Topaz Photo Ai - Combo Powerhouse? Plus a PS masking trick for power editing!

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Topaz Photo AI - ON SALE - AUGUST 4, 2023!

Topaz Labs has just announced a new product designed to simplify denoising, sharpening, and enlarging your photos. I took some time to share a tour of this new software and run through three photos showing you how it works.  For photographers worried that the Denoising and Sharpening apps were complicated you will appreciate this very streamlined and straightforward approach with Topaz's Autopilot taking care of all the complicated bits. 

Here are the cliff notes from the video - 

  • Denoise and sharpen in one program

  • Automatic subject selection

  • A simple interface with Autopilot suggestions automatically improves your photo

  • Fast before and after preview slider

  • Raw or jpeg and batch processing of multiple photos

  • Easy round trip flow from Lightroom to Photo AI and back to Lightroom

Topaz Photo AI just hit version 1.5 and to celebrate Topaz is offering a nice discount. Buy Topaz Photo AI  NOTE - if you already own the Image Quality Bundle - Topaz Denoise, Sharpen and Gigapixel - this new software is discounted as long as you are current with your subscription to receive updates.

Get Topaz  Photo AI Here - They do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge – Product Photography 2

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Instagram Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_product2

This week something you could do inside or go out and capture with product photography. A bit simpler with the holidays coming up but it's a fun challenge and you can hopefully learn from it to make a few bucks doing photos locally.Next Two Week Challenge: #PRTV_holiday2 Find out more about upcoming challenges and past winners at photorec.tv/prtv.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram at @Photorec.tv and the team:

Team FeatureTeam FeatureTeam Feature
Toby’s Features:

Fully committed to the shot with the water- it’s a neat take that makes me think of summer and beer - perfect. I may suggest to dial back the water just a bit and the buried can looks a little dented but all around good shot!

@photorec.tv #prtv_product2

A post shared by Robbie Brown (@wishbon77) on

Solid classic holiday chocolate shot though I would have liked to see one of them out of the wrapper.

The setting so nicely compliments the strap design - I’d expect her to have some solid product work, Heather sells these straps - see more at http://amzn.to/2BduEx8

Roy’s Features:

Really nice bokeh and it forces the focus on your bracelet with the charm that stands out.

A great pick by Heather with her own straps, which you can check out at http://amzn.to/2BduEx8. Using the concrete to lead the eye works for this and lets the strap pop against the muted colors.

You can’t beat shooting in Belize for some great product shots and having the tail loop over worked nicely.

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge – Complementary Colors

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Instagram Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_complementarycolors

This week was a bit more challenging in that you had to follow a color scheme. Using complementary colors in your photos can make for a strong image. We had some great photos this week, and some that didn’t quite get the colors right, but it’s great to see all the nice attempts at focusing on color. Learn more about the color wheel by trying it out at https://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/Next Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_product2Find out more about upcoming challenges and past winners at photorec.tv/prtv.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram at @Photorec.tv and the team:

Team FeatureTeam FeatureTeam Feature
Toby’s Features:

Orange and blue - love the abstract but bright details in the soap bubbles.

Love the framing with that red! 

It's an interesting color contrast between the subject and background

#prtv_complementarycolors

A post shared by Lisa Phelan (@lisas_lens_) on

Roy’s Features:

A great shot with these berries, the red really pops in front of the green background.

Blue hour makes for some really nice complementary color with the sunset fading off.

Using some gels for a self-portrait really works well for this challenge. 

