I thought I was over HDR. I used to use it quite a bit around 5 years ago when it was all the fad. Like many photographers, I went through the overblown HDR look and slowly made my way to more realistic HDR photos. But then camera sensors improved to the point where they could handle most of the high dynamic range situations I encountered. Even if I took bracketed shots, I … [Read more...] about Aurora HDR 2018 Review and Video Demo
Reviews
7 Best Topaz Plugins for Photo Editing
The thing I love about Topaz Plugins is that they cover everything you would want to do with your images from subtle adjustments that make your photos pop to some not-so-subtle impressionist, HDR and texture effects. The Complete Collection includes 17 different plugins that you can use in conjunction with Lightroom, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or PhotoFXlab. But if … [Read more...] about 7 Best Topaz Plugins for Photo Editing
Book Review: Treasured Lands by QT (Tuan) Luong
It was the sheer delight in his eyes that hooked me. The kind of delight and wonder you often only see in the eyes of a child. Somehow this grown man had found a way to keep the joy alive and it was clearly evident as QT Luong showed off his collection of stamps from America’s National Parks in the film The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. His collection, amassed on the … [Read more...] about Book Review: Treasured Lands by QT (Tuan) Luong
Artistic Effects with Topaz Impression
My friends over at Topaz Labs have done it again with the latest release of Topaz Impression, their plugin for adding artistic effects to photos. I didn't get a chance to review this product the first time around, so I was delighted to be able to check it out this time and play with all the presets on some of my photos. I had a blast seeing what kinds of effects looked good … [Read more...] about Artistic Effects with Topaz Impression
Noise Reduction with Topaz DeNoise
From February 24 to March 20, 2016, Topaz Labs has a great deal on their noise reduction plugin, Topaz DeNoise. So, I thought this would be a good time to share a bit of information about what noise is and how I get rid of it. (Spoiler alert: I use Topaz DeNoise!) Causes of Noise One of the biggest advantages of digital photography, as opposed to film, is that you can … [Read more...] about Noise Reduction with Topaz DeNoise
Topaz Texture Effects Review
Topaz Labs has just come out with a new product, and it might just be their best one yet. Which is surprising given how much I like Clarity and ReStyle. But they've really hit the mark with Topaz Texture Effects. In this review you'll find out what it does, what the interface looks like, and I'll show you a bunch of examples using my own photos and give you my overall … [Read more...] about Topaz Texture Effects Review