Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

Lightroom 5 Free Beta is Here! [Updated]

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Lightroom 4 Main Interface

Adobe should be releasing Lightroom 5 as a free beta any day now based on the early release of an article on TechCrunch (which was quickly taken down).

I expect to see the announcement later this week at the Photoshop World opening keynote, which takes place on Wednesday, April 17, at 9AM ET. Adobe is well-known for dropping big news at Photoshop World openers, and it looks like this one got a bit ahead of them. [Read more…]

Panasonic 4K Prototype Camcorder on Display at NAB 2013

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Panasonic 4K Camera

4K was certainly the big theme this year at NAB. Whether it was cameras, capture, post or delivery, 4K video was everywhere.

Panasonic 4K Camera-6

Of course, some manufacturers are further along than others in the 4K development pipeline. Panasonic happened to have a single 4K camcorder under glass. However, this was a working model that was pumping out a 4K signal via a single HDMI 1.4a cable to a 4K monitor next to the display. [Read more…]

Lighting Bill Gates and Bono for Time – BTS with Greg Heisler

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Time Cover - Bono Gates

Check out the below BTS video for Profoto Master Series with Greg Heisler as he talks his way through the his approach to shooting Bill & Melinda Gates and Bono for the cover of Time’s Person of the Year cover for 2005.

Lots of good pre-production thoughts and then curve ball adjustments once people started arriving on his set. [Read more…]

Topaz Labs B&W Effects 2.1 Upgrade + 30% Off for New Users

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Topaz BW Effects

Topaz Labs has updated B&W Effects 2 to version 2.1. New features in version 2.1 include the following:

  • A Zone System: Allows users to identify various zones in their images as well as observe the changes in zones as exposure and other adjustments are made.This is not an adjustment tool, but a visual aid. 
  • Borders: Prior versions of B&W Effects only had a choice of 2 borders: Solid Black or Solid White. This version adds many more options!
  • Tone Quicktools: Similar to the Color Filter buttons, quicktools have been added for Silver and Paper toning for: Selenium, Cyanotype (Gold/Blue), Copper (Red), Sepia and Antique Dye
  • Apply Button: This feature allows a user to apply changes without having to exit the program. Multiple presets can be applied one on top of another and so forth.
  • Language Support: B&W v2.1 supports Spanish, French, German, (Brazilian) Portugese, Japanese and Chinese (Simplified and Taiwanese). If your machine has one of these languages set in the region/language settings, the UI will be rendered in that language.

The upgrade is free for existing users and is available at a discount through April 21, 2013. Use the coupon code bw21 to get 30% off Topaz B&W Effects 2 or the complete bundle on Topaz Labs’ website.

The Minimalist Photographer – New Book

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 The Minimalist Photographer

The Minimalist Photographer is a new book from photographer Steve Johnson.

” The Minimalist Photographer covers photography from a minimalist perspective, proving that it is possible to take excellent photographs with relatively cheap equipment. The minimalist process emphasizes the importance of knowing what you want to achieve as a photographer and choosing the most effective equipment, subject matter, and approach to meet your goals. The minimalist photographer works with the idea that the brain and the eye are far more important than the camera.”

The Minimalist Photographer retails for $32.95; however, it is currently available for $17.38 at Amazon.com. The Minimalist Photographer is also available in a Kindle edition.