glossyart.net - Blog

Photo Shoot with Sharon

2010-01-20T03:05:00.000-08:00

All images (c) 2010 Michael Braun/glossyart.net. All rights reserved.
Make-up artist: Sergey Sirin.

Photo Shoot with Fionn

2010-01-11T02:01:00.000-08:00

Winter in Germany

2010-01-08T02:27:00.001-08:00

We took these images in Bavaria, Germany between the 19th December 2009 and 2nd January 2010. Full view for full flavor ;)

Enhancing Contrast and Colors with the Overlay Blending Mode and Eraser Tool

2010-01-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

In this Photoshop tutorial I am going to describe a technique that allows you to enhance the contrast and deepen the colors of an image with extreme level values without over- or underexposing any areas. For this purpose, we're going to use the blending mode "overlay" and the eraser tool.

Above is my original picture. As you can see, the sun is bright while the tree areas are rather dark. If you tried to adjust the levels for the whole picture at once you'd probably just increase these extremes, causing the bright areas to be overexposed. Here's how you can avoid that:

1. First, open the picture in Photoshop and duplicate its layer by right-clicking on the background layer in the layers window (F7) and on "Duplicate Layer...".

2. In the layers window, click on the duplicated layer (default name: "Background copy"). Now the drop-down menu on top of the layers window becomes clickable. Click on it and select the "Overlay" blending mode. My picture now looks like this:

3. Next, select the elliptical marquee tool (press M or select it from the toolbar) and enter a value in the "Feather" field in the top toolbar that's high enough to ensure a seamless color flow. For this example image (800px wide) I used the feather value 100. Larger images require higher values.

4. The next step is a trial and error procedure. First, make sure your "Background copy" layer is still selected. Then, using the marquee tool, I selected parts of the sky where I wanted to enhance its contrast and had Photoshop auto-adjust the levels (Image > Adjustments > Levels > Auto). Now my picture looks like this:

5. I did the same thing with the ground area to increase its contrast, making the picture look like this:

6. Now, in order to brighten up the areas that are too dark, I used the eraser tool (E) and erased the dark areas from the "Background copy" layer, mainly trees and dark spots on the ground. I also erased some areas around the sun which were overexposed by the overlay mode.

Make sure the eraser tool's hardness (similar to the feather value) and size are adequate. In order to change these values, simply right-click on the image after selecting the eraser tool. Additionally, reduce the "flow" value for the eraser tool in the top toolbar.

Now my picture looks like this:

7. Finally, in order to reduce the noise in the sky and to enhance the details I applied the Noise Ninja plug-in. And there you go:

Here are some other images I processed using this technique:

Our Photo Essay in the Bangkok Post

2009-11-16T01:46:00.000-08:00

It is with great honor that I can announce that our photo of an Alzheimer patient in a home for the elderly in Bangkok has been selected to appear in the Bangkok Post on 3 December 2009 in a photo essay called "Photo Break". Read the story behind the photo here.

New Wallpapers

2009-11-15T06:20:00.000-08:00

After our trips to Phuket and Saraburi, Thailand, we've just updated our wallpaper collection. Check out our stunning additions and spice up your desktop now!

58 Free Photography Book Gems at Google Book Search

2009-09-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

Need to brush up your photography skills or get some inspiration? Here's a list of interesting photography books, which are all available for free at Google book search. Even if most of them are only available in limited view, they complement each other, so that you can get the whole picture by browsing a couple of books per section. Additionally, while most of them focus on film photography, topics such as posing, lighting and composition can be applied for digital photography as well.

General/Accessories

1. The Essential Photography Manual by Tim Daly
2. Langford's Advanced Photography by Efthimia Bilissi, Michael Langford
3. The Photographer's Guide to Light by Nigel Hicks
4. The Photographer's Guide to Filters by Lee Frost
5. Digital Photography Hacks by Derrick Story
6. An Advanced Guide to Digital Photography by Vincent Oliver
7. Photographer's Filter Handbook: A Complete Guide to Selection and Use by Stan Sholik, Ron Eggers
8. Photography: The art of composition by Bert P. Krages
9. Digital Photography for Dummies by Julie Adair King
10. The Complete Guide to Night & Low-light Photography By Lee Frost
11. Mastering the Basics of Photography by Susan McCartney

