Tutorial Thursday March 19

Today’s blog will be brief! I’m including some tutorials I found online, as I’m working on some tutorials for MY OWN WEBINAR on Tuesday, March 24th! Keep reading for all the details.

ONLINE TUTORIALS

“How to Photograph Motion” from PictureCorrect.com

From WebDesignDev, “20 Brilliant Photoshop Video Tutorials to Improve Your Skills”.

And in case you missed this in Tuesday’s blog…
About 5 years ago I created this video on “How to Add a Mat to Your Image in Photoshop Elements”. The process is basically the same in PS CC. This was posted on my Hazel Meredith page – I’m now using my Meredith Images page for new videos – subscribe at: https://www.youtube.com/MeredithImages

MEREDITH IMAGES WEBINAR!

The first LIVE webinar of my own! With everyone being cooped up at home these days, what better way to spend our time than editing images and learning new techniques and ideas for editing.

I will take some of my own images and demonstrate my post-processing techniques using Photoshop and Topaz Studio 2. Of course, I will also be using Textures!

I will also be writing up the notes and offering them for sale in the Peacock Studio for a mere $5. This will also include the original images used in the projects so you can practice with my images before trying the processes on your own images.

The webinar is FREE, however it is limited to just 100 ATTENDEES, so be sure to sign up ASAP and set a reminder on your phone or calendar so you don’t miss it.

I will have it recording as well, so you can watch again when you’re trying out the projects. If you know you won’t be able to attend live, please don’t register – I will post the recording afterwards. Thanks!

Register for this webinar:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QRfTXH55St-KZzA5EeAc4Q

And check out the rest of Tuesday’s blog post for info on the rescheduled Creative Photography Conference as well as my current sale on New Texture Sets; Retiring Texture Sets; eBooks; Online Tutoring; and the latest Mini Bundle and tutorials from Design Cuts!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT!

Around the Web Feb. 4

PHOTOSHOP

From Fstoppers – “How to Cut Out Hair in Photoshop”

“How to Smooth Skin in Photoshop – 16 Tutorials to Check Out” from designyourway.net.

Create a texture of your own! “How to Create Metal Texture Using Photoshop” from line25.com

Create a “Rusted Metal Text Effect” from psdvault.com

FREEBIES

1500 FREE OVERLAYS from Eldamar Studio – “Want to Get 1500 Free Overlays”

From webdesigndev.com, “20+ Free Design Goodies You Will Want to Download”. Includes things like mockups, backgrounds, icons, textures and more! Be sure to look at other linked articles at the bottom of the page for more goodies!

From designyourway.net, “The 50 Best Free Fonts on Font Squirrel You Must Have”.

SOFTWARE

In case you haven’t heard, Photodex, makers of ProShow software, has shut down! Here is the article and suggested replacement software: http://www.photodex.com/shutdown.html

SNEAK PEEK!
COMING THURSDAY!

Last Thursday I showed you how I used a crop shape to add a frame to an image. This Thursday I will be releasing two new sets of crop shapes, as well as a video tutorial on how to use them!

Here’s just some of what will be included!

Topaz DeNoise AI now has batch editing capabilities!

Topaz DeNoise AI already gave us amazing noise reduction while retaining detail and sharpness. Now you can batch edit your images – it also now has Chroma Noise Reduction to eliminate those specks of color that can come with a noisy image.

Regular $79.99, it’s on sale till 2/7/2020 for $59.99. And here’s a tip – use my link below and the code MeredithImages at checkout and save another 15%, making your total $50.99!

Check out all the details HERE!

Around the Web Jan. 28, 2020

PHOTOSHOP

Ramp up your Photoshop skills with these compositing tutorials from WebDesignDev – “20 Amazing Collage Photoshop Tutorials”.

And from Creative Nerds, “How to Use the New Selection Tool in Photoshop to Mask Images”.

FREEBIES

A bundle of 16 FREE premium fonts from Creative Fabrica – “The Free Font Bundle”.

PHOTOGRAPHY

“Everything a Beginner Needs to Know About Astrophotography” from 500px

For those wanting a photo studio at home, “How to Set Up a Simple Photography Studio” from PictureCorrect.com.

And also from PictureCorrect, “How to Photograph Great Seascapes”.

Pixelo has a new font bundle – “The Radiant Brush Fonts Bundle”! Contains 120+ unique fonts across 56 font families with a mix of vintage and modern brush fonts. Check it out HERE! As always, it comes with a full license for personal and commercial use. Just $29!

Topaz DeNoise AI now has batch editing capabilities!

