Blog

How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop

The post How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Have you downloaded the NIK filter collection but now you don’t know how to use it? It’s great to have all these tools available, but they can be daunting to use for the first time. When there are so many choices available, it’s difficult to choose or even figure out where to start. So, keep reading for a quick introductory guide to the Nik filter interface.

Launch Photoshop

When you launch Photoshop, the Nik Filter Panel launches too. This panel is independent of the Photoshop interface. You can move it around your screen, minimize or close it without affecting Photoshop.

If you close it and want to open it again without re-launching Photoshop, go to Menu -> File -> Automate -> Nik Collection Selective Tool. If you don’t want the entire panel, but a specific filter you can go to Menu -> Filters -> Nik Collection and choose the one you want from the menu. However, keep in mind that this option is only active if you have already opened an image.

While I’m using Color Efex Pro to show you around, this tutorial is an introduction to the entire collection. Therefore, I won’t go into much detail about this or any other particular filter. Instead, I discuss only what they share. When you launch the desired filter, a window pops up. This window has a canvas area where you can see the image and one or two adjustment panels on the side.

*Note that Dfine, Viveza and Sharpener Pro only have the adjustment panel on the right.

Canvas

Let’s start with the Canvas. Canvas is the area where you can see your image and the adjustments you’re making to it. First of all, you can change the background color so that you can best appreciate the photo. By clicking the button on top that has a lightbulb in it, you can switch to black, white or grey.

The default setting displays the canvas and the panels, that way you can see what you’re doing. However, you can hide the panels at any time by clicking the buttons on the top corner(s). You can also press the Tab key on your keyboard for this.

View Modes

Still on the top bar, and regardless of how many panels you have shown, there’s always the display choices. You can have the Single Image Mode that shows your entire image with the adjustments. To see the original image, you can click the Compare button.

Using the Compare button gives you a side by side comparison or a split image comparison. The two buttons are on top next to the Single View one.

Categories

Regarding panels, on the left, you’ll have the available filters when you are in Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Analogue Pro, Silver Efex Pro. In this section, you can see all the possible filters or narrow down the choices by category.

Also, in most of them (except Color Efex Pro), you’ll have a thumbnail preview of them.

Recipes

Below the categories and filters, you’ll find the Recipes. Presets and Recipes are a combination of filters that allow you to apply multiple filters and adjustments with one click. These are handy if you’re a beginner and want to have options that are more automized. However, you can create your own so that you can apply the same adjustments to multiple images. It’s a very useful tool.

Be careful not to apply it after you’ve already made some adjustments because they get overwritten by the recipe.

Note: If you change your mind about the recipe or anything else you’ve done, you’ll find the History button at the bottom where you can retrace your steps and go back.

Adjustments

On the right panel, you’ll have all the adjustments to personalize the filter or effect that you’re working on. This is available in all of the filters, but each one has different choices and possibilities.

Finally, when you click OK at the bottom, the changes get applied as a new layer on top of the original image.

Brush

However, if you only want to apply it to specific areas, click on Brush instead of clicking OK. That way, it gets applied as a layer mask. Then you can ‘paint’ the changes onto the desired parts. When you’re done, click Apply on the bottom of the Nik panel.

Conclusion

I hope you feel a bit more confident to start moving around the settings and finding your way into all the potential these filters offer. Remember, you can always go back a step or two when making changes. Also, don’t be afraid of damaging your original file while you learn because any changes are made on a separate layer. Most of all get creative and enjoy.

Have you used the collection? What are your thoughts?

You may also find these articles helpful:

How to Boost Your Creativity with Lightroom Presets

How to Use Import and Export Presets in Lightroom Classic CC

How to Make Creative Lightroom Develop Presets for Portraits

The post How to Use the NIK Filter Collection with Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School

December 23, 2018
Day 6: Take Your Photography to Expert Level with The Photography Express
The post Day 6: Take Your Photography to Expert Level with The Photography Express appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Ready to take things to expert level? Fittingly, this is the last stop for The Photography Express – two amazing deals from Josh Dunlop at Expert Photography.

