Since I've been doing more digital art lately, I've really come to appreciate how easy it is to remove backgrounds using Topaz Mask. Of course, you can remove a background in Photoshop, but I find the task harder to do and less forgiving. My hand is a little shaky these days and when I use Topaz Mask, it uses it's artificial intelligence to compute the edges. It's so much … [Read more...]
Photoshop Editing Demo: Kingfisher Digital Art
Last summer I challenged myself to get a good photo of a kingfisher that passed by the RV many times every day. In years past the kingfisher has always eluded me as it wizzes by at record speed, coming to a sudden halt and hovering for quick second (never long enough to find it in my frame), then doing a high-speed dive into the water. It took hundreds of tries, but … [Read more...]
Getting Started with Digital Art
Making digital art is a ton of fun if you go about it the right way. It's a very experimental process, so you have to give yourself the freedom to try new things and just play without any expectations. The pieces are probably not going to fall into place immediately. It takes awhile before you get just the right combination of textures, blend modes, overlays and colour … [Read more...]
How to Load and Use Photoshop Brushes
There was a time when I only ever used the soft round brush in Photoshop to paint on a layer mask to define where I wanted a particular effect to appear. But since I’ve been exploring digital art, I’ve discovered so many more ways to use brushes. Not only can you put a paint stroke on your image, but you can use different colours, you can paint inside the stroke with … [Read more...]
Wildlife Journeys – My First Digital Art Collection
I love a clean landscape photograph. One with beautiful colours, interesting lines, and gorgeous light. Or a clean wildlife image with startling detail and a soft background. Those have always been the types of images I try to make. In the past year or so, I've found myself attracted to a different type of image. Perhaps one that is more conceptual and planned rather than … [Read more...]
Black Friday Deals for Photographers 2019
Video CourseseBooksPresetsTexturesUse the coupon code TURKEY in the cart.This offer is available until December 2, 2019.My Curated List of Black Friday Deals From Around the Web rocket There are lots of deals out there this weekend, but I only promote products I know, love, and actually use myself. Buy Now Visual Wilderness Membership - $9.95/mo (normally … [Read more...]
Who Am I Now? Finding a New Path with Auto-Immune Disease
Since being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica, or PMR, I have had to give up almost everything I love to do in life. In this post I talk about my severely limited activity level, learning to accept my condition, and finding solutions that will help me keep doing photography. I am awake. My first thought: “Don’t move!” As long as I stay … [Read more...]
Canon 400mm f/5.6L vs. Tamron 150-600mm G2 Lenses for Wildlife Photography
I recently made a big investment in my wildlife photography gear. Big both in size and dollars! It's a Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens. Until now, my wildlife lenses included a 70-300mm and a 400mm lens, both of which are great, but I really wanted that extra reach that a 600mm lens would give me. I was so excited about this new addition, but unfortunately, the first Tamron … [Read more...]