Photoshop Must Haves...

Photoshop CS2 Quick Reference Guides

Here are a couple of FREE PDF guides you should have handy when you Photoshop

Adobe's Photoshop is a very advanced program. Very advanced. Even with formal schooling most of us are just scratching the surface. luckily Adobe and the internet are replete with tutorials, guides and reference materials.

Here are two references you should have handy any time you venture into the realm of Photoshop:

Photoshop Power Shortcuts is concise 20 page guide with reference to all the tools! With tips and shortcuts for using them and other Photoshop features. You can thank Daniel Brown, Julieanne Kost, & Tim Cole from the website adobeevangelists.com for putting this together for us. You can also find more great reference material on their Tips & Tricks page.

Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts is a simple 4 page matrix of all the various keyboard shortcuts available in Photoshop CS2. A valuable reference that will save untold amounts of time. The PDF file was created by the helpfull folks over at creativetechs.com. Visit their Quick Tips page for tons of Photoshop guides, ideas, and advice.

Canon's DPP Updated to 3.0.2

Canon's

Digital Photo Professional (DPP)

Free Software to unleash
the RAW power of the EOS Digital SLR

Canon Inc. has just released the latest update to their free RAW processing and workflow software DPP. Version 3.0.2 replaces 3.0.1.5 and includes a major update for Windows Vista and a couple of minor fixes for Mac and non-Vista users.

I generally shoot in RAW format, and I rely heavily on the DPP program. With the release of Version 3 Canon has given its customers a fantastic tool for free. I can often achieve fantastic results processing my RAW images in DPP and never have to adjust them in PhotoShop.

The ability to shoot RAW images is a feature of higher end cameras and allows for you to have all the raw sensor data from the digital camera without the camera making any automated image enhancements like it would to make a .Jpg image.

This RAW file really is raw data, think of it like a film negative, and must be processed in conversion software and made into a .Jpg or .tiff file.

This conversion software allows me to make decisions on brightness, tone, contrast, color temperature, color saturation, and grain sharpness. By allowing me to make these decisions I can fine tune my pictures, often far better than the logic built into the camera.

Canon in addition to providing the RAW software DPP provides a detailed 106 page user manual, and goes one better providing intensive online tutorials that are easy to understand with video examples by world class photographers and Canon reps.

Unfortunately Canon's Digital Photo Professional will only work with RAW files generated by its EOS line of Digital SLR's. For those with RAW files generated by Canon p&s cameras like the G6 or other manufactures RAW files they will sadly not work with DPP.

Canon's DPP software can be downloaded here:
Digital Photo Professional 3.0.2

The DPP manual (106 pages) is here:
support page

Visit the Online learning center for DPP tutorials and video lessons:
DPP Canon's Digital Photo Professional

The best SLR never-made...

The Nikon D3
coming soon....
Maybe

Another day has gone by and Nikon has not yet made an official announcement regarding their latest flagship professional digital camera the long anticipated D3. Nikon has reportedly come close to releasing the camera at least twice, but has pulled it back for "re-tuning minor items" or perhaps a major overhaul.

The latest word is we can expect an official announcement sometime during summer 2007. A re-tuning might be a good sign that Nikon wants to do things right with this camera, especially considering the trouble Canon is in with some who feel they released the EOS 1D Mark III with autofocus issues. ( The latest report on 1D Mark III AF issues)

The current Nikon D3 is expected to be of modular design very similar to the F and F2 system cameras that made Nikon famous and beloved by pros. The Nikon partnership/merger with Sinar that was talked about in 2006 seems to have gone nowhere since it was announced although it is possible Nikon is holding back on releasing any big news until the D3 is ready.

When that will occur is anyones guess, however current predictions suggest a big announcement to coincide with Nikon's celebration of 90 years of making camera equipment on July 25th.

As for those of us anxiously awaiting news of the mythical Nikon D3 we can track the announcements, leaks and outright rumors reguarding the history of the D3 on the Photography Bay Blog, A History of the Nikon D3

Current hinted at specks for the Nikon D3...

• Modular body (interchangeable finder, back, and storage modules); the body is the host camera brains and control system, power source, lens mount, mirror box, shutter, and support system while everything else gets added on:
• 10-12mp APS High Speed Back (10 fps DX crop, 12 fps HS crop)
• 24mm FF Low Speed Back (3 fps FF, 5 fps DX crop)
• 12mp Black and White Back
• Prism finder with real time displays (e.g. histograms)
• Card storage module (2x CompactFlash or 2x SecureDigital)
• Drive storage module (40, 80, 120GB hard drive)
• Wireless module (1x CompactFlash for backup, WiFi)

Comics for Photographers

What The Duck

by Aaron Johnson

What the Duck is an online comic strip. Viewers are welcome to link, post, copy/paste, or save the strips to their own sites, blogs, forums, newsletters, etc.

Begun as a simple blog "What The Duck" has grown into a regular comic strip. Writer Aaron Johnson mainly tells the tales of a photographer duck as he experiences many of the same trials and frustrations as real photographers.

WallpaperGrage - Automotive Photography

Master Automotive Photographer
Easton Chang

has built WallpaperGarage.com to distribute his work free in the form of wallpapers and calendars to the fans who have been asking

At WallpaperGarage.com you will find free and exclusive car wallpapers by Easton Chang and other car photographers. The site is aimed at being updated monthly, and a calendar is provided for each new month.

According to Easton Chang,"WallpaperGarage.com was created to offer wallpapers to the internet community. One of the most common questions we are asked is whether we have our images available in wallpaper format. And here they are! We are updating the website roughly once a month, and considering the prospect of creating a new section with 1920x1200 resolution versions of the wallpapers. The Chrome D1 Drift Car is amazing. A much bigger update is coming next month with new photographers on board."

Photos: Top: Ford Mustang Bottom: Nissan Silvia S15 D1 Drift Car