Want to go straight to the deals?
- Wow Factor Photography Course for $ 77 USD (Save $ 120)
- Effortless Editing with Lightroom for $ 77 USD (Save $ 120)
Over 50,000 students in 138 countries have benefited from the passion Josh has for photography. And many dPS readers enjoyed the Milky Way Mastery course he presented with Casey Kiernan last year – and they’re back collaborating again in a new course (see the second of our deals below).

Deal #11 Learn 30 ‘Wow Factor Photography’ Shots for just $ 77 USD

Do you want to take the kinds of photos that make people say “Wow! How’d you take that?”

You can learn how to capture impressive creative and trick photography, with basic gear, all from the comfort of your own home. Josh Dunlop from Expert Photography is offering 40% off this amazing course exclusively for dPS. Some of the shots include:
- Picasso Style Cross Section Portrait
- Hidden Camera Mirror Trick
- Water Splash Photography
- Steel Wool Photography
- Bubble Photography
- Harris Shutter Effect
30 great shots in total, taught step-by-step in detail will keep your busy for weeks and your social media will never look the same again! Josh even shows you how to post your amazing photos to Facebook and Instagram so you can share your new skills.

Now only $ 77 USD (Save $ 120) for just 24 hours only!

Check out the deal and sample lesson now

Maybe you want some magic after the shot? Josh has you covered there too in this collaboration course with Casey Kiernan.

Deal #12 Effortless Editing with Lightroom for just $ 77 USD

Do you want to professionally edit hundreds of photos in minutes… not hours?

NEW course – Effortless Editing with Lightroom provides a simple way to edit your photos so quickly and beautifully that your friends beg you for prints. This always-up-to-date course is Josh Dunlop’s best selling course ever and he’s giving it to you for 40% off.

In addition to learning the exact workflow Josh and Casey use 100% of the time, they’ll also teach you:
- The best way to fix skin blemishes in just a few clicks
- Why most photographers skip the lens correction… and how you can use this tool to your advantage
- The lazy way to create panoramas without exporting to Photoshop or cropping
- Where and how to crop and straighten for maximum results (because YES, cropping is OK!)
- The do’s and don’ts of vignetting and dehazing
- The hidden preview for your sharpening sliders that professionals always use
- How to transform the perspective of your photo with the click of a button
- And much, much more…
How much is your time worth and how much would you rather be out shooting than burning hours at your screen?

Now only $ 77 USD (save $ 120) for just 24 hours only!

Check out the deal and stunning before and afters here

We hope you’ve enjoyed your visits from The Photography Express this year and that you’ve been able to pick up some great deals to keep your photography sharp going into 2019.

Josh offers a very generous 90-day money back guarantee, so you really have nothing to lose and a whole lot of skill to gain. And he usually has more than a couple of surprise bonuses too – so it’s worth checking out the deals!

Disclosure: We receive a commission from our partners if you buy via our promotion, but it is at no cost to you. In fact, you’re getting an even better price than usual!

The post Day 6: Take Your Photography to Expert Level with The Photography Express appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Digital Photography School
December 23, 2018
How to Use High-Speed Video to Capture Action Photos

The post How to Use High-Speed Video to Capture Action Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter West Carey.

Sometimes 6, 7 or 12 frames per second (fps) isn’t fast enough to get the shot you want. Sometimes the action is so fast it is best to use a different concept altogether. I’m talking specifically about how to use high-speed video to capture action photos that you want.

Think of it this way; standard frame rate for video is either 24fps or 30fps. That’s good, but may not be fast enough. Most smartphones these days can shoot 120fps, which makes them a possible tool for this technique. Or you can step up to a camera with much higher frame rates, maybe 480fps or even 1000fps.

