Lynda.com is an excellent place to learn and enhance your Photoshop skills (and your skills for I don’t know how many other software programs as well).

I subscribed to the Lynda.com courses for a period of time to build up my Photoshop skills and the courses certainly propelled my somewhat limited Photoshop skills forward, so I can recommend the site from personal experience.

These video courses are simply excellent. They are detailed and follow a step by step method and you can watch them as many times you like.

When I subscribed to the course I was particularly impressed with Chris Orwig’s ‘Photoshop for Photographers’ course. Chris is an amazing teacher and a great (and very passionate) photographer. Subscribing to Lynda.com for a month or two just so you can watch Chris Orwig’s course is well worth your money if you ask me.

Chris has updated his course to include the latest version of Photoshop and I have found this little YouTube clip which is an introduction to his new Photoshop CS5 for Photographers course:

If you don’t already know about Lynda.com the site is a great place to learn about new software programs.

Check them out today.

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While today’s digital cameras are getting increasingly better at dealing with noise issues in digital images, noise is still very much part of everyday digital photography. Noise typically occurs when you photograph at high ISO settings such as 400, 800, 1600 etc. 

I will not bore you with all the details of what noise is, how it occurs and the technical explanation of noise which includes difficult terms like sensor, signal, photosite, electron, matrix etc. Just google it and you’ll find lots of good explanations of noise.

Luckily there are several good software programs on the market which offer the tools required to limit the unsightly noise in your images (and this is really all you need to know about noise). One such program is Topaz DeNoise.

If you have read some of my recent posts you’ll know that I have been experimenting with the Topaz Photoshop Bundle over the past three weeks (which also includes the DeNoise plug-in).

I’ve mainly focused on the more fun and creative plug-ins which are part of the Topaz Photoshop Bundle, but today I thought I would share an example of what Topaz DeNoise can do to improve quality of your images. As you will see in the image example below, it’s quite astounding what you can achieve.

Topaz DeNoise

This image is an outtake from the 18 August of my August Snaps project. The picture was taken after dark with the Canon G9 and at ISO 200 and as you can see from the enlargements there is quite a lot of noise apparent in the original (left).

As the enlargements also show Topaz DeNoise has done a really fine job at significantly reducing the amount of noise in the image (right). I have to say I’m very impressed by this plug-in.

Topaz is running a two-week promotion until the 15 March 2010. You can get the Topaz Photoshop Bundle for just $143.99 if you use the coupon code “newadjust” when you check-out. This represents a 20% discount on the normal bundle price of $179.99.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Around Paris with Topaz
• Adjust 4: Before, In Between and After
• Catching Up After an Unwelcome Break

I’m continuing to run more and more images through my new Topaz Photoshop Bundle of plug-ins and having a lot of fun in the process. Tonight I took a trip down memory lane and re-visited some images from a trip to Paris a couple of years ago.

The plug-ins included in the Topaz Photoshop Bundle are a lot of fun because they include a whole bunch of presets which you can experiment with. These presets range from subtle photo improvements to more pronounced effects and through to very artistic or even psycedelic effects.

In the following I share a few more examples from my latest play in the Topaz sand pit. 

Paris Door - Topaz Detail Plug-in (strong detail preset)

Bridge Study - Topaz Detail (interior strong detail preset)

Inside Arc de Triomphe - Topaz Detail (creative feature accent preset)

Paris Apartments - Topaz Adjust 4 (original RAW image)

Paris Apartments - Topaz Adjust 4 (psycedelic preset)

Balloon - Topaz Adjust 4 (mild color pop preset)

Centre Pompidou - Topaz Adjust 4 (original RAW image)

Centre Pompidou - Topaz Adjust 4 (psycedelic preset)

Parisian Flower Bed - Topaz Simplify (original RAW image)

Parisian Flower Bed - Topaz Simplify (watercolor preset)

The Topaz Photoshop Bundle is available from Topaz Labs for the price of $179.99.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Adjust 4: Before, In Between and After
• Stop That Noise!
• Topaz Labs Releases Adjust 4

At the beginning of this month Topaz Labs released an upgrade of their popular Adjust plug-in for Photoshop. The latest version features a redesigned interface, new presets and upgraded image processing algorithms.

