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How to Create Cool Effects Using Displacement Maps in Affinity Photo

17 Feb

The post How to Create Cool Effects Using Displacement Maps in Affinity Photo appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

create cool effects with displacement maps in Affinity Photo

Adding natural-looking text to a photo can be challenging. But with displacement maps in Affinity Photo, you can easily produce awesome-looking text blends.

In fact, it takes just a few clicks to merge text with a second photo, so that it looks like the text was there all along.

There are a couple of different ways to achieve this look in Affinity Photo. If you’re used to other image manipulation software, you may be familiar with some of the steps. And if you’re new to Affinity Photo, you may not be aware of the features that make creating cool effects using displacement maps even easier.

So let’s dive right in!

Blend overlay example of displacement maps in Affinity

What are displacement maps in Affinity Photo?

Displacement maps in Affinity Photo allow the texture of an image to be mapped onto another layer.

Displacement maps are commonly used to add natural-looking text to an image. You can use them when you want to place a logo or text on a t-shirt or make text look like a natural part of a scene.

example of displacement maps in Affinity

How to create a displacement map: Step-by-step instructions

As with pretty much any editing effect, there is more than one way to reach your end goal.

In this article, I will show you a simple, step-by-step method I use to create displacement maps in Affinity Photo.

Specifically, I’ll use Affinity Photo’s Displace filter.

Using the Displace filter is a great way to work with displacement maps. It’s quick, easy, and non-destructive.

This means you have a great deal of control. You can apply your Displace filter and tweak it as much as you like – without permanently altering the underlying photo.

Step 1: Open your mapping image

Select the image you plan to modify. Open it in Affinity Photo.

Step 2: Add text or your logo

Locate the file with your text or logo, then drag and drop it onto the underlying image file.

You can use a TIFF or PNG file with transparency. Alternatively, type in the text you want to use, as I’ve done in my example file (below).

Position your image or text where you want it to appear. If you’ve chosen to type your text, pick the font and color you think will best suit your needs.

Screen grab from Affinity Photo showing displacement maps in Affinity

Step 3: Create a live filter layer

In the top menu, choose Layer.

Then go down to New Live Filter Layer>Distort>Displace Filter.

In the Layers panel, you will now see a live displacement map filter added to your logo or text layer.

Step 4: Choose a displacement map

In the displacement map dialog box, you will have the option of loading a map from a file or loading it from other layers. Sometimes you may have a separate image you want to use as your mapping layer. In this example, I will show you how to use the lower layer to create a displacement map, because this is what will typically provide you with a great result.

Click on the option to Load Map From Layers Beneath. At this point, depending on the resolution of the photo you are working with, you may begin to see the effects of the mapping filter.

(But don’t worry if you can’t yet see this; we’ll work on the effect in the next steps.)

Step 5: Adjust the displacement strength

Use the slider in the Displace filter dialog box to increase or decrease the strength of the filter.

Adjust the filter intensity until your top layer merges naturally with the image below.

Note that this is just the first level of adjustment. In the next steps, you’ll discover how to fine-tune the result, so don’t be concerned if you can’t yet get your image looking exactly how you want.

Step 6: Rasterize the text layer

At this point, if you are working with a text layer or some other non-rasterized layer, you need to rasterize it so the next step will work.

Right-click on the text layer and select Rasterize.

Step 7: Control your blending options

Now it’s time to further adjust how your text or logo blends with the layer beneath it.

Click on the cog icon in the Layers panel. (It’s between the blend mode drop-down and the padlock icon.)

A new dialog box will appear; this lets you control the blending options for your layer. Note the two curves graphs:

You’ll want to use the rightmost curve, labeled Underlying Composition Ranges. But before you start, make sure to uncheck the Linear box below it.

Now click and drag from the top left of this curve. Watch as your text or logo further blends with the layer beneath. Continue to click and drag on the curve until you have a look you’re happy with.

Step 8: Tweak the displacement amount

If you’ve merged an image rather than text, you can now go back and tweak the Displace filter.

(If you merged text, this option won’t be available, because the filter is combined with the text layer when it’s rasterized.)

