GeekSugar

Make Your Photos Look Like Mini Models in Photoshop

GeekSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:01:56 PDT

Is this a picture of a miniaturized London street? Nope, it's the real deal, just made to look like a tiny version of itself! The effect is called Tilt-Shift and it's totally awesome. You can make virtually any picture look like a scaled down version of the real thing with a few easy adjustments in Photoshop. Assuredly, once you bust out your own completed works, there will be plenty of praise from pals who are amazed with your digital skillz. Yes, that's skills with a z, 'cause you're just that good.

Check out this easy-to-follow tutorial to get you on your way. One quick tip though - make sure your photos of choice are taken from a higher angle, as miniature scale models are usually shot from above. I've already done several of my own landscape shots, so be warned, it's kind of addicting!

Source

Download of the Day: iPhoto For iPad and iPhone

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:06:03 PST

Since you're taking most of your photos on an iPhone these days, Apple is making sure you have the same editing experience on the go as you would when sitting down to desktop iPhoto - with some multitouch enhancements. Announced during Apple's iPad event, iPhoto for iPad and iPhone ($5) is available now for mobile photo editing.

Gestures do all the work in the new iPhoto; just touch the specific part of the photo you want to enhance. Slide color contrasts up, pinch-zoom to focus on friends, or get artsy with the brush tool and paint away harsh lighting. Flag images for side-by-side comparison before deciding which photo makes the cut. Dozens of effects are included as swatch books to create black-and-white, vintage, watercolor, and tilt-shift images. Share the final photo product with friends across social networks, between iPhone and iPad, to the new Apple TV, or as photo journals all customized within iPhoto itself.

iPhoneography Tips From the Pros: Stephanie Roberts

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:03:26 PST

We headed out to Macworld earlier today to sit in on an interesting and informative tech talk that featured Stephanie Roberts, founder of Lens on Life Foundation and author of The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to Mobile Creativity, who shared some helpful tips on mobile digital photography and some of her favorite apps for the craft.

The iPhone is now the most popular camera in the world, partly thanks to its small, portable, and discreet form. While you don't have much fine-tune control while you're shooting, you have lots of options when it comes to postprocessing apps to tweak and share your photos on the go. Below, a few ways you can use iPhoneography to your artful advantage, and some apps to download now.

Let your creative instincts guide you - Think of iPhoneography as a daily practice. Keep shooting and keep perfecting your craft. Since you'll want to be shooting throughout the day, collect moments that move you - whether it's colors, images, shapes, or scenes. Then, study your work over a period of time to find your true vision. It's also a great way to document your daily life and keep you connected to the practice of photography.

Craft your toolkit - Don't be shy about loading up your iPhone with photography apps. Learn about some of Stephanie's favorite apps after the break.

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Offers Instagram-Style Effects Without Photoshop

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:53:53 PST

Instagram has become an incredibly popular app for mobile photographers since its launch in 2010, and camera manufacturers are taking notice. Panasonic is hoping to lure mobile photography enthusiasts away from the smartphone by adding Instagram-style effects to its hardware. The Panasonic Lumix GX1 has two things going for it - its awesome retro style and customizable built-in photo filters that let you change the look and feel of your images without a secondary program like Photoshop.

Eight different filters - from "retro" to "toy camera" - give your photos a distinctive personality by adding a dose of color, contrast, and vignetting. The good news is, you can control just how much of the effect goes into your pics with the addition of a slider bar on the three-inch touchscreen LCD panel. Add a little or a lot - it's totally up to you. Additionally, the GX1 comes with a Touch Defocus tool that helps you achieve the Tilt-Shift effect, or just bring a subject into sharper focus by blurring out the background. You can even choose from four different aspect ratios, including 1:1 square if you can't get enough of that Instagram styling. An interchangeable lens model, the GX1 can be used with other Micro Four Thirds lenses as your skills improve.

You can get the Panasonic Lumix GX1 now for $700.

Geek Tip: Lomo-fy Your Digital Photos

GeekSugar — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:11:19 PDT

After all the fun I had making my photos look like tiny models with the Tilt-Shift effect, I had to look for something new to add to my effects arsenal. I love my Lomo camera and the effect it produces, but to be honest, I don't always have the cash to throw down for film or development. It can get pretty darn expensive! Given the fact that the latest Lomo camera, the Lomo LC-Wide goes for a whopping $389, I figure we could all use a bit of a break from temptation.

We can save some cash together by playing around with our digital photos in Photoshop with the Lomo Effect. It makes your pics look like they were expertly shot and developed using the plastic cameras with just a few simple steps. Check out the great tutorial here, and afterwards share with us your Lomo-fied pics by uploading them to our Cool Capture group!

Source