If you’ve been struggling with what to get the photographer or Photoshop geek on your holiday list, I’ve got you covered with a list designed to completely obliterate your holiday gift budget (not entirely true because I have some really awesome stocking stuffers and value-priced gifts that are also pretty sweet but, whatever your budget, let’s make sure there’s none left anytime soon)

You can download a free PDF of the entire issue which includes my gear guide, right here: 

https://members.kelbyone.com/wp-content/uploads/magazines/psumag/PhotoshopUserDecember2022/index.html

My New Lightroom Portrait Retouching Column is In This Issue

Last issue I launched a few monthly column in the magazine on how to retouch portraits in Lightroom, so if you download that issue, you’ll have my new column in there, too, and I’ve got some pretty cool stuff in there (well, it seems cool to me). Anyway, I hope you check it out.

I Got My New Camera Yesterday!

And I wrote all about it and what my current gear loadout is (lenses and all) on my daily blog at scottkelby.com – hope you have a chance to stop by and check it out.

Here’s wishing a better football weekend than I had last week (well, at least Alabama won, but the Bucs. Let’s not talk about it. Hopefully better this week. At some point, they have to be better, right?).

Holiday Cheers,

-Scott

P.S. Next Wednesday at 1 PM ET on ‘The Grid,’ it’s our annual Holiday Gear Guide LIVE show with my special in-house guest, the one and only Vanelli. Lots of other gift ideas for the photographer on your holiday gift list.

The post Here’s my Holiday Photo Gear Guide (from Photoshop User magazine) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Sponsored Post

For photographers everywhere, it’s important they find their unique style. That’s why light shaping tools can help them be more creative—and distinctive.

“Clean, bold, and graphic, presenting women with strength and elegance.” That’s how Lindsay Adler, New York-based fashion and beauty photographer, and in 2020 Rangefinder’s first-ever female Icon of the Year, defines her style.

Watch the OCF II Gels in action:

Cast your eye over the images she creates, and you’ll instantly recognize she couldn’t have provided a more accurate description. You’ll find a striking use of light to create mood and depth, and a passion for vibrant colors and high-contrast black and white.

Inspiration

When asked about the photographers who have influenced her throughout her career, she cites such luminaries as Albert Watson, Lillian Bassman, and Solve Sundsbo. Watson, for his keen sense of imagery,  Bassman for her uncompromising experimental style (revolutionary in the 1950’s) and Sundsbo for his creative, almost surreal approach to fashion. Interestingly, however, the red thread that seems to connect them all is a mastery of light. Each is set apart by the way they use and shape light.

Lindsay also credits many of the photographic educators who taught, inspired, and guided her in her early career, because as Lindsay is happy to point out, she wasn’t always a fashion photographer living and working in Manhattan.

Watch the OCF II Barndoor in action:

Early days

“I’m originally from upstate New York, a town so small, it was actually called ‘Hamlet.’ I started shooting when I was 15 years old, starting out as a portrait photographer shooting mostly maternity, family, and weddings. But I was keen to learn and develop my craft, and I was fortunate enough to meet many educators who helped me build a platform that would help me grow and ultimately realize my ambition to shoot fashion.”

Lindsay has been shooting fashion for the last decade, and her images have appeared on the pages of top magazines such as Marie Claire, Elle Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and L’Officiel.

Watch the OCF II Grids in action:

Pay It Forward

Understanding where Lindsay started, it’s no surprise then that she is equally as passionate about passing on her knowledge to the next generation of image creators. As a result, she’s traveled the world, creating tutorials, giving lectures and demonstrations at photographic events, and generally giving advice to those who ask for it.

“It’s simple; I want to give to others what the creative photographic community has given to me.”

Lindsay Talks Light and Modifiers

Exciting then that Lindsay has created a series of videos for Profoto demonstrating how modifiers and gels can help image creators be creative and innovative with light.

“I thought it would be interesting to take the same ingredients; the same location, same model, same styling, and the same makeup; and then demonstrate how, with the introduction of color gels and different modifiers, you can create such different end-results.”