No matter the camera, the technique below opens up a world of possibilities for freezing high-speed action.

I had a request from my client Andy Suzuki & The Method to capture slow-motion burning clocks for a music video, which turned out to be perfect material for this post.

Shooting

When shooting at a high speed, lighting can be critical, as it is with any quality photography. The high frame rate should be accompanied by a higher shutter speed, which can be accomplished with more light, an open aperture and higher ISO.

There are benefits and drawbacks to increasing each of these factors that depend on your intended outcome. I find Adobe Lightroom does a good job of cleaning up most ISO noise, so I prefer to increase the ISO before anything.

Adding more light is the next variable I would adjust. Although, as you can see in my example here, it was not an option. Next, I will adjust the aperture as open as I can make it while still ensuring my depth of field is adequate for my subject.

Grabbing the frame in Lightroom

Grabbing the appropriate frame in Lightroom is incredibly simple.

Downloading your video in Lightroom, and while in the Library Module, play your video until you get to the frame you desire. When you find it, hit ‘pause’. The forward and backward arrows can be used to step your video frame-by-frame until you find the frame you need. You can run this exercise multiple times if you need or want multiple frames.

Once you have the frame you want on your screen, click on the rectangle at the bottom of the preview area.

There will be two options Capture frame and Set poster frame. Simply click Capture frame and a JPG of the frame will be stacked with the video.

The capture will be the same size as the original video. In this case, with high-speed video on a Sony RX-100 V, as demonstrated here, the image is 1920×1080. There will be some balance you need to strike in order to ensure the final image is large enough for your intended use.

Conclusion

High-speed video is an excellent way to produce images it would take hours to capture. Think of splashing on puddles, wine poured into a glass, breaking ice or any number of fast-moving subjects. The method described here does have some limitations, but it is fast, easy and just a bit of fun.

The post How to Use High-Speed Video to Capture Action Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Peter West Carey.

Digital Photography School

December 23, 2018
DPReview TV: Best and worst of 2018
For weeks, we’ve been getting hammered with the question “Will Chris and Jordan continue their tradition of doing a Best and Worst year-end episode?”

Oh yes, dear readers, they will. And here it is. Pour yourself a cocktail and enjoy. And if you must, get ready to throw some rotten tomatoes at the screen if you don’t like their selections, and tell us why you disagree in the comments. They won’t take it personally – we promise.*

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!
- Introduction
- Best Lens
- Best Video
- Best Camera
- Worst Video
- Worst Lens
- Worst Camera
- Wrap-up
- Bonus Content
*They will probably take it personally, but go ahead and leave your comments anyway.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
December 23, 2018
Tips For Converting To Black & White Photography
When shooting black and white fashion photography, how you convert from full-color Raw →
Related Posts:
- Black and White Fashion Photography: The Set Up Black & white photography: from training the eye to choosing your models, make up, styling and lighting, we should be looking through a different lens than what we do in color photography.
- Natural Photography Lighting And The Golden Hours As an avid photographer it always used to irk me that I was so open to the elements and my photographs were very dependent on the light that day. The weather can either be your best friend of your arch nemesis
- How To Retouch Skin And Still Look Natural When it comes to retouching skin, it’s really quite simple. In fact, you can do it in two simple steps. However, it’s also really quite time consuming. Take your time and don’t rush through it. Following these few simple steps will pay off in the end!
- 4 Things To Consider Before Starting Your Portfolio By now you all should know how to create some pretty pictures. (If you don’t – tsk tsk, what have you been doing all this time?!
- 5 Tips for Protecting Your Digital Photos The advent of the internet has provided endless opportunities for photographers; it has enabled us to promote our work online, reach a wider audience and easily share finished products with clients. However, the largely unregulated nature of the World Wide Web has brought some more negative repercussions as well.
- Photography Portfolios: Types of Layouts Laying out your book takes a bit of time to perfect. I played around with mine for weeks until I found a style I was happy with.
- Types of Photography Portfolios & Where To Get Them House of Portfolios and Brewer Cantelmo are the two go-to places in NYC for artists to get their books from. There are a ton of options you can choose from as far as materials, colors, sizes, etc. All portfolios from these studios are custom made. You choose everything right down to the last detail. Essentially, these are the studios you’ll…
- Concept To Creation: How Professional Photographers Do It Examples of Concept to Creation from Working Fashion Photographers
Fashion Photography Blog
December 22, 2018
Weekly Photography Challenge – Christmas Lights

