Recent Post Production Articles

Using the Loupedeck+ With Capture One Pro

Loupedeck have released a version of their software that plays (somewhat) nicely with Capture One Pro. Today we’ll take a look at what you can expect and what we think could be improved.

Exposure Bracketing: What It Is and How to Do It

How many times have you snapped a beautiful scene, only to be disappointed when your images don’t adequately represent the reality? Though the camera’s images sometimes fall short, have no fear, because bracketing is here.

Use Frequency Separation to Remove Chromatic Aberration and Color Fringing

Chromatic aberration and color fringing can often be overlooked, or simply dismissed as an unavoidable issue with lenses used. However, if you're one who would like an effective way of removing that from your shots in post production, this tutorial is meant just for you.

Change the Way You Edit Photos With Loupedeck+

I have to admit, when I first saw the Loupedeck on Indiegogo two years ago, I wrote it off, but after trying it, I now realize just how incredible this piece of hardware can be for photographers.

The Perspective of Boudoir Through the Eyes of a Retoucher

Raised in a small farming community in Saskatchewan, Canada, Chad Carpenter found himself far from the idea of ever being a boudoir retoucher. Boudoir in a small conservative town can be considered taboo and Carpenter never imaged he would be leaving his job in order to work as the main retoucher for his wife's boudoir company.

A Quick, Easy Photoshop Fix for Common Issues

Photoshop is an amazing, complex tool. When it works, everything is great. When something isn’t working or even worse, works intermittently, nothing is worse. Recently, in dealing with a problem I had, I learned an essential troubleshooting tip, which I’ll definitely make use of in the future.

Fstoppers Reviews Palette Gear's Compatibility With Capture One

For a number of years, Palette Gear's Control Surface has been at the literal fingertips for users, enhancing workflows within Adobe's CC, Final Cut Pro X, to name a few. After years of waiting, Palette now offers full functionality with Capture One. Check out the integration after the jump.

How to Shoot and Edit Rings for Jewelry Photography

Glue guns and poster board. Who would have thought these basic craft items would be useful for photographing jewelry? This in depth tutorial by New Amsterdam Photo Video covers the entire gamut of shooting rings from set up and lighting, to focus stacking and retouching, and everything in between.

sRGB, Adobe RGB, ProPhoto RGB: Which to Use and Why?

Have you ever been confused about which color space you should use and wondered what the differences are? This video will help you understand, and most importantly, choose the correct one.

How to Use Masks and Luma Range in Capture One Pro 12

When Capture One Pro 12 was released, a couple of new features were introduced including more refined masking tools. In this video, Michael Woloszynowicz shows you exactly how to take advantage of masking in Capture One.

Fstoppers Reviews the Trapcode Suite 15 From Red Giant

As a freelancer, I find myself taking on different roles in both production and post. I can do some modest animations, but any major work, I outsource to an animator. With plugins like the Trapcode Suite though, even a simpleton like me can make some eye-catching graphics.

A Fantastic Photoshop Shortcut: Opacity Keys

Photoshop is a complex program that takes years to master. And even after you've spent countless hours learning the ins and outs, surprising new shortcuts are a pleasure to discover.

When Photoshop's Sliders Won't Do the Job, Try the Three Picker Compensation Method

Each new version of Photoshop brings better sliders to the software for adjusting the colors of your photographs. Sliders are great for quick editing and have become a staple of my post-processing. However, sometimes, the sliders are just not enough for getting that exact color you want, and more control is needed. PiXimperfect has an excellent video for taking extreme control over the color correction process.

Did You Know Adobe Photoshop Has Free Design Resources?

If you're using the monthly Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop package, make sure you make the most for your money and have looked at the free available resources to help you design, from collages to branding mock-ups.

Follow These Tips for a Smoking Fast Workflow

Shooting and editing photo sessions can be time consuming and altogether frustrating if you don't have a streamlined system. Here, a seasoned pro gives away some great tips for shaving time and frustration from your workflow.

Why I Won't Travel With a Laptop Anymore

For years, whenever I’ve traveled, I’ve gone through the trouble of dragging a MacBook Pro, charger, and cables along with me. I tried something different on my most recent trip, and I don’t think I can go back.

Unique Holiday Gift Idea: Photograph Your Own Pet Calendar

The holidays months can bring extra leisure time, and there's nothing more rewarding than spending that free time on a challenging photography project. During last year's fall holidays I decided to turn my available energy into something creative and fun: a pet calendar for 2018.

