Photoshop: Red Eye Fix for Difficult Cases in People & Pets

Digital Photography School

by Guest Contributor

Recent versions of Photoshop have an automatic Red Eye Removal tool. But what do you do when that tool fails as it does all too often with people, and always with pets?

Here’s one technique that I like to use. I’m going to illustrate it on a pet photo featuring “green eye”, but the same trick works on people with red eye, too.

1. Zoom in on the eye of your subject

2. Get your Paintbrush (Keyboard shortcut B)

3. Set your foreground color to black

4. In the options bar, set the brush mode to Color, opacity 100%

By painting with the brush in this mode, we will desaturate the area that we paint.

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/photoshop-red-eye-fix-for-difficult-cases-in-people-and-pets#ixzz1LiqHhnbu

HOW TO: Get Started With Photo Blogging

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The term “photo blog” has almost become redundant. Between the popularity of microblogging, and the fact that smartphones are capable of producing high-quality images, our digital communication has become increasingly photo-centric. We consume so much content in our digital lives, it seems we’ve developed a need for it to be presented in the simplest, most efficient way possible. Enter: the photo blog.

If Flickr gave us the photo-sharing bug, then services like Tumblr, yFrog, Instagram and even Foodspotting are making it standard practice.

So how can you get in on the action? There are a few basic rules. First, it should be said, a photo blog can be pretty much anything you want it to be, so long as your content is predominantly –- you guessed it — photos. These pics can be your own, pulled in from across the web, submitted by users or some combination of the three. Basically, when it comes to photo blogs, there are many options.

Here’s how to get started. >>>HOW TO: Get Started With Photo Blogging.

Top 10 Photography Hacks

Your digital camera, whether it’s built in to your cellphone or it’s a hefty DSLR, is an incredible creative tool. If you’ve only used it as it comes straight out of the box, however, you’re only scratching the surface. Here are our top 10 photography hacks to supercharge your camera.

Note: click the title of each hack if you’re interested in learning more.

Read the rest of this Article            Top 10 Photography Hacks.

The Rules of Photographic Composition

The Rules of Photographic Composition – PCWorld.

Here at Digital Focus, I often write about the science and technology of photography. But while the software, gadgets, and photo editing techniques are fun, some of the most important lessons in photography aren’t about the technology at all. This week, let’s set aside high-tech photo editing like high dynamic range and hyperfocal photography, and instead talk about a few of the most basic–and common–rules of composition. Mastering these rules can help you turn what could be a simple snapshot into something more–into a story about the moment in time in which the photo was taken.

Follow the Rule of Thirds

Most people are at least somewhat familiar with the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is utterly ubiquitous: Every movie and TV show makes almost constant use of it, and professional photographers avoid putting the subject in the center of the frame almost without exception. To understand it, draw two lines through a photo, dividing it into thirds. This turns it into something like a tic-tac-toe board, as you see here.

At its essence, the rule of thirds says that you’ll get the most interesting photos when your subject isn’t in the center of the frame, but rather is positioned off-center, to the left, right, up, or down. You can position your subject at any of the four intersection points of the third lines, or along one of the four lines, like the birds in this example.

10 silly mistakes you probably want to avoid

As we all know, making mistakes is part of the learning process.  More often than not, you just have to learn things the hard way.
But if you’re lucky, someone who has already done something stupid will tell you about it, and thus spare you the bother of repeating the same mistake.

For example:

*  Leaving the lens cap on when preparing to take someones picture. 
This is something I’m sure everyone has done at least once, and isn’t such a big deal really.  But doing this when photographing a TV anchorman in the middle of huge open office area, full of media people watching their coworker being photographed?  Priceless.

* Using your new flash on assignment before properly learning how it works.
Shortly after getting my first Speedlite (in early 2006 this was) I was hired to photograph a prominent Icelandic politician and his equally well-known wife.  I hadn’t read anything about the settings and just decided to wing it, and spent a good deal of time and energy fooling around with it while talking a mile a minute,  hoping nobody would realize that I hardly knew what I was doing.  Needless to say, the best photo I got that day was taken without the damn flash.

Read the full article      10 silly mistakes you probably want to avoid | Pixiq.

Create beautiful photos with a BOKEH

Create beautiful photos with a BOKEH | Picture More.

The word “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke” (pronounced bo-keh) which literally means fuzziness or dizziness.

What is bokeh? You have seen it. I know you have. You just may not have known the name. In photography, bokeh defines the quality of the blurred image presented in a photo. I am not referring to a badly taken photo that’s all out of focus, but rather the aesthetically pleasing background blur. Usually, this type of blur highlights the focused subject even more. To produce a bokeh you must utilize a shallow depth of field.

I shoot my macro images with my Sony 100mm 2.8 lens. A larger aperture works best, so use a low f-stop number like f1.4, f1.8 or f2.8.

Bokeh usually works best when taking an up close picture of your subject. Try finding a subject with nice clear lighting that you are able to get a good close up of. That is not to say that one can not get great bokeh using lenses with a smaller maximum aperture like the kit lens sold with most entry level DSLRs. The trick is to make sure you are using the largest aperture possible (smallest f number).

Set your camera to aperture priority and select the lowest number. Remember in aperture priority your camera will set the shutter speed. Sometimes this gets a bit tricky if you are shooting flowers on a windy day or a bug that is on the move. You might need to switch to shutter priority and shoot at least 1/250 to stop the movement. At 1/250 you will more than likely have a larger aperture – just be mindful of your aperture when shooting in shutter priority. Most photographers can handhold their camera with their shutter set at 1/60th of a second. For anything below, a tripod is recommended because of camera shake.