Using the Profoto B10 and B10 Plus, Profoto’s uniquely compact OCF lights, Lindsay shows across the four short films how the Profoto OCF II Barndoor can create a dramatic vignette effect, how Profoto OCF II Grids can control the spread and spill of light, how the OCF II Snoot focuses light, how OCF II Gels can transform an image, and so much more.

Watch the OCF II Snoot and Grids in action:

“Ultimately, it’s about giving image creators the tools to create their unique style—to find their voice that’ll ultimately help them stand out from the crowd.”

To learn more about Profoto, visit www.profoto.com and follow @profotousa on Instagram.

You can see more from Lindsay Adler at lindsayadlerphotography.com and you can follow her @lindsayadler_photo on Instagram.

The post Lindsay Adler Transforms Images On Location with OCF II Light Shaping Tools appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Sponsored

For those of you who don’t know my background, I’ve spent my life in the photography industry. And in all those years, I’ve never been involved with any company or products I didn’t honestly believe in.

When asked to join the Platypod team last September, l accepted because of two things—the owners of the company and the quality of the products. While I wasn’t involved in Platyball’s design, I’ve been part of the team every step of the way, helping to educate the industry, starting with why the world needed to be turned upside down.

Tripods haven’t changed since the 1820s. Years later, tripod heads came along, and it wasn’t until the 90’s that Arca Swiss set the standard for release plates. So, for all those years, artists have been leveling from the ground up with a never-ending flow of evolutionary redesigns, but never revolutionary.

Time to turn the tripod world upside down!

“Dr. T” came along and, as he’s done with Platypod, felt there was a better solution. If leveling is from the top, instead of the bottom, the horizon will always be level. It’s especially apparent when panning.

Next on his list was to redefine the meaning of “ergonomic design.”  We’ve all worked with tripod heads with multiple buttons and dials, and everybody has had one not line up in the direction you want when tightening it down. 

Wanting to give photographers more control, the process needed to be streamlined. Dr. “T” chose to bring technology, simplicity, and efficiency together with a ball head that had just two buttons and could be adjusted with only one hand, even while wearing gloves in winter!

As Scott Kelby demonstrated in his video, two buttons with a new standard of quality manufacturing and material was all “Dr. T” needed—one to loosen the ball head, the other to tighten it. Next, bring in the best materials, weather sealing and the strength to hold 22 pounds of gear in place and *poof* Platyball was in the news.

Now, add in the patented electronic indicator on the Elite model, powered by an easy to find over-the-counter A23 battery, with the ability for photographers to level outside the camera’s system. There are no blocked bubble levels and based on the position of the ball head, it can be viewed from the front of the camera or back. This is especially effective in tight spaces for meeting the demands of architectural photography, shooting at night and simply expanding creativity.

But there was one last addition, the Arca Swiss release, complete with an Arca twist locking collar and 360-degree indicator plus a quick release safety lock.

Remember, where I started in this post? I said two things made me want to be part of the Platypod team. Well, the first was the attention to detail and design of all their products like Platyball. The second was the quality and integrity of the people.

I’ve never met anybody more focused on Customer Service, quality, and keeping his promises than “Dr. T.” This is Platypod’s third Kickstarter campaign. He’s always delivered on time with products exceeding expectations—precisely what he’s always committed to doing.

We call him “Dr. T” because he really is a doctor, not of engineering but a full-time working pediatrician with a practice in New Jersey. Fortunately for our industry, photography became a passion for him forty years ago, and he never does anything halfway.

He told me a story once about his interest in photo. His father gave him a book about photography and told him to learn everything in the book BEFORE he could have his first camera. Everything under the imaging umbrella became a passion, and as the industry changed, so did “Dr. T’s” focus.

Whether it’s his love for medicine and finding answers to health challenges that set the standard or his passion for solutions and engineering contributing to Platypod’s reputation, he’s created a company built on listening to its customers.

Platyball’s arrived, has turned the tripod world upside down, and in the process, our lives as artists are about to get better. We’re all about to have more time to create and waste less time in setup.

