Turn photos into works of art with Snap Art...

Snap Art lets you to get in touch with your creative side by turning a photograph into a work of art! You can easily create a canvas filled with brushstrokes of color, and have fun in the process! There are many artistic effects to choose from including the vivid pastel preset as shown above with this bubblegum pink Cuban taxi!
Snap Art is perfect for a variety of subjects from landscapes, and cityscapes, to portraits and pets. You can use this promotional code for Snap Art, and anything Alien Skin DEB0902. I teach a segment on Snap Art in one of my online courses at BetterPhoto.com, it's one of my favorite parts of the lessons. Hope you will join us, classes start in August.  Be an artist with Snap Art! ~ Deb

Coke and a smile... Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 Creativity Tip...

Have a Coke and smile! An actual Coke is hard to find in Cuba, Tu-cola is very popular and is a great alternative! I think this guy found the real thing. Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 is my favorite black and white conversion software because of how beautifully it works with both my color and infrared photos. This image was converted to black and white with Nik Silver, and the opacity of the filter layer was reduced to about 85% revealing some of the overall color for an old photo vintage look.

If you want to learn more about Nik Silver Efex Pro, I highly recommend Dr. Jason Odell's A Photographers Guide to Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. Both the guidebook and companion videos are very well designed and illustrated so that the photographer from the novice to professional will benefit. I've been recommending Odell's guide to my students who want to explore Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 more in depth. This is an excellent guide and resource for the color and infrared photographer who wants to make the most of their black and white imagery. Odell covers all the new features of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 including the new sliders for Global Tone and Contrast, Structure/Fine Structure, Color Toning, the new History Browser, down to creative touches like selective coloring and edge treatments. Odell's instructions are clear, concise, and to the point, making this an invaluable guide for the black and white photographer. Highly recommended!

You can use the promo code DSANDIDGE for everything Nik. Have fun shooting! ~ Deb

On the Road - Classic car in B&W with a little texture...

Cuba is full of vintage cars aged to perfection. I feel like I'm in a time warp when in Cuba, seeing so many old American cars on the road. Recently Raul Castro announced that potential car ownership may change for Cubans, opening up the new ability to buy and sell cars, and obtain new ones. How this will effect the charm of Cuba with all the wonderful vintage cars? I hope they will at least maintain their positions of taxi's, I would miss seeing the character of all these classic cars on the road!

This car was photographed as it rounded the Malecon, Cuba's waterfront. It seemed the perfect subject for a black and white photograph. I added a layer of texture to give the photo a worn and vintage look. Black and white photography allows the viewer to take in all the qualities of a subject without the connotations of color. Light, shadow, texture, pattern, and tonality become more important.

Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 is my favorite black and white conversion method. The latest version has quite a few new features including dynamic brightness, structure and fine structure, amplify blacks and whites, selective color, and even a few borders. I absolutely love it with my infrared photography!  Have fun in the digital darkroom! ~ Deb

(Reposting lost post from previous Blogger issues, sorry for the lost comments)!

Create an ultra wide view with a panorama...

When you have a wonderful view, consider making a panorama! These panoramic photos were taken in Cuba overlooking Havana. I like the color and texture of the architecture and wanted to capture everything about the uniqueness of this area. Creating a panorama is easy. You may already have stitching software in your digital camera. There are also some fun apps for smart phones that create great panoramas such as 360 or You Gotta See This, which creates a multi-layered type panorama. For the digital photographer, it's easy to shoot a panorama that can be assembled by PhotoMerge in Photoshop, or Elements. Here's how you do it... 

• Use a tripod, level the camera, remove polarizer, this makes it easier when merging to match the color in the sky.
• Choose aperture and shutter speed. Consistent aperture retains depth of field throughout the images.
• Choose a white balance setting, cloudy, daylight, etc. so that color temperature remains constant.
• Shoot in portrait orientation, vertical images overlapping by about 1/3. Shooting vertically allows for more sky, and extra room when the image is cropped.  
• PhotoMerge - automatically stitches together panoramas for you. For long pano's, try choosing Cylindrical which helps with "bow-tie" type distortion that might occur.
• Experiment, have fun! Panoramas are easy for the anyone with a digital camera. 

