REVIEW: Topaz Star Effects–Going beyond Photoshop Flare

Star Effects is a new product by Topaz Labs that is kinda fun because it allows you to do some interesting things with flare and stars to spice up your photos. Here’s a couple cool before and after examples that Topaz has provided me with:

Here’s the user-interface for this product so you can get an idea of how it works:

It’s your typical Topaz UI framework with presets on the left and all the knobs for fine tuning on the right. Like most Topaz products you begin by selecting a preset (not required) and then you dial in your settings from each of the four categories shown below::

Options include various star types and the ability to add and remove them as shown here:

Click for a larger view

This of course opens the door to all sorts of possibilities, but this is one I couldn’t resist doing:

Yeah, that’s the ticket – that is what was missing from that shot – ha, ha!

All joking aside, for many photos the results can be pretty cool with just ONE CLICK of a preset. Here’s my famous Chicago shot where all I did was click the City Lights I preset and voilà – instant sparkle right where I wanted it:

Instant City Sparkle with only one click

Conclusion

This is a neat little product that on the right photo (like Chicago above) you just say “wow, how did it know where I wanted my sparkles”. It just works! It’s way easier and faster than Photoshop, and all sorts of flare options are available.

Click here to download the free trial. If you decide you want it, then just be sure to use the Topaz Labs coupon code found on my discount coupon code page to save money off your purchase!

Disclaimer

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using the links found in this article.

Let Ron Edit YOUR Photo!

I get a lot of positive feedback when I do my "Photo Thoughts" articles that show a before and after edit of a photo. I thought it would be fun for the next installment to feature one of my readers photos on this day that I celebrate the 700,000 visitor to ronmartblog.com.

To qualify send me an email using the form at http://ronmart.zenfolio.com/contact.html with the following information:

1. A link to an unprocessed version of the file you'd like me to edit. It should be a small version now - if you are selected, I'll ask for a larger file size (800px on the long end). 
2. A list of what software you have considered using to edit your photo (so I can demo that software in action)
3. A link to a popular forum or third party site where you've posted a link to a ronmartblog.com article. (i.e., dpreview, canonrumors, fredmiranda, nikonrumors, etc...)

I'll choose one winner and feature the photo in an upcoming photo thoughts article. I'll also video the edit on my Mac so you can see exactly how I did it.

NOTE: I do not want to see your after photo until I'm done with my editing. This way we can compare how you and I processed the shot to illustrate a point I'd like to make. 

Thanks for supporting my blog and feel free to share this article with your friends!

Ron

P.S. You would retain all rights to your photo and only release it for the purpose of the article and video. I have no use for the photo beyond the article, so this is simply my attempt at drawing more audience participation. 

Impact Master Century C Stand Kit - Avenger Quality without the Avenger Price!

The Impact Master Century C Stand Kit with 42" Riser, Grip Head & Arm - Chrome, 10.75' ($128.95) is a little bigger and heavier version of my Avenger A2030D Turtle Base Century C Stand Grip Arm Kit - 9.8' (3m)($176.50), but it’s 27% less (as of 1/24/2012). What’s more, is that its easier to use thanks to a brilliant lock design on the bottom:

and it’s every bit as functional:

If you are setting up a new studio and are shooting with anything bigger than a speedlite, then you owe it to yourself to get a great set of C-Stands. However, if you are like me you don’t relish the eye of spending so much money on a hunk of metal that does nothing more than hold your lights. Sadly I didn’t know about these when I set up my studio, but now that I have one I realize what a waste it was for me to buy the Avengers!

Now, I do like the feel of the Avenger D200 grip head a little bit better, but the handle on these is better and its functionally the same. I also love that the grip arm pole is not polished (it’s a cool looking buffed look) so that it doesn’t slip and rotate as easily. It’s also a lot easier to grip under weight which makes it superior to the Avenger design.

I totally trust this with my expensive Elinchrom lighting setup.

Conclusion

I know a lot of generic stuff out there is crap, and I’ve been disappointed with some Impact products, but this isn’t one of them. This is the real deal and a rare bargain product that actually outperforms the product it copies. In fact, if you’ve gotta get the Avenger then do me a favor and buy mine so I can get another one of these and pocket the spare change!