Today I decided to run a couple of images through the new Adjust 4 and here are some preset examples.

Sunset at the Lake:

Original RAW image

Photo Pop Preset

Color Stretch Preset

Enhance Contrast Preset

Feeling Lucky Option

Somewhere in Lamington National Park:

Original RAW image

Color Blast Preset

Painting Venice Preset

Charcoal Preset and a Photoshop Curves boost

As you can see from the few examples above there are lots of different options with the presets included with Adjust 4 but to me one of the real strengths of this powerful plug-in is the ability to season to your images to taste by using the various sliders available within the new interface to really fine tune your image.

Often I will choose one of the presets as a starting point and then work my way through the various sliders and make further adjustments as requried or depending on my mood and where I want to go with the image.

Once you become more familiar with the various sliders you can also go straight to the sliders and make your adjustments from scratch.

So really this plug-in is equally suitable for people who are new to post-processing their images as well as people who are more experienced in post-processing their images.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Around Paris with Topaz
• Stop That Noise!
• Topaz Labs Releases Adjust 4

Today Topaz Labs released Adjust 4 which is one Photoshop Plug-in you definitely want to have in your tool belt if you want to quickly and easily make your photos look stunning by using Topaz Adjust’s creative exposure, powerful detail enhancement, and unique color manipulation tools.

I have used Topaz Adjust for a couple of weeks now and find it to be really great value. Topaz Adjust is a direct and very easy way to make your photos pop in just a few clicks.

Topaz Adjust 4 - Image © Thomas Folke Andersen

Topaz Adjust 4 is a game changer because not only is it incredibly easy to use, but it’s also really great value for money.

You can simply take advantage of the amazing set of presets included with the software, or if you want full control of the final look of your image, you can use the the extensive set of controls available to fine-tune the look of your image.

For a limited time only Adjust 4 can be downloaded for an amazing $39.99 only by using the coupon code “newadjust”  (the normal price for Adjust is $49.99 which I think is already a really good price). This offer is valid until 15 March 2010, so act today and you can save $10.00!

But wait, read on…you can also save some good money if you want the whole suite of plug-ins from Topaz Labs.

Topaz Adjust 4 - Image © Scott Stulberg

The same coupon code will also work to save you 20% on the Topaz Photoshop Bundle, or any bundle upgrades.

I’ve got the bundle from Topaz myself and over the next couple of days I will share more image examples using some of the other plug-ins which are available with the bundle.

The Topaz Photoshop Bundle normally sells for $179.99 but with the Topaz “newadjust” coupon code you can get it for just $143.99 until 15 March 2010.

Here are some more image examples using the Adjust 4 plug-in to give you a snapshot view of what can be achieved with Topaz Adjust:

Topaz Adjust 4 - Image © Michael Walsh

Topaz Adjust 4 - Image © Thomas Folke Andersen

Topaz Adjust 4 - Image © Thomas Folke Andersen

Don’t postpone! Take a look at the Topaz Labs website today.

You won’t be dissappointed…

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Around Paris with Topaz
• Adjust 4: Before, In Between and After
• How to do Advanced Toning in Photoshop CS4 – Part Four

When it comes to computer hard drives most computer technicians will tell you that it is not a question if your hard drive fails, it is a question of when it fails. Current statistics show that one in every ten hard drives fail each year.

Personally I’m no role model when it comes to back-ups. In fact I’m pretty terrible when it comes to the somewhat boring task of backing up my files. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only photographer in the world who does not have a proper, regular back-up routine in place.

In fact if you ask ten random photographers at least seven of them will say they have no proper back-up systems in place. And even if they do have a system in place, many will not be making back-ups regularly enough.

After reading The DAM Book last year I have indeed started thinking more carefully about my ‘digital assets’ and have put a more structured workflow in place with regards to how I process and back-up my image files.