Learn Photoshop's 19 Adjustment Layers in 30 Minutes

Photoshop’s adjustment layers are some of the most powerful tools available for post-processing photographs. With the ever-increasing number of sliders available in Lightroom and Camera Raw, the adjustment layers in Photoshop seem to get less visibility, which is a mistake.

Raw Power 2.0 Update Supercharges Photos on iOS and Mac

Raw Power is a standalone application, but also includes extensions for both iOS' and macOS' Photos applications that give you more creative editing control over your photos. In short, it's the extension that Apple should have included with Photos. And it just got a big update.

The Best Post-Processing for Woodland Images

Thomas Heaton breaks down an essential woodland editing technique, known as the Orton effect. He recommends using it when shooting natural, woodland scenes. It provides just the right amount of pleasing glow and softness to take down the artificial and overly contrasty look that can sometimes crop up with photos of trees.

Faking a High End Portrait Backdrop With Texture Overlays

Do you crave the look of a high-end, hand-painted portrait backdrop for your studio, but don't want to shell out the bucks for such a luxury? Why not grab your favorite roll of seamless paper and fake it ‘til you make it?

Fstoppers Reviews the Advanced DVLOP Film Emulation Preset System

While there are plenty of companies that offer film emulation presets, not all of them are created equal. In order to get things perfect, DVLOP has teamed up with Jose Villa, one of the most popular film photographers in the industry.

Seven Lesser Known Lightroom Shortcuts

I've seen a lot of Lightroom tutorials and tips videos; most seem to cover the same few shortcuts. Mark Denney covers some great lesser known features in this video, including a tip for changing the spot removal selection I've never seen before.

The Photoshop Secret that Will Change the Way You Edit Color

It seems simple, changing a colored object to black in Photoshop, until you try it. If you’ve ever had a Photoshop fail when attempting to convert color to realistic, pure black, and you're looking for a solution, you’re in the right place.

Improve How Your Images Look on Instagram Using Photoshop

Do your photographs on Instagram not look as good as they do on your computer screen? Are you looking for something to improve the look of your photos on Instagram? Well, watch this video to improve their appearance on Instagram.

Liquifying Your Boudoir Images: Less Is More

When it comes to liquify, less is usually best. Unless you have a model or client who specifically asks for heavy shaping, chances are you are going to have an unhappy client if this tool is overly used.

Beginning to End Look into the Creation of a Drag Queen Portrait

When taking a portrait of an artist, I find it is always a good idea to try and tell the story of the artist through the image. If someone is a musician, the aesthetic of a photograph should help you understand the type of music they play. Similarly, if someone is a drag queen – I try to photograph them in a way viewers can instantly ‘get’ their character. Join me behind the scenes in photographing Mango Sassi, a Drag Queen from Toronto, ON, and have a look into what it can take to create a collaborative image!

How to Use Frequency Separation for Retouching

Frequency separation can be a very overwhelming technique used most commonly for skin retouching. It is a technique that is very easy to overdo and destroy texture when not used correctly. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, where do you start?

Halloween Inspiration: A Dollar Store and Your Backyard

If you’re in search of some festive-themed inspiration, check out this short video from Tajreen & Co that will also show you how easy it to create a fun image for Halloween with very limited resources. Some basic editing knowledge can turn a simple idea into a striking and spooky image.

TourBox: Photoshop and Lightroom Editing Made Easy

TourBox is a new piece of portable hardware designed to make working with Lightroom and Photoshop and other software easier and more intuitive. Looking more like a video game controller than a midi interface, it works alongside your mouse or tablet with the intention of making your workflow smoother and less fiddly.

Hacking Portrait Mode to Create a 3D Parallax Photo on Facebook

Photographer Oat Vaiyaboon from Hangingpixels Photo Art has found a way to harness the new Facebook 3D Photo feature with his existing DSLR and drone photos using depth maps. You really have to see them in action to appreciate the coolness of the effect.

A Tale of Groceries: Featuring an Fstoppers Community Member

Inspiration strikes at random times, you may witness a beautiful fall scene with brightly colored leaves falling into a creek, or stumble across a wonderful painting that gets your creative juices flowing and sparks your imagination. Or like in the case of "Grossceries," you watch a documentary on food, and start to think about where food comes from.

Stop Dodging: Five Alternatives to Bumping Local Exposure

Since the film days, photographers have used dodge and burn to infuse drama into their images. Unfortunately, local exposure adjustments don’t always stack well and can produce the opposite effect.

How to Light Paint an Image in Post-Production

“This shot just looks flat.” Even an image shot during dramatic lighting can look dull after global adjustments. But with some inspiration from light painting, you can bring the image to life in post-production.