Posts: abc1234 | Ugly Hedgehog

LR 5.3 and Photoshop

Picdude, do you mean PSD, not PDF?

Jan 28, 2014 11:33:52 #

Sassy1 wrote:

Hi everyone. Again, thank you all for your input. It is very much appreciated.
The camera I have is the Canon Rebel t3i.
I am wanting to do professional photography. But still have a lot to learn but I am having a great time learning. I mostly take outdoor photos but have practiced portraits using my grandson.

Sassy, that is an excellent starting camera. As important as what software to use is studying photographs of famous photographers and the many online tutorials. The Canon software is a good starting point. When you are ready, I recommend going to Photoshop Elements with or without Lightroom. LR is great for keeping track of your photos. I do about 90% of my editing in LR5 and then into PS if necessary. The radial gradient tool is fabulous. You could by-pass Elements and go directly to PS but I recommend using LR at that point.

I have not used PSE since October but my recollection is that the only killer tool in it for me is the facial recognition.

Good luck and always feel free to ask for help at UHH.

Jan 28, 2014 11:00:06 #

Picdude, Elements is a bridge between the light-weights and industrial strength products. Sassy has to be more specific as to he or she wants to do and the commitment in time and money. Knowing what camera he or she has might indicate the level of interest in photography.

Jan 28, 2014 10:27:45 #

kitcar wrote:

...Saying that about PS I was lucky & bought mine (PS7) a while ago with a disc, so its mine....

I think you would be better off with a current version of something free. PS has come so far since 7. I had 7 and I will tell you that CC is a tremendous improvement and I would never go back even to CS5.

Jan 28, 2014 08:41:51 #

LR 5.3 and Photoshop

Captain Jim wrote:

New Cloud person.. How do I export a picture from LR5 to Photoshop and then back to my LR?

The short answer is you do not. The first post after yours explains very nicely the process. To avoid confusion, do not say export but rather edit. You export when you want the rest of the world to see what you have done.

If you start the process by opening a file in PS, it will not go into LR automatically. You have to import the file and if it is a raw, the PSD edits too. The easiest way to do so is by going into LR, finding the folder containing the file or files, right clicking on it, and hitting synchronize. No need to view the import screen and you are done.

Jan 28, 2014 08:33:45 #

Wall-E wrote:

...PhotoShop (Creative suite) costs as little as $10/month. (You can't buy the newest version, only rent it)...
My *personal* opinion, is that LightRoom does 90+% of what the majority of photographers want. Cropping, color balance, saturation, light editing, cataloging. And you can purchase LR5 for $150, and own it forever.
Or, if you DO need some of the layer based editing, then get PhotoShop Elements (current version is 12). Still has way more training resources than Gimp.

You have never "owned" software; you have always licensed it. The vendor retains all property and intellectual rights and merely "rents" it to you. What Adobe changed was instead of a one-time payment, you would pay them monthly. In exchange for that, they promise to give you improvements sooner than for conventionally licensed software and to eliminate that kind of software altogether. How nice of them.

The reality of the marketplace is that Adobe is the gold standard with the lion's share of the business. While other vendors offer innovative, easy-to-use, and cheaper products, they do not rival Adobe in the breadth, training resources, and overall quality.

As much as I like Photoshop Elements, I find Lightroom indispensable and its logical partner is Photoshop, not Elements. At $10 monthly, the LR/PS pairing is a better buy than buying LR and PSE separately.

Jan 27, 2014 11:09:48 #

He Doesn't Trust Me

The thing that works for me in this picture is how the bird is so close to the corner and all that empty space elsewhere. It creates a tension I like and is consistent with the bird's posture. And I agree about moving the right edge back out. Who says the subject has to be in the center, at the thirds or along the Fibonacci spiral.

Jan 27, 2014 11:03:38 #

One of things I like but you can't explain why.

lighthouse wrote:

I like it and think it is already edited perfectly.
Great form and function.

This shot is a prime example of the type of shot that should be tried in black and white.
Form and function, simplicity.
I love the composition, I love the processing.

If I was going to change anything it would have been before shooting. I would have taken the wire cutters to that slightly OOF wire in front of all the rest and cut that out of the photo to simplify it even more.

This was a very nice edit. Congratulations. The problem I have with this is the high contrast and lack of detail in the wires. They may not have had any but while I like the composition, the picture is too stark for my taste.

How nice to make the mundane interesting.

Jan 26, 2014 22:44:28 #

(Links and Resources)

NEW ExpoDisc 2.0

For those of you who may remember my posts, you will recall that I am a big fan of ExpoDisc for setting the white balance. They have now come out with a new version that is substantially cheaper than the original, has an improved mount, and has two attachments for portrait use (slightly warmer). It claims to be 18% so that you can set exposures accordingly. Go here for details.

http://www.expoimaging.com/product_info.php?cPath=11&products_id=65

From their website:

Quote:

What is the difference between the ExpoDisc "... (show quote)

At $49.95 and free shipping from some distributors, this a better buy than ever and I am glad that I lost an eBay auction at $46 delivered for the original unit. I am buying one now and hope to report on it soon.

Jan 26, 2014 14:32:09 #

Magic Lantern for T3i

rwill19050 wrote:

Rubbish, get your facts right before you post please. :thumbdown:
I have used it for ages now, and the one time when the camera did fail to boot (my fault, I'm sure) you just flick open the battery door and release the battery.

Which functions do you find most useful?

Jan 26, 2014 11:27:12 #

The farm across the way

jaymatt wrote:

I really didn't have anything specific in mind; I was in the back of the farm looking for subjects after the crops were harvested. I looked across the field and saw a nice view of the neighbor's spread and took a photo. I had no motives. I think I'll have it printed and give it to him; he's a nice guy.

That is a legitimate answer.

Jan 26, 2014 09:56:39 #

Tamron or Sigma 70-200 f/2.8

jerryc41 wrote:

Who did you buy it from, and how much was the import duty?

digitalrev.com Very good buying experience. I just hope I have not service problems. When under warranty, you either send back to them or have a domestic service send them the quote and they will pay for the repair.

2.3% or $23

Jan 26, 2014 09:50:56 #

The farm across the way

John, unfortunately, I do not find this an interesting picture. I like the vivid colors (I am a sucker for strong sun light, blue sky with dramatic white clouds, and autumn colors) but the three buildings are terribly confusing. Three different architectural styles, no interesting juxtapositon. Only the barn has any interest for me and can probably be a study in itself. For example, shot it from different angles. Or shot it weekly from the same spot to show its different moods through the year. Or over the course of a day.

What did you have in mind when you took this shot? Perhaps I am missing something.

Jan 26, 2014 09:32:03 #

Magic Lantern?

Beavis wrote:

...I sometimes use the function that automatically determines the Kelvin temp of a scene in setting a custom white balance.....

How does Magic Lantern do that? Does it replace Expodisc?

Jan 26, 2014 08:55:36 #

Magic Lantern for T3i

St3v3M wrote:

I have and love it.

Which features do you use and why? I loaded it but never got into it. Did not have the patience to read their instructions.