Panoramas aren't limited to long and wide. A panorama can be as simple as two images put together to create a square. Vertical panoramas are also beautiful. You can create a panorama by cropping as I did with the first 16mm fisheye image above. If you are very ambitious, you can create multilayered HDR panoramas, or 360 degree interactive panoramas!

For inspiration, visit the site of Pep Ventosa. His fractured panoramas are absolutely stunning. He does creative work with the idea of collective snapshots too. Another fantastic site with amazing 360 degree panoramas is 360VR. Have fun shooting! ~ Deb

Infrared Photography with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2...

Infrared photography is a wonderful and creative way to tell a photographic story.The timeless look of black and white photography along with infrared creates a surreal look to an image. Light, shadow, texture, tonality, patterns, become more important in a composition without the connotation of color. There is something very enduring about black and white (and infrared) photography, it remains a constant favorite for both the photographer and the viewer.

The photos above are a few of my favorites from Cuba. They were photographed with a camera that is converted with an R72 type standard infrared filter. With infrared, there is a small amount of visible light that reaches the camera sensor. To create a completely black and white image, I use Nik Silver Efex Pro 2. This gives me the most creativity over how I want to interpret the image in black and white. This software is very intuitive. I can start with a preset that best suits my image, and fine tune it from there. The wonderful part about the workflow is being to make selective adjustments using control points within my image. If I want the sky darker, or clouds brighter, I can add control points for each. If I need more structure and definition in architecture or other areas of an image, I can create it by using a control point. Control points = creativity points! Nik Silver Efex Pro allows me to portray an image in an expressive and artistic way.

Summer is perfect for infrared! I'm teaching infrared to a fantastic group of photographers at BetterPhoto.com. They are doing beautiful work, I'm inspired, and impressed, and this is only the first week of class! Make great pictures! ~ Deb

A lovely old church in Trinidad, Cuba

This beautiful old church is one of my favorite places to photograph in Trinidad, Cuba. It's fascinating from many angles, aged to perfection, and has a lot of history and character. I could not decide which version I liked best, the HDR image above, or the infrared version below, so I uploaded both! I hope everyone has a wonderful day today! Happy Easter! ~ Deb

Texturing to add depth and drama...

I have an ongoing love of photographing bicycles everywhere I go! It's sort of a personal thematic type project that I add to from my travels or everyday journeys. I like old bikes, the older the better, the more "personality"and character they seem to acquire from years of use and travel. This bicycle was photographed against an aging stucco wall that was divided in color, the two tones made for a graphic image. To enhance the aged look, I layered the bicycle photo with another photo of texture that I photographed near the same location. Have fun with textures, shoot your own, and start a collection! ~ Deb

PS - No textures? Click here to visit Flypaper Textures or Totally Rad Dirty Pictures!

Silhouette and Texture - Creating an artistic image...

Silhouettes create a dramatic presentation of a subject, adding a little more mystery and intrigue!  Photographing near sunrise or sunset provides a good opportunity for creating a silhouette as shown in the photo above, darkening the the trumpet player, while casting a warm glow around him. I positioned my camera so that the sun was hidden behind the musician, and used a white balance of cloudy to accentuate the warm tones throughout the image. I slightly tilted the camera to create a more dynamic pose. To create the interesting texture that surrounds the subject, I used a new texture from Flypaper Textures Spring Painterly Collection called Pantheon Stone. The addition of the texture layer worked nicely to add more depth and drama throughout the image.

Texturing is super easy. You can copy/paste, or drag the texture layer over the original image. The key is to select a blend mode that will enhance the image. I used a blend mode of Multiply in the photo above and followed up with adjustments in contrast. To experiment with Blend Modes, make sure the Move tool is active, hold down the Shift key and press the plus or minus key to scroll through the various blend mode to find one that best accentuates your image.

