Remembering That Contrast Isn’t Always Desirable
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One of the great advantages of a digital camera is the built-in histogram which, in addition to showing over- and under-exposure, makes it easy to tell if you’ve captured a broad range of contrast. Photographers are almost always trying to expand the contrast range they can capture and output, and understanding the importance of manipulating contrast is essential to good photography. However, there are times when too much contrast is a bad thing—sometimes, it’s better to err on the side of less contrast. |
Framing the Issue
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No matter how good a job you’ve done shooting and editing an image, some images just need a little more. A digitally-applied frame or edge is often the finishing touch that turns an image that’s lacking something, into a completed work. Currently, there are several software framing packages available for both the Mac and Windows. |
Lighthouse
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I shot this lighthouse image in the German coastal town of Warnemunde. Though I was happy enough with the composition, the hard afternoon light makes for a rather flat scene that’s kind of boring. Using a single Photoshop tool, though, it was possible to produce a much more dramatic image. This tutorial will explain how I did it. |
Photoshop Automator Action Pack v3.7
A new version is available! Find about about version 5 here.
Oh wait, as long as you’re here, I should plague you with an ad:
Wacom Cintiq 21SX
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I’ll be blunt: performing any kind of photo retouching with a mouse is a waste of time. Sure, you can get it done, but it’ll take far more time than using a pressure-sensitive tablet. If you’ve ever tried a tablet and found the coordination to be a little strange, then the Wacom Cintiq might be the answer for you. |
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