Creative Retouching Essentials in a Day eBook

by Julia Kuzmenko McKim

This interactive eBook is for you if you are beginning your journey into the professional Beauty & Portrait photography retouching world. You don’t need to waste your time learning all the tools and panels Photoshop has to offer, if you only want to master or improve your photo retouching skills.

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Amazing Retouching Tips

Our eBook will help you to get a clear understanding as to what tools you need to be familiar with, and what to do with them to turn your photographs into works of art. In just three lessons you will know all the necessary panels, tools, functions and essential photography and retouching information to prepare you to dive into the advanced Beauty, Fashion & Portrait retouching techniques.

Moreover, you will learn how to fine-tune your Photoshop for peak performance, how to read and understand colors, what you need to know about color management, how to use custom brushes for Beauty and Portrait photography, what essential keyboard shortcuts you need to know, and a lot more. A few video tutorials will demonstrate the difference between Photoshop retouching tools, the trickiest Blending Modes and Adjustment Layers concepts, explain what’s so great about Layers and Layer Masks and more.

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How this eBook is Different

Most of the educational retouching programs (DVDs and eBooks) that are out there these days were created by professional retouchers, or famous photographers who teach their specific retouching style. I have watched many such DVDs that try to beat each other in the amount of hours of retouching they offer, and I fell asleep every time… just kidding, I didn’t. But honestly, although they are pretty expensive, I don’t think I’ve ever watched one of those programs from start to finish. Simply because I don’t need all those hours of retouching in real time and chit-chatting to fill it up. I am a busy professional and I want specific knowledge and skills, I don’t have 10 hours to watch a retouching DVD, trying to fish out a couple of things that I don’t already know.

Professional retouchers are getting paid for every of those 30-50 hours they spend on an image. If that’s what you want to do, than you definitely need one of (or all) those DVDs, because that’s what they teach. Hours and hours of retouching on 200-300% zoom. No doubt, they are masters of what they do, but they are pro retouchers. I am a pro photographer and retoucher, I work super fast, but I can still be proud of the images I deliver. I create my photos from start to finish, and I can tell you all about how to get to where I am at with my photography and retouching today, just follow my lead.

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Why this eBook is Short?

If you are a working photographer like me, than most likely you want to learn how to deliver excellent results very quick. There are always other important things for a pro photographer to get done such as promoting him- or herself to get more work, or actually making money shooting. More often than not, we professional photographers have retouching fees included into our photography service charges, so the quicker we get things done and submit to our clients, the better for us and our bottom line it is. No way I could afford to spend 30 hours retouching one image. I bet, you are the same way and that’s why you are here now.

I wanted to create an educational retouching program that is right on and brings to your attention ONLY what is essential to learn to be able to turn Beauty, Fashion, & Portrait images into works of art in post-production. And that is why the name of this eBook is “Creative Retouching Essentials In A Day”. It is well-structured and short enough (about 30 pages in total + a few short videos in the chapters that require visual demonstration) to allow you to absorb and digest everything you need to know before you move on to the advanced retouching for Beauty, Fashion & Portrait photography within one day.

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Why you Need this eBook

You don’t know what you don’t know. Even if you have been working in Photoshop for a couple of years you may still be lacking some knowledge that will lead you to that break through in your retouching. From my own teaching experience I know that a lot of photographers say: “Oh, I know all the essentials – I’ve been doing it for 2-3 years!” And when we get down to the advanced part of the course, I realize that they don’t know what Layer Masks are, never used the Free Transform tool or some of the Blending Modes, have no idea how to set target color in the Curves Adjustment layer or never heard of other essential things like that.

After reading this eBook you will have a clear understanding as to what tools you need to be familiar with, and if you are not yet, than you should practice working with them before you begin to learn Advanced retouching techniques. Essentials are super important, and any professional retoucher will tell you that. Check out our “From Amateur to Pro in a Week” eBook, when you know that you are ready to learn to become a Beauty retouching wizard.