Step 9: Change the blend mode

For further control, you can select a different blend mode for your text or logo layer.

Scroll through the options in the blend mode drop-down box until you find one that best fits the look you want.

You can also decrease the opacity of the top layer so the underlying texture shows through more.

Using displacement maps in Affinity Photo: Conclusion

The key to success in all photo manipulation is experimentation.

So if you want to create a stunning result, use these steps as guidelines, but don’t be afraid to play around. Push the boundaries!

Using displacement maps in Affinity Photo is fun and non-destructive. This means you can try as many options as you like without permanently affecting your images!

Now over to you:

How do you plan to use displacement maps? Share your thoughts (and images) in the comments below!

The post How to Create Cool Effects Using Displacement Maps in Affinity Photo appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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Great Android Apps for Adding Glitch Effects to Your Images

19 Aug

The post Great Android Apps for Adding Glitch Effects to Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

In digital photography, glitches are usually avoided at all costs. However, there are some who welcome the whimsical aesthetic of glitch art. Here are four of the best Android apps that can be used to add artificial glitch effects to your images.

What is glitch art?

Generally, the word glitch refers to a visual or audio malfunction occurring in a media format.

Music, video games, and digital photography; all technology can succumb to glitches. While often viewed as an unwelcome occurrence, glitches have, over time, garnered a growing amount of creative interest. That’s where glitch art comes in.

Glitch effects example — Glitch art embraces the glitch as an artistic event spawned by the development of technology.

Glitch art is created by artists who embrace the nature of the glitch for its aesthetic and audible qualities. By either intentionally creating glitches or capturing them as they occur organically, artists elevate the status of the glitch from a technical irritation to an intriguing insight into the technology we surround ourselves with.

One of the earliest examples of glitch art was orchestrated by the art collective JODI. Founded by Joan Heemskert and Dirk Paesmans, JODI operated on experiments like deliberately causing errors on their website to evoke error messages. From there, artists have adopted the glitch aesthetic as a means of conveying ideas and exploring the technological landscape.

How is glitch art made?

Glitch art can be achieved in various ways.

For example, misalignment glitches are the result of a digital file being opened by a program that is ill-equipped to process that specific type of file.

Hardware failure glitches, on the other hand, are caused by tampering with the physical mechanisms of a machine itself.

Databending refers to the manipulation of file data with programs like hex editors.

The appreciation for glitch art has spread across the globe, with many glitch artists sharing their broad range of technical approaches to the format online. And with the growing number of glitch art apps available at little or no cost to the user, glitch effects have been an increasingly popular presence in art and social media.

Now let’s take a look at the best Android apps for creating glitch effects:

Glitch Lab

Glitch Lab operates on the central theme of being “simple to use yet at the same time endlessly configurable.” With an impressive amount of free presents and adjustments available to induce glitched imagery, all alterations can be tweaked with an easy-to-use interface, creating rich layers of visual chaos.

In addition, Glitch Lab offers some basic photo adjustments as well as a Generate function, which allows a user to generate glitch art from scratch, without the use of a photo as a starting point.

Glitch!

Simple to use and with a good amount of free features, Glitch! is one of the most popular glitch art apps available. With glitch effects like Scanner, Hacker, and Paintbrush, Glitch! realistically imitates manual glitching techniques. Premium functions include a Datamosh preset and video-based options.

Glitcho

The Glitcho app allows a user to glitch photos and videos in real-time, which can be handy for quick adjustments and previews. The app also offers a GIF-generating function, which animates some glitch effects applied to images.

Glitcho has a range of free glitch presets that can be applied to both photos and videos. The app also offers additional glitch effects that can be unlocked by watching ads or by upgrading to Glitcho Pro.

EZGlitch

Like Glitcho, EZGlitch provides glitch effects to create glitched photography and videography in real-time. The in-app purchases available in EZGlitch are balanced by the range of filters on offer at no charge to the user.

EZGlitch is also equipped with a simple-to-use Auto GIF function to generate animated glitchy GIF or MP4 files to save and share.

