to follow illustrations and excellent writing.
It starts with the basics and builds from there. The first three chapters deal with describing what RAW is, as well as covering the technical issues of shooting in RAW and handling the resulting files.
Subsequent chapters take an extremely brief look at the different flavours of RAW converters and tools. The book then focuses on native converters and then moves on to Photoshop Elements, Adobe Camera Raw and its use with Photoshop and Bridge. Adobes Lightroom and Apples Exposure are then featured with an in-depth look at their relative merits.
RAW Workflow is completed by then covering the concepts of asset management, file storage and archiving. The Glossary at the end of this book is excellent and ads to an already excellent volume. Overall, I enjoyed the read. It is one of the best books on this subject and has something for readers of all experience levels.
Cons: No coverage of Linux based solutions. Some of the third party applications are touched upon too briefly.
Pros: Nicely laid out. Easy to read. Excellent coverage of the issues.
Raw Workflow is an excellent publication which is well laid out, richly illustrated and easy to read. It has something for users of all levels and is a solid book for the user who wants an introduction to the issues surrounding RAW based image handling and processing. Highly Recommended.
Authors: Philip Andrews, Yvonne Butler and Joe Farace
Publisher: Focal Press/Elsevier
304 pages
ISBN: 0-240-80752-9
US$39.95 - £24.99 GBP
Raw Workflow deals with one of the most important issues affecting Digital Photographers today. Most digital cameras today are capable of recording images in Jpg, however being a lossy format it is far from desirable for use by imageers and professional photographers. Some cameras even support recording to TIF, however the format of choice is actually the cameras native format - RAW. RAW data of course varies from camera to camera and as a result there are many flavours to choose from. Nikons NEF, Canons CRW and so on... there has even been an attempt to standardize the data by Adobe, DNG.
As a result of this, the photographer is spoilt for choice, especially when it comes to selecting a preferred format. RAW is ideal because it is somewhat equivalent to the film negative. There is however one distinction, and that is, that you can effectively reprocess the original data over and over again.
This book from Focal press attempts to clarify the issues photographers have to deal with on a day to day basis. As with many of the books from this imprint, it is well laid out, and easy to follow and has a nice combination of technical content, easy to follow illustrations and excellent writing.
It starts with the basics and builds from there. The first three chapters deal with describing what RAW is, as well as covering the technical issues of shooting in RAW and handling the resulting files.
Subsequent chapters take an extremely brief look at the different flavours of RAW converters and tools. The book then focuses on native converters and then moves on to Photoshop Elements, Adobe Camera Raw and its use with Photoshop and Bridge. Adobes Lightroom and Apples Exposure are then featured with an in-depth look at their relative merits.
RAW Workflow is completed by then covering the concepts of asset management, file storage and archiving. The Glossary at the end of this book is excellent and ads to an already excellent volume. Overall, I enjoyed the read. It is one of the best books on this subject and has something for readers of all experience levels.
Cons: No coverage of Linux based solutions. Some of the third party applications are touched upon too briefly.
Pros: Nicely laid out. Easy to read. Excellent coverage of the issues.
Raw Workflow is an excellent publication which is well laid out, richly illustrated and easy to read. It has something for users of all levels and is a solid book for the user who wants an introduction to the issues surrounding RAW based image handling and processing. Highly Recommended.
Snap Art from Alien Skin Software
Review by Mario Georgiou, February 2007
Published by: Alien Skin Software
Requires: Photoshop CS or a Recent Edition of a Plug-in Compliant Host Application
Windows Systems - Intel Pentium 4 processor (or compatible) 512 MB RAM 1024x768 or greater monitor resolution Windows XP or later.
Macintosh Systems - PowerPC G4 or G5 processor 512 MB RAM 1024x768 or greater monitor resolution Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later .
MSRP: $149 US
I'm a big fan of art and luckily I am also able to draw, paint and sculpt. However for many folks creating art is something of a challenge if not impossible to create something which they conceive of as Artistic. For those of you who take photos, and who also enjoy playing with your images, Photoshop and several plug-ins have enabled you to create art-like images.