However I fall into the category of people who do not back-up regularly enough. Why? Because it’s not automated. I have to pull out an empty DVD from the drawer, put it in the drive and create a back-up, and I simply don’t do this often enough. It’s a boring task, so I put it off. Automation is the key.

Mozy.com is one company who is offering unlimited online back-ups for just $4.95 per month. Mozy has made online back-ups possible for everyone with an affordable, secure solution that’s easy to use.

One of the main advantages of online back-ups is that you automatically have an external back-up. You no longer have to burn a DVD every Sunday night and bring it with you to the office on Monday morning.

Take a look at Mozy’s services and see if Mozy.com is the solution you have been looking for to ensure that your photos (and any other important files and documents) are safely backed up at a secure, remote location.

If anyone out there know of other smart solutions feel free to share these in the comments to this post. We need to back-up our images, regularly!

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If you’ve been following Photography 24/7 for a while, you’ll know by now that one of my favourite Photoshop plug-ins is the PhotoFrame plug-in from OnOne Software.

However, I own the whole suite of plug-ins from OnOne Software, so I thought it was about time to take a closer look at what the other plug-ins have to offer.

Today I decided to have a closer look at the ColorTune2 plug-in which has recently been upgraded to the PhotoTune3 plug-in. In one of my earlier posts you can read more about the latest release from OnOne Software.

The whole raison d’etre for plug-ins is to make life easier for photographers.

Plug-ins need to achieve professional results quickly and efficiently, speeding up the photographer’s digital workflow. ColorTune2 (now PhotoTune3) does just that.

The plug-in works by comparing two versions of your image, and your job is then simply to pick which one looks better. The plug-in guides you through six different adjustments as follows:

1. Tone
2. Brightness
3. Color correction #01: warm vs. cool
4. Color correction #02: refine your color choice
5. Color correction #03: refine your color choice more
6. Color correction #04: refine your color choice even more

and then at end of these siz easy steps you’re given a fine tune panel to, errr, fine tune your final result.

Sounds simple? That’s because it is! It’s all done in less than 60 seconds.

Obviously you don’t have to stop here.

For example you may wish to take advantage of Photoshop’s layer masks to apply any local adjustments if you feel they’re needed. However, the before and after example above is achieved using the plug-in exclusively. You can click the small square thumbnail image at the very top to view a larger version of the final adjusted image.

OnOne Software generously offers readers of Photography 24/7 a hansom 20% discount on their plug-ins. Simply use the coupon code 24SEVEN at check-out when you make your purchase.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Catching Up After an Unwelcome Break
• Photoshop CS5 for Photographers Now Available at Lynda.com
• Stop That Noise!

OnOne Software has announced a major upgrade to their flagship product, the onOne Plug-In Suite.

The new Plug-In Suite 5 is being released in November and includes upgrades to FocalPoint, PhotoTune, PhotoFrame and PhotoTools. Additionally, all of the products including Genuine Fractals 6 and Mask Pro 4 will now be Windows 64-bit compatible.

If you are using Photoshop CS4, there is also a new onOne Panel that provides quick and easy access to all of the products in the Plug-In Suite 5.

Continue reading here for more information about specific updates to FocalPoint 2, PhotoTune 3, PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5 as part of the Plug-In Suite 5.

Here I have used the PhotoFrame Plug-In to frame the shot of this gorilla with a vintage style frame which complements the overall styling I chose for this image.

Get a 20% discount on OnOne Software plug-ins by using the coupon code 24SEVEN when you check out.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Catching Up After an Unwelcome Break
• Photoshop CS5 for Photographers Now Available at Lynda.com
• Stop That Noise!

You’ve just bought your first DLSR camera and now you’re wondering which software program you should you use to edit your new digital photos in? And you will need a software program to edit and develop your photos because you are shooting RAW files, aren’t you?

The 800-pound (Athletic) Gorilla

The most obvious choice would probably be Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows or Photoshop Elements 8 for Mac depending on your platform.

Photoshop Elements 8 is the number one selling consumer photo editing software according to the NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service.

