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9 Best Tripods for Landscape Photography in 2021

12 Oct

The post 9 Best Tripods for Landscape Photography in 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

the best tripods for landscape photography

What’s the best tripod for landscape photography you can buy today? When considering the perfect landscape tripod, there are literally hundreds of products to choose from – the tricky part is narrowing down all the options to find one that’s right for you!

This guide will help you wade through the various tripods on the market to find the one that fits your needs. Of course, as with many aspects of photography, it’s difficult to offer a black-and-white best tripod to purchase. It depends on your goals, your gear, and whether features like budget and portability matter more than height and durability.

I would, however, caution you against getting a very inexpensive, do-it-all model like the kind you might find at a local department store or online retailer for $ 25-$ 50 USD. These tripods might seem good, and some have long lists of features, but they are often made with cheap materials that will not hold your camera steady and will break very quickly. So if you’re after a genuinely good tripod for landscape photography, scour this list; you’re certain to find a much better option that suits your needs.

Let’s get started.

landscape photo from a mountain using a tripod — Fujifilm X100F | 23mm | f/8 | 1/60s | ISO 200
There’s no way I would have gotten this shot without a tripod.

1. The Peak Design Travel Tripod (Best overall)

When Peak Design released their Travel Tripod in 2019, it sent shockwaves through the photography community. The tripod was (and is!) small, light, and incredibly versatile, which made it appealing to a wide range of photographers.

All was not sunshine and roses, and shutterbugs quickly took note of some important downsides. This new tripod was expensive, limited in certain ways, and included some highly unconventional design choices. But despite the drawbacks, the Peak Design Travel Tripod earns my recommendation as the absolute best tripod for landscape photography you can buy.

I have used this tripod extensively, from mountaintops in the southwest United States to remote hiking locales along the USA-Canada border, and there’s simply nothing else like it. Its diminutive size when fully collapsed, coupled with the extremely low weight, is a boon to landscape photographers who value quality as well as portability. The built-in ball head is flexible, the legs are stable, and with the center column extended, the entire package is nearly as tall as any other tripod on this list.

I wouldn’t recommend the Peak Design Travel Tripod for use with heavy cameras like the Canon 1D X or Nikon D6, since the thin (but very strong) construction can’t quite keep up when you start attaching pounds of gear. But for most landscape photographers, this tripod hits the sweet spot between size, features, and portability.

Pros

Outstanding portability
Highly flexible
Lots of little design touches, like the cell phone holder tucked into the center column, that display a high attention to detail

Cons

The carbon fiber version is very expensive
Not as tall as other tripods
Not designed for very heavy camera/lens combinations

2. MeFOTO BackPacker S Aluminum Travel Tripod (Best budget)

If you’re a landscape photographer on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the MeFOTO BackPacker S Travel Tripod. It’s not as compact or versatile as other items on this list, but it offers amazing flexibility – especially considering the price.

The legs fold up around the ball head to save on space, and you can lock them into several positions during setup. The lack of a true center column limits the overall height of this tripod, but it still suits the needs of many landscape photographers quite well.

The legs each have a series of twist-lock mechanisms to extend the sections and keep them in place. I’m personally not a big fan of this style and instead prefer the clip-lock or twist-lock systems found on other tripods, but again, the main point of this tripod is to serve a more budget-conscious audience.

One nice feature is the ability to convert it to a true monopod by removing a leg and attaching it to the center column, though that’s not highly relevant for landscape shooters. It does speak to the overall versatility of this tripod, and for photographers who want one inexpensive option for landscapes plus other situations, the MeFOTO BackPacker S is a solid choice.

Pros

Inexpensive
Flexible
Can be converted to a monopod

Cons

Not as tall as other options
Twist-lock extension mechanisms aren’t to everyone’s liking

3. Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 with Manfrotto 496 Center Ball Head (Best semi-professional)

There’s a bit of a paradox with camera gear: the more you spend, the less you get. Whereas many less expensive tripods come with everything you need to go out and start shooting, higher-end tripods often come as two separate pieces: legs and heads. The Manfrotto MT190XPRO3 is an outstanding set of tripod legs, but it also needs a head, and for that I recommend the 496 Center Ball Head.

The Manfrotto legs aren’t small and light so they might not be the first choice for travelers, but they are strong, sturdy, and tall enough to give you unique landscape photos you can’t get with shorter tripods. The legs can be locked into several positions, and adjustments are quick and easy thanks to the clip-lock leg extensions. My favorite feature is the center column adjustment, which lets you extend the column and then reposition it horizontally to capture photos in entirely new ways.

The 496 Center Ball Head refines the design Manfrotto has used for years, and while it doesn’t offer anything particularly revolutionary, it does give you stability and impressive ease of use. Large, chunky knobs let you easily reposition the ball head and then lock it firmly in place, and it’s designed to hold over 20 pounds of gear.

Bottom line: This setup is great for landscape shooters who use professional-grade cameras and lenses and don’t to trust their gear to a flimsy support system.

Pros

Sturdy
Easy to adjust ball head position
Simple but effective leg locking mechanisms

Cons

Bulky and not ideal for backpacking
Not as tall as other tripods

4. Gitzo GT2545T Series 2 Traveler (Best professional tripod)

For landscape photographers who want a no-compromise solution to the tripod problem, it’s hard to beat the Gitzo GT2545T Series 2 Traveler. It’s small, lightweight, extends to over five feet, and is designed to take a beating.

Gitzo has made a name for itself in the photography community as a maker of tough, reliable gear for the most demanding situations, and this tripod is no exception. While it’s not quite as small and compact as the Peak Design Travel Tripod, it folds down small enough to fit in most backpacks or suitcases, and the carbon fiber construction keeps it lightweight for hiking out to your favorite landscape photography spots.

This tripod frequently comes paired with a ball head, but you’re free to just buy the legs and choose your own head to fit your needs. However, the often included ball head is great for landscape photographers and one I strongly recommend. Its huge knobs are easy to loosen and tighten, and the head can be moved into nearly any position you need. Unlike some less expensive ball heads, this one is coated with a special material to minimize sticking – perfect for photographers who shoot in inclement weather.

Pros

Extremely high-quality build
Very lightweight but capable of supporting large cameras and lenses
Folds down small for portability

Cons

Expensive
Not as compact as others on this list
Height is decent when fully extended, but not outstanding

5. JOBY TelePod Pro (Best small tripod)

Large tripods that extend high up into the air are great for capturing nature and landscape shots, but sometimes you just need something small and versatile. And if you prioritize compactness over everything else, I recommend the JOBY TelePod Pro.

Designed for small setups like a consumer-grade DSLR or mirrorless camera paired with a lightweight lens, this tripod folds down smaller than a water bottle so you can literally take it anywhere. It has sturdy, rubberized feet and a fairly unique design element: an extendable center column instead of extendable legs. This comes at the cost of stability, but helps maintain the outstanding size and portability.

Of course, with the JOBY TelePod Pro, it’s important to keep expectations firmly in check. It’s almost like a selfie stick with three feet, and that makes it unappealing for a lot of longtime landscape photographers. But for those new to this type of photography, or people who don’t have big cameras and lenses, the TelePod Pro is just about perfect.

Pros

Inexpensive
Incredibly compact
Highly portable
Easy to use in a wide range of landscape situations

Cons

Not ideal for large cameras
Extending center column design limits overall stability

6. Feisol Elite Tripod CT-3472LV M2 (Best heavy-duty tripod)

In landscape photography, wind, snow, rain, dirt, dust, extreme heat, and cold are all par for the course – and in such conditions, it helps to have a tripod that will never let you down. That’s where the Feisol Elite Tripod comes in.

It’s a great option for those who value build quality and durability over all else, thanks in part to thick legs capable of holding over 60 pounds, which eclipses just about everything else in its class. The carbon-fiber construction results in a high price tag but a reasonable weight, which is great if you’ll be carrying this on your back or over your shoulder for long distances.

While not as versatile as some other options on this list, the Feisol Elite Tripod does have one key advantage: its size. It’s certainly no tiny, compact device like the Joby TelePod Pro. The Feisol Elite Tripod is approximately two feet long when folded, and it reaches a towering height of nearly six feet to help you get the shots that other landscape photographers can only dream about.

Pros

Large chunky legs offer amazing stability
Can support far more weight than other tripods

Cons

Expensive
Does not include a ball head
Not ideal for photographers who value portability

7. Manfrotto MK055XPRO3-3W (Best full-size tripod)

The Manfrotto MK055XPRO3-3W tripod packs everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. Yes, it’s large and definitely not appropriate for long hikes or tromping around through the backcountry, but if you’re a landscape photographer who wants to buy one single tripod that includes everything you need for rock-solid stability, this one is it.

You won’t get a carbon fiber build, and good luck stuffing this beast in a backpack – but it is rock solid, has easy-to-use flip locks to extend the legs, and reaches a stratospheric height of more than 72 inches. It will handle any situation you can throw at it as long as you’re able to lug it to your location.

While you can customize this tripod with a different ball head, the included 3-way pan/tilt head is excellent for landscape photography. It offers a more careful, considered approach than the knob-turning of other ball heads, and the large adjustment handles connect you to the tripod in a way that I really like. As with other high-end Manfrotto tripods, the center column can be repositioned horizontally for even greater maneuverability.

Pros

Great compromise between features, flexibility, and price
Sturdy, supportive legs
Can extend over six feet

Cons

Included pan/tilt head is not suited for everyone
Not very portable
Load limit is good but not great considering the size

8. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AP (Most flexible tripod)

The Vanguard Alta Pro 263AP is an excellent option for landscape photographers who want advanced features at a much more reasonable price point than Gitzo or Feisol tripods. It’s relatively compact – though not as diminutive as the Peak Design Travel Tripod – and extends to a very respectable 70 inches. The center column can be positioned in a variety of ways, and the ball head can be rotated and repositioned in almost every manner imaginable.

What I really like about this tripod for landscape photography are the little touches that make your shooting experience just a little more pleasant. The feet have metal tips for maximum stability (especially out in nature). The center column can be repositioned while also adjusting its height, allowing you a near-unprecedented level of versatility.

And while some photographers would rather have a more traditional ball head, I do appreciate the large, easy-to-use handles that let you adjust pan, tilt, and rotation separately. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tripod to most photographers, as it is well suited to almost any photographic situation.

Pros

Relatively inexpensive compared to some others on this list
Highly versatile
Great for a variety of situations, not just landscapes

Cons

Included tripod head is not to everyone’s liking
Not very small when collapsed

9. Joby GorillaPod with smartphone mount (Best mobile phone tripod)

It’s often said that the best camera is the one you have with you, and for many people, that means their mobile phone. Extend that maxim just a bit, and we might say that the best tripod is the one you have with you. For landscape photographers who rely on their mobile phone to create images, this tiny Joby tripod is one that I’m always happy to recommend. Its unique wraparound legs let you capture stable images on just about any surface imaginable, and the entire tripod can be wrapped around objects, including trees, fence posts, benches, and more.

