Lightroom Tutorials - Basic Editing Workflow (Video Download)

NOTE: Patreon Supporters get FREE Access to this video and future videos. This would be a great time to become a supporter.This is part 2 in our series of Lightroom video tutorials that will guide users of all levels and experience with the task of managing and editing their photos using Adobe Lightroom.Who this video is perfect for: If you have Lightroom or you have heard of Lightroom but the whole task of getting started with this program seems daunting, this video will help give you exactly what you need to get started with editing photos - explained simply.With the purchase of the video, you'll also be able to download and print your own keyboard shortcut cheat-sheet to help you work efficiently in Lightroom and gain access to TWO DOZEN of our own presets.Your purchase gets you:

• 1 hour of instruction separated by chapters for easy navigation.
• Printable Guide and Keyboard Shortcuts.
• Two dozen Presets that make editing a snap.
• Access to the PhotoRec Lightroom Support Group - get your questions answered!
• Future proof, buyers will have FREE access to updated Lightroom 6 content.

Table of Contents:

• Tour of the Develop Module.
• Installing Lightroom Presets (written directions included for Mac and PC)
• Creating snapshots and History
• Copy and Paste Settings
• Customizing the Develop Workspace (tips for maximizing your space)
• Understanding and using the Histogram
• Editing an image
• Basic Adjustments
• Lens Correction
• Sharpening and Detail
• Basic Panel
• Using Included Presets
• Making your own Preset
• Editing a portrait 51:37

8 Episodes total in series with additional bonus content.  Purchasers of the content now will get free access to the updated Lightroom 6 Guide when released.Length: 56 minutesInstructor: Christina BernalesSoftware Required: LightroomAdditional Gear Suggested: NoneBuy Now[product sku="lightroomEP2EditingBasics"]

Frozen Bubbles

Prep

• Get warm clothing on its cold out! With record lows like these you can develop frostbite staying out too long so bundle up. NWS Frostbite Chart
• Transition the camera from hot to cold and back in a Ziploc bag to prevent condensation.
• Keep extra batteries inside your coat as the cold drains them faster.
• Watch Toby’s Quick Tips for Snow Photos. Youtube

Location

• Just like in the summer bubbles don't like being on dry, dirty, or pointy surfaces so plan accordingly.
• Watch the wind as anything more then calm will make this much harder as the wind tends to rip them as they freeze.
• While technically anything under freezing temps will work if it gets under -10F°/-23C° they tend to shatter and above 12F°/-11C° they are more likely to pop before completely freezing. Although slower ice growth does give the chance for some in-between shots.
• Morning and night for colder temps, higher humidity, and you get nice golden hour light.

RecipeNo need to go buy bubble mix! Its easy to make bubble solution with household ingredients and it works great. The formula is 9:3:1, nine parts water to three parts soap to one parts sugar. By adding sugar it makes the bubbles thicker, last longer, and hold up to the cold better. For better consistency let it sit overnight.

• Bottled water helps if your tap is hard water
• Dish soap works great such as Joy and Dawn
  • Soap labeled Ultra need two to three parts more water
• Sugar
  • Okay - White Sugar
    • Use two parts instead of one
  • Better - Karo Light Corn Syrup
  • Best - Glycerin
    • Available at your local grocery, drugstore, or Amazon

Tips

• Blowing to form the bubble traps hot air and makes it freeze slower. If you're having trouble getting them to freeze if its warmer wave the wand instead to trap cold air.
• Ask for help, one person shooting and another handling bubbles is easier than doing it yourself. Take the kids! It makes for a group activity and you get some fun photos with them playing.
• Don’t let the bubble hit your lens, at these temperatures it will instantly freeze and is hard to get off without warming it up.
• Clean off any excess foam from the solution, with it being so cold the bubble mixture has a tendency to foam and freeze up which lowers chances of big bubbles.
• If your having trouble with getting them to freeze, try placing the bubble on something metal as it makes for a nice surface to get one to stick while conducting the cold better.
• Finally, lots of patience, not every bubble perfectly does what you want and even less will freeze right.

