Many photographers make use of Adobe Photoshop for all their editing work, and any issues with the program can have a huge impact on productivity. If you are seeing the message “Photoshop could not save because the disk is full”, even when you have sufficient space on your hard disk, it can be due to multiple reasons. I used to Continue Reading
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Posts Tagged ‘Save’
Photoshop “Could Not Save Because Disk is Full” but Disk is not Full: Solutions
02
Oct
How to Save Transparent Background in Photoshop? The Easy Way
21
Aug
Are you looking to create an image with a transparent background in Photoshop? Which is the best method? How do you save the final image in different file formats? Which formats allow saving transparent backgrounds? What are the use cases for transparent backgrounds? If you need help with any of these, the following article will answer all of these questions Continue Reading
Photodoto
How To Save PNG in Photoshop (If Its Not Letting You)
02
Oct
You’ve got your creation exactly how you want it and now it’s time to save it. You want to save it as a PNG. However, when you go to save it, PNG does not appear in the list of file type options that you can choose. What do you do? Shaking your fist at your computer in frustration will do Continue Reading
The post How To Save PNG in Photoshop (If Its Not Letting You) appeared first on Photodoto.
Skylum shows how new Templates feature in upcoming Luminar AI update can save you time
01
Oct
 |
Ahead of Luminar AI’s release this holiday season, Skylum Software has shared additional information about how Templates will work in the upcoming all-in-one photo editing software and how Templates can be used to save photographers a lot of time and energy when processing many images.
In many traditional photo editors, users must adjust different sliders to get the desired results when processing images. There are often available presets, which will speed up the editing process, but presets have limitations, and photographers are often left feeling like their creativity has been removed from the editing process. Ideally, many of us want to save time without sacrificing creative control. Skylum believes that Luminar AI’s Templates will remove the frustration and overcome the limitations of presets in other photo editors.
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| Photo credit: Elia Locardi |
The artificial intelligence in Luminar AI has been integrated throughout the entire editing process and has been trained with ‘expert input from artists, photographers, colorists and scientists.’ Alex Tsepko, Skylum’s CEO, says, ‘With Luminar AI, we wanted to ensure that AI not only was easy to use, but that it also provided creatives a way to express themselves. Through our unique 3D depth-mapping and segmentation technologies, we’re able to recognize the contents of a photo, recommended edits and then allow creatives to refine every aspect of that recommendation. Doing this lets creatives retain their unique style in their edits without tedious, manual work. Professional results, but in a fraction of the time.’
Artificial intelligence starts operating as soon as you open an image in Luminar AI. The software identifies the contents of an image, analyzes potential problem spots, and evaluates the depth of the image. Luminar AI then offers a list of carefully selected Templates for users to select from.
Users can test out different Templates and see how they impact their image. Skylum states that a preview is created in less than a second. When you evaluate a specific Template you can even see which AI tools were utilized in the Template. For beginners, it should prove useful to see which tools are used to create different images and how each tool changes the look and feel of a photo.
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| Photo credit: Javier Pardina |
Templates will offer novices a variety of ideas to help choose the direction they want to take an image. For advanced photographers with more editing experience, they can choose when and how they want more advanced manual control over their image edits. They can pick and choose which AI tools they want to utilize and then create their own templates for future use on single images or when batch editing. Skylum states that utilizing templates will allow photographers to save ‘up to 90% of their time spent editing.’
You can learn more about Luminar AI here. For a list of Frequently Asked Questions about Luminar AI, click here. Luminar AI is available for preorder at a special price, which you can learn more about here. As the release of Luminar AI approaches this holiday, stay tuned for more information, including a planned hands-on preview ahead of the full public release of Luminar AI.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
How to Use the Orton Effect in Photoshop to Save Blurry Photos
04
Jun
The post How to Use the Orton Effect in Photoshop to Save Blurry Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.