While I wouldn’t recommend a GorillaPod to anyone who shoots with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, it’s ideal for mobile phone shooters. The tripod will sit firmly in place with a phone attached, and the ball head is great for repositioning your phone to get your shot just right. It’s small, light, highly portable, and comes at a very reasonable price.

If you shoot landscapes with your mobile phone, there’s almost no reason not to get this tripod. And despite some limitations, it’s a great solution and a welcome addition to your gear kit.

Pros

Inexpensive
Small
Flexible
Highly portable

Cons

Very short
Not well suited for dedicated cameras

landscape image taken with a tripod — Nikon D750 | 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II | 70mm | f/16 | 1/60s | ISO 160

The best tripod for landscape photography: final words

While you don’t necessarily need a tripod for landscape photography, it will get you consistently better results. You can use lower ISO values, narrower apertures, and longer shutter speeds, plus you can capture shots you just can’t reach when shooting handheld.

If you’re looking for your first tripod, or if you already have a tripod and are aiming to upgrade, hopefully one of the options on this list will be just right for you!

And remember, these are my personal picks for the best tripods for landscape photography, but if you have a favorite I would love to hear about it – so leave your thoughts – and share any of your own landscape photos – in the comments below.

Landscape tripods FAQs

What is the best tripod brand for landscape photography?

Try to not think about this in objective, black-and-white terms. There are pros and cons to every tripod brand and plenty of tradeoffs. Instead of thinking about which brand is best, think about your needs, then choose a tripod that fits your budget.

Do I need to pay more for a weather-resistant tripod?

Some tripods advertise features like weatherproof knobs and dials, but I really don’t worry about this sort of thing too much. I wouldn’t recommend paying more for these features unless you have a specific use case in mind. Outside of using using your tripod in torrential rain every single day, any model will probably be fine.

Do I need a special type of camera for landscape photography?

Any camera will work for landscapes, from mobile phones to point and shoots to high-end mirrorless and DSLR models. Landscape photographers generally prefer wider lenses to capture more of the scene, but it’s also possible to get great landscape shots with a telephoto lens. Your camera is almost certainly not the limiting factor in landscape photography; no matter what camera you shoot with, a tripod will almost certainly help.

What type of head should I use on my tripod?

Some people prefer ball heads, while others prefer pan-and-tilt heads. There’s no one answer to this, but I personally gravitate towards ball heads simply for the size and convenience factor. One thing I do not recommend is using a tripod head designed for videography when shooting still photos. They generally do not allow the same level of free-form movement and positioning as a head designed for still images.

The post 9 Best Tripods for Landscape Photography in 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop: Which Editor Is Right for You? (2021)

07 Oct

The post Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop: Which Editor Is Right for You? (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Which editor should you pick, Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop?

It’s a tough question, and the answer will depend on your post-processing preferences. In this article, I’ll break it all down for you; I’ll compare and contrast Photoshop Elements and Photoshop and see where they both fit in the grand scheme of image editing.

By the time you’re finished, you’ll know which program is the better buy!

Let’s get started.

Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop: overview

Photoshop has become the industry standard for editing on Windows and MacOS systems – so much so, in fact, that the phrase Photoshop is now used as a verb. Photoshop gives users the ability to create and enhance photographs, illustrations, and other digital media. As a critical utility for graphic artists, photographers, designers, web developers, etc., Photoshop has become an integral part of many creators’ processes.

The Photoshop layout — Layout of Photoshop 2021

So where does Elements come in? Photoshop Elements is a simplified version of Photoshop, designed primarily for photographers who want a quick and easy way to edit and organize images. The program came out in 2001 (long after Photoshop first debuted), and is also great for consumers who are just getting started with photo editing.

The Photoshop Elements layout — Layout of Photoshop Elements 2021

While there are numerous incarnations in the Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements lines, for this article, I’ll compare the most recent versions: Photoshop Elements 2021 vs Photoshop version 22.3.0.

Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop: key features

Now that you’re familiar with the purposes of both Photoshop Elements and Photoshop, let’s take a detailed look at what these two programs offer, starting with:

Price

While both Photoshop Elements and Photoshop are owned by Adobe, the sales models couldn’t be more different.

Adobe Photoshop Elements is sold as a one-off program, and the 2021 version will set you back about $ 100 USD. Photoshop Elements can be bundled with Premiere Elements 2021, a simplified video editing software (see the screenshot below). Upgrade pricing for existing Elements customers in the United States is also available.

Adobe Photoshop, on the other hand, is offered only as a (monthly or yearly) subscription. At present, the best value is the Creative Cloud Photography Plan, which includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, plus 20 GB of cloud storage, and costs $ 9.99 USD per month.

Note that Adobe offers a 30-day trial of both Elements and Photoshop if you’d prefer to try before you buy.

Ease of use

Although Elements and Photoshop offer many overlapping features, Elements is geared toward an audience looking for a newcomer-friendly editing application.

Photoshop is the industry standard, but this can make it harder to approach for first-time users. Enter Photoshop Elements, which is designed to enable simple, streamlined editing processes while maintaining an accessible interface. This simplified application can help ease a budding creative into the world of digital editing without plunging them headfirst into a sea of pixels.

Bottom line: Photoshop is designed for in-depth, manual editing operations. Elements is a photo processor, better suited to quick and easy refinements that don’t require intensive editing.

Workspaces

Photoshop offers six pre-made workspaces for different creative requirements: 3D, Essentials, Graphic and Web, Motion, Painting, and Photography.

Photoshop Elements divides the editing process into three workspaces: Quick, Guided, and Expert:

Quick

In Photoshop Elements, Quick view is a simplified interface with basic adjustments. This layout lets you quickly perform common editing tasks and includes basic photo editing tools neatly distributed across the workspace.

Quick mode enables users to access the Healing brush, fix exposure, sharpness, color, and lighting, and even provides the option to apply effects, filters, enhancements, textures, and frames.

Elements Quick interface — The Quick interface of Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Guided

The Guided workspace offers step-by-step instructions for Photoshop Elements users. With over 50 tutorials and counting, this workspace will help you apply a range of effects to a photograph.

With the option to introduce Tilt-Shift, Black and White, Orton, and Lomo effects (and many more) to an image, Guided provides a user-friendly interface for applying relatively customizable effects.

To access these tutorials, switch over to the Guided interface in Photoshop Elements, pick an effect, and go from there.

Black and White effect Elements — The Guided interface with the Black and White effect in action.

Expert

Expert mode is designed for users who are more experienced with image editing. The Expert view unpacks all of the editing tools available in Photoshop Elements and neatly organizes them around the user interface:

Expert mode has an expanded range of tools compared to Quick mode, enabling you to apply complex editing effects. Draw and Enhance tools, Graphics, Layers and Styles, Histograms, additional Filters, History, and more are all available in the Expert workspace.

Other tools and functions

While Photoshop Elements packs a considerable amount of power, some tools are still reserved for Photoshop. For instance, chromatic aberration correction, which fixes unwanted fringing, is a Photoshop exclusive.

Elements doesn’t support vector formats, either – so the Pen tool, which creates advanced paths and shapes, is not an Elements feature. (Because Photoshop supports vector and raster files, users can add vector-based Smart Objects into a Photoshop file.)

In addition, Elements doesn’t offer the Content-Aware Patch tool (which sources nearby content to blend a region with the surrounding image area) or the Channel Mixer (which is often used for advanced black and white conversions).

Other significant differences include the lack of 16-bit and 32-bit image support in Elements. Lens geometry profiles aren’t included in Elements or in the accompanying (and also pared-back) Camera Raw utility.

A new feature in the 2021 version of Elements is the AI-powered Moving Photos function (used to turn static pictures into moving GIFs, as displayed above). While GIFs can be created in Photoshop, the process is a little less streamlined, though Photoshop does offer more flexibility in making these GIFs.

Printing

An additional point of difference in the Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop comparison is printing. Unfortunately, Elements is missing a few key features for professional print production. Unlike Photoshop, Photoshop Elements can’t export files in CMYK, and the program also excludes in-depth soft-proofing.

Plus, Elements supports a simplified color management system compared to Photoshop; while Elements has RGB, Grayscale, Bitmap, and Indexed Color, Photoshop features all of the aforementioned color options, but also Duotone, CMYK, Lab, and Multi-Channel, which allows for greater control when printing.

Elements vs Photoshop: the two programs compared — A game of image modes! Photoshop on the left, Photoshop Elements on the right.

Time management

Photoshop can be more labor-intensive than Photoshop Elements, though the number of guided edits available in Photoshop Elements do streamline the process.

However, although Elements includes quick, automated processes and adjustments, it sometimes sacrifices the manual customizability and creative precision achieved through editing in Photoshop. Put simply, the hands-on approach of Photoshop can pay off, depending on the level of tweaking you require to create an effective image.

Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop: final words

Photoshop can create stunning photographic work, but that doesn’t rule out the capabilities of Photoshop Elements. While Photoshop Elements offers to do the heavy lifting with a few clicks of the mouse button, Photoshop proper offers a larger range of detailed editing features.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a simple editing program, Elements works well. However, creative professionals in need of precision editing software should jump for Photoshop instead.

Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop FAQs

What is the difference between Photoshop Elements and Photoshop?

Put simply, Photoshop Elements is a simpler version of Photoshop. Elements is easier to use but lacks the full-fledged creative control that Photoshop delivers.

Who uses Photoshop Elements?

Photoshop Elements is primarily aimed at beginner or intermediate users looking to edit photographs. Professional photographers and designers generally invest in Photoshop for more in-depth editing capabilities.

What are some features in Photoshop that aren’t in Photoshop Elements?

There are a good amount of utilities available in Photoshop Elements, but some tools are still reserved for Photoshop. Chromatic aberration correction, the Content-Aware Patch tool, and the Channel Mixer don’t feature in Elements. Elements doesn’t provide vector format or 16-bit and 32-bit image support. Lens geometry profiles aren’t included in Elements or in the accompanying Camera Raw utility. Photoshop Elements can’t export files in CMYK, Lab, Duotone, or Multi-Channel color modes.

How much does Photoshop and Photoshop Elements cost?

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 costs around $ 100 USD for a full license. Photoshop is only available as a subscription, which costs $ 9.99 USD per month (at minimum).

The post Photoshop Elements vs Photoshop: Which Editor Is Right for You? (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

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Best Lightroom Portrait Presets in 2021 (6 Gorgeous Picks)

29 Sep

The post Best Lightroom Portrait Presets in 2021 (6 Gorgeous Picks) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

Finding the best Lightroom portrait presets can be a challenge for many photographers. With so many preset packs available in the marketplace, how do you find the right ones to suit your style?