Conclusion

If you’ve recently looked for glitch-based editing apps on the Play Store, you’ll have seen a myriad of different options on offer.

While it may take some trial and error to find the glitch app that works best for you, these four apps are a great entry point, allowing for quick and easy glitch effects on your Android device.

The post Great Android Apps for Adding Glitch Effects to Your Images appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

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5 Post-Processing Effects to Instantly Enhance Your Photos

03 May

The post 5 Post-Processing Effects to Instantly Enhance Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

awesome post-processing effects featured image

Do you want some quick and easy ways to improve your images with post-processing effects?

Look no further.

Because this article will give you 5 excellent post-processing effects to take your photos to the next level, instantly. And best of all: You can use them in pretty much any editing program and on pretty much any photo!

Sound good?

Let’s dive right in.

1. Increase the contrast and saturation for more powerful photos

This effect is extremely easy, and yet sometimes easy is best:

Boost the contrast.

And then boost the saturation.

Because here’s the thing:

Most photos suffer from a lack of tonal contrast and a lack of color richness. This makes the photos look flat. They look uninteresting. They’re, well, boring.

But they can be quickly and easily spiced up…

…by doing a little work with the contrast and saturation sliders.

palm tree saturation and contrast adjustment — This image required a bit of a saturation and contrast boost before it really popped.

Note that pretty much every photo editing program offers both of these options in a basic form, though, you can choose to selectively edit tones and colors, as well. And while there’s definitely value in doing more careful tonal editing (via a curves adjustment, for instance), I like to start with the basic contrast slider. It gives me a sense of what the contrast will do to my image, and it’s a great starting point.

The same is true of the saturation slider. Sure, it’s possible to do more advanced adjustments by selecting individual colors. But it’s not necessary for this editing step. Instead, just push up the saturation slider a tad, and see how it looks.

Now, when working with the saturation slider, you do have an alternative:

Vibrance.

Vibrance is a smart saturation. It enhances colors by selectively saturating colors that are less saturated, while also leaving skin tones alone. So if you’re hoping for a more subtle look, the vibrance slider may be the way to go.

(In fact, feel free to try both. There’s no reason not to experiment!)

At the end of the day, it pays to start with basic edits (such as contrast and saturation). Just a little bit of editing can go a long way!

2. Pull up the darker tones for a nice cinematic fade

This is one of my favorite editing effects, however, it’s very easy to overdo (so be careful).

It’ll give you a faded, cinematic look, like this:

Start by accessing your tone curve, and placing points at the center and toward the bottom left:

Then carefully drag up the end point, watching the darkest areas of your photo as you do.

When you do this right, the deepest blacks in your photos will lighten, giving you a beautiful fade.

You can also experiment with the amount you actually pull up the tone curve (the more you pull, the stronger the effect). And you can try pulling down the tone curve just before the leftmost edge, to create a more contrast-heavy look:

The key is to experiment and see what you can come up with. No look is necessarily better than the others, just different. So test out many possibilities; you can even create presets out of your favorites.

3. Split tone with blues in the shadows and gold in the highlights

Split toning is all the rage in photography these days, especially with more fashion and portrait-focused photography (though you can definitely use split toning in landscape, street, and most other forms of photography). The idea is that you add different colors into the highlights and the shadows, giving a more creative feel to the image.

Here’s the split-toned look:

split toned flower example - post-processing effects

Do you see how the shadows are slightly bluer, and the highlights are slightly gold? While this is a look that is often overused, it can be a great addition to your photos when used with restraint.

In fact, I recommend you use the split tone I’ve previewed above as a starting point:

Blue shadows, gold highlights.

From there, you can start experimenting with other split tone options: yellow shadows, green highlights, orange shadows, teal highlights, even pink highlights, blue shadows (and so much more!).

Many of the best split tones use complementary colors (colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel). Complementary colors contrast heavily with one another, which adds impact and depth to your photos, hence the popularity of those split-tone combinations. But bear in mind that you can also use analogous colors, which sit next to one another on the color wheel and bring a sense of harmony to your photos (blue and green are a great example).

In fact, the key to split toning is to think about the mood you want to evoke, and then choose color combinations that convey that mood!

