on1 Free ON1 Effects 2025 until Jan 12, 2026

I just wanted to give you a heads up that On1 is making their Effects product free to everyone starting today! Click the image above to learn more.

Luminar finally arrives on Windows (Video Tutorials)

Download Now

With a name like Macphun Software, it is easy to understand why  all of their photo editing software has only been on the Mac. However, there are a lot of photographers on Windows who edit photos so I've heard endless complaints from blog readers about the absence of products like Aurora 2017 and Luminar from Windows.

I'm happy to announce that the drought is over - well, almost.

Macphun is doing an open beta right now which means that there features missing and there's a lot of "polish" missing from the UI. However, they are new to Windows so they need your help kicking the tires and providing feedback.

Click here if you want to see my video that shows how Luminar works on the Mac.

Before and After Shots

Here's a few edited shots processed exclusively with the Luminar for Windows beta and what they looked like with the unedited original:

Edited Version

Original Unedited

Edited Version

Original Unedited

After Bloody Mary Preset

Original Unedited

Video Tutorials

Here's an overview of the Windows Open Beta which DOES support RAW files, PSD and of course JPEG's:

Presets

For quick and dirty edits, Luminar offers nice Presets with real-time thumbnails so this video shows you how to make the most of the ones shipping now:

Filters

The real power of Luminar comes through the use of filters which can also become part of your own custom presets. Here's a video that shows how they work:

Check these out no matter what

Even if you do nothing else and delete it right away, I highly encourage you to download the beta and check out these three filters. All three are quite good with Accent AI Enhancer being a little magic pixie dust that I wish was in Lightroom!

Conclusion

The final version isn't scheduled to ship until the Fall, but feedback from users like you will really help them to improve the quality of the product between now and then. I did have some crashes here and there, but a workflow that includes restarting Luminar after each photo that you work on seemed to limit the crashes.

I did edit about a dozen photos and had no problems with the quality of the saved files. Most of the bugs seem to be around doing things with filters on multiple layers, but even there I was able to use layers many times with no problems.

Personally I really enjoyed the three new filters mentioned in the previous section and can see the potential for this product down the road as it matures. With Nik gone, I'm looking for its replacement and knowing the people behind the scenes who are working on this product I have a good feeling that this will get there - the question is when.

Join the FREE Open Beta

CLICK HERE to learn get the beta and kick the tires today.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Aurora 2017 - HDR software by Macphun
• Luminar for Mac
• NEW Imagenomic Portraiture 3
• on1 Photo RAW 2017.5
• Topaz Studio (NEW)
• Ron's Photo Editing system for Windows
• Ron's Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

FREE Software & Presets from on1 & RAW 2017.5 Update (Coupon Code Discount)

Looking for free stuff and coupon codes? Page down...

ON1 Photo RAW 2017 is the lightning fast photo organizer, raw processor, layered photo editor and effects app all-in-one. Unlike the current class of raw processors requiring cataloging, bouncing between apps for editing, and a subscription ecosystem,

ON1 Photo RAW 2017 features a new, modern raw processing engine, tuned for today's sensors and graphics chips. Combined with our current set of tools, the next generation of ON1 Photo 10.5, will continue to work where you want, as a standalone app, a plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® & Lightroom®, or a host app for other editing apps.

Version 2017.5 (Build 11.5.1.3760) was just released tonight if you already own it, and if you don't then you can pick up a FREE 30-day trial to kick the tires here:

Not familiar with this version? A LOT has changed since the last time I reviewed it so I thought I'd share a video that gives you quick summary better than I could:

If you decide you want to buy it, then save when you use the coupon code MART17 as shown here from the shopping cart:

Here's what's new for 2017.5 over the 2017 version:

• Compare Mode —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydd4X8jAudU
• Lens Correction —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrhGGtinB8A
• Stacking Presets —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRq1F4EiimA
• Details Pane —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRzC1qgxkeM
• Lightroom Migration — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA61Yi9DQSQ
• Improved Search —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNLFw1qeJ-w
• Clone Stamp —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBWUotlTo8s

Still using Lightroom? Get these FREE Presets!

on1 has done a good job of bringing digital asset management to a product that can free you of Adobe's subscription model, but I'm still a big fan of Lightroom. If you fall into that camp, these presets might be just the ticket to give you some of the on1 preset looks integrated into your Lightroom workflow. Click here to get your FREE presets from Matt Kloskowski, Trey Ratcliff and more:

You can't beat free, so check em out!

