Recently, we were contacted by Gund to see if they could use one of the images from our Boo & Buddy San Francisco shoot for their new plush Boo! Of course we were thrilled at the prospect, and thrilled for little Boo. He really IS the world’s cutest dog. And practically a plush toy himself.

Here’s a shot of the hang tag that Gund is using. (Click on the image to see the video)

And here is the original photograph (plus a few more favorites from that day!):

PLUSH BOO!!!

• In January 2010 we released the first eBook in this series – Photo Nuts and BOLTS which is all about understanding how your camera works and how to take full control of it.
• In January 2011 we released Photo Nuts and SHOTS which built upon the first eBook to cover techniques and tools to use your camera to take great photos.
• Today – January 2012 we release Photo Nuts and POST – which is all about what to do with your images once you’ve taken them.

While the first two Photo Nuts eBooks are all about taking the best photos possible (the only real place to start with great photos) – Photo Nuts and POST is about helping those photos to come to life.

What is it About?

This is not an eBook about making bad photos look amazing. Neil’s written two eBooks already emphasising the importance of getting the best possible photo when you take that photo. Rather this is an eBook about taking those photos and turning them into a finished, polished and appropriately prepared photo for whatever need you have (online sharing, printing or publishing).

As I wrote in the forward of this eBook:

For years my own approach was to avoid post-production; my mindset was that great photographers always got it right in camera anyway and that any processing work was somehow ‘fake’. Over time, however, I’ve come to see the benefit of some gentle processing on my images – not to hide anything but to bring them alive and to reflect the reality of the scenes and subjects that I capture.

While getting your photos right in camera is the only real place to start, this ebook is all about putting the tools and techniques in your hands to take those good images and lift them to new levels through post-production.

I was delighted to work with Neil on this ebook because his approach to post-production is similar to my own. I therefore trust that you’ll also enjoy learning about how post-production can help unleash the potential in your own images.

Who is Photo Nuts and POST for?

• Those who want to process their photos and don’t know where to get started
• Anyone who is skeptical about processing but is keen to explore it
• Photographers who see amazing photos online and want their own photos to look like them
• Anyone who struggles with an aspect of processing for eg – workflow or culling a big shoot
• Anyone who has just started learning processing and wants to take it further

If you own a dSLR camera you owe it to yourself to learn about digital post processing.

FAQ

• What post processing software does this eBook teach? – this eBook is written to be as software-agnostic as possible, but by necessity some of the terminology and examples may be influenced by Neil’s personal choice of Adobe’s Lightroom. Screen shots of examples are mostly from Lightroom, but he has striven to keep them relevant to other software choices.
• Can I read it on my iPad – yes. This eBook is a PDF and can be read on your computer or any other PDF reading device. To read it on your iPad simply download it to your computer and then upload it to iBooks (or any other PDF reading app).
• Is it Guaranteed? – yes, like all of our eBooks if you buy a copy and find it doesn’t suit your needs just contact us within 60 days of purchase for a full no questions asked refund.
• Is there a hard cover version? – Unfortunately not – we only do eBooks at this point in time.
• Got Questions or Needing Help? – If you have any problems with the purchase or download simply contact our friendly support staff. Please include the name of the eBook you are asking for support on as well as your PayPal email address if you have made a purchase.

Special Launch Discount: 33% Off

To celebrate the launch of Photo Nuts and POST we’re offering it for $19.99 – 33% off the normal price.

For more information on it check out the Photo Nuts and POST

Or to secure your copy directly, simply click the Download it Now button below.

You’ll be taken to a page where you can make your payment via PayPal or Credit card and get immediate access for download.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

A Guide to Post Processing Your Images: Photo Nuts and Post

Below are 33 images that feature patterns of different kinds. Some are found in architecture and some in nature. Some of these patterns are exact geometric patterns, others are less so, but still feature repetition. Enjoy! (PS: click each image to be taken to the photographers flickr page where you can learn more about the image).

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

33 Inspirational Images that Feature Patterns and Repetition

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… and in our forums I’ve noticed more and more great Christmas images being shared – some of which feature a technique that is always popular at this time of year – Bokeh Christmas lights shots.

The technique takes a bit of experimenting and practice but is relatively simple to do. You need some Christmas lights and a camera lens with a reasonably ‘fast’ aperture (or a large aperture).

The key is to shoot at the larger end of your available aperture – this throws the background (and foreground) of your shot out of focus and any Christmas lights in the foreground or background will become little balls of light.

As you’ll see in most of the images featured in this series – the technique is particularly good if you also have some element in your shot that is in focus. This ‘subject’ might be a person, a pet, a Christmas decoration or something else.

You can make the little balls of light bigger by increasing the distance between your in focus subject and the out of focus lights in the background.

While most of the images in this series have the Christmas lights in the background of the image (behind the subject) it is also possible to create the little bokeh balls of light by putting the lights in the foreground of your image (in front of your subject). You can see this in the image below. The impact is a little different as the bokeh balls will cover part of your subject.

Another popular technique is to create different shaped bokeh. You can make stars, hearts or even little snow flakes like the image below.