In this article, I recommend some of my favorite Lightroom presets for portraits in 2021.

A quick note: When testing different preset packs, I loaded each option into Adobe Lightroom Classic. Then, to demonstrate each preset, I used the same RAW image taken on my Fujifilm X-T4 with the XF 56mm f/1.2 lens. I created multiple virtual copies in Lightroom, then had fun playing around with all of the presets and settings!

1. Brixton Film presets

First up for the portrait photographer is the Brixton Film preset bundle. These presets are brought to you by The Luxe Lens, a website that sells dozens of presets, Photoshop actions, LUTs, overlays, and much more. The names of each collection in the Brixton Film bundle evoke the type of mood they portray: Bold & Vibrant, Yesteryears, Earthy Moods, Film Essentials, and Love Story, to name just a few.

In particular, the Brixton Film Cinematic collection caught my eye, and I was instantly impressed when I applied the black and white Light and Lifted preset for a classic monochrome look:

Brixton Film presets — Brixton Film collection: *Light and Lifted*

There were a number of interesting color choices in this collection, but my next choice was the Teal and Berry preset, thanks to its eye-popping hues. It gave the portrait a completely unique look:

Another gorgeous collection from the Britxon Film stable is Oak & Ivy. This collection contains 25 film presets, 8 layer presets, and 62 tools presets, designed to bring out the organic colors of nature in your images. My favorite from this collection is Muted Forest, which did a great job of mixing earthy colors with clean skintones (see the image below). All of the Brixton Film presets were fun to use, instantly transforming my RAW file into a beautiful final product.

2. Mastin Labs

Mastin Labs are the market leaders for portrait and wedding photography presets, and it’s easy to see why.

These presets were first created over a decade ago by photographer and color scientist Kirk Mastin. After painstakingly scanning many different types of film, Mastin Labs developed a series of presets to give the classic look of your favorite film emulsions to digital images.

Mastin Labs claims to have the most authentic film emulation presets on the market, and many of their preset bundles reference names of classic film stocks, such as Portra Original, Fuji Original, and Fuji Everyday.

Full disclaimer: I’m a huge Mastin Labs fan. I’ve bought all three of the classic film packs I just mentioned, but while writing this article, I decided to use two new preset packs for the first time: Ilford and Portra Pushed.

Installation is a breeze; just download the presets, quit Lightroom, run the installer, and get ready to roll. Using the presets is simple with Mastin’s easy, three-step workflow: apply the preset, adjust the exposure, then adjust the white balance and tint.

Mastin Labs portrait presets — Mastin Labs Ilford: *Pan F* *with green filter*

Mastin Labs: Ilford Original pack

The Ilford Original pack contains three highly customizable presets that mimic classic British black and white film emulsions: Pan F, HP5, and Delta 3200.

Pan F gives you a high contrast look with low grain, the ever-popular HP5 delivers medium contrast and grain, and Delta 3200 gives your images glowing highlights and the chunkiest grain in the pack. Each emulsion gives you two further choices – 35mm or 120, with the latter giving you more subtle and smoother grain.

As with all Mastin presets, the Tone Profile section provides various combinations for making the highlights and shadows hard or soft in your image. It’s often hard to know which one you’d prefer without a bit of testing.

What I love most about the Ilford presets is the next two sections: B&W Filter and Paper. For decades, photographers have been using colored filters to control contrast and mood in their black and white photos. The clever people at Mastin Labs allow you to consider these creative effects by three different filter options: red, green, and yellow.

Next up are three paper types that mimic the effect of the image printed in the darkroom on warm-tone, cool-tone, or neutral paper. I really love these choices; I have a lot of fun playing around with them!

Mastin Labs: Portra Pushed pack

I’m a big fan of the Mastin Labs Portra Original pack, which is ideal for giving clean, warm tones and glowing skin to portraits. With this in mind, I was more than a little intrigued by the Portra Pushed pack. I’d heard it gave a wonderfully dark and moody look to images, but would it meet my expectations?

Note: You may be wondering why this pack is called Portra “Pushed;” pushed is a borrowed term from film development. A roll of film generally has a recommended ISO (e.g., 400), and you typically match it with the ISO dial on your camera.

If you set the ISO on your camera to 800 despite an ISO 400 recommendation, however, you are underexposing the film by one stop, so you’d typically ask for the film to be pushed in development one stop. In other words, you’d ask the lab to develop the film for longer to make up for the underexposure. Why would you want to do this? There are a couple of different reasons, but one is that the process typically gives color film more contrast and saturation.

The Portra Pushed presets mimic this effect with intense, moodier colors and boosted saturation. The pack has a choice of three different film looks – Portra 160, Portra 400, and Portra 800 – and with each, you can apply the one-stop or two-stop push look.

This pack may not have the B&W filter and paper options of the Ilford pack, but it does include a tone profile, a toolkit with auto white balance and lens correction, and a choice of 35mm and 120 grain.

I was impressed by the clean and consistent look of the Portra Pushed presets. They gave a high-contrast, moodier look to images than the Portra presets and really brought out the earthy tones.

3. Julia & Gil

For the last seven years, Julia & Gil have been photographing people in love all over the world. Not only are they skilled photographers, but it’s clear they’ve learned a thing or two about editing photos along the way.

Julia & Gil offer three stunning sets of presets: wedding, portrait and mobile. I took the wedding and portrait presets for a spin in Lightroom and was impressed by what I saw.

The Wedding collection is designed to add soft colors and “a little magic” to wedding photos. Julia & Gil are fans of soft tones, creamy whites, beautiful skin tones, and natural colors, as you can see from the image below. The collection is perfect for all lighting situations.

Best Lightroom portrait presets Julia & Gil — Julia & Gil Wedding: *Classic*

The Portrait collection is made up of eight presets for couple and portrait shoots. They are billed as “the modern answer to creating that popular film look” and are designed to add soft colors to your photos. As you can see from the Cream preset below, this collection gives a soft, dreamy look which I really love.

Both preset packs offer a range of tools, including colors down, colors up, a range of options for grain, three different sets of tones, vignette tools, and several ways to warm up your images. In just a click or two, Julia & Gil presets give a wonderfully unique look!

4. @rwpho Portrait Lightroom presets

@rwpho Portrait Lightroom presets are brought to you by Filtergrade, an online marketplace offering a range of resources for photographers and videographers, including actions, presets, LUTs, overlays, and templates.

Created by photographer Reed Walchle, the @rwpho presets are focused on adding warm, complementary, orange and teal tones to your images while keeping natural-looking skin. The presets shift the overall palette toward complementary colors to make photos stand out, adding character and depth. They seem to work especially well on pictures where the subject is well lit compared to the background.

There’s only a handful of presets in this pack, but sometimes less is more. I really liked the tones of both the Joyce Warm and Elena Cupcakes presets. All in all, the presets were easy to apply and gave great results instantly.

5. Etchd Portrait presets

The next set of Lightroom portrait presets come from award-winning portrait, landscape, and travel photographer Matt Horspool, better known by his Instagram handle, @etchd.

Matt is incredibly well traveled, having backpacked across 48 countries on all seven continents. His images and articles have been published by National Geographic, Australian Photography Magazine, The Australian, and Olympus Passion.

Etchd Portrait Presets Volume 1 contains 15 timeless and beautifully refined presets that “soften and breathe life into your portraits.” The presets come with a detailed, 37-page, step-by-step installation and application guide. I really like the information in the second part of this guide – Matt gives you a detailed description of each preset, along with information on what to adjust in your images. For example, there are tips on suggested adjustments to the RGB tone curve, white balance, and split toning.

Many of the preset names are a nod to Matt’s travels: Roadtrip, USA, India, and the preset I used for the image below, Verona. The latter preset comes with two versions, and the one I’ve used has a built-in Radial Filter. (The guide also gives step-by-step instructions on how to apply Radial Filters to your portraits.)

6. dPS

Last but certainly not least are the comprehensive range of portrait presets by our very own Digital Photography School team. The dPS preset bundle consists of three packs, each containing 101 presets: 101 Lightroom Presets, 101 Landscape Lightroom Presets, and 101 Lightroom Portrait Presets.

dPS portrait presets — dPS Portrait Presets: *Art Series 50s*

For this article, I tried out some of the portrait presets created by Rachel Devine. These give you countless image-enhancing options, and included in the pack are the Art Series, Black and White, Film Series, Traditional Series, and a Touch-Up Kit featuring 37 brushes.

I really love the look of all the Art Series presets, but perhaps my favorite was Art Series 50s, which gave my images a classic vintage appearance. Another fantastic preset is Found, which has a beautiful, warm effect reminiscent of film stocks such as Kodak Gold.

What are the best Lightroom portrait presets in 2021?

The best portrait presets for Lightroom will differ from user to user. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which look and feel suits the images you take!

I love using all of the preset packs recommended above; they’re simple and give incredible results.

So which preset is your favorite? Tells us in the comments below.

Best Lightroom portrait presets: FAQs

Should I use Lightroom presets for my portraits?

Lightroom presets are a fantastic way to get a consistent look in your portrait photo shoots.

Which Lightroom presets should I buy for portraits?

That depends on your photographic style and your budget. Take a look at the images above and visit the websites featured to find the presets best suited for your images.

Are Lightroom presets easy to use?

Most of the presets featured here are very easy to use. You can transform images in one or two clicks.

Do professional photographers use presets?

Yes, many professional portrait and wedding photographers use off-the-shelf presets.

The post Best Lightroom Portrait Presets in 2021 (6 Gorgeous Picks) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Matt Murray.

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Litecoin Prognos 2021 Erfarenheter

21 Sep

Att välja Litecoin Prognos 2021 de bästa kryptosystem som finns på marknaden är en mycket viktig aspekt av handeln. Om du inte är medveten om detta kan det sluta med att du förlorar mycket pengar i det långa loppet. Om du vill göra mest vinst på kortast möjliga tid måste du göra din hemläxa väl. Här är några av de grunder som du bör känna till innan du väljer de bästa mynten att handla på marknaden med.

Litecoin Prognos 2021

En av de första sakerna du måste titta efter i de bästa valutorna som finns på marknaden är deras inflationsgrad. För att förstå detta måste du först förstå vad inflation är. Inflation är helt enkelt en ökning av priserna utan att varor och tjänster minskar. Till exempel är en enårig dollar värd mycket mer om några månader, eller hur? Så om du väljer att investera i de bästa råvarorna för det här århundradet vore det klokt att hålla utkik efter de valutor som enligt prognoserna kommer att uppleva den högsta inflationen under de kommande tio åren.