Is your photo a little bit blurry? Don’t throw it out just yet. In most cases, you wouldn’t want soft-focus in your image, but you can rehash-it with a different purpose. One thing you can do is apply an Orton effect in Photoshop to give it new life, especially if it’s a landscape.
Some times when you see your photographs in the camera without zooming in, they look sharp when they are not. Maybe your shutter speed was too slow, or you were using the wrong focus mode.
There are many reasons this can happen. Often you find out too late – when you’re already back home on your computer.
If it’s possible just go back and shoot again, you can find some useful tips in this article so that you can get the best results. If this is not an option, soft-focus and blurry images are completely acceptable if done in a creative way. This is where the Orton effect in Photoshop comes in.
What is the Orton Effect?
The photographer Michael Orton invented this technique, hence the name. It was created in the 80s, which means that it was done with film photography. He overlapped different versions from the same scene with different exposures and a different focus. As a result, the image gained a surreal atmosphere.
His images look like paintings thanks to the experimentation he does with light, color, and motion. On his website, he says that “The vast color combinations and unique variations of light found in the natural landscape, used with the wide variety of choices in compound camera motion provide an exciting challenge.”
You can go there to see his work and understand more of the technique before getting into it.
The Orton Effect in Photoshop
Because this technique was done by stacking images, it can be perfectly recreated in Photoshop because you can work with Layers. Since this is technically easy to do, many photographers have tried it.
Get yourself acquainted with what is out there so you can find your own style. Try using hashtags like #orton or #ortoneffects on Instagram and Pinterest.
Choose your image
Although technically speaking, you can apply this technique to any photo, it doesn’t necessarily look good on all of them. This is mostly done on landscapes because of the dream-like glow that will result from it.
Another thing to consider is that it’s not a magical way to save an image that’s completely out of focus. Because it mixes areas with different amounts of detail in them, the soft-focus won’t be distracting. But you do need a certain degree of sharpness in it.
Step by step
In the same way that Michael Orton stacked slides, you’re going to be stacking layers. There are many ways to achieve this technique, it’s a matter of experimenting and finding your own. The basic principle is the same, though; blend different exposures and focus. Here’s my way of doing it to get you started.
Different exposures
When you open your image in Photoshop, it will be a Background layer that is locked. Click and drag it into the Duplicate Layer button at the bottom of the panel to create a copy of it.
Now, change the Blending Mode to Screen. You can do this by opening the menu that you’ll find at the top of the Layers Panel.
The Screen blending mode is one of the different options that allow you to lighten your image. When this layer blends with the one underneath, the pure blacks – if any – will be covered. The pure whites will stay the same and the greyscale will become brighter.
Next, duplicate the original background layer again and drag this copy to the top.
Then, change the blending mode to Multiply. This one does the exact opposite of the Screen blending mode. As the name indicates, it multiplies the base color by the blend color resulting in a darker one.
Different focus
Now that you have different exposures, you need to add the different sharpness.
For this, you’ll need to add a filter.
Whenever you do this, it’s a good idea to make it a Smart Filter so that you can always come back to change it. The first thing to do is to right-click on the layer and choose Convert to Smart Object.
With this change, you’ll be working non-destructively. So, go to Menu>Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur. In the pop-up window, you can adjust the right amount of blur for your image. Keep the preview option checked so that you can see what you’re doing.
It’s easy to overdo it, so I recommend that you always come back to your work and check with fresh eyes. Because you made it a smart filter, you can just double-click on it and the Gaussian Blur window will pop-up again so you can make any adjustments you want.
Finishing touches
Because the filter will be on a mask, you can paint black any area that you may want to keep without the blur. This can help to create a different effect or direct attention to a specific subject.
You can then crop or add any adjustment layers to finish it off.
There you go, an easy and fun technique that can turn your not-so-great photo into an artistic project to save the day. Try it and share the results in the comment section.
The post How to Use the Orton Effect in Photoshop to Save Blurry Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.
