Adobe just added some new features to Lightroom/Lightroom Classic, and a couple of them are truly game-changers!
Lens Blur (Beta): You can create depth-maps on your photos to emulate shallow depth of field and bokeh. Despite being an early release, it’s actually quite good for some photos!
HDR Editing: Added support for HDR displays which allows you to edit your HDR images in a huge tone space. Spoiler alert: If you aren’t using a HDR display, you won’t benefit from this tool. You will also still need to tone-map your HDR images back to SDR space for printing and sharing.
Point Color Editor: This tool gives you precise control for adjusting hue, saturation, and brightness (luminance) of individual colors. But the game-changer is that it’s available in the Masking Panel! Now you can control individual colors on your selection masks like never before.
Grizzly bear, Denali National Park | OM-1 with Olympus 100-400mm lens
Many of you know that I purchased an OM Systems OM-1 body and lenses in April of this year. Now that I’ve had some time with the system, I wanted to share my experience using this camera. I’ve now used my OM System kit for travel, portraits, and wildlife photography, and I’ve been astonished by the results. Many of the concerns I had about this small format sensor are simply not issues when using today’s gear and software.
I recently presented a webinar on my personal experience with the Olympus OM-1 kit, and you can watch the replay below.
Here are some of my recommended kits for OM Systems/Olympus Users
Photo AI is the newest Topaz plug-in, and it combines sharpening, noise reduction, and upscaling features in a single application that uses AI-based technology to deliver impressive results. In this presentation, I discuss the software and several use cases for how to incorporate it into your own photography workflow.
Topaz Photo AI is part of the Topaz Image Quality Bundle, which is available here.
Create a custom Identity Plate for a personalized look in Lightroom Classic
People often ask me how I changed the fonts in the Lightroom module menus. Here’s a simple way to customize the fonts and colors in your own Lightroom Classic catalog.
Whenever I give online classes or teach a workshop using Adobe Lightroom Classic, a common question I’m asked is “how did you change the fonts in your Lightroom toolbar? The trick is to use a custom, personalized Identity Plate. This video will show you how to do it!
In 2019, I visited Isla Bastimentos in Panama for a week of wildlife photography.
In 2019, I had the opportunity to spend a week at the Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge in Bocas del Toro, Panama. I discovered Panama’s incredibly rich biodiversity, with hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. This is my story of that experience!
