PCIN.net Update

I have talked about depth of field and using aperture to minimize or maximize depth of field in the past. Today I will talk about Automatic Depth of Field function some camera’s have and depth of field preview.

Automatic Depth of Field (A-Dep or DEP) is creative mode on some camera’s that will help you select the best aperture to get everything in your frame in focus. To use A-DEP, turn the dial on your camera to A-DEP, and compose your image. The camera will then evaluate your frame, set your aperture and focus on a point where everything from front to back will be in focus by setting the focus to the hyperfocal distance. As it is an automatic setting, it tends to be hit and miss at time. When using this setting, be sure to have everything you want in focus to fall within your camera’s focus points as this is what the camera uses to determine what needs to be in focus. On older cameras (DEP) you were able to focus on the point nearest to you that you wanted in focus the press the shutter 1/2 way. Next, focus on the point (without changing the zoom setting) further from you and press the shutter 1/2 way. Finally, recompose your photo and press the shutter all the way. The camera will then focus at the correct spot to get the near and far points in focus.

If you want a more manual approach, using your depth of field preview button will help you determine how your given aperture will affect your image. Once your image is composed, press your depth of field preview button to stop down the lens. This will force your diaphragm blades to close and you will be able to see how the depth of field will be represented when you take the photo. Because you are closing the diaphragm blades, the image will go darker in your viewfinder as you let less light into the lens. This is normal and will not alter your image.

Until next time, happy shooting.

Where do you stand when it comes to your own photography? Are you too emotionally invested in the image? Maybe it is time you took a step back and re-evaluated your photos.

We often have an emotional attachment to our images that clouds our view of the quality of an image. A memory of the trip the photo was taken on, a cute grandchild or the knowledge of the difficulty in obtaining the photograph are all scenarios that could cloud our judgment when evaluating our photography. While each one may make the image special to you, they do not increase the quality of the image. And if you cannot separate your emotional attachment to your photos, you will not be able to see the places in your photos that could be improved. Stepping back and trying to take an unbiased look at your photos can help reveal areas where improvement can be made.

Examine your photos for composition, exposure and technique.  If any of the three do not hold up, then you have a starting point to improve.

Being able to evaluate your own images without the bias of emotional attachment can help your photography to advance as you begin to recognize the deficiencies in your work.

I received this press relesas in my inbox today:

Adobe Introduces New Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements

Best-Selling Photo and Video Software Feature New Levels of Integration and Creativity

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Sept. 24, 2007 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced two major upgrades to its digital photo and video software for consumers: Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 6 for Windows® & Adobe Premiere® Elements 4 for Windows. Tight integration and a shared Organizer, with a common database accessible from either application, allow users to do more with their photos and videos. Available separately or together in a single retail package, Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premiere Elements software give photo and video enthusiasts more creative ways to organize, edit, create and share digital photos and home movies.

“With video and digital cameras now part of our everyday lives and social networking sites on the rise, people are demanding sophisticated tools to show off their photos and videos,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe. “Sophistication doesn’t mean complication. The combination of Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premiere Elements offers a whole new user experience for consumers, which makes sharing impressive photo and video creations much easier and more fun. With access to all photos and video clips from one convenient place and options to export to YouTube, mobile devices and interactive galleries created with Adobe Flash technology, we expect our new products to be high on holiday wish lists.”

Bringing out the Best in Photos

Photoshop Elements software helps enthusiasts achieve desired results quickly and easily. New Photomerge® technology helps solve the challenge of taking the perfect group photo by combining the best facial expressions and body language from a series of shots to create a single new cohesive group shot. The new Quick Selection Tool reduces a once time-consuming select-and-adjust task to a single click. Addressing all levels - beginner to expert - there is an opportunity to select one of three edit modes, each geared toward a different experience level. A new Guided Edit mode helps walk users through the steps of improving a photo.

Photoshop Elements 6 streamlines editing with clean, uncluttered screens that bring focus to the photo. New tabs provide simple access to the many capabilities of the program. Additional enhancements include an improved conversion tool that dramatically converts color images into elegant, nuanced black-and-whites. The streamlined Organizer speeds performance and eases importing, tagging and retrieving.

Amazing Movies with Style and Effects

Adobe Premiere Elements 4 makes it possible to create entertaining movies in just minutes. The new Organizer, the same found in Photoshop Elements, helps sort video clips and still photos with visual tagging options for people, places, or events. Video enthusiasts can apply comprehensive movie themes to a sequence of scenes in just a few clicks, creating a movie complete with transitions, effects and DVD menu. Background music and sound effects help underscore emotions, add emphasis, or create a mood. The new Audio Mixer works like a mixing board in a recording studio, adjusting the relative volumes of different audio with sliders. The new Sharing Center centralizes available ways to show off videos. Users can upload and share videos in multiple ways, including Blu-ray disc, the Web, and mobile devices such as the Apple iPhone. Videos also can be exported in a video format based on Adobe Flash® to Web sites like YouTube, without requiring any special encoding.

Pricing and Availability

Adobe’s digital imaging and digital video products are available immediately at www.adobe.com and online retailers including, Amazon.com. The products will also be available at Best Buy, Staples, Costco, Fry’s, Circuit City, Office Max, Office Depot, Microcenter, J&R, Buy.com and NewEgg.com. Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 & Adobe Premiere Elements 4 for Windows is available as a bundle at an estimated street price of US$149.99. Photoshop Elements 6 and Adobe Premiere Elements 4 for Windows are available separately for an estimated street price of US$99.99 each. Photoshop Elements for the Macintosh platform is expected in early 2008. Information about other language versions, as well as pricing, upgrade and support policies for other countries, is available on www.adobe.com/go/pse6pre4 . For more information, customers can call 1-800-492-3623.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com .

Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements are both powerful photo editors. For the hobbyist, Photoshop Elements can be used to handle most, if not all of your photo editing needs. For serious photographers and professionals, the full version of Photoshop offers more tools for complete control over your photos. Both programs, and many other photo editing packages, feature the same, or similar tools and features. One such feature is the ability to control opacity. I have referred to opacity in previous tips: Feel the Burn, The Orton Effect, and Black and White from Colour Images, Part 4

Opacity refers to the intensity or transparency of a modification. You can modify opacity with brushes when painting effects in your images, but you can also use opacity on layers. When you are painting on a layer with a brush, modifying your opacity allows you to control how much paint you use. A low opacity results in a very light application of the brush while a higher opacity results in a heavy application. A lower opacity allows more of the original pixel data to show through while a higher opacity has a greater effect on your image. When using a brush, I prefer to use multiple strokes of a low opacity brush so that I can better control my adjustments rather than a single, heavy handed stroke.

With layers, opacity is a wonderful modifier. Like with the brushes, opacity control on a layer controls how transparent the layer is. I use this often to control how much or how little of an effect I want to use on an image. As I make use of a large number of adjustment layers, which in themselves may be altered again and again without pixel modification, I can also alter how strong the adjustment is. What I typically do is create my adjustment layer at 100% opacity and then dial the opacity down until I achieve the exact manipulation I am looking for. This is a great technique when touching up a portrait as I can hide or eliminate facial blemishes, whiten teeth, erase wrinkles and have precise and easily adjustable control over these changes. By lowering my opacity, I allow the underlying pixels to show through which helps to add texture to my changes and makes them completely lifelike.

With all the tools available in today’s digital editing packages, the process can become daunting. Fine control may be difficult for someone new to the area of digital editing but working in small amounts can make it much easier. Being able to control your entire image is the goal of many photographers and tools such as opacity help with that.

Until next time, happy shooting.