October 2011
89 posts
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September 2011
62 posts
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WatchThis is the coolest DIY video I have seen this week. This guy takes DIY to a new level through woodwork, and makes a wooden shoulder rig. It even comes with a focus feature. Awesome!
Shoutout to Cody Hanson for the video find.
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Public Question: How to (and Not to) Contact a...
“Pratik, I wanted to know if there is any particular way you would recommend contacting a retoucher that I want to work with for the first time?”
Our public question comes in today from a beauty photographer from NY. She has requested to remain anonymous.
This is a fantastic question, because there actually is a right and wrong way of going about it!
The video above, or anything close...
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WatchWe Are 138
If you an artist in any way, watch this.
A mini documentary about a shoe artist. What makes this so amazing is his dedication and devotion to being an artist.
It goes beyond being a shoe artist, it goes down to the fundamentals of what brings all of us artists together. It doesn’t matter if you paint, weave, draw, or even shoot photography. It goes into the elements of...
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iPhone Photography Techniques
Thanks to Gauri Sharma for sending this in to us, we think she’s awesome for it!
We’ve seen the awesome iPhone shoot (shamless plug), and we’ve seem things like instagram (just plain shameful - kidding!), but what other cool things can you do with your iPhone in regards to taking photos?
Thanks to http://life.colerise.com/ here are some fantastic techniques:
1) Flare
...
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DIY: Lighting Globe
The great team at www.preptopost.com have come up with a really ingenious way to make a fantastic lighting globe from very cheap and affordable materials. Not only is it effective, but it is also very easy to make!
After watching the video, check out the fantastic results on their site:
http://preptopost.com/archives/1115
Not only does it allow for great looking images, but it is also...
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Adobe Photoshop Upgrades (Part 1): Liquify...
As I work through Photoshop, there are always problems that come up that make me think, “I wish they had this!”
But often I feel like I may be alone. Either way, I’m going to verbally start writing out what I would like to see added on to Photoshop in the coming years in upcoming version.
Liquify Precision
The first thing that I would to see implemented has to do with...
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Tutorials: Hidden Gems in Adobe Photoshop CS5
Here are a few great secret gems with Photoshop CS5, including the Pixel Bender plugin, combining content aware with puppet warp, and much more
Enjoy the videos!
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/features._sl_id-contentfilter_sl_solution_sl_hidden%2Bgems.html?trackingid=JCJZK
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WatchVideo: Silent Transitions
A fantastic visual short, shot by Salomon, that focuses purely on emotion through visuals. Be sure to watch it in full screen and HD.
Thank you to Aden Priest for bringing this to my attention.
What’s amazing is that everything was shot on a Canon 7D, including the apparent 6,000FPS moments at the end. Amazing how far we’ve evolved with portability in...
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How To: Shoot and Retouch like Paolo Roversi
“Can you make my shots look like Paolo Roversi?”
A question I get most often, which often my reply would want to be, “I don’t know, did you shoot it like him?”
The effect of a certain feel comes not only from post production, but primarily from shooting correctly to reflect the final effect when post production is applied.
Here’s a great behind the scenes look revealing some of the...
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Interview: Natalia Taffarel with Photographer John...
This interview is courtesy of John Hagby at http://pictpro.se/ with Natalia Taffarel.
This is an interview I place high importance in, for all retouchers and photographers to see. Be sure you take the time out to sit down and watch this. The first few seconds are not in English, but it will commence thereafter.
She really does share the same sentiments many of us believe in, including myself....
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Karl Lagerfeld for Macys with Coco Rocha
Macy’s behind the scenes look at Karl Lagerfeld’s 45-piece limited-edition collection. Shot on location at Karls studio in Paris.
It’s great to see Karl in action, behind the scenes. The complete simplicity of this shoot really puts their talent front and center.
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Interview: Bermuda's Fashion Industry - Small...
Just recently, I had the opportunity to visit and teach a retouching course on the beautiful islands that make up Bermuda, all thanks to photographer, Jevaughn Simons for making it happen. Take a look out the amazing experience here: (link)
What really struck me about Bermudians, is that not only are they incredibly hospitable, but they share an insatiable urge for knowledge and a showcased...
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Post Processing: Advanced Composites With Puppet...
