I think Mother Nature forgot to change the calendar to SPRING! It’s been chilly here in CT this week. Some areas had quite a bit of snow and tragic flooding in the mid-West. Stay safe everyone.
This week’s Sunday Sampler is an assortment of textures – a green grungy cracked wall, wet gravel on a trail, and wood grain door. Enjoy!
NEW TEXTURES – SALE ENDING TONIGHT!
Don’t forget to grab your copy of my 3 new texture sets – Bokeh 2; Galaxies 2; and Grunge 1! Reg. $6 per set – on sale till midnight tonight EDT for $4.50 per set! CLICK HERE to visit the Peacock Studio!
Design Cuts released a new bundle this week, the “All Purpose Creative’s Design Kit”. I started playing around with some of the new fonts and illustrations, and came up with the birthday card below. After I did one with the watercolor splashes in the background, I tried it with an old paper texture that I created – I think I like that one even better!
Check out the bundle HERE! It expires in just 8 days, so don’t miss out! Just $29 for $1510 worth of resources! See below for a preview of all the goodies!
This bundle is also Just $29 (for $1299 worth of products). It expires in 27 days. Check it out HERE!
If you are a studio photographer who also shoots on location, you know what a pain it is to haul around light stands. ThinkTank has come up with a new bag just for you!
Think Tank Photo has just released their Stand Manager 52 rolling case, and it’s an ideal solution for storing and transporting stands of any kind. The case holds up to 4 turtle base C-stands, multiple traditional light stands, or modifiers up to 52” long. It features multiple tie-down straps to secure your stands inside, oversized, shock-absorbing wheels, and rear skid rails which allow you to load in and out of your vehicle with ease.
When we’re all “Irish for a Day”! Enjoy the festivities!
For this week’s Sunday Sampler, I took a colorful sunset reflected in water and created three more versions that will make great overlay/textures for your photos. And remember, you can change up the colors or even use as B&W to just get the effect of the texture. Enjoy!
3 NEW TEXTURE SETS!
I JUST added 3 new texture sets to the Peacock Studio store. Bokeh 2, Galaxies 2, and Grunge 1. These 3 are on sale for 25% off for one week only, till next Sunday 3/24 (no code needed).
These will make great backgrounds or texture overlays to your photos, for scrapbooking or other digital creations.
Check them out on our website HERE! (Just click on the Textures group)
And don’t forget – the “pre-sale” of “Working with Textures & Overlays: Turn Ho-Hum into a Work of Art – Book 2” ends tonight at midnight EDT. Save $5 with the code preorder5. And if you still don’t have Book 1, you can also save $5 on that one with the code firstbook5 (you can use both of these codes at checkout).
If you order the electronic version of book 2 I will send the link by return email. If you order the DVD, those will be shipping right around the end of March (they are in production now).
Think Tank Photo’s New “Vision” Shoulder Bag Series Blends Form with Function
Great Photography Begins with a Vision. The ability to visualize a picture before you release the shutter is essential to getting that perfect shot. With the Vision Shoulder Bag Series, you can get all the right gear to the right place, so you can turn your vision into a great photo. Sized for professional lenses, the Vision Shoulder Bag Series is designed not only for capacity but also for security. With its zippered top closure, your gear will stay safe and in place. This Internal zippered flap also provides a secure closure for additional weather and theft protection, and tucks away when not in use. The Vision series fits wide variety of DSLR and Mirrorless camera kits in a customizable padded divider system, providing ample room for pro-sized lenses and hoods. The shoulder bags also feature dedicated pockets for smartphones, 10-inch tablets, and laptops up to 15 inches (Vision 10 = 10” tablet only, Vision 13 = 10” tablet + 13” laptop, Vision 15 = 10” tablet + 15” laptop). All three shoulder bags offer tripod attachment straps, which attach to web loops on the bottom of the bag. A luggage handle pass-through and reinforced top grab handle make the Vision a versatile traveling companion when attached to your roller. Other standout features include a comfortable shoulder strap, waterproof tarpaulin bottom, expandable water bottle pocket and a rain cover. Constructed with durable yet stylish weather-resistant materials, the Vision offers access, security, and the quality you’ve come to expect from Think Tank. “Great photography begins with a vision,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank Photo’s President and lead designer. “The Vision shoulder bag series is designed to fit DSLR and Mirrorless camera gear with pro-sized lenses and hoods, making an ideal carry solution for professional and aspiring photographers alike.”