With just four days left in the Kickstarter campaign, this is the community’s last chance to save 20% on the new Platyball. That’s a significant saving on the Ergo of $50 and $76 on the Elite. But in addition to the savings, you’ll be part of a revolutionary new approach to leveling and using a ball head.

Visit www.platyball.com for more information.

The post Turning a Standard Upside Down appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Sponsored

Just recently, I had the opportunity to test drive a new ball head, the Platyball. Not available for direct sale until later in the year, it was a preproduction version designed and manufactured by the makers of the popular Platypod Max and Ultra. 

The Platyball will come in two models, the Elite and the Ergo. Both units have identical mechanical features. However, the Elite has an incredibly accurate LED-based leveling device that makes it stand out from all the other ball heads on the market.

I loved working with this ball head. The Platyball not only has a unique design, it is visually striking. Its sleek ergonomic design reminds me of a Ferrari. Even the rich color and finish look terrific. And the design itself makes it an upside-down marvel.

The Platyball is the very best ball head I’ve ever used. You can understand why when you read the specs: 

• Forged aluminum chassis with a beautiful metallic finish, built to last.

• The ball, 35 mm in diameter, is rated to hold 22lb. (10 kg.) off-axis load.

• The system is completely knob-less.
• The head is positioned using progressive variable tension locking and unlocking buttons.
• The built-in panning system is comprised of a panning turntable and locking wheel with etched 360° markings and indicator arrows.

• The quick-release clamp is Arca-Swiss compatible and has a twist-locking collar and safety button for added security.
• The tripod socket is a standard 3/8” socket – stainless steel reinforced and adaptable to 1/4” with included reducer bushing.

• The base is triangular shaped, rounded, and slotted for transport on a carabiner or strap (not included).
• The Elite includes a calibration disk with a bubble level, and a 1/4” stud that can be used to mount small cameras and smartphone mounts.
• The Elite weighs 1 lb 6 oz, and the Ergo is 1 oz lighter.
• A protective jacket is included, making it even easier to pack and transport.
• The Elite is equipped with a bidirectional electronic level.  A master power switch turns on the power. Two buttons on the face, one to activate the leveling system and the other is multifunctional for brightness, calibration and factory reset. A single A23 Alkaline battery powers the module.  

What I look for in a ball head is reliability, functionality, and ease of use. I hate fiddly ball heads. The Platyball Elite and Ergo meet and exceed these requirements in every category.

When you hold this ball head, you immediately realize it means business. It’s solid, yet sleek and you sense the precision. 

Use Scenario

Attaching the Platyball to a tripod is a breeze. Since the base has three fins, it provides a grip that is easy to hold and tighten.

Next, it’s all about mounting the camera. Simply rotate the clamp’s elliptical collar twist collar to open the jaws, insert the plate and turn the collar to get a solid grip. I tested it further by twisting the plate that was attached to a lens foot; there was virtually no give at all. Best of all, there are no levers or knobs that can be accidentally released or twisted off.

The contours of the Platyball fit comfortably in your hand. The two tension and release buttons align perfectly with your fingers. Applying a light tension keeps the camera and lens in place while allowing for smooth positioning. Once you have the desired framing, you can increase the locking tension with a few pushes on the top button. 

Reframing is equally quick. A few pushes on the lower release button releases the tension on the ball, allowing for smooth repositioning. The head is so well designed that for cameras with a short zoom or smaller lens, you can adjust the position with just one hand.  

Panning

For panoramas, typical ball heads need to be leveled either by adjusting the tripod legs or by mounting a leveling system. Since the Platyball is an inverted system, all you need to do is to level the head, and the panning table will remain perfectly level. The table is etched with major graduations every 5 degrees and minor ones for each degree. A locking wheel releases the panning table for smooth 360-degree single row pans.

Conclusion

Platypod has always designed and produced unique products, creating a history of solutions and expanded creativity for photographers.  Platyball extends that same reputation for reliability and meeting expectations.  They’ve succeeded in producing an easy-to-use, solidly performing, no compromise ball-head all photographers will appreciate. 