February Assignment Critique: Shadow Play

We critique several images submitted for the February Assignment: Shadow Play.March Assignment - Depth of Field. Please have your images submitted by midnight EST on March 29th for a chance to be critiqued.Upload Files through dbinbox.comNote: At this time the general critique is on pause, we will not be accepting new images and will not be producing any general critique shows.

Nikon D5500 Review (vs D5300, D7100, Canon T5i and more)

My hands-on video review of the Nikon D5500

NOTE: NIKON REBATES END 3/28/15 & include the D5500/D5300

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D5300 - Differences Explained Simply

Both D5500 and D5300 offer:

• 24MP APS-C CMOS Sensors
• Expeed 4 Processors
• 39-point AF system, 9 cross-type points (higher accuracy points clustered around the middle)
• ISO 100-25,600
• 5 frames per second
• HD 1080 video at 60p (10 minute recording limit, 20 minutes at 30p)
• Fully articulating screen
• Wifi

 The D5500 offers/Advantages over the D5300:

• A redesigned 24MP processor- I saw slight improvements in image quality at higher ISOs
• Proximity Sensor (turns LCD off when you bring camera to your eye- helps with battery life too)
• Smart Touch Screen - acts as a 3rd function wheel when your eye is up to viewfinder
• Quiet shutter option - Mirror flipping down is just delayed - not a big difference in sound
• Flat profile for video
• Fine control over settings in Picture profiles (1/4 adjustments)
• Slimmer and lighter, under 1lb
• Redesign deep grip
• Greater battery life (820 shots CIPA)
• Additional Effects: Super Vivid, Pop and Photo Illustration

The D5300 offers/Advantages over the D5500:

• Savings! - D5300 Sells for $200 less. Buy on B&H Photo.
• GPS.  If you want a GPS for the D5500 Nikon will sell you the GP-1A GPS Unit

 My Thoughts on the D5300 vs D5500The primary advantages of D5500 are the touchscreen, making the camera more user friendly and the slimmer and lightweight design.  Increased image quality at the higher ISOs is a nice bonus.  If you are a beginner this is a great way to ease into a DSLR with a camera that does provide room to grow as a photographer or is ready to be left on AUTO and provide you with excellent photos.

Nikon D5500 vs Nikon D7100 - Differences Explained Simply

They both offer 24MP sensors, the D5500 is a newer design with better image quality at higher ISOsThe D7100 offers/Advantages over the D5500:

• Full Manual Control and additional function buttons for customizing
• larger more ergonomically designed camera (comfortable to hold for long stretches)
• Auto focus compatibility with more lenses (in body focus motor, lacking in the D5500)
• Faster AF system with 51 focus points (39 focus points in the D5500)
• 6 FPS vs 5FPS in the D5500. D7100 can do 7fps in crop mode.
• D7100 has a pentaprism viewfinder providing a brighter view and covers a full 100% of the image area. D5500 uses a pentamirror design which covers 95% of the image area.
• Weather Sealing against dust/moisture
• Increased top shutter speed 1/8000 sec vs 1/4000 sec in the D5500.

The D5500 offers/Advantages over the D7100:

• Much lighter and smaller
  • D5500 weighs: 420 g (0.93 lb / 14.82 oz)
  • D7100 weighs: 765 g (1.69 lb / 26.98 oz)
• More user friendly for beginners
• Cheaper. Buying the D5500 saves you several hundred dollars

Who should buy the D7100?Photographers looking to seriously grow and/or will need to be shooting in all weather conditions.  And photographers will access to older lenses that will work with the D7100.Who should buy the D5500?Photographers looking for an excellent quality DSLR (currently the best  at this price point) where size and weight is important.Nikon D5500 Sample Images (More Coming Soon)[gallery columns="4" td_gallery_title_input="Nikon D5500 Image Samples" link="file" ids="7232,7233,7234,7235,7236,7237,7238,7239,7240,7241,7242,7243"]

