When it comes to post-processing, my goal is usually to enhance a photo’s best qualities while maintaining a natural look. After all, nature is stunning just as it is! But sometimes I want to take my images a bit further; I want to go beyond the natural look, maybe add a painterly effect, some texture or colour grading. That’s when I turn to the plugins from Topaz Labs in my … [Read more...]
Photo Editing Case Study: Shanghai
I'm not big on cities. But photographing cityscapes makes it all worthwhile! And Shanghai must have one of the prettiest skylines I have ever seen. When I visited China a couple of years ago, I had an extra day to explore Shanghai and get used to the time change. It was hot, muggy and raining. So when I processed this photo I decided to make an abstract impressionist version … [Read more...]
What is the Best Focal Length Lens for Bird Photography?
Last winter I returned to one of my all time favourite bird photography destinations: Cibola National Wildlife Refuge which is on the border between California and Arizona. During my first visit to Cibola the previous year, I discovered some problems with my wildlife photography gear, which resulted in my not getting any long lens photos. Bummer! That was one reason why … [Read more...]
How to Upgrade to Lightroom Classic CC and What You Need to do First
Upgrading Lightroom can be a bit intimidating! You wouldn't be alone to worry that all the time you've put into organizing your photos into catalogs, folders and collections might suddenly go POOF! Or that maybe your whole computer might suddenly go POOF! So it's better to be prepared and feel secure that you can recover from any disaster that might occur. Not that I … [Read more...]
How to Use the Dodge and Burn Technique in Photo Processing
Dodging and burning is an easy and effective way to make portions of your image lighter or darker. So why is it so confusing to understand how it works? Because the terminology comes from the old darkroom days when processing photos was a two stage process. First we made the NEGATIVE by exposing the film to light. Just like when you make an image in your digital camera … [Read more...]
Starting a Photography Business – 3 Essential Tips
You love photography. You have a passion for it, and you're good at it. You'd love to start a photography business. But, what kind of business? How do you know what direction to go in? Since I've been in your shoes, I'd like to share with you the best advice I received, how I found my path, and the skills you'll need to make your business successful. 1. Start building … [Read more...]
How To Use Layer Masks To Make Realistic HDR Images With Aurora
I’m having so much fun playing with HDR again! I feel like a whole world has re-opened. I used to enjoy HDR many years ago, but I have always wanted my final images to have a natural look. Achieving that look was challenging with the software that was available to combine exposures and time consuming to do it by hand in Photoshop. So when camera sensors started getting … [Read more...]
Lightroom vs. Luminar – What’s the Difference?
One question I get asked quite frequently since doing my review of Luminar 2018 is “What is the difference between Lightroom and Luminar and which is better?” While Lightroom and Luminar do have some things in common, there are more differences between them than similarities. In this video I’ll explain the similarities and differences and show you which features I use and … [Read more...]