People/Fashion/Glamor

1. Lighting Techniques for Fashion and Glamour Photography by Stephen A. Dantzig
2. Rolando Gomez's Glamour Photography: Professional Techniques and Images by Rolando Gomez
3. Fashion Model Photography: Professional Techniques and Images by Billy Pegram
4. A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Glamour Photography by Duncan Evans
5. The Portrait Book: A Guide for Photographers by Steven H. Begleiter
6. Photographing People: Portraits, Fashion, Glamour by Roger Hicks
7. High School Senior Portrait Photography by John Giolas (with good tips on how to get clients)
8. 50 Lighting Setups for Portrait Photographers by Steven H. Begleiter
9. Black & White Model Photography: Techniques & Images by Bill Lemon
10. Swimsuit Model Photography by Cliff Hollenbeck (with a good props list)

Nude

1. Creative Techniques for Nude Photography in Black and White by Christopher Grey
2. Glamour Nude Photography by Robert Hurth, Sheila Hurth
3. Digital Nude Photography: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Perfect Photos by Roderick Macdonald (no photos but good tips)
4. Professional Secrets of Nude & Beauty Photography: Techniques and Images in Black and White by Bill Lemon
5. Classic Nude Photography: Techniques and Images by Peter Gowland, Alice Gowland
6. Black & White Nude Photography by Stan Trampe
7. Glamour Nude Photography at Home by Mark Lidikay
8. Master Guide for Glamour Photography: Digital Techniques and Images by Chris Nelson
9. Garage Glamour: Digital Nude and Beauty Photography Made Simple by Rolando Gomez
10. Fully Exposed: The Male Nude in Photography by Emmanuel Cooper
11. My Nude by Tom Jacobi
12. The Art of Pregnancy Photography by Jennifer George

Nature/Landscape/Travel

1. Digital Landscape Photography Step by Step by Michelle Perkins
2. Step-by-step Digital Landscape Photography by Tim Gartside
3. Travel Photography: A complete guide to how to shoot and sell by Susan McCartney
4. Black & White Landscape Photography by John Collett, David Collett
5. The Art of Outdoor Photography: Techniques for the advanced amateur and professional by Boyd Norton
6. Beginner's Guide to Nature Photography by Cub Kahn
7. Essential Skills for Nature Photography by Cub Kahn
8. Landscape and Nature by Michael Freeman
9. 100 Ways to Take Better Landscape Photographs by Guy Edwardes
10. Outdoor Photography: Landscape, Action and Wildlife Photography by Jon Sparks

Street

1. Street photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson by Clive Scott
2. No Rules Street Photography by Nitsa

Infrared

1. Digital Infrared Photography: Professional Techniques and Images by Patrick Rice
2. Infrared Portrait Photography by Richard Beitzel

Press Photography

1. 5000+ Days: Press Photography in a Changing World by British Press Photographers Association, Harold (FRW) Evans
2. Photojournalism: The professionals' approach by Kenneth Kobré, Betsy Brill

Underwater Photography

1. The Underwater Photographer: Digital and traditional techniques by Martin Edge

Pet/Animal Photography

1. Professional Techniques for Pet and Animal Photography by Debrah H. Muska
2. Animal Portraits with the Digital Photography of John Crippen by John Crippen

Sports Photography

1. Sports Photography: How to Capture Action and Emotion by Peter Skinner

Fine Art

1. Fine Art Photography: Creating beautiful images for sale and display by Terry Hope

Wedding Photography

1. Wedding Photography: Creative Techniques for Lighting, Posing, and Marketing by Rick Ferro
2. The Best of Wedding Photography by Bill Hurter
3. Master's Guide to Wedding Photography: Capturing Unforgettable Moments by Marcus Bell
4. The Best of Wedding Photojournalism: Techniques and Images from the Pros by Bill Hurter

Photo Shoot with Shiwan

2009-09-12T22:21:00.001-07:00

Some new pictures from a photo shoot with Shiwan last weekend:

Harlem Globetrotters Slammin' it in BKK

2009-08-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time. 25 years after the last show in Thailand, they finally visited the kingdom again on 22 August 2009 at the Impact Arena in Bangkok. Winning once more against the Washington Generals, it was a good show by the Harlem Globetrotters, the world-famous exhibition basketball team founded 84 years ago. I deliberately write 'good' instead of 'great' because some advertised signature tricks and shots were missing (e.g. the dunk over the referee) or missed (the mid-line shot), and because the crowd was just too lame, passively consuming the action, although the trotter's maskots Globie and Big G tried very hard to warm up the audience and keep them entertained. There were times when I actually felt sorry for the players because nobody actively cheered for them. Nevertheless, in the two-hour match the team showed spectacular dunks and alley-oops, fast passes and ridiculous moves which stunned both the Generals and the audience. See for yourself...