Click here to order yours at B&H today.

Disclosure

B&H is a partner of this blog and has provided me with a review unit. If you make a purchase using the links in this article, I may make a commission. Thanks for supporting this blog by returning when you are ready to make a purchase!

BorrowLenses.com discount is back!

BorrowLenses.com has teamed up with ronmartblog.com again to offer you a 5% when you use the coupon code RM5 as shown here:

I loved the service and web site at borrowlenses.com when I first reviewed them, and they’ve only gotten better with age. Now is the chance to rent that lens or camera body that you’ve always wanted to try out but just can’t afford to own. Click here to get started!

Disclosure

I may make a commission if you make a purchase or rental using the links in this article.

Canon C300 available for Pre-Order / Shipping January 30th

The Canon EOS C300 Cinema EOS Camcorder Body (EF Mount) (also available in PL Mount) is one of the hottest video camera releases in quite sometime. Videographers have been moving to the 5D Mark II in droves, but it’s a DSLR that lacks a lot of the features a videographer really needs. Canon has finally answered that call with a product that will probably thrill videographers with big budgets.

You can order a Canon EOS C300 Cinema EOS Camcorder Body (EF Mount) (also available in PL Mount) from B&H today with units expected to ship on January 30th (EF Mount only).

Visit www.canoncinemaeos.com for more information and sample video footage.

Disclosure

I may make a commission if you make a purchase using links found in this article.

PREVIEW: Creative Lighting by Harold Davis

Creative Lighting: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques by Harold Davis is a book that I never expected to grab me like it did. Honestly, I had never heard of Harold Davis but he’s actually written quite a few photography books, so it’s no surprise that I quickly found myself engulfed in his book.

Now, I’ll be up front and say that I didn’t read every page cover to cover of this book because I simply didn’t have time, but I read and skimmed enough to feel comfortable giving this book a thumbs up (just as I had done with Sketching Light). One of the reasons why is that I strongly believe that a great photography book starts with great images that appeal to my subjective taste, and this book is chock full of that. In addition, it features a lot of techniques and theory in a way that I can digest it (unlike Photographically Speaking).

Now by looking at the images, I wouldn’t call Harold Davis a Photoshop Guru, but I would call him a composition guru. Since that’s an area where I lack, I got a lot of inspiration from the content of this book.

You can peek inside here to get a quick taste of what this book has to offer and how Davis discusses “understanding light”. If what you see their grabs you, then I’d suggest adding this book to your reading list because what follows seems to only build from there.

It is available in both Print and Kindle formats and may be purchased by clicking this link.

Disclosure

I have read a portion, but not every page of this book. I have thumbed through every page and feel it meets my standard of a quality photography book. If you purchase using the links found in this article, I may get a commission.

Metallic Paper Comparison: Red River Polar Pearl vs LexJet Sunset Photo (Coupon Code Included)

Red River Polar Pearl Metallic
is my preferred paper for my popular Manhattan Nightscape print
Copyright Ron Martinsen – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

When I did my printing series the first third party paper I tested was LexJet’s Sunset Photo Metallic which I learned about from Eddie Tapp. It is a great paper that I raved about in my review, but it’s pretty expensive. What’s more, the discount that I negotiated for you only lasted a short time and LexJet never renewed it. I get lots of requests to bring the discount back or offer a comparable paper for a better price, so I’m here to share some exciting news about that happening.

I’ve been using LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic for over a year and Red River Polar Pearl for over four months. During my testing I’ve found the papers to be identical in performance, so I’ve been able to use the same printer profile for both papers from a given printer and get identical results! If you like Metallic paper, both will serve you well but Red River Polar Pearl Metallic will just cost you a lot less.

Red River Polar Pearl Metallic Specifications

Here are the key facts that I have gathered about this paper:

Basis Weight	255 g/m²
Thickness	10.4 mil
ISO Brightness	78 (est)
Base Material	Resin-coated (RC) photo paper
Surface Finish	High-gloss, metallic

Click here to learn more about this paper. For Canon printers, I disagree with their recommendations and suggest that you go to LexJet’s site to get the Sunset Metallic Media Type file (AM1 file) for your printer and use it instead of the the Photo Paper Glossy (I & II) media type.