Ett annat grundläggande övervägande när det gäller att investera i de bästa valutorna är deras historik när det gäller handel och gruvdrift. Man kan inte bara välja vilket gammalt system som helst att investera i idag. Det finns hundratusentals valutor som handlas på marknaden och endast ett fåtal utvalda är lönsamma. Därför är det nödvändigt att du forskar väl om de olika systemen som finns tillgängliga för att veta vilket av de tillgängliga kryptosystemen som är det bästa att investera i.

Ett av de enklaste sätten att avgöra vilken av de bästa valutorna att investera i är genom att titta på den underliggande tillgångens egenskaper. Detta kallas tillgångens egenskaper och de är kända som Ripples. Låt oss ta en titt på två exempel på de bästa valutorna att investera i under det kommande decenniet. Den första typen av tillgång är aktier. Ett index som följer värdet av olika typer av företag kallas aktier. Så om vi tittar på de tio främsta valutorna som kommer att styra aktiemarknadens värde i framtiden är det troligt att dollarn kommer att fortsätta sin uppgång eftersom värdet på aktier i USA och Europa förväntas stiga.

Den andra typen av tillgångar är guld. Det finns en stor sannolikhet för att guldpriset kommer att stiga under det kommande decenniet. Om du håller på med handel och inte har teknisk kunskap om vilken av de bästa valutorna du ska investera i bör du prova de bästa kryptovalutorna som sannolikt kommer att öka i värde under detta årtionde. Bland de möjliga valutorna att investera i Litecoin Prognos 2021 finns euron, den japanska yenen, den australiska dollarn, schweiziska francen, den kanadensiska dollarn och det brittiska pundet. Var och en av dessa valutor har sina egna för- och nackdelar och du bör noggrant studera dem innan du investerar i dem.

Även om det är lätt att bli lockad av de dåliga nyheterna om att investera i kryptovalutor finns det ingen dålig investering när det gäller mynt. Anledningen till detta är att de flesta investerare som är nya i den här branschen slutar med att förlora sina pengar eftersom de inte har rätt kunskap om vilka av de bästa valutorna de ska investera i. Så när du letar efter de bästa valutorna att investera i är det viktigt att du blir bekant med alla dessa. Detta beror på att endast genom att bli en registrerad användare av en onlinehandelsplats kan du få tillgång till alla de bästa kryptovalutorna som finns tillgängliga i världen idag.

Det finns många fördelar som är förknippade med att investera i de bästa kryptokurvorna, bland annat det faktum att de handlas på den globala marknaden. Därför är det lätt att handla med de bästa valutorna och du kan också förvänta dig god avkastning. Att investera i de bästa valutorna kräver dock att du lär dig hur systemet fungerar, grunderna i ekonomi och företagsledning. Om du till exempel är en investerare som är ny på att investera på altcoin-marknaden, är det bättre om du får hjälp av professionella personer som experter och handlare.

Det finns många fördelar som du kan njuta av när du investerar i de bästa valutorna i världen. En av dessa är att när du väljer de bästa kryptosurferna kan du vara säker på att värdet på din investering alltid kommer att vara stabilt. Eftersom värdet på varje mynt varierar beroende på utbud och efterfrågan är det viktigt att du investerar i de bästa valutorna och sedan handlar med dem enligt dina behov. När värdet på en valuta fluktuerar kan du alltså enkelt sälja dina tillgångar och investera i de nya.

Det bästa sättet att investera i de bästa kryptosurfarna är att se till att du är välinformerad om de olika faktorer som påverkar värdet på ett visst mynt och du har också en expert som kan lära dig hur du väljer de bästa valutorna att investera i. När du vill göra vinster från handeln med den bästa kryptosurf bör du alltså se till att du utbildar dig om marknadens ekonomi och affärsmodeller. Här är nästa intressanta blogginlägg: Vilken app Bitcoin.

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Affinity Photo vs Luminar: Which Editor Is Best in 2021?

09 Sep

The post Affinity Photo vs Luminar: Which Editor Is Best in 2021? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dawn Gilfillan.

affinity photo vs luminar: which is best?

Are you struggling to choose between Affinity Photo vs Luminar 4? We’ve got you covered.

In this article, we’re going to take a careful look at these two programs and evaluate their features, prices, user friendliness, and more. So whether you’re looking to buy your first image editing program or you want to upgrade from different software, you’ll leave knowing which of these programs is the better buy.

Let’s jump right in, starting with a quick overview:

Affinity Photo vs Luminar: overview

Both Affinity Photo and Luminar 4 offer a lot of functionality for the price. Interestingly, many of their features are worlds apart, though the programs do offer RAW support and conversion for photographers working with RAW files.

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo’s goal? To be Photoshop on a budget. The program offers plenty of advanced features and tools (like channel mixing, liquify, and masking options) for fine-tuning and high-level image retouching. Affinity Photo also caters to graphic designers, thanks to its array of text tools and other design-centric features.

(In fact, if you’ve ever used Photoshop, Affinity Photo will certainly look familiar!)

Pros

A huge array of tools and adjustment features
Batch processing
RAW support
90-day free trial
Focus stacking, panoramas, HDR, and astrophotography tools
Print and canvas options

Cons

No image management or organization features
Beginners may struggle to make sense of the layout
Not many presets, overlays, or LUTs available inside the software; here, the internet is your best bet

Luminar 4

Luminar 4 takes a different approach to image editing. While it offers some similar features, such as layers and blending modes, it’s based around creative enhancements using Luminar Looks (Skylum’s version of presets), LUTs, and AI editing tools.

Unlike Affinity Photo, Luminar packs a photo organization panel. It’s very user friendly and easy for beginners. However, more experienced image editors and retouchers will miss a lot of advanced tools, such as in-depth compositing options, text tools, channel mixers, and LAB color.

Pros

Image library and organization
Very easy to use
Lots of built-in presets (Luminar Looks) and LUTs
Creative editing options (AI Sky Replacement, Sunrays, texture overlays, etc.)
RAW support
Integration with SmugMug, 500px, and more
Batch processing

Cons

Not many advanced editing tools, and some (like Dodge & Burn) are not the most accurate for detailed retouching work
No text or graphics tools

Layout and ease of use

Which has the better interface and ease of use, Affinity Photo or Luminar? Let’s take a closer look:

Luminar 4

The home screen in Luminar is well-designed. Although there is a lot crammed into the space, it isn’t overwhelming. Hover your mouse over an icon to learn what it is, and click to view the workspaces (which are organized into different categories: Essentials, Creative, Portrait, and Professional).

The Luminar Looks presets show up as a film strip along the bottom of the screen, so you can see from the thumbnails how a preset will look before applying it. You will also find different categories of Looks, including Aerial, Portrait, Landscape, and Dramatic. A handy button on the top menu bar lets you see the Before/After split screen, and I find this really useful for determining whether I’ve gone too far with my edits.

There are plenty of tutorials available for Luminar 4 beginners, and the welcome screen gives you a quick run-through on importing images when you open the program for the first time.

Affinity Photo

As mentioned earlier, Affinity seems to have emulated Photoshop’s layout, which is fine if you’re already used to the Photoshop-style interface, as you’ll have an idea where each tool is and what it does. If you’re a beginner, though, it’s a bit of a steeper learning curve compared to Luminar.

Instead of workspaces, Affinity Photo uses something called Personas. There’s one for Photo, Liquify, Develop, Tone Mapping, and Export. Click on your chosen Persona to see the tools you’ll need for the job; for instance, in Develop, the huge plethora of tools down the left-hand side of the screen are replaced by a few editing essentials, perfect for getting basic editing processes out of the way.

You won’t find many presets in Affinity Photo, but you will find tools like Mesh Warp, Pen, Rectangular Marquee, and Clone Stamp. There’s only a limited range of built-in LUTs, but you can always find more on the internet. Plus, Affinity Photo offers every kind of advanced editing/retouching/graphic design tool you can imagine, as well as printing options.

Editing tools

Which program offers superior editing capabilities? It’s a close call.

Luminar 4

Luminar 4 utilizes AI technology for some of its editing tools, including AI Sky Replacement and AI Augmented Sky. With Luminar, it’s all about getting your editing done quickly and with minimum fuss, and the AI tools work okay, but I still have some reservations. At full strength, they often look a bit too strong, though you can always adjust the strength slider for a more natural look.

I’m impressed by the AI Sky Replacement (and had a lot of fun playing around with this!), plus there’s a huge range of skies to choose from, including sunsets, starry skies, and bright blue skies. I used a landscape shot of the beach and sea to test the sky enhancement functions, though you should be careful when applying AI Sky Replacement to images with objects along the horizon.

Interestingly, the Luminar workspaces cater to different types of photographers. In the Essentials workspace, you’ll find all the basic (essential!) adjustment tools like Exposure, Highlights, Shadows, Smart Contrast, Denoise, and Saturation. There are also more advanced tools, including Details Enhancer, Vignette, and B&W Conversion.

The Creative workspace is where you’ll find all the fun special effects, including Glow, Fog, Sunrays, and AI Sky Replacement. The Portrait workspace has tools for enhancing eyes and whitening teeth, while the Professional workspace offers tools like Split Toning, Advanced Contrast, and Adjustable Gradient.

One of the big things missing from Luminar 4 is a set of selection tools, but unless you specifically need these, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.

Affinity Photo

Affinity Photo has a panel titled Adjustment, which includes basic enhancements such as Brightness, Levels, White Balance, and Contrast, along with advanced tools like Split Toning, Channel Mixer, LUT, and Threshold. Like Luminar 4, you can preview different editing effects before actually applying them.

Plus, you can easily combine adjustments and effects. Affinity Photo treats every adjustment as a layer, allowing you to control the opacity and blend modes for more creative control. One of the cool features offered in Affinity Photo – and absent from Luminar 4 – is the Tone Mapping tool. This creates an HDR image, which opens in a new window with a range of tone-mapped styles to choose from, including Natural, Detailed, and Dramatic.

Finally, the Develop Persona is used for RAW file editing, and it features tools such as Lens Corrections, Noise Reduction, and Chromatic Aberration Reduction.

Also note that exporting is easy with Affinity Photo. You get a big range of options to choose from:

Bottom line: Affinity is bursting with tools for the advanced image editor. Some elements are even as good as Photoshop but at a significantly cheaper price. No, it’s not an editor I would recommend for a beginner, but it will probably suit those looking for more than automatic adjustments and a slew of presets.

Speed and performance

The power of your computer and graphics card make a big difference when using photo and video editing software. Both Affinity Photo and Luminar 4 are processor-intensive programs, so make sure you have enough memory available before hitting the download button.

I use a Windows 10 laptop that is more than capable of running both programs at once, but I trialed each program separately to see how well they performed. Luminar froze on occasion, but was faster to load images and adjustments than Affinity Photo. Affinity froze on me several times, and I did get the dreaded “Program not responding” message, but it was simply a case of waiting for a few moments before it started working smoothly again.