Save up to $100 on Massive dPS Lightroom Presets Bundle
21
Dec
The post Save up to $ 100 on Massive dPS Lightroom Presets Bundle appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
It’s day 9 of dPS Holiday Deals and today we’re doing a mega deal on our dPS presets.
Save up to $ 100 now
You can now get any of our Lightroom Presets Bundles for just $ 19 each. That’s a massive 62% off the regular price, and 67% if you buy them all together.
Each bundle contains at least 101 presets:
- 101 Lightroom Presets
- 101 Landscape Lightroom Presets
- 101 Lightroom Portrait Presets
There are no duplicate presets amongst these, so you can grab all three knowing that each preset is unique.
Save 62% on each set of presets or save $ 100 (67%) by buying the mega-set of all 303 presets.
Check it out before the next deal arrives in less than 24 hours.
PS – Don’t miss out on yesterday’s deal – learn how to “Capture Your Memories with Awesome Video” for just $ 39, save 60%. Check it out here.
The post Save up to $ 100 on Massive dPS Lightroom Presets Bundle appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
dPS 12 Days of Holiday Deals: Save up to 95% on Some Great Photography Training and Tools
11
Dec
The post dPS 12 Days of Holiday Deals: Save up to 95% on Some Great Photography Training and Tools appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
In 24 hours the first of our 12 Days of Holiday Deals begins!
This is when you’ll score HUGE savings on our most popular products and MASSIVE discounts with some very special dPS partners so that you have the best resources to reach your photography goals for 2020.
It works just as you’d expect. Over 12 days, we’ll announce a brand new deal every 24 hours.
To get notified of each deal just add your email address below.
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Each day you’ll receive an email from us with a special offer from us or a partner.
Many of our deals are offering 50% to 95% off the normal price.
We’ll also share the deals on our Facebook page, but the best way (so you don’t miss a thing), is to sign up for the emails above.
On signing up you’ll also get a special free downloadable gift from dPS – our mini-guide and checklist for photographing the holidays.
We can’t wait to unveil the first deal with you…
Again – to get the deals via email just sign up below.
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The post dPS 12 Days of Holiday Deals: Save up to 95% on Some Great Photography Training and Tools appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
6 Ways to Save Money on Camera Gear
16
Jun
The post 6 Ways to Save Money on Camera Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.
It’s no secret that camera gear is expensive, but there are several very easy ways to save money on gear. So before you buy your next camera body or lens, read up on these money-saving tips.
1. Look for discounts or deals
This one might seem like a no-brainer, but always be on the lookout for sales or discounts. Follow photography blogs or websites such as Canon Rumors or Nikon Rumors (or whichever Rumors sites corresponds to your camera brand of choice). They will often alert you of upcoming deals on camera gear and accessories. Another tip is to wait for holidays such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Amazon Prime Day. These are holidays that almost always result in massive gear discounts.
2. Study camera product cycles and buy just before or after a new release.
Most camera manufacturers have a fairly regular product release cycle. For example, the Fujifilm X-T series releases every 2 years, the Canon 5D series every 4 years, and GoPro Hero every year. Purchasing a camera right after release to the public won’t save you money. However, you could look at buying the previous model since there are likely to be many camera owners selling theirs, or camera stores looking to empty their stock.
Depending on how well a new camera sells, you could wait six months to a year after its release and start to see deals come up. Not only will the camera price likely drop, but camera stores are also likely to add product bundles that throw in extra goodies such as Adobe Photoshop subscriptions, memory cards, camera bags, and more.
3. Consider third-party options
This tip applies mostly to camera lenses and accessories since there aren’t many “third-party” camera body brands out there. For a long time, third-party lens options were looked down upon as inferior products. However, companies such as Sigma and Tamron have really upped their game and are producing high-quality lenses that are starting to rival the price and quality of those made by original camera companies. So the next time you’re looking for a new piece of glass for your camera, definitely consider any third-party options out there to save some money.
