I’ve been hinting at this for awhile, but today Silver Shadows II is getting official. This is a collection of LR presets for black and white that is like no other and I think it’s going to set a standard.
Black & White was my second ever presets collection and after some refinements and updates it became Silver Shadows. A collection of effects for black and white that kept getting better with free updates over the past few years. But I felt we needed something more.
Note, that anyone who buys Silver Shadows v1 after Sept 20th 2011 will get a free upgrade to V2. So even if you get v1 today, you’ll get an email with that free upgrade when v2 launches.
I’m passionate about black and white. I mean I’m really fanatical about it. I want to take digital images and make silver art from that that sings. There’s some great tools our there for B&W, but they can slow a workflow and usually require that you leave your RAW file behind, that throws away information and dynamic range that can be really valuable in making a great silver image.
This is just a little teaser I had made up. But the full collection is releasing soon along with all the details. SSII been remade from the ground up and will be the only toolkit you need for black and white.
Updated 12/11. Never has raising the bar on quality been so relevant to photography than in today’s crowded market. But never have the tools at our disposal been so powerful either. So today I want to share a few quick ideas on inching that bar up, each time we release the shutter. And few tips to help us shoot better and make our images as perfect as they can be.
1. Visualization. Really seeing.
It’s often said it starts in the camera. Well in truth it starts before that. I’m certainly no pioneer in visualizing, but I’ve learned how valuable it is. Sometimes our digital generation brushes aside with a chuckle the tried and true techniques, as if they were insignificant. As if because we have cameras with screens, it’s no longer necessary understand such things. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in nearly 15 years of pursuing photography. It’s don’t ignore the techniques of the old masters. My generation sometimes thinks they have a better way. They usually don’t.
I recently recorded a short podcast on how I use visualization right here. But the bottom line is you have to do more than just look and click. Visualizing takes practice. It’s NOT about not just seeing something that’s in front of you, or even just seeing an object or composition. It’s about seeing what you want in your final image. Everything you want. The objects, the lines, the tone light and dark of various elements, the colors, the composition. Even down to seeing in your mind the edits you plan to do in the real, or the digital darkroom.
I find using the Zone System to help visualize your scene and place the tonal ranges helps a great deal. Not to mention helping you expose better. But even if you don’t use the Zone System at every step, the zone scale can be invaluable in visualizing. And with practice will become second nature and will effect your work at every stage. You can learn about the Zone system in my article about Zones. Also here’s a classic video with Ansel himself talking about it.
Sunsets Hidden Falls, 2010. Having a pre-visualization of the scene I wanted helped me plan the exposures and edit this properly. More on this image at.. http://bit.ly/bVa0hm
2. The Camera.
This is step 2. These first two could go together. But visualization deserved that first category. Do it before you raise that camera, because it’s easy to get caught in the moment and forget about truly visualizing. But after that visualization, the camera is where a great image is captured. Not the computer. You have a visual for what you want to capture, now you need to use your tools to make it happen.
Consider what you’re trying to do and how you need to leverage your equipment. Shutter speeds, supports, aperture, focus, timing, light. Read the Six Keys To Photographic Image Quality for more thoughts on the technical side of this. And of course, don’t forget your visualization and composition to help make it all happen. This is something to think about in a digital age where we tend to spray and pray. I’m a firm believer that as a whole, our industry needs to slow down. More images does not make better quality and I find taking your time with your camera and image setup makes a great deal if difference in your final result.
Gavin's new video training collection on cloning and retouching.
This has been a long time coming and I’m really excited about it. Every time I made a video, taught a webinar, or planned a lesson. Somewhere in the back of my mind it was planning for video collections. People kept asking for them and I kept wanting to do them, but it was always daunting. I needed a plan and I needed to buckle down and make it happen.
Well it finally has and it’s in the form of my new Digital Darkroom training videos. Each video collection will o in depth on it’s topic, sharing ideas and techniques to really master it. No holds barred training that’s organized and concise. Kicking it all off is the Cloning Magic video workshop. A deep look at mastering the cloning and retouching tools that will change the way you edit and take your work to new levels. Check out the introduction and a free chapter from the complete new series right here. Enjoy… Gav
I’m going to talk about cloning today. On photo’s that is. I don’t know much about the other kind. Cloning, patching, retouching. Whatever you call it, it’s all about making an image as perfect as it can be. Really it’s been around since long before computers. I’ve seen an airbrush artist do the same thing we do with cloning, but directly on a print with paint. It’s amazing. But thankfully we don’t have to do that.
