10/06/07
Thank you to all the folks that have sent messages of support as I start my journey of getting healed from prostrate cancer. I'm so gratful to all my friends and family for their being there for me at this time in my life. My entire being says thanks again to all of you. Stay tuned for updates of the journey...
I have decided to stay with Photoshop Elements 5 and use my current actions rather than going PSE 6. I didn't see enough changes in PSE 6 that would have positive impact on my current photography editing and that is the reason I'm not moving to PSE6. If I make a change in editing software I will look at Photoshop CS3. Stay tuned...
Graffi has realeased his latest version of Glam Photo 3 today. This package has 44 really very cool actions and you can see the effects applied to images on Home page. A different action was applied to each image. This actions in slide order are Old Romance, Soft & Fade & Mucho Contrast Washed 60's Snapshot action was applied to the lighthouse. Check out all the images actions on Graffi's website.
I noticed that Graffi's Handy Actions Lite for Elements 5 & 6 has been released and in the the Grafficshop this morning. Check it out...
http://http://www.graficalicus.com/index.php
Kids are back in school and weather is starting to feel a little bit like fall is not too far off. Now is the time to think about planning the trip to photograph the fall foliage colors. The best time to see the changing of foliage colors are in late September and early October. The changing fall colors start earlier in the Cascades than around the Portland area.
My favorite areas for photographing fall colors in Oregon are; Japanese Gardens, Hoyt Arboretum(Washington Park, Portland OR), Columbia River Gorge, Silver Falls State Park, The Mount Hood loop, Cascade Range over Salem, Detroit route, McKenzie River Highway, Willamette National Forest, Larch Mountain, etc…
Check out the covered bridges in Linn County and the colored foliage in that part of Oregon. Here is a link to covered bridges in Oregon;
http://coveredbridges.stateoforegon.com/
Do a Google “Oregon Fall Foliage” you find a number of really great sites for information on the subject.
Early morning shooting is one of my favorite times to catch the light and dew on the leaves. The RAW format is my preferred mode for shooting fall colors. I really like to get up close and personal with the camera to capture the details of the foliage. Pack a lunch and enjoy the day.
Using a tripod is essential in getting great fall landscape photos. Circular Polarizer, Enhancing & Neutral Density are the only filters that I carry these days. The lenses I generally carry are 20-35mm, 28-105mm, 100-300mm, 400mm and a Lens Baby.
If you have questions about using RAW check out the book "RAW 101 Better Images with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements" by Tim Grey. I have found this book to be very useful in understanding and working with RAW.
Enjoy the fall colors.
Until next time…
JG
08/31/07
Wow! A sale at Adobe.
For those of you that have wanted to move up to Photoshop CS3, now is the time to get 50% of the price of the software or $299USD. The purchase of Photoshop CS3 at this price must be by 9/16/07. This sale is for registered PSE users and you will need to enter the promotion code when you order.
Check out the details here. http://direct.adobe.com/v?xJlHHPJEnWWHnncl
You can go to the Adobe website and download a 30 day trial download of PS CS3 to checkout this very cool software.
Until later...
JG
08/26/07
Recently I received a question regarding how to determine the age of old photographs. Google "dating old photos" is great way to find sites to determine the general age of a photo. The following sites I have found helpful in a dating a photo;
http://www.classyimage.com/dating.htm
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/photodating.htm
http://www.ajmorris.com/roots/photo/types.php
http://www.familychronicle.com/dating.htm
While waiting for some images to print, I started to re-read Color Confidence by Tim Grey . If you want to understand color management as a photographer/print maker, this is a book for you. The book has chapters on the Display, Photoshop Setup, Scanning, Digital Capture, Output, Workflow etc... just to mention a few of the subjects covered. The thing I like about this book is that Tim leads you step-by-step through each component of the color managed workflow. I would encourage all of you that want to get the best colors from capture to output read this book.
Tim also has another excellent book Photoshop Elements 5 Workflow. This book is one my primary reference books on my desk. I have mentioned this book in an earlier blog.
Those of you that use PSE, check out Photoshop Elements Techniques website,
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/
There are really cool things happening on PET. Stopping by the PET Forum each day I find things that really help me in working with Elements. The folk are very friendly and there is no such thing a dumb question. Check it out.
Until next time...