I personally started out with Photoshop Elements before I splashed out on the full version of Photoshop a couple of years later.

If you’re just starting out in digital photography the full version of Photoshop can easily be overwhelming. I would recommend to put your feet in the water with a more user-friendly photo editing software program before you start wrestling arms with the 800-pound gorilla that is the full version of Photoshop which is also a fairly significant investment for most people.

If you decide to go with Photoshop Elements and you want to get up to speed really quickly, check out David Peter’s LearnElementsNow.com.

The Corel Alternative

The Photoshop line of products is arguably very attractive and certainly worth checking out. However if you’re looking for an alternative to Adobe, then Corel’s Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate could be a really good alternative for beginning photographers and more serious amateur photographers alike.

Corel’s Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate usually ships for US$99.99 but you can currently get it for only US$69.99 as a limited time offer from Corel. How long this offer is limited to, however, Corel is not telling us. But whichever way you cut the cake, at the US$69.99 price tag and with all the extras that Corel has bundled into the package (see further below), the Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate is quite a bargain.

Express Editing

The program’s new Express Lab feature is designed for some quick in-and-out editing. Like Photoshop Elements 8, Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate’s editing is non-destructive (which means it saves a copy of the original photo). When you click on the Express Lab icon you get taken to a new screen, in which the picture takes up much more space and you have options like different viewing options, rotating, cropping, removing red-eye. There are also icons for Smart Photo Fix and the Makeover Tool which pop up in a right-hand pane when clicked.

Smart Photo Fix allows you to adjust brightness, shadows, highlights, and saturation on a sliding scale. The Makeover Tool allows you to remove blemishes, smoothen out wrinkles, spray on a fake tan, make your subjects look thinner, and you can even whiten teeth and bloodshot eyes.

Extended Editing

In addition to the Express Lab, the X2 Ultimate also has a lot of individual editing tools, ranging from one-click fixes to some more advanced functionality. Some of the more simple features include one-step noise removal, a straightening tool and a neat tool to correct perspective of buildings etc. It also includes special effects across 11 different categories with 86 individual effects (this is only slightly less than Photoshop Elements 8).

You can also process your RAW files in the X2 Ultimate, and you can adjust colours, repair damaged photos (such as your scans of old family photos), remove distracting objects, adjust levels and curves, apply sharpening, fix lens distortion, use a depth-of-field effect and add watermarks to your images.

Lots of Cool Extras

Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 Ultimate ships with some cool extras including Photo recovery software which works on most of the common media cards. It also comes with a Creative Content Pack which includes 150 frames and other effects; Background Remover; Painter Photo Essentials 4 for converting photos into artwork; and a 2GB flash drive.

I’d encourage you to take a look at the full feature list of what X2 Ultimate has to offer. It’s quite impressive!

Other Affordable Photo Editing Software Programs

In addition to the great products offered by Adobe and Corel there are of course several other really good, affordable photo editing software programs on the market. 

Take a look for example at ArcSoft’s PhotoStudio 6 or PhotoStudio Darkroom 2 or ACDSee’s Pro 3 Photo Manager which are all offering lots of features and great functionality.

So it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to get a good software package to edit your photos with. All of the products highlighted above are in the sub-US$200 and sub-US$100 categories.

Whichever product you decide to get, have fun editing your photos!

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Catching Up After an Unwelcome Break
• At Home: The Final Edit
• Photoshop CS5 for Photographers Now Available at Lynda.com

The other day I went along with Myriam and little Laura to feed the ducks. Yes, I know, it sounds kind of nice and idylic, right? Well, it was kind of nice and idylic. We have a little creek just down the road where a couple of duck families hang out. The creek, however, is somewhat polluted which makes it a little less idylic! Anyway.

It was nice because not only did the three of us get to spend some quality time together as a family, but of course – like any keen photographer – I also took the opportunity to grab a camera so I could take some pictures at the same time. It was mostly snapshots so I never really did anything with the photos.

