March 6, 2012

4

Free Effects & Goodies, free lightroom presets, lightroom, news, presets, ProPhotoShow, special effects, Updates

FREE Presets from Silver Shadows 2 – Updated for LR 1-4.

NOW UPDATED for LR1-4 | Silver Shadows 2 came out in Nov 2011 and has been a huge success. It represents years of LR refinement since version one. It may blow you away when you see the efficient high quality silver conversions possible without ever leaving LR.

With the release of LR4 came some changes that made old presets not work so well. Users of my current presets collections are getting free updates for LR4 and the first of those was for Silver Shadows 2. You should have already received it if you own them.

I always make up a free sampler pack and I wanted to release an updated one that reflects the changes that came in Silver Shadows 2, for those of you that don’t own the full pack. So below is a free sampler kit that includes 7 presets. For both Lightroom 1-3 and Lightroom4 versions.

You can download below, no strings. When you realize how powerful they are, scope out the full collection. It has over a hundred unique effects, refined and organized into the ultimate black and white toolkit. Either way, head over to the product page for the video of SS2 presets in action while you download the freebies.

Enjoy… Gavin Seim

Download the SS2 Freebie Pack, v2.3

Watch the video and check out the complete collection.

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March 5, 2012

0

Gavin Seim, ProPhotoShow

Lightroom 4 Is Officially Here

by Gavin Seim: Adobe wasted no time getting out of the beta phase. It seems they wanted cha’ching sounds a ringing.

Lightroom 4 is hitting desktops as we speak. Thankfully Adobe did drop the price a good bit to $149 ($79 for upgrades). Something we can probably credit to the Aperture price drop in 2011. Thanks Apple.

All told. LR4 looks pretty good. Not Earth shattering. But good. Sadly there seems to have been few changes from the beta. There were areas some were hoping would get more features. But LR4 has some new develop tools, some refinements and some new modules that will keep us busy.

A few major things to look for include…

  • Changes to the Develop settings, including Shadow, Highlight, White Point and more.
  • Video playback and basic editing support.
  • The book maker module (limited but interesting).
  • More control over Brush and Gradient settings, including localized White Balance.
  • Built in maps module.

Of course there’s more. I’ll be back with some thoughts soon. For now go check it out and let us know what you think in the comments.

More detailed review in the works. This post will be updated… Gav

 

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March 4, 2012

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Gavin Seim, Lighting, Nature, news, Photography Podcast, Pro Photo Show Podcast, ProPhotoShow

Pro Photo Podcast #83 – History & Essentials.

First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds – 1903. Link to high res scan details from LOC.

Click To Listen>> Photography Podcast. PPS #83
Direct Podcast Feed – iTunes – Podcast Alley

Today’s Panel... Gavin Seim (G Pixel).

Today Gavin leads us through a brief look at photographic history. He talks a bit about how classical art can help us as photographers and finishes with a look at essential concepts that will make us better at our work.

Podcast #83 forum discussions:

Main Time Indexes:

  • 00:00. News and project updates.
  • 11:30. Art and a Photographic History.
  • 43:26. Essential photo ingredients.
  •  1:04:10. In practice. A study example.
  • 1:14:52. Picks of the show.
46x34, Portrait of Nicolas Ruts. Rembrandt, 1631. It seems that even 300+ years ago, a wall portrait was a thing of note. Look at the quality of this work. Click for a larger version. Even the catch lights look perfect.

 

Links to things we mentioned…

 

Getting beyond the digital file.

Nikon D800 36MP. Big step.

Canon 5D MK3 is no longer a rumor.

EXposed video workshop coming soon.

Lights and Shadows Photo Workshop coming Fall in Central WA.

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March 2, 2012

0

lightroom, news, presets, ProPhotoShow, special effects

Silver Shadows 2.2 is Here – The Ultimate B&W Toolkit for LR.

Mouse over for before/after effect of Lumen Modified.

Silver Shadows 2 is a complete black-and-white system for Lightroom users. We released it a few months ago it’s has received a resounding thumbs up in reviews and feedback across the web. That’s cool, but it gets better.

Today I’m proud to announce Silver Shadows 2.2. It’s a FREE update for existing v2 presets users. In fact, you should already have received an email with your download.

What’s inside. Silver Shadows 2.2?

2.2 features FULL compatibility with Lightroom 4. A separate set, revised for use with the LR4 2012 process and the new adjustment features. With that however, Silver Shadows 2 remains compatible with older versions, and includes a set for LR1-3 users. Both sets have all the Silver Shadows 2 presets effects.

New Effects & Refinements:

Silver Shadows 2.2 also includes three NEW presets including, Lumen Modified #1 and Light Modified #2 (Cp). Both are versatile creative effects to go with the more than 100 existing black and white presets in Silver Shadows 2. They give you rich tones and bold notes while maintaining dynamic range. Another new effect is Dynamic Dark Boost, a conversion meant for images that are a bit too dark. With this effect you can quickly bring up tone without altering exposure. It can also be used on lighter images for an ultra high key effect.

There’s lots of little refinements and updates throughout Silver Shadows 2. You can find a full list in the release notes of the info page that comes with the download. If you don’t yet own Silver Shadows 2, head over and check out the demo to see why it’s the only black-and-white toolkit you need. If you already have Silver Shadows 2, get your download now. This version completely replaces the previous. V1 users of Silver Shadows can also get a discounted upgrade to V2. If you did not receive your download or have press/support related questions, contact us, effects@seimstufios.com.

Gavin Seim

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February 17, 2012

0

Gavin Seim, Lighting, Nature, photoshop, PPS Photography Tips, ProPhotoShow

Three 30 Second Tips to Better Photos:

by Gavin Seim:

Ready in 60 Seconds: After you choose the subject but before before you release the shutter, try taking a full minute to think about your scene and how you’re about to capture it. Really. Don’t just look at it. SEE IT. Sometimes we feel pressured to click. But even with a portrait, learn to take a little time and you’re images WILL improve. With some scenes you can even spend longer. Check out the 111 Project.

Sparks: I stood outside well before the exit. Experimenting, considering the scene, trying to predict the light. The effort paid off with a great candid from a challenging scene.

Cut The Trash: I know, you’ve already taken 60 seconds, you have a plan. But look again. Maybe even take a test frame. Controlling tone, removing clutter and distracting elements is one of the most neglected elements in art making. If something is not adding to the image, it should not be in the frame. Either you move, move it, or it will move the quality of your final image down to LOW.

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