Snap Art is one of these plug-ins and basically allows you to create images that evoke the feeling and looks of many traditional and real world art styles. This plug in consists of 10 Photoshop compatible plug-in filters, each of which creates a very distinctive effect. Effects include; oil paint, impasto, pastel, pencil sketch, pen and ink, Pointillism, Comics, Watercolour and others. It is very similar in the range of effects it creates, to some of the styles I've found in other artistic effects emulation plug-ins.
Although it won't turn you into an artist, it is very easy to use and the results are much more configurable than most of these other plug-ins.
In addition to the style presets there are several key settings which allow you to modify the factory settings these include; Tone, Canvas, and Lighting. The capability to save your own presets is an excellent feature.
Whilst many of the effects which are cool, they can however be created with Photoshop using its native filters and effects. What Snap Art does, is take all the fuss and time out of looking for and trying to remember what combination of filters to use, by putting all the controls in a powerful interface. It could however, be improved by allowing some kind of quick switching mode so that you can move from style to style more quickly.
I tend to use tools like this in combination with the other features in Photoshop and also with the use of my graphics tablet for line work. I found that I wasn't overly impressed with the pencil sketch and watercolour styles, but found the other styles useful. My favourite styles were oil paint, impasto and comics.
Cons: Some of the presets are not quite evocative of the style being emulated.
Pros: Easy to use. Highly configurable. Ability to save User settings.
Snap Art is aimed and priced at all users of photo based software. Whilst many of the effects this plug-in creates can be achieved using Photoshop, it makes the process of creating your art easy because it places all the necessary controls in an easy to access interface. Recommended.
Published by: Alien Skin Software
Requires: Photoshop CS or a Recent Edition of a Plug-in Compliant Host Application
Windows Systems - Intel Pentium 4 processor (or compatible) 512 MB RAM 1024x768 or greater monitor resolution Windows XP or later.
Macintosh Systems - PowerPC G4 or G5 processor 512 MB RAM 1024x768 or greater monitor resolution Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later .
MSRP: $149 US
I'm a big fan of art and luckily I am also able to draw, paint and sculpt. However for many folks creating art is something of a challenge if not impossible to create something which they conceive of as Artistic. For those of you who take photos, and who also enjoy playing with your images, Photoshop and several plug-ins have enabled you to create art-like images.
Snap Art is one of these plug-ins and basically allows you to create images that evoke the feeling and looks of many traditional and real world art styles. This plug in consists of 10 Photoshop compatible plug-in filters, each of which creates a very distinctive effect. Effects include; oil paint, impasto, pastel, pencil sketch, pen and ink, Pointillism, Comics, Watercolour and others. It is very similar in the range of effects it creates, to some of the styles I've found in other artistic effects emulation plug-ins.
Although it won't turn you into an artist, it is very easy to use and the results are much more configurable than most of these other plug-ins.
In addition to the style presets there are several key settings which allow you to modify the factory settings these include; Tone, Canvas, and Lighting. The capability to save your own presets is an excellent feature.
Whilst many of the effects which are cool, they can however be created with Photoshop using its native filters and effects. What Snap Art does, is take all the fuss and time out of looking for and trying to remember what combination of filters to use, by putting all the controls in a powerful interface. It could however, be improved by allowing some kind of quick switching mode so that you can move from style to style more quickly.
I tend to use tools like this in combination with the other features in Photoshop and also with the use of my graphics tablet for line work. I found that I wasn't overly impressed with the pencil sketch and watercolour styles, but found the other styles useful. My favourite styles were oil paint, impasto and comics.
Cons: Some of the presets are not quite evocative of the style being emulated.
Pros: Easy to use. Highly configurable. Ability to save User settings.
Snap Art is aimed and priced at all users of photo based software. Whilst many of the effects this plug-in creates can be achieved using Photoshop, it makes the process of creating your art easy because it places all the necessary controls in an easy to access interface. Recommended.
Vaja Ivolution Case for iPod 5G
Review by Mario Georgiou, February 2007
Available from: Vaja Corp - vajacases.com
Requires: Apple iPod Video 30GB
MSRP: Starts at US$70.00
Versions also available for 60GB and 80GB Models
Available from: Vaja Corp - vajacases.com
Requires: Apple iPod Video 30GB
MSRP: Starts at US$70.00
Versions also available for 60GB and 80GB Models
Having enjoyed the use of a Vaja case for my iPod for over a year now I was happy at the chance of being able to review the Ivolution Case for the iPod 5G. I ordered one in black with the screen protector fitted.