Nikon D5500 vs the Canon T5i and Canon T6i/T6s

Watch my preview on the Canon T6i/T6s

NEW 4/3 Panasonic Lenses - 60mm Macro and 42.5mm f/1.7

Panasonic has just announced two new lenses. These are 4/3 lenses fitting most Panasonic and Olympus cameras (and more)

Panasonic LUMIX G MACRO 30mm f/2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. Lens

• Micro Four Thirds System
• 60mm (35mm Equivalent)
• Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
• One Aspherical Element
• Multi-Layer Coating
• Stepping AF Motor, Internal Focus
• MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer
• Maximum Magnification: 1:1
• Minimum Focusing Distance: 4.1"
• Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm

 Buy from Adorama | B&H PHoto | Amazon Price: $397.99 - Shipping - May 2015My Thoughts: GH4 and this lens = Beautiful 4K Macro video! 

Panasonic LUMIX G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens

• Micro Four Thirds System
• 85mm (35mm Equivalent)
• Aperture Range: f/1.7 to f/22
• One Aspherical Element
• Stepping AF Motor, Internal Focus
• POWER Optical Image Stabilizer
• Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm

Buy from Adorama | B&H PHoto | Amazon Price: $397.99 - Shipping - May 2015My thoughts - This is equivalent to 85mm on full frame and that is a lovely portrait length.  f/1.7 plus the optical stabilization make this a very nice portrait video lens. 

Most Popular Videos of 2014 #9 - Nikon's Wifi Dongle

This is a post in my series looking back at 2014, what videos were popular, why?  Hopefully sparking some interesting discussions about changes in technology and the focus of my viewers.#9 in the series is a 7 minute video showing the Wifi Dongle for Nikon's D7100, D5200, D3200, D3300 in action. Based on recent comments, even though Nikon now releases their DSLRs with built in Wifi there is still strong interest in this little $40 device.Do I still have mine? No - sold it for cheap to a viewer.Date Published: Feb 3, 2014Review and How-to with the Nikon Wireless Adapter.Compatible with the following Camera Models Nikon Df, Nikon 1 S2, COOLPIX P530, D3300, COOLPIX P7800, COOLPIX P330, COOLPIX A, D7100, COOLPIX P520, D5200, D3200Buy the Wireless Adapter on B&H Photo | Amazon $49.99 #10 in the series 

Lightroom Guide - EP1 Setup for Success

NOTE: Patreon Supporters ($3 and up/month) get FREE Access to this video and future videos. This would be a great time to become a supporter.This is part 1 of a series of Lightroom videos that will guide users of all levels and experience with the task of managing their photos using Adobe Lightroom.In this video, Toby provides you with a detailed, step-by-step description of how to create a catalog, where to store your catalog, how import photos from any media (including your hard drive) how to create an organization scheme for your photos to help you find them in the future, and how to use keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow.With the purchase of the video, you'll also be able to download and print your own keyboard shortcut cheat-sheet to help you through this first lesson. $2.50 gets you:

• 1 hour of instruction separated by chapters for easy navigation
• Access to the PhotoRec Lightroom Support Group - get your questions answered!
• Future proof, buyers will have FREE access to updated Lightroom 6 content

Table of Contents:

• Brief intro to Lightroom
• Installation of Lightroom
• Creating a catalog or catalogs
• Recommended Organization
• Importing Image from Camera/Card
• Importing Existing Images
• Library Interface
• Efficiently Navigating Lightroom
• Overview of Lightroom Preferences

8 Episodes total in series with additional bonus content.  Purchasers of the content now will get free access to the updated Lightroom 6 Guide when released.Length: 56 minutesInstructor: Toby GelstonSoftware Required: Current version of LightroomAdditional Gear Suggested: NoneBuy Now[product sku="lightroomEP1Setup"]