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Christmas Lights appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In the spirit of the Christmas season, this week’s photography challenge topic is CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!

You could take portraits using christmas/fairy lights, use the lights for creative bokeh, photograph Christmas trees or houses all lit up. So many possibilities!

Some Instagram Inspiration:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brandon Woelfel (@brandonwoelfel) on Nov 27, 2017 at 9:17pm PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chris Spoons (@chris.spoons) on Dec 16, 2018 at 5:57am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Iggy & Michalina (@kanapowy_team) on Dec 15, 2018 at 5:19am PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alyssa (@justagirlwithbraids) on Dec 13, 2018 at 8:07pm PST

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikolay Dimitrov (@nikolay_dimitrov_photography) on Dec 25, 2017 at 12:33am PST

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting Christmas Lights

Step-by-step Guide to Long Exposure Photography

6 Tips for Shooting Long Exposure Night Photographs

How to Take Photos of Kids with a Christmas Tree Bokeh Background

How to Take Beautiful Bokeh Christmas Images [With 39 Stunning Examples]

Weekly Photography Challenge – Christmas Lights

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPSChristmasLights to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Christmas Lights appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School

December 22, 2018
ON1 Photo RAW 2019 gets its first free update with tool enhancements and more
Photo software company ON1 has released its first free update for ON1 Photo RAW 2019. The new 2019.1 version features enhanced Focus Stacking, masking and portrait features, as well as improvements to the Lightroom plug-in and enhancements suggested by users.

The enhanced Focus Stacking feature offers more accurate image alignment and less speckling. Users now have the option output as layers with layer masks, as well, for additional manual adjustments. The Focus Stacking dialog and HDR window previews now include panning and zooming.

Other enhancements include better masking results when copying, pasting, and inverting, plus increased face auto-detection accuracy for portraits. The update adds the option to delete face selections, the Crop tool now remembers its preset across images, there’s the ability to import/export the keyword list, and other minor enhancements.

In addition to feature changes, Photo RAW 2019.1 adds support for the following cameras:
- Nikon z6
- Nikon D3500
- Sony XH99
- Pentax K-1 II
- Fujifilm GFX 50R
- Leica C-Lux
According to ON1, it is wrapping up work on its upcoming AI Quick Mask Tool, which will replace the original Quick Mask Tool. The feature wasn’t included with this update due to ‘some fine tuning’ that is still needed, but it will likely be released in a late January free update.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
December 22, 2018
5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light
The post 5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this video by Derrick Freske, you’ll learn 5 creative portrait lighting tricks using only phone light!

?

Using only a phone light and some handy reflective props, you can achieve some of the great portrait photography looks in Derrick’s video.

Derrick’s tricks include using:
1. A disco ball
2. Scrapbooking paper
3. Sequinned fabric
4. Lace fabric
5. Prism
Try these out and we’d love to see some in the comments section below.

Follow Derrick Freske on Instagram.

You may also find the following articles helpful:

How to use Colored Gels to Create Unique and Creative Portraits

How to Make a Dramatic Portrait with Light Painting Using Items Found in Your Home

Tips for Planning and Capturing a Creative Portrait

How to Make Unique Portraits Using Light Painting

One Speedlight Portrait Lighting Tutorial

The post 5 Creative Portrait Lighting Tricks Using Only Phone Light appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Digital Photography School
December 21, 2018
AgfaPhoto brand makes a comeback with budget cameras and digital albums
Agfa-Gevaert used to be an important player in the consumer camera space, but the company failed to keep up with digital developments and in 2004 the consumer imaging division was bought out by management and transferred into the Germany-based AgfaPhoto GmbH.

