Last week, the folks over at Skylum (previously known as MacPhun) released a major update to Luminar, their premier photo editing software. The new release contains some massive improvements that you are going to love! Plus, if you already own Luminar 2018, this new version is completely free. If you haven’t tried Luminar yet, now is a great time. Pick up a free trial … [Read more...]
Aurora HDR 2018 Review and Video Demo
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...]
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...]
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...]
Get More Than Black and White with Topaz B&W Effects
One of my favourite plugins, Topaz B&W Effects, is on sale this month, so I thought you might like to see some examples of photos I have made with it. Not only does it do regular black and white conversions, like this classic example, but it does lots of other nifty things too - things using colour, which you wouldn't expect from a plugin called Black and White … [Read more...]
Sony NEX 6 Digital Camera Review
If you're still asking yourself whether or not you should go mirrorless, check out last week's post to find out why this trend is here to stay and if it's the right answer for you. The fact is that today you can wield as much creative control with a mirrorless camera as you can with a DSLR, in a smaller package and at a smaller price. So the question becomes which one? … [Read more...]
Mirrorless Cameras – The Answer to our Woes?
If you've been following technology advances in camera equipment, I'm sure you've been hearing a lot of buzz about the new mirrorless cameras. But are they really the answer? The first mirrorless digital camera was introduced in 2004, but they've really only come into their own in the last couple of years. With the recent success of the Sony NEX, Olympus PEN and … [Read more...]
Learn How 20 Inspirational Photos Were Made in the Latest Issue of Fotozaar
You may remember a couple of months ago I was featured in the first issue of a new photography magazine called Fotozaar. Well ... I'm so excited that the second issue of Fotozaar is now out and it features two of my images! One of the best ways to learn photography is by studying great photos, and that's what Fotozaar is all about. Each issue of this gorgeous … [Read more...]