Tim Tadder (http://www.timtadder.com/) is an accomplished photographer, who focuses primarily on highly creative conceptual work, with such brands as Gatorade, Timex, Columbia, Playstation, Crafstman, Yamaha, Sony, and many more.
With an exclusive look with Adobe TV, he shares a couple of secrets on how he uses the puppet warp for his benefit when doing composite work.
Have content you...
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Video: The Analogue Revival - Embracing the Film...
With a world gone digital, it’s refreshing to see people falling in love with film and still embracing it.
A great short documentary following 3 photographers with their love of film, specifcally. Is film dead? No, and with passionate photographers to keep it alive, it’s great to see.
Film isn’t dead, so I wouldn’t call this a revival, but a reminder of how great it...
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Visual Short: Summer Feelings
Summer is coming to an end, but the memories don’t have to. This visual short by Sebastien Montaz-Rosset explores those fantastic feeling captured from his own viewpoint.
What captivated me about this piece was the sheer emotion, being put in the forefront. I couldn’t stop watching, taking in every moment, wanting to see more. And when it was all over, those feelings lingered, even...
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Article: Shooting Macro by Amy Dunn
Beauty photographer, and accomplished model, Amy Dunn (www.amydunn.com), has finally posted an article regarding a How-To for macro beauty photography. It goes in depth, not only about execution, but also about expectancy of makeup, and much more. This comprehensive article is a fantastic read. Amy is an idol of mine when it comes to macro beauty, so be sure to check out her article!
You can...
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New Work: Eikona - Alina Krevchenko
New work with Eikona Photography, with model Alina Krevchenko.
What I really love about working with Eikona is that he is a master of lighting. With his vast experience, he brings something new to the table. It really allows me to focus on retouching clean without leaving a trace behind, as well as shifting light as needed. This shot not only focuses my retouching, but his brilliant...
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Post Production: Douglas Sonders - Black and White...
Photographer/Filmmaker, Douglas Sonders, goes into his method of converting to black and white using plugins with manual adjustments.
Check out more of Douglas’ work here at his website at: http://www.sondersphotography.com/
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City of Lakes: Reality Meets Fantasy (Hybrid...
What I love about this, is that this was actually shot around a REAL wedding! Imagine having your wedding not only captured, but a staple of a whole movie. Now that is genius.
In the fall of 2009, Melissa & Samir embarked on an incredible journey to Udaipur, India, to fulfill a lifelong dream of having their wedding in the country of their ancestry. This transcendent place, affectionately...
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Under Water Realm Project
This fantastic submission comes from Zubair Parkar, thanks for sending this in!
Have you heard of the Under Water Realm project? If not, take a look.
“The team here at Realm Pictures have always been about pushing the envelope – and this project is testing that attitude to breaking point.
We aim to make a highly produced short film set entirely underwater that will force the world to sit up...
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WatchCamera straps made specifically for women? Yeah, you go girl (couldn’t resist!).
In all seriousness, here is some product info for the blackbird:
WWW.BLACKRAPID.COM The RS-W1 is Black Rapid’s camera strap specifically designed for women. Part of the award winning R-Strap line, the RS-W1 is the world’s first camera strap that focuses on the perfect fit for the female form....
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The Collective - By the Community, for the...
Blogging is a great outlet that allows me to share what I know about the retouching industry along with findings that span throughout our entire industry as a whole. But in the big picture, it’s beneficial to many in limited amounts, as retouching is relatively niche in our huge fashion/beauty/celebrity/video/etc… universe. And also because it’s limited to what I know and find....
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Videos: Perspective in Motion
Two recent films I found that really puts a new perspective to the way we see both memories, and real life.
Be sure to watch these in FULL screen, they are quite magnificent.
This first video, MOTALKO, really plays on memories. 3d movement on a 2d plane makes for an interesting feel for this feature.
Cute Creta, is a video which gives a perspective from a tilt-shift lens. This is how God...
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DVD: The Art of Dodge and Burn
Good friend of mine, Krunoslav Stifter, is taking healm of the third series in the High End Retouching series. This will focus, in great detail, on the elegant dodge and burn process which has eluded many for so long. I will be providing an official pre-release review before it launches, so stay tuned. This is merely a heads up to sign up for updates.
Go to their site and check out the DVD...
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Original: Making It As a Professional Retoucher
“People don’t to want to die, but everyone wants to go to Heaven.”