As usual Vaja have lavished lots of care and attention to this product and its presentation. The packaging and quality of the leather leave you in no doubt that this is a quality product. There are also several additional versions of the ivolution from which you can chose as you can see below.
On placing the iPod into the case which simply slips in through a slot at the top of the case, I could see that it was well designed and easy to hold. All controls and ports on the iPod and the display were perfectly positioned and I was more than able to use the iPod without any problems, not that I expected any with a Vaja product.
The screen protector does a great job of preventing damage to my iPods screen. Having used the case for a while I did find the protector gathered a few scratches. I would like very much to recommend to Vaja to come up with a method for easily replacing the screen protector when it gets scratched.
The case is also available with two types of clip, which I am told are very good ... my associate Howard Carson has the Rivet Clip with his case for the trio and swears by it.
As usual Vaja have lavished lots of care and attention to this product and its presentation. The packaging and quality of the leather leave you in no doubt that this is a quality product. There are also several additional versions of the ivolution from which you can chose as you can see below.
On placing the iPod into the case which simply slips in through a slot at the top of the case, I could see that it was well designed and easy to hold. All controls and ports on the iPod and the display were perfectly positioned and I was more than able to use the iPod without any problems, not that I expected any with a Vaja product.
The screen protector does a great job of preventing damage to my iPods screen. Having used the case for a while I did find the protector gathered a few scratches. I would like very much to recommend to Vaja to come up with a method for easily replacing the screen protector when it gets scratched.
The case is also available with two types of clip, which I am told are very good ... my associate Howard Carson has the Rivet Clip with his case for the trio and swears by it.
The best part about the Vaja case is that you can customise it in several ways. Options include selecting the type of clip, picking the colour for the front and back of the case. You can even add an embossed foil logo or text on the back of the case ... the online interface for doing so is really easy to use and very well done.
This case is stunning and one of the most finely crafted accessories I've had the pleasure to use. My only suggestion is that they consider adding a flap or cover that can act as a stand and for additional protection.
Cons: It would be nice to be able to easily replace the screen guard. Price may be an issue for some purchasers.
Pros: Beautifully designed, finely crafted and finished. Performs admirably and protects your iPod well. Excellent customization options. The leather is gorgeous.
The Ivolution represents what I consider to be one of the best third party products created for Apples iPod line. The case just speaks volumes about the quality of Vaja and their approach to leather products. It is aesthetically, functionally and structurally a beautiful piece of kit. Highly Recommended.
This case is stunning and one of the most finely crafted accessories I've had the pleasure to use. My only suggestion is that they consider adding a flap or cover that can act as a stand and for additional protection.
Cons: It would be nice to be able to easily replace the screen guard. Price may be an issue for some purchasers.
Pros: Beautifully designed, finely crafted and finished. Performs admirably and protects your iPod well. Excellent customization options. The leather is gorgeous.
The Ivolution represents what I consider to be one of the best third party products created for Apples iPod line. The case just speaks volumes about the quality of Vaja and their approach to leather products. It is aesthetically, functionally and structurally a beautiful piece of kit. Highly Recommended.
KATA T-214 GDC Torso-Pack Review
Review by Mario Georgiou, February 2007
Manufacturer: KATA Ltd.
Requires: Camera gear and a desire to walk around with some of it
MSRP: US $95 - UK £94.95
Manufacturer: KATA Ltd.
Requires: Camera gear and a desire to walk around with some of it
MSRP: US $95 - UK £94.95
As a long time camera user, one of my biggest problems has been in finding some way to efficiently carry my kit around with me, without having to carry a large camera bag. I had a Lowepro Magnum which worked well for me on fixed and location shoots. However on days when I'm doing a walkabout and want to carry my kit around with me, the Magnum proved irksome. I really needed a backback or sling style bag with enough storage to meet my needs.
Lo and behold, I came across a release for the T-214 from KATA. I knew I had to try one out.
KATA is a company which began by creating body armor and gear for the Special Forces Group of the Israeli Defence Force. Kata then branched out into making more products for the military security, video/photo and high tech markets such as: personal body armor, combat & security, functional vests, backpacks, lightweight protective carrying systems for sensitive equipment, bags and cases for photo and video cameras and accessories.