Canadian photographer wins Pulitzer

Canadian photographer wins Pulitzer – World – CBC News.

Los Angeles Times photographer Barbara Davidson won the Pulitzer for a series of images including this one of Erica Miranda, 10, who was shot three times while playing basketball outside her home in Compton, Calif. Barbara Davidson/Los Angeles Times/Associated Press

Montreal-born Barbara Davidson, a photographer working for the Los Angeles Times, is among the winners of Pulitzer Prizes announced Monday.

She won the feature photography award for a series of images about victims of street violence in Los Angeles. Davidson spent nearly two years gaining the trust of insular communities such as South Los Angeles, Compton and Watts before taking striking images of those who were shot, many of them innocent victims.

This is Davidson’s second Pulitzer — she won for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina when she worked for the Dallas News.

There are seven Pulitzer Prizes for drama, music and letters and 14 for journalism, although the award for breaking news was not given this year. The award is administered by Columbia University and comes with $10,000 US.

Dave Henry, the King of Argyle has died…

Popular bar manager David Henry dies at 67

David Henry, co-owner of Halifax’s Economy Shoe Shop and an avid photographer, died early Sunday of  cancer. He was 67. Henry worked as a manager at the popular Halifax bar when it opened in 1995. A year later, Henry’s business partner and long-time friend, Victor Syperek, made him a partner. "He’s been my friend for 34 years now," Syperek said. "He was just a really lovely, really generous man." Henry wanted his wake to be held at the "Shoe Shop" in lieu of a funeral, Syperek said. Arrangements for the wake are being made.

		This brief filler piece from the Sunday Chronicle Herald, doesn’t do justice to the friendly giant of a man who many knew as DH. There was always a smile, a rather devilish twinkle in his eye and a story, sometimes a rather convoluted and confusing story but a story for all who had the pleasure to spend a little time with David. Victor & David made rather unique partners &  everyone instantly understood there was a deep friendship and mutual respect at it’s core.
	David & Victor at the Shoe Shop
		Over the years David’s photographic talents developed to the point that I’ve often referred to him as the unofficial official portrait photographer of downtown Halifax. He had the ability to catch the ‘character’ of his subjects from across the bar, across the street, candidly & unobtrusively. One of David’s portrait shots has become my profile picture through out the online world. His ‘Macro’ photography is in my opinion some of the best I’ve ever seen.
	David … the camera man…
		For almost 16 years the Economy Shoe Shop has been a rather unique combination of Victors creative vision and construction skill to build the ambiance of arguably the best bar in Halifax. Along with David’s managerial skill & ability to put a loyal grew together that entertained and served the clientele with style. The legendary Nachos, Burger & robust menu combined with that one of a kind ambiance has made the Shoe Shop a destination for tourists, business travelers and of course the movie & artistic industry. If it wasn’t for the Economy Shoe Shop & the Seahorse Tavern downtown Halifax & in articular Argyle Street would not be the thriving food & entertainment center that it is today.
	The Economy Shoe Shop

The Economy Shoe Shop
The Seahorse Tavern
	This grouping of three pictures by David show not only Victor’s design and construction but David’s love for the space. At the bottom of this post there are two links, the first is to the Argyle Cobblers /Shoe Shop’s web site where most of the photography is David’s and the second is to Dave J Henry’s web where you will see the full extent of his photographic skill. So often business people are identified solely by their business but David And Victor have been able to keep their personal creative talents independent from the business.

Over the years David & Victor have been strong supporters of the local artistic community, with monthly art showings, Monday night Jazz, hosting the Annual Atlantic Film Festival Gala. The Seahorse Tavern is one of the Top Live Venues in Town. The Seahorse Tavern opened its doors in 1948 and has remained open, in this location, ever since.

This hasn’t actually been a eulogy for David J Henry but I hope you get the sense that the King of Argyle was bigger than life, a loveable character, a fierce advocate of a vibrant downtown, a strong supporter of the creative arts,  & a kind gentle man who will be long remembered by all who knew him. I will miss his smile, his stories, watching him work the room and flirt with the ladies …. The king has died ….

In closing I leave you with a short video that gives you a peek at the man….

The real Dave H….

 

Links	The Economy Shoe Shop
	David J Henry Photography

Slow shutter helps capture water –

SPRING IS HERE, Farch is almost over, and the time to head out and get the creative juices flowing is now!

One of the great things about early spring is the rushing water that makes the small streams and rivers so photogenic.

Playing with water can present some challenges, but with a little practice, you can get some great water pictures to adorn your walls.

One of the common things to do with fast-moving water is to use a slow shutter speed to give a sense of movement. There are a number of ways to do this, but the easiest is to close down your aperture. (Bigger number, smaller hole.)

Slow shutter helps capture water – ArtsLife – TheChronicleHerald.ca.

Taking Great Pictures

To help photographers of all stripes take their skills to the next level, LIFE.com offers a series of "lessons" on photography, focusing on elemental aspects of picture-taking. Featuring advice from professional photographers, these galleries provide simple, straightforward answers to some of the most common questions about "how to make great pictures."
With photos by LIFE legends — Alfred Eisentstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, W. Eugene Smith, Dmitri Kessel, Carl Mydans, and more — as well as contemporary photos by professional photographers, we offer insights into what you need to know to make your own great pictures.

Read the rest of this article at Life ….one of the best Photography resource sites that I’ve ever seen  

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