The new company filed for bankruptcy just one year later, however, and these days the Agfa brand is licensed by holding-firm AgfaPhoto Holding GmbH. Agfa-Gevaert’s has completely exited from consumer business and is focusing on industrial printing, health care and information systems.

Now we’re seeing a comeback of the AgfaPhoto brand on cameras, however. The brand has been licensed to French electronics sellers GT Company which has launched three new products for the comeback:
- 21MP digital compact camera DC5200 with lithium battery for approximately $ 45 (39 Euros)
- Digital Instant Camera Insta Shot IS210 that captures and prints 2.1’’ x 3.4’’ images for $ 113 (99 Euros)
- A range of digital photo and video albums that range from 2,4” to 10” in display size and can store up to 4000 photos and 90 minutes of HD video. Prices range from $ 45 to $ 113 (39 to 99 Euros).
If these new rather simple models don’t quite tickle your fancy, have a trip down memory lane and take look at the Agfa digital cameras from times gone past on our camera hub.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
December 21, 2018
Day 5: 24 Photography eBooks, $9 each, 24 hours only
The post Day 5: 24 Photography eBooks, $ 9 each, 24 hours only appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

If you’ve been eyeing off some of our dPS titles, waiting for a sale, it’s time to make like a squirrel and go nuts! We’ve got the full Photo Nuts collection for 80% off and the rest of our eBooks just $ 9 USD.

We know that some of you may already have these titles. If so, please consider forwarding these offers to a friend who you’ve inspired with your own photography. We’d also love you to hit reply and tell us what topics you’d like covered in new eBooks or courses in 2019.

Deal #9 Learn the Nuts and Bolts of Photography with this Classic Collection 80% off

If you missed the recent 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer course, and you enjoy learning at your own convenience and pace, Neil Creek has covered all the fundamentals of photography in these Video Courses and Ebooks. You’ll be taking beautiful images in no time.

The collection includes:
- Photo Nuts & Bolts Course – Normally $ 99
- Photo Nuts & Shots Course – Normally $ 99
- Photo Nuts & Bolts eBook – Normally $ 29
- Photo Nuts & Shots eBook – Normally $ 29
- Photo Nuts & Gear eBook – Normally $ 29
- Photo Nuts & Post eBook – Normally $ 19
Pretty much everything you need to get off auto and confidently enjoy your photography.

Just $ 59 USD you save $ 245 (that’s 80% off) for just 24 hours only!

Take me to the deal

Looking to learn something new over the holidays? Browse our eBook titles and find something you can get started on this holiday season.

Deal #10 All dPS eBooks just $ 9 USD

With 24 titles in our eBook store there’s loads to choose from. If you see more than one that you like you can create your own little bundle of photography training and still not break the budget.

Includes our latest release Wedding Photography eBook and our most valuable title Going Pro (save 80% on this one). Other popular titles include:
- Living Landscapes – Normally $ 19
- Black and White Photography – Normally $ 19
- Transcending Travel – Normally $ 19
All eBooks just $ 9 (save up to 80%) for just 24 hours only!

See all eBooks on sale

We hope you find a gem or two among our collection to learn something new for 2019.

We offer a 60-day money back guarantee, so you can easily buy now to secure the deal and if it’s not right for you, we’ll refund you.

Don’t miss the last two deals – sign up here for The Photography Express!

Disclosure: We receive a commission from our partners if you buy via our promotion, but it is at no cost to you. In fact, you’re getting an even better price than usual!

The post Day 5: 24 Photography eBooks, $ 9 each, 24 hours only appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

Digital Photography School
December 21, 2018