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BONUS: Actions and Brushes

In the Bonus Goodie Bag you will find our Beauty Essential Actions ( + User Manual = $69 Value), a collection of Gradients and the Beauty Custom Brushes descriptions (URL for free download included). We also added a lot of useful information & materials in the “Getting Better Every Day” and “Photography & Photoshop” (Glossary included) PDF booklets. Please note that our Bonus materials will only work in Adobe Photoshop CS4-CS6.

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What Kind of Format is this eBook in?

Creative Retouching Essentials in a Day is a downloadable PDF file, which can be viewed on a number of devices – laptop and desktop computers, iPhone or Android devices, iPads, and other tablets.

For iPad specific users, our eBooks & Bonus Materials are compressed into ZIP files to decrease the size of the package for download. Use the link that you receive upon your purchase to download the ZIP file to your computer first, unzip it using any decompression program on your PC or MAC and then transfer PDF files to your iPad via iTunes or Dropbox app, whichever is more convenient for you.

Please remember that the Actions, Brushes and Gradients in the Bonus Goodie Bags of respective eBooks are a very valuable addition to the eBooks and you can only use them in Adobe Photoshop on your computer, so you need to download the ZIP file onto your computer anyway.

The Before & After images and videos in the eBooks will work on your computer and the reading material is also designed for viewing on the iPad, however the multimedia content in PDFs isn’t responsive on tablets – please use the links under the video thumbnails to watch them in the YouTube application on your iPad.

Long Exposure Photography Tips

Take Your Night Photography to the Next Level!

A useful technique in night photography is the long exposure. The effects that can be captured with a long exposure are stunning and have an ethereal quality. The most important tool that you will need is a sturdy tripod, and a DSLR camera that allows for long exposures.

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Photographing the Ferris Wheel

To photograph a Ferris wheel at night, move close and use a wide-angle lens to get as much detail as possible. Place your camera on a tripod and frame the image. Because we want all the elements to be sharp, choose a small aperture between f/11-f/32. Set your camera to either Manual or TV (Shutter Priority) mode and choose a shutter speed according to the speed of the lighted Ferris wheel, and the style you are after (anywhere between 1-30 seconds). You should take the image using the camera’s self timer or a cable release so that you avoid touching and jiggling the camera. The image captured will be full of light trails against a black sky, yet the center beams that hold the wheel will be sharp.

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Making Star Trails

A long exposure on a starry night can produce beautiful light trails created by the stars and the rotation of the earth. The best way to frame the image is to include an element of interest such as an old tree in the foreground. Place your camera on a tripod and focus the lens to infinity. You’ll want to use a cable release to eliminate camera shake of any kind, as it will RUIN your photo. Set the camera to B "Bulb" shooting mode and set your aperture between f/2.8 - f/4 for optimal results. Depress the remote to open the shutter. You should keep your ISO at 100 to keep the digital noise at a minimum. To complete the photo after your desired elapsed time, depress the remote again, and release the shutter. These exposures can be 15 minutes to several hours long.

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Stunning Light Trails

Traffic head light and tail light trails give a stunning effect and are a great way to get acquainted with long exposure times. Select a busy road that has lots of traffic at night. Use a sturdy tripod and position the camera so that it has an overview of the area. Use a small aperture of f/16 or smaller for a greater depth of field, making most of the image in focus. The longer the exposure, the more lines will appear and the longer they will look.

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Blurry Sea Waters

To capture that dramatic look of the ocean and the sky, you should utilize the amazing light of “the golden hour”, the last hour before the sun sets. Follow the basics of night photography - place the camera on a tripod, use a wide-angle lens with the smallest aperture possible, and focus to infinity. Turn the camera’s mode dial to Manual or Bulb shooting mode and use a slow shutter speed (5-30 seconds) for a longer exposure. The longer the exposure the more misty the water appears. Use your camera’s self-timer or a cable release to take the photo with absolutely no blurring. Don’t use flash because it could ruin the effect in the image.