GEAR CAPACITY Vision 10: Fits one standard size body with a wide or short zoom plus 1–2 small extra lens, 10” tablet. Fits 24–70mm f/2.8 detached. OR fits a Mirrorless kit with 3-4 lenses including the 50-140mm Vision 13: Fits one standard size body with a 24–70mm attached + 1–3 extra lenses, and a 10” tablet. Accommodates 70–200 detached. Vision 15: Fits one standard size body with a 24–70mm attached, 2–4 extra lenses, flash, a 10” tablet and a 15” laptop. Accommodates 70–200mm detached.
Click Here to visit ThinkTank’s website for all the details!
Don’t Miss Out!
May 18-19, 2019 at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center, Southbridge, MA
The clock is ticking! This is our last New England Conference! And our hotel room block is only guaranteed until mid-April – the Brimfield Antiques Weekend is the same weekend as our event this year and the hotel will sell out!
Read the bios and see examples of wonderful photographs by our talented line-up of speakers over on our website.
Special offer! I gave each speaker a discount code to use on social media and at other events they teach at. MY code is Meredith25 – save $25 on registration. This code expires March 31st and will not be extended! Take advantage to save some $$.
FREEBIE ALERT! I get an occasional newsletter from Designer Candies where they share some cool Freebies! This week’s newsletter included: “Free Seamless Grass Patters and Textures”. Also available are Concrete Textures and Animal Pattern Textures. Check the website for lots of other goodies.
Happy Sunday! SPRING AHEAD! Hopefully you remembered to set your clocks ahead last night (except for our friends in Arizona)!
This week’s Sunday Sampler consists of rocks! I took a very “grungy” rock (actually almost looks like tree bark) and gave you several versions and colors. Enjoy!
THE EBOOK IS DONE!! It’s heading to the printer tomorrow to have DVD’s made (it’s too big for a CD!).
I will begin emailing links later this week to those who purchased the Electronic Version. The DVD’s should arrive right around the end of March and will be mailed as soon as I get them.
I’ve extended the $5 off Coupon for pre-order of the 2nd eBook till 3/17 (CODE: preorder5), and I’ve added a $5 off Coupon for Book 1 (if you don’t have it yet – CODE: firstbook) which also expires 3/17. You CAN use both of these coupons at checkout if you’d like to order both books.
I’m very excited about this new book – it has twelve projects that take you through various ways of working with textures, overlays, gradients, type and layer styles, brushes and much more. It’s 117 pages chock full of creative inspiration! All images and textures used in the projects are included so you can work along with me. And there are bonus sets of textures and brushes as well as a list of my favorite resources!
And while you’re in the store, be sure to check out my texture selections – I am working on some new sets and plan to have them added in the next week or so.
And while you’re over on the website, be sure to check out the upcoming Creative Photography Conference, May 18-19, 2019 in Southbridge, MA.
I’ve posted bios for each of our speakers as well as the seminars they will be doing and some examples of their fabulous work. Also posted is the Conference Schedule.
This will be the last New England Conference – don’t miss out!
Workshops Update
I have several half-day hands-on workshops coming up – here is where we’re at with space availability (they are limited to 6 people per session):
March 24 – Photoshop Beginner – FULL! If you are interested in this workshop please email me your name to be put on a list for the next session. March 31 – Creativity with Topaz – 3 spaces left April 7 – Elements Intermediate – 5 spaces left April 14 – Photoshop Intermediate – 3 spaces left May 5 – Textures & Composites – 4 spaces left
Workshops are hands-on with a laptop (or you may follow along if preferred). I will supply images to work on together as well as notes.