4. Buy used or refurbished
Cameras and lenses are made to last. As long as they have been cared for, they hold their value and can sell easily.
If you’re on the market for camera gear, definitely consider buying a used or refurbished product. This process can seem intimidating, and there are several ways to go about it with varying degrees of risk.
One option is to buy locally via an online marketplace such as Facebook or Craigslist. This is the riskiest option since you will have to evaluate the product in person and there’s often little chance of a refund if the product is defective. However, this method also gives you the most wiggle room for negotiating a lower price.
Another way to buy used or refurbished is to do so via an official online store. Nearly all major online camera stores such as B&H Photo, Adorama, and Amazon have a Used section with discounted gear. There are also websites such as Keh.com that specialize in only buying and selling used gear.
The benefit of using a site like this is security. In most cases, your purchase is covered by the store, and you have some reassurance in terms of returning the item in case of a defect. However, there’s no room for negotiation, so the price you see is what you’ll have to pay.
5. Rent gear
Before you buy your next piece of camera gear, ask yourself, “do I really need to own that?”
If the answer is no, it could be more worth your while to rent the gear temporarily.
This is especially true for specialty lenses such as super telephoto zooms that retail for upwards of $ 10,000 to own.
Look around for your local camera store and see if they offer gear rental services. Or there is also Borrow Lenses, a website that specializes in renting out camera gear in addition to selling used gear.
6. Use credit card rewards
If you’re diligent about paying off your credit card each month, consider getting a credit card with a good rewards system. There are camera-specific credit cards such as B&H’s Payboo that reimburses you for sales tax. Or there are more general credit cards that allow you to get points or money back on a wider variety of purchases.
Personally, I’m a fan of the Amazon Prime Store card that gives you 5% back on all purchases, plus the option to finance big purchases (ie. cameras!).
Either way, do your research to find a card that suits you and be sure to pay it off, otherwise, it’s no longer a money-saver.
Over to You
There you have it! Six ways to save some money on camera gear and accessories. Do you have any tips to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
The post 6 Ways to Save Money on Camera Gear appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Suzi Pratt.
Camera Rescue aims to save 100,000 analog cameras for future generations
19
Feb
Finland-based organization Camera Rescue has rescued 46,000 analog cameras and it plans to more than double that number by 2020. Cameraville recently interviewed the organization’s Juho Leppänen to discuss the mission, as well as the unique challenges they face.
Camera Rescue launched in 2018 with the mission of preserving analog cameras for future generations. The organization finds used film photography gear and puts it through what it calls a ‘camera rescue process,’ which includes testing and, when necessary, repairing the devices. Rescued cameras are then sold through KameraStore.com.
The organization’s core team member Juho Leppänen discussed Camera Rescue’s mission and work in a 10 minute video from Cameraville, including the technical issues the team has to overcome. A lack of technicians capable of repairing these cameras remains a problem, though the team is addressing that problem by training a new generation of repair technicians.
“We took all the guys we could find that have the experience [and] they’ve been teaching newer guys,” Leppänen explained.
Beyond the organization’s own work, Leppänen details technical issues facing the analog photography market. “If we want new cameras, we need a new mechanical shutter,” according to Leppänen, who also pointed toward aging scanning technology that must be updated.
“Most of the scanners that are around are based on Windows XP,” which is no longer supported, Leppänen said. Though new scanners could be developed, cost remains an issue, with Leppänen explaining that it may cost €3 million just to produce the first batch of new scanning technologies.
The analog photography industry also requires new automated film development machines and an overall low barrier, in terms of difficulty and cost, for new photographers to get started. “If we want new people to come to film,” Leppänen explained, “we need to make the first roll very easy, and to make the first roll easy, it needs to be cheap.”