25 years of Adobe Photoshop

Yesterday Photoshop celebrated 25 years and adobe released this nifty music video Related:- Lightroom 6 is coming March 9th. Read about the new features.-My Lightroom Guide Ep1 is OUT. Just $2.50 for a limited time.Fun Poll:[yop_poll id="1"]

Photo Mish Mash Ep 46 - Weekly Live Show

Topics- Improved Audio!!- Photoshopping People and Photoshopping in General - how much is too much?- Your D5500 Questions Answered- Nikon D7200 Rumors- Lightroom 6 Features-And LOTS MORE. . . .Show Notes:

Lightroom 6 - April 21st???

 Will we see Lightroom 6 announced tomorrow, April 21st?Lightroom 6 links have been leaked online in several locations. It looks like it will still be sold as a standalone program and has a few new features, one I find quite surprising!Episode 1-7 of our Lightroom Guide is out and for a limited time just $2.49 -Anyone purchasing the guide now will have free access to the updated Lightroom 6 videos when released.  More informationNew features in Lightroom 6

• Face Recognition- Quickly find pictures of loved ones, even without metadata tags. You select a face on the photo, Lightroom and search the person it belongs to all of your other shots. Sort and group your photos by faces. //I am quite surprised and did not think Adobe would include this, it feels very much like a consumer feature but that does support the idea that Adobe wants that market as well as the professional market.

• Merge to HDR- Create realistic or surreal images from high-contrast scenes. By merging HDR, you can easily combine photos with different exposures into a single HDR image. //We will be able to combine images in Lightroom to create HDR- previously this required 3rd party plugins or trips outside Lightroom.

• Fusion panoramas- Realize XXL ultradétaillés panoramas. Photomerge technology lets you merge multiple images, including raw files, to create panoramas out of the ordinary. //Sounds like the photomerge tool in Photoshop. I don't know if the "fusion" at the beginning makes it better, probably just marketing speak. "Hey Joe, what should we call the new panorama feature?" "Ummm Panorama tool?" "No that is boring, let's stick a word on the front that is really fancy for merge. . ."  Additional note- this is all translated from french, it is possible that they won't use the word fusion.  I will be sad :)

• Performance gains- Import and refine your photos in record time. Lightroom leverages compatible graphics process to get you better performance, especially when you edit your images in the Develop module.  //VERY WELCOME FEATURE. Lightroom is great but there are many little catching points that slow you down at times and I am hopeful we will see some real speed gains here.I have highlighted the portion here that points to where those gains are likely to come from.

• Sophisticated video slideshows- Create stunning slideshows combining still images, movies and music, and supplement them with pan and zoom effects, for example. //Sounds great - there is a slideshow module in Lightroom 5 but this looks to take it up a level or two with pan and zooms. After the Fusion Panramas I am surprised they only went with the word "sophisticated". 

