Evaluating Histograms

 

Learn which color tools are essential, exotic, or redundant.
Then master the first two.
Here’s a short excerpt from my DVD.

Learn more in my DVD Photoshop Color Tools.
Learn more in my digital photography and digital printing workshops.

Adobe Shortcut App for Creative Suite

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“Can’t remember your shortcuts? No worries. Introducing the Adobe Shortcut App, an amazing new tool from Adobe that lets you find and gather the shortcuts you need on your desktop. So they’re right where you need them, when you need them, allowing you to create your masterpieces with ease.”
You get a full list. You can make your own lists. I don’t find a list of shortcuts I already know useful. But I do find a list of shortcuts I’m currently trying to commit to memory very useful.
Get this application here. It’s free!
Learn more with my Lessons, DVDs, and Workshops.

Vincent Versace – Welcome to Oz 2.0 DVD

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Announcing all new training DVDs by Vincent Versace.
In these all new DVD releases, Vincent Versace invites us to join him on his journey of mastery, the art of perfect practice, in which he unites the precepts of Zen philosophy with the art and craft of photographic image making. Embodying what he teaches, these lessons reflect innovations in technology in Photoshop and workflow; you will see his evolution of technique, workflow and how he approaches tools and his visual sensibility. The DVDs are filled with tools and approaches that will expand your creative tool chest and your perfect practice . Be inspired to revitalize your mind as you learn to expose the hidden potential within your images. Whether you are a novice, intermediate or advanced Photoshop user, you will find the lessons will accelerate your knowledge to match the quality of your vision. If you have release 1.0, you will find that the new content has expanded each lesson from one to two DVDs. These lessons have taken Vincent years to discover by practicing perfect practice. They are shared here for you to learn, integrate the knowledge and stimulate your creative process and perfect practice.
The Pre-order PRICE is 59.95 per title ($10.00 off).
Buy both bundled together for $109.90 and save an additional $10.00.
Free shipping.

Layering Noise


Here’s an excerpt from my column in the current issue of Digital Photo Pro.
“When adding noise to digital files, keep noise separate from the image so you can control both independently of one another. This way you’ve got extraordinary control and flexibility. When noise is placed on its own layer you can eliminate or change it at any time in the future, reduce its opacity, localize it, desaturate it, target it into specific channels, move it, scale it, blur it and much more …”
Read more in the current issue of Digital Photo Pro.
Learn out more in my digital printing workshops.

Using Star Ratings


It’s important to think about how you use star Ratings (in Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom). Not everyone uses them the same way. However you decide to use them, you should use them consistently. Otherwise, when you browse multiple folders, you’ll have to interpret the same symbols differently in different contexts. That gets confusing fast!
I like the 5 star rating system. It helps make useful distinctions with only a touch more granularity than 3 levels of distinction – typically high, medium and low. It doesn’t get as granular at 10 levels of distinction, so you can cut to the chase fast. It’s used in other venues like restaurants and hotels so it’s familiar. Still, I don’t find using 1 and 2 star ratings useful for ranking the quality of images; I have no use for images that are below average. The images use are either good – 3, better – 4, or excellent – 5. So, I use 1 and 2 stars for something else. I use 1 star to identify a good idea in a substandard exposure or composition; I’ll try and use the idea later with better material. I use 2 stars to identify images that are good for composites; the exposures are fine but the composition is unfinished.
How do you use star ratings?
Comment here.
We discuss this and many other subjects in my field workshops.
Learn more about composition in my field workshops.
Upcoming dates include …
8/9-15 – Iceland … 10% discount ends June 20.

10/16-19 – Fall Foliage … 15% discount ends August 15.