I am hooked!

The post Platypod: Knocking it Out of the Park with Platyball appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Tamron has just announced three new models for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. In addition to bright F/2.8 apertures, all three new prime lenses have enhanced close-focusing capability (1:2 reproduction ratio) and all are marvelously compact. Choose the ultra-wide 20mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F050) to stretch your imagination. Or the 24mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 (Model F051) to widen your horizons. And the must-have lens for everyday use is the 35mm F/2.8 Di III OSD M1:2 Model F053. The close-focusing capability lets you capture scenes dynamically by leveraging the unique perspective. Enjoy many different types of photography including nature, tabletop, and family snaps. All three lenses are light in weight and compact—so you can you travel light or pack all three!

For outstanding performance, each lens is constructed using special glass materials including LD (Low Dispersion) lens elements and GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) lens elements effectively arranged to quash aberrations. And Tamron’s legendary BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection Coating) successfully reduces ghost and flare. Moreover, leveraging your camera body’s features* each delivers, throughout the frame, high resolution performance that maximizes the benefits of the latest high-megapixel cameras. You will experience an all-new mode of expression with these dynamic fixed focal wide-angle lenses.

*When shooting with the camera’s lens correction function enabled.

Get Closer to Your Subject. Enhanced Close-Focusing Capability

The MOD for the 20mm, 24mm and 35mm is 0.11m, 0.12m and 0.15m (4.3, 4.7 and 5.9 inches) respectively. Plus, the maximum magnification ratio for all three is 1:2 so you can fill the frame, even when shooting small objects. You’ll never again be frustrated because you cannot get close to an object while shooting. This remarkable performance allows users to create compositions that exploit dramatic perspective (closer subjects are larger, and distant ones are smaller). With a bright F/2.8 aperture you can produce a one-of-a-kind photo and leverage the beautifully blurred background bokeh.

Extreme Portability Increases Versatility and Comfort

Designed to match light weight, full-frame mirrorless cameras. Overall length is just 64mm (2.5 in.). They are comfortably portable, highly maneuverable, and amazingly easy to use and compose. Because the overall length does not change when focusing, you can get as close to an object as you need to without fear of accidentally bumping the front element.

For convenience sake, all of the lenses in the series have the same 67mm filter diameter. You can share the use of a single polarizing (or other) filter and avoid the aggravation of searching through lens caps when changing lenses. Built with convenience and ease-of-use in mind, you’ll be attracted by the compact size and thoroughly dazzled by the outstanding performance.

The Tamron 24mm and 35mm for Sony mirrorless will be available November 20 and the 20mm is scheduled for January 2020. All three have the same attractive price of $349. Click here to learn more.

The post Tamron’s New Prime Lens Series for Sony Mirrorless Offers More Choices for Creative Expression appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Well, I’m picking the winner today, and announcing the winner here tomorrow. All you have to do is leave a comment below (you can just say hi, or whatever), and you’re entered.

If you’re wondering “What’s a Platypod?” it’s an awesome camera support, like a tripod but without legs, so security guards don’t freak out when you use one (well, that’s one big benefit). It also allows you to easily put your camera in places where a tripod would fit, or if you just want a really interest low or high perspective. It’s made of aircraft-grade aluminum; it’s light and strong as heck, but it literally fits in your shirt pocket. These things have become a sensation, and I take mine everywhere!

Anyway, I hope you win!

This contest is open to everyone, everywhere (if you win, we’ll ship it wherever), so good luck to everybody! Leave a comment below and you’re entered. Hey, ya never know, right?

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’ll drop by back tomorrow — I’ve got a Lightroom tip and I’m hoping to post a link to my shots from my trip to rural China. Have a great Thursday, everybody!

-Scott

P.S. If you live in the Dallas area or Richmond, I’ll be there next week with My “Ultimate Photography Crash Course” full-day seminar. Come out and spend the day with me. Tickets and info here.

