photoshop cs6 beta

I have been using the cs6 beta since it was released and i really like it. One of the new features, used in the photos above is the tilt shift blur in the filters menu. I have created it on this blog before but it was a much longer involved process. Now its just a filter and very easy to use and modify. I put together the images above very quickly and if i had taken more time i would have put the blur on its own layer and then made the transition from sharp to blur more subtle. Away from photoshop now and on to photography. Its funny how some photoshoots go. Sometimes you predetermine your setup, have the lights all prearranged, and even know the poses that you will do during the shoot. Sometimes however you wait and let the subject determine what will happen in the shoot. For this one i did a standard more traditional setup for a "safety shot" and then let my subject, or in this case my subjects waredrobe, dictate the rest of the look. For the shot on the left i used one strip softbox and for the shot on the right i used two of them. I placed the dark suit against a bright background for contrast and moved the light around till it hit him the right way. The right way of course is different for everyone, there is certainly no one "right way". I was very happy with the shots and had a great time. What more could i ask for.

Bodybuilder Photography

I started my weekend with a great shoot with a local bodybuilder. I have been thinking about this shoot for about two weeks and trying to decide how i wanted to light it. What else did i have to decide really. I didn't stress about what aperature or shutter speed to use, he brought the muscles and the gym, so lighting is all thats left. I spent two evenings practicing on myself and i am really glad i did. I was not happy after night one and nailed it pretty early into night two. I ended up with three lights, two behind him and one in front as the main. Not sure if this image is the best representation if that setup as i think i moved the rear lights more to the side (cross) but in the other shots it worked like i had envisioned. I mainly just moved them because i had switched to a wide angle lens and they would have been in the shot if not. I played with the image in lightroom and then opened in photoshop and ran it through topaz detail. I did some retouching, added a vignette and sharpened and that is about it. I was very, very happy with the shoot and i really owe the success of it to my model, V. Thank you again. I just finished downloading and havent looked at many of the other images but i will and will add more soon.

Tearsheet

I am not one to toot my horn, or whatever you would like to call it, but i noticed last week that my photos made the covers of both the english and french visitor guides put out by NB Tourism. I have had many shots published but usually kind of know what they will be used for and am not surprised when i see them. Not the case for these which i found quite comical.

Orchard Walk

I went for a little walk with my camera and tripod tonight looking for an hdr background image for some compositing i want to do. The images i shot for that were ok but really just so so. As i was leaving the orchard i found this cool looking piece of tree laying there looking at me. I couldent do any hdr as my tripod does not go directly to the ground so i just held the camera to the dirt and shot. I ran this one through topaz detail, silver effects pro (made the black and white a luminosity layer which brought out the detail in the sky) and added a curve in photoshop. It was a great night weather wise and i ended up with one shot i liked. Well worth the walk.

Photoshop World 2012

I was very lucky to be able to attend photoshop world in washington dc last month. It inspired me immensely and i truly feel my shooting has improved because of it. I also had fun, alot of fun. I dont often get the time to just walk around and shoot for the hell of it. I still have not had a chance to look at many of the photos i took but i will for sure and will post a bunch here. I did process one so far. I did an hdr from three photos, ran it through silver effects pro, and then through topaz detail. This elephant was in one of the art museums we visited, cant remember the name of it right now.