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Welcome to the 25th issue of the Digital Darkroom
Hi
Once again, lots of fantastic news at BetterPhoto! Our spring session of online courses has just begun, and it's our best schedule ever. But there's still space available. Check out our awesome lineup of classes at:
http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/categories.asp
Of particular interest is "Bare Bones Digital Photography" - a new course by our newest instructor, Robin Nichols. For details on Robin's exciting online class for beginning digital shooters, go to:
http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/ROB01.asp
In this issue of Digital Darkroom, BetterPhoto instructor Lewis Kemper shares an excellent new article: "Fix Lighting in the Digital Darkroom." Also, don't miss the Before-and-After series and our excellent collection of photo discussions.
To read the online version of the Digital Darkroom at our Web site, visit http://www.betterphoto.com/digitalpics/
Have a great month!
Jim Miotke
http://www.betterphoto.com/MG.asp?ID=124
In This Issue: Monday, April 11, 2005
 Balcony View Applied melancholytron, film grain, glare filter and buzz in photoshop 7. This was taken while on vacation at Orange Beach, AL. © Julie A. Abston JVC GC-QX5HD Digit... |
Featured Article: Fix Lighting Contrast in the Digital Darkroom! ... by Lewis Kemper
In his new article, BetterPhoto instructor Lewis Kemper shares tips and techniques for creating an image that completely captures your vision. Lewis, a PCPhoto magazine columnist and Outdoor Photographer contributing editor, teaches the popular "Toolbox for Photographers" online-course series right here at BetterPhoto.
Read more...
 Among the Many Flowers ************************************** This was captured 4-6-2005. Altered with photoshop. Desaturated and history brushed back the flowers. Then used multiple filters including edges, dry brush, crosshatch and colored pencil. I will enclose the original for comparison. I like it too, but wanted to do something different. Let me know what you think!! |  Among the Many Flowers- original For comparison only! |
| Each month, the best Before and After will be featured in the Digital Darkroom. To participate, upload a Before (original) picture then start a discussion on it (using the Discuss This Photo link under the picture). After telling us how you did created the effect, select "1" or "2" from the Upload Image pull-down menu, and submit an optional intermediate image and a final (After) photo. Aim to educate and inspire by sharing a concise, detailed explanation of your technique. Enjoy! |
It's Not Too Late to Sign Up for an Online Course!
| Kicking yourself for waiting too long? Don't fret, because you can still join one of BetterPhoto's online photography courses. Although the first lessons have already been sent out, the first assignments for our regular 8-week courses aren't even due until Sunday, April 17th! Enroll now, and we'll send you the first lesson pronto - and you'll still have plenty of time to complete that first assignment! Learn more... |
New Photo Discussions
New Photo Discussion 1: Dusk
- Dennis G. Creaghan Response 1:Great question, Dennis. The lamp was overexposed. When I processed the photo with Photoshop, I "burned" in the lamp an extra 2 stops (or a close equivalent to that). I underexposed the image to start with to get the effect I was looking for (dark asphalt and dark reflection), then made final dodging/burning adjustments in Photoshop. Thanks for your compliment. - Charles L. Inglefield Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 2: ~Say Cheeeeeze~
- Linda Lester See Linda's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks, Linda! The background is just colors that I selected and added the stained glass filter (in Photoshop 6) to it. The hard part was shooting my dog holding her mouth open and then removing my hand with the clone tool in Photoshop. ~:O) - Bob Cornelison See Bob's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 3: Bridesmaids
- Melissa Moultrie Response 1:Hey there, Melissa ... that's a good question - and before I knew, I wondered that myself. I scanned the colored photo into Photoshop. I then made a path around all of the flowers. When I made the path active, I inversed the selection ... this selects everything in the image but the flowers. I then went to image and turned the saturation all the way down to no color, which left it black and white ... but the flowers remained the original color. Hope that helps. Feel free to ask me anything else. - Amber Belveny Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 4: Contrasting Color
- Stephen F. Methot Response 1:Thanks!! In PSP9, I used the "Change to Target Brush", to change the color to B&W. Then, I used a "brighten tool" to brighten up the front yellow only. Then, I used "Soft Focus". I had some digital problems with the sky where the clouds and blue sky meet in the picture, so I used a "Push Brush" to cover the pixel looking problem from the sky. - Kevin D. Burns Response 2:Kevin, you did a great job on this! Thanks for explaining how you did it too! Love the angle and that part of the road is in the picture too. - Lori Fisher Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 5: Heidi
- Nonja Karns Response 1:The program is called Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0. I kept the original photo, and each time I made a change, I saved it as a copy with a different name. Then I copied and pasted all four copies to the same page. - Jeff Silverstein Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 6: Chevy Drivin' Texas