FREE on1 Effects 10

So this is a screaming deal that is great for those on a budget of $0! Click to download, or if you are curious if this is any good then check out this video playlist:

It's free, so check it out.

Conclusion

It's hard to beat free, so enjoy the trial of on1 Raw or the FREE offers in this article to process your Fourth of July fireworks vacation pics,

While my busy work schedule has kept me from blogging this year, I have still been shooting thousands of photos per month and editing my favorites. I can tell you this is definitely the fastest and most advanced version of the on1 that I've ever tested. For those looking for life after the Nik Collection (aka Nik Software)  or those looking to free themselves of Adobe's subscription model, this is worth a close look.

Where to Buy? (SPECIAL OFFER)

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

If you decide you want to buy it, then save when you use the coupon code MART17 as shown here from the shopping cart:

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• REVIEW:Topaz Studio - A Free Lightroom Replacement?
• REVIEW: Imagenomic Portraiture 3 (DISCOUNT OFFER) - Video Tutorial
• Luminar Tutorial and Review
• FotoMagico 5 (discount)
• Plotagraph Pro (Discount)
• Topaz Labs Impression 2 (new review 11/23/16)
• Topaz Labs Texture Effects 2.0
• Ron's Recommendations 
• Discount Coupon Code page

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW:Topaz Studio - A Free Lightroom Replacement?

Topaz Studio User Interface

Topaz Labs has outdone themselves with a new product that offers a ton of functionality for the best price - FREE!

Topaz Studio is a beautifully designed product that is screaming fast and scales beautifully on any display size - including the 1080p and 4K UHD screens I tested it on, with an ever quick response time throughout the UI. Seriously - it's the fast performing Topaz product I've ever used, so hopefully this is the future of what we'll see from Topaz!

There's a lot to discuss so I've covered everything I could in this 9 minute tutorial video which I highly encourage you to watch so you can quickly get a handle on the wealth of features this product offers - for FREE:

Conclusion

You can't beat free, so if you've grown tired of Adobe's subscription model or have longed for a Luminar alternative on Windows, then this is a great choice. Definitely give it a shot and if you don't like it, then just uninstall it - it didn't cost you much any time!

Personally, I'll still keep Lightroom around for its asset management features (the Library module) and other things I like about it, but this product has my attention. With a promise of an ever evolving feature set with frequent updates, this is sure to be a popular product that I expect to only get better.

If you do like it, then please do me a favor and share this article with all of your friends and on social media! I'd also love it if you used my link below if you decide to purchase the pro presets pack too!

Where to get your FREE COPY

CLICK HERE to learn more and get your FREE copy today!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Topaz Impression for Topaz Studio
• Topaz Adjust 5.0
  
• Topaz Labs B&W Effects 2 (B&W Products Comparison)
  
• Topaz Labs DeNoise 3.0
  
• Topaz Labs Glow 2
  
• Topaz Labs Impression 2
  
• Topaz Labs ReMask 5.0
  
• Topaz Labs Restyle 1.0
  
• Topaz Labs Simplify 4
  
• Topaz Labs Texture Effects 2.0
  
• Ron's Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

ThinkTankPhoto Holiday Sale with free gift & free shipping

My friends at Think Tank Photo only do any noteworthy sales event once a year, and that time has finally come. They have announced two holiday special offers on their award-winning camera bags. The first is their Outlet Center, which is full of huge discounts.  The second, through December 31^st whenever you buy a Think Tank rolling camera bag you will receive Road Warrior Kit for free. 

The Road Warrior Kit features 10 Red Whips cable ties, a Cable Management 10 pouch, an AA Battery Holder and a Travel Pouch. That’s $54.50 worth of accessories FREE!  Click here to see the accessories page to learn more about these.

Don’t forget, Think Tank you will also receive a free gift when you use my links, as well as free shipping. 

Happy holidays,
Ron

Where to Buy?

CLICK HERE to learn more or buy today.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• ThinkTankPhoto Reviews, Recommendations and Special Offer Details (includes MindshiftGear)
• Ron's Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

ThinkTank Shape Shifter 2016 Edition (Special Offer)

New ThinkTank Shape Shifter backpacks

My friends at Think Tank Photo just released three new versions of its award-winning Shape Shifter backpack Shape Shifter that I first reviewed back in 2011 (video included).

These backpacks essential feature is that you can expand them to hold your gear and then contract them when empty, thus decreasing their profile. 