However, today ended up being another windy, cold and rainy day here in Sydney. It’s supposed to be spring, but it feels a lot more like autumn these days. So I ended up taking a little bit of time out playing around on the computer today.

I opened a couple of the images from the family outing the other day and started playing around with the images using OnOne Software’s PhotoFrame plug-in. Click on the thumbnail above to see how the first image turned out after a little messing around trying different frames on.

I went a bit more to town with the second image of my daughter below, mostly to show you an example of one of the more elaborate and creative frames available within the PhotoFrame plug-in. These more elaborate frames are fun for portraits, engagements, weddings etc.

The two images in this post are just two examples of the literally 1,000 frames, edges and adornments available in the plug-in (even more if you get the Professional Edition). If you followed my August Snaps project you would have seen a few other cool frames and edges examples.

Both of the pictures above were made with the Lensbaby.

Here is why I like the OnOne Sofware PhotoFrame plug-in so much:

• It’s incredibly quick and easy to apply creative frames to your images
• You can combine multiple frames on the same image
• I don’t know any other software that does the same thing anywhere near as well
• The plug-in is very easy to install and integrates quite well with Photoshop
• It works with Lightroom (and Aperture for that matter)
• It comes with a fantastic range of realistic film and darkroom edge effects
• You can create full-page album layouts by stacking multiple artistic design elements

And in the interest of full disclosure, yes, OnOne Software is currently a sponsor of Photography24seven.com and in the interest of your benefit OnOne Software is also currently offering all readers of this website a 20% discount on their plug-ins. Simply use the coupon code 24SEVEN at check-out to receive an immediate 20% discount when you purchase a product from OnOne Software.

Get yourself a great plug-in today.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Catching Up After an Unwelcome Break
• Photoshop CS5 for Photographers Now Available at Lynda.com
• Stop That Noise!

Do you have an online presence for your photos?

In my Two Basic Steps to Promote Yourself as Photographer article I suggest that having an online presence is a critical step to promote yourself as a photographer.

It’s simple. If no one knows about you and your photography, how are you going to get discovered? How are you going to get published? How are you going to get that exhibition for your latest project? How are you going to sell your images or prints? How are you going to get any feedback on your photography? Putting your images online is the answer to all of those questions.

Zenfolio is one company who is offering a simple, yet sophisticated and professional solution to get you up and running with your images online in no time. 

The Zenfolio solutions are used by photographers of all skill leves, amateurs as well as professionals.

Zenfolio is perfect to:

• Organize your photos
• Present your work in a beautiful and professional way
• Ensure the security of your images
• Print and sell your work

But here is the best part! The Zenfolio service is surprisingly affordable. You can choose from several subscription plans starting at only US$25 per year. Read that again, that was per year, not per month! Or take their solutions out for a test drive and get started with a fully functional trial account free for 14 days without any commitments.

Zenfolio is currently offering a 10% discount on their subscription plans. Use the coupon code Zenfolio10 to receive an immediate 10% discount off the purchase price on any of their plans. This coupon is valid on new subscriptions only and will expire on October 23rd 2009.

You could have your images online today!

Head over to Zenfolio and check out their various features. And if you choose to sign up for a Zenfolio site and put your images online today, I’d love to see your work! Just send me an email, or post your link in the comments to this post, so that other people can also find your new site.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Catching Up After an Unwelcome Break
• Photoshop CS5 for Photographers Now Available at Lynda.com
• Stop That Noise!

Yesterday I announced onOne Software as a new major sponsor of Photography 24/7. Their PhotoFrame and PhotoTools plugins are probably my two favourite creative plugins, so I thought I would just share a couple of quick examples of the effects you can achieve. I have used my own daughter, Laura, as the model of choice here.

onOne Software generously offers all visitors and readers of Photography 24/7 a 20% discount on any of their products. You can buy their plugins directly from their website and you simply use the discount code 24SEVEN when you checkout to receive your 20% discount. Simple and easy!

I find the plugins useful for any type of photograpy, but I often find myself using the plugins for portraits where I want to achieve a quick result that looks great.