Two of the many alley-oops:

Special K and his team messing with the referee:

Switching from Basketball to American football:

Getting Started with Animal Photography

2009-08-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Animal photography is one of the most difficult fields of photography. However, with these basic explanations of vital skills, technical requirements and composition techniques it’s easy to get started.

Vital Skills

The most important skills you need for animal photography are patience and constant alertness. Unlike humans, who can be told how to pose (and especially how long to pose until you got the shot!), animals are hard if not impossible to control. Therefore, waiting for the right moment and then being ready to press the shutter is the base everything else stands upon.

Another essential skill is anticipation. The better you know how the animal will behave and react in its environment, the better you can plan your photo and take the necessary preparations, i.e. choosing the right lens and aperture.

Technical Requirements

Depending what kind of animal you want to take a picture of, the technical requirements vary greatly.

For example, shooting a pet or a savage animal in the wild is a makes a big difference. Your pet will probably not run away when you come a little closer, but savage animals such as deer instinctively flee as soon as they see or hear you or your camera shutter. Therefore, in order not to intimidate the animal and scare it away you should choose a telephoto lens, which allows you to take the shot from a greater distance. Camouflage is also an advantage.

If you like insects a macro lens will come in handy to discover the world of smaller life forms. Divers and underwater enthusiasts will go for a waterproof camera case or a special underwater camera.

Depending how fast the animal is moving you may want to freeze the action, e.g. when taking a picture of a bear capturing a fish, a dog jumping through a ring, or a flying insect at a flower. For action photography like this you require a lens with a low f-stop number, and a camera with a fast shutter speed and/or a high ISO setting.

Composition Techniques

If you do not want your photo to look like a lucky snapshot, there are several composition techniques to consider.

First of all, an animal photo taken from the human eye’s level usually looks ordinary and boring. Therefore, if possible take the photo from the animal’s eye level. Thus, the shot will become more intimate and interesting. You could even add a more dramatic effect by taking the shot from the perspective of the animal’s prey.

Next, find the right balance between focusing on the animal and including the right amount of surroundings. Apart from zooming in or cropping the image to eliminate distracting surroundings you could narrow the depth of field, which will result in a sharp animal and a blurry background. You can maximize this effect by choosing a low f-stop number, a short distance to the animal and a high zoom level. This technique is particularly helpful when you go to the zoo and want to blur the metal bars of a cage.

Finally, make the photo special by capturing a special scene, which could be caused by interesting lighting, a distinctive prop, or something the animal is usually not doing. This will help your photo stand out from the huge crowd of animal photos.

Photo Shoot with Warren

2009-08-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

Photo Shoot with Matt

2009-07-31T08:56:00.001-07:00

Photo Shoot with Chloe

2009-07-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

Latest Wallpaper Additions

2009-07-22T22:20:00.001-07:00

Here's an update on our downloadable wallpapers.

This image was taken at the Amari Vogue Resort, Krabi, Thailand:

This one here was taken at Bamboo Island (near Phi Phi Island), Thailand. It's an HDR image of three different exposures, and the sky color has been altered with Photoshop:

For more information on the image locations please check out our Panoramio account. There you can see the photos in Google Earth.

The last one was taken at a photo shoot with Maya, who previously worked with runway diva J. Alexander, who's also a judge for America's Next Top Model. You can view more photos of Maya in our photo portfolio.

Download these and many more wallpapers here.

Photo Shoot with Maya

2009-07-16T03:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the latest photo shoot with Maya. There's a great location near Ekkamai BTS station with various spots and wall colors--photographer's paradise ;)

glossyart.net Revamped

2009-07-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

For some time already I've had the impression that our page was a little too plain and pale. That's why I changed the design to something grungy, which also fits my favorite picture of Anthony in the decayed restroom (the cigarette in his hand has now been censored).

In order to complete the revamp process, we also designed a new logo.

Oh, and in case you want to show your affection to us you can now become a fan on Facebook ;)

Mike

Better Black and White Photos with Channels

2009-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the best things are already there, waiting to be discovered ;)

In this tutorial I will demonstrate how you can use Photoshop to extract a channel from a picture for better black and white conversion.

This is my original shot:

The first thing you have to do is open the channels window by clicking on the 'Channels' tab (next to the 'Layers' tab in the layers window or Window > Channels). As you can see, in an RGB image we have the red, green, and blue channel:

All you have to do now is choose the one you like the most (in my case I prefer the green channel) and click on it.