They come sized for 15” and 17” laptops. 

The new Naked Shape Shifter is an entirely new concept in backpack in that you can configure its interior using your existing Think Tank modular components (review).  This way you can transport your belt system inside the backpack. 

Don’t forget that with my ThinkTank partnership you receive free gear with your orders and free shipping.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Other ThinkTank reviews
• Discount Coupon Code Page
• Ron’s Recommendations
• Printing Series

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Think Tank Photo Retrospective 6 Shoulder Bag and Production Manager 50 (Free Gift Offer)

Think Tank Photo Retrospective in Leather Sandstone

Think Tank Photo bags have a great reputation for being well built, durable with excellent designs, but often times they only come in a plain black design. The retrospective was one of the first bags to bring some character to the Think Tank Photo line up, so it makes sense that they’d use this bag to take it to the next level with this cool new leather sandstone design.

If you like the Urban Disguise series, then you’ll love the retrospectives as it’s a more stylish alternative. 

Think Tank Photo Production Manager 50

If you are like me and shoot on location – especially with studio gear – then you’ve probably already heard of the Logistics Manager. I love mine and use it whenever I have to pack the studio gear to go, but for as big as it is I still find myself having to carry at least one more bag (usually my Airport Security roller bag). Well now the mother of all Think Tank Photo bags, the Think Tank Photo Production Manager 50 offers a one bag to rule them all solution that would make Tim Taylor proud!

This won’t be a bag that you stuff in a SMART car, but for serious shooters carrying serious gear, this is a great solution to toss into the back of your SUV.

The Production Manager 50 is a monster, designed to hold C-stands, multiple flash heads, power packs, monoblocks, softboxes, and light-stands.  What it used to take two people to transport, you can now do by yourself.

Conclusion

I’ve been using Think Tank Photo bags since 2007 and travelled with them overseas many times. These bags take a beating, but my gear has always been safe and secure inside them. With great zippers that have never failed me under over packing situations, and smooth wheels that are a blessing when running to catch trains, planes and taxis. I highly recommend any bag from Think Tank Photo, so I’m excited about the release of these new bags.

Where to order – Free Gift Offer

Click here to learn more about Think Tank Photo bags and enjoy a special offer when you use my links.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• REVIEW: Think Tank Photo Retrospective 20
• REVIEW: Think Tank Photo Logistics Manager–Take Your Studio With You!
• Think Tank Photo – Index of Reviews

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

More Free Photo Editing Software

on1 has joined Google after this weeks free Nik Collection announcement to offer their Effects product for free!

In other exciting news, Athentech – makers of one of my favorite tools, Perfectly Clear – are also offering a new product called Perfect Exposure for free here when you click this link.

Perfect Exposure for free here when you click this link.

Conclusion

You can’t beat great software for free, so enjoy it while it last!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Discounts on other software and services 
• Perfectly Clear Review
• Flixel Cinemagraph Pro
• Topaz Labs Texture Effects
• Imagenomic Portraiture Discount & Tutorial
• Ron’s Recommendations 
• Mylio–Your Life’s Memories on All Your Devices
• What plug-ins should I buy? (for Photoshop & Lightroom)

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Nik Collection by Google is now FREE

CLICK HERE to learn how to get the Nik Collection by Google for Free

At one time, the Nik Software Suite (later renamed the Nik Collection by Google after its acquisition) was the industry leading tools for photo editing. Despite having $295 per product price points, they were a bargain for the functionality they offered compared to anything else on the market. What's more their industry leading "u-point" controls made applying effects to a specific area trivial by creating complex masks under the covers simply by putting a point on the color you wanted to make a change to. It was brilliant and it had no competition. Simply put, Nik software had the world of photo editing under its grasp and their products made photographers of any level able to create post-processing results that looked as good as the best Photoshop gurus.

Fast-forward to today, and now all of these glorious products are free to anyone:

• Analog Efex Pro
• Nik Software Color Efex 4 Video Tutorial (Review)
  • TUTORIAL: Nik Software Color Efex Reflector Effect Video–NOW WITH Audio
  • TUTORIAL: Using Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4 & Special Offer
• Nik Software Dfine 2.0
• Nik Software HDR Efex Pro 2.0
• Nik Software Sharpener Pro 3.0
• Nik Software Silver Efex Pro 2.0
• Nik Software Viveza 2.0
• Nik Software Viveza for Lightroom

At first this may sound wonderful, but I do have serious concerns about Google's commitment to these tools now that it is free. Simply put, free means that they don't have to make any investments in it, so if it is a critical part of your workflow and it stops working because of some breaking change by OS X or Adobe (which does happen regularly), then they could in theory choose to do nothing. I'm not sure if that is the motivation behind this, and it is pure speculation on my part, but it is certainly a serious concern that I have.