The T-214 and much of KATA's other gear reflects this history. It looks the part, like it would be protective, strong and very usable — a real piece of heavy duty photography gear. From the protective armor-like padding on the front to the concealed pockets and secure fastenings and straps, the T-214 is built for a rough and tumble existence.
On opening the package when it arrived, I was impressed by how well produced and useful the T-214 looked. I was also a little confused by one of the straps until I realised it was there to secure the T-214 when it was slung around my back. The main compartment is also very secure because of the use of a double zipper system and a velcro flap and the strong click-lock fastener used to secure them. The main storage compartment can house a long lens, camera body with medium zoom lens and either another lens or some other accessories.
In my case, I store a 70-210 F4 lens, a 50mm F1.8, Canon Eos 5D with 28-105mm F3.5-4.5, Canon EX550 Flash and a Sekonic 508 lightmeter, all of which fit with ease. In addition to this I store my extra memory cards in the side pocket and a couple of manuals in the back pocket. The front expandable pocket, which I’ve yet to use much as I’m looking for a decent portable storage unit, easily fits my O2 XDA Exec PDA.
Having used sling bags for years I was quite comfortable with the Kata T-214 configuration and straps, and over several days I was very happy with the performance of this bag. The mesh on the back of the bag also helped keep me cool in the hot undergound system here in London.
I also rigged up a spare third-party velcro dividers to vertically stack my 50mm and 28-105mm lenses in the central bay. Kata should supply one or two additional dividers — they literally triple the number of possible internal configurations. I also tried placing a small ultralight PC into the compartment at the back of the bag and although it fit, it wasn't something I could do with comfort or peace of mind. The excess strap length was also a bit of a bother, so rather than cutting it, I coiled it securely using a clip.
The only other shortfall was an obvious solution to fastening a decent tripod. I tried rigging something for the bottom edge of the bag but couldn't come up with a solution that made me happy.
I did not try the Bag in Kata's so-called EPH mode, where it can be attached to a back pack and slung around the front, but can see how it would be immensely useful in this configuration. The T-214 is not a bag designed for sports use, as it will not support the storage of the longer lenses common in this type of photography. However for the journalist and photographer who doesn't use these long lenses it will more than fulfill your requirements.
Cons: The main sling strap is too narrow through it's lower end as it passes beyond the padded section and attaches to the bottom of the bag. The result is frequent twisting which over time will cause premature wear to the strap and the seam. The solution is quite simple — just sew or tack a small section of strap to the wider pad — but Kata should redesign the strap.
Pros: Compact, light and strong. Excellent construction. Fast and easy access to your equipment. Lots of secure and useful storage. When I first got news of this product, I knew I had to try it. The T-214 more than met my expectations and quite comfortably allowed me to roam around without getting into any discomfort. This bag is the perfect walkabout bag for day shoots in the city or for rambling or orienteering in the country. Highly recommended.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Release Date Announced
Adobe have finally announced the release of their RAW workflow application Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Having worked with the beta for several months I sure many photographers will be making the jump to this excellent application. It is now available for preorder and is expected to ship in mid-February 2007. For those of you who aren't familiar with Lightroom.
For more information visit Adobe Photoshop® Lightroom™ 1.0 product pages. Do yourself a favour and watch the introductory testimonial ... the images are breathtaking.Photoshop Lightroom enables professional photographers to import, manage and present large volumes of digital photographs, helping photographers spend more time behind the lens and less time at the computer. Photoshop Lightroom now includes a wealth of innovative features that streamline digital photography workflows. Recognizing the photography community for their efforts, Adobe is offering Photoshop Lightroom at a special introductory price of US $199 through April 30, 2007 at the Adobe Store. Photoshop Lightroom will later sell for an estimated street price of US $299.
Safer Internet Day 2007
For all you folks who have children, today is Safer Internet Day. A good day to think about re-educating both yourself and your loved one about best practices when using the internet. Here are some useful links to find out more about internet safety:
Childnet International
Internet Watch Foundation
Be careful out there...
Childnet International
Internet Watch Foundation
Be careful out there...