Price

When Adobe changed Photoshop and Lightroom over to subscription-only models, they annoyed a lot of photographers. In response, many software developers created their own one-time-license programs – including the makers of Affinity Photo and Luminar.

Both programs can be bought for a one-off price. Affinity costs just $ 54.99 USD (great value for the money, in my view). And you can install Affinity on up to two computers for individual commercial use, or up to five computers for home non-commercial use. Bear in mind that, if you have both Mac and Windows devices, you’ll have to buy a separate license for each operating system.

Luminar starts at $ 79 USD and can be installed on up to two computers (depending on the version you get). A single license can be used on a mixture of operating systems, so if you have both Mac and Windows computers, you’ll appreciate this extra convenience.

Affinity Photo vs Luminar: Which program is right for you?

Both Affinity Photo and Luminar 4 are worth considering. However, you must determine what’s important to you before buying.

For instance, if you like quick, easy fixes, presets, image organization, and a whole workflow from start to finish, then Luminar 4 may suit you best. It’s easy to save your own custom presets for use on multiple images, too (which is a big time-saver if you need to apply the same style and color to shot after shot). Luminar 4 is a lot of fun to use, and it’s also beginner friendly.

If you need to do deeper, more detailed edits or retouching, Affinity Photo is the better option. It’s also good for unique, creative images, thanks to tools such as liquefy, painting, drawing, and text. Landscape photographers, food photographers, and macro photographers will like the focus stacking features, too. It’s also excellent value for money, and you can start with a 90-day free trial, too.

Ultimately, there’s no outright winner, as each program will suit different types of photographers. But hopefully we’ve made your decision easier!

The post Affinity Photo vs Luminar: Which Editor Is Best in 2021? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Dawn Gilfillan.

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Bitcoin upp eller ner 2021 Erfarenheter

06 Sep

Att välja Bitcoin upp eller ner 2021 de bästa kryptosystem som finns på marknaden är en mycket viktig aspekt av handeln. Om du inte är medveten om detta kan det sluta med att du förlorar mycket pengar i det långa loppet. Om du vill göra mest vinst på kortast möjliga tid måste du göra din hemläxa väl. Här är några av de grunder som du bör känna till innan du väljer de bästa mynten att handla på marknaden med.

Bitcoin upp eller ner 2021

Den andra typen av tillgångar är guld. Det finns en stor sannolikhet för att guldpriset kommer att stiga under det kommande decenniet. Om du håller på med handel och inte har teknisk kunskap om vilken av de bästa valutorna du ska investera i bör du prova de bästa kryptovalutorna som sannolikt kommer att öka i värde under detta årtionde. Bland de möjliga valutorna att investera i Bitcoin upp eller ner 2021 finns euron, den japanska yenen, den australiska dollarn, schweiziska francen, den kanadensiska dollarn och det brittiska pundet. Var och en av dessa valutor har sina egna för- och nackdelar och du bör noggrant studera dem innan du investerar i dem.

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13 Best Cinematic Lightroom Presets (in 2021)

02 Sep

The post 13 Best Cinematic Lightroom Presets (in 2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Are you looking for the best cinematic Lightroom presets on the market today? In this article, you’ll find a roundup of my favorite presets, all offering gorgeous cinematic edits.

Some of these picks are very specific, emulating the cinematic style of a well-known director; others are more generic and are designed for a wide range of photographic needs.

I’ve also included a handful of free options, and even the paid presets sometimes come with freebies – so no matter your budget, there’s a preset pack here for you.

Let’s get started.

1. Cinematic Lightroom Presets (by Northlandscapes)

This 15-preset pack will help you create cinematic and moody landscapes using different color schemes, from neon carrot to steel grey. Jan Erik Waider used Blade Runner 2049 as a major point of inspiration to develop this bundle, which is why these presets work great for a dystopian look.

Unfortunately, the Cinematic Lightroom Presets pack won’t work with older versions of the program. You’ll need Lightroom Classic v.10, LR v.4, or ACR for Photoshop v.13 or higher. For smartphone editors, note that you can download and install the presets on your computer, then sync them with Lightroom Mobile on your phone.

2. Cyberpunk 2.0

Want to give your images an urban and futuristic atmosphere? Cyberpunk 2.0 is the way to go. With these presets’ saturated blues and magentas, you can turn any city night scene into a sci-fi movie.

You do have the option to purchase the Artistic Collection, which includes Cyberpunk 2.0 plus several other preset bundles; that way, you’ll get a better price than buying each pack individually.

Of course, while Cyberpunk 2.0 may have been developed for city scenes with neon lights, you can achieve some very interesting results by experimenting with non-urban shots. The presets are compatible with Lightroom 3.0 or higher and can be used on RAW files as well as PSDs, TIFFs, and JPEGs.

3. Cinematic Lightroom Presets (by Artorius)

From Historic/Action Drama and Fantasy/Dreamy to War Movie and 60’s Western, this Cinematic Lightroom Presets bundle comes with 10 premium presets to fit many styles.

The presets are compatible with Lightroom 4.1 or higher. Note that you can apply the presets to RAW or JPEG images, which is perfect for beginners aiming to create a variety of styles with a single click.

4. Stranger Things Cinematic Preset

Yes, it’s just a single preset, but if you’re a fan of the TV series Stranger Things, you’re going to love this one, plus – bonus! – it’s free. For those of you who are not familiar with the series, don’t worry; suffice it to say that the Stranger Things Cinematic Preset will give you a very cool 80s look for your photos.

Also, if you’re more of a hands-on type of person, you can watch the tutorial and learn how to achieve this look step by step. Otherwise, you can grab this preset for free, though you will need to opt-in to a mailing list with your name and email. You’ll receive the preset as a freebie (and you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time).

5. BZ Cinematic Presets

Visual artist Brian Zuckerman has made films and videos for music bands and weddings – and drawing on these experiences, he created a collection of Lightroom presets that’s sold in two volumes.

Volume I includes 10 presets, ranging from Surreal, Nightmare, and Dream to Harmonize and Golden Seconds.

Volume II includes 11 presets, featuring Hollow, Romance Novel, and more.

All in all, you’ll get plenty of moods to play with, and you should have no problem finding the style that fits your photos.

6. Looks Like Film Presets

These two Looks Like Film freebies were developed with Meridian, a brand that sells quality Lightroom presets for every need. As you can see from the examples above, the presets are warm, earthy, and pretty darn stunning, perfect for any cinematic editor’s kit.

As with most freebies out there, you will need to subscribe to a newsletter for access. However, you can unsubscribe at any time, and the newsletter is mostly designed to direct you to their shop so you can familiarize yourself with products designed by talented artists.

7. Movie Effect

Here’s another free Lightroom preset, this one inspired by the big screen. Note: If you like Movie Effect and you’re interested in more of these presets, you can always purchase the complete Movie Effect Lightroom Presets pack designed by Creativetacos.

The Movie Effect bundle includes 11 LR template files, 1 Camera Raw Photoshop Action, 11 DNG files, and 11 Camera Raw XMP files. This means that you can use them as Lightroom presets or Photoshop actions depending on your preferred workflow.

Each preset is editable, so you can always use these as a starting point, but then adjust the look for a more personalized result.

8. Hong Kong Retro Movie Style Presets

Inspired by the works of Wong Kar-wai and Hong Kong’s 80s movies, the Hong Kong Retro Movie Style preset pack will give your images a warm retro look.

The pack includes 8 files compatible with Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic, 8 DNG files to use in Lightroom Mobile, and 8 files for Photoshop and Camera Raw. It doesn’t matter which program you choose or how you like to edit; these presets will work anywhere, any time!

9. Cinematic Vibes

JJFarquitectos designed the Cinematic Vibes Presets, drawing inspiration from a range of styles; as such, these presets should work on landscapes, urban travel, lifestyle images, and more.

The pack has 72 presets for Lightroom and Photoshop, and while the bundle is paid, you can grab the Cinematic Vibes 01 Preset for free. If you like it, find it’s compatible with your software, etc., then you can purchase the whole bundle.

10. Free Cinematic Lightroom Presets

Usually, free Lightroom presets are single products that invite you to buy a bigger bundle. But in this case, the freebie includes 10 cinematic presets, perfect for any photographer after a cinematic look on a budget.

The Free Cinematic Lightroom Presets are compatible with all Lightroom versions and can be used with Lightroom Mobile, too. Each preset is a one-click solution, though you can always use them as a starting point to further personalize the final look.

11. Wes-Anderson-Inspired Lightroom Presets

Wes Anderson is famous for his use of color, and this Lightroom preset bundle takes inspiration from his movies to give your photos a quirky retro look with an amazing color palette.

Presets inspired by The Royal Tenenbaums pump up the yellows and oranges, while The Grand Budapest Hotel presets are more pastel. In total, you’ll get 30 presets that you can customize to fit your images.

As the developer says, “Don’t forget your flat, symmetrical composition for full-on Wes style!”

12. Super 8 Lightroom Mobile Presets

Instead of emulating a big cinematic production, why not go for a home movie look? That’s what the Super 8 Lightroom Preset pack is all about, which mimics the classic Super 8 movie film format.

(Of course, the Super 8 format has been used for professional filming, too, but it’s traditionally known for the revolution it created in amateur films.)

Note: The five presets are designed for Lightroom Mobile. And the creator does often organizes special sales, so you can buy three bundles and pay for two (generally speaking, the more you buy, the more you save!). Just something to consider if you like their work.

13. Mobile Lightroom Premium Presets

As you may know, Lightroom Mobile has a limited free version, and it also has a full version that you can access with a Lightroom subscription.

But did you also know that the full Lightroom Mobile, aside from giving you access to the entire suite of Lightroom tools, also includes a library of premium presets? These include Adobe’s Cinematic collection with 10 different looks.

You can purchase a Lightroom subscription starting at $ 9.99 USD per month, and there’s a 7-day free trial plus a 14-day cancellation period if you’re not satisfied.

How to choose the perfect cinematic preset pack

As you can see, the term “cinematic” covers a huge variety of styles, so to really find what you’re looking for, you need to be more specific.

Here’s my recommendation: Start by defining what type of film you have in mind. This can be a specific genre like horror or indie. Another approach could be to choose a country or a time frame – for example, the Hollywood movies from the 80s or French cinema from the 30s.

Finally, if you have something particular in mind, don’t hesitate to look for it by the director’s name or even the name of the movie. As you can see from the suggestions above, some developers work on presets for a very specific niche.

An important thing to keep in mind is that presets modify the existing information from your original photo. So the effect will look different on each image, and it won’t necessarily end up like the developer’s examples. When possible, choose a preset that starts out with images that are similar to yours in light and color.

The best cinematic Lightroom presets: final words

I hope you enjoyed my selection of the best cinematic Lightroom presets. I tried to cover a wide range of styles so that all of you could find at least one or two options that fit your needs.

So grab a preset collection and start creating some stunning cinematic edits!