Topaz DeNoise AI already gave us amazing noise reduction while retaining detail and sharpness. Now you can batch edit your images – it also now has Chroma Noise Reduction to eliminate those specks of color that can come with a noisy image.

Regular $79.99, it’s on sale till 2/7/2020 for $59.99. And here’s a tip – use my link below and the code MeredithImages at checkout and save another 15%, making your total $50.99!

Check out all the details HERE!

Just a few days left to grab the new Cosmos textures at half price! CLICK HERE!

I’ve added two groups of Cosmos textures to the Peacock Studio. These are large groups of 12 textures each, 15″ x 15″, 300 dpi. These were created on the iPad in Procreate!

Regular price $12 per set – on sale 50% off until Jan. 31, 2020 (midnight EDT).

CLICK HERE to go to the Peacock Studio and grab your textures!

GROUP 1:

GROUP 2:

Around the Web Jan. 21, 2020

PHOTOSHOP

On Photoshop Tutorials, “How to Add Photorealistic Puddles in Photoshop”

From Video Tutorials 411, “Simple Trick to Make Buildings Dramatically Taller!”

And on Web Design Dev, “Create Awesome Photo Effects with These 20 Amazing Photoshop Tutorials”.

From FStoppers, “Try These Creative Compositing Techniques”.

WEBINAR!
“Topaz Studio 2 – Creativity Unleashed!”

This past Sunday I did a webinar for NPEG (National Photo Enthusiasts Group). Mark Perry, group founder, recorded the webinar and you can view it on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSKcpvGPgJQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0_TkIX2KmL1nrhgpR847STJphZFW3f59rfmbvHrQs20cxeFdGwahF1F5I

This webinar was geared towards a Studio “newbie” and reviews how to navigate around the program, save images, and some creative editing.

For more info on NPEG, check out their website at: https://www.npegroupusa.org/

Introducing the
RETROSPECTIVE BACKPACK 15L
FOR DSLR & MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

Built for Backroad Adventure Travel
Whether bushwhacking through the outback or horse packing in the Wild West, the Retrospective Backpack 15 is built for back-road adventure travel.

This classic-styled rucksack features rugged yet form-fitting canvas that is treated with DWR to repel the elements. A zippered security flap under the lid tucks away to provide rapid top access, while the back panel offers full access to your gear, including a 15-inch laptop.

Superior construction, comfortable harness and legendary Think Tank quality inspires confidence so you can focus on the shot.

“The combination of photo and personal gear carry makes the Retrospective Backpack the perfect bag for adventure travel,” said Doug Murdoch, Think Tank CEO and Lead Designer. “It’s a natural addition to the Retrospective shoulder bag series, with all of the style and design details that have made the line so popular.”

CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS HERE!
And with this link you’ll receive free gear on purchases over $50 PLUS free shipping!

Barns & Back Roads Workshop Update!

I mentioned in my newsletter last week that I added one more workshop, May 2-5, 2020 — THERE IS NOW JUST ONE SPOT LEFT! If you are interested, sign up now!

Details on the website: https://www.meredithimages.com/product-category/workshops/

APRIL WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT!
Don’t miss out on the
4th Creative Photography Conference
April 25-26, 2020
MeadowView Resort & Conference Center
Kingsport, TN

TWO DAYS OF CREATIVITY!

Creative photography and post-processing techniques featuring: Creative Landscapes; Post-Processing (PS, Topaz, Textures); Creativity with Lens Baby Lenses; iPhoneography; hands-on photo-ops, and much more!

SPEAKERS:

Ken Sklute (AZ) – Canon Explorer of Light – Landscape artist, storm chaser, hot air balloonist

David Kelly (PA) – Topaz Instructor and Lens Baby creative

Cheryl Parris (GA) – Digital composite artist

Roni Chastain (NY) – Photoshop and photo walks

Hazel Meredith (TN) – Texture artist; iPhoneographer

Loretta Paul-Goldin (CT) – Creating textures with alcohol inks

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

Sat. & Sun. seminars and photo-ops; coffe/tea & refreshments in the mornings; lunch both days; speaker notes on a flash drive; door prizes and a goodie bag with discounts and freebies! Also – vendor tables for your shopping pleasure.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

We have a block of rooms reserved at $130/night. Link on our website.

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS ON FRIDAY

If you’d like a hands-on, intensive session on “Creative Editing with Topaz” or “Working with Textures”, then come join David Kelly or Hazel Meredith on Friday from 1:00-4:30 pm.

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION ARE ON OUR WEBSITE AT:
https://www.meredithimages.com/creative-photography-conference/

Around the Web Jan. 14, 2020

On Sunday I mentioned an image that I used a Sunday Sampler texture on – but forgot to add the photo! So here it is:

On Thursday I will show you how I did this!