Corel Introduces Corel® Painter™ X
Corel today announced Corel® Painter™ X, the latest incarnation of one of the best natural media centric software tools for digital artists. Painter™ X can now be preordered at Corel and Corel UK . New tools include performance improvements, new composition tools in the form of Divine Proportion and their powerful and innovative RealBristle™ Painting System that provides bristle level control over their organic painting and illustration tools. They've also made substantial improvements to the way Painter allows you to turn photos into works of art.
New Features in Corel Painter X
Creativity
• New! RealBristle Painting System – The RealBristle Painting System heightens the responsiveness of the brush for the artist and represents a major milestone in digital painting. RealBristle brushes faithfully replicate traditional art media with individual bristles that blend and splay, as in the traditional world. Artists can experience the sensation of the interaction between the paint, canvas and brush like never before.
• New! Composition Tools – Corel Painter X adds new Composition Tools to the tool box, enabling artists, designers and photographers to quickly an d easily compose their images. The new Divine Proportion composition tool provides guidelines that follow the Divine Proportion (also known as the Golden Ratio) to enable artists to compose their images like the Masters. The new Layout Grid composition tool provides guidelines that follow photography’s Rule of Thirds, but can be customized to other desired grid patterns.
• Enhanced! Photo-Painting System – It’s now easier than ever for photographers to create beautiful paintings from photos! Building on the strength of the Photo-Painting Palettes in Corel Painter IX.5, significant new enhancements provide users with more control and intelligence throughout the photopainting process. Additions to the Underpainting Palette include color schemes based on various media styles, such as Impressionist, Classical, Modern, Watercolor, Sketchbook and Chalk Drawing. Users can now also choose a color scheme that matches the colors of any open image. The Auto-Painting palette has been significantly updated with the introduction of the new Smart Stroke Painting option which applies brush strokes that follow the forms of the original photo. Smart Stroke Painting changes brush size, stroke length and pressure based on the detail and focal areas of the original image.
• New! Match Palette effect – Artists can now easily match the color and intensity between two images. Open an image that features a desired color scheme and use the Match Palette effect to apply it to another image. The Match Palette effect includes controls for color, color variation, brightness, brightness variation and intensity. This effect can be accessed on its own or found as part of the enhanced Photo- Painting Palettes.
• New! Universal Mixer palette – Artists now have greater control over color selection when using any bristle brush. For multicolor selection, the new Universal Mixer palette gives artists better control over color blending between the Mixer palette and the canvas.
Performance and Productivity
• Enhanced! Speed – Corel Painter X delivers speed improvements in areas including brush performance, opening and saving RIFF files, and rendering effects. The most dramatic speed improvements will be experienced by customers running Intel®-based Macintosh® computers, although all customers will experience speed enhancements in various aspects of the application.
• New! Universal binary for Macintosh – With support for Universal binary specifications, Corel Painter X is optimized for Intel-based Macintosh computers.
• New! Workspace Manager – Now it’s easy to backup, share or switch between customized workspaces. For example, artists can create easily accessible, customized environments for activities like sketching, photography and painting. The Workspace Manager is also useful for educators who want to streamline Corel Painter X to suit curriculum and quickly add a customized workspace on every student’s computer. In addition, custom brushes can now be quickly exported and shared with others in the community.
• New! Dodge and Burn tools – Dodge and burn capabilities have been improved with the addition of two new image enhancement tools to the toolbox. The Dodge tool enables artists to lighten specific areas of an image, while the Burn tool can be used to darken specific areas of an image. Dodging and burning are often used to prepare a photograph for painting.
• Enhanced! Color Management – The enhanced Color Management System ensures accurate color reproduction between devices and print jobs. Now, users only have to set up their Color Management options once and Corel Painter X retains those settings until further adjustments are made. With support for industry standard ICC4.0 color profiles, Corel Painter X enables artists to focus specifically on their work.
Compatibility
• New! Windows Vista™ support – Corel Painter X is designed to run on Windows Vista.
• Enhanced! Mac OS® X support – Corel Painter X supports the latest operating system from Apple.
• Enhanced! Adobe® Photoshop® support – Layer behavior is very similar to Adobe Photoshop, making it simple to move files between the applications. Files saved to the Photoshop (PSD) file format open in Corel Painter, with layer masks, alpha channels and layer sets (groups) maintained. Enhancements include easier layer grouping and combining, and improved support for layer merge modes. Corel Painter X also supports many Photoshop plug-ins for Mac OS X.