This photo was taken just after sunrise along the Malecon, Cuba's beautiful waterfront. Getting up early is key to take advantage of finding great subjects in the best light. An alternative would be to photograph the musician with warm light falling on him, which also makes a nice photograph, two ways to tell different stories about the subject. Have fun shooting! ~ Deb

Cemetery in Cienfuegos, Infrared with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2...

I just returned from a two week visit to Cuba. one of my favorite places on the planet thus far! Cuba has several cemeteries with the most wonderful angel statues. I like the gentle waves of clouds in the background that seem to frame the angels. I photographed this scene in infrared which is one of my photographic passions!

Black and white infrared creates a traditional look that has timeless appeal.  My favorite software for black and white conversion is Nik Silver Efex Pro 2,  as it provides many options for fine tuning images.  Infrared photography, and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 are a perfect fit. Black and white allows a photographic story to be told in a unique way, without the connotations of color. Light, shadow, texture and tonality become more important in the composition, and infrared adds to the surreal quality.

Interested in infrared? Please check out my book available at bookstores or Amazon, Digital Infrared Photography, published by Wiley. If you would like to try a beautiful way to convert your images to black and white, download a trial version of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, DSANDIDGE is your promo code for everything Nik! Have fun shooting! ~ Deb

Create an HDR look with Topaz Labs Spicify...

Cuban Colonial architecture is wonderfully textured and colorful!  There's a lot of detail in the scrollwork and interest in the old signs. The paint is worn and aged to absolute perfection, creating great photo opportunities everywhere you look!

One of my favorite filters is Topaz Labs Spicify, as it can make a dramatic difference with the overall look of an image. This filter enhances detail, color and exposure and can create a dimensional HDR look with a single image. The effect of Spicify looks differently with each photo. For a more detailed appearance, it's often just the finishing touch that an image needs.

Here's a timesaving tip to intensify the effect. After using Spicify (or another filter), Photoshop can automatically run the filter again for stronger results. Press Ctrl/Cmd F, or choose Topaz Adjust at the very top of the Filter menu. Adjust the opacity of the filter layer to suit your image.

I hope you will join me for my webinar on creating an HDR look with Topaz Adjust! Here's a link... Topaz Adjust Webinar.  You can use coupon code DEBORAHSANDIDGE for everything Topaz. Make great pictures! ~ Deb

Create an HDR look with cool classic cars and more! Topaz Adjust Webinar this Wednesday...

If you hail a taxi in Cuba, it's likely to be of the 1950's American Classic Car variety, such as the car above. These cars have such great personality! I like making pictures of these old cars by using a wide angle lens and getting in close and at eye level with the headlights. The lower angle accentuates the cars best features, and gives it more character. Capturing a little background gives the car a sense of place, adding another layer of interest to the photo.

I have just as much fun photographing old cars, as I do enhancing them in Photoshop! With this photo, I created an artistic HDR look with a single image. This is super easy to do with Topaz Adjust. You can create an illustrative or realistic HDR look with a single photo of just about anything! Cars, architecture, landscapes and even people photos can be enhanced with an HDR look. I'll be happy to share with you a few ideas for HDR look creativity with a variety of subjects. Follow this link to join me for an informative and fun webinar on Topaz Adjust this Wednesday, February 23 at 3 CST!  You can use code DEBORAHSANDIDGE for anything Topaz. See you there!

Creating Beautiful Texture and Borders with OnOne Software...

Textures are a wonderful way to enhance a photograph, creating more depth, drama and interest throughout the composition. Texture can create a very subtle artistic look that draws in the viewer. An image overlay composite was applied to the architecture through OnOne PhotoTools 2.6, a stand alone application and plug-in for Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture. Within the PhotoTools interface, the overlay opacity was reduced, and the effect was brushed away from the sky. Very quick and easy! 