What feature are you most excited about? What features would you still like to see? Leave a comment below or on the facebook post-Want to jump on the Lightroom Bandwagon? Purchase Creative Cloud today ($9.99/mo)and you will automatically receive the upgrade to Lightroom 6 when released.[yop_poll id="1"]The full product description is below (Translated from French)Product Overview Lightroom 6Master your digital photography workflowRanking, optimization and sharing - Lightroom together in one fast, intuitive application all tools dedicated to digital photography.Bring out the best of each photoTest your ideas freely with non-destructive tools - your original pictures remain intact. Lightroom lets you optimize every pixel of your photos, they were taken with a professional digital SLR camera or mobile phone.Key features of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6Environment nondestructiveUnleash your creativity in a nondestructive editing environment that allows you to test your ideas freely. The originals remain intact and you can easily cancel your edits or save multiple versions of a cliché.Advanced conversion feature black and whiteMonitor closely the tonal qualities so essential to the black and white photos. Combine precisely the information of eight color layers in the grayscale conversion.Development predefined settingsSave time by instantly applying the desired effect to your images.Just save develop settings as a preset and apply them to other photos in a click. If Lightroom includes dozens of presets, thousands more are offered by third parties.Face RecognitionQuickly find pictures of loved ones, even without metadata tags. You select a face on the photo, Lightroom and search the person it belongs to all of your other shots. Sort and group your photos by faces.Sophisticated Healing BrushGet best pictures with one touch. Set the brush size and move it according to specific plots. Unwanted items and other imperfections, including irregular shapes son type, magically disappear.Upright (Vertically)Straighten skewed images with a single click. The Upright tool (Vertically) analyzes the image and detects horizontal or vertical lines inclined. It can even recover images without horizon.Merge to HDRCreate realistic or surreal images from high-contrast scenes. By merging HDR, you can easily combine photos with different exposures into a single HDR image.Fusion panoramasRealize XXL ultradétaillés panoramas. Photomerge technology lets you merge multiple images, including raw files, to create panoramas out of the ordinary.Performance gainsImport and refine your photos in record time. Lightroom leverages compatible graphics process to get you better performance, especially when you edit your images in the Develop module.Sophisticated video slideshowsCreate stunning slideshows combining still images, movies and music, and supplement them with pan and zoom effects, for example.Optimized web galleriesPresent your work in the most elegant web galleries, more attractive and interactive. The new models of HTML5 compatible galleries are supported by many browsers and mobile devices work stations.Integration of online sharingEasily publish images on social networks and sites for such as Facebook and Flickr. On some sites, you can even view the online comments on your images directly from Lightroom Library.Creating photo booksCreate beautiful photo books. Lightroom includes a large number of user-friendly catalog templates that you can now customize. Load them then printing a few clicks. 

Feb 18 Photo Critique - K.I.S.S.

Would you like to participate in future critiques?

760D and 750D - Why?

DPReview has an opinion piece on Canon's decision to run two very similar models of Rebels that differ in price by just 8%.  Read the article The gist of the article -

• The lower end, T6i gives the big box retailers a cheaper camera to sell in large volume.
• The T6s will sell better at the camera stores where employees will have an easier time explaining why the top LCD and other features make it worth spending more and thus make a better margin per camera

It is an interesting idea but I would love to see some numbers about these little camera shops and how much inventory they actually move compared to something like Amazon or B&H Photo. I suspect it is small. I know my local shop struggles to carry many Canon DSLRs as they force shp owners to buy larger amount of inventory than Nikon or Pentax.I do agree that the T6s is a clear winner between these two and in my mind worth the extra money.  Beyond the top LCD you get manual movie mode, Digital zoom in movie mode,  Servo AF in live view and the eye sensor.  See my complete write up on the T6i and T6s for more information.What are your thoughts? Any reason to go with the T6i? The difference is about the cost of the 50mm f/1.8 lens. 

Lensbaby 8.5mm Circular Fisheye

Buy from Adorama | B&H Photo ($229.95 after instant $70 Savings)Lenses are manual focus and manual aperture. Manual Aperture is great for time lapse, less chance of flicker issues.Note: Compatible with Crop and Full frame cameras but will produce a circular image on BOTH types of camera. Example images shown below. Alternative Option for budget Fisheye -

• Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye Lens - Buy from Adorama | B&H Photo ($239 to $259 depending on mount)
  • No circular image on crop sensor cameras
  • No interior metal for reflections like the lens baby
• Opteka 6.5mm f/3.5 lens - Buy from Amazon ($179!)
  • No circular image on crop sensor cameras
  • No interior metal for reflections like the lens baby
  • Less fisheye more wide angle

Nikon Instant Rebates - 35mm f/1.8 for $176!