Additional videos about Camera Rescue, as well as the team’s history, can be found on Cameraville’s blog.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Adobe Portfolio – This Unsung Hero of Creative Cloud Could Save You Money
24
Aug
I have used Adobe Lightroom since version 4 in 2012. After upgrading to version 5 and 6 in the following years, have really grown to appreciate its workflow, comprehensive suite of editing tools and the digital asset management.
When Adobe switched to a subscription model for Lightroom and announced they would no longer offer the product as a standalone license, I started looking at other options because I didn’t want to be locked into a perpetual pricing model. I was already paying nearly $ 100/year for a website and as a hobbyist photographer with a family and a full-time job, the thought of paying another $ 120/year for Lightroom seemed crazy.
That is until I discovered Adobe Portfolio and had a complete change of heart.
A bit of background
In 2015 I got serious about doing photography work for clients. At that time, I recognized the need to have a professional easy-to-use website to attract clients and showcase my work. I tried a number of options before settling on Squarespace.
Their $ 96/year fee was entirely reasonable to me because it provided access to dozens of templates as well as a worry-free website I did not have to update or maintain like a self-hosted WordPress installation requires. I appreciated how easy Squarespace was to use as well as its rich set of features including blogging, podcasting, and even tools for buying and selling goods and services.
A few years later as I was investigating software options to replace Lightroom, I stumbled across Adobe Portfolio entirely by accident. I certainly never intended this barely-mentioned service to be the fulcrum on which my decision to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan would rest!
The more I examined what Portfolio had to offer the more I realized that the subscription which includes Portfolio along with Lightroom and Photoshop would be ideal for my needs as a part-time photographer.
This is the homepage for my own Adobe Portfolio site. When users hover over one of the sections with their cursor it shows the name of that particular photo gallery.
While Squarespace handled all my website needs with aplomb, it also offered many things I did not use at all. Portfolio, on the other hand, is almost anemic by comparison but uniquely suited to fit the basic needs of most photographers.
It does not have all the options, tools, integrations, and flexibility of other platforms including Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and WordPress. But as a photographer who just wanted a simple way to showcase my work, it fit the bill perfectly.
For me the choice was clear. I could sign up for the Creative Cloud Photography plan for only a few dollars more than what I was paying for my Squarespace website and get Lightroom, Photoshop, and a beautiful website that did everything I needed. I canceled my Squarespace account, signed up for Creative Cloud, and couldn’t be any more pleased with how things have worked out.
Start with a theme
If you have a Creative Cloud plan you already have access to Portfolio and you can get started by visiting myportfolio.com and entering your Adobe ID. After that, you begin the process of building your website by selecting a theme. Right away you may notice one of the significant shortcomings of Portfolio compared to other website services. There are only eight themes from which to choose. This dearth of options can be a source of frustration if you’re used to a myriad of themes on other platforms.
Some photographers might balk in horror at the idea of only having eight template options but I saw it as a way of streamlining my design approach. I couldn’t spend hours poring over different templates if I only had eight to choose from, so it only took me a few minutes to select one that suited my tastes just fine.
The templates do allow for some editing and customization but you are limited to the basic look and feel of how they are laid out. This approach is similar to how many mainstream website platforms operate and is well suited to photographers who would rather spend their time taking and editing pictures instead of poring over lines of HTML code.
It’s also worth noting that you can change templates at any time. So if you are not sure where to start you can just pick one that you like and begin editing with the freedom to change it later. I settled on the Mathias template but any of the eight options would work well for photographers who want a simple, pleasing, and functional website.
Lightroom Integration
The ace in the hole for Portfolio and a standout feature that allows it to really shine despite its lean feature set is the way that it integrates seamlessly with Lightroom. This is a huge boon for photographers who rely on Lightroom for their editing and digital asset management, and one of the big reasons it makes sense to consider Portfolio as a worthwhile website platform.
