Tag: Aperture 3

Free, Live Product Demos – onOne Software

Posted on by Nick Roberts

ON1h_ID_(RGB)

Free, Live Product Demos – onOne Software.

OnOne has just released Perfect Photo Suite 7 and is hosting a number of webinars over the next few weeks.

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If you want to make a purchase you can use the link below to go to the OnOne site to learn more and help support SpeedDemon2.com.

http://www.onOnesoftware.com/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=45

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Kentucky Derby Festival 2013 The Great Steamboat Race

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Great Steamboat Race 2013
Great Steamboat Race 2013

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This image is from the Great Steamboat Race here in Louisville, Kentucky. Each year, as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Louisville hosts the annual Great Steamboat Race which pits her own steamboat the Belle of Louisville against any other contenders that show up. This year was the first time people could view the race from the Big Four Bridge in Waterfront Park.

This image is a single frame post processed in Aperture 3 without using any plug-ins. I liked the repeating shapes of the boat’s wakes as a reinforcement of the bridge beams and handrail.

Great Steamboat Race 2013 #2
Great Steamboat Race 2013 #2

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This image received the same post processing as the previous photo. I created a preset Effect in Aperture 3 based on the first image and was able to apply it to many of the images I shot that afternoon. After applying the preset to an image I could go into the adjustment panes and make small tweaks to each image as needed without having to start from scratch.

The Belle of Louisville in front of Waterfront Park during the Great Steamboat Race 2013.
The Belle of Louisville in front of Waterfront Park during the Great Steamboat Race 2013.

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I applied the preset to this image as well. It’s a real timesaver to build an Effect Preset in Aperture 3 and then apply and tweak it as needed.

Sunset on the Ohio River after the Great Steamboat Race 2013
Sunset on the Ohio River after the Great Steamboat Race 2013

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This last image was also processed in Aperture 3 using the same Effects Preset I created but since it was later in the day I had to go into it and readjust many of the sliders to emphasize the colors of the sky and it’s reflection on the river. Still it was nice to have the preset as a starting point that shared the same overall feel as the earlier images.

Final Formation 2013

Posted on by Nick Roberts
Final Formation
Final Formation

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Today we honor those whole gave their lives in battle. The men and women buried here are for the most part young people who, in defense of America’s values, made the ultimate sacrifice. Whenever I am in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery I am moved by the sacrifice of these fallen Americans who did what had to be done to preserve liberty for all of us. I wish each one of them could have survived and returned home to their family and friends to enjoy a long and happy life but sadly that was not their fate.

Wars are waged by politicians, be they in defense or in agression, yet war is almost always fought by the young whose lives are forever changed by the act of participation. It would be wonderful if mankind could eliminate wars but unfortunately that does not seem to be our nature.

I salute all who occupy this sacred ground and hope that my images do them justice as they muster for their final formation. As the US Marines say Semper Fidelis. Rest in Peace you brave souls.

Final Formation #2
Final Formation #2

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For those who are interested in what processing I applied to these images; I used a single exposure and processed it exclusively in Aperture 3. The sepia version was also created in Aperture 3 from the color version with the simple addition of the Sepia adjustment in the Aperture 3 adjustment menu.

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Don’t forget the sale on Topaz Clarity ends on May 31st.

http://www.topazlabs.com/705.html

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Topaz Labs Introduces It’s Latest Product “Clarity” Today

Posted on by Nick Roberts

Clarity_box_clear

As I noted in yesterday’s post there are currently a lot of new and exciting products coming out to help in post-processing our images. Topaz Labs released one such breakthrough product today with the release of Topaz Clarity.

I am especially interested in the ability of Topaz Clarity to minimize halos and the new masking feature. I’ll be working with it over the next few days and sharing my thoughts and results with you as I explore these features.

Here are some of the unique features introduced in Topaz Clarity:

1. Selective Contrast Control. With Clarity, Topaz Labs has developed a cutting edge process of selecting specific contrast variations in your original image, allowing you to quickly target and then increase or decrease the contrast and clarity in that specific variation.

2. Breakthrough Halo-Free Algorithm. Boost contrast and clarity without emphasizing transitions between light and dark areas, eliminating the common problem of halos, noise and artifacts.

3. Advanced Hue/Saturation/Luminance Technology. Using IntelliColor technology, you can easily enhance your image with the HSL filter, getting stronger, yet more natural HSL adjustments.

4. Re-Imagined Masking Workflow. The masking module, now attached to each adjustment tab contains a comprehensive set of tools including an edge-aware brush, gradient mask, smart feather tool, color aware tool and more.

5. User Interface Design. With Clarity, they have continued to develop a cleaner, more modern and efficient interface to improve usability, workflow and overall aesthetics.

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Clarity will retail for $49.99, but will be available at a special reduced price of $29.99 through May 31st with with this promo code: claritynew

Please use the Topaz link below when going to the Topaz Labs site. 

http://www.topazlabs.com/705.html

I’m an affiliate of Topaz Labs and earn a small commission on any sales made through my referral link which helps me offset the cost of producing SpeedDemon2. 

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Beautiful May Evening

Posted on by Nick Roberts
May Sunset on the Ohio River
May Sunset on the Ohio River

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This image is from a photo shoot I did last Thursday evening after shooting at the Pegasus Parade earlier in the afternoon. I wasn’t ready to go home yet so we headed down to Waterfront Park to explore it further and capture some images with Derby Festival goers using the park. We walked around the park for a couple of hours and wound up on my favorite place to shoot Waterfront Park from, the Big Four Bridge. I had been up there the prior afternoon and evening to photograph the Great Steamboat Race but I really wasn’t happy with a lot of the landscapes I shot after the race ended. I wanted to capture the dramatic sky that was visible Thursday so we hung out on the bridge waiting for sunset.

I shot my normal three frame bracket set of -2, 0 and +2 EV for this HDR image. Today I made a change in my processing and started my post processing in NIK Sharpener Pro 3. I allowed the program to determine the amount of RAW pre-sharpening to apply and then I opened the sharpened RAW files in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2. I merged the three frames in NIK HDR Efex Pro 2 and kept the anti-ghosting set at 20%. I then applied the Deep #1 preset which I tweaked slightly to improve contrast and accent the highlights and shadows. Once that was finished I returned the HDR image to Aperture 3 where I spent some time adjusting the individual color channels as well as the vibrance and saturation of each one. Finally I applied my sharpening and a very light vignette to the image.