Note that split toning is offered by most editing programs, but it may be a bit difficult to find. For instance, Lightroom puts its split toning panel just above the Detail module:

Once you’ve found it, have fun experimenting!

4. Selectively saturate the blues and greens for added impact

I’m a huge fan of selective color editing.

Why?

Because it allows you to both simplify and enhance the composition, which results in better, more powerful compositions overall.

Plus, it can just look plain cool.

Generally speaking, it can pay to selectively saturate the colors of your subject, especially if your subject is struggling to stand out against a colorful backdrop.

(Note that you can also desaturate the background colors, or even do both at once for an enhanced effect.)

But for a really neat effect, I recommend you focus on two specific colors:

Blues and greens.

That’s what I did for the image below:

You see, blues and greens tend to look really, really good when saturated more deeply. They’re not close to skin tones, so you don’t have to worry about messing up portrait shots. And they’re mostly in the background, so they just add a bit of pizzazz to your photos.

Of course, saturating blues and greens won’t always look good. There are situations where it just won’t work.

But generally speaking, richer blues and greens will serve to enhance your photos.

Now, to do selective color adjustments, you’ll need to work with individual colors. In Lightroom, this requires using the HSL sliders in the Develop module.

Just remember:

Don’t saturate just to saturate. Instead, do it if it improves your photos. Saturated blues and greens are nice, but only to a point. As with any good post-processing effect, don’t get carried away!

5. Use exposure gradients to add depth to your photos

Exposure gradients aren’t difficult to pull off, but many photographers never bother to learn how to create them.

Which is absolutely a mistake, because exposure gradients can take your photo from boring to life-like in two seconds flat.

flower image with gradient applied - post-processing effects

First things first:

An exposure gradient simply lightens or darkkens a part of your photo in gradient fashion. So the effect gradually dissipates as it moves across your photo. Like this:

Now, this may seem like a silly effect, but think about what you could do if you put the gradient in the corner, just below where the sun sat in the sky. You’ll get an artistic, flare-like result.

Neat, right?

You can get even better results by warming up the gradient. That way, the light is slightly golden:

lightroom gradient example - post-processing effects

Flare-like effects are cool, but my favorite thing about gradients is how they add depth to images. The gradient gives an element of three-dimensionality that’s hard to produce otherwise, and for that reason alone, gradients are worth trying out.

Here’s the bottom line:

While you won’t always end up using the exposure gradient in your final image, it’s often worth a try. Because gradients can make a huge difference to your photos.

Plus, they’re very cool!

5 post-processing effects to instantly enhance your photos: Conclusion

Hopefully, you now feel like you can do a lot with post-processing, even if editing isn’t your strong suit.

And, as I said, these effects aren’t actually hard to use. Just give yourself a bit of time to learn how to produce the effects, then start practicing.

You’ll soon be processing gorgeous photos!

Do you have any other post-processing effects tips you’d like to share? If so, please share them with us in the comments. We’d also love to see your post-processing effects results, so feel free to share those too.

If you are interested in further post-processing tips, why not try out Jim Hamel’s Lightroom course.

The post 5 Post-Processing Effects to Instantly Enhance Your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

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Florian Ledoux’s arctic photos illustrate the effects of climate change

27 Jan

Florian Ledoux’s arctic photos illustrate the effects of climate change

About this photo: This image of people rowing through chunks of glacial ice was a semi-finalist in Red Bull’s Illume competition.

Chances are, if you follow what’s happening in the world of photography, you’ve already seen at least one image taken by French photographer Florian Ledoux. His work has won multiple awards, has been published in major magazines including National Geographic, and was recently on display at the Louvre Carrousel in Paris. Ledoux took a big risk, several years back, and left his 9-to-5 job to pursue photography full-time. His involvement with the Arctic Arts Project is what made his images stand out to an international audience.

I got a chance to interview Ledoux and discover what inspired him to start documenting the effects of climate change. Florian will be leading a guided photo tour through East Greenland next September. To learn more, contact him through his Facebook page.

What inspired you to get involved in the Arctic Arts Project?