On the editing screen, there is a giant blue Add Content button which gives you access to four different options: Page, Lightroom Album, Gallery, and Link. Any photo collections in Lightroom CC, or those you have synced with Lightroom CC from Lightroom Classic CC, will show up as options when you click Lightroom Album. There is no need to export images and upload them individually. Choose Lightroom Album and the full Lightroom Web interface will load which will let you select any of the albums to be automatically displayed on your website.
You can also manually upload pictures via drag-and-drop interface but I found it much easier to manage images by loading them from Lightroom.
Editing Website Content
In addition to loading images directly from Lightroom, you can create content right from within Portfolio. This is useful if you want a few image galleries to showcase your work while also having elements like an About Me and pricing pages. Individual pages can contain blocks of text and images with captions, and elements can be re-ordered using a simple drag-and-drop interface. There’s even an option for inserting a Contact page which can contain many different fields that you are free to customize.
After creating a Page, Lightroom Album, or Gallery the ever-present floating menu lets you edit the unique characteristics of the element you just created. This floating menu took me a little while to get used to but now I don’t mind it at all.
My contact page using Portfolio.
It never really goes away but you can expand and collapse the panes and use the three horizontal lines at the top to move it around so it’s not in your way. While you can’t go so far as editing the actual CSS code you can make changes to things like background color, page header, and fonts.
It won’t take you long to get the hang of this workflow but you also may get frustrated at what initially feels like a criminal lack of options. As you poke around with the tools available you will likely hit some brick walls, just as I did, when you find out you can’t insert pull-quote text boxes, customize the appearance of individual blocks of text, or embed elements such as a blog feed. Slideshow options are limited as well, and this is where some people might hang their head in frustration and run back to WordPress with open arms.
However, keep in mind that the purpose of Adobe Portfolio is to offer a simple way for photographers to showcase their work. It’s not supposed to be a comprehensive all-in-one web publishing platform, and within the context of that framework, the limitations in terms of choices and options make a little more sense. You can add a custom logo, change the appearance of your pages, embed dozens of web elements, and even password-protect your site if you so choose.
Portfolio lets you use a custom domain name as well, and though this process is fairly straightforward it does add a little extra to the cost of the service. Portfolio nor Adobe cannot actually register your domain so you will need to go to a third-party site like Dreamhost, Hover, or Register to set it up. Most domain names cost about $ 15/year which isn’t much but it does bring the total cost to around $ 135/year when you add that to a Creative Cloud subscription.
The Happy Middle Ground
The entire idea of a website might seem like somewhat of an anachronism in today’s social media-saturated internet. Many photographers have elected to forego a traditional web presence entirely in favor of building a brand and following on social media.
The downside of this approach is that your audience experience can be tainted by design decisions and embedded advertising entirely beyond your control, and there are always going to be a subset of potential clients who choose not to engage on social media at all and will, therefore, miss out on the chance to view your work.
My family portrait gallery.
Websites might not have the shine and excitement that they once did but there are still plenty of good reasons to build and maintain your own presence on the internet. To that end, Adobe Portfolio offers a compelling set of features for literally no cost at all if you already subscribe to any of Adobe’s Creative Cloud plans.
If you don’t currently subscribe to Creative Cloud but do pay a third-party provider to host your website you might want to give Portfolio a second look. Think of it as paying about the same as you are now for a website, but with the added bonus of world-class photography software like Lightroom and Photoshop thrown in at no extra charge.
Your opinion of Adobe Portfolio will likely depend on your needs for a website and your expectations of what Portfolio can offer. If you want an extensive do-everything website solution, Portfolio is going to fall short in many respects and you’d be better off with something like Squarespace.
But if you want a simple platform that lets you display your work for the world to see, in a manner that you choose, without any intrusive third-party advertising or corporate mining of your personal data, I can’t recommend Portfolio highly enough.
Rating: 5/5
The post Adobe Portfolio – This Unsung Hero of Creative Cloud Could Save You Money appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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