Extending Format – It’s For More Than Panoramic Formats




No one needs to learn to “think outside the box” more than photographers. The frame, literally a box, is often our greatest ally. Learning to see photographically is, in part, learning to see within the limits of this box and use them creatively. But there are times when this limits our vision unnecessarily. Once we’ve learned to see within the box, we then also need to learn to see outside the box—and start extending the frame with multiple exposures to perfect select compositions. Extending format techniques aren’t just for panoramic image formats. They can be used to give you the extra inch that can make all the difference in the world for your compositions …
Read more on Digital Photo Pro.
Learn more in my digital photography and digital printing workshops.

Photoshop Masking Key Commands

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The following key commands do not require clicking on the mask.

X                                               reverses Foreground and Background colors
Numbers                               number keys change the Opacity of a brush
[ and ]                                     makes a brush smaller and  larger
Shift [ and Shift ]               makes a brush softer and  harder
Opt Delete                             fills a mask with the Foreground color
Command I                           inverts a mask

The following key commands require clicking on the mask.

Control Click                        displays mask options
Opt Click                                 displays a mask in black and white
Shift Opt Click                      displays a mask as a red overlay

Command Click                   loads the mask as a selection
Shift Command Click        adds the mask to a selection
Option Command Click    subtracts the mask from a selection
Shift Option Command     loads the intersection of two masks
Shift Command I                  inverses a selection

Drag & drop                           to move a mask from one layer to another
Option drag & drop            to copy a mask from one layer to another

Read more about Selections & Masks.
Learn more in my digital photography and digital printing workshops.

Noiseware 5 – The Best Got Better


Noiseware 5 did an even better job than Noiseware 4 at reducing noise on a new series of images I’m printing now.
Noiseware 5 is now available.
– New algorithms are 25% more effective and retain more detail
– 64 bit compatible (Mac and Windows)(CS6)
– 4X faster with multi-core support
– New History feature with unlimited undos
– New Preset Manager for presets, notes, and import/export
The upgrade is free for registered users.
New users get a 20% discount with this code JPC2007.
Read my review here.
Download Noiseware 5 here.
Learn more about controlling noise in digital images here.
Learn more in my digital photography and digital printing workshops.

Julianne Kost’s CS6 Lookup Adjustment Test File


“The new Color Lookup Adjustment Layer in Photoshop CS 6 has several options (3DLUT File, Abstract, and Device Link) that are used to load different “looks”. These looks are achieved by remapping every color in the image to a different one using a lookup table (LUT). I think that many photographers and designers will find their resulting color shifts quite interesting. You can think of these tables as a sort of meta-adjustment, a way to apply pre-packaged adjustments (sometimes lots of adjustments together) in one step.”
Julianne Kost has created a file that you can download free and test all the new CS6 Lookup adjustments on your image. Simply open the file and replace the contents of the Smart Object in it with one of your own images. It’s a great way to visually compare the various results in a ring around.
Find out more and download the file here.
Learn more in my digital photography and digital printing workshops.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Public Beta – 6 Sneak Peeks – 5 Gurus' 6 Favorite Features

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Public Beta is now available as a free download.
Download it here today.
You can use it to get used to the new interface and features and decide whether/when to upgrade.You don’t need a lot of reasons to upgrade, you only need one, significantly better shadow and highlight rendition during Raw conversion.
Plus see some of the new magic in these 6 Sneak Peeks and 5 Gurus’ 6 Favorite Features.
I’ve collected all 11 videos in this post.

Read More

Exciting Photoshop Free Brushes


Photoshop Free Brushes offers high quality Photoshop brushes.
They offer so many free brushes! Where do you start?
Try these six collections.
1   Spatter Brushes
2    Gore Brushes
3    Vintage Paper Brushes
4    Water Brushes
5    Cloud Brushes
6    Star Brushes 
Find more free brushes at Naldz Graphics.
Read more on Photoshop painting techniques here.
Learn more in my digital photography and digital printing workshops.

Target Image Contours With Edge Masks



Edge masks target only the contours in an image. (Think of edge masks in Photoshop as the creative sharpening equivalent to the Masking slider in ACR or Lightroom’s capture sharpening.) They keep smooth areas smooth, while accentuating the contrast/sharpness of contours. They can be particularly useful for images that contain moderate to significant amounts of noise. In many cases, they allow the use of more aggressive applications of sharpening effects. Edge masks can help you take all of the creative sharpening effects you design up a notch – or two.


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