Each session is just $69 and will be held at CT Band Instruments at 1 Church Street, Stratford, CT, 1:00-4:30 pm.
And there are a couple of active promotions for bundles of goodies! If you can’t get enough fonts, check out the GRADIOSE SCRIPT FONTS BUNDLE consisting of 84 script font families with a total of 130 unique fonts – just $29!
And…still an active promotion is the AGELESS VINTAGE BUNDLE This one contains 55 font families; 176 retro designs and much more! Also just $29.
All of their bundles come with a full personal/commercial license.
Happy March! Now that it’s almost Spring we’re actually getting some measurable snow in Southern CT! Luckily with the warmer sunshine, it’s melting quickly. About 4 inches yesterday, 4-8″ coming by tomorrow morning!
This week’s Sunday Sampler is a morning sunrise sky (that I softened with a Gaussian Blur). I then created two other versions with Topaz ReStyle. The B&W version can be used to lighten or darken another photograph. The Multiply Blend Mode will darken; the Screen Blend Mode will lighten; then reduce Opacity as needed.
The new eBook is just about done!!! I promised to deliver the new eBook by April 1st, and we will meet that date! The book is complete and is now being proofread by a few people. Hubby is testing the projects, and my friends Antoinette and Loretta are proofing and checking technical info. It will be going to the printer for DVD’s within the week (this one will be a DVD rather than a CD as there is more info than I can fit on a CD!). This book is 114 pages; 12 projects (including the images, textures and brushes so you can work along with the instructions); and lots of other info including bonus textures and brushes. For those that pre-ordered the electronic version, you will be getting an email from me later this month!
If you haven’t yet pre-ordered a copy, you can grab a copy now for $5 off the list price of $25. Use coupon code preorder5 at checkout – expires midnight 3/9. Click HERE to go to the Peacock Studio store!
I also have some new texture sets in the works that will be released later in March. Check out the current selection while you’re in the store!
And for just $29 a new bundle from Pixelo – “The Ageless Vintage Bundle”. Contains 55 fonts and 100+ Unique Retro Designs! Both Personal & Commercial License included.
Topaz has released their newest product based on AI technology – Topaz Sharpen AI!
Sharpen AI is the only sharpening tool to understand the difference between detail and noise by learning through millions of images. This means it will focus on sharpening the things you actually want to sharpen, rather than artifacts or noise. Use it to create beautifully sharp images from even handheld, low-light, and fast-moving photos – try Sharpen AI today!
Most commercial sharpening tools will sharpen everything in your image – including noise. Sharpen AI only sharpens the things you want and brings out the detail and definition in your shot. It only sharpens the good stuff.
Stabilizes
When shooting a moving object or in a low-light scenario, motion blur is a common problem. Sharpen AI uses machine learning to stabilize motion blur in your images for a crisp clear result.
Improves Focus
Theoretically, there is no way to recover lens blur in your photos. Sharpen AI remembers patterns in your image and can rescue a blur within ten pixels. When your image is just slightly out of focus, Sharpen AI provides the solution.
Lots of nasty weather across the country this week! Snow in Las Vegas and the Sonoran Desert; flooding in Tennessee and other states…stay safe everyone! I drove to TN and back this week myself. We’re looking to relocate later this year. Luckily we had an inspection done on the property. Too many issues to make it worth it. The home/property search is back on!
This week’s Sunday Sampler starts with a moss-covered board in FL. I modified it three other ways with Topaz. Feel free to take the original and create some new modifications of your own! Enjoy!
If you are looking to expand your font collection, my friends at Design Cuts have a beautiful new font bundle for you! The “Font Lovers Versatile Library” . This collection has a wide variety of styles, from display, sans serif, serifs, vintage, and more. If you purchased individually, the value is $1750. The Bundle price is just $29!CLICK HERE to visit the Design Cuts page and check it out!