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Determining Exposure

The exposure of your night time image will vary depending on certain factors. If there is a lot of ambient light then the shutter speed will be shorter. If you are shooting somewhere very dark, then the shutter speed will need to be longer. To capture the effects of light trails you need a shutter speed of at least 1/15th of a second, which means you must use a tripod. The image of the Houses of Parliament required a 6 second shutter speed, which is slow enough to capture the traffic trails. The f/8 aperture allowed the building to be sharp. The more you practice the more you will become tuned to the exposure you need for the effect you want.

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Recommended Settings

The main thing to keep in mind while deciding on the correct exposure is how to capture both the shadows as well as the highlights. If you are successful in obtaining the right shadows, you will be able to produce an excellent night scene that will win you compliments. When taking long exposures, the key is to keep the shutter open only long enough for the desired effect. If you keep the shutter open too long, you’ll lose the details in whatever light source is illuminating your subject, and you might even lose the ability to identify what the subject is. When trying to create a light trail, the shutter should be open for at least 1 second, and therefore requires a tripod. Use shutter priority mode and start with 1 second shutter speed and see what the result is; if the trail is too short, add 2 seconds, and then keep adding 2 seconds until you get the lighting effect that you want (the beauty of digital photography is that you’ll know immediately). If you have too much blurring, then your shutter was open too long, and you need to dial it back down maybe a full second.

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Recommended Equipment

In addition to your digital camera, you need a sturdy tripod to take good night photographs. This will ensure you stabilize your camera firmly, thereby avoiding blurriness in your pictures. In order to practice night photography, your camera must have the option for manually setting the shutter speed and aperture.

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Conclusion

Taking long exposure images at night can be perfected with practice and by learning to recognize the lighting conditions and how to adjust the camera to meet those conditions. Depending of what you have to work with, your shutter speed can be anything from 1/60th of a second to several minutes. What makes long exposure images special is that each image is unique, since light trails move in unusual ways, and with practice you should have a collection of photos that are one of a kind. The unique images available using long exposures night is a whole realm of photography that many people do not attempt. Stunning images can be your reward for trying this technique.

resource:http://www.exposureguide.com/

Cityscape Photography Tips

Take Your Night Photography to the Next Level!

Most of us will live in or near a big city. Amongst the concrete and tall buildings there is an opportunity to capture the cityscapes from an interesting angle; at nighttime. Once it gets dark in a city, the artificial lights come on and create the opportunity for some stunning shots.

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Capturing Night Signs

When photographing signs at night, one of the most important factors is light metering. The combination of a bright sign and a dark background can confuse the camera, leaving you with an under or over exposed image. You need an accurate metering mode that you can control, so choose spot metering and choose a mid toned area for a balanced shot (in this case the red lettering). Place your camera on a sturdy tripod to avoid camera shake and turn off the flash if you are too close to the sign.

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Stunning Cityscapes

To take a photograph of a cityscape once the evening has come, find a spot that shows off all the buildings and office lights that are lit. Place the camera on a tripod, and turn the mode dial to AV (aperture priority) mode; we want f/8 and upwards for a greater depth of field. Use your camera’s self-timer or a cable release to take the photo with absolutely no blurring. The best time for this kind of shot is during the two “golden hours” which are the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset.

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Photographing Bridges

Bridges that are lit up at night look stunning when photographed well. Once again place your camera on a tripod and position it so that the bridge, the water and buildings can be seen; we want interest in the foreground and background. Set the mode dial to aperture priority mode, and choose an aperture of f/16 or more. Ideally we want a long exposure anywhere between 1-30 seconds for a silky water effect. For warmer colors set the White Balance from Auto to Daylight.

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Shooting Street Portraits

Street portraits can be very interesting. You will need to place your model in the foreground and choose an interesting backdrop; something with passing cars or lit buildings. It is the one time flash is highly recommended at night, since it is needed to freeze and light the subject. Even with flash, the subject must be told to stay still, as there can be a slight delay from the time you press the shutter to when the camera fires the flash. A wide aperture helps in highlighting the subject, and makes the background softer. Above all, a good rapport between you and your subject will help you convey some meaning in the portrait. To capture some truly unique street portraits, you should use the smallest aperture possible or set the ISO of your camera to 400 or higher.

