One of my favorite new features in Adobe Lightroom 5.0 is the Radial Filter, so I put together a quick video tutorial showing you how I use this new feature to perform simple dodge and burn techniques. Check out the video below and if you have problems with the video displaying then click Radial Filter Video.
Signature Series Black and White Lightroom Presets
I’m excited to announce my Lightroom presets specifically designed for the black and white photography lover. My Signature Series is a set of 26 effects that have been designed from scratch, tested, and carefully curated by yours truly. I’ve always been a huge fan of presets as a starting point, and on rare occasions, they have been a “one click solution.” This series includes all my favorite effects that I use on a regular basis.
Below a sample of the “Soft Portrait” preset in action. Place your cursor over the image and slide the divider back and forth for a before and after preview. You can try out more presets and purchase the package on the new Lightroom Presets page or using the Purchase button below.
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Here are the Signature Series highlights and disclaimers:
- There are a total of 26 presets and each is labeled with it’s own name. Some perform similar functions, but will have added information in the label distinguishing them from one another. For instance, there are two soft portrait presets; one preset uses an auto exposure and the other does not. I recommend trying both and then comparing your results.
- The presets were designed for Lightroom 4.4 and Lightroom 5.
- These are not one-click solutions and were not designed to solve every image problem. These presets were designed with a particular style or look in mind. More importantly, many of these presets are making a lot of adjustments in the background via the tone curve, graduated filters, exposure, sharpening, etc… So please take your time to get know them and feel free to tweak them to fit your creative goal.
- I like to think of the Signature Series as part of my family. Each preset has it’s own personality, and when coupled with the right image, it can be stunning. However, much like family members, sometimes personalities don’t mix and the image and the preset simply don’t mesh well together. Take time exploring your images and the presets to see which pairing works best for you and your creative goals. My hope is you’ll come to love these presets as much as I do and they too will become an essential part of your processing family.
- Most importantly: If you use one of my presets please tag me on Facebook, Google Plus, or even Twitter. I’ll select someone’s photo in the coming months and post it here on my blog with your permission.
I love this series of presets and built them specifically for my needs, but I’m happy to share them with you. It’s my hope you come to enjoy them as much as I have over the years. All 26 presets are being sold for $8.50
How to Boost Color, Add Contrast, and Correct Crooked Images in Lightroom
This video tutorial will show you how to boost color, add contrast and correct crooked images in Adobe Lightroom.
Exporting Images with Metadata
I get a lot of questions regarding metadata, so I thought I would throw together a quick video tutorial explaining how I generally handle exporting images with metadata. If you have any questions feel free to email or leave a comment below.
Creating a Dynamic Sky using Graduated Filters in Adobe Lightroom
This video tutorial will show you how to create dynamic black and white sky in Adobe Lightroom.
Tiffen’s DFX 3.0 software review
I few months ago Tiffen released it’s upgraded Dfx 3.0 software with 2,000 plus filters and effects. This plugin works with Aperture, Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Elements or as a standalone application. I’ve spent the last few weeks playing with DFX, and with it’s latest 3.06 upgrade, I’m here to tell you it’s rock solid. What I love about this suite is it does an amazing job of simulating “on the lens” filters to create images with a natural aesthetic feel that many of us come to expect from a quality filter.
I will admit the sheer number of filters and variations can feel overwhelming at times, but this was easily conquered by spending more time with the program. The effects are so real that I posted an image on Google Plus a few weeks back and someone commented that I used a gel on my flash. To their surprise I had used Dfx 3.0. I think that speaks to the quality of the effects you get from Tiffen.
There are a lot of plug-ins and we all know I’m a huge fan of Nik Software and Onone, but what I think Tiffen brings to the table is years of quality filter making that has been translated beautifully into the digital suite. The effects are so spot on that it’s making me reevaluate carrying my gel kit.
Thoughts on improvement:
Tiffen has done a nice job of allowing users to create custom presets that are readily accessible with one click of a button, but they’ve failed to make the “Saved set-ups” as easily accessible. To activate a saved setup, we first have to locate the set-up file and then open it. Now this isn’t a huge deal, but as you create more of these “set-ups” it will become cumbersome. I’m sure Tiffen could easily resolve this by creating a “recipes” preset as Nik has done in Color Efex 3.0.
Reviews:
Over the course of the next week, I plan on doing a little mini series on the DFX 3.0 software so you can get a feel for how the program fits into a workflow. I think one of the strongest selling points for Tiffen will be the fact the program works as a standalone as well as a plugin. So if you don’t have Lightroom, Photoshop or Aperture, no worries, you can use DFX 3.0 by itself. You can download a free trial HERE.
Here’s a quick video to introduce you to the software and show you how I would use it for a quick fix on an image.
P.S.
I’ve been fighting a cold so I apologize for not enunciating a little better… 😉
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