This is simply amazing! The good folks at PSD Tuts+ created a step by step tutorial of how to create this Lord of the Rings “slash” Game of Thrones. To create images like these, you have to be a Photoshop god or maybe someone who just knows PS like the backs of their hands. Whatever your skill level is, it’s pretty awesome! So what do you think? Would you try it?

Check out the tutorial here.

Have you ever come across incredible tips that you’ve found while browsing the internet? I bet what you did was create a bookmark of it on your favorite browser… you might have even created folders to “classify” them so they’re in somewhat of an order. Have you ever been frustrated when you had to wipe or reformat your computer and you forgot to save those links? Fear no more. BO.LT now allows you to share your collections as I have with mine. They’re now “LIVE” on my website under Tips>BO.LT Collections.

Come and check it out. The collection is growing everyday and I’m hoping there’s a way where I could classify each one.  If you didn’t know, I’ve been beta testing for BO.LT for the last 4 months or so. The possibilities are incredible. If you want an invitation, simply leave a comment and I’ll be sure to send one your way.

A friend of our page posted this the other day:

I figured it would have been too confusing (as if this wasn’t) to describe it on Facebook so so decided to write up a quick tutorial. I have to first say that there are many ways to do this. This is simply one of them.

Here are the steps to create the sample that Paul had requested. This was created using Photoshop. I hope this works Paul!

1. To create a framed masthead image, we need to first decide how big the masthead image will become. In our example, we’ll simply use 850 pixels as a starting point for our images.
2. Once you have the image sized, now let’s create your frame. Duplicate the layer.
3. Resize the canvas by 50 pixels in both directions. Image>Canvas Size
4. Create a new layer and name it. In our example, I’ll call it Frame.
5. Once created, turn the layer off and make the Background Layer the active layer.
6. Select the Magic Wand and select the area “outside” the image. This will select the white border around your image.
7. Now activate the Frame layer.
8. Now press Select>Inverse and Delete. This will select the area where the image will be placed and deleting a frame to show the image below.
9. Now would be a good time to Save your file. Save it as a PSD so it preserves ALL the layers.
10. You can now delete the layer called Background. We only used that as a reference layer anyway.
11. I always try to make it easy for anyone getting my PSD files so I renamed the Background to “Insert Images Above”. This allows someone to know where exactly to place the images. Remember, this is merely a template.
12. Now, it’s time for us to create the drop shadow.
13. Duplicate the Frame layer.
14. Select it with the Magic Wand and Fill it with Black and move the layer called Frame copy to the middle of the other two layers.
15. While the Frame copy layer is selected, choose Filter>Gaussian Blur and set the radius to 10 pixels. Click OK.
16. You probably noticed that you now have a shadow behind the frame. Next, we’ll warp it to your liking.
17. Select the Frame copy layer then Edit>Transform>Warp
18. This is where it requires a bit of finessing. Carefully, use the control points to “warp” the shadows to where you want them to be located. This might take a bit of getting used to so be patient. Once satisfied, click OK.
19. With the Frame copy layer still selected, let’s delete the blur within the frame by defining a marquee within the white frame and deleting the selection. This should clean things up.
20. Now go to Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and this time enter 2 pixels. Click OK. Repeat once more.
21. Now save your file.
22. Congratulations, you’ve just created a custom masthead frame with a drop shadow.
23. If you are using it with a white background on your site, you can save it as a JPG file. If you have a different color or a pattern, save it as a PNG file to preserve the transparencies.

Screen capture after Step 2:

Screen capture after Step 6:

Screen capture after Step 14:

Screen capture after Step 16:

This is your final product after following all of the steps I’ve described above. The warping stage will take a bit of time to get right but don’t give up. You’ll soon get it.

Have you ever shot a portrait in overcast conditions and wished there was a bit of dappled light coming through the frame of your shot? Well, as you know, with cloud cover means no sun. So how would you create a portrait that has the illusion that there is a light source? Damien Lovegrove shows us in depth how to create a portrait using a single light technique with a dingle. A dingle allows you to bring a pseudo-light/shadow effect to your portraits.  This gives true meaning to creating something out of nothing.

I’ve been asked this many, many times and my answer has always been “do you prefer a Volkswagen, an Audi, or a Bentley”?

Color space is a tricky little area that we might not really pay too much attention to until we mix them up and we get the dreaded “my photos look horrible”! The way I look at it, getting color spaces right at the start is the secret to beautiful proofs and prints. It seems to me that this is one area that we often overlook. So what is color space? Why are there so many of them? And most importantly, which one should I use?

First of all, let’s try to figure out what color space really means. Color space is essentially the amount of color contained in the files we save. Think of it as a type of vehicle, hence my first question at the start. There are three common color spaces available to us right now:  sRGB, Adobe RGB, and ProPhoto RGB. The placement of each one is no coincidence either. Think of sRGB as the Volkswagen, the Adobe RGB as an Audi, and the ProPhoto RGB as the Bentley.

