Monday, December 18, 2017

Our book "Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things" makes a great gift for that photographer in your life

Looking for a special holiday gift for that photographer in your life? Check out our book "Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things" - it has something for all levels of photography. You can find the book on sale at Amazon http://amzn.to/2jGh8uz and at your local Barnes & Noble store and at Hunt's Photo and Video store in Melrose. 


 If you are local (CT), we would be more than happy to sign your copy. You can email us at photographybyLisaAndTom@comcast.net to set up a time to meet at the studio. We have signed copies for sale too. 




Join us for a hands-on photo setup workshop -- great for beginners and advanced photographers

Join us for a hands-on photo setup workshop -- great for beginners and advanced photographers


Come join us a Photo Hi-Jinx (photo setup) Workshop. 

This workshop is great for beginners and advanced photographers. 

Come join us at a Macro, Closeup, Creative photo setup workshop
Saturday, February 24, 2018 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Hamden CT
Email us at photographybyLisaandTom@comcast.net for more information 

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Workshop -- Light Painting at Night -- at Old Car City

Wahoo, announcing something that we have been working on for yearsLight Painting at Night -- at Old Car City!!!!

Most of you know what Old Car City is...34 acres of amazing old cars and junk and nature reclaiming the cars. It is an awesome place, no place else on earth is like this place! 4,200 whole American cars 1972 and older. "Detroit may have designed these rides, but Mother Nature has done all the detailing"

This workshop is Jan 12 Friday 6pm-10pm -- we are going to have a blast light painting!!

Tom and I do a lot of light painting. We have light-painted at many different places, including other smaller car yards, but this one will be a real treat! Tom and I have been to Old Car City a bunch of times, and we can help direct you to make the most of your time there. You can view a few images from a previous trip here: http://www.breaphotosgalleries.com/Old-Cars/Old-Car-City/

The price for this workshop also includes your admission for two daytime shoots: Friday 9am to 4pm and for Saturday 9am to 4pm Jan 13.

Register here: https://www.meetup.com/photography-by-lisa-and-tom/events/245908075/


"Old Car City USA in White, Georgia contains the world’s largest known classic car junkyard. Visitors enjoy the beautiful vegetation of the deep south that intertwines with the hundreds of cars that reside in Old Car City. Old Car City started as a Car Dealership in 1931 and is still family owned and operated. Come enjoy the Old South environment, folk art, ghosts of beautiful classic cars, and much more. "

Most people chose to fly into Atlanta and then drive up (~45 miles)  to Cartersville. We are staying at the Best Western again, but we have also stayed at the cheaper Red Roof Inn and Super 8 across the street and we know lots of people that have stayed at the Hilton and Hampton Inn right down the next exit too. Travel expenses, hotel and food are not included in the admission price. 

FYI, There is a bathroom at Old Car City. There is also a diner across the street for lunch.

Things to bring:

  • tripod
  • cable release (you will want to have exposures greater than 30 seconds so a sable release is needed for most cameras, unless your camera has a built-in timer like a few of the newer models, but even then a cable release is often easier at night)
  • Camera and lots of memory cards and extra batteries
  • wide angle lens
  • if you own a macro or a 70-200 type you can bring that too, you have access to your car all day. 
  • Sturdy shoes, we wear hiking boots
  • headlight with a red light for seeing at night http://amzn.to/1N9vLLQ
  • red flashlight for seeing your camera dials at night http://amzn.to/2AFwUkV
  • flashlight for light painting http://amzn.to/2kuFxU6
  • You do NOT need to have any night photography experience to attend. You should know how to change your ISO and your aperture, but Tom can show you that during the daylight hours if you do not. 
  • You can choose to stay with us and light paint with us, or you can work on your own, we will suggest that those that choose to work on their own go off with a partner.
Old Car City USA is more than a classic car junkyard. It’s “the promise land for junkyard dreamers!”



If you have Monday off and choose to fly home Monday instead of Sunday there is a pretty cool old jail with tons of professional graffiti [Atlanta Prison Farm]

Please note that all of our workshops require the participants sign a liability waiver. Download it; then print, read, and sign it and bring it with you -- Thank you! http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-waiver16  Please note that some locations will have you sign their liability waiver at the site as well. 

Please note that this and all classes/workshops have no refunds. By signing up for our classes/tours/workshops, you agree to our terms and conditions, see http://www.photographybylisaandtom.com/p/workshops.html

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Looking for a special holiday gift for that photographer in your life?

