Summer means fireworks displays! Here are my top tips for photographing fireworks.
Tip of the Month: Photographing Fireworks
Tag Archives: tips and tricks
Retina Macs: Setting Proper Screen Resolution in Photoshop
If you’re using one of the new iMacs or MacBooks with Retina Display for Adobe Photoshop, you may have noticed that your images look very small when selecting, View–> Print Size. That’s because the retina display has a MUCH higher resolution than the typical CRT or LCD monitor. Most displays have a screen resolution around 72 pixels per inch (ppi), which is far less than what you get with a retina display.
Get the fix here:
Continue reading Retina Macs: Setting Proper Screen Resolution in Photoshop
Focus-Stacking Landscape Photos
Focus Stacking: Infinite depth of field and maximum sharpness without a tilt-shift lens
Focus-stacking is a technique that macro photographers have used for years to maximize depth of field in close-up images. You can apply the same technique to landscape photos, too. While dedicated focus-stacking software has been around for a long time, this tool is now built-in to Adobe Photoshop CC (you just have to know where to find it). That means if you have the Adobe Photography subscription package, you can start experimenting with focus-stacking right away.
Free Download: Focus Stacking Guide (PDF)
I’ve put together a FREE focus stacking guide (PDF eBook) that you can download for free. Simply add the item to your cart and proceed to free checkout. The file will be delivered to you via email.
My focus stacking guide will show you how to:
- Capture focus-stacks
- Process RAW images in Adobe Lightroom
- Merge and mask the stacked images automatically in Photoshop CC
Download Jason Odell’s Focus Stacking Guide
Expanding Dynamic Range On Single RAW Files in Adobe Lightroom (with Video)
Dynamic range is a way of describing the range of brightness values your digital camera (or film) can faithfully record. Newer cameras, especially the ones from Nikon and Sony, have sensors that deliver as many as 14 stops of dynamic range. The trick, however, is how to extract that information when processing your shots.
If you use Adobe Lightroom, the Camera Profile (under the Camera Calibration Panel) will dictate the starting point for dynamic range. If you use the manufacturer’s RAW converter, then the as-shot settings (e.g., Nikon Picture Control) is applied by default. The in-camera settings set the contrast (tone curve) and color for how your images are processed. By using a low-contrast setting, you’ll be able to expand the dynamic range of your shot. Continue reading Expanding Dynamic Range On Single RAW Files in Adobe Lightroom (with Video)
Dodging and Burning Digital Photos
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Dodging and burning techniques have been around for over a hundred years. While you may think of these techniques as a method of adjusting and balancing tones, they also serve a more distinct purpose: enhancing and diminishing areas of interest in an image. Psychologically, your eye will be drawn towards bright, colorful areas in an image and away from dark, dull areas. With modern digital processing tools, we can take a 21st century approach to dodging and burning. Here’s a short video on how to accomplish this using Adobe Lightroom.
For a complete tutorial on using brushes in Adobe Lightroom, check out Lightroom: Mastering Brushes & Gradients (video workshop)