I love the polar regions of the planet for their immense landscape and nature, which remains wild and almost untouched by human activity. You can sail, hike, and explore for several days or weeks without witnessing any sign of human presence. The scale of those landscapes where incredible species live is what draws me there. I was deeply touched while I took my first journey above the Arctic Circle when I was ten years old, with my parents, and this feeling is something that is still growing in intensity as I explore further.

As I got into photography, it came naturally that my work has to serve science and conservation. The Arctic Arts Project aims to work together with scientists and conservationists. The main idea is that they have the data and we have images to combine to better communicate to the public and leave a stronger impact. In March, for example, Jason Box and other researchers published a meta study gathering 35 years of data on climate change in Greenland — from temperature increases to sea ice loss, from shifts in the tundra to land ice loss.

Two months later, in May, Arctic Arts Project photographers went to Greenland to see exactly how those changes are playing out in real time. We captured images of early flora bloom, of dissolving sea ice, and the ice sheet melting. The Arctic Arts Project presented the findings from our May expedition to Greenland to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Here is a video of the presentation, if you’d like a better look at what we found and some thoughts on the changes in Western Greenland and the world.

What message would you like to convey to people who don’t believe climate change is real, based on your observations?

Nature is everything to me, it is the place where I feel connected to the rest of the world. Nature is the place where it all makes sense, the place where we find all the answer about life. It feels like it is where it all began! These are our origins. Not only do we come from nature, but we are part of this complex ecosystem – the mysterious equation called LIFE.

When I find myself in the remote Arctic, co-existing in harmony with the wildlife that calls it home, I know that this is where everything makes total sense. I know it because I feel it deep within myself. It is a deep vibe that consumes my body and soul in its entirety. At this moment, the urge to create an image that I would remember for the rest of my life with a strong message to protect it comes naturally to me.

What inspired you to incorporate a drone into your workflow?

The bird’s eye perspective a drone provides has become a major part of my work. It started as I was always seeking a new way to show our planet. Drones are a revolution, allowing us to capture images that wouldn’t have been possible with and helicopter. Drones are also much more eco-friendly.

I believe in, and aspire to bring, a new perspective of capturing wildlife we already know well from traditional photography. I believe these images allow us to observe and document patterns from a new angle and approach, revealing the animals in their entirety as well as in a wider habitat and landscape, in a way not before possible. Using a drone has provided a new way of learning about the white Northern part of our planet. Drones need to be used with care and ethics, especially when it comes to documenting wildlife. The same principles apply for a normal wildlife photographer, no one should run toward the animal or disrupt their habitat.

Any final words of advice?

Air Iceland Connect changed my life. In June 2017, I got an opportunity to embark on a sailing expedition from Greenland to Nunavut. Many of us have this life where we are stuck in a 9-to-5 job with excuses not to do things we love. So I quit! I quit my stable life, quit my job, I quit holding myself back, and feeling trapped with not being who I would like to be. I followed my heart, my passion. I now have the most beautiful life I could imagine. In the end, all I want to say is this: Live and don’t let anybody tell you that it is not possible to follow your dreams.

Crabeater Seals resting on the ice in Antarctica

About this photo: Here is a group of crabeater seals resting on the ice in Antarctica early in the morning after a feed during the night. They mainly haul out onto the packed ice in early Spring where they form small family groups consisting of a male, female, and pup. According to some studies, most haulouts are shorter than 24 hours without change through the seasons. However, the timing of haulouts shifted during the study period. After midwinter, the pattern shifted with haulouts starting in the morning and ending in the late afternoon.

Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 4 Pro +; f/7,5; ISO: 400; Shutter Speed: 1/1000 sec

Polar bear leaping the ice during summer in Canada

About this photo: It has been a year seen the Canadian government and Nunavut agreed on creating a Marine Protected Area in the Lancaster Sound called Tallurutiup Imanga. It is also a year that I captured this beautiful image of the polar bear leaping the ice with its message on climate. Since then, the image has traveled a lot all around the world.

