Hi fellow photographer!

Settling back in & new toys

I am somewhat of a gadget/tech lover, especially when it comes to photography. Living on the road for so long meant that I had to limit my technology to whatever I could carry. And naturally the less tech I had, the less I would lose if I were robbed.

Since becoming a regular member of society recently, with an apartment in which I can store things, I've managed to accrue a few new toys. None of them are essential, but I enjoy them anyway.

My favourite so far is the Surface Pro 4, which you can see in today's sharpening video.

I honestly love this machine. It's a joy to draw on and use, even if it is a little awkward to use as an actual laptop occasionally. Having said that I do think it is way-over priced. I'm going to create a review for the SP4 targetted specifically towards photographers, if any of you out there are curious about how it handles a photography workflow.

Having a home has now allowed me to set up a studio and a few nice spaces in which to record tutorials. It's a large improvement on the somewhat dark hotel rooms I'd previously recorded in. I hope this improves your viewing experience. Today's video was recorded in the living room, with the kitchen hiding in the background.

Challenge Jimmy

Remember my Challenge Jimmy videos, where I process your images (See the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRenNPnr1No8oR8PNx1mgzKmBh-0IbnoE)? Well I'm looking for new entries. If you'd like to take part, please send me your jpegs (no RAW files or ZIP files please) to challengejimmymc@gmail.com.

Have a great day!

Jimmy

Today's Articles and Tutorials

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1. How To Sharpen Cleanly in Photoshop Without White or Black Edging

In this week's tutorial we see a very useful technique for sharpening our images while avoiding the white edging we often see when we sharpen. I've also included the sharpening action for you to download and play with!

2. 7 Simple Photography Hacks

I this video we look at 7 different photography hacks from COOPH. Even if you're happy to spend large amounts of money on photography gear, rather than finding a cheaper work-around, you might still enjoy some of the ideas in this video.

3. 8 Ways Photography Can Improve Your Life

I thought I'd end this week's newsletter with something positive and inspirational :)

Previous Tutorials On Shutter Evolve

2 Perfect Ways To Dodge & Burn in Photoshop

In this week’s tutorial we will look at one amazing way to dodge and burn with precision in Photoshop, while maintaining a non-destructive workflow and without affecting the colours in our image. We’ll also look at a great way to increase local contrast similar to Nik Color Efex’s Pro Contrast filter, while targeting those changes specifically to our highlights or shadows.

5 Ways To Cleanly Remove Chromatic Aberration in Photoshop

In the video we will look at quick, effective methods for Chromatic Aberration control, and also a few slower, more deliberate methods.

Among these we’ll use a very handy hack, which combines Gaussian Blur and the Blend Mode ‘Color’. We’ll also look at color cloning, and both of the Lens Correction functions in Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop.

With these 5 technique, you should never have another problem with Chromatic Aberration.

When Sunset is Disappointing – 14 Ways Blue Hour Can Save Your Images

Recently we spoke about why shooting at the Golden Hour is so important when capturing a powerful mood in our photos. Yet, more often than not, the Golden Hour doesn’t provide us with a stunning show. Fortunately we still have the blue hour, which can rescue an entire shoot in the absence of a sunrise/sunset. This article will talk about 14 ways blue hour can save your images.

5 Quick Tips For Better Landscape Photos

In case you missed the huge article 32 Shooting & Planning Tips To Instantly Improve Your Landscape Photos, I’ve created a quick video with my 5 favourite tips for landscape photography. I’m afraid there are no great secrets in here, most of them are well known, but not necessarily well practiced

Forget HDR Software – 5 Ways To Blend Any Exposures In Photoshop

In this week's tutorial, I show you 5 ways to blend any exposures in Photoshop. No longer do we need to rely on HDR software to blend our exposures. With these techniques, we can create the cleanest possible images, free from noise, halos and other forms of image degradation.