In the meantime, do rejoice and go get your free copy today if you are one of the handful of people who hasn't bought it yet. If you have bought it, then don't feel too bad as you had one of the best products on the market for a dirt cheap price.

Alternatives

If you are looking for new places to invest your funds now that you don't have to pay for the Nik Collection, or if you are a working pro that needs a company that has a financial incentive to issue updates and take support calls when you are trying trying to meet tight deadlines, then I'd suggest considering on1 Photo Suite, Macphun Aurora or one of these products by Topaz Labs:

• Topaz Adjust 5.0
• Topaz Labs B&W Effects 2 (B&W Products Comparison)
• Topaz Labs DeNoise 3.0
• Topaz Labs Glow 1.0
• Topaz Labs InFocus
• Topaz Labs Lens Effects
• Topaz Labs ReMask 5.0
• Topaz Labs Restyle 1.0
• Topaz Labs Simplify 4
• Topaz Labs Star Effects
• Topaz Labs Texture Effects

Don't forget about my Discount Coupon Codes page too where you can get discounts on these products and more

CLICK HERE to learn how to get the Nik Collection by Google for Free

REVIEW: Epson Legacy Baryta & Video Tutorial (Legacy Series 5 of 5)

Epson Legacy Baryta Paper

Epson Legacy Baryta paper is a cotton fiber substrate that uses photo black ink to create archival quality fine art prints. Here are a few important facts about this paper:

• 100% Alpha Cellulose
• Image Permanence: 200 years color / 400 years B&W (when used with Epson HD and Epson HDX Ink)
• 12 mil / 305 Mu caliper
• Acid and lignin free / pH buffered
• Minimal levels of Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs)
• Smooth surface / Satin finish

Unlike the other Legacy Papers, this is the one and only paper that does actually have OBA’s, but my sources at Epson tell me it only a trace amount. If this is an issue for you, then I’d strongly urge you to consider using the fabulous Legacy Platine instead.

Check out the Print Your Legacy landing page with videos here to see what some well respected photographers think of this and all of the Legacy papers.

For more on my thoughts about this paper, continue reading.

Geeky Comparison

If you aren’t a geek you might want to skip this section.

When comparing Baryta next to a variety of other Epson papers you’ll see that its color gamut is outstanding even against Exhibition Fiber Paper which was my previous favorite:

Epson Legacy Baryta vs Platine, Exhibition Fiber Paper (EFP) and Metallic
Click  for a larger view

If you compare the color gamut as a 2d chart (from ColorThink Pro) against Exhibition Fiber, Platine and Luster papers then you’ll see that Legacy Baryta is by far the best with Platine coming in a very close second followed by Exhibition Fiber (EFP) and Luster coming in last:

Epson Legacy Baryta vs Legacy Platine vs  Exhibition Fiber vs Luster Color Gamut
on a Epson SureColor P800

In The Hands Analysis

This paper is rigid enough not to flex when you hold the edge, but it is 1 mil less than Exhibition Fiber (EFP) yet its 2 mil thicker than Luster. Surprisingly, Platine is statistically thicker at 17 mil (vs 12 mil), but it doesn’t feel that way in your hands.

The texture is super smooth without the teeth that you feel on the non-print side of Platine. In fact, it feels almost identical to EFP, but under the light box it seems even smoother with less texture than EFP and significantly less than Platine. If you are the type who finds Luster to have too much texture for your taste on the print side, then you’ll be very happy with this paper. It’s smooth, but without having a cheap glossy look and feel.

The colors are simply jaw dropping, and better than any paper I’ve seen before it. The blacks are incredibly deep with its nearly 2.8 Dmax and the colors just pop off the page better than most displays can render the color. I was so thrilled when I saw the results that I wanted to stop everything and start reprinting all of my favorite prints over again on this paper – it’s that good!

Does that last statement seem familiar? Yeah, I said the same thing about Platine too – because they are both phenomenally good. For images where I want a little texture – because the image content has texture, I’d probably choose Platine as my first choice. For images where I want the smoothest paper possible that isn’t going to gather light from its texture, then I’d probably use Legacy Baryta.