• Enhanced! Wacom support – With Corel Painter X, artists can use the entire Wacom product line – including the Cintiq® 21 UX interactive pen display and the Intuos®3 pen tablet. In addition, the new RealBristle Painting System and the Wacom 6D Art Pen work together to take digital painting to an unprecedented level of realism.
Learning
• New! Printed User Guide – Including a Corel Painter artists’ gallery, the Corel Painter X User Guide is a beautiful, color-printed manual that provides helpful information and fast solutions for new and long-time users.
• New! Jeremy Sutton training videos – For guidance and inspiration, customers can access a new collection of downloadable step-by-step training videos created by well-known Corel Painter Master Jeremy Sutton. Additional training videos by Jeremy Sutton are available for purchase.
• New! “Painter on the ‘Net” tab in the Welcome book – New “Painter on the ‘Net” tab provides links to Painter community resources online and monthly Tips & Tricks. In addition, the Welcome book provides quick access to recently used files, brush tracking and color management settings, while showcasing artwork from renowned Corel Painter artists.
The Historic Painter Can Returns in a Special Limited Edition!
In addition to offering full, upgrade and education versions of Corel Painter X, Corel is honoring the Painter tradition with the release of the Corel Painter X Limited Edition Can. This Limited Edition release includes the full Corel Painter X software and User Guide, plus the complete “Learning Corel Painter X with Jeremy Sutton” DVD-ROM, the Corel Painter X collectors’ poster and the Corel Painter X Composition tool.
I've been a long time fan of Painter and looking forward to trying it out. For more information visit Corel. Corel® Painter™ X is available for $419.00 USD or UK£492.33 for the full version and as an upgrade from $219.00 USD or UK£257.33. I think the only complaint here is the relatively high price in UK £ when compared to the US Price and conversion rate.
New Features in Corel Painter X
Creativity
• New! RealBristle Painting System – The RealBristle Painting System heightens the responsiveness of the brush for the artist and represents a major milestone in digital painting. RealBristle brushes faithfully replicate traditional art media with individual bristles that blend and splay, as in the traditional world. Artists can experience the sensation of the interaction between the paint, canvas and brush like never before.
• New! Composition Tools – Corel Painter X adds new Composition Tools to the tool box, enabling artists, designers and photographers to quickly an d easily compose their images. The new Divine Proportion composition tool provides guidelines that follow the Divine Proportion (also known as the Golden Ratio) to enable artists to compose their images like the Masters. The new Layout Grid composition tool provides guidelines that follow photography’s Rule of Thirds, but can be customized to other desired grid patterns.
• Enhanced! Photo-Painting System – It’s now easier than ever for photographers to create beautiful paintings from photos! Building on the strength of the Photo-Painting Palettes in Corel Painter IX.5, significant new enhancements provide users with more control and intelligence throughout the photopainting process. Additions to the Underpainting Palette include color schemes based on various media styles, such as Impressionist, Classical, Modern, Watercolor, Sketchbook and Chalk Drawing. Users can now also choose a color scheme that matches the colors of any open image. The Auto-Painting palette has been significantly updated with the introduction of the new Smart Stroke Painting option which applies brush strokes that follow the forms of the original photo. Smart Stroke Painting changes brush size, stroke length and pressure based on the detail and focal areas of the original image.
• New! Match Palette effect – Artists can now easily match the color and intensity between two images. Open an image that features a desired color scheme and use the Match Palette effect to apply it to another image. The Match Palette effect includes controls for color, color variation, brightness, brightness variation and intensity. This effect can be accessed on its own or found as part of the enhanced Photo- Painting Palettes.
• New! Universal Mixer palette – Artists now have greater control over color selection when using any bristle brush. For multicolor selection, the new Universal Mixer palette gives artists better control over color blending between the Mixer palette and the canvas.
Performance and Productivity
• Enhanced! Speed – Corel Painter X delivers speed improvements in areas including brush performance, opening and saving RIFF files, and rendering effects. The most dramatic speed improvements will be experienced by customers running Intel®-based Macintosh® computers, although all customers will experience speed enhancements in various aspects of the application.
• New! Universal binary for Macintosh – With support for Universal binary specifications, Corel Painter X is optimized for Intel-based Macintosh computers.