Now over to you:

Do you have any favorite cinematic presets that didn’t make the list? Share them in the comments below!

The post 13 Best Cinematic Lightroom Presets (in 2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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How to Use the Canon Camera Connect App (in 2021)

30 Aug

The post How to Use the Canon Camera Connect App (in 2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

In this article, I’m going to share everything you need to know about using the Canon Camera Connect app, including:

How to connect your camera to the app
The ins and outs of the app interface
What the app can do for you as a photographer

So if you’re struggling to get your camera connected to the app, or you simply want to know how you can use the app to revolutionize your photography, then you’ve come to the right place.

Let’s jump right in.

Canon Camera Connect is a free app available for download on Android and iOS devices. To get started, head to the Play Store or the App Store and hit Install.

The app is compatible with a broad range of Canon digital cameras, including:

Over a dozen Canon PowerShot models
Plenty of Canon DSLRs, including the 5D Mark IV, the 6D Mark II, and the Rebel SL3
Canon’s mirrorless lineup, including the EOS RP, the EOS R, the EOS R5, and the EOS R6

If you’re not sure whether your camera is compatible with the Canon Camera Connect app, you can check the full compatibility specs here, though bear in mind that the compatibility list hasn’t been updated to include Canon’s latest camera models. Alternatively, you can download the app and search for your camera:

Step 2: Connect your camera to the app

The specifics of this step will vary depending on your camera model. Fortunately, the Canon Camera Connect app offers startup instructions that take into account these variations.

In the app, select Easy Connection Guide:

Then hit Connect another camera/camcorder:

picking your camera in the Canon Camera Connect app

Next, search for your camera model:

Depending on your camera’s capabilities, you may have the option to connect via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC. Canon recommends Bluetooth for the best connection, but any of the three options should work.

Finally, head through the setup instructions.

By the time you’ve finished, your camera should be paired with the app and ready to go.

follow the instructions to connect your camera

Step 3: Explore the interface of the Canon Camera Connect App

After you have successfully connected your phone to your camera, head back to the app home page. The menu is minimal and pretty straightforward.

While the app offers several functions – including the ability to automatically download photos from your camera to your phone – you’ll generally stick to the top two options:

Images on camera
Remote live view shooting

Let’s take a look at each of these items in turn:

Images on camera

viewing images on your camera via the app

Selecting Images on camera will show you a gallery of all the images on your connected camera (i.e., on the camera’s memory card), sorted by the date they were taken.

To open an image, simply tap it with your finger. You’ll see it displayed large.

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll find several useful options, including Info (which lets you view camera settings for the file), Rating (which lets you give your file a rating between one and five stars), Import (which lets you download the file to your phone), and Delete (in case you want to erase the image from your camera on the spot).

Remote live view shooting

Selecting Remote live view shooting will give you a live camera feed on your phone. Hit the big circle at the bottom of the screen to fire the camera shutter.

You can make adjustments to settings, too; for instance, from your phone, you can change the point of focus, the shutter speed, the aperture, the ISO, the white balance, the AF area mode, and more.

When to use the app for amazing results

Now that you’re familiar with the Canon Camera Connect app basics, let’s discuss some common situations where the app can help your photography, starting with:

1. Photographing landscapes without a dedicated remote trigger

When shooting landscapes, it’s best to avoid using the shutter button to take photos. After all, most landscape photography occurs at slow shutter speeds, where the action of pressing the shutter button can introduce unwanted blur.

So what do you do?

Well, most landscape shooters rely on one of two options: They either carry a remote trigger, or they use the camera self-timer.

Unfortunately, both these methods come with significant drawbacks. It’s easy to forget a remote trigger at home, plus it requires batteries of its own, and it introduces yet another element of uncertainty into a camera setup. And the camera self-timer fails when you’re trying to photograph moving objects, such as a wave coming in on the beach; thanks to the delay, you rarely end up with the result you envision.

Enter the Canon Camera Connect app, which lets you fire your camera remotely, straight from your phone. You don’t need to carry anything extra (except for a smartphone, of course, but these days, who doesn’t?). And you don’t have to worry about self-timer delays.

2. Photographing from odd angles

If you’re the type of photographer who shoots from down low, up high, or any other uncomfortable positions, you’re going to love the Camera Connect app.

Simply turn on the remote live view shooting option, then position your camera without hurting your neck or scraping your elbows.

Preview the composition and exposure through your smartphone feed, then take your photo.

3. Doing street photography from the hip

In street photography, the goal often is to shoot without being noticed by your subject.

This has led street photographers to develop various techniques for shooting inconspicuously, including shooting from the hip, which involves blindly firing your camera without looking through the viewfinder.

Unfortunately, shooting from the hip, while discreet, results in very few keepers – unless you preview images through the Camera Connect app first.

In other words:

Set up your shots the way you normally would, with your camera held below eye level. But hold your phone in one hand and surreptitiously check the remote feed for framing information. That way, you can ensure your compositions look good before firing the shutter button, and your keeper rate will immediately skyrocket.

Make sense?

4. Product photography from a distance

If you like to shoot products (or any still life subjects, really) with studio lighting, you probably spend a lot of time walking to your lights, then back to your camera, then back to the lights, and back to your camera, and so on.

It may not seem like a lot, and if you’re just starting out, it probably isn’t. But over time, moving back and forth between camera and lights can become frustrating, and you’ll wish you had some way to simplify the process – such as the Canon Camera Connect app.

With the app, you can preview images and fire off test shots while standing next to your lights, then simply reach over and make adjustments to your light settings without needing to journey to your camera and back.

How to use the Canon Camera Connect app: final words

Well, there you have it:

How (and why) to use the Canon Camera Connect app. Hopefully, you can now confidently connect your camera to the app – and use it to improve your photography workflow!

The post How to Use the Canon Camera Connect App (in 2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.

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ASUS Zephyrus G14 (2021) Review: The M1 MacBook Pro killer

29 Aug

The ASUS Zephyrus G14 is a new breed of powerful, portable laptop made possible by the latest AMD Ryzen CPUs.

All product photography by DL Cade.

When it comes to lightweight laptops for creatives, Apple pretty much cornered the market with the release of the M1 MacBook Air and M1 MacBook Pro. The price-to-performance of these laptops is better than anything we’ve seen from Cupertino in a long time, and the Apple Silicon M1 punches well above its weight given its ‘entry-level’ designation.

But what if you’re not a Mac fan? What if 16GB of unified memory isn’t enough? And what if you want more graphics power than the maxed out 8-core GPU variant of the Apple Silicon M1 can deliver? Is there a PC out there that offers all of these things without sacrificing the portability and efficiency of laptops like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro?

There is, and that PC is the ASUS Zephyrus G14: a small, lightweight ‘gaming laptop’ that features a powerful-but-efficient AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS, 32GB of RAM, a WQHD/2K display with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and an NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of VRAM. All of it packed inside of a 14-inch laptop chassis that’s only a tiny bit thicker, and no larger, than your typical 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Jump to:

Design, build and usability | Performance benchmarks | Performance takeaways | Conclusion

Key specifications:

The 2021 ASUS Zephyrus G14 that we’re testing is the more expensive of the two main variants available in the US. Both options come with the same AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS processor and NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU (60W, 80W boost), but our model is equipped with 32GB of RAM and a WQHD display that claims 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut, while the more affordable model comes with only 16GB of RAM and a Full HD display that can only manage 100% of sRGB.

	Zephyrus G14 – FHD	Zephyrus G14 – QHD
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
GPU	NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB VRAM	NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB VRAM
RAM	16GB DDR4-3200MHz	32GB DDR4-3200MHz
Storage	1TB NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe 3.0	1TB NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe 3.0
Display	14-inch 144Hz FHD 100% sRGB	14-inch 120Hz WQHD 100% DCI-P3
Price	$ 1,450	$ 2,000

Note that the RAM in the Full HD version is user-upgradable, but for creatives, we would still recommend the more expensive option simply because of the color-accurate display. The extra pixels aren’t totally necessary at this screen size, but we’ve found that many high-refresh-rate displays used in gaming laptops slightly under-perform their spec sheet when it comes to gamut coverage, so it’s always good to have some cushion above and beyond 100% sRGB.

If you’re going to be doing creative work, the extra $ 550 for the top-tier model is worth the additional RAM, resolution and color accuracy.

Design, build and usability

For photo and video editors, the ASUS Zephyrus G14’s WQHD display delivers up to 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

The Zephyrus G14’s design is gamer-y, but not over the top. There’s no ostentatious RGB accents or glowing logos, and while the overall shape of the laptop features a few sharp angles, there isn’t even an RGB backlight on the keyboard – just a standard white light. The chassis is available in a ‘Moonlight White’ or ‘Eclipse Gray’ and, when closed, the only hint that this is an ASUS computer comes from the Republic of Gamers (ROG) logo stamped on a pearlescent metal plate that’s embedded in the lid.

Speaking of the lid, the most ostentatious and unique design element of the ASUS G14 is the so-called ‘AniMe Matrix’ lighting effect that covers a little more than half of the laptop’s lid on a diagonal.

The Zephyrus G14’s design is gamer-y, but not over the top.

Made up of mini-LEDs hidden behind a matrix of little dots, the matrix can be customized in ASUS’ Armoury Crate software to show any number of preset animations, display a static image, or loop through a custom set of images or GIFs that you upload yourself. For this review, I obviously couldn’t resist popping the DPR logo onto the back.

The so-called ‘AniMe Matrix’ on the G14’s lid can be customized to display a customized image or animation.

Unfortunately, that little bit of showing off is about all it’s good for. After taking the picture above, I turned it off and kept it off to avoid any additional battery drain, and the only purpose the little dots served from that point onward was the collection of dust and other particles that are practically impossible to remove once they’ve become embedded.

It is, in my opinion, the only thing on this laptop that is 100% gimmick and 0% function, and I kind of wish ASUS had left it off. Even the cheaper model, which won’t allow you to customize the AniMe Matrix, still comes with these little holes, they’re just set to display a static ‘holographic’ effect.

Moving back to the front of the computer, both the keyboard and trackpad qualify as good-but-not-great in my book. The keyboard features a little bit more travel and ‘mush’ than I’m used to from most low-profile laptop keyboards these days, but your preferences may vary, while the trackpad is sufficiently smooth and responsive, but a little bit undersized.

The Zephyrus G14’s trackpad is smooth and responsive, but smaller than most competitors.

Compare this to the massive glass-topped trackpads favored by Apple, Microsoft, Dell and Razer, and you’ll see what I mean. By pushing the keyboard down to make room for the audio controls, ROG button and power button/fingerprint reader, the trackpad has been squeezed to just 2.5 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide.

It’s precise, with a nice springboard click that’s usable from about halfway down the trackpad, but I wish it were a little bit taller.