Thing is you can do almost anything with cloning. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy and it doesn’t mean you should. I’m a big fan of getting it right in camera, and sometimes it’s best just to leave things alone. But often the goal is a perfect image and there’s some things you simply can’t, or didn’t change in camera.
I have a new online workshop that focuses on how to make perfect clones and retouches and I thought it would be a great time to share some of my favorite tips on how to do it better. If you want more, check out my Cloning Magic Video Workshop.
Mouse for before/After. I could not move the clutter in the field and time was fleeting. In post I thought of leaving it, but then though how much cleaner it could be and what a good exercise in challenging clones it would preset... Gav
1. Visualize.
Look at your image on the screen and consider and what you need from it. Then analyze closer for similar areas and information you can copy from.
2. Make a layer.
Never clone on your base layer, but a copy of it. This way you can mask in and out if your clone gets messy on and edge of you change your mind.
3. Zoom Both Ways.
Don’t be afraid to get in very close and make sure it’s right. Then for a broader scope, zoom out and make the image small on the screen. This is a secret to checking for halos or bad edges that can easily be missed when zoomed in. The mark of good clone is that it’s invisible to large printing and scrutiny.
4. Change brush size.
A soft large brush is usually where I start. Too small or too hard a brush can leave lines when you zoom out. That said don’t be afraid to change your brush size, not only to avoid pattens of sameness, but also to better work details. Large and small. Work it all.
5. Try different tools. A regular clone brush is a good start. Even a Lightroom or Aperture clone can work well for basics. But no one tool does it all. Sometimes spot healing gives a more natural look. Sometimes the Patch tool nails it. Content aware fill and healing can also be perfect. Sometimes you need to manually brush color. If one does not satisfy you, try another. Good cloning is a process and sometimes it takes them all.
6. The Final Cleaning. The best clones are usually refined. Do your main retouching, then come back and look again. Use the tools (sometimes at lesser opacity) to blend in areas, reducing blotchiness and repetitive objects. For example, you may have a clone with little rocks that match from somewhere else. To avoid repetitive problems, you can clone in a smaller patch erasing only one pebble of rock from the spot, breaking the repetition. Also watch for halo’s on edges and missed areas. again. It’s so easy to miss when you’ve been looking at a print for an hour.
That’s all for today. Have fun… Gav
Mouse for before/After. This was more of a screw up. An older portrait, the client came back and wanted a wall portrait made. I had neglected to remove the crud from the dock and it did not seem to be adding. I did a lot of detailed retouching to remove the crud and make the image shine for it's 30 inch canvas... Gav
by Gavin Seim. Texture on photographs can be powerful tool. You take a texture image like a stone surface for example, lay it over your photograph in Photoshop or a similar editor and subtly overlay it by changing blending modes, opacity etc. This can be really cool, but it’s also easy to fall into the fad. Not that trends are always bad, just be aware of them.
Some of you reading this already own my Naked Elements texture collection. I’m proud of the set and I thought it would be useful to give a few thoughts on how to make best use of the textures in your photography. But no matter what texture you use, these ideas still apply.
A bold texture overlay. This intense is usually a bit much for me, but we all have our own look. You can certainly tell texture has been added. Bolf can be great but use it with care. Mouse over for original.
1. Don’t simply fall for the fads.
Texture can be great, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking every image needs super duper texture just because others are doing it. Visualize what you want from your image and how a texture will help you get there. Don’t just try to mimic everyone else.
2. Use balance.
Texture overdose is a passing fad. Great texture is often so subtle that most would not even know it’s there. Bold texture is good at times, but remember that subtle can add character and dimension without any distraction. Always consider if what you’re doing makes your image better.
3. Change the modes.
Don’t be afraid to play with different blending modes after you overlay the texture. “Overlay” mode is the mode common for texture overlays, but it’s sometimes shocking how blending modes can change the look of your image.
4. Use The Masks.
Don’t just overlay a texture and call it good. Once it’s in place use layer masks (here’s a video i found in case you don’t know masks). Blend areas in and out using the mask to manipulate the texture and draw subtle attention to your subject. For example you might want to erase most the texture from a face to keep it natural, allowing it to complement the scene in the foliage and surrounding areas.
5. Don’t get in the rut.
It’s easy to find something new and then use it all the time. Avoid it. Most texture collections have variety. Change it up and see what works. Texture is not a way to be lazy, it’s a way to be creative on your best images and make them shine.
That’s all for now. Simple stuff, but if you keep it in mind your textured works will become more refined. Also if you don’t have a good assortment of textures you can check out my Naked Elements. I also have a freebie pack you can download here to get you started. Have fun and use texture wisely… Gav
A gentle process. The texture is subtle, imparting a warmth and slight texture to the scene. Mouse over for original.