A quote uttered in college Algebra years ago by my professor. It was hot inside the class and no one was really paying attention. We all, of course just laughed it off as random garble. I could still remember looking around the room seeing everyone laugh, assuming he was joking like he always does. He was...
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Wacom's New Product: Cintiq 24HD
Wacom is on a roll, with another new product! The Wacom Cintiq24HD is the flagship model. It supports a 92% AdobeRGB color gamut and features a fantastic resolution. You can find rest of the details here:
http://www.wacom.com/en/Products/Cintiq/Cintiq24HD.aspx
Check out the videos, I am sure you’re going to want to buy one (Wacom, where’s my cut!)
You can also see a hands on video...
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The Art Institute: Fraud or Legitimate?
A lawsuit against the nation’s second largest operator of for-profit colleges has cast a spotlight on the company’s recruitment practices and ethics, including those of a chain called The Art Institutes, which offers degree programs in photography and more than 55 other creative fields at more than 45 locations around the country. Earlier this month, the US Department of Justice sued...
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Original: Free Retouching Teaching Session Contest...
11.01.11 Update: The results have now been posted here: Link
It has been just a little over a year since I started teaching retouching. After I teamed up with Lee Morris and Patrick Hall at www.fstoppers.com for their iPhone shoot as their retoucher for the project, I received tons of e-mails asking for advice, work, and also inquires on whether or not I taught retouching. The video has now...
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Fauxtography Humor
Admit it, you secretly enjoyed these.
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Visual Short: Nuit Blanche
Put down whatever it is that you are doing, hit play, in full screen and HD, and watch intently for the next few minutes. You’re about to immersed in roughly 3 minutes of the best thing you’ll see this week.
Thanks to Dave Hamilton for bringing this to my attention!
Love at first sight, what does it really mean? Nuit Blanche explores the emotion that comes at a...
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Share Your Pictures Anywhere with Adobe Carousel
Well, it looks like Adobe launches a new product, Carousel.
No, not that kind of Carousel (sorry you can’t relive your secret dreams of sitting on a bobbing pony. I won’t tell anyone, promise).
Adobe decided to launch a program (yes, this time the real Carousel) which allows you to access your images everywhere. If you’re one of those people who has images sprinkled through...
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Video: Travel Through Art - By Christopher Konecki
This wonderful art piece/stop motion like video comes suggested through amazing friend, and photographer, Paul Burlingame.
It shows a story of a painting, and it’s connecting factor in his travels to Paris. Starting out with him painting in San Diego, and ending with the painting in the destination depicted, in Paris, near Montemartre, where his GF lives.
How wonderful is it that art...
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Showcase: Eric Schwabel - Burning Man Legend
I can’t begin to express the epicosity (common Websters, let’s get that in the dictionary) of what I am about to show you.
Meet Eric Schwabel, wait, in fact don’t meet him just yet. Do you know what Burning Man is?
First of all, before you proceed any further, please familiarize yourself to the event that is, Burning Man.
Skip through it, just let it sink in.
The...
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100 Followers - Thank You!
Something amazing has just happened. We reached our 100th follower!
When I first started posting on my blog, it was primarily to share my own work. But soon enough, I began to realize that there is a wealth of information, imagery, and fantastic material within our industry, and those industries that are in tangent to ours in the entire art universe, that I had to share it with everyone. Not...
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Tutorial: Portrait Retouching Series Part 1
The guys over at SLR Lounge put together a portrait retouching tutorial series.
Here is the first part, just released recently. What I enjoy about Pye, is he teaches very clearly and slowly, so it’s quite easy to follow along with what he does and how he does it. It’s great to see the different ways people retouch.
Check out their first part below:
You can also follow along by...
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The New Photobomb Feature in Photoshop
Did you see Photoshop’s photobomb feature? Instantely ruin any photo in minutes. A surefire way to add that special touch to any of your clients wedding pictures. You know, for the bridezillas, of course!
An old video, but still a classic. Enjoy!
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Photography Work: LA Crawfish
Most people don’t know I do any photography at all, after progressing my career in retouching, I almost stopped shooting for the most part. However, a couple of weeks ago my good friend Minson got in touch with me. We had worked on a commercial shoot for a big chain hotel a couple of years back. With that going well, I decided to go forward and do this.
He told me that he needed some...