JG
08/19/07
This past week I have been working my way through the recipes from the "Photoshop Photo Effects Cookbook. Several of the recipe techniques that have been most impressive are; Adding water droplets, Adding relections, Pencil sketch, & Watercolor. These recipes are just a starting point for you to experiment with different effects in Photoshop Elements. This book has something for everyone using PSE and wants to get creative with their photos.
Recently I was asked which Wacom would be the right one to use with PSE. The anwser is, it depends on a number of factors. The first factor to consider is what you want to do with the tablet. Second, put you mouse away while learning the ways of the digital tablet. There is a learning curve to consider and setting the Wacom Express Keys and Touch Strips are essential for learning. With the digital tablet it take's time to get use to the pen rather than the mouse. The size of the tablet is an on going discussion on the PET forum as everyone has their favorite model or size. What I would suggest is go to the favorite photo store and try out the display models. Ask the staff the pro's and con's of the various models. Before you go to the store, check out the Wacom website and the various models that may be of interest. You want to note the physical size of the tablet and make sure it will fit on your desk.
I use a Intuos 3 6x8 tablet with my restoration work. My wacom physically measures 13.5 x 10.5 I now have much more room on my desk since moving to LCD montior.
My keyboard is wireless and is off my desk when using the Wacom. The Wacom is a major tool in my restoration of photos. If you don't have room on the desk the smaller size models will do the job. Some of the photographers I know carry the 4x5 Wacom with their laptops.
If you have a specific question send me an email.
Until later...
John
08/11/07
The past several weeks I been involved in trying new techniques with my photos. I just posted a new fishing boat sketch that is on my site. Several of the folks on on the Photoshop Elements Forum have written some very good tutorials on sketching and water colors techniques that have amazing results. The photo of the fishing was OK but I like it much better as a sketch with a little color.
Recently purchased a book, Photoshop Photo Effect Cookbook by Tim Shelbourne. This is filed with recipes for effects like; making rain, snow, watercoloring a photo, adding motion, infrared, etc. The book was written for Photoshop but can be used with Photoshop Elements with work-arounds needed at times. There are 61 easy-to-follow recipes that will increase your skills. I would recommend the book to all PSE users.
This past week my monitor started to die, so went out and got LCD Samsung 22' wide screen monitor. Also purchased a Syper 2 Express to calibrate the monitor. What a wonderful experience with calibrating the moniter. The Syper2 makes it so easy to set up your colors in three easy steps. The Syper 2 works on CRT's, LCD's and Laptops.
My first Newsletter will be sent in October. To recieve a copy, just sign up on my website I will put you on the mailing list. Your email address will be used only for sending you the Newsletter.
Until later...
JG
07/16/07
This past week we have seen tempatures reach 100 degrees here in Oregon. Please make sure our pets are protected from the heat. Also don't leave your pet or camera gear in a hot car this summer.
I been using my Lens Baby 2.0 this past week taking pictures of Chelan. This is such a cool flexible lens for focusing on the sweet spot of a image. Check out the Lens Baby site if you want more information.
http://www.lensbabies.com/
I was visiting Graffi's website and saw his announcement of a discount of 20% on his "Actions" during the month of July. This a good time to purchase the action packages you have put off buying. Be sure to add the discount code that is on his website when processing your order.
http://www.graficalicus.com/index.php
This past week I have scanning more of the old family photos. The photos are circa 1880 - 1920's. Several of my new restoration are in the Restoration 4 gallery if you want to see the before and after images.
I was asked about a good book on the subject of RAW. Jon Canfield's book; RAW 101 Better Images with Photoshop & Photoshop Elements. This book provides basics to understanding and using RAW format in you processing the image with your software. Jon is an excellent writer and I would recommend this book to all you.
Until next time...
JG
07/06/07
Thanks to those folks that have shared your thoughts about this new site. I'm glad that you like the focus and feel of the site.
Graffi on his blog this week mentioned the new things that are happening with this site. Graffi, thank you for your kind words. Check out Graffi's blog and website. http://www.graficalicus.com/wp/
Sorting and scanning old photos have been my major focus this week. Some of these photos will get put into the restoration process next week. I will post several of the before and after images that get restored.
The forum at Photoshop Elements Techniques is such a great place to learn new things about PSE. You should drop by and check this site out. http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/