A New National Park
Press release from the National Park Foundation:
“Chances are, when you think about the National Park Foundation, the first places that come to mind are the largest national parks we protect and support. However, the National Park System consists of over 400 national parks, large and small, from coast to coast. These places honor the battlefields, historic homes, birthplaces, forts, and other landmarks where pivotal events happened — events that deserve to be remembered and understood as American history moves forward. I’d like to take the opportunity to share with you one of the newest national monuments in the country — one of the few to commemorate the history of organized labor, and the first-ever national park in Chicago. If the name “Pullman” rings a bell, you might be a railroad buff. “Pullman cars” transformed rail travel by introducing sleeping accommodations to make long-distance travel on America’s burgeoning railroad network more comfortable for those who could afford it. Virtually all of the Pullman car porters and maids were African Americans, some of whom were emancipated slaves who migrated north. Though they worked largely for tips and had to pay for their own meals, uniforms, and lodging, employment on the trains was considered an elite and symbolically important position, opening the door to economic advancement. But the wages for all Pullman workers were sharply cut during the Panic of 1893. And though their paychecks dropped by 25 percent, rent and other costs within the factory town stayed the same. Pullman workers walked out on May 11, 1894. The events at Pullman, including the historic strike which started there and lead to over 250,000 workers striking nationwide, happened over a century ago. But, the site’s influence as a catalyst of labor organizing and a source of African American opportunity has endured for decades. We have a vision to help the National Park Service open a vibrant new National Park Service Visitor Center that offers unprecedented opportunities to step inside one of Pullman’s historic structures and be immersed in the town’s many stories. The Visitor Center and the surrounding area will be a gateway to broader exploration of the entire Pullman Historic District. Local events and partnerships, alongside National Park Service programming, will bring lively activities to the site. New walking paths with interpretive signage will give visitors the opportunity to explore Pullman’s stories at their own pace, from quick circuits around the Visitor Center to longer walking tour experiences. Exhibits, interpretation, and signage will provide families, school groups, and adults with the opportunity to examine our nation’s history from a variety of perspectives — those of immigrant workers; African American porters and maids; Pullman himself; and company managers, government officials, and observers including contemporary journalists and politicians. It will be extraordinary.”
I’ve added this new park to my “to visit” list!
Upcoming Event
In late July I will be speaking at the Southwestern Michigan Council of Camera Clubs Summer Weekend of Photography (SWMCCC). The event will be held at Hope College in Holland, Michigan July 26-28, 2019. CLICK HERE for their website. They will be posting more info on the 2019 event shortly.
I will be doing two sessions on “HDR – The Natural Look” and two sessions of “Creativity with Topaz & Textures”.
Don’t Miss Out! Last New England Conference!
May 18-19, 2019 at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center Southbridge, MA
Join us for the 3rd Creative Photography Conference! We have EIGHT wonderful speakers covering a variety of creative topics:
Anne Belmont (Chicago) – Lensbaby Specialist John Barclay (PA) – “Creativity with Topaz” & “Dream, Believe, Create” Mark Bowie (MA) – “Envision: The Art of Seeing Creatively” & “Multiple Exposures for Maximum Landscapes” Betty Wiley (Cape Cod) – “Get Creative with LR”, “Creative PS” & “Luminar” Hazel Meredith (CT) – “Textures: Turn Ho-Hum Into a Work of Art” & “Creating Your Own Textures in PS with Brushes featuring Grut Brushes” Jane Driscoll (CT) – “iPhoneography + Apps” & “iColorama” Loretta Paul-Goldin (CT) – “Create Your Own Textures with Alcohol Inks” Jan Doyle (CT) – “Creative Projects with Your Photos” & “Get Your Name Out – Free Publicity with YouTube”
ADDED FOR 2019…
Friday – 2 Pre-Conference Hands-On Workshops Join either John Barclay or myself for an afternoon of hands-on learning. Bring your laptop (or follow along if you prefer) and work along with John (Topaz) or me (Textures). We will provide images so we can work together. These sessions are limited 24 people each. $69 for either session. (You must be registered for the Conference to attend these sessions.)