• sRGB is the standard RGB color space developed by HP and Microsoft. It provides the standard color working space available for all types of displays. sRGB is arguably the best working space for digital images and photographs to be viewed on computer screens but it is not the best for print and reproduction.
• Adobe RGB carries most of the colors our printers can print but it does not carry every color that the printer can print. Developed by Adobe Systems, Adobe RGB has a wider color gamut compared to sRGB. Adobe RGB was designed specifically for photographers.  
• ProPhoto carries a lot of colors – more than a typical printer can print but make no mistake that each color in it’s range can be printed. Developed by Kodak, ProPhoto RGB provides a wider spectrum of colors, a bigger playground for photographers to get true, rich colors.

Are you confused even further? It took me a while to understand the concept but as long as you know the basics, you’ll be fine. So at the end of the day, which color space should I use? Once again, I defer back to my original question. What car do you want to drive? Undoubtedly, working in either Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB allows us to reproduce the image as we see them, which true, rich, and vivid colors. Different people will answer you differently, if you care to ask for their advice. The best way to figure it out is to know the basics. once the basics are solid, then you can go either one of the two. Want to be on the safe side? Shoot in RAW and make the conversion during post.

One word of caution though if you decide to use ProPhoto RGB. If you don’t soft proof*, then it’s not worth using this color space. “Soft proofing” is simply a method that allows the photographer to view on your monitor or display  what your print will look like when it is on a specific type of paper. Oh and you need to use 16 bits all the time or risk pixelization.

In the end, it’s your decision on which path to take. Be aware of the differences and make your choice based on this. All I recommend is consistency.

*Soft proofing is available on Aperture. When I beta tested Lightroom 3, I was disappointed to find that soft proofing was not available at the time, and even after the launch. If you process in Lightroom 3, you’ll need to bring the photo into Photoshop to be able to soft proof. However, there are plugins available to use in LR3 should you choose to soft proof.

Do I soft proof? Not anymore. I used to but the technology is so good these days that soft proofing has almost come to it’s own demise.

I personally use Adobe RGB. How about you? Feel free to chime in and let’s see where most people land on this issue.

I am often asked for some tips on how to photograph children since I mostly specialize in portraiture and children’s photography constitutes a big part of that. Here they are.

Learn to break the ice

Unlike adults, children tend to be more reserved than most. Remember when you were a kid and your mom told you not to talk to strangers? Well, that holds true for kids these days as well. The image below was taken by Melissa when we traveled to Siem Reap. I’m actually talking with two young kids who are preparing to be monks one day. You can actually see the younger kid’s smile. This was just after I took a photo of him and showed him the result.

This was the shot that made him smile. At that point, I knew he would be comfortable with me taking his photos. Even his friend joined in the fun. Oh did I mention, neither of the two spoke or understood a word of English.

Get down to their level

Kneel or sit down so that you’re eye to eye with the kids. It makes them feel more comfortable and they’ll tend to have more natural expressions when you take their photos.

Follow their lead

It’s probably our first impulse to tell kids how they should pose for a shot. From experience, the more I tell the kids how to pose, the more they won’t do it. Instead of telling them what to do, simply follow their lead. One thing to remember when you’re photographing kids is that it’s “their” show and not yours. The idea here is to photograph them while they’re having fun. Make sure your camera is set to burst mode if possible. You never know what kind of shots you’ll end up getting.

Focus on their eyes

As with any portrait, the eyes are the most important feature that you’ll need to focus on. If you have a fast lens (f2.8 or faster), be careful you don’t blur out the rest of their face. My favorite portrait lenses are my Canon 50mm f1.4. I and my 85mm f2.8 which I always bring to every session. Background blur is always a nice touch. If you don’t have a fast lens, you can still achieve background blur if you use a telephoto lens with some distance between your subject and the background.

This shot seen below of the little boy was taken at Ollantaytambo, Peru.

Sometimes the outtakes are the best

Whenever I take photos of kids, I always set my camera to burst mode as I never know what I’ll end up getting. Every now and then, I’m surprised at how some of these “outtakes” come out. Whether you want to call them candid or spontaneous, some of them turn out to be quite adorable. The photo below was an outtake from Sabrina’s session. We were trying to setup a shot when the ice cream truck started playing music in the background. She turned and started looking for it when i captured this shot. Her parents ended up using this image for her birthday invitations as it was so adorable.

Don’t forget the details

Whenever I’m asked to photograph children, I often request that we do the session at the client’s house. There’s a couple of reasons for doing this. First and maybe the most important reason is that the kids are comfortable in their own “territory”. Second, since it’s at their house, they have the little details that help complete the story I want to convey. Don’t forget small details like toys, a favorite blanket, a pair of shoes, and maybe even old photos.

Behind the scenes are always FUN!

As with any session, it’s always fun seeing the behind the scenes shots that either Melissa or a camera on a timer would capture. Here are a few of them to share.

Kaitlyn Photo Session Timelapse from Photos By Rikki on Vimeo.