The post I’m Giving Away a Platypod Ultra Today! appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

For the first time ever, a dedicated portrait lens that allows you to zoom through various composition options as the creative alternatives zoom through your head. The versatile 35-150mm zoom range incorporates the 85mm focal length (optimum for portrait shooting) and covers everything from full-body shots that include the surrounding area to sharp head-and-shoulders shots. With this single lens you can make the most of every moment you spend with any subject. Combined with potent VC (Vibration Compensation), fast F/2.8 aperture (F/4 at 150mm end) and compact design, this is the only zoom you’ll ever need for portraits, street, landscapes, travel, family snapshots and across a wide range of photography subjects. It’s also the ideal “normal zoom” for your first full-frame DSLR body.

High resolution plus luscious bokeh

Beautiful balance between subject sharpness and background bokeh. Tamron’s new zoom contains three LD (Low Dispersion) and three aspherical lens elements to quash optical aberrations, a circular aperture and legendary BBAR Coating to suppress ghosting and flare—even in backlit situations. The contrast between in-focus areas rendered accurately down to the fine details and backgrounds that gently blend into the scene produces a single high-quality image. The optical performance meets and exceeds the demands of today’s high resolution 50+ megapixel DSLRs. Your portraits will positively pop!

Enhanced AF operation and VC

For fast and steady operation, this fast-handling zoom incorporates Tamron’s Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) system that consists of a dedicated AF lens control MPU and dedicated vibration compensation MPU to achieve both superior AF performance and effective vibration compensation. This ensures accurate focus even in scenes with continually moving subjects or under low-light conditions.

Pack a pair and photograph everything!

This compact zoom travels light, measuring only 4.9 in long and weighing a scant 1.7 pounds. When combined with Tamron’s versatile ultra-wide-angle 17-35mm F2.8-4 Di OSD you can cover the entire range from 17mm to 150mm, all at a maximum aperture of F/2.8 (F/4 at zoomed end). The whole bundle weighs less than 3 pounds! They’re the perfect combo when you want to travel light or when shooting with two DSLR bodies. The portability and extensive zoom range are a photographer’s dream come true and flawlessly designed for everything from landscape and street photography to architecture and portrait photography.

Click here to learn more about the new TAMRON 35-150mm F/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (model A043).

The post Celebrate the Birth of the Portrait Zoom: The New TAMRON 35-150mm F/2.8-4 Di VC OSD (model A043) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Daisuke Fujimara

Ultra-Optimized Optics Create Yet Another Incredible Image

The SP 15–30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A041) is a high-speed ultra-wide-angle zoom lens with ultimate image quality that lets you capture all you see. The lens integrates engineering with human touch design, aiming at intuitive operability, while still emphasizing minute details and texture. It is more user-friendly because of innovations including a new switch box design, an improved distant-scale window, and the precision and stability of the metallic mount. By utilizing specialty glass materials and aspherical lens elements, Tamron’s engineers have further minimized the distortion and lateral chromatic aberration that can be an issue with wide-angle shooting. The lens also has triple lens coatings consisting of the newly developed AX (Anti-reflection eXpand) Coating, plus eBAND (Extended Bandwidth & Angular-Dependency) and BBAR (Broad-Band Anti-Reflection) Coatings that all combine to provide sharp and clear images even in peripheral areas.

The Newly Developed AX Coating Enables Sharp Images

A new revolutionary AX (Anti-reflection eXpand) Coating is accomplished through Tamron’s proprietary deposition technology that addresses the difficulty of applying uniformed coating using existing technology. Now the coating can be applied uniformly edge to edge, even if the convex surface has a strong curvature. As a result, the reflectance and color rendition at the peripheral part of the element is the same as the center. The new AX Coating, which is especially effective for wide-angle lenses that tend to let in harmful light from peripheral areas, effectively minimizes ghosting and provides outstanding uniform image clarity.

André Costantini

A Great AF Performance and Image Stabilization Bring out the Lens’s Optical Performance

In order to engage the full optical performance of the lens, it is essential to control the slightest blur and precise focusing. In this respect, the lens applies a Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), which includes two dedicated MPUs, one for lens system control including AF