Neil December 4th, 2008
Following in the footsteps of my retouching tutorials:
I know these are written to a more abstract level and so today I’d like to provide a more hands-on experience and so I have posted this L*A*B* colorspace photoshop file for you to download. There are eleven layers in this file, from the starting image, on up through the finished look.

Let’s dig in
…illuminate your understanding with more…
- Creativity , Hear the Shadows , How To: , Inspiration , ONE Action , Photoshop Retouching , Real-light Overlays , Self Assignment , Technical , Textures , Tutorials
Neil November 16th, 2008
Soft lighting – it’s not an easy ideal to achieve

Head to toe – full sized window – incandescent lamp – all included in the frame!
Is this a lighting problem that would make your head spin, or cringe away and avoid another approach because you feel you don’t have the gear? Read on, you may be stopping before you start!
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil November 15th, 2008
Create Cool Watercolor Effects in Photoshop – PSDTUTS
May 27th in Effects by Fabio
Some time ago I wrote an article on my blog listing some fashion-style illustrations from really amazing designers such as Bruno Fujii,Margot Mace, Raphaël of My Dead Pony, Stina Person, and others. The coolest thing in their design work is their use of watercolor effects. So in this tutorial I will show a quick way to simulate that effect using only Photoshop and some brushes.
Since you have some new Brushes from Yesterday’s Free Light Friday try out this tutorial with them!
Neil November 12th, 2008
his post is in the Thinking Big series combined with a couple other techniques:
Equals how to cross light a mountain!

One of the repetitive questions I get from people are – why such a big flash – and why take it all over with you? I suppose it would be like asking someone who works online the whole time why they use a broadband internet connection (http://www.o2.co.uk/broadband/mobile/), for them the answer is pretty obvious. And it is for me too, it just makes so many more options available.
Quite frankly – this is EXACTLY why!
In my lighting case that I loaded onto the plane in Rochester New York was:
- 1 Alien Bee 800 Monoblock flash unit
- 1 Paul C. Buff Vagabond portable power unit and power cord
- 1 Black Impact Air Cusioned light stand height 230cm (model #SLS-LS8A)
- 1 Pocketwizard reciever
- Paul C Buff 11 inch parabolic reflector

Here’s one of the resulting peak moment shots that I try to reach for in my wedding photojournalism. The lighting case was loaded in the helicopter’s coffin gear carrier for the trip up the mountain and across the island. But a large mono-light wasn’t all I had in my arsenal…

Of course I want to cover the whole event with variety as well as style so get past the jump and let’s talk details…
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil November 11th, 2008
Signalnoise.com | The art of James White » Signalnoise tutorial: The O series
I have had many requests for tutorials over the past months, but given that they are quite time-consuming to create I have stayed away from them to continue with my poster designs and freelance work.
Last week I posted a few images entitled The O Series. The process behind the images is fairly simple and I thought it would make for a good first tutorial post. There is nothing advanced here, and all you will need is a basic knowledge of the layers palette, blending modes and masks.
I enjoyed this tutorial as an exercise in creating a lighted shape without shape or light.
As a raw exercise it’s a beautiful way to stretch your conceptual powers.
Neil October 29th, 2008
Here’s our starter image for this discussion:

here’s our finished image for this discussion:

Now you’re right that’s not the EXACT same image, but there’s just a moment’s difference – I couldn’t find the un-retouched version.

I did find a smaller resolution version – again the point of contention is the vanishing point in the composition. You may compose this while you’re shooting – and it may be proper as you’re composing the environmental elements in your image – but what is the compelling ‘moment’ of the image?

His EYES!
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil September 16th, 2008
iDC Photo Store – Specialty gear for the photographer
$99 Introductory price on their two disk’s chock full of great tips and training materials.
View their DVD trailer here!
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DVD with over 3 hours of jam packed content from Bruce and Maura.
Includes:
- Lighting and Speedlite Techniques : aka Bruce’s AVAILABLE MAGIC Tricks!
- Cinematic Composition for Capture
- Artistic Application of Textures in PSD
- Speedy Album Production Tips and Elegant Book Design Concepts
- Painter X Demo for Portrait Photographers
- Slideshow of iDC Portraiture and Wedding Imagery
- Slideshow of Maura’s final 30 minute paintings from the tour
Buy your copy today
Neil September 3rd, 2008
Photoshop Insider » Getting That Cool Gritty Look Right in Camera Raw and Photoshop or Lightroom
Read the above full explanation, and start with these settings:
- Fill Light = 100%
- Blacks = Test this one to taste: 10-100%
- Contrast = 50-100%
- Clarity = 100%
- Vibrance = 50-100%
- Recovery = 0-100%
- Saturation = -81% rely on your vibrance to color the image and desaturate to get the metallic look.

Download the Photoshop Lightroom Grunge Preset download

Before image on the left. Below, Dark Descent lighting overlays applied to the effect.

Have fun with the preset!