Looking for a special holiday gift for that photographer in your life? Check out our book "Create Fine Art Photographs from Historic Places and Rusty Things" - it has something for all levels of photography. You can find the book on sale at Amazon http://amzn.to/2jGh8uz and at your local Barnes & Noble store and at Hunt's Photo and Video store in Melrose. 


 If you are local (CT), we would be more than happy to sign your copy. You can email us at photographybyLisaAndTom@comcast.net to set up a time to meet at the studio. We have signed copies for sale too. 





Thursday, November 30, 2017

Join us for Two hands-on photo setup workshops -- great for beginners and advanced photographers.

Join us for Two hands-on photo setup workshops -- great for beginners and advanced photographers.


Come join us a Photo Hi-Jinx (photo setup) Workshop. 

This workshop is great for beginners and advanced photographers. 


When: Sunday January 28th 10am -5pm (longer than the 12-5 in the past). Register by December 1st to save $25 (price includes lunch). Sale price ends Dec 1st 
Where: Salem CT
If you are an advanced photographer then you can come and get exposed to all kinds of props, water drops, smoke, blacklight, etc. etc. Photo ops galore!! 
If you are an intermediate photographer come and learn how to master manual mode!  
If you are a beginner or just got a dSLR or mirrorless camera for the holidays -- come and learn how to use your new gift. Learn about aperture and when to use f4 and when to use f22 and receive compositional advice. 
Bring your camera, tripod, cable release, polarizer, LED light -- We purchase our Gear from Hunts Photo. A pdf file containing links to the gear and software that we use, as well as discounts, can be downloaded here : http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-gear  Please feel free to ask Tom and me questions about your camera, exposures, etc. 
Lenses: a regular 24-105 kit lens works well, bring a macro lens if you have one, bring macro filters if you have them, bring extension tubes if you have them, bring a 75-300/70-200 lens if you have one, if you do not have a macro lens you can put an extension tube on your 75-300 type lens instead. 
There will be all sorts of photographic opportunities!!! Photograph Glassware, Fruit, smoke, dancing paint, water drops, flowers, still life, etc., etc. We hope you can join us ! 
Second Workshop
Come join us at a Macro, Closeup, Creative photo setup workshop
Saturday, February 24, 2018 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Hamden CT
Email us at photographybyLisaandTom@comcast.net for more information 

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Black Friday sales -- including a few just for people that attend our photo talks, tours, and workshops

Black Friday sales from Hunts -- including a few sales just for people that attend our photo talks, tours, and workshops

$28 Dollars off Savage Luminous Pro LED Video Light LED204

We use the Savage LED light ALL the time. We use it for macro, flowers, Rust, UrBex, etc. Many of you have seen images and/or read our book where we talk about the drama and saturation and shadows created when using this awesome light. It has an intensity dial like many lights, but it also has a color temperature dial so you can create cool, neutral or warm light. You can use the LED light to create shadows and make your subject more interesting too, like these two images below.

  

Tom and I also use the Savage light tent (the 23.5 inch) all the time, it is perpetually set up on our dining room table, which makes it easier to get the energy to shoot that interesting flower or subject.


$30 Dollars off Savage Luminous Pro LED Shooting Tent (23.5")


With this light tent You can get some really cool images, especially in our long New England winters -- flowers, still life, etc.








They also sell a smaller version... 
$15 Dollars off Savage Luminous Pro LED Shooting Tent (15.5 x 15.5 x 15.5")

To see all Hunt’s Black Friday specials, click on the link below. New specials posted every day.

Tom and I can attest to Hunt’s exceptional customer service and product knowledge. Whether it’s a camera, lens, tripod, or anything else photo and video, Hunt’s will help you find just the right product. They have local brick and mortar stores that you can visit, and you can also purchase online or just call a salesperson to help you make the right choices. We generally call Chris Borto Ph:781-462-2374 (cborto@huntsphoto.com) or Alan Samiljan (asamiljan@huntsphoto.com; 781-462-2383) but they have lots of helpful staff. Hunts also stands behind their products too with great customer support. Their main store is at 100 Main St., Melrose, MA 02176 (781-662-8822) but they have other stores too.

So please keep Hunt’s Photo & Video in mind the next time you are in the market for any gear!  
We generally call Chris Borto Ph:781-462-2374 (cborto@huntsphoto.com) or Alan Samiljan (asamiljan@huntsphoto.com; 781-462-2383)

From the Hunt’s web site:

You’ll be ready to start shooting as soon as you leave the store when you purchase your camera at Hunt’s Photo & Video. As New England’s largest retailer of photo, video and digital imaging products, we make sure every client feels comfortable with his or her purchase and confident in its use. Whether you are a student, hobbyist, or photo or video professional, Hunt’s Photo, Video and definitely Digital will help you choose the right equipment for all of your imaging needs.

