Pixel Training

Adobe Releases Photoshop Camera Raw 8.1 Release Candidate

Adobe has releases a new release candidate update to Camera Raw 8.1. The new update includes support for HiDPI capable monitors, adds new support for new cameras including the Phase One IQ260 & Hasselblad H5D-60, and new lens profiles.

The Release Candidate versions Adobe releases are for testing in the public and may still have minor bugs. Report any issues to the Adobe Feedback Portal.

Camera Raw 7.4 Update Available from Adobe

Adobe has updated Camera Raw 7.4 for Photoshop CS6 users. The new update, is the same as the new Lightroom 4.4 update, includes bug fixes, new lens profiles, and support for 25 new cameras including the Canon EOS 1D C, Nikon D7100 and Samsung NX300. This release also includes improved support for the X-Trans image sensor in FujiFilm cameras, such as the X-Pro1.

To update your Camera Raw, go to Photoshop and select Updates in the Help menu. You can also download the DNG Converter 7.4 for Mac and Windows.

Lightroom 4.1 & Camera Raw 7.1 Update Available

Adobe has posted updates to Lightroom 4.1 and Camera Raw 7.1 on their websites. You can download the Lightroom 4.1  updates for Mac and Windows. The Adobe Camera Raw 7.1 updates for Mac and Windows.

Ne in the updates are Lightroom adding HDR TIFF processing, the ablility to save photo books in JPEG, additional color fringing corrections, and new cameras supported including the Canon 5D MIII & Nikon D800. You can read more about the details here.

Adobe Releases Camera Raw 6.7 Update

Adobe has released a new update to Photoshop's Camera Raw 6.7  for Photoshop CS5. New to the update is support for 21 new camera models including Canon's 5D Mark III and Nikon's D4 & D800. A number of bugs were fixed in the update including a fix for files appearing differently in Lightroom 4 and ACR 6.7. Yo can read more about the fixes and new cameras supported here.

You can download the update here or select Updates from the Help menu.

New Lightroom 4 Features - Local Adjustments

One of the cool new features in Lightroom 4 (LR4) is the added control to the Adjustment Brush and Graduated Filter. The more features and controls Adobe adds to this tool the better it gets. Now in LR4 Adobe has added a local White Balance control which is a huge benefit for photographs shooting in mixed light sources. A new HIghlights and Shadows control is also added. The third set of new controls added are Noise and Moiré sliders which are a welcome addition for those who want to remove noise in selected areas of your photo when its not needed in the entire image.

Truly the biggest addition here in my opinion is the added White Balance control. The Noise and Moiré controls are great too but I've had too many photos that were taken indoors and contaminated by the outside light from a window. Previously in LR3 you could only balance for one light and that presents a problem. Also, if you're photographing a wedding there is no control over light and you're at the mercy of what is falling on your subjects. This is not going to be a local adjustment you apply to a hundred photos but for the real important ones, you can make the fix when needed.

New Lightroom 4 Features - Basic Tone Controls

If you have been a Lightroom user and have upgraded from previous versions the first thing you need to understand is the new arrangement and the renaming of the tone control sliders in the Basic panel of Lightroom 4. The new and improved tone controls have changed and moved around enough to confuse you at first look so lets see what's changed and how the new controls affect the developing of our photos.

First off, if you are developing photos you previously imported in to Lightroom 3 (LR3) they will default to the old Process Version 2010 when you first develop them in Lightroom 4 (LR4). To update your photo to the new Process Version 2012, and see the new Tone controls in the Basic panel, you can update your photo any of these ways: Either click on the exclamation point icon in the bottom right of the image preview window in the Develop module, select the new process in the menu Settings>Process>2012 (Current), or select the new version in the Process section of the Camera Calibration panel.

Tutorial: How to Sync Develop Settings in Adobe Bridge

One of the ways to make your workflow more efficient when working with Raw files in Photoshop is to sync settings across multiple images that have the same setup like in a studio table top shot or even a portrait session. Using a gray card or similar like the ColorChecker Passport can make life even easier since you will have something to measure your grey balance with. Even if you don't have a gray card you can set the develop settings in one image and sync them to the rest of images with a simple command in Bridge. Lets take a look on how to do this in Bridge.

If you're using a gray card of some sort you want to get your White Balance set first. Select the photo with your gray card in Bridge and open it in Camera Raw by going to the menu File>Open In Camera Raw… (Command-R).

Unique looking photos with Split Toning in Lightroom

As photographers were always trying to create unique looking images and a great way to add some flavor to your photo is with color. You can enhance the mood of a photo by warming or cooling it and the color is what gives a retro looking photo its nostalgic feel. An easy way to add flavor to your photos in Lightroom is by adding color with the Split Toning panel in the Develop module. You can use this heavily adding lots of color or just a hint to nudge the feeling a bit. This can also be done in Adobe Camera Raw with the Split Toning tab.

Using the Split Toning panel when developing your photographs will allow you to add your own unique look by adding color to the highlights or shadows or both. Below is a photo with no color added and the Saturation sliders are set at 0.

 

Tutorial: Lens Corrections in Adobe Camera Raw

Learn how to use the Lens Corrections tab in Adobe Camera Raw and how to apply the Lens Profile. This is a great tool for architectural photographers as well as making all photographs look better.

Tutorial: How to Create Dramatic Skies with Adobe Camera Raw

In this video tutorial you will learn how to create dramatic skies in Adobe Camera Raw using the HSL Sliders tab.