I am so grateful to everyone that understands the importance of my work, to help conservation efforts in the Arctic. I believe visual images connect us to nature, it helps us to better understanding the planet where we live and make the right decisions. My hope for dear future generations is that you will be able to witness what we see now.

In 2016 only 4.7% of the Arctic’s marine areas were protected. Hopefully, the target of 10% by 2020 will be reached but progress is too slow. Polar bears need the ice not only to hunt but to rest and live.

Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 4 Pro+; f/8; ISO: 100; Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec

Glacier calving in Antarctica last December

About this photo: I have seen beautiful things in my life but I have never seen such a thing as crazy as Antarctica, a place so hostile, so powerful but so fragile. When I lose the words, moved by this beauty of the world, the photos to come will take over what I can not articulate.

This expedition was amazing, with its ups and downs, extensive hours of work, short nights, 11,250 photos taken, 1TB of video stored, a furious sea on our way back, but what images I managed to capture!

Gear and specs: Nikon D5 with 60-600mm 4.5-5.3 lens; f/6.5; ISO: 360; Shutter Speed: 1/1000 sec

A polar bear at the edge of the ice during summer in North Canada

About this photo: Where am I going next, asked a guy when I met him on my journey in 2017? There was almost no ice left in the Lancaster Sound and the area. As the sea ice declines, industrial activities such as fishing, shipping, mining, and drilling are expected to expand Northward. But I believe in a world where humans are able to learn from nature and reconnect with it. I believe in a world where polar bears will still be among us and will not be just a memory from the past.

Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 4 Pro+; f/8; ISO: 800; Shutter Speed: 1/100 sec

Huge iceberg from the glacier of Ilulissat in Disko Bay, West Greenland

About this photo: This image was captured in Ilulissat, Greenland, on an expedition last December. I am honored to be part of the Arctic Arts Project team. I joined three other incredibly talented photographers to work together on capturing images in this region. In light of new scientific findings on the effects of climate change in the Arctic, our team also traveled to Western Greenland during the Arctic springtime, as several critical elements of change are evident only during this time frame.

Gear and specs: Nikon D5 with a 60-600mm 4.5-5.3 lens; f/8; ISO: 640; Shutter Speed: 1/2500 sec

The sun sets on icebergs that calve from Sermeq Kuuatdleq in Ilulissat

About this photo: It was a magical night but hard work as I was trying to fly blindly in the thick mist. This was one of the last sunsets in the area before a long period of the year. It set the sky on fire while my drone was navigating through the large piece of icebergs that calve from Sermeq Kuuatdleq in Ilulissat.

Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 4 Pro+; f/4.5; ISO: 100; Shutter Speed: 1/120 sec

Gentoo penguins collecting rocks

About this photo: Gentoo penguins are ground-nesting birds. They collect rocks from the beach that they bring on the hill to build the nest, or sometimes give it to their neighbor. The way back from the beach is long and other penguins will come and try to steal it when they arrive close to the colony.

Gear and specs: Nikon D5 with a 60-600mm 4.5-5.3 lens; f/8; ISO: 360; Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec

Aerial view of the sea ice in formation on the East Coast of Greenland during winter

About this photo: Here is an aerial perspective of the sea ice formation in East Greenland. This image won 3rd prize at the international contest of drone photography, 2017, organized by National Geographic and Dronestagram.

Gear and specs: DJI Phantom 3; f/2.8; ISO: 131; Shutter Speed: 1/25 sec

Crabeater seal resting on the fast ice of Antarctica in December

About this photo: This is a crabeater seal resting on the fast ice of Antarctica in December. The crabeaters do most of their feeding at night (typically between 9:00 – 10:00 pm). They can dive as deep as 430 meters although feeding dives are usually around 30 meters.

Gear and specs: Nikon D5 with a 60-600mm 4.5-5.3 lens; f/10; ISO: 300; Shutter Speed: 1/800 sec

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Zeiss announces Radiance Prime lenses with controlled flare effects for cinematographers

09 Nov

Optical manufacturer Zeiss has announced a new set of lenses based on its Supreme Prime range but which are designed to produce attractive flare easily and in a controlled manner. The Zeiss Supreme Radiance Prime lenses will only be available as a set of seven focal lengths and can only be ordered between now and the end of March 2020.