Next, convert the image to grayscale (Image > Mode > Grayscale), otherwise you won't be able to save it as a black-and-white image.

Finally, you might want to increase the contrast a little. You can do so by duplicating the layer (click on the 'Layers' tab or Window > Layers, right-click on the background layer > duplicate layer) and choosing the 'soft light' blending mode from the drop-down menu:

If the contrast is now too much, you can gradually decrease the opacity of the duplicated layer until you get the desired effect. My final result looks now like this:

Now it's your turn--see the world in black and white!

How to Take Great Cat Photos

2009-07-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

Cats are known for their laziness. However, this very treat poses a great challenge for a photographer--how can you take an interesting shot of such a lazy subject? And how can you capture the cat's cuteness without making the picture look like a random snapshot? In short, how can you create something special? Let's find out.

1. First rule: Do not place the cat in the center of the image. Or positive: Place the main object off-center. Since cats are usually lazy and still objects, placing it in the center like in the example image on the left makes the picture look static and boring. (Other flaws in this image: the shadows in the cat's face are distracting. Moreover, the cat's eyes are almost closed and the background doesn't look artsy either.)
However, you can place the cat in the center if you want to accentuate symmetry.

Just to see the difference, here's a shot where the cat's head is placed off-center:

2. Make it special by capturing something special. Although it may look cute, a sleeping cat is nothing special. However, with the right surroundings, props and lighting you can make it even look mystical:

Additionally, it pays off to watch out for reflections:

3. Go down to the cat's eye level. Most cat pictures are taken from the perspective of the human eye, which looks boring. It's better to take the picture from the cat's eye level--or from the prey's perspective, as you can see here (although it's still not perfect because the cat is slightly blurry while the background is sharp):

4. Choose the right depth of field (i.e. the area that's sharp). The picture above has a wide depth of field, which means that everything from the cat to the background is sharp--but this also means that the picture includes a lot of distracting surroundings. In contrast to that, take a look at these examples of a narrow depth of field:

All these images focus solely on the cat by blurring the background and foreground, thus leaving out unnecessary distractions while including just the right amount of surroundings. You can narrow the depth of field by using a low f-stop number (i.e. open up the aperture) and/or a large zoom factor.

5. Focus on details. Similar to portraits of human beings, taking a detailed shot can spice things up, as you can see here:

6. Try black and white. Black and white colors make a photo of a kitten appear more intimate and emotive:

7. Catch the cat in action. Even the laziest cat will jump once in a while (if not, a popping balloon will help). If it does, be ready to catch the action.

Read more about action photography here (under "The Right Timing").

8. Take the photo with a special camera. This one is certainly special (and this last tip not to be taken too seriously):

Photo Enhancement: Sunsets

2009-06-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

I'm about to start a new series in my blog called "Photo Enhancement", which is designed to give you tips and tricks how to make your photos look better and how to avoid common pitfalls. I'll focus on the common subjects first, and today we'll take a look at sunset shots.

The picture on the left is my sample image (found at sxc.hu; feel free to download it and try out the steps below with the actual photo).

One major flaw is the crooked horizon, which can be found in many sunset photos (and landscape photos in general). However, it's easy to correct. In Photoshop, click on Image > Image Rotation > Arbitrary and rotate it 0.8 degrees counter-clockwise (CCW). After the rotation process you'll see the white canvas at the edges, so we also have to crop the image a bit. According to the eye-pleasing golden mean, the best crop ratio is 1.6:1, which means the longer side should be 1.6 times the shorter side. Therefore, I cropped it like this:

Cropping the image like this has another advantage, which again is due to the golden mean: The horizon is not in the center (a 50:50 ratio of sky and ocean looks static and boring) but it divides the line from top to bottom roughly in the ratio of 1 (sky) : 1.6 (ocean). A mathematically and aesthetically perfect composition.

So, we've solved the first problem of the crooked horizon. Another flaw of the image is the washed out colors. In order to fix this, I added a vibrance adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Vibrance) and increased the vibrance to +100. The result looks like this:

However, the contrast remains dull and the colors are still not vivid enough. Thus, I added a curve adjustment layer (Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves) and modified the curves like this:

Simply grab the curve in the middle and drag it down until you get the desired effect.
The picture now looks like this:

Not bad, but in order to make it perfect we also have to reduce the noise (this is especially important for low-level shots at high ISO speeds). I used the NoiseNinja plug-in to do the job, which also sharpens the image a little more to give it that professional finish:

Finally, you might like to remove the distracting branches on the right side of the image. This is easily done with the clone stamp tool (hotkey: S) and the spot healing brush tool (J), so that the enhanced image looks like this:

Home for the Elderly

2009-06-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

What associations do you have with the word 'home'?