PHOTOGRAPHY

From PictureCorrect.com, “5 Creative Composition Tips in Photography” and “Top 10 Sports Photography Tips”

FREEBIES

Some freebies from Pixelo:

Roastink Font – a casual script font (free for personal use)

Amaranthine Font – another script font (free for personal use)

And Aletcia Font – one more script (free for personal use)

BUNDLE DEALS

And if you haven’t enough fonts yet, Pixelo has a new bundle, “The Smashing Sans Serif Fonts Bundle”!

186 Fonts across 38 Font Families.

This bundle comes with a full license for personal or commercial use.

Just $29! CLICK HERE to grab yours!

APRIL WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT!
Don’t miss out on the
4th Creative Photography Conference
April 25-26, 2020
MeadowView Resort & Conference Center
Kingsport, TN

TWO DAYS OF CREATIVITY!

Creative photography and post-processing techniques featuring: Creative Landscapes; Post-Processing (PS, Topaz, Textures); Creativity with Lens Baby Lenses; iPhoneography; hands-on photo-ops, and much more!

SPEAKERS:

Ken Sklute (AZ) – Canon Explorer of Light – Landscape artist, storm chaser, hot air balloonist

David Kelly (PA) – Topaz Instructor and Lens Baby creative

Cheryl Parris (GA) – Digital composite artist

Roni Chastain (NY) – Photoshop and photo walks

Hazel Meredith (TN) – Texture artist; iPhoneographer

Loretta Paul-Goldin (CT) – Creating textures with alcohol inks

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

Sat. & Sun. seminars and photo-ops; coffe/tea & refreshments in the mornings; lunch both days; speaker notes on a flash drive; door prizes and a goodie bag with discounts and freebies! Also – vendor tables for your shopping pleasure.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

We have a block of rooms reserved at $130/night. Link on our website.

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS ON FRIDAY

If you’d like a hands-on, intensive session on “Creative Editing with Topaz” or “Working with Textures”, then come join David Kelly or Hazel Meredith on Friday from 1:00-4:30 pm.

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION ARE ON OUR WEBSITE AT:
https://www.meredithimages.com/creative-photography-conference/

Sunday Sampler Jan. 12, 2020

Wow – I thought New England weather was fickle – the South is just as crazy! Yesterday was 75° out and gusty. A major line of storms came through in the evening (sadly with tornadoes in some areas), with crazy rain and some lightning. Although there were severe weather alerts in our area, it wasn’t too bad and we made it through just fine. I must say, having weather alerts set up on our phones is a good thing!

This week’s Sunday Sampler contains one of the Cosmos textures from my new releases coming out later this week! I took this texture and ran it through Topaz ReStyle (one of the older modules), and changed the color palette of the texture. Below is an example of how I used one of the versions in my barn image – in “Tutorial Thursday” I will show you how I did this! Enjoy!

APRIL WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT!
Don’t miss out on the
4th Creative Photography Conference
April 25-26, 2020
MeadowView Resort & Conference Center
Kingsport, TN

TWO DAYS OF CREATIVITY!

Creative photography and post-processing techniques featuring: Creative Landscapes; Post-Processing (PS, Topaz, Textures); Creativity with Lens Baby Lenses; iPhoneography; hands-on photo-ops, and much more!

SPEAKERS:

Ken Sklute (AZ) – Canon Explorer of Light – Landscape artist, storm chaser, hot air balloonist

David Kelly (PA) – Topaz Instructor and Lens Baby creative

Cheryl Parris (GA) – Digital composite artist

Roni Chastain (NY) – Photoshop and photo walks

Hazel Meredith (TN) – Texture artist; iPhoneographer

Loretta Paul-Goldin (CT) – Creating textures with alcohol inks

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

Sat. & Sun. seminars and photo-ops; coffe/tea & refreshments in the mornings; lunch both days; speaker notes on a flash drive; door prizes and a goodie bag with discounts and freebies! Also – vendor tables for your shopping pleasure.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

We have a block of rooms reserved at $130/night. Link on our website.

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS ON FRIDAY

If you’d like a hands-on, intensive session on “Creative Editing with Topaz” or “Working with Textures”, then come join David Kelly or Hazel Meredith on Friday from 1:00-4:30 pm.

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION ARE ON OUR WEBSITE AT:
https://www.meredithimages.com/creative-photography-conference/

Sunday Sampler Jan. 5, 2020 – Revised!

