I recently wrote a post about point-and-shoot product photography – a task many web designers will perform again and again. Taking photos is one thing. Getting them ready for the web is another. 1) Original files and retouching. Always duplicate your original image before you begin adding details and correcting flaws, and work with the highest quality files available....
In Part 1 of this post, I shared some setup and placement tips. Today, we’ll talk cameras and Photoshop. 5) Make the most of your camera. Even dinky point-and-shoots like mine have variable settings. First off, ditch the flash; you don’t want ugly bright spots or harsh shadows in your shot, do you? Next, learn to use your white...
Let me begin with this caveat: I am not a photographer, and I have a feeling that some pros will be appalled by my suggestions! Graphic designers are often asked to do a little photography work. Small website clients especially like to make such requests because “real” photo work simply isn’t feasible given their budgets. For several years, I...
Some time ago, I wrote about Communication Arts—an ultra-professional graphic design magazine that’s a great source of inspiration. Computer Arts, the topic of today’s post, is often confused with Communication Arts, probably because the two magazines have very similar names. Computer Arts is however something very different, though no less inspiring. UK-based Computer Arts produces several monthly magazines: Computer...
Those of you who enjoy photography and who browse photo-sharing sites like Flickr have probably come across the word “Holga.” I noticed that a lot of interesting photos are tagged with the term, so I poked around to see what it meant. I discovered that a Holga is a type of film camera originally produced in China during the...
Perhaps you’ve seen this story making the rounds: A Texas teenager is suing Virgin Mobile because it used her image without permission in a billboard campaign in Australia. The girl appears in a photograph which was released under a Creative Commons license. The photographer, via the license, expressly permitted commercial use of his image, as long as he received...
(images via BBC) Before and after: a pesky rooftop removed and some boats on a pristine bay added with the help of this algorithm. Speaking, as I was last week, of photo retouching, BBC news has just reported on a new tool that takes image doctoring much further than a little dodge and burn. Developed by James Hays and...
Do a quick search on Flickr or Google for “HDR” and you’ll see photos that are truly amazing: full of contrast, intensity, depth, and detail. High dynamic range (HDR) images have bold shadows and brilliant highlights that most typical photos don’t have. They are created by merging multiple exposures, giving you the best from each on a single image....
The title alone of this book from Focal Press’ Essential Skills series makes me hopeful for the fate of my photography. To me, shooting in available light means getting some great candid shots at events, the occasional unplanned portrait, and a few environmental shots that are stunning without big lighting setups or major corrections later—tasks that are quite difficult...
If you’re a design writer, it’s hard not to let your cowering awe of Steven Heller impede your ability to write an unbiased review of this book. But what’s not to love about Stylepedia? It surpasses its genre as a quirky coffee table showpiece, and delivers a compendium of over 100 truly informative short essays on alphabetized topics that...
