Articles
High Pass Sharpening in Photoshop
High Pass sharpening is a lesser-known technique that enhances detail while minimising overall noise. Follow these steps to apply High Pass sharpening in Adobe Photoshop: Step-by-Step Guide Launch Photoshop and open the image you want to sharpen. Duplicate the Layer: Right-click on the background layer in the Layers panel and select Duplicate Layer…. Rename it to “High Pass” or something similar for clarity. Apply High Pass Filter: With the duplicated layer selected, go to the menu and click on Filter > Other > High Pass. In the High Pass dialogue box, look to adjust the Radius slider. A radius of around 1–3 pixels typically works well with higher resolution images.…
Adopting the Match Total Exposure option in Lightroom Classic
Match Total Exposure is a time-saving feature in Adobe Lightroom Classic that adjusts exposure between multiple images. This tool can be particularly useful when working with a series of photos from the same shoot. Lightroom looks at the shutter speed, aperture value, ISO settings, any exposure bias from the EXIF data and the exposure slider setting in Lightroom. Then it automatically adjusts the same slider in the selected images to try to match the exposure of the original, highlighted image. Steps to use Match Total Exposure Select Images: In the Library or Develop module, select an image and adjust the Exposure slider to taste. Then select the images whose exposure…
Understanding Copy and Paste Settings in Lightroom Classic
Using the Copy and Paste buttons in the side panel of the Develop Module can be a little unintuitive at first. When you use these features, they only apply the settings to the first selected (active) image due to how Lightroom Classic handles these commands. Why It Happens Selected Image Focus: The Copy and Paste buttons are designed primarily to work with the currently highlighted (active) image. Even if you have multiple images selected, it will only copy from and paste to the first image you highlighted. User Interface Behaviour: This behaviour is consistent with many versions of Lightroom, where the main image in an active selection takes precedence in these…
Applying Settings to multiple images in Lightroom Classic
You can apply settings to multiple images at a time in Lightroom Classic through various methods. This helps save time and ensures consistency across your photo edits. The following methods apply to multiple settings, of course, or specific ones, so if you have a sequence of images, they are an efficient way to apply targeted adjustments. For example, on a garden or architecture shoot, I often want to adjust specific colours using the Colour Mixer tool and have those applied over several images for a consistent look. So these options are employed practically every time I open Lightroom. 1. Using Sync Settings from the Develop Module Select the Images: Go…
ND Filter Factors, Densities and F-Stops compared
Numerous manufacturers use different terminology for their Neutral Density filters, which can sometimes make direct comparisons difficult. I’ve produced this chart showing the various designations in use against the number of stops reduced. Some manufacturers produce filters that fall in between stops, making comparisons even harder. For example, an ND400 filter would be just below 9 stops, but probably within tolerance to be marketed as a 9-stop filter. Those highlighted are the three most versatile filters overall, though it depends on your intended use. A 15-stop filter for long exposures in bright conditions, fully blurring clouds and smoothing seas, might be more useful than a 10-stop, which may only partially…
Lightroom Classic: Best Practice for Keeping Edits Separate
In Adobe Lightroom Classic, when you copy a Collection, the edits and adjustments made to images in the original Collection are also applied to the copied Collection. This means that changes made to a photo in either Collection will update in both. Unfortunately, there is no direct way to create a complete copy of the Collection that maintains separate edits from the original image directly within Lightroom. However, there is a way to work around that by creating a Collection from another Collection. 1. Create Virtual Copies Right-click on the image you want to edit and select “Create Virtual Copy.” Virtual Copies let you make different edits to the same…
Copying Steps within a Photoshop Action
You can copy specific steps from one action to another in Photoshop. By copying a step that performs a specific adjustment, such as sharpening, resizing, or saving to a specific file type (JPEG, size 10) and colour space, or naming a file and saving it to your desktop, you can create complex Actions that greatly reduce editing time and yet simplify your workflow, ensuring consistency across different projects. Here’s how to do it: Steps to Copy Action Steps Open the Actions Panel: Go to Window > Actions or press Alt + F9 (Windows) / Option + F9 (Mac) to open the Actions panel. Locate the Action: Find the action that…
Adding to an Existing Photoshop Action
You can add steps to an existing Photoshop action after it has been created. You might want to add to an existing Photoshop action to incorporate new techniques or adjustments based on client feedback, or you may have realised you’ve missed out a step after finishing recording. Whatever the reason, adding steps to an existing Action is an extremely useful feature, allowing better customisation and efficiency in your workflow. Here’s how to add additional Steps to an Action Open the Actions Panel: Go to Window > Actions or press Alt + F9 (Windows) / Option + F9 (Mac) to open the Actions panel. Select the Action: Find and select the…
Favourite gear
I’m often asked about my thoughts on gear, which was one of the reasons I started reviewing and consulting in the early noughties. I’m still asked about gear all the time, so I thought I would list some of my favourite items. These days, I only review gear that I think I’ll like anyway, so it’s a lot more personalised and relevant to the type of photography I currently practice: architecture, homes, and gardens. Personal projects include the hybrid documentary landscape genre. I have an Amazon page here where I list some of the items. However, this page here gives you an idea of why I like them and why…
Using Adapted Lenses on the Canon EOS R5
When mounting a ‘mechanical’ adapter, that is one that has no electronic connection, the camera does not recognise that an adapter is attached, even if a lens is mounted on it. The Canon EOS R5 is delivered from the factory with the option to operate mechanically adapted lenses disabled (as are other EOS R cameras). No doubt this is to protect the shutter blades and sensor, but it means you will have to enable the option, which Canon describes as ‘release shutter without a lens attached’. This presumably refers to operating the camera to check the shutter operation, but more often than not, I suspect users are going to want…