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Monuments at Night

Stunning architecture takes on a new life at night time, especially when juxtaposed with movement. If attempting this kind of image you would ideally use a tripod and cable release with a wide-angle lens. Set the camera mode to Aperture Priority and choose a small aperture for a deep depth of field to make the building super sharp – f/16 and above. Let the camera choose the correct shutter speed. You can get dramatic shots of beautiful monuments if you use a narrow aperture and let your shutter remain open for a longer duration to allow more light. However, you must use a tripod to prevent camera shake.

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Capturing Street Life

One of the most interesting effects you can capture at night is movement, shown through the figures of people moving and cars and buses driving past. To capture light trails successfully, use a tripod to keep them straight and the background sharp. Turn the mode dial to M (Manual) mode and use a small aperture between (f/11-f/32) for a greater depth of field. Set your ISO at 100 to keep the digital noise at a minimum. The image of the Houses of Parliament required a 6 second shutter speed, which is slow enough to capture the traffic trails. The f/9 aperture allowed the building in the background to be sharp. The more you practice the more you will become tuned to the exposure you need for the effect you want.

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Recommended Settings

Night photography is a challenge, and quite often experimentation is the key to success. It is possible to handhold a camera and still shoot at night but this may require a wider aperture, a higher ISO rating and some flash so that the images don’t become blurry. You are usually working with shutter speeds of 1/15th of a second or slower. If you use a tripod then you can afford to use AV (aperture priority) mode and let the camera choose the shutter speed.

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Recommended Equipment

Because cityscapes are a type of landscape, a wide-angle lens is very useful. It gives a panoramic effect and requires less light than a telephoto lens. A tripod is required when shooting in low-light in order to avoid camera shake. Tripods allow you to have longer shutter times and therefore avoid using flash, which can look unnatural and harsh in night photographs. Flash is useful however, in night time portrait photography. Cable release and shutter remotes are useful to avoid touching the camera during a long exposure. You can also use special filters at night, such as a star filter that makes lights look like they are small stars.

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Conclusion

Photographing cityscapes at night can be challenging and you should expect to be outdoors for some time, experimenting with shutter speeds and effects. Remember that you have to be patient when using slow shutter speeds. The results aren’t always predictable because the majority of the lighting is artificial and at times not stationary. Unpredictability is part of the fun of creativity.

Resource: http://www.exposureguide.com/

Night Sky Photography Tips

Take Your Night Photography to the Next Level!

The night sky is variable. Some nights are grey and overcast, some filled with stars, yet others are busy with the movement of clouds on weather fronts. Long shutter speeds are the key to capturing imaginative and beautiful images of the sky at night, so be patient and this kind of photography will become second nature to you.

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Star Trails

Due to the Earth’s rotation about its axis, it seems that the light from stars moves in circles around the celestial pole. These movements are detectable after about 5 to 10 minutes, and can be traced by your camera in the form of a streak. To photograph this magical effect, you need a sturdy tripod and lots of patience. Focus the lens to infinity and set the camera’s mode at Manual or Bulb shooting mode. With the use of a cable release you will capture the stars moving across the sky. These exposures can be a few minutes to several hours long. If you keep few things in mind, such as the timing, composition, and power of the battery, you can make photographing star trails simpler for you.

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Find the Right Location

The best place to view and photograph the night sky is in the rural countryside because cities have artificial lights which cause a phenomenon known as light pollution. You need to get away from artificial lights in order to see the stars well. A truly dark sky is preferred, but artificial lights keep the night sky from being truly dark. Many beginners aim at capturing the longest star trails by keeping the shutter open for long periods of time. However, they tend to underestimate the impact generated by ambient light in the sky, which can be hard to notice at times. In addition, residual light (such as moonlight) can have a devastating impact on long shutter speed photos. This is because when you keep the shutter open for say, nearly 20 minutes, an hour after the sunset, the camera may perceive it as a day shot. Similarly, a full moon night photo with an exposure time of around 10 minutes could also look like a day shot. Therefore, it is best to attempt such a picture with either a new moon, or well before the moonrise or after the moonset. The light emerging from the stars would be more evident at this time and the picture would be perfect.