Desktops, Laptops, Raid Drives, 4K Monitors- Gift Guide 2017

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Let's talk about pro level gear for your office - the stuff that makes editing photos and video a painless experience - from fast computers and huge raid drives to beautiful 4k monitors in this episode of the 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BFb_F4p0KU

5K iMac

Screenshot-2017-12-14-09.24.26-e1513272508596-491x650.png

Specs -4.2 GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core8GB of DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD (Buy Additional RAM)27" 5120 x 2880 IPS Retina 5K DisplayAMD Radeon Pro 580 Graphics Card (8GB)UHS-II SDXC Card ReaderThunderbolt 3 | USB 3.0 Type-AI have an older version of this iMac and love it - a beautiful screen that needs no calibration and performance that easily handles editing photos and 4k video. I recommend you buy with just 8GB of RAM and buy separately, it is VERY easy to install and saves you almost $400.Buy from B&H Photo: Recommended 5k iMac

15" MacBook Pro

Specs -2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core16GB of 2133 MHz RAM | 512GB SSD15.4" 2880 x 1800 Retina DisplayAMD Radeon Pro 560 Graphics (4GB GGDR5)An updated version of my trusty MacBook Pro - this will handle all your editing needs. While I would love to save a few pounds and go with the 13 the truth is you save less than 2lbs and give up significant screen real estate.  For photo editing that doesn't feel cramped, I need 15" screen.Buy from B&H Photo: Recommended Laptop 15" Macbook Pro

Lacie 6Big -36TB Thunderbolt Raid Drive

Lacie 6Big

Lacie 6Big

Lacie 6Big

Lacie 6Big

Talking backup drives is never very exciting but this raid drive is ridiculously fast and comes in a variety of sizes. I am currently running the 6Big with 6, 6TB drives giving me 30TB of space and peace of mind with the raid system protecting me from drive failure.Specs-6 x 6TB Enterprise-Class 3.5" HDDsSix Hot-Swappable Drive Bays2 x Thunderbolt 3, 1 x USB 3.10/1/5/6/10/50 RAID SupportBuy from B&H Photo: Lacie 6Big

BenQ SW271 27" 16:9 4K IPS Monitor

Specs -27" In-Plane Switching (IPS) MonitorUSB Type-C / HDMI / DP Inputs3840 x 2160 Resolution1000:1 Contrast RatioI have been using this monitor for a few weeks now and the resolution and color is lovely - this is a fantastic monitor for editing with easy custom setup, a removable shade/glare hood and a nice matte finish to the screen.Buy from B&H Photo: Beautiful 4K Monitor

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge – Portrait3

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Instagram Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_portrait3

Whether you were a people person or a bit of an introvert this week with a self-portrait we had some really nice shots! With the holidays coming there's plenty of opportunity for portraits so hopefully you reached out of your comfort zone for this one.Next Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_complementarycolorsFind out more about upcoming challenges and past winners at photorec.tv/prtv.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram at @Photorec.tv and the team:

Team FeatureTeam FeatureTeam Feature
Toby’s Features:

Really nice shot with excellent B&W editing!

Love the framing with the green leaves for a great shot.

Love the light, the sharp focus on the eye and those bokeh xmas lights.

Roy’s Features:

A great location for a portrait session and some awesome cosplay really makes for a nice photo.

This is a great portrait but I love the prop! Giving your subject something to interact with in a photo gives your eyes something to track and makes for a interesting subject.

While I'll always argue for more christmas lights this is a nice family shot with cute hats. 

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge - Food3

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Instagram Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_food3

Top picks for our two-week super challenge with the holiday time keeping everyone a bit busy. We’ve got some great top pick shots and it’s dinner time for me!Next Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_portrait3Find out more about upcoming challenges and past winners at photorec.tv/prtv.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram at @Photorec.tv and the team:

Team FeatureTeam FeatureTeam Feature
Toby’s Features:

Well placed - good white balance!

Nice look at the cooking but I would put finished product first.

Great tight shot - fill the frame with the subject YES, hint of repetition YES!

Roy’s Features:

Something a bit different with this neat dutch angle shot. Just make sure when shooting food to try not to let things intersect in the background but the soft focus works nicely.

It’s that time of year and this little tray of cookies fits the bill for this week’s challenge. I like the little wire lights around the rolling pin, they are a really easy way to add some interest to a photo and cheap as well. Buy some on Amazon!