To get these different little bokeh shapes is pretty simple. You just need to make a little cutout ‘mask’ for your lens. Rather than go over how to do it here check out this video tutorial that will walk you through it here.

The other way to change the shape of your bokeh balls is to experiment with different apertures. You’ll find that in most cases the larger your aperture the rounder the ball – but go for a slightly smaller aperture you may find your bokeh becomes more hexagonal (or Heptagonal or Octagonal… the number of sides will depend upon how many blades your lens has).

The different ways of using this bokeh Christmas lights technique is only limited by your imagination. Here are some more examples to give you ideas. Enjoy!

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

How to Take Beautiful Bokeh Christmas Images [With 31 Stunning Examples]

Image by Daniel Zedda

One of the most effective pieces of lighting gear ever invented is available to almost every photographer in the world… unless you’re living in a cave (and even then you might have one).

Image by Anna Gay

It’s the window.

Image by Eric Meuller

I hear many photographers asking about what lighting gear to purchase to light their portraits – but I’m a firm believer that the natural light provided by a window can often do the job as well – if not better – than any expensive gear that you might buy.

Image by Meredith Farmer

Here’s a collection of images that were all taken predominantly with natural light – in most cases at or near a window. Enjoy.

Image by Shandi-Lee

Image by Paul Goyette

Image by John Meuller

Image by Mr Story

Image by Beni Ishaque Luthor

Image by Gabriela Camerotti

Image by The Q

Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello

Image by Gabriela Camerotti

Image by Jay Ryness

Image by Raymond Larose

Image by gabriele fanelli

Image by Sebastiano Pitruzzello

Image by Jay Ryness

Image by Drew Herron

Image by brice hardelin

Image by Lauren Nelson

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

21 Inspirational Natural Light Portraits

Ring flashes (or ring lights) provide some awesome light. They are very common with the fashion industry where they are used to create a glamorous look. However if you want to use one the lights they use on high-end fashion shots, be prepared to say good bye to a couple of Big Ones. The oddly shaped – around the lens – modifier, combined with lots of lighting power does not come cheap.

Luckily new, easy on the pocket, rings lights like the Orbis ($200) and the DIY Ring Flash ($25) provide access to this wonderful tool to the budget minded photographer as long as they own a small hot shoe strobe.

With the wider availability of ring flashes, I thought it would be nice to explore seven ways (both orthodox and unconventional) to use ring flashes.

Use It For Subtle Fill

The most common use for a small ring flash is to use it to create a subtle fill light. Since the light is coming from 100% on-axis, it has very little effect on the scene other than to provide additional light.

Photographer Benjamin Von Wong explains how you create such a photograph:

Use It For Framing

Though it is not trivial, it makes sense to use the ring of light coming from the strobe as a framing element – it provides a perfect white circle of light:

POW! by EJP Photo

The interesting thing, is that using an ultra wide lens (like 8mm wide) you can also use the edges of the ring as framing element while placing the lens behind it. This is demonstrated by photographer Fallon Chan

The “Jarvie” window by Fallon Chan

Use It To Expose Details On a Hard Light Shot

David Hobby A.K.A Strobist came up with one of the coolest and interesting ways to use a ring flash. Using several strobes as hard lights he creates a contrasty scene. Then he uses a ring flash as fill to add details to the final photograph. you can learn more about this technique here and here.

Bionic Arm by Bionic Arm

Use If For Interesting Catch lights

One of the most visible signatures of ring lights is the unique shaped catch lights they produce.

Since the light is coming from a bagel shaped source, they catch light it produces is bagelled as well. This is wonderfully illustrated in John Winters photograph.

50″ ringlight by 50″ ringlight

If you are going towards this look, one thing that you need to take care of is the distance between the ring flash and your subject. The closer the ring light, the more prominent the catch light effect will be.

Of course, if you are into catch lights, you may want to try having your subject ware sunglasses. While I am not sure that this would qualify as ring light per se, the effect is well worth trying. And if you want to take this into extremes you can always add some star patterns into the ring light.

DGTL PHTGRPHR – Magic Cyril Johnson by Steven Monteau

Use It As Key

Of course it is always an option to use a ring flash as strong key light or even a single light. This is where you can see the “signature” lighting pattern of the ring light at its best. Note the halo of shadow originating around the model as the light hits her exactly from the lens center.

Ray Flash Ring Light by Ian Wedlock

Use It For Macro

If you opt to photograph the small things, a ring flash is your perfect companion. Its even illumination is great for macro shots where you need very soft light.

Refraction 001 By LULZ Photography

Use it As Softbox

Lastly, you can forget the fact that this is a ring flash at all and simply use it off camera and off axis as a small softbox.

This is exactly what Tomer Jacobson did for Nadia, his model. Using a Lastolite Triflector Speed-Lite as soft glamorous light with a ring flash coming from top left and actually acting as a softbox to add a bit of directional light.

Nadia by Tomer Jacobson

Your Turn

Are you using ring flash at all? Got any favorite ring flash image? How will you use (or have you used) a ring flash to take great photographs?

About The Author

Udi Tirosh runs DIYPhotography, and makes great photography products.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

7 Creative Ways to Use A Ring Flash