 Nikon has announced INSTANT REBATES - HUGE savings on lenses, DSLRS and DSLR/Lens Bundles including the new D5500! Rebates end Feb 28, 2015. These rebates come once a year.Savings on DSLRs/Lens Bundles - Shop B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Nikon DSLR Savings

Nikon D810 is now $300 off: B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon D5500 kits are now $200 off: B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon D5300 kits are now $100 off: B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon D3300 kits are now $150 off: B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonComplete line of Nikon DSLR Savings at Adorama

Nikon LENS Savings

Two of my favorite DX lenses:Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX ($176) B&H Photo  | Adorama | AmazonNikon 40mm f/2.8G DX Macro ($246) B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon (My review of the Nikon 40mm)

Additional Nikon Lens Savings:

Nikon 28mm f/1.8G: $100 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 35mm f/1.8G: $100 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 50mm f/1.4G: $85 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 85mm f/1.8G: $50 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 85mm f/1.4G: $200 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 105mm f/2.8G VR Micro: $185 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 14-24mm f/2.8G: $200 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 16-35mm f/4G VR: $260 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 24-70mm f/2.8G: $200 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR: $400 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G DX: $100 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VRII: $100 off B&H Photo | Adorama | AmazonNikon 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VRII: $100 off B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon

Photo Mish Mash Ep 45: Hard Sell/No Drone Zone

5:30pm EST Feb 13, 2015Photo Mish Mash Show Notes: Photo Mish Mash Ep #45 Date: 2/13/15Sponsor(s):Seattle Workshop - April 4th from 10am to 5pm with optional dinner http://photorec.tv/product/seattle-workshop/Mckay Academy Trips - Join us in Greece, New Zealand or photograph some baby animals, helicopter ride to top of a glacier http://j.mp/McKayPhotoSquareSpace/toby 10% off your order. TWO week free trial. Clearly they know they have a good product if they don’t take your credit card up front - More to come soon. http://squarespace.com/tobyWeek in review:New site - Easy way to find my stuff- add “toby” to your searchesMagic Lantern - Just how easy it is on a T5i -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxwXi1X0xGcImage Critique - General Inspiration for Feb assignment Shadow Play - Submit for Assignment or General Crit -http://photorec.tv/2015/01/critique-schedule-submission/Week Ahead:NX1, D5500, Touchscreens making us stupid?^ firmware updatesNX1 Pro+Touchscreen,+User interface+Features - Including 4K+Quality - excellent sensorNX1 Cons-Missing true back-button focus-Expensive-Lens selection-Samsung?D5500 - summary of the review D5300 seems like a great value - more soon.News:Google and Mattel - Photospheres VR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlhFBU2I7vUhttp://www.theverge.com/2015/2/13/8033189/mattel-google-cardboard-view-master-hands-onSigma Announced 150-600 Contemporary - How does it stack up against the Tamron 150-600 or the other Sigma 150-600? http://photorec.tv/2015/01/big-zoom-field-review/“Hands-on” with the Pentax FFhttp://www.dpreview.com/articles/8579230519/cp-2015-up-close-and-personal-with-ricoh-full-frame-mockup?slide=3Sigma 24mm f/1.4 announced.http://www.dpreview.com/articles/5301767721/hands-on-with-sigma-s-new-24mm-f1-4-dg-hsm-art-lens?slide=6Drone - No Flyhttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/us/white-house-drone.html?_r=0http://mashable.com/2015/02/10/noflyzone-drones/Discussion:Toby has a rant? Snow DXSNO Scores -Reader Questions:My most confusing question EVERI'm hearing some noise on the Nikkor 18-55 mm lens during autofocus of still photos with my new Nikon D5300. I see a lot written about noise during video but is some noise (particularly w low light High ISO settings) normal?Thoughts on following combo: Sigma 18-35, 50mm prime and Tamron 70-200 VC USD?What do you think about the Canon 70-200 IS V1?More Questions:https://www.facebook.com/Digital.Photo.Recommendations/photos/a.10150222907829855.334190.233048999854/10153104116014855/?type=1

Ebay Savings - 5D Mark III for $2254!