Friday & Saturday Nights – Optional Dinner Buffet Southbridge is a small town – why wait somewhere for dinner? Join our speakers and other attendees for an expansive dinner buffet. Sit, relax and chat a while! $20
Special Offer!
While our Early Bird pricing was the best deal for our Conference – and we did say there would be no further discounts – we added a special code for students and friends of each of our speakers (including me). Save $25 on your registration with the code meredith25. This code expires on March 31st and will be your last chance to save $$ on registration.
Happy Sunday & Daytona 500 Day if you like auto racing as we do! Looks like some Winter weather finally moving into our area this week. In Southern CT we’ve been pretty lucky so far. Most storms were rain or a mixture. Not much snow (which is fine by me!). Stay safe out there.
This week’s Sunday Sampler is some nice bokeh images of morning dew on grasses. I took these a couple of years ago when I was in Florida teaching at the Spacecoast Birding Festival. These were taken near this Great Blue Heron who was fishing for his breakfast! There were some razor sharp teeth on the alligator gar fish he caught! Taken hand-held with my Canon 70D and Sigma 150-500 at just over 400mm. 800 ISO helped as did Topaz AI Clear!
Organizing Design Assets
A comment and question was posted on last week’s blog about using all of the fabulous resources that are available in the bundles that I mention here. Mainly, how to utilize them, and even more importantly, how to organize and find all of the items! It’s definitely something I’ve been trying to work on.
I’ve started some new files by category for all of the Illustrations-Vector Art. These are mostly items I have downloaded from various web sources. This is what I’ve come up with:
I still have many “Zip” files to open up and save in appropriate folders. I add folders as needed.
My textures folder needs some work! Right now I have a main Textures & Backgrounds folder, then some are by the company purchased from (like Design Cuts, 2 Lil Owls, French Kiss, etc.). Other miscellaneous textures are filed by style (Bokeh, Chalboard, Concrete, Metal, Grain, etc.) like this:
My biggest issue right now is I’m not sure if I want to keep, say, Design Cuts all in that folder, or separate the items into easier-to-find folders! I may keep the original folders and copy items into other folders by subject. It is a hugely time consuming project since I have so many assets and have not kept up with sorting as I purchase more. So if you are in the same boat, you’re not alone! It will be an ongoing project for sure.
Upcoming Event
I’ve been invited to speak at several conferences around the U.S. this year. First up is the CanAm Photo Expo in Buffalo, NY, April 26-28. The event will be held at the Buffalo Grand Hotel, which is completing renovations and will be a beautiful new facility.
They are keeping me very busy that weekend. I will be doing two sessions on “HDR-The Natural Look”, two sessions of “Creativity with Topaz & Textures” plus a Topaz lecture in the Macro Lab on Friday afternoon as well as some hands-on photo ops in the Macro Lab on Sunday morning. Whew!
They have various options for registration – you can check the details on their website at: https://www.canamexpo.com/
I mentioned above about filing your design assets. Here’s another big bundle that you’ll need to file!
They have a really good list of all kinds of topics. Tutorials, Magazines, eBooks, Software, Buying Gear Online, Social Media sites to follow, and much, much more.
This week’s Sunday Sampler is crumpled paper that has a subtle pattern on it. There’s the original and three versions – one creates a nice background bokeh, one is grungy and one is painterly with a light green color. Enjoy! And remember to share your creations in our Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texturesturnhohumintoaworkofart/
Don’t Miss Out! Last New England Conference!