In terms of ports, the Zephyrus G14 comes equipped with an HDMI, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack and standard barrel connector for power. One of those USB Type-C ports can also carry a DisplayPort 1.4 signal and charge your device if you leave the included 180W power brick at home, and both can transfer data at USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds (10Gbps), but neither supports Thunderbolt’s faster 40Gbps transfer rate because of the AMD processor.

The trackpad is precise, with a nice springboard click that’s usable from about halfway down the trackpad, but I wish it were a little bit taller.

In terms of ports, the Zephyrus G14 comes equipped with an HDMI, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, a headphone jack and standard barrel connector for power.

Thunderbolt is an Intel creation, and until it fully merges with the CPU-agnostic USB 4.0 standard and AMD releases Ryzen 6000 sometime in 2022, you won’t find any AMD Ryzen laptops that also feature Thunderbolt support.

Everything so far makes this a good gaming PC but not particularly special for photo and video work. That’s where the display comes in.

Following a trend we’ve seen from other gaming laptops, ASUS offers the Zephyrus G14 (and the bigger G15) with a couple of different display options. There’s an ultra-fast 144Hz Full HD display that can only hit 100% sRGB or a slightly slower 120Hz WQHD option that is ‘Pantone validated’ and claims 100% coverage of DCI-P3.

In my testing, it didn’t quite live up to that claim, managing only 95.3% coverage of DCI-P3 and 80.0% of AdobeRGB, but it did so at a respectable Delta E 2000 of less than 2. Other reviewers have profiled this display at up to 98% DCI-P3, but to my knowledge, nobody has seen it hit the advertised 100%.

In other words: the display is accurate enough for proper photo and video editing on the go, but I would not rely on it as my only screen. When it’s time for serious color grading, use the USB-C/DisplayPort to connect a larger, color-accurate 4K monitor, especially if you’re planning to print your work.

Finally, there are two more things left to mention – one positive and one negative.

The positive is battery life, which is excellent. AMD’s Zen 3 processors are already very power efficient, and ASUS is taking full advantage of that fact by putting a large 76Wh battery inside of the G14. For normal writing, research, and video consumption in ‘Silent’ mode, I could easily get 8+ hours of use out of this laptop. In ‘Performance’ mode while doing serious photo or video editing on battery, that drops to about 2 hours, but that’s to be expected given the NVIDIA 3060 GPU is pulling 60W all on its own.

The Zephyrus G14’s QHD display is color-accurate enough for proper photo and video editing on the go, but I would not rely on it as my only screen.

The negative is the total lack of webcam on this computer. While the Zephyrus G14 does have a built-in microphone array embedded in the top bezel, it does not have a webcam. None at all. Not even the crappy 720p option that’s included in most laptops today.

With so many photo and video professionals communicating with their clients over Zoom as much (if not more) than in-person, this is a huge miss. I suppose the idea is that gamers who stream will use a nicer camera anyway, and those who don’t won’t care about a webcam, but it’s a glaring omission that has the potential to really annoy you day-in and day-out.

Tehre is no webcam on the ASUS Zephyrus G14 – a frustrating omission given the increased popularity of video conferencing.

Overall, I quite like the design and build quality of the Zephyrus G14. Sure, I tend to prefer the rigid CNC-milled aluminum unibody designs favored by companies like Razer and Apple, but I never felt like I was dealing with a flimsy laptop and the design aesthetic is clean enough to use for both business and fun… assuming you turn off the AniMe Matrix.

For creative professionals, you can go in knowing that the I/O is solid, the trackpad is good (if a little bit small), and the screen is sufficiently color accurate so that you can get your work done on the go. If you can live without Thunderbolt and a webcam, the G14 checks just about every other ‘ultra-portable’ box, without sacrificing performance.

Speaking of which…

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Performance benchmarks

Despite its small size, the Zephyrus G14 is one of the fastest photo and video editing laptops on the market.

What really makes the ASUS Zephyrus G14 special is just how powerful it is given its size and weight. This is down to the magic of the AMD Ryzen processor inside, which is built on AMD’s Zen 3 architecture and practically sips wattage compared to most of Intel’s chips.

This is why ASUS chose AMD for this 14-inch laptop, why Razer chose AMD for their 14-inch Blade, and why we expect to see Ryzen PCs and M1 Macs practically take over the ‘powerful-but-portable’ category for at least the next year or two. Intel’s latest 11th-geneneration H-series laptop CPUs are more efficient than 10th-gen, but they still soak up a lot more wattage to generate those results.

For this round of performance benchmarks, we tested the M1 Mac mini, an Intel-based 13-inch MacBook Pro, the AMD Ryzen-based Razer Blade 14 and the ASUS Zephyrus G14. Full specs below:

	Zephyrus G14	13-inch MBP	M1 Mac mini	Blade 14
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS	Intel Core i7-1068NG7	Apple Silicon M1 8-core	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
GPU	NVIDIA RTX 3060 6GB VRAM	Intel Iris Plus Graphics	Apple Silicon M1 8-core	NVIDIA RTX 3070 8GB VRAM
RAM	32GB DDR4 3200MHz	32GB LPDDR4X 3733MHz	16GB Unified Memory	16GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage	1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD	4TB NVMe SSD	2TB NVMe SSD	1TB NVMe M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD
Display	14-inch 120Hz WQHD IPS LCD 100% DCI-P3	13-inch Retina Display 100% Display P3	N/A	14-inch 165Hz QHD IPS LCD 100% DCI-P3
Price	$ 2,000	$ 3,600	$ 1,700	$ 2,200
Price w/ 1TB of Storage	$ 2,000	$ 2,600	$ 1,300	$ 2,200

Unfortunately we did not have an M1 MacBook Pro on hand to do a side-by-side comparison, but the internals of the M1 Mac mini and the internals of the M1 MacBook Pro are identical, so the results should be interchangeable. As usual, we tested Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Capture One 21 using the suite of tests described here.

All tests were run a minimum of three times in a row, with the laptops plugged in, fully charged, and set to their maximum Turbo/Performance settings.

Lightroom Classic

Import and preview generation in Lightroom Classic is based entirely on CPU performance, RAM amount and RAM speed. Each of these machines has a different combination of these factors, and the ASUS Zephyrus G14 and M1 Mac mini end up trading blows at the top of the import table thanks to the stellar performance of their respective CPUs and the Mac’s fast unified memory architecture.

Despite having an ever-so-slightly more powerful CPU than the ASUS, the Razer Blade 14 falls to last place because of its 16GB RAM limitation, while the Intel-based MacBook Pro sits somewhere in the middle of the pack.

	Canon EOS R6 Import	Nikon Z7 II Import	Sony a7R IV Import	Fuji GFX 100 Import
ASUS G14	1:38	2:59	3:30	7:35
Blade 14	2:07	4:16	4:58	12:30
M1 Mac mini	1:44	2:54	3:03	8:51
MacBook Pro	2:22	3:42	4:02	10:12

It’s a similar story when we try exporting heavily edited 100% JPEGs, but now that there are more pixels to move around, the ASUS G14 wins every single category.

As resolution increases and file sizes get larger, the Blade 14 and M1 Mac mini fall way behind the rest of the pack, held back by the maximum 16GB of RAM available to them. By the time we get to the 100MP Fuji GFX 100 files, the ASUS G14 is more than 15 minutes faster than both the M1 Mac mini and the Blade 14, but only about 3 minutes faster than the two-year-old MacBook Pro.

These results show you just how RAM dependent Lightroom Classic exporting really is. The more RAM, and the faster your RAM, the better your performance… even if you’re running an older processor and no discrete GPU:

	Canon EOS R6 Export	Nikon Z7 II Export	Sony a7R IV Export	Fuji GFX 100 Export
ASUS G14	3:58	8:55	11:41	23:40
Blade 14	5:30	14:40	20:46	40:02
M1 Mac mini	4:06	9:21	15:04	38:44
MacBook Pro	5:55	12:01	15:35	26:46

Capture One 21

Capture One 21 is a whole different animal. As we showed in our recent head-to-head comparison between Capture One and Lightroom Classic, C1 is less dependent on RAM speed and better optimized to take advantage of powerful GPUs through hardware acceleration.

At import, CPU performance is still the most important factor, and the ASUS G14, Blade 14, and M1 Mac mini are within spitting distance of each other, while the MacBook Pro and its weaker 10th-gen Intel processor falls further and further behind as file sizes increase.

	Canon EOS R6 Import	Nikon Z7 II Import	Sony a7R IV Import	Fuji GFX 100 Import
ASUS G14	00:40	00:59	1:12	1:50
Blade 14	00:40	00:59	1:14	1:50
M1 Mac mini	00:45	00:53	1:00	1:22
MacBook Pro	00:47	1:42	2:12	3:12

At export, the Zephyrus G14 uses its combination of a fast CPU, fast GPU, and 32GB of RAM to (once again) sweep every single category. None of the other computers could keep up.

The Razer Blade 14 only fell a little bit behind the ASUS, but by the time we get to the largest files the M1 Mac mini is more than 10 minutes slower than the Zephyrus G14, and the Intel-based MacBook Pro was another 10 minutes slower than that – a full 20 minutes and 45 seconds slower than the ASUS G14.

If you own an Intel-based 13-inch MacBook Pro (as I do) this is not a pretty graph.

	Canon EOS R6 Export	Nikon Z7 II Export	Sony a7R IV Export	Fuji GFX 100 Export
ASUS G14	1:35	3:12	3:50	6:53
Blade 14	1:48	3:47	4:47	7:46
M1 Mac mini	2:53	7:02	8:49	17:20
MacBook Pro	4:57	12:50	16:18	27:38

Photoshop

When we ran the Pugetbench benchmark for Photoshop, the ASUS G14 came incredibly close to beating the impressive overall score put up by the M1 Mac mini, and did manage to beat the Mac in both the GPU and Filter categories.

However, this result requires a bit of context.

Presumably due to their ultra-fast unified memory, M1 Macs are able to merge panoramas much faster than any PC we’ve tested (at least in Photoshop), but the high overall score is disproportionately affected by that one factor. It’s like an Olympian winning the decathlon by coming in the middle of the pack in 9 events, and then pole vaulting twice as high as anybody else.

In most of the individual tasks that the benchmark performs, the ASUS G14 is as fast or faster than the Mac, which is reflected in the high General, GPU, and Filter score. I only really loses the ‘overall’ battle because of its lower PhotoMerge score.

	Overall	General	GPU	Filter	PhotoMerge
ASUS G14	973.6	99.0	97.3	86.9	115.0
Blade 14	835.6	85.6	88.8	67.3	111.9
M1 Mac mini	1017.8	99.4	81.2	82.9	144.2
MacBook Pro	597.7	65.4	32.6	52.8	62.6

Premiere Pro

Our final tests involve Adobe Premiere Pro. Unlike most other Adobe CC apps, Premiere is well optimized to take advantage of the NVIDIA GPUs in both the Razer Blade 14 and the ASUS Zephyrus G14 through ‘CUDA’ hardware acceleration. It’s also able to take advantage of ‘Metal’ hardware acceleration on the M1 Mac mini.