So as soon as I hit “publish” on the earlier blog post, I realized I forgot the links for the “Sunday Sampler”! While I revised it right away, the email of the blog post doesn’t have the live link. CLICK HERE for the updated blog post and link!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Hard to believe it’s 2020!! Stay tuned to the blog regularly for all the new happenings at Meredith Images and the Peacock Studio this year!

This week’s Sunday Sampler has some dramatic sky overlays! Yesterday had the BEST skies – stormy and pouring to the East and clearing blue skies and puffy white clouds to the West! I took some shots of the edge of the storm system, and just as I was getting ready to post this blog, Dave noticed the great sun rays coming through the clouds – so I added one of those too!

This kind of texture/overlay is great when you have a really blah gray/white sky. Overlay one of these, mask if needed off of your subject, and voila, an interesting sky for your image. Here’s an example:

A shot of the Baltimore skyline from a water taxi:

While it wasn’t truly an overcast day, the day was hazy and lacked color.

There are two ways to use the overlay:
1) Lay the sky over the image, reduce the opacity so you can see the image below, and use a layer mask to mask the sky off the subject.
2) If you have lots of hard edges in your subject (like in this image), make a selection of your subject then hit Control+J to copy the selection to a new layer. Bring in the sky overlay between the two layers.

Screen shot of my layers.

Finished image – has much more “punch” than the original!

NEW SUNDAY SAMPLER GROUP IN THE PEACOCK STUDIO STORE!

Group 7 = 93 Textures & Backgrounds

You can always download at least 6 months of Sunday Samplers through the blog.

Once 12 months have passed, I bundle the oldest 6 months of Samplers and place them in the Peacock Studio for sale. This group is from Jan.-June, 2019. You can still download July-December 2019 through the blog posts.

Sunday Sampler Groups are regularly priced at $15 each, but you can grab the newest bundle for 33% off through Monday, Jan. 6th! CLICK HERE!

AND, if you are a new reader to the blog, you can grab an extra special deal – all 7 Sunday Sampler Groups, regularly priced at $90, also 33% off through Jan. 6th! CLICK HERE for the deal!

USE THE COUPON CODE
NEWYEARBUNDLES
at checkout to save 33%!

Sunday Sampler Jan. 5, 2020

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Hard to believe it’s 2020!! Stay tuned to the blog regularly for all the new happenings at Meredith Images and the Peacock Studio this year!

This week’s Sunday Sampler has some dramatic sky overlays! Yesterday had the BEST skies – stormy and pouring to the East and clearing blue skies and puffy white clouds to the West! I took some shots of the edge of the storm system, and just as I was getting ready to post this blog, Dave noticed the great sun rays coming through the clouds – so I added one of those too!

This kind of texture/overlay is great when you have a really blah gray/white sky. Overlay one of these, mask if needed off of your subject, and voila, an interesting sky for your image. Here’s an example:

A shot of the Baltimore skyline from a water taxi:

While it wasn’t truly an overcast day, the day was hazy and lacked color.

There are two ways to use the overlay:
1) Lay the sky over the image, reduce the opacity so you can see the image below, and use a layer mask to mask the sky off the subject.
2) If you have lots of hard edges in your subject (like in this image), make a selection of your subject then hit Control+J to copy the selection to a new layer. Bring in the sky overlay between the two layers.

Screen shot of my layers.

Finished image – has much more “punch” than the original!

NEW SUNDAY SAMPLER GROUP IN THE PEACOCK STUDIO STORE!

Group 7 = 93 Textures & Backgrounds

You can always download at least 6 months of Sunday Samplers through the blog.

Once 12 months have passed, I bundle the oldest 6 months of Samplers and place them in the Peacock Studio for sale. This group is from Jan.-June, 2019. You can still download July-December 2019 through the blog posts.

Sunday Sampler Groups are regularly priced at $15 each, but you can grab the newest bundle for 33% off through Monday, Jan. 6th! CLICK HERE!

AND, if you are a new reader to the blog, you can grab an extra special deal – all 7 Sunday Sampler Groups, regularly priced at $90, also 33% off through Jan. 6th! CLICK HERE for the deal!

USE THE COUPON CODE
NEWYEARBUNDLES
at checkout to save 33%!

Tutorial Thursday Jan. 2 + Around the Web + New Sunday Sampler Group!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Hard to believe it’s 2020!! I have lots of plans for Meredith Images and the Peacock Studio this year, so be sure to read the blog regularly for all the updates!

Cold Weather Photography

A bit of a “cheat” this week – this tutorial is from PictureCorrect.com, “Too Cold Outside for Photography? Think Again!”

