What if you knew the reasons why ANY  photo fails technically?
Then what if we made that stuff easy?

Bear with me and watch because I’ve taught this for a decade, but it’s the first time I’ve made a video on it and I’m going to be detailed. You may want to watch this in full-screen HD on my channel because it’s loaded.

I’m going to show you the 6 keys to amazing image quality that are totally game-changing when you combine them, and when they become second nature you go next level in your photography.

In the video, I also mention the Exposed Workshop and if you want to play with some detail processing presets grab by Filmist FREE pack here.

Yes, the lens and the sensor and your hand’s matter…

That razor-sharp look is not as elusive as you think and getting the most expensive gear does not give you the best photo!

There are those who say the technology is not important with the automated cameras. The results usually show that is not true. Then there are those that focus so much on pixel peeing and technical aspects that the photo lack any heart.

This is yet another area that no one seems to be talking about in the era of digital and AI. But it’s no less important today than it was 50 years ago.

I actually wrote this as an article years ago in the Pro Photo Show days. Over the past decade, I’ve seen it work and become even more confident in these keys to the point where they are second nature. That has allowed me to have the technical aspects in my work while focusing more and more on the art. It’s going to do the same for you if you put these six secrets of photography to work.

Gavin Seim

Naked Darkroom is my latest pack of real texture and border and here’s’ how I use them.

These work for Photoshop, Affinity and users of layer based editors.

These are a complete overlays pack because the textures are even better and the new darkroom film based borders let you use real edge from negatives, wet and dry plates and integrate those into your finished prints and web files.

I’m including a longer workshop with the Naked Darkroom download, but in this video I want to show you the 101 of how to use textures and borders and how they can improve the final details and artistic character  of any kind of photography.

Gavin Seim

The right edit is hard sometimes, isn’t it?

Some edits just work and others you can’t seem to get. It happens!

So in this week’s video, I took a photo that Paul sent me that was having trouble with. A very tough file with a lot of highlights and a lot of shadows. We’re going to use Photoshop, Camera Raw with Silver 4 and BlackRoom actions and find a mix that works. But no matter what you edit with, these tips will work for you.

Watch the video in 4K on my channel. Whatever tool you favor. Actions, presets, a plugin, your on inventions. The key is to stay open on your edit. Try new things always. That’s the basis of how I create editing kits and how I try to keep my own photos fresh.

Grab Blackroom actions and try your hard edits.
There’s a double sale on BlackRoom actions now when you enter the Spring promo code: SPR22. It’s a huge saving and you can also use this code for anything in the store.

RECAP: 3 steps to a fast effective edit in any software:

• 1: Try basic classic edits, presets I know I like, actions, and common tweaks, and fulfill my visualization.
• 2: Do more advanced edits, add effects, reset and try again. Usually, by the 3rd try, the edit will start to draw out.
• 3. If it’s not working ask myself if it’s the editor a lack in my image. If it’s not critical, move and mark it to try again later when I have new inspiration.

So let’s take this rather difficult shot and make it work… Gavin Seim

The Natura 1600 look is amazing in digital when it is formulated perfectly.

So in today’s video, I want to show you the latest film I created for the Filmist project. You can get the Lightroom Presets and Capture One Styles here.

The truth is Natura 1600 was included in Filmist from the start. So I went back to the drawing board studying every Natura and Superia 1600 resource I could find. I wanted to make it perfect for the Natura 1600 gen.2 updates. Much like I did for the Portra gen.2 presets a few months ago.

Filmist is a project I always come back to. I love authentic film looks on digital and  I always find ways to make them better. Emulsion film is the hardest kind of edit in Lightroom and RAW editors. The nuances and making them work digital are subtle. I spend hours trying different files, comparing them to real films. Then when I take it to Capture One, I have to go back to the halfway point and start again because C1 rebounders so differently. At the end of all my gen.2 film presets I end up with a Lightroom preset, a Capture One style, and a LUT that represents the film, and this nature 1600 look is second to none.

Natura has this bright warm feel with a fairly grainy look. But that grain does not overpower and I think this formula really conveys the feel of Natura/Superia film.

Gavin Seim