I wasn’t able to try rolls with this paper, but I suspect it would perform about the same as EFP in roll format so I’d probably choose Platine over Baryta for jobs that required rolls over sheets (i.e., panos, 16x24”, etc…).

Real World Print Analysis

Epson V850 scan of Legacy Baryta on a Mac (16-bit)
(Click for Original Mac Version above or Windows Version Here)

The photo below is a scan of a print made using this paper, but even the scan is so vivid that it looks like the original photo (just like Platine did too)! The following photo was used by permission of National Geographic photographer, Jim Richardson and the colors and detail in the scarf just leap off the print in an almost 3D-like experience for the viewer:

Actual Epson V850 Scan of a Print from SureColor P9000 on Legacy Baryta

The scan simply can’t do it justice as too much of the real world experience is lost (and I’ve not altered the scan in any way). Here’s another one by me which is available as a full resolution 24MB TIFF scan, which again doesn’t do it justice because the blacks are so much deeper in real life:

Full Resolution Tiff V850 Scan of a SureColor P800 Legacy Baryta Print
using Epson Advanced Black & White Mode

On a scale of 1 (worse) to 10 (the best I’ve ever seen), I’d give it a 9.9 whereas I’d give the Exhibition Fiber Signature Worthy papers a 9.4. It’s outstanding and extremely pleasing to the eye with everything I love about EFP, but only better.

Compared to Other Favorites

Scan of a color print from a Canon PRO-1 on Canon Pro Platinum paper
Original image was sepia, so this is a faithful rendition vs the ABW versions

I’m a big fan of Ilford GALERIE Prestige Gold Fibre Silk Paper (also a Baryta) and when using my PRO-1 printer, Canon Pro Platinum (more info) and Canon Fine Art Photo Rag are my go to papers on my Canon printers. All of these papers are excellent, but Ilford Gold is a bit too warm for my taste, the Pro Platinum has a bit more of a traditional glossy sheen, and the Photo Rag suffers the same thick and stiff challenges that encourage scuffing that EFP suffers from.

When comparing the papers together, and after a lot of scrutiny, I found myself favoring the Epson Legacy Baryta the most – especially when printing color using a good ICC profile.

Tutorial Video

This video teaches you how to print on this paper in both Photoshop CC 2015 and Lightroom CC 2015 on Windows 10 using both color ICC profiles as well as Advanced Black & White mode. See my first two Legacy paper reviews for ones that were done on OS X El Capitan:

If you’d like visual instructions, including Advanced Black & White, then be sure to check out the visual tutorial in the Epson Legacy Papers Reviews & Tutorials video which covers both Windows and Mac.

The printer paper profile you use will be in the format <printer> LegacyBaryta_PK_<version>.icc (or sometimes icm) so for the Epson SureColor P800 you’d choose SC-P800_Series LegacyBaryta_PK_v1.icc

Conclusion

I’ve saved the best for last, because this really is the best of the Legacy papers and the best paper I’ve ever personally printed on. If there’s a better paper out there, I’d like to try it, because my eyes haven’t seen anything that outperforms this paper.

For this and the Platine reviews, I almost didn’t even include the scanned images because I feared they might give people a false impression of the quality. Simply put, my scanner can’t capture the detail and fidelity that you experience in real life with either of these papers, even when viewing the scans on my NEC PA322UHD 4k display! To truly understand how good they are you you have to see it for real life, so your best bet is to find a friend who has it or pick up the Legacy sample pack or get free print samples here and see for yourself!

I highly recommend this paper as the best paper I’ve ever put through any of my Epson printers, and thanks to a great ICC paper profile – you should be able to get phenomenal results too!

Yes, even with legacy printers like the 3880 (profiles link). 

Where to order

Click here to learn more or order at Adorama or order at B&H here.