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Use Long Shutter Speeds

When photographing the night sky with a long exposure, exposures of 15 minutes or longer will show the rotation of the Earth. You’ll need a wide-angle lens and a sturdy tripod, of course. You’ll want to use a cable release to eliminate camera shake of any kind, as it will RUIN your photo. Focus the lens to infinity and set the camera to B "Bulb" shooting mode. Set your aperture between f/2.8 and f/4 for optimal results, and depress the remote to open the shutter. You should keep your ISO at 100 to keep the digital noise at a minimum, because the sky is so dark and less prone to producing digital noise when the exposure is above 15 seconds. To complete the photo after your desired elapsed time, depress the remote again, and release the shutter.

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Auroras and Polar Lights

Photographing the atmospheric phenomenon of aurora borealis is a challenge for photographers. This difficulty is due to frequent spectacular changes in the brightness of the light. The charged solar particles move very fast and sometimes get hidden making it impossible to shoot them. However, if you follow these tips, you will be able to get the best aurora borealis photos. Anchor your camera on a strong tripod to keep it steady for longer exposures. Set the ISO at the range of 100 to 400. Shutter speed can be as long as 30 seconds depending on the amount of light available. Do not rely on the built-in light meter, which is better left for day time use. Although any kind of lens will do for aurora borealis photography, you should choose a wide-angle and faster lens.

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Cloudy Skies

As the light begins to fall, look at the cloudy skies. Watch the colors and how they merge though the cloud. Even though it is dark, you should try using an 80A blue cooling filter to enhance the blue cast of the sky and to reduce the yellow cast from the artifical lights. Use a wide-angle lens and opt for longer exposures. You can first try a few test shots, and then assess them carefully on your digital camera. You should be able to decide on the best range of exposures to capture some good photographs of an overcast sky.

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Recommended Settings

Metering after dark can be a problem, so make sure you choose the best option for your particular situation. If the conditions are both light and dark you need to use spot metering for an accurate reading. If the darkness is even you can use center weighted or evaluative metering. Don’t use flash if you can help it as this can affect the resulting image, creating an area of the photograph that is over-lit. Manual and Bulb modes are the best shooting modes for this kind of photography.

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Recommended Equipment

Night skies should always be photographed with the assistance of a tripod. Don’t forget to buy a cable release or a remote control for taking the picture – this is important because some shots will take up to 30 seconds or even more. Your lens ideally should have an infinity focusing mode and your camera should have the ability to do a mirror lock up - a feature in which the mirror in the camera moves out of the way before the shutter is released. This feature eliminates the vibration that occurs when the mirror slaps up into the camera housing. A wide-angle lens is the best choice for night skies, and a zoom makes it even more versatile.

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Conclusion

When taking pictures of the night sky, remember that patience is as important as is the ability to look at an image’s composition critically and decide what you need to change next time to make it better. As we stated earlier, the process of finding the right exposure length for the image you want is going to be a process of trial and error (in terms of lens length, shutter speed, aperture setting, as all three allow for different effects). With long exposures of over 30 seconds, a cable release is necessary to ensure tack sharp final images. For additional variety and perhaps better photographs of stars in the sky, you might want to try a few B&W shots. Dress warmly if the weather is cold, because sitting still on a cold night is much colder than walking in the cold, so extra layers may be needed. Remember to take a flashlight with you so you can adjust your camera in the dark. The more images of the night sky you take, the more you will learn the best way to photograph them.

resource: http://www.exposureguide.com/

Concert Photography Tips

Take Your Event Photography to the Next Level!