Paper Profiles

You can get Red River Paper Profiles here, but I’ve done a quick link to printers covered on this blog:

• Canon ipf6300/ipf6350 & ipf8300 – I tested this profile and it more accurate than the Lexjet profile, but I personally prefer the additional warmth found in Lexjet’s profile. Precise color matching work should use this profile with the Relative Colormetric rendering intent.
• Epson 3880 – This profile appears to perform better than what Lexjet offers since they only offer a 3800 profile. I prefer Canon printers over Epson for this paper, but you can get accurate results with this profile. On Epson my preference is still to use ColorByte ImagePrint (my review of version 9 is coming soon).
• Epson 4900 – Currently Red River Paper is using the profile they generated for the 7900 and 9900 which is incorrect. While the 4900 uses the same ink and print head technology, I’ve discovered (and verified with printer driver experts) that the 4900 differs just enough that it requires its own paper profile for the best result.
• Colorbyte ImagePrint – I am now testing version 9.0.0.1 and it had profiles for both my 3880 and 4900. I printed using both the Red River Polar Pearl Metallic and Lexjet Sunset Photo Metallic profiles and the results were identical.

How To Walkthrough

My Sunset Photo Metallic article had a walkthrough which showed how to use this paper with PC’s and Mac’s in Photoshop and Lightroom. Everything in that article applies to this paper – you can even use the Lexjet profiles and settings OR you can just substitute the Red River profile. As a result, I won’t redo all of that discussion for this article, but I have included some screen shots using the Red River profiles to point you in the right direction.  

Canon imagePrograf Print Plug-In for Photoshop

Canon iPF6300 Print Plug-In for Photoshop
Lexjet Sunset Metallic Media Type and Red River Polar Pearl Paper Profile

Colorbyte ImagePrint 9.0.0.1

Colorbyte ImagePrint 9 settings for an Epson 4900
(change display lighting and speed to suit your needs)

Epson 4900 in Photoshop CS4 Printer Dialogs

Do this to center your image to the paper

Photoshop CS4 Settings*

I continue to advice those who care about color matching to use Photoshop CS4 instead of CS5 for printing. Unfortunately CS5 appears to add its own saturation enhancements to your photos which makes soft proofing and accurate color matching impossible.

Conclusion

In all of my testing, I found the performance of Red River Polar Pearl Metallic to be identical to LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic. You can use either profile with either paper, but my preference is for the Lexjet profiles which are a bit warmer. The biggest con against Red River is that they do not currently offer rolls for this paper whereas Lexjet does for Sunset Photo metallic. The Red River paper costs less and that is BEFORE the special offer (see below) on this blog which makes it even more affordable. With 12 sheet sizes offered by Red River versus only 3 by Lexjet, the odds are that you’ll find the size you need and can save some money.

Special Offer

Click here to visit Red River Paper and enter the coupon code ronmartblog to save on ALL your Red River Paper purchases! As of the time this article was written you could save $11.05 (28%) off the price of LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic’s 50 sheet box of 8.5x11.

Offer subject to change. See my discount coupon code page for the latest terms, and the printing series page for more Red River Paper articles.

Disclaimer

I may get a commission if you make a purchase using links in this article. I also was provided with sample paper to test for this review.

Ron Martinsen Online Courses and Portfolio Reviews

After a successful workshop and numerous happy students from previous classes, I find myself wanting to teach some courses again. However, I’m also finding it difficult to fit my schedule and everyone else's schedule into a time that works for us all. One solution to this problem might be an online course offering.

I’m considering offering a few online courses that would feature videos that you watched at your own leisure and featured a personal interaction (i.e., chats, hangouts, email, or even a conference call). I’m also considering offering a portfolio review service.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, please take the following survey so I can better tailor the course to your needs:

Click here to take survey

Please use the comments in this article if you have any other suggestions or recommendations. I’d also be willing to consider a guided photo vacation where we meet in a city for a day or two (i.e., New York, Tokyo, London, etc…) and do a photo walk or workshop like the one I did in Seattle. If anyone is interested, then please let me know via my contact page. Please include details about the location, days and your budget for a course of this nature.