Just want to try it out first? Try picking up the Legacy sample pack (also at Adorama) that I used for testing!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Epson Legacy Papers Reviews & Tutorials – Intro article that links to all of the Legacy Series paper reviews
• REVIEW: Epson Legacy Platine & Video Tutorial (Legacy Series 4 of 5)
• REVIEW: Epson Legacy Fibre & Video Tutorial (Legacy Series 2 of 5)
• REVIEW: Epson Legacy Etching & Video Tutorial (Legacy Series 3 of 5)
• Printing Series – Tons of resources on printing and print related tech
• Epson SureColor P600 Review
• Epson SureColor P800 Review
• Epson Exhibition Canvas Natural Gloss Review
• Epson Hot & Cold Press Papers
• How To: Using Epson’s Advanced B&W Photo (ABW) printing feature
• Getting great 4x6 prints without any hassle
• Choosing The Right Display Calibration Device
• NEC PA242W Monitor Review (PA241W & PA271W Review)
• NEC PA302W Monitor Review (PA301W Review)
• NEC PA322UHD 4k for Pro Photo & Video Editing
• Ron’s Recommendations

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

FREE Trey Ratcliff Lightroom Presets for 2015

Trey’s Lightroom Presets - 2015 December

Trey Ratcliff is giving away his entire December 2015 presets collection this month, so CLICK HERE to get them now. You can see examples on his site from this collection and many more.

Here’s a few samples I thought were impressive for Lightroom preset edits…

Copyright (c) Trey Ratcliff - Editing using December 2015 Presets

Copyright (c) Trey Ratcliff - Editing using December 2015 Presets

Copyright (c) Trey Ratcliff - Editing using December 2015 Presets

Copyright (c) Trey Ratcliff - Editing using December 2015 Presets

Where to order

Click here to learn more or order for free!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Aurora HDR by Macphun & Trey Ratcliff
• Ron’s Recommendations
• Deals Newsletter 
• Printing Series
• Discount Coupon Codes

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

FREE Lightroom Presets from Trey Ratcliff

CLICK HERE to download your FREE Starter Pack

It’s not often something is free without a catch, but in this case that’s exactly what we are talking about. Sure, it’d be awesome if you wanted to pick up some other stuff while you are there, but there really is no catch – click and order your free starter pack available for digital download.

Here’s a couple images Trey did using these same free presets and you can see more when you visit the landing page.

One of Trey's images processed only with one of the free presets included in this pack

A before and after of a shot processed using one of the included free presets

Here's some other interesting products from Trey Ratcliff all of which are eligible for my 15% discount on my discount coupon code page:

Photomatix Presets

Yeah, Lightroom 6 is getting a lot of attention right now for the inclusion of HDR, but Photomatix has always blown away Adobe’s attempts at HDR. If you are doing commercial HDR work, then this might be just the ticket to help speed up your HDR workflow:

Photomatix Presets

Conclusion

Who doesn’t love free, right? Want more? Check out his full line up of Lightroom Presets.

Where to order

Click here to learn more and/or get your free presets today. Don’t forget to visit my discount coupon code page if you want to buy any other products on Trey’s site!

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Trey Ratcliff – My very old interview of Trey back when his blog was about as big as mine – his audience has grown a bit since then!
• REVIEW: Trey Ratcliff’s Landscape Tutorial: New Zealand
• REVIEW: Trey Ratcliff's Lightroom Presets 2013 Edition
• REVIEW: Trey Ratcliff’s Photo Course & Discount (Post-Processing and HDR Video Tutorial)!
• Photomatix Review & Special Offer
• Tripod Recommendations 
• Nikon D810 Review
• HDR Software Comparison – 2012 Edition

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

FREE ThinkTankPhoto Shoulder Harness with Urban Disguise bags until May 15th

My friends at Think Tank Photo, who are celebrating their 10 Year Anniversary, have announced a special offer.  Whenever you order one of their Urban Disguise Shoulder bags between now and May 15^th you will receive a Shoulder Harness V2.0 backpack harness by mail for free. 

This harness is pretty cool because it easily converts your shoulder bag into a backpack.  It’s great for freeing up your hands to sprint through airports for flights, for example.

To take advantage of this special offer, simply order the Urban Disguise bag of your choice and download and submit the online form.  Think Tank will ship your new harness right out.  And, don’t forget that by using my special URL you will receive a free gift from Think Tank with your order as well as free shipping.

CLICK HERE to see my last Urban Disguise bag review, or click here to see all of my ThinkTankPhoto product reviews and special offer.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• City Walker 10
  
• Mirrorless Mover
  
• TurnStyle™ 10 & 20
  
• Urban Disguise Series (v2.0 Up)
  
• MindShift Gear Reviews: House of Cards and Filter Nest & Hive Mini

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

Free Topaz Presets, New Product & Discount Offer

 Workflow Tips from the Pros on Topaz Adjust

Topaz Labs is now offering FREE new presets and workflow tips for the latest release of Adjust that was recently released. The new version updates the user-interface to keep up with the great changes in the preview system featured in other Topaz products. It feels faster and more robust than its predecessor too!