- Paul Michko See Paul's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Terrific combination of effects, Marsha ... makes a great advertisement. - Wally Orlowsky See Wally's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:You a Texas girl? My home state! Love this shot, Marsha! - Linda Lester See Linda's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Well done! Lovely! -K - K Stevens See K's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 4:You know, Texans are so arrogant we think the world revolves around us. I didn't think about the fact that Chevrolet may not use "Chevy drivin' Texas" to advertise in Maine, Penn., California and the rest of the US and the world. That is my truck, on my driveway and those are my bluebonnets - shows how lazy I am - plant my own so I don't have to go somewhere to shoot them. I thank you all for the wonderful comments on this shot. I love my truck so this is my wallpaper on my PC right now. Thanks again - Paul,Wally,Linda,K,Casey,Joannie,Karen,Don,Kara,Charlene,Tammy,Steve,Dado,Sanjay,Cindy,Judy,Dan,Stan and Noel. - Marsha S. Smith See Marsha's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 7: Escape
- Robert A. Simpson See Robert's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit rasimages.com - Robert's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 1:I love the patterns and colors. Wow. - Lorri Shank Response 2:Robert and Lorri ... thanks for your positive comments. I enjoy shooting fire escapes (of all things) in and around Chicago. Appreciate you taking the time to comment on this image<. - Michael S. Eisenberg Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 8: Take Flight
- Don Leslie Response 1:Michael, beautifully done!!! - Siete Meeter Response 2:Thanks, Don and Siete. Don, I simply used the lasso tool in PS 7.0 to select as closely around the areas of the plane I wanted to keep. Then I cut it out and pasted it into the photo of the Andes. Then I used the eraser tool with a soft-edge brush to clean the edges up. Next, I messed with the color to make it look like the same time of day for both layers. Finally, I used a gausian blur tool behind the engine to simulate exhaust. - Michael S. McCook See Michael's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 9: The Dress
- Marcie Fowler See Marcie's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Wonderful shot, Michelle! You ALWAYS have to get one of the dress at a wedding shoot! Its the law! LOL :D - Lisa Greer See Lisa's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:LOL - Thanks, Lisa! I'm glad I didn't break the law then! I went around and took pictures of all the details of the wedding before everyone got to the church. I couldn't resist a few of the dress! It was just too pretty not to! :) Have a great day! - Michelle R. Nations See Michelle's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit spiritfirephotography.com - Michelle's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 3:Wonderful wedding shot ... I have a wedding to do in the future. It's my first one, and all of this is really helping me come up with the untraditional shots!! Fantastic!! Thanks for the idea!! - Kara L. Hendricks See Kara's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 10: Passing Through
- Stephanie Lyons See Stephanie's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Magnificent job on this, Eric. Very creative use of effects. - Paul Michko See Paul's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:This is a really cool image, one that I'd enjoy looking at, and I'm not particularly "into" trains. Has a nice, clean, graphic design view, dramatic sky, and well-balanced visually. The purple was a gamble, and it works. - Elaine S. Robbins Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 11: Ladybug in Red
- Linda Proctor See Linda's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Gorgeous. I love the b&w with just the ladybug painted in. Super idea. - Marsha S. Smith See Marsha's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:Great shot Stephanie! Love that Lady bug!!! - Linda Lester See Linda's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Wow, everyone, thank you so much!! I had just learned how to color in with Photoshop the day before I shot this and was very glad I did, because it was perfect timing. :O) Thank you, everyone! - Stephanie Adams See Stephanie's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
New Photo Discussion 12: It's Soooo Cal!
- Colette M. Metcalf See Colette's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks so much, Colette. Luckily no one was around when I sat on the pavement and tilted my wide-angle lens for this one. :-) Filters used: The Spice filter in virtual Photographer and for the sky, Harry's Filters. - Patricia Marroquin See Patricia's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:Looks like so-Cal to me!! ... I love it! This is EXCELLENT, Patricia!! Your dramatic perspective on this beautifully framed shot is OUTSTANDING! - Dan J. Holm See Dan's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:COOL shot Patricia! I can hear the Beach Boys in the background :0) Love your perspective, bright colors and your choice of effects!! - Murry Grigsby See Murry's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit photomurrage.com - Murry's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion | |
The Next Step: Where to Go From Here