I took this picture today at a home for the elderly in Bangkok. An old woman, apathetic despite the presence of the camera, sitting on a thin plastic mattress in a dark cell, which is not larger than maybe two square meters, looking through the net into the other empty cell, shielded from the light of a bright sunny day, grunts of other people and the smell of warm urine in the air. The floor is relatively clean, but this is an old building, the decayed walls tell. It looks cold although it is thirty-one degrees; there is no air-conditioner. The heavy sliding door is open, but the woman won't come out and take a walk, or just talk. All she does is clap and sing the Thai national anthem with a smile on her face, over and over again. The woman is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and will spend the rest of her life in this cell, because there is no family to take care of her. She was put into the hands of strangers, and what's even more striking: She doesn't even realize because of her disease. Maybe that's the reason why the inmates in this ward receive only minimal attention.

The woman once had a family. She worked. She was someone. She lived. Now the circle of life closes, she needs care like a baby because she can't do anything herself, just like all the other elderly in this department. Her whole life is now restricted to two square meters. Eating, sleeping, washing, defecating, all in this cell. Her home.

Not only is this picture iconic for the way our society changes. The younger generation loses their connection with the senior members of our society. What's almost the norm in Western countries becomes more and more apparent in Asia as well, which therefore sees the stereotype of a caring extended family being weakened.

This image is also look into your future, which makes you think once you leave the state of speechlessness. Anyone could end up like her. There is no guarantee that someone will take care of you later. And what have you done?

Website Changes

2009-06-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

We've simplified our home page and focused on what's important--by getting rid of the ads and cutting the text into half. Now you can see at a glance what we do and what the site has to offer.

We also added some new wallpapers to our wallpaper section.

Enjoy :)

Breakdance and Popping Contest at Siam Center, Bangkok

2009-05-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Breakdance and popping competition in front of the Siam Center, Bangkok, on 30 May 2009 (2 on 2 B-Boy battles).

glossyart.net Joins Forces with Amazon

2009-05-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

As a special service in our tutorial section we've now included links to products sold by amazon.com so that you can start creating breathtaking images even faster in case you don't have a necessary accessory yet. For example, if you've read our infrared tutorial but you don't have an IR filter yet you can just click on the link and buy one at amazon.com, wait one or two days and you're ready to go :)

Tutorials Revamped

2009-05-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Our tutorials section has been revamped. Now when you click on "Tutorials" in the top menu bar you're taken to the tutorials home page, where you can choose to either walk through the photo enhancement wizard or click on an item on the index list to go directly to the tutorial section you're interested in.

Tsunami on 22 July 2009 and we're all going to die!

2009-05-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well, from the exaggerating title you have probably deduced already that I find this whole paranoid forwarding of e-mails stating that a tsunami will hit Southeast Asia simply ridiculous.

In these e-mails or forums you can read that a tsunami will be spawned in the Pacific east of Japan on 22 July 2009, hitting Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, hey wait--aren't the Maldives in the Indian ocean and can't be hit by a tsunami from the Pacific? Whatever, we shouldn't question this, everyone's going to die!!

Oh wait, there's Internet rule number one: We should--no, we MUST question everything we read on the Internet. Do some research before you freak out and spam a forum or your friends' email accounts.

First of all, even with the latest technology it's not possible to predict an earthquake a couple of months in advance. It's hard enough to predict an earthquake a couple of days in advance!

Second, even if there's an underwater earthquake in the Pacific that doesn't automatically mean it will cause a tsunami. And not all tsunamis are lethal.

Third, most of these emails say that the earthquake will be caused by a long solar eclipse. Duh, earthquakes happen because of tectonics, not because of some miraculous stellar or lunar constellations. By the way, the fact that some people freak out when the moon covers the sun might explain why lunar and lunatic are almost the same words...

So in general don't freak out when you get an email like this one. Don't believe things easily, and look things up on reliable websites when you're in doubt before you decide to forward emails. Anyone can create a hoax like this one. And don't you think that the authorities would warn the public with an official press release in the news rather than starting a mass email that easily gets out of control?

Anyway, even if there's the biggest tsunami of all time and you happen to be around, check out our tutorials about how to take better photos. These tips might come in handy when you want to sell your images to the media ;) And good luck!

You can also check out this topic at snopes.com.

Feel free to question this article ;)