Most people have been to concerts, loved the music and the atmosphere but have come out with disappointing photographs. Low light conditions coupled with artificial and unpredictable lighting, as well as crowds of people nudging you out of the way can make concert photography extremely challenging.

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A Word of Cauton

As a word of caution before you go, be aware of the rules for the concert venue. Check the back of your ticket or the website for the concert venue, because photographic or recording equipment of any kind may be prohibited. The last thing you need is to be turned around at the door because your camera is not allowed inside. In any event, when you know photographic techniques for the unique conditions found in some concerts, you should be able to leave with an impressive range of images.

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Well Exposed

Taking a well balanced image in low light is difficult. Flash can ruin the effect and carrying a bulky tripod into a concert is impractical, so you need to consider other options. First of all you should use the widest aperture possible (f/2.8-f/4) to let enough light in. Try using spot-metering if your camera has this option. Spot-metering gives an accurate reading of the light levels – try pointing it at the artists face for the reading.

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Avoiding Blur

Blur is likely in a low light environment, due to the longer shutter speeds. Additionally, movement in the arena will cause blur. Besides steadying yourself (remove yourself from crowds of people if necessary), try to see what settings your camera gives you on Auto, then adjust the settings. Increase the ISO to around 800, or open the aperture more to see if it gives you an acceptable shutter speed.

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Movement

A good way to capture movement if you are in a concert is to use a slow shutter speed (1/30-1/60s should suffice, but experiment). You can obtain interesting photos if you capture the way that light travels on the stage. Bands use creative lighting systems that flatter their music, so hold your camera as still as you can and take the photograph. There’s a little used technique called Slow Speed Sync in which you can set your flash to be synchronized to slower than normal shutter speeds. When you set your camera for slow sync flash you will most likely be presented with the two options (rear or front curtain sync). Rear curtain sync tends to give a faint image trail and a tack-sharp main subject, whereas front curtain sync tends light up the main subject and acquire the ambient light.

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Silhouettes

If you are in a very dark venue, capturing silhouettes of people in the crowd gives a dramatic feel. As long as the stage is bright and the crowd area is dark, use a wide-angle lens, open the aperture wide (f/2.8 - f/4) and make sure your flash is turned off. Use either spot or multi-zone metering mode; take the camera light reading from the bright background, then point the camera at your subject and shoot!

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Laser Show

Flash could ruin the colorful effects of a laser show, so it’s important to choose a high ISO from 800 to 3200 and open the aperture to between f/4 and f/8. It is possible if the lights move quickly you may get some movement or light trails on the image – this can look good as long as you keep the camera as still as possible so it’s the light moving, not you.

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Recommended Settings

Experimenting is the key to successful concert photography. The key to a good image is keeping at least one area of the photograph sharp, rather than just a mass of colors. Start with an ISO of 800 and use a wide aperture – f/2.8 is ideal. Use a wide-angle lens and a shutter speed of 1/160th of a second. If getting a sharp image is a struggle, consider using night time flash (slow sync flash), which is delayed and gives a different effect.

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Recommended Equipment

A good starting lens is a high-quality 50mm lens with f/1.4 or 1.8 (this refers to how wide the aperture on the lens can go), or a wide angle 17mm-28mm. The problem with telephoto lenses, is that they require more light than wide angle and standard lenses. Under the low light and hand held conditions in a concert, the resulting image would be blurred unless you had an extremely expensive high-end lens. Specialty IS (image stabilizing) lenses are useful but expensive.

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Conclusion

Concert photography is fun and exciting, though it is not always the easiest type to do well. The key is practicing before you go to the concert. Try going out at night to take some images to get used to photographing under dark conditions. Remember the tricks to help you if you cannot take a sharp image at first: open your aperture, use a higher ISO, and use a wide-angle or 50mm prime lens. Don’t forget to have fun, enjoy the music and keep your eyes open for various opportunities; it can be hard to look around during a concert, but keep your eyes peeled and the camera ready!

resource: http://www.exposureguide.com/