• New! Workspace Manager – Now it’s easy to backup, share or switch between customized workspaces. For example, artists can create easily accessible, customized environments for activities like sketching, photography and painting. The Workspace Manager is also useful for educators who want to streamline Corel Painter X to suit curriculum and quickly add a customized workspace on every student’s computer. In addition, custom brushes can now be quickly exported and shared with others in the community.
• New! Dodge and Burn tools – Dodge and burn capabilities have been improved with the addition of two new image enhancement tools to the toolbox. The Dodge tool enables artists to lighten specific areas of an image, while the Burn tool can be used to darken specific areas of an image. Dodging and burning are often used to prepare a photograph for painting.
• Enhanced! Color Management – The enhanced Color Management System ensures accurate color reproduction between devices and print jobs. Now, users only have to set up their Color Management options once and Corel Painter X retains those settings until further adjustments are made. With support for industry standard ICC4.0 color profiles, Corel Painter X enables artists to focus specifically on their work.
Compatibility
• New! Windows Vista™ support – Corel Painter X is designed to run on Windows Vista.
• Enhanced! Mac OS® X support – Corel Painter X supports the latest operating system from Apple.
• Enhanced! Adobe® Photoshop® support – Layer behavior is very similar to Adobe Photoshop, making it simple to move files between the applications. Files saved to the Photoshop (PSD) file format open in Corel Painter, with layer masks, alpha channels and layer sets (groups) maintained. Enhancements include easier layer grouping and combining, and improved support for layer merge modes. Corel Painter X also supports many Photoshop plug-ins for Mac OS X.
• Enhanced! Wacom support – With Corel Painter X, artists can use the entire Wacom product line – including the Cintiq® 21 UX interactive pen display and the Intuos®3 pen tablet. In addition, the new RealBristle Painting System and the Wacom 6D Art Pen work together to take digital painting to an unprecedented level of realism.
Learning
• New! Printed User Guide – Including a Corel Painter artists’ gallery, the Corel Painter X User Guide is a beautiful, color-printed manual that provides helpful information and fast solutions for new and long-time users.
• New! Jeremy Sutton training videos – For guidance and inspiration, customers can access a new collection of downloadable step-by-step training videos created by well-known Corel Painter Master Jeremy Sutton. Additional training videos by Jeremy Sutton are available for purchase.
• New! “Painter on the ‘Net” tab in the Welcome book – New “Painter on the ‘Net” tab provides links to Painter community resources online and monthly Tips & Tricks. In addition, the Welcome book provides quick access to recently used files, brush tracking and color management settings, while showcasing artwork from renowned Corel Painter artists.
The Historic Painter Can Returns in a Special Limited Edition!
In addition to offering full, upgrade and education versions of Corel Painter X, Corel is honoring the Painter tradition with the release of the Corel Painter X Limited Edition Can. This Limited Edition release includes the full Corel Painter X software and User Guide, plus the complete “Learning Corel Painter X with Jeremy Sutton” DVD-ROM, the Corel Painter X collectors’ poster and the Corel Painter X Composition tool.
I've been a long time fan of Painter and looking forward to trying it out. For more information visit Corel. Corel® Painter™ X is available for $419.00 USD or UK£492.33 for the full version and as an upgrade from $219.00 USD or UK£257.33. I think the only complaint here is the relatively high price in UK £ when compared to the US Price and conversion rate.
Monday, February 05, 2007
AKVIS Announces Lightshop V1.1
AKVIS LLC have released Lightshop, a photoshop compliant plug-in which allows the user to create highly graphical and stylistic lighting effects. "AKVIS LightShop helps you create impressive light effects: lightning in a stormy sky, a colorful rainbow over a city, a reflection on a raindrop, the glow on smoldering wood in a fire-place, alien signs blazing in the night sky, flares on the sun, the lights of distant planets, fireworks - wherever your imagination may take you!" I get the feeling that Lightshop will appeal more to the amateur user than the pro but you never know when one of these effect will come in useful. For more information visit Akvis.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Focus On Imaging 2007
Focus on Imaging 2007 is Europe’s biggest annual imaging event and takes place as usual at the NEC in Birmingham, UK. The show opens on Sunday, February 25th and runs throught to Wednesday, February 28th. Creative Imaging News will be there to report on any new products and info.
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