You can buy Adjust or any Topaz Labs product with my discount coupon code or you try it for free for 30 days.

All New - Topaz Impression

This is a very cool product that can create some amazing effects for your images, but it does require a little patience in this first version. I’m hoping it will get faster, but I’d encourage D810 owners (and others with big megapixel files) to try it out using a small resized image at first (i.e., 800px on the long side). This will allow you to experiment with more things much faster so you can decide how you like it before you apply your concept to a full-resolution image.

To try it out for free for thirty days, click here.

Conclusion

As my Nik Collection by Google has become rather crash prone in Photoshop CC 2014 for Windows (7 64-bit), I’ve started to rely more heavily on the Topaz Complete Collection. If you haven’t tried it out yet, now might be a good time to finally give it a shot.

Where to order

For the month of September you can get Topaz Labs newest product at a 25% discount by using the coupon code SEPIMPRESSION.

Year around you can get a discount on any or all of the Topaz products using the discount found on my discount coupon code page.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these:

• Topaz Adjust 5.0
• Topaz Labs B&W Effects 2 (B&W Products Comparison)
• Topaz Labs DeNoise 3.0
• Topaz Labs InFocus
• Topaz Labs Lens Effects
• Topaz Labs ReMask 3.0
• Topaz Labs Restyle 1.0 (Special Offer)
• Topaz Labs Simplify 4
• Topaz Labs Star Effects
• Ron’s Recommendations 

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this.

REVIEW: MindShift Gear Rotation 180° – FINALLY A Proper Hiking Backpack (Special Offer)

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while knows that Think Tank Photo makes my favorite camera bags, so outside of Kelly Moore Bags I’ve been reluctant to spend much time reviewing bags from other makers. This isn’t because I haven’t used other bags, but more because I’ve been so disappointed with others that I’ve tried that it hasn’t been worth my time to write about something that I wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending to my readers. My camera insurance article explains why I take my camera bags so seriously, so when I first heard about this new company called MindShift Gear (which is actually a spin off of Think Tank Photo), I was a bit skeptical.

The Problem

I wondered, why would ThinkTankPhoto mess with a winning formula? They make bags that are brilliant for travel and rough and tumble photojournalist, so what’s there to improve upon?

North Cascades, Washington State 2007 – Ron Martinsen

I live in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest where I can literally drive 5 minutes away from my house and take beautiful mountain hikes, so I can relate with the numerous complaints I get about gear and camera bag weight. Personally when I hike these days I just take my X20 (or a camera I’m reviewing like the X100s) because I don’t want to be bogged down with a heavy bag and gear. However, some of the best photo opportunities happen on those hikes so often I really wish I had my 5D Mark III or a camera like the D600. Given the conditions under the forest canopy, a tripod like my Gitzo GT1541 is handy to have too, but things add up quick so who wants to do that? Well, from what I hear from my friends – pretty much everybody wants to! This leads to people doing silly things like putting their gear in their hiking backpack where stuff bangs against each other and gets scratched, and finding what you need can be a mess. This has caused me to get asked NUMEROUS times if there was a good hiking backpack that could also hold camera gear, but still hold things like water, a change of clothes, food, etc… that you’d typically want on a long hike.

The Solution

Here’s what they mean by Rotation 180
Get to your camera and basic gear without taking off your backpack!

It turns out the folks at Think Tank Photo got this question so much that they decided to do a Kickstarter Campaign to gauge the interest in them forming a new company dedicated to making camera bags for the outdoorsman instead of the traveller or photojournalist. This different focus would place weight, comfort, and ample storage above all others – yet there would still be the things we love about TTP bags – like durability! The result of that campaign was that people gave an overwhelming YES by contributing over $100,000 more than the $30,000 they needed to form this new company and develop this new bag in just 30 days! This extra funding resulted in the hikers dream bag becoming a reality with all the bells and whistles you could hope for! Based off the old Think Tank Photo Rotation 360 Camera backpack design, this bag offers a small bag to hold your camera, and some basic essentials. The photos below show some possible configurations that I think cover most photographers real world configurations when going out for a hike:

Camera and a 70-200mm? – No problem

Camera & lenses or a flash? Sure, no problem!