Here are two before and after examples where I have used both of the above mentioned plugins to achieve a certain creative effect. I would estimate that it took me less than two minutes to achieve these results, and most of that time is spent browsing through the many effects available with each plugin.

As you can see I have created a slightly toned version of the original colour image (using PhotoTools) and then stacked it with a photographic frame (using PhotoFrame). As I created these images a while ago I cannot remember the specific choices here as there are a wealth of options with these plugins.

In this example I have created an old photo look (using PhotoTools) and then applied a old looking paper as the frame/background (using PhotoFrame).

Notice that both images were shot at ISO 800 with my Canon G9 – now replaced by the Canon G10 and you might notice a reasonably high amount of noise in the images. However I wasn’t too worried about this as in black and white or ‘old style’ conversions this noise only adds a bit of ‘grain’ and mood to the images.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• What is Street Photography?
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Panoramas have never been easier to make thanks to digital photography and new, innovative software solutions. All you need is a digital camera, a tripod and a two-axis bubble level to help you keep your horizons nice and straight – and then a software solution to stitch your files together!

You can create your panorama image from either horizontal or vertical shots. The number of images needed can range from two to twenty (or even more) depending on how much you overlap your images and how large a file and print you want to produce.

Regardless of which software solution you use it is important to give the software enough information to match the images. I would recommed overlapping your pictures by at least 20% to 25% when you use normal to telephoto lenses and as much as 50% when you shoot with wide-angle lenses.

In order to get good results remember to keep the horizon level. While you can in fact handhold your camera and shoot a panorama series, chances are that you will lose a lot of information around the edges when you have to evenly crop the final stitched result. So best practice is to use a tripod and be sure to keep your exposure consistent (use manual mode), avoid zooming your lens between shots and also don’t change your focus (use manual focus). 

Photoshop CS4 (File/Automate/Photomerge) does a really great job of stitching together composite panoramas, but if you want a taylor-made standalone panorama software program, then you should consider ArcSoft’s Panorama Maker 5 PRO.

There are numerous others programs on the market, but ArcSoft’s Panorama Maker 5 PRO is a professional and simple to use solution available at a reasonable price. This program even lets you produce a panoramic photo from videos! Similar to stitching using photos, the program automatically analyzes the video and finds the corresponding frames to be stitched.

If you have not already tried to shoot a series of images with the intention to create a panoramic image, I would encourage you to try it. It’s a lot of fun and it has never been easier to create a great looking panorama than it is today, using either of the above mentioned software programs or any other suitable program of your choice.

For the Sydney Skyline panorama image in this post I used five digital images captured with a Canon EOS 20D and a Canon EF 100-300mm zoom lens at 195mm, 4 sec. at f/11.

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Matt Kloskowski (Education and Curriculum Developer for NAPP) has released a new DVD in which he shows us the very latest and coolest Photoshop CS4 tips, tricks, and hidden secrets. Matt’s Photoshop CS4 Power Session DVD will bring you up-to-speed and mastering Photoshop CS4′s newest features in no time.

This DVD course is ideal for people with experience using Photoshop CS3, Photoshop CS2, or Photoshop CS, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Power Session is the easiest way to learn the new features in Photoshop CS4 so you can start using them right away. This DVD will teach you:

• The new interface and how it will help you work faster and better than ever before
• Tips for working with Selections, Curves, Smart Filters, and other enhanced features
• How to use the all new Photomerge feature to work faster, smarter and more creatively
• How to use Adobe Bridge CS4 to streamline your workflow
• Techniques for getting the most out of Camera Raw 4
• Improved printing techniques now possible in Photoshop CS4

The DVD runs for approx. 110 minutes and is filled with Photoshop CS4 tips, tricks, and techniques that you won’t find anywhere else! Please note that this DVD-ROM can only be played on a computer.

If you get the Photoshop CS4 Power Session DVD directly from the publisher (Peachpit) it looks like you can save a bit of money!

In fact Peachpit has a whole range of great educational material – books as well as DVDs.

Help spread the word – share this article:

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Unique Digital Photography Tutorials
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