This fact alone puts these three computers in a league of their own, and leaves my poor little Intel-based MacBook Pro trailing way behind the rest of the pack in every video encoding task we tried.

The Zephyrus G14 steals the show here, putting up the fastest times in all but one category despite stiff competition from both the Razer Blade 14 and M1 Mac mini. Using our Sony a1 test video, the G14 rendered and exported the full Premier Pro project 1 to 2 minutes faster than either the Blade or the Mac mini, and a whopping 18 to 20 minutes faster than the MacBook Pro.

This result, more than any others, shows the potential of GPU hardware acceleration. Properly implemented, it can produce massive performance gains.

	Render All	Export Master File	Export H.264	Export H.265/HEVC	Warp Stabilize
ASUS G14	6:40	00:15	6:06	5:59	2:33
Blade 14	8:50	00:41	8:12	8:06	3:13
M1 Mac mini	7:32	00:18	7:30	7:19	2:13
MacBook Pro	25:53	00:37	26:12	25:09	2:36

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Takeaways

Normally, this is the part of the review where I would list a few interesting takeaways based on the strengths and weaknesses that I noticed while running our benchmarks. But the ASUS does so well across the board that I don’t really have much to say other than: wow.

The ASUS Zephyrus G14 is an extremely capable photo and video editing machine – far more capable than you would guess given its small size. Thanks in large part to the power-efficient AMD CPU, ASUS has created a little monster that packs more punch than any other ‘ultra-portable’ PC laptop on the market, including the similarly specced Razer Blade 14 and, presumably, the M1 MacBook Pro (based on our M1 Mac mini results).

ASUS has created a little monster that packs more punch than any other ‘ultra-portable’ PC laptop on the market.

From a performance standpoint, ASUS basically didn’t have to cut any corners; as a result, we get a $ 2,000 14-inch laptop that easily outperforms $ 3,000+ Intel-based PCs from less than a year ago and gives the Apple Silicon M1 some honest to goodness competition in this size and price bracket.

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Conclusion

What We Like	What We Don’t Like
Exceptional performance Color-accurate WQHD display Small and portable Good variety of ports Great battery life Affordable	No Thunderbolt Support No SD card slot No webcam Small trackpad The AniMe Matrix is a neat-but-useless gimmick

It’s hard to find fault with the 2021 ASUS Zephyrus G14. It already offers most of what ‘creators’ are hoping to see from the rumored 14-inch MacBook Pro: it’s a small, portable, efficient laptop that delivers professional-grade performance in creative applications, including GPU accelerated tasks.

All of this for an extremely reasonable price and without some of the Apple-specific downsides that we’ve gotten used to: the lack of user-upgradable storage, the lack of ports, and occasional compatibility issues (especially with ARM-based M1 Macs).

The 2021 ASUS Zephyrus G14 a small, portable, efficient laptop that delivers professional-grade performance in creative applications.

The only real downside for creatives is the lack of Thunderbolt support – a must for some specialized equipment – and the computer’s focus on certain gaming-specific specs and design elements. Personally, I’d rather have a more power-efficient WQHD display that’s limited to 60Hz or a more affordable Full HD option that covers 100% DCI-P3, and the ‘AniMe Matrix’ feature is nothing more than a party trick that sucks up battery if you forget to turn it off.

Sure, this little gaming laptop can’t match the top-shelf build quality and clean design of brands like Apple, Razer, Microsoft, and even Dell – which is basically the only reason I can’t give the computer a full 5 stars – but if you’re looking for the ultimate ultra-portable PC laptop with the fewest trade-offs and the best performance, the ASUS Zephyrus G14 is the way to go.

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Photoshop Eraser Tool: A Comprehensive Guide (2021)

26 Aug

The post Photoshop Eraser Tool: A Comprehensive Guide (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Are you wondering how to use the Photoshop Eraser Tool? And more importantly, are you wondering when you should use it?

You’ve come to the right place. In this guide, I’ll show you how the Eraser Tool works – and I’ll give you some tips that’ll help you master it. You’ll also learn when to use the Eraser Tool, along with several helpful alternatives.

Let’s get started!

The Eraser Tool: 3 different versions

Nearly every tool in Photoshop comes in several different versions; to reveal these options, click and hold a tool icon. A menu will appear with each tool variation:

In the case of the Photoshop Eraser Tool, you’ll find three variations:

The regular Eraser Tool
The Background Eraser Tool
The Magic Eraser Tool

Let’s see what each can do and how they are different from each other, starting with the standard Eraser Tool:

1. Eraser Tool

The standard Eraser Tool is as straightforward as it gets. It erases the pixels underneath the cursor – whatever they are.

You can determine whether to use the Eraser Tool as a Brush, a Pencil, or a Block. For the Brush and the Pencil, you can choose the size, hardness, and opacity of your cursor’s brush.

Click once, and you’ll erase whatever is underneath the cursor (though a big brush will delete more than a small brush, of course).

Make sure the layer you’re working on is unlocked, and that transparent pixels are unlocked, too (the transparent pixels can be locked or unlocked via the checker icon on top of the Layers panel; see the circled icon in the image above).

2. Background Eraser Tool

The Background Eraser Tool tends to confuse and disappoint Photoshop beginners. The name suggests that it automatically erases the background of your image, thus eliminating the tedious work of selecting – but I’m afraid that’s not how it works.

Instead, the Background Eraser Tool samples whatever is underneath the middle of the cursor (marked with a +) and deletes areas that match the sampled color.

You can adjust how the Background Eraser Tool conducts its sampling. Continuous Sampling means that it will update the sample as you move the cursor. On the image above, for example, I can drag the Tool along the edge between the sky and the trees and it will delete only the blue from the sky. However, if I touch the branches, the Background Eraser will start deleting the trees.

Switch the sampling to Once, and the Background Eraser will erase anything with the color it sampled upon your first click. This is ideal when you want to remove intricate areas like sky between leaves.

Finally, the Background Swatch sampling mode will delete anything matching Photoshop’s current Background Color. This is best used with solid colors because a graduated blue – like the one in the sky, above – will leave a lot of areas untouched.

The Background Eraser Tool is only available as a brush, but you can adjust the Limits and Tolerance to fine-tune according to your needs.

3. Magic Eraser

using the Magic Eraser Tool — With one click on a sample point, the Magic Eraser deletes bigger areas where the pixels have the same or a similar color.

The Magic Eraser works like the Magic Wand selection tool, except it erases pixels instead of selecting them; one click, and it erases anything that matches the color under the cursor.

You can adjust the Tolerance to delete more or fewer shades of the sampled color. You can also determine if you want to erase only adjacent areas or if you want to delete anything with that color, regardless of its location in the image. Check the Anti-alias option if you want to minimize jagged edges.

How to use the Eraser Tool: the basics

Using the Photoshop Eraser Tool is dead simple. Just follow these steps:

Unlock the layer you want to eraser. Make sure transparent pixels are unlocked, too.
Select the Eraser Tool you want to use (regular Eraser, Background Eraser, or Magic Eraser).
Customize the tool. Depending on the type of Eraser you’ve selected, you’ll have different customization options.
Click and drag to erase the desired area.
Check for any remaining pixels. If necessary, go back and erase over areas again.
Save the image as a PNG file to preserve the transparency of deleted pixels.

Tips for using the Photoshop Eraser Tool

Now that you’re familiar with the Eraser Tool basics, I’d like to share some simple tips and tricks to improve your results:

1. Always keep an original backup

creating a backup layer — The Photoshop Eraser is a destructive tool, so *always* work on a copy.

The Eraser is a destructive tool. In other words, if you delete pixels, they’ll be gone for good. You can bring them back with the Undo command, but that’s only if you haven’t closed and re-opened the file.

So before using the Eraser, always, always, always make a backup of your work.

For instance, you can duplicate the layer you plan to Erase; that way, if you mess up, you can always delete your worked-on version and start over with the duplicated layer.

Another option is to work with a copy of your file, rather than the original. Then, when things go downhill, you always have the original to save the day.

2. Use the keyboard shortcuts

To move more efficiently through your editing process, you can use the ‘E‘ key to activate the Eraser Tool.

Then tap ‘Shift + E‘ to toggle between the different types of Erasers.

3. Erase to History

If you’ve saved a state or made a snapshot, the Erase to History option will erase the changes made since that last save.

You can find this feature in the Options bar of the Erase tool.

When should you use the Eraser Tool in Photoshop?

The Photoshop Eraser Tool has limited applications. But for those few times when you need it, you’ll be happy it exists!

Here are several situations when the Eraser Tool can make a big difference:

1. When you need transparency

Sometimes, it’s not enough to hide pixels in the current document – you actually need to keep the area empty and transparent for use on images elsewhere.

This can happen when you’re preparing several images for a photo composite, or when you’re creating a logo to place on top of other images.

(Remember to save your file as a PNG. Otherwise, the transparent areas will be filled with white pixels by default.)

saving as a PNG file — Always use a PNG format to save a partially erased image.

2. When you need to fine-tune channel masks

When you make a layer mask, you’ll notice that a new channel is created.

If you head to this new channel and use the Eraser Tool in Block mode, you can make adjustments to the black pixels to modify the mask (though make sure you zoom in for better results).

Eraser Tool alternatives

Not sure if the Eraser Tool is the right way to go? Here are several alternatives to the Eraser Tool that will help you achieve similar results.

Photoshop Layer Masks — Layer masks hide the pixels instead of deleting them.

1. Layer masks

Layer masks are a non-destructive way of “erasing” parts of your image. Technically, you’re not deleting those pixels – that’s why it’s non-destructive.

Instead, you’re just hiding the pixels you don’t want. If you change your mind and decide to make them visible again, you can disable the layer mask – or unmask the parts that you want visible.

2. Auto Erase

Despite the name, this isn’t a feature found as part of the Photoshop Eraser Tool. Instead, you’ll find it in the Pencil tool.

When you activate the Pencil and enable the Auto Erase option, you paint – with the background color – any pixels that have the foreground color. And if you paint over an area that doesn’t have the foreground color, you replace that color with the foreground color.

The Photoshop Eraser Tool: final words

I hope this article clarified your doubts about the mysterious and often underestimated Photoshop Eraser Tool. Go ahead and test it out the next time you’re in Photoshop. See how it goes. Yes, it has something of a niche effect, but it’s occasionally very helpful.

Now over to you:

Do you have any tips or advice for using the Eraser Tool? Share them in the comments below!

The post Photoshop Eraser Tool: A Comprehensive Guide (2021) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.