A nicely lit shot, I really like the tin tray and newspaper as props to keep everything really clean.

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge - Blackpoint

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Instagram Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_blackpoint

We’ve gone to black this week with a bit of an editing challenge using the black point. Altering your black point in a photo is a great way to change up the look and feel of a photo and we wanted you to stretch those editing skills. Go check out our top picks (and the other entries as well) and give them some insta love.Next Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_food3Find out more about upcoming challenges and past winners at photorec.tv/prtv.You can follow Photorec.TV on Instagram at @Photorec.tv and the team:

Team FeatureTeam FeatureTeam Feature
Rose’s Features:

Fantastic composition. I love the way the structure fills the entire frame.

I love the lighting and composition. The black and white treatment is perfect for this image.

First time one light strobe light setup #prtv_blackpoint #sonya7ii #strobelightnewbie

A post shared by Eileen K (@ektull21) on

A classic shot done very well. The composition is strong, and the black and white treatment keeps the visuals simple and powerful.

Roy’s Features:

Jane has a nice faded look in this shot by raising up the black point giving it a nice aged and softer feel.

“She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live” - Annie Dillard - - - - Decided to try a matte effect for this week’s photo challenge “Black point” - in the Lightroom Tone Curve panel, I raised the shadows up a bit by pulling the leftmost point on the curve upwards - giving a muted “matte” look to the blacks and a vintage look to the photo - - - - #prtv_blackpoint #prtv #librarylife #publiclibrary #curlupwithagoodbook #bookworm #mattephotography #agoodbook #marinciviccenter #lovetoread #cameramama #clickinmoms #momswithcameras #our_everyday_moments #momtogs #letthembelittle #candidchildhood #childhoodunplugged #letthekids #dearphotographer #livethelittlethings #MagicofChildhood #enchantedchildhood #thesincerestoryteller #celebrate_childhood #mom_hub #honestlyparents #ourcandidlife #kidsforreal #tonecurve

A post shared by Jane Glover (@angry_runner) on

It’s a nice dark shot and by lowering the black point you see a lot of the nice film grain as well.

Something a bit different with this creative edit, pushing it darker really made the colorful bits pop

Delete Your Photos!

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Delete Your PhotosWatch me now at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqrI5GUg0y8  A few weeks ago I released a video to tell you your photos suck! I then followed that up with a few tips to help you suck less. This is a more detailed look at tip#1 - share fewer photos and shares my Lightroom workflow for quickly deciding which photos to reject(trash) and which to keep. And my star rating system in Lightroom for keeping things simple. Do you delete your photos?And don't forget to watch part 1 of "Your Photos Suck" here if you missed it: https://youtu.be/ihaz1_xmxFk

Lightroom Mobile Android RAW Editing

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Lightroom Mobile 2.2 RAW EditingUPDATE: Today only - $30 OFF year subscription to Lightroom and Photoshop CC including LR mobileAdobe has just released a technology preview that allows Android mobile users to directly import RAW files into your mobile device for editing - The list of supported cameras is impressive - most current models- Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony and more. See the complete list of supported cameras  iOS users got this update in July.You will need a USB On-The-Go adapter also called an OTG cable that will allow you to directly connect your camera to your android mobile device. Shop OTG cables at B&H or on Amazon OTG cable. -Those are standard micro USB cables. If you have a USB-C device you will need to purchase a USB-C OTG.   iOS users need the SD card adapter. Why do you need a cable/adapter, don't modern cameras offer WiFi transfer?  Yes! But none of those cameras will transfer RAW files via WiFi.Various OTG CablesPlug the OTG cable into your device and use your standard camera cable to connect to your camera and change to the PTP transfer mode in the Android Notification Center. Then, tap on the notification that indicates “Connected to USB PTP Camera. Tap to view files.” (note - When I connected to my Android LGv10 I did not have to click the notification) You will be presented with an import box. Select the photos you want to import, the collection you want to import the photos into, and tap transfer. Lightroom will transfer the photos and notify you once all of the photos have been imported.
You get all of the benefits of raw, such as the ability to change the white balance, being able to recover blown out highlights, access to the full range of color information, as well as editing an uncompressed file, all using the exact same technology that powers Lightroom on your desktop. An added benefit is that the raw file that you’ve imported into Lightroom for Android will be synced with Lightroom on your other devices, such as Lightroom for desktop or Lightroom on the web, along with any of the edits, star ratings, or flags that you’ve added.Lightroom for Android 2.2 is available now from the Google Play Store.  Will you be editing RAW files on the Go?Do you want to learn Lightroom - I am offering my 6+ hour video course on Lightroom Training for just $18.74 in November!!  More about Lightroom Mobile Editing  