For the finishing touch, an artistic edge treatment was applied with OnOne PhotoFrame 4.6. I chose one of the  Guru edges from Jack Davis. This worked perfectly to tie everything together. A quick tip, increase the size of the canvas by 110% before adding the border or edge treatment. From Photoshop's Menu, choose Image>Canvas Size, change pixels to percent, and change the width and height values to 110%  This gives you more space around your photo before adding your frame. I chose white for the extension color, you can choose black or any color you wish. 

Want to learn more about textures and fun stuff in Photoshop? Join me in one of my upcoming courses at BetterPhoto.com, starting in December! Check the sidebar for more info and links.

OnOne Software is offering Perfect Photo Suite, a collection of five software titles including PhotoTools 2.6, PhotoFrame 4.6, and the latest Perfect Resize 7 (formerly Genuine Fractals) at $100 off through December 4th. You can use coupon code DEB6 for your discount. Click here to visit the OnOne website.   Make great pictures! ~ Deb

Before/After with Nik Silver Efex Pro - Create nostalgic black & white photos...

As much as I love color photos, black and white holds a timeless appeal. I have a romantic notion about black and white, having started photography by developing film, and making my own prints. There is something very classic and traditional about black and white. With the connotations of color removed, the strength of the photograph relies on other factors. With black and white imagery, light, shadow, contrast, textures, patterns all become more important. Converting an image to black and white allows the foundation of a photograph to become very clear and more meaningful, telling a different story.

One of my favorite techniques for converting photos to black and white is with Nik Silver Efex Pro. Mouse over the image above to see the color version. In black and white, it looks as if it could have been taken long ago, creating a nostalgic look. I like the color version, it's fun and reflects Cuba as it is now, (although it's virtually unchanged including the cars). Portraying the scene with the vintage appeal of black and white just seems to fit.  

Tip - Create a faded color vintage look by reducing the opacity of the filter layer. You can use DSANDIDGE as your coupon code for anything Nik. Make great pictures!

Pensive...

This little boy from Cienfuegos seemed to be concentrating on something important, like he had a lot on his mind. I liked being able to capture his expression without him noticing me. I hope he has it all figured out by now. Like the rest of us, there is always something important to ponder.

Using a long lens with street type photography allows the photographer to go unnoticed sometimes. I didn't want to disturb his thoughts, or lose the moment with his pensive gaze. I like the opportunity to engage people I meet, but other times it's equally as nice to just observe and take photos quietly.

Cuba is a wonderful country to visit. One of the most amazing things about it are all the textures and colors that surround you. There is personality in every corner, crack and crevice. The people are most friendly, and provide endless photographic opportunities.

Just a touch of Topaz Adjust 4 enhanced this image by bringing out detail and color. The effect was partially removed from the little boy, but left in the surrounding areas creating an interesting contrast in textures. Make great pictures! ~ Deb

The eyes are the window to the soul...

"The eyes are the window to the soul"- one of my favorite quotes. This man is a sugar cane farmer in Cuba. He took a moment from his work to allow his picture to be taken.  I thought he had the most expressive eyes, which revealed much about his life. It's remarkable how much communication can take place without saying a word.

Optimizing this image in Photoshop required only a few basic adjustments and filter choices. I wanted to enhance his weathered face, and also soften the background slightly. This is easily accomplished with Nik Viveza 2, which eliminates a lot of work with layers and layer masks.  It's a very straightforward, time saving, and powerful editing tool.

Global adjustments were made to the image such as Contrast, Saturation, and Structure along with targeting specific areas using Control Points. Two control points softened the the background by reducing Structure, while adding another control point to the face enhanced detail by increasing Structure. The eyes were brightened up by using control points and the Shadow Adjustment slider.

Viveza 2 made editing easy, fast and effective! Try the 15 day free trial and here's a coupon code for you, DSANDIDGE. Make great pictures...