The Beauty is in the Details – Topaz Details 2 in this Case

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Before reading on, click this image for a larger view.

You know the old saying, "The beauty is in the details." Well, I agree with that saying, especially this chilly Saturday morning, because I am playing with Topaz Details 2 - a cool plug-in from Topaz Labs.

Here you see:
Top: Original
Next: Color Jump effect
Next: Desaturated Blush Detail effect
Bottom: Screen grab of Topaz Detail 2 dialog box.

The creative effects that are at your fingertips are endless, and even totally original - if you take advantage of the sliders in the sub-menus on the right side of the dialog box: Detail, Tone, Deblur and Color.

Hey, if you come up with a cool Details 2 image, send me a low-res version at ricksammon at mac.com. Low res meaning: 5x7, JPEG, 72 PPI. We'll consider it for The Plug-In Experience - a cool source for learning about plug-ins, as well as getting discounts on popular plug-ins.

Remember: when you remove some of the color from a scene, you remove some of the reality. When you remove some of the reality, your picture becomes more artistic.

Awaken the artist within,
Rick
P.S. If you are new to plug-ins and love 'em and wanna save some $, Topaz offers a cool savings on its Photoshop Bundle. Click here for info.

Topaz Adjust Tip: Remove Reality

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When you remove the sharpness from a scene, you remove some of the reality. When you remove some of the reality, your pictures can become more artistic.

The same goes for color, by the way. Remove the color, and your pictures can become more artistic.

I created this artistic effect using Topaz Adjust 3. In the Noise window, I checked the DeNoise box and moved the sliders to the the right to the point where the details in the image were blurred - giving the image a painterly quality.

This effect does not work on every image. Try it on some of your landscape and scenic pictures. I think you'll like it.

Click here to check out Topaz Adjust.

Explore the Light,
Rick

The Best Part of Snow Holidays: Family Fun & Pictures!

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Today's snow holiday in NY reminds me of past snow holidays - and fun in the snow and cold. So I browsed through some snow photos - taken for work and taken for fun.

Here are two of my favorites - one taken in Antarctica four years ago and one taken in my driveway about 10 years ago. Guess which one brings a bigger smile to my face, and guess which one is more valuable (precious).

My message: Take those fun family photos - even if you have to brave the cold. And, back up your photos in at least two places - one off site.

Explore the light,
Rick
P.S. Caption for bottom photo: Rick and Marco Sammon demonstrate the power of the XL-5000i Snow Remover.

Excerpts From My "Social Media Marketing For Photographers " Slide Show: Part I

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I just put the finishing touches on my "Social Media Marketing for Photographers" slide presentation, which I will be giving to the students at the Hallmark Institute and to the photographers at the Palm Springs Photo Festival next month.

The preso is about an hour long and features 162 slides.

From time to time I'll post a few of the slides here along with some tips . . . because one of my points is that we all need to share in this world of the web.

Top slide: What's in a name?
Tip: The name of your blog is very important.

When I started, my blog was called: Rick "Raw Rules" Sammon. When I changed it to Rick's Digital Learning Center, the number of hits went way up - because learning was more important than simply following a photographer.

Ask yourself this question: Is the name of my blog effective - or do I need a name change?

Bottom slide: It takes a lot of peanuts to feed an elephant.
Tip: Sign up for as many affiliate/associate programs as possible - amazon.com, plug-ins, camera stores, etc. All those peanuts add up!

I am thinking of turning my presentation into a QuickTime movie. I'll keep you posted if I do.

Explore the light - and don't forget those peanuts. Also remember: "Your money can work harder for you than you can."

Rick
P.S. Bonus tip: Sing up for Google Analytics. Do well and share your numbers with potential clients.

Version 1.1 of My Digital Photography App is Now Available

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The first update for my first app - Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet - is now available on iTunes. The update is free.

If you are new to the app, read about it here.

The always-expanding app (like a never ending story) include lessons on close-up photography and shooting in the snow.

Here is a preview.

Close-Up Tips

Practice.
Before we set out to take some serious close-up pictures, we need to practice using different f-stops, shutter speeds and lighting at home. That's what I did before embarking on a trip to Florida to photograph butterflies.

I experimented with different camera, lens and flash (ringlight) settings at home so that when I arrived in Florida, I could focus most of my attention on composition, without having to worry about making camera adjustments. This picture of Spicebush Swallowtail was taken with my Canon 50mm macro lens and Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX. That lens lets me get full-frame pictures off butterflies, as well as close-ups of a butterfly’s wings.

Depth-of-field.
When shooting with a macro lens, depth-of-field is extremely limited – and important. Even at small f-stop, depth-of-field is limited. Use your depth-of-field preview button to check what’s in focus – and what’s out of focus – before you shoot.

Ringlight.
A ringlight lets you shoot at small apertures for good depth-of-field. It also offers even or ratio lighting. Your choice!

Shooting in the Snow Tips

Don’t Be Fooled.
All that white can fool a camera's exposure meter into thinking that the scene is brighter than it actually is, therefore setting the camera for an underexposed picture. The remedy: Set your exposure compensation dial to +1. The increase should give you a better exposure, which, of course, you can fine-tune further with exposure compensation and in the digital darkroom.

Pack a Polarizing Filter.
Another important tip: Pack a polarizing filter to reduce glare on snow and ice.

Future 24/7 Photo Buffet updates will include:
Hyper HDR (because I am so hyper) and Flash Photography.

Hey, let me know what you'd like me to add to my 24/7 Photo Buffet app - or what apps you'd like to see.

Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Safari is in the works! It should be available in April.

Explore the Light,
Rick