allnewshop with 99.6% feedback rating has NEW Canon 5D Mark III for just $2254.0 - View on EbayNote - I do not expect the 5D Mark III prices to drop drastically or even much at all when the 5DS and 5DS R are finally available in June. Those two cameras are NOT direct replacements for the 5D Mark III and mostly meet a different use case.They also have 6D body only and with 24-105.Canon 6D body only for $1299 - View on EbayCanon 6D with 24-104 for $1,912.99 - View on Ebay

Photo Critique for February 11th

Photo Critique: Feb General Critique - Walking your viewer through your imageWant to participate in the next critique or assignment? All the info you need to know http://photorec.tv/2015/01/critique-schedule-submission/

Cheap Photoshop Alternative - Affinity Beta

Affinity has announced a photoshop alternative that costs just $50 and is currently in beta and FREE.

Photoshop and Lightroom present a powerful combination that provides most photographers with everything they need for post processing. However, with Adobe's switch to a subscription based model for Photoshop, some photographers have been looking for alternatives. Personally I think 9.99/mo Lightroom/Photoshop is an excellent deal but I do appreciate that for some the idea of renting software doesn't sit well. There are alternatives - Photoshop Elements, Pixelmator (mac only), GIMP and now Affinity. Affinity is currently in beta and 100% free! Affinity seems to be a strong Photoshop alternative with very friendly RAW editing built-in (similar to Lightroom). I know Photoshop is very capable of working with RAW files but dislike the floating window and I miss my Lightroom panels. Affinity is much more similar to Lightroom in the panel and RAW editing respect.  The program is a serious Beta - meaning it is still missing some functionality and could be a bit buggier than you expect.  Once out of Beta the program will sell for $50 on the Mac Store. No word on a Windows version.  The signup for the Beta program takes just a second and automatically sends you a link to download the program. Sign up here.Affinity's Announcement VideoAffinity Photo Beta Has Landed from MacAffinity on Vimeo. 

Some of the features of Affinity Photo Beta

The New Document dialog feels fresh and smart.  Types of new documents include web, as shown, print, print(press-ready), photo and devices(resolutions optimized for popular mobile screen resolutions) You have several different workspace options, Affinity calls these PersonasThe Develop Persona provides you with Lightroom-like panels for working with RAW images.  At this time you can ONLY work with RAW files in the Develop Persona.RAW File loaded into the Develop PersonaA closer look at all the panels available in the Develop PersonaFeature rich and capable, very similar to the develop module in Lightroom My Thoughts on the Affinity Beta - I Like:

• $50 for a program that feels feature packed and all updates for two years will be free
• Immediately the user interface felt comfortable and at the same time less annoying than Photoshop
• All the tools I use in Photoshop are here and seem to work well- clone stamp, healing brush etc.

I Dislikes:

• No integration with Lightroom. It is very easy for me to take a photo from Lightroom to Photoshop and back. I can also do this with the Nik system from Google but there doesn't seem to be an easy way to get an edited image from Lightroom into this program without exporting from LR?

The signup for the Beta program takes just a second and automatically sends you a link to download the program. Sign up here.

How-to Install Magic Lantern on a Canon DSLR

I walk you through the install of Magic Lantern on a Canon T5i(700D). Add some neat and powerful features to your DSLR with just a few minutes of work.Download Magic Lantern: http://www.magiclantern.fm/downloads.htmlDisclaimer: Magic Lantern is not approved nor endorsed by Canon in any way, and using it will probably void your warranty.We are not responsible for any damages to your camera.

Nikon D810a and D750 Filmmakers Kit

NIkon announced a new version of the D810, the D810a tuned/tweaked for astronomy photography and a D750 bundled with a slew of lenses and accessories useful for videographers.

Nikon D810a for those with stars in their eyes

60Da for AstrophotographyB&H Photo VideoAmazon

Bought as a bundle saves you just over $600!Coming Soon for $3,996.95 Preorder from B&H Photo Video | Amazon