NEW SUNDAY SAMPLER GROUP IN THE PEACOCK STUDIO STORE!

Group 7 = 93 Textures & Backgrounds

You can always download at least 6 months of Sunday Samplers through the blog.

Once 12 months have passed, I bundle the oldest 6 months of Samplers and place them in the Peacock Studio for sale. This group is from Jan.-June, 2019. You can still download July-December 2019 through the blog posts.

Sunday Sampler Groups are regularly priced at $15 each, but you can grab the newest bundle for 33% off through Monday, Jan. 6th! CLICK HERE!

AND, if you are a new reader to the blog, you can grab an extra special deal – all 7 Sunday Sampler Groups, regularly priced at $90, also 33% off through Jan. 6th! CLICK HERE for the deal!

USE THE COUPON CODE
NEWYEARBUNDLES
at checkout to save 33%!

PIXELO

Pixelo has several New Year’s bundles available at extra-special savings with the following coupon codes!

PLEASE NOTE: You can only use one coupon code at a time, so if you want all 3 deals, you’ll need to do 3 separate orders or order on different days!

First up is their “800 Best Text Styles” – reg. $29, just $15 with the code 800BEST at checkout.

Next is the “Stylish Fonts Bundle”. Reg. $19 / Just $10 with the code STYLISH.

And 3rd, the “Glorious Photoshop Add-Ons Bundle”. Reg. $29 – just $15 with the code GLORIOUS.

PHOTOSHOP

From WebDesignDev.com – “20 Outstanding Free Photoshop Text Effects”

The PhotoshopGuy shows you “Photoshop 2020 Upgrade: New Features and How to Use Them”.

FREEBIE

Make your product shot (or anything!) look like it was wrapped in plastic wrap! “3 Plastic Wrap Textures”. Here is my eBook cover “wrapped in plastic”! 3 free textures or upgrade to all 12 textures for $6.

Tutorial Thursday Dec. 26 + Holiday Freebie!

I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Christmas and Hanukkah. This post is a combination of “Around the Web” and “Tutorial Thursday” – been a busy week!

TODAY IS LAST CALL FOR THE FREE HOLIDAY 2019 Texture Set! Keep reading to find out how to get your copy!

Simple Editing, Creative Results

We don’t always need to add lots of “stuff” to our images to show our creativity. These two images were taken Christmas Eve morning near our house.

For the first one we jumped in the car and made a quick trip just up the road to higher ground that overlooks the valley and the Holston River. The fog was amazing as was the sunrise!

All I did with this one was Topaz AI Clear to clean up the noise and sharpen, then went into Texture Effects and added the preset “A Peggy Fog” to emphasize the color and tones. This preset also had AI Clear in it, so I brought that setting down to zero.

Final Image:

The second image was taken back at our house, another “view from the deck” as the fog rolled in to the little valley behind us and shrouded the trees.

For this image I also did Topaz AI Clear in Studio, then in Texture Effects > Landscapes > Steel Glaze preset. Back in PS I lowered the opacity of this layer to 70%.

This is the final result:

I liked the way this preset accented the blue of the fog.

PHOTOSHOP

Two from Photoshop Cafe, “6 Ways to Change Colors in Photoshop”, and “Snow Photography, 5 Quick Tips”.

“How to Create Twinkle Lights for Christmas Tree Portraits in PS” from Digital Photography School.

PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES

From PictureCorrect.com, “Christmas Light Photography Tips”

I don’t often recommend subscribing to a particular newsletter, but the “National Parks Traveler” is one every nature lover should read! They talk about lots of subjects that affect our parks – and us as photographers and visitors. The issue I received yesterday had a good article, “2019 Year in Review: Some Great Photo Tips”. Check it out!

FREEBIE

Over on Line 25, “8 Free Christmas Vectors for Designers”.

LAST CALL – ENDS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT EDT!

HOLIDAY FREEBIE & TEXTURE SALE!

It’s been a busy, fun, crazy year here at Meredith Images & the Peacock Studio! Thank you for your support and encouragement!

My holiday “Thank You” to all my readers is a set of 6 Textures – all created in Photoshop with brushes – that have a holiday color scheme. The tutorial above is just one of many ways to utilize these (or any) textures.

To get your free set of textures, go to THIS LINK (which is on the Meredith Images site > Peacock Studio > Texture Collections), and add the Holiday 2019 Texture Set to your cart (no coupon needed for this item).

As an extra “Thank You”, you can also save 25% off any other Texture Set in the Peacock Studio – use the code HOLIDAY25 at Checkout.

Both of these offers expire at Midnight Dec. 26th (EDT) so don’t wait!!