Made for Creators, Microsoft's New Line of Surface Products

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jurc3SxztGwThe Microsoft Surface line just got a bit of an upgrade with a new Surface Studio desktop and an update to the Surface Pro series laptop. Oddly we've noticed the demo shows Lightroom mobile but we're bound to find out more as they are shipping relatively soon in November. If you've been looking for an upgrade to your aging system on paper both are expected to be great choices.

Surface Studio Surface Dial surface book

The big show stopper for this announcement is the Microsoft Surface Studio all-in-one desktop. First off, yes they basically copied an iMac, the design works why re-invent the wheel. What's different is this desktop shifts down to a 20 degree angle for better access to use it's touch screen, draw, or edit photos. A 28" 4.5K touchscreen makes for a heck of an editor but looking under the hood you can't dismiss the i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M graphics card, and 1TB SSHD. Then with more expensive models hosting an i7 with twice as much ram, 2TB SSHD, and even better graphics.As a companion peripheral to the Surface Studio we get the Surface Dial. Working with Windows 10 as a new way to scroll, zoom, and navigate. Setting it on the screen opens up an immersive environment with tools and options for the dial specific to the app your using. Using Photoshop? Set the dial on screen for tool and color options without having to get your mouse.Big brother is back with an update to the Surface Book. A powerful option last year, due to it's small size and strong processing power ratio it became the go to laptop for a ton of photographers. While the outside hasn't changed much since last year the biggest improvement is a 30% boost in battery life for up to 16 hours of use on one charge. With a new i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M you get even more speed in a small package outpacing the popular 13" MacBook Pro.Playing devils advocate overall the one thing that kills these is the price. If you can afford three grand for the studio or the surface book at $2,400 these are great options to up your editing game. In terms of processing specs a gaming laptop or 5K iMac ($1,799 vs $2,999... ouch) would beat these on paper for a fraction of the price. Being made for us the ergonomics of a tilting screen, surface pen, and immersive dial in a small format are the key selling points. For quality hardware in a seamless setup without having to pickup something like the Wacom Cintiq for touch input it's a good option... if you can afford them. As they just have released this new product it's expected future generations will benefit from a price drop as production advances.Microsoft SurfaceFor photographers, artists, and the like it's another step forward after the Surface Pro made a giant leap into the market. Turn your desk into a studio, with a dial to boost your workflow, or on the go with a laptop that lasts forever on one charge and can do anything you need. When it comes to this new line of surface products they may be a bit pricey but you get your fair share of power, speed, and function to make your editing workflow seamless.Surface Studio - MicrosoftStore.com. Starts at $2,999 and available for pre-order today.Surface Dial - MicrosoftStore.com.  $99 on pre-order or available bundled with the Studio.Surface Book - MicrosoftStore.com. Pre-order today starting at $2,399. 

Make Your Fall Color Photography and Editing Pop

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It's that time of the year, fall color is here, and Toby is in New England with McKay Live for the Fall Color Tour. Watch these videos for your go to source to get the best shots you can this season. For a fall color map for your area you can check the Smoky Mountains site here: https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0JiBWe5UG0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSxqnephiYohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smx9rtUnn88Bonus Editing Tips for Fall Colorshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0mW_KDOgGY