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...]
Enhance Your Photos with Textures
Do you ever have a photo that you really like, but you want it to be a little … more? Or maybe you just want another version of the image that is a little different? Perhaps more dramatic and artistic looking? Adding textures is a fantastic way to get that extra depth and create a really unique look in your images. In this video I'll show you how easy it is to add … [Read more...]
Creating Unique Photo Effects with Topaz
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...]
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...]
Dramatic Contrast with Topaz Adjust
Topaz Adjust is the Photoshop plugin that I always recommend to people who don't own any plugins yet because it has the most variation in styles and the most versatility. You can use it to add all sorts of effects to your photos. Everything from colour toning, creating dramatic contrast and clarity, making your photo look like an HDR image, or even a painting! There … [Read more...]
Topaz Restyle Photoshop Plugin Review
I'm a big fan of Topaz Labs and one of my favourite plugins in their collection is Topaz Restyle. This plugin has over 1,000 presets that allow you to easily add different colour effects to your images. When I first tried the plugin, my first impression was that it is a bit overwhelming to browse through 1,000 presets to find one that is perfect for your image. It takes a … [Read more...]