Why Shop at Hunt’s?

Unlike “big box” stores or online sellers, Hunt’s makes personal service part of every purchase. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will assist you in selecting the perfect camera for your individual lifestyle and interests. As a major supplier to the consumer, professional, educational and government markets, Hunt’s maintains a well-stocked inventory of photo, video and digital imaging equipment from every major manufacturer so you’ll have plenty of options from which to choose. With seven retail locations in four New England states, Hunt’s offers an unbeatable combination of competitive pricing, sales know-how, and unparalleled customer service.



A little history…

Three generations of Farber family ownership have established Hunt’s as a trendsetter in the imaging equipment industry. Begun as a Malden Center drugstore by pharmacist Solomon Farber and his sons, Hunt’s began building its camera business during the 1950s under the visionary leadership of Solomon’s son, Jack. As interest in photography grew and small neighborhood pharmacies fell victim to big national chains, Hunt’s began shifting its emphasis away from the pharmacy business and into the business of cameras and accessories. By 1992, the pharmacy closed and imaging equipment became Hunt’s primary focus.

Led today by Jack’s sons, Scott and Gary, Hunt’s proudly serves a diverse audience of individual, corporate, educational, and government clients as one of the country’s largest retailers of photographic, video and digital imaging products. As the sponsor of the renowned Hunt’s Show and Sale each fall, the company hosts a three-day showcase of the latest trends in photographic equipment for users at all levels. Visit Hunt’s 30,000 square foot flagship store at 100 Main Street, Melrose, or one of its satellite locations in Boston, MA – Cambridge, MA – Hanover, MA – Holyoke, MA – Providence, RI – So. Portland, ME – or Manchester, NH to discover how Hunt’s Photo, Video and definitely Digital can help you create your own picture of success.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

75% off Topaz products

Tom and I use the Topaz plugins on many of our images. We just love, love, love Topaz Clarity! And we use Topaz Detail, Glow, BW effects, LensEffect, ReMask, and Impression often too.

Use coupon code BLACKFRIDAY17 for 75% off of all of our traditional plugins in the full Topaz Plugin Collection

The savings aren’t just for new purchases either. Owners of the older Topaz Collections or older Pro Packs can take advantage of the savings as well! Click here and then log in to your account, then add the collection to their cart to get the upgrade price for additional savings on the Collection or Go Pro Pack!

It's that time of year again! From November 21st through November 28th, we're offering 75% off of all of our traditional plugins in the full Topaz Plugin Collection or the newest technology in Topaz Studio with the Topaz Studio Go Pro Pack. Whether you want to achieve stunning photography enhancements or apply artistic effects, either option has you covered.

The plugin Collection includes 17 Topaz Products including the Topaz Studio versions of Impression, Clarity, Detail and Simplify. (over $1000 individually) for only $249.99. As an added bonus you receive a few pro adjustments in Topaz Studio from Impression, Clarity, Detail and Simplify As well!! Can't beat best of two worlds!


2 Lil Owls Texture Sale on sale until 11/27

2 Lil Owls makes some of my favorite Textures! and they are on sale until 11/27

Black Friday sale is going on now! This is the biggest sale of the year!
Take 50% off your purchase with Coupon Code: Black50
*sale dates Nov20-27

Friday, November 17, 2017

Free Lightroom Presets

Fixthephoto Free Lightroom Presets
* 170 Free LR Presets
* 17 Free Presets bundals (B&W, Wedding, Portrait, Street, Matte, Pastel, Vintage, Landscape, HDR, Film, Fall, Contrast, Dark, NightClub,Sunset + Best presets)
* 4-6 CC Lightroom
* Mac and Windows PCs
* Edit RAW, JPG, etc.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Join us for Two hands-on photo setup workshops -- great for beginners and advanced photographers.

Come join us a Photo Hi-Jinx (photo setup) Workshop. 

This workshop is great for beginners and advanced photographers. 


When: Sunday January 28th 10am -5pm (longer than the 12-5 in the past). Register by December 1st to save $25 (price includes lunch). Sale price ends Dec 1st 
Where: Salem CT
If you are an advanced photographer then you can come and get exposed to all kinds of props, water drops, smoke, blacklight, etc. etc. Photo ops galore!! 
If you are an intermediate photographer come and learn how to master manual mode!  
If you are a beginner or just got a dSLR or mirrorless camera for the holidays -- come and learn how to use your new gift. Learn about aperture and when to use f4 and when to use f22 and receive compositional advice. 
Bring your camera, tripod, cable release, polarizer, LED light -- We purchase our Gear from Hunts Photo. A pdf file containing links to the gear and software that we use, as well as discounts, can be downloaded here : http://tinyurl.com/cuchara-gear  Please feel free to ask Tom and me questions about your camera, exposures, etc. 
Lenses: a regular 24-105 kit lens works well, bring a macro lens if you have one, bring macro filters if you have them, bring extension tubes if you have them, bring a 75-300/70-200 lens if you have one, if you do not have a macro lens you can put an extension tube on your 75-300 type lens instead. 
There will be all sorts of photographic opportunities!!! Photograph Glassware, Fruit, smoke, dancing paint, water drops, flowers, still life, etc., etc. We hope you can join us ! 
Second Workshop
Come join us at a Macro, Closeup, Creative photo setup workshop
Saturday, February 24, 2018 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM Hamden CT
Email us at photographybyLisaandTom@comcast.net for more information 

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

We have just a couple of spots open for Sunday's cool photo shoot -- join us!! Photograph old cars, trucks, AIRPLANES, and MORE!!!

We have just a couple of spots open for Sunday's cool photo shoot -- join us!!  

Photograph old cars, trucks, AIRPLANES, and MORE!!! 
Sunday October 29th 9am to 2pm
Address to people who sign up only. This location must not be disclosed to friends/photo groups/social media/etc. No refunds. Email us with your hometown (photographybyLisaAndTom [at] comcast.net) and we can provide an approx drive time 
See more info after the photos; view some photos from our last trip there: https://www.meetup.com/photography-by-lisa-and-tom/events/240768646/







  


 




Carpooling is encouraged, you can post comments to list where you are coming from to coordinate efforts. 
Bring your "regular" 24-105 type lens, plus your macro (or 70-200 type lens with an extension tube), a longer lens (70-200, 75-300 can be useful, as is a Lensbaby if you have one.  Bring water/snacks/lunch.  
Please let us know if you would like some help with exposures, composition, zoom blurs, double exposures (easy to do on the Canon 5DM3), close-up, etc.  We are more than happy to help, this is a great place to really get creative and have some fun!

DxO acquires Nik Collection from Google and will continue to offer it for free... for now

DxO acquires Nik Collection from Google and will continue to offer it for free... for now


Press release

DxO acquires Nik Collection assets from Google and plans to set a new bar on Photo editing softwares

PARIS – October 25, 2017 – DxO, one of the most innovative companies in consumer imaging, today announced the acquisition of the Nik Collection assets from Google.
DxO plans to continue development of the Nik Collection. The current version will remain available for free on DxO’s dedicated website, while a new “Nik Collection 2018 Edition” is planned for mid-next year.
“The Nik Collection gives photographers tools to create photos they absolutely love,” said Aravind Krishnaswamy, an Engineering Director with Google. “We’re thrilled to have DxO, a company dedicated to high-quality photography solutions, acquire and continue to develop it.”
“We are very excited to welcome the Nik Collection to the DxO family,” said Jérôme Ménière, CEO and founder of DxO. “DxO revolutionized the image processing market many times over the years with its innovative solutions, and we are convinced that we will continue to do so with Nik’s tools, which offer new creative opportunities for photographers. The latest version of our flagship software DxO PhotoLab, which is available as of now, is the first embodiment of this thrilling acquisition with built-in U point Technology.”

About the Nik Collection

The Nik Collection is composed of seven desktop plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop that provide a powerful range of photo editing capabilities — from filter applications that improve color correction, to retouching and creative effects, to image sharpening that brings out hidden details, to the ability to adjust the color and tonality of images. The current lineup of the Nik Collection includes:
  • Analog Efex Pro: Applies film-era camera, lens, and film simulations to digital images
  • Color Efex Pro: A comprehensive set of filters for color correction, retouching, and creative effects
  • Dfine: Noise reduction software for camera-specific digital images
  • HDR Efex Pro: Specialized program for processing HDR pictures
  • Sharpener Pro: Image sharpening for digital images
  • Silver Efex Pro: Black & White conversion of images with darkroom-inspired controls
  • Viveza: Selectively adjusts image color and tonality without complicated masks or selections

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

New Photoshop is here! CC 2018

New Photoshop is here! CC 2018

With Photoshop CC, you always have access to new features as soon as they’re released.

some of the features I am very happy about -- 
  • Better brush organization -- finally!! I have sooo many brushes and the brush panel had not been updated in a long while and brushes are popular. You can now organize brush presets into folders—including nested folders, yes! 
  • Select and Mask improvements-- Wahoo!! "Get more accurate and realistic results with algorithm and performance improvements, especially in cases where the foreground and background color are similar. Other usability and performance improvements include faster Quick Mask and more intuitive view mode settings."
  • ability to save large files faster - yes!
  • better Content-Aware Crop -- cool! 
  • better Content-Aware Fill on edges -- yes!!
  • Quick Share menu -- finally! You can send/share within almost every other application, finally you can do it from PS too
  • AI Upscale "Photoshop now features artificial intelligence-assisted upscaling to preserve important details and textures while resizing images without introducing distortions. In addition to skin tones and hair textures, this feature preserves harder-edged details like text and logos."

How do I verify if I have the latest version of Photoshop?

To verify that you have the most recent version of Photoshop:
  • macOS: Choose Photoshop > About Photoshop.
  • Windows: Choose Help > About Photoshop.
About Photoshop window

How do I verify if I have the latest version of the Camera Raw plug-in?

To verify that you have the most recent version of Adobe Camera Raw:
  • macOS: Choose Photoshop > About Plug-In > Camera Raw.
  • Windows: Choose Help > About Plug-In > Camera Raw.
acr-9-12-1

Better brush organization
Organize and save your brushes in the order you want. Drag and drop to reorder, create folders and sub-folders, scale the brush stroke preview, toggle new view modes, and save brush presets with opacity, flow, blend mode, and color.
Brush performance improvements
Don't be slowed down by lagging brushes. New, faster reaction time is especially noticeable when working on large documents with large brushes.
Access Lightroom Photos
Get your photos from Lightroom Cloud Services right inside Photoshop via Search or the Start Screen. With deeper integration between all the Creative Cloud photography desktop and mobile apps, all your photos are synced and accessible everywhere.
Brush stroke smoothing
Get a more polished look faster with a new smoothing algorithm. Vary the amount of smoothing for cleaner lines, even when using a mouse. Available in the Tool Options bar, along with Flow and Opacity.
Exclusive brushes from Kyle T. Webster
Access over 1,000 digital brushes from award-winning illustrator Kyle T. Webster, now available exclusively inside Photoshop.
Learn more ›
Variable fonts
With new font technology from Adobe, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, you can define variations within each supported font for weight, height, slant, and more.
See how it works ›
Quick Share menu
Share a flattened copy of your work via email, text, social networks, and more. This feature uses native OS sharing mechanisms, including already authenticated services.
See how it works ›
quick-share-windows
Curvature Pen tool
Create paths more quickly, intuitively, and precisely. Push and pull segments directly instead of having to modify Bezier handles, similar to the Curvature tool in Illustrator. Simply double-click to switch between point types.
See how it works ›
Path improvements
Improve the look and feel of your paths. Choose the color and line thickness to make them easier to see.
Copy and paste layers
Copy and paste multiple layers in groups, keeping the same order and location instead of having to drag them to reorder. Copy layers onto your clipboard and paste them at the desired specific spot in your panel, within and between documents in Photoshop.
Enhanced tooltips
Learn about the different tools in Photoshop without leaving the app. With enhanced tooltips, dynamic information surfaces when you hover over a tool.
360 panorama workflow
Edit and export 360 panoramas. Photoshop will maintain important metadata to work with third-party viewers. You can also pan and zoom around your image inside a spherical workspace for a realistic preview experience.
Properties panel improvements
Keep better track of details for Adobe Stock assets by viewing title and license state. View an image and find similar images on the Adobe Stock site. Edit type properties with multiple layers selected, change the leading, and more.
Support for Microsoft Dial
Native support for Microsoft Dial gives you quick access to important controls without having to use your mouse. Control brush parameters including size, hardness, opacity, flow, and smoothing.
Paste as plain text
Now you can paste text without the styling. No need to spend the time reformatting text after pasting.
Support for HEIF
Photoshop now supports High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) format, promoted by Apple in macOS 10.13 and iOS 11.0. With depth information provided by the iPhone 7 Plus and future devices, you can create a depth-of-field effect using the Lens Blur filter.
Select and Mask improvements
Get more accurate and realistic results with algorithm and performance improvements, especially in cases where the foreground and background color are similar. Other usability and performance improvements include faster Quick Mask and more intuitive view mode settings.
And so much more
Also includes: Performance and stability improvements, ability to save large files faster, better face detection for Face-Aware Liquify, better Content-Aware Crop and Content-Aware Fill on edges, and more.
See full release notes ›