While the mini-bag isn’t huge, it covers about as much gear as most people would want to carry on a hike. If you keep your camera on something like a BlackRapid RS-Sport, then you can carry even more like up to 5 standard size lenses as shown above. For me the configuration on the far right most accurately represents how I plan to use this bag.

Yeah, but what about my other stuff?

Way more than a camera bag, this bag is ready to hold gear that can save your life

My blog readers literally scale mountains on the weekend here in the Northwest (example), so sometimes the extra stuff in the bag can literally save your life. The photo above shows that this bag is designed with serious outdoor hiking in mind. Of course, MindShift Gear realizes that there will be other times where you just want a camera bag and ideally you want one investment that can serve both needs. This is where this handy insert comes in to make your big compartment a full-on camera bag like you are used to from Think Tank Photo:

Insert this into your main compartment to convert this bag into a traditional camera bag

Water Anyone?

Store up to a 3 liter water bladder in a dedicated hydration pocket

that includes a tube pass-through where you see the water drop graphic Long hikes require water and typical hiking bags keep this in mind by having a place to store your water bladder. This bag was designed this this in mind, so there’s a dedicated compartment just for your water that also works to hold things like your Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit when you aren’t scaling mountains.

What about that darn tripod?

One of the most frustrating things when you are hiking is trying to carry a tripod because do-it-yourself solutions end up beating you to death with the tripod, and holding it in your hand gets old QUICK. As a result, many people leave the tripod at home for an activity where the tripod is often needed the most (for long exposure landscape shots).

Easily hold a Really Right Stuff BH-55 head with a Gitzo GT1541
in any of the three ways shown here

Mindshift Gear thought of this too by offering three ways to hold your tripod without having it beat you to death! The photo above shows three possible configurations. The far right offers the most stability, but I prefer the middle configuration the most for my BH-55 head with a Gitzo GT1541 combo. However, there’s also times when you have the tripod already out and you need to trek around the trail a bit for some additional shots. This scenario was covered to in this awesome tripod extended configuration:

Tripod Suspension Kit
I literally shouted out BOOYEAH when I saw this feature on my bag!
I want this on EVERY bag I own from henceforth!

But wait, there’s more… (sorry, no Ginsu knives included)

A wealth of accessories available (some sold separately)

These guys literally thought of everything, so unlike a normal bag there’s a crap load of accessories (some included, and some sold separately). I’m sure this is just the beginning too as readers like you are probably thinking “yeah, but what I need is…”.

Video Walkthrough

This bag has so much to show that a video is really helpful to appreciate it all. Even though I didn’t go into all the details I still ended up with two videos that are over 8 minutes long each! My bag has all of the accessories on it when I start the video so you can see how they work. I start with my video review which just goes over the bag itself with no gear inside:

Next up I have a video with a bunch of stuff inside including clothes, keys, flashlight, and more...

Hopefully my videos give you a better idea of what this bag has to offer. It's my understanding that MindShift Gear will stand behind these bags the same as Think Tank Photo, so if you are dissatisfied for any reason just contact them so they can make things right or issue a refund.

Conclusion

When I read about this bag I knew I wanted one, but more than anything I knew A LOT of my readers would want one too. As a result, I contributed $500 to the Kickstarter Campaign with the no gift option because I wanted to see this bag happen. I never imagined that so many people would give away their money to see this product happen, but they did (many receiving nice gifts for their donation). Of course this prompted some people to say “hey, what the heck does Think Tank Photo need donations for – those guys are probably super loaded and driving Ferrari’s!”. Well the reality is that Think Tank Photo is still only a small 30 person company that reinvests heavily in itself, so Kickstarter donations were the only way to make this new bag and company happen. They were also generous enough to send me a bag to review so I could bring this article to you. I’m really loving what I see with this bag and I can’t wait to put it to heavy use this summer. I’ll report back if I see any issues that give me cause for concern.

Where to order & SPECIAL OFFER

Click here to order today and enter the discount coupon code RONMART to get FREE SHIPPING.

Other articles you may enjoy

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy these reviews:

• Think Tank Photo Reviews & Special Offer
• Tripod & Monopod Recommendations (includes head recommendations too)
• Things You Need AFTER You Buy Your New Camera - Must Have Photography Accessories

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. It doesn’t cost you a penny more, but it does help to support future articles like this. I was given a bag to review for this article, and I contributed to the KickStarter campaign for this company. This is NOT a sponsored review (in fact, it’s just the opposite) and I’m NOT an investor or part owner in this company.