The lenses have been created to enable cinematographers to introduce a controlled amount of flare into their productions without losing optical quality. The company claims the Supreme Radiance lenses will provide consistent effects and won’t compromise contrast or light transmission. A new T*Blue coating has been used to generate the flare in the lenses, which are otherwise exactly the same as the existing Supreme Primes.

The flare from the lenses has a blue tone, and those quoted as having used the lenses talk of a look that is sharp but soft at the same time and highlights the glow. The coating also lends a slightly warmer tone to the footage.

The set of seven lenses will cover focal lengths from 21mm to 100mm, and a wide covering circle means they are suitable for large format sensors. All are compatible with the ZEISS eXtended Data metadata system and Cooke’s i/Technology for recording shooting information on along with each frame to help special effects teams integrating additional content into the picture.

Zeiss hasn’t yet announced a price for the lenses but says they will start shipping April 2020. For more information see the Zeiss website.

Press Release:

ZEISS Unveils New High-End Cinematography Optics: ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance Lenses

A Modern Lens, based on ZEISS Supreme Prime lenses, with Controlled Flares – orders possible by 31st March 2020!

ZEISS has unveiled the ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses, an exclusive new set of seven high-end cinematography lenses. The lenses are based on the high-speed ZEISS Supreme Prime lens family with the benefit of the new T*blue coating, which offers a distinctive look and consistent flares without any compromises.

“The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses deliver stunning, consistent flares across all focal lengths that cinematographers can create at will,” says Christophe Casenave, Product Manager for Cinema Products at ZEISS. “The new lens family has been infused with ZEISS’s experience and passion for premium-quality cinematography lenses – combined with its aspiration to support filmmakers throughout the creative process,” says Casenave.

ZEISS Unveils New High-End Cinematography Optics: ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance Lenses

Controlled images that exude artistic flair
The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses are available as a set of seven focal lengths of between 21 and 100 millimeters, all with a maximum aperture of T1.5. This makes it possible to capture subtle nuances, even in poor light.

“When we spoke to filmmakers and industry experts, we took a close look at the appeal of flares and their unique impact on the atmosphere of a movie,” says Casenave. He describes how ZEISS is responding to users’ needs to integrate flares to ensure greater creative freedom with the lenses: “We didn’t just want to reproduce the effects, but to create tools that would allow this effect to be achieved at any time and in a controlled manner, and so the T* blue coating was born.” The new coating allows users to create flares in the right light without any losses in contrast or transmission – and in the high quality that customers have come to expect from ZEISS.

The versatility of the lenses can be used to create this visual look, which is due to the smooth depth of field and elegant bokeh, thus meeting users’ every artistic wish – from a blockbuster to a high-end commercial or a film d’auteur.

Compact, lightweight full-frame lenses

In addition to their flare behavior, the new lenses offer all the benefits of the ZEISS Supreme Primes. Thanks to their image circle diameter of 46.3 millimeters, they cover the current large-format cinematography sensors and are as such compatible with the latest camera models, such as the Sony Venice, ARRI Alexa LF, and Mini LF and RED Monstro. Moreover, they feature a front diameter of 95 millimeters with consistently positioned focus and aperture rings. They weigh around 1,500 grams on average.

The lenses are equipped with the ZEISS eXtended Data metadata technology launched in 2017, providing frame-by-frame data on lens vignetting and distortion in addition to the standard metadata provided using the Cooke /i technology1 protocol. This simplifies and speeds up workflows, particularly for VFX and Virtual Production.

Limited availability

The ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses are available to order from announcement until March 31st, 2020. The seven focal lengths – 21 mm T1.5, 25 mm T1.5, 29 mm T1.5, 35 mm T1.5, 50 mm T1.5, 85 mm T1.5 and 100 mm T1.5 – are available exclusively as a set from ZEISS Cinema dealers. The lenses will be delivered from April 2020 after the end of the ordering period.

From November, 9th -16th ,2019, ZEISS will be unveiling its ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses for the first time before a large audience at the CAMERIMAGE International Film Festival in Toru?, Poland. The short film R&R by Rodrigo Prieto (DOP of movies like The Irishman, The Wolf of Wall Street and Brokeback Mountain) shot with ZEISS Supreme Prime Radiance lenses, will also be shown at the festival. After CAMERIMAGE, ZEISS will be running a series of events at various rental houses around the world to give cinematographers the chance to try out the new lenses.

To find out more, please visit: www.zeiss.com/cine/radiance.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Unreal Engine’s Project Spotlight uses LED walls for real-time in-camera visual effects

24 Aug

Epic Games has showcased Project Spotlight, an Unreal Engine-powered way to capture real-time visual effects in-camera. The company has detailed the work in a new video showing off the system, including its ability to track the camera’s position in space in real-time for a realistic and customizable background.

Rather than filming in front of a blue or green screen for post-production later on, the Project Spotlight system enables filmmakers to shoot in front of LED walls showing the virtual environment in real-time. Creators can digitally manipulate this 3D virtual scene when necessary and the LED walls adjust the on-set lighting for realistic ambient light.

‘No matter what the project is,’ Lux Machina chief technology officer Philip Galler said, ‘creatives always want to see the closest representation to the final product as early on in the creative process [as possible].’

Experts featured in the video explain that because the virtual environment can be adjusted in real-time, the project saves critical time that may otherwise be wasted waiting for changes. As well, people from different departments can work together to determine how the virtual world is portrayed.

The technology was demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2019 by Epic Games in partnership with Magnopus, Lux Machina, Quixel, Profile Studios, DP Matt Workman and ARRI. Future plans for the system are unclear at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Make Three Instagram-Inspired Filter Effects in Photoshop

14 Jul

The post How to Make Three Instagram-Inspired Filter Effects in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.

Instagram has taken the world by storm. The image-based social media platform allows users to post images and videos, and receive feedback from others across the globe.

Instagram also offers a large number of filters, giving users the option to customize their media before uploading to Instagram.

However, there are downsides to leaning on Instagram for image-editing. Uploading to Instagram sacrifices resolution and the ability to share filtered images to other media is limited.

In this tutorial, we’ll apply Nashville, Amaro and Brannan-Instagram-inspired filter effects to your photographs in Photoshop that are non-destructive and can be used anywhere. Plus they look good too!

Nashvillle

The Nashville filter warms highlights and adds a blueish tint to darker areas of an image. It also decreases contrast and increases exposure.

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Step one:

First, open your image.

Keep in mind that throughout this tutorial, the efficacy of each Instagram-inspired filter can differ from image-to-image. While I’ve provided specific settings as a guide, don’t be afraid to experiment a little for optimum results.

Step two:

Create a Curves Adjustment Layer by clicking on the Curves icon in the Adjustments panel. If you aren’t sure what icon means what, rest your mouse over an icon and a description will appear. If you can’t see an Adjustment panel at all, click on Window -> Adjustments to bring it up.

In the Curves Adjustment Layer panel, select the Green channel from the RGB dropdown menu and set the Input to 15 and the Output to 40 (you may need to click on the Curve line to activate the text boxes).

Then select the Blue channel and set the Input to 84 and the Output to 140

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Step three:

Go to Layer->New Fill Layer->Solid Color.

Click OK at the first prompt.

In the Color Picker window, select a cream tone. For this image, I used the HEX code #fedfb9, which produces nice a warm glow. You can copy the HEX code I selected by clicking on the lowest text box in the Color Picker (next to the hash symbol) and entering “fedfb9.”

Click OK and change the Blending Mode of the Color Fill layer to Multiply. Blending Modes are located in a drop-down menu in the Layers pallet, next to the Opacity drop-down menu.

Step five:

Create a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer and set the Brightness slider to 5 and the Contrast slider to 90.

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Finally, create a Levels Adjustment Layer and enter 1.50 in the Midtone text box and 235 in the Highlights text box.

And there you go!

You can crop your image to a square format for an extra level of Instagram authenticity, or leave as is.

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