May 18-19, 2019 at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center Southbridge, MA
Join us for the 3rd Creative Photography Conference! We have EIGHT wonderful speakers covering a variety of creative topics:
Anne Belmont (Chicago) – Lensbaby Specialist John Barclay (PA) – “Creativity with Topaz” & “Dream, Believe, Create” Mark Bowie (MA) – “Envision: The Art of Seeing Creatively” & “Multiple Exposures for Maximum Landscapes” Betty Wiley (Cape Cod) – “Get Creative with LR”, “Creative PS” & “Luminar” Hazel Meredith (CT) – “Textures: Turn Ho-Hum Into a Work of Art” & “Creating Your Own Textures in PS with Brushes featuring Grut Brushes” Jane Driscoll (CT) – “iPhoneography + Apps” & “iColorama” Loretta Paul-Goldin (CT) – “Create Your Own Textures with Alcohol Inks” Jan Doyle (CT) – “Creative Projects with Your Photos” & “Get Your Name Out – Free Publicity with YouTube”
ADDED FOR 2019…
Friday – 2 Pre-Conference Hands-On Workshops Join either John Barclay or myself for an afternoon of hands-on learning. Bring your laptop (or follow along if you prefer) and work along with John (Topaz) or me (Textures). We will provide images so we can work together. These sessions are limited 24 people each. $69 for either session. (You must be registered for the Conference to attend these sessions.)
Friday & Saturday Nights – Optional Dinner Buffet Southbridge is a small town – why wait somewhere for dinner? Join our speakers and other attendees for an expansive dinner buffet. Sit, relax and chat a while! $20
Special Offer!
While our Early Bird pricing was the best deal for our Conference – and we did say there would be no further discounts – we added a special code for students and friends of each of our speakers (including me). Save $25 on your registration with the code meredith25. This code expires on March 31st and will be your last chance to save $$ on registration.
I still have some spots available for the upcoming new Hands-On Workshops that begin in March on Sunday afternoons. They will be held at a local spot here in Stratford and limited to a maximum of 6 people.
They will feature training on Photoshop, PS Elements, Lightroom, Topaz, Textures and possibly more. There will be PS & Elements sessions for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels (each of these is a separate subject/class). Watch for a schedule to be posted in next week’s blog!
And, if you’re not in CT, remember I have online training available as well! We screen share and can work on any subject you wish – Photoshop; Elements; Topaz; layers/masks; whatever you need help with! You can do a couple of hours or if a package of 10 hours. Email me for more info or go to my website to sign up: https://www.meredithimages.com/product-category/tutoring-sessions/
I’m always on the lookout for freebies and great deals to share with my readers. Here’s what I’ve found this week:
The “original” Bundle Company – Design Cuts – has some great things going on! Their new offering is “The Designer’s Textures & Patterns Collection” – value $2436 – for JUST $29! Check it out below:
This eBook has lots of useful information for working with textures, overlays, compositing and more. Review blending modes; learn to create your own brushes then create textures of your own; composite several images into one new project; and twelve projects to practice your skills. Included are all of the images, textures, and brushes to complete all of the projects as well as some bonus goodies!
Don’t miss the last Conference in New England! Join us May 18-19, 2019 at the Southbridge Hotel & Conference Center in Southbridge, MA, for the 3rd Creative Photography Conference!
Join me and 7 other creative photographers to learn creative landscapes & multiple exposures; post-processing with PS, LR, Topaz & textures; iPhoneography/Apps; Lens Babies; plus: loaner lenses; shopping with Hunt’s Photo; hands-on photo-ops; lots of door prizes; a goody bag and MUCH more!
JUST ADDED – On Sunday we will have two photo walks with one of fabulous Tamron Tech Reps! Borrow a Tamron lens and do some shooting around the beautiful hotel grounds.
New for 2019 are two options for pre-conference hands-on workshops (John Barclay teaching Topaz and me teaching Textures); and optional Fri. and/or Sat. night buffet dinners.
Happy February! Hope you’re staying warm through the cold spell that has been gripping the nation! Last week in CT we were in negative numbers – Tuesday will be mid-50’s!! Crazy!
For this week’s Sunday Sampler I took a texture of Rust and made five additional versions of it using Topaz and Smart Photo Editor. You can create even more versions of your own with various software. Enjoy!
Last Monday Topaz announced the new JPEG to RAW AI. I’ve seen some questions online about how/what it can do. Here’s some more info for you.
“What is the difference between AI Gigapixel and JPEG to RAW AI? What is the appropriate workflow?”
“Gigapixel is trained to fill in believable pixels for enlarging photos. If you think about the actual process of creating 6x the amount of pixels from an image, the main problem the software needs to solve is how those pixels should look. The format, color space, dynamic range, etc. will generally not change when you use Gigapixel. Generally you’d want to use Gigapixel as the last step before printing (or as the first step as you’re importing stock photos or similar). JPEG to RAW is trained to improve the format of the image by expanding color space/depth, improving dynamic range, and recovering detail. Sometimes it won’t even explicitly improve how the image looks immediately and might look the same! However, you’ll really notice the difference when you edit the photo – you’ll see less banding and artifacts. You would typically use JPEG to RAW before doing anything else with your JPEG.
“Here is the recommended workflow: First, run your JPEG photo through JPEG to RAW AI. Take the resulting .TIFF or .DNG into Topaz Studio and edit it in Topaz Studio or your preferred photo editing platform. Then, take your final product into AI Gigapixel for enlargement! The resulting image will be massively improved from the compressed JPEG you started with! “
There is also a great blog post on PetaPixel by Dr. Yang (founder of Topaz) that goes into great detail of the “how” of JPEG to RAW AI – CLICK HERE
I’ve tried it on several older photos (back when I was shooting in JPG) and I am quite impressed with what the software does. I get much better color and detail throughout. In the pics below, the first one is what I previously edited in Photoshop:
Photoshop Edit
For this copy, I took the original JPG file, ran it through JPEG to RAW, then processed in Studio using AI Clear to sharpen. A much better result in my opinion.
After editing with JPEG to RAW
What I also love about AI Clear is that it intelligently sharpens what needs sharpening but smooths out the background (as in this image) and gets rid of any noise. No masking of the background needed as I did when sharpening in Photoshop.
One other Topaz note. Most of you know Heath Robinson of Topaz from listening to webinars or talking to him online. Unfortunately, he has left Topaz and moved to Colorado for his wife to take a great new job.
Earlier this week there was a fire at his family’s home in Texas. They’ve set up a GoFundMe page. If you are so inclined, they are grateful for any assistance you can give. Check it out HERE. Thank you.
Workshops to begin in March
I am setting up some new Hands-On Workshops to begin in March on Sunday afternoons. They will be held at a local spot here in Stratford and limited to a maximum of 6 people.
They will feature training on Photoshop, PS Elements, Lightroom, Topaz, Textures and possibly more. There will be PS & Elements sessions for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels (each of these is a separate subject/class). Watch for a schedule to be posted in next week’s blog!
And, if you’re not in CT, remember I have online training available as well! We screen share and can work on any subject you wish – Photoshop; Elements; Topaz; layers/masks; whatever you need help with! You can do a couple of hours or if a package of 10 hours. Email me for more info or go to my website to sign up: https://www.meredithimages.com/product-category/tutoring-sessions/
I’m always on the lookout for freebies and great deals to share with my readers. Here’s what I’ve found this week:
From Pixelo – a very cool bundle for photographers, the “Unique Photoshop Plug-Ins Bundle”. This bundle includes: PS Plug-Ins; Actions; Add-Ons; Layer Styles: 643 Brushes; Swatches; Overlays and more! A total of 5500 unique products, and it comes with a commercial license so you can use it in images you sell. Value $2370 – now just $29 (expires in 15 days). CLICK HERE for this great deal and check out their other bundles too!
