Proud Photography Blog

When using Photoshop or any kind of digital imaging software, it pays to know a little about the background of imaging.  Two of main types of images are Bitmap and Vector.  You may have heard of these two kind of images before but not understand the difference; in fact they are very different and have different uses.
Photoshop deals with bitmap images, which includes all types of photographs.  Therefore GIF, TIF, PSD, JPEF, PNG and more are all Bitmap images.  Bitmap images are made up of pixels in a grid and the quality of them will vary depending on the resolution and quality of the file.

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If you own or use Adobe Photoshop, then you may have come across a piece of software called Adobe Bridge.  This program is designed to help you gain control of all your files and get them organized.  Sooner or later, most photographers are inundated with many folders full of images and Adobe Bridge, as file browsing software, can keep things streamlined.
Adobe Bridge comes along with CS3 or CS4 as a free piece of software.  It can be used independently or in conjunction with Photoshop.  When you open up the program, you will have a number of options on the left hand side of the screen.  Here, you can browse all of your images by choosing the location where they are saved.  Therefore, Bridge allows you to view images from multiple locations without the hassle of having to find all of your folders and having them open at the same time.  Don’t forget – the more folders you have open, the slower your computer will run.
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If you’re into digital photography, half of the fun of shooting digital is being able to manipulate your photos after you take them. For some this is simply an arduous task of fixing and cropping. For others it’s when they really get a chance to have fun and spend hours staring at their computer screens. Personally I’m somewhere in the middle of these two extremes; catch me on the right day and I hate my computer, and on others it’s my favorite “girlfriend” (terminology supplied by my wife, not me).

Regardless of where you are on the love/hate scale when it comes to editing your photos, we all have to do it on at least a limited scale. I mean, you can’t just go around with your camera, making everyone squint at the little screen on the back, hoping for a few ooh’s and ahh’s. So with this necessary part of our hobby firmly established I now offer you a list of some of my favorite programs, both the time-savers, and the time-suckers. Read the rest of this entry »

This blog actually dovetails nicely with the series I had recently on color management. So instead of covering all that territory, be sure to go back and check out Part 1 and 2 of “Displaying your photos: screen or print?”

If you’re sick and tired of getting weird photos out of your printer at home, or if you just don’t feel like buying all the ink required to print off you whole honeymood album, your next best friend could be one of several online photo printers. I’m talking about places like Snapfish, Kodak, or Mpix. These companies are all very Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft Corp. and Phase One announced their collaboration today in order to find better ways to improve digital imaging solutions for professional photographers and amateurs.
The two enterprises will work hand in hand to create solutions for the Microsoft Windows platform that further innovation in digital photography .
The alliance is based on the association of Phase One’s industry expertise with Microsoft’s widely used platform technology which will include technology sharing and intellectual property assets as well as joint marketing.

Kostas Mallios, general manager of the Rich Media Group at Microsoft said:
“Microsoft and Phase One are joining forces to develop solutions for the Windows platform that meet the sophisticated needs of professional and ‘prosumer’ photographers,”
 ”Today’s announcement is another example of Microsoft’s commitment to our customers and the digital imaging industry.”

Microsoft is known for its numerous investments in digital imaging technology for Windows Vista, HD Photo, Photosynth, Digital Image Suite and other products that provide high quality solutions for professional photographers and beginners.
Phase One is an enterprise that has built software that streamlines the digital image-capture and post-production process for 14 years.
The company also distributes DSLR, medium- and large-format photographic equipment.
This collaboration should produce some interesting results.

Bunkspeed, Inc has announced today that their avant-garde 3D rendering HyperShot application is now available for Mac OS X customers.
The HyperShot is the solution for professional photographers, who are looking to obtain a 3D rendering way to compose sophisticated and artistic backgrounds for their images.

The Software is simple to use but is an extremely powerful 3D rendering environment which is  perfect for photographers  involved in automobile ,landscape and industrial design photography and marketing.

Snappers are able to directly apply paints and materials to 3D models generated in numerous popular 3D programs and placed into HyperShot.

Vic Huber, a famous car photographer, explained most of marketing photography is headed towards a more computer graphical design.
Sadly photographers and other artists have been limited in their access to CG imagery, because it acquires so much knowledge to master these complicated rendering programs.
Hubert also insisted that the HyperShot puts the creative element back into the hands of the creative people ,where it belonged in the first place,
Vic additionally revealed:

“The rendering firms can come up with great technical images, but the striking visuals, the compelling ideas – that should be done on the creative end. People want to see an unforgettable image, not technology.”
“And HyperShot gives this capability back to the artists. It’s affordable, and much easier to learn than traditional rendering applications. Both of these features really level the playing field again,”

The launching of the HyperShot to the Mac OS X platform is no big surprise because photography is dominated by Mac industry.
The relationship is perfect because Mac is preferred by creative photographers also.
HyperShot is now available in three versions the HyperShot Web priced at USD 195.00,the HyperShot HD sold for USD 995.00 but for the HyperShot Pro buyers need to contact Bunkspeed.

Anyone interested in tonemapping? It is very easy to do if you have the right software…I use Photoshop CS3 for RAW conversions and then Photomatix Pro for the HDR¹ generating and tonemapping.

You can generate HDR from one exposed photo but I find it best to secure camera on tripod and take at least three shots using AEB² if your camera has it, what you are looking for is underexposed shot to get details in the lighter areas, ‘perfect’ exposure for midtones and overexposure for details in the darker areas.

If you don’t own a tripod don’t worry as you can fake it with RAW conversion…i.e change the exposure value before you open the RAW file, do this three times and save them to your desktop, open Photomatix and click on HDR tab on tool bar, then click where it says generate and it will then ask you to load images, browse to desktop and select your saved images, then click ok.

Photomatix will then come up with another box to align images, again click ok, wait for the script to do its magic and you will be presented with the worst looking image ever!!!! Fear not brave cameraists this is HDR in all its raw glory, you also will see a HDR viewer so as you scroll around the disaster scene you will see lots of detail in the viewer but not the bigger picture (seems ironic to me lol).

OK now we would normally bin this image as unusable so now comes the magic part…tonemapping! Hit HDR on the toolbox and in the dropdown menu seek out tonemap or hit ctrl+t, then more computing magic and you are presented with a much better looking image…play around with the strength and luminosity etc have fun!!! If anyone found this remotely interesting then I am quite prepared to carry on…let me know;o)

AEB²- Auto Exposure Bracketing; simple automated technique professional photographers use to ensure they properly expose their pictures, especially in challenging lighting situations; taking two or more pictures: one slightly under-exposed (usually by dialing in a negative exposure compensation, say -1/3EV), and the second one slightly over-exposed (usually by dialing in a positive exposure compensation, say +1/3EV).

Adobe Systems Incorporated has released the Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 software.
This program is powerful and simple for photographers to find, view and easily combine creativity and personality into their pictures.

Photoshop Elements was created to make photos look their best.
It enables you get rapid yet remarkable results.
The built in Photomerge technology solves the problem of capturing the perfect photography by combining the best facial expressions and body language from a series of shots to create a single cohesive group shot.

It comes with “Quick Selection Tool” that makes select-and-adjust a one click task .
Perfect for beginners and experts,it features includes three edit modes,along with Guided Edit mode if you need help.
Photoshop Elements 6 streamlines editing with pure, uncluttered screens that draw focus to where it belongs.
You will also find new tabs that provide simple access to the many capabilities of the program such as:
Tight integration with Adobe Premiere Elements and a shared Organizer, with a common database accessible from either applications.
An additional enhancement is an improved conversion option that translates color images into beautiful, nuanced black-and-whites.

The Elements 6 gives you more creative sharing possibilities,which means you get online galleries based on Adobe Flash which provide an interactive experience.
Expect many settings and themes, galleries that are easily accessible via the internet and animated slideshows.
Not only can you e-mail and print your creations but other options such as photo books, scrapbook pages, cards and CD/DVD labels are also available.
Adobe’s digital imaging Photoshop Elements 6 can be estimated at around US $120. You can get it in a store near you or order now for only $75.78 from ProudPhotography Store!

The software is a one-stop-shop for snappers to go faster and farther with their pictures.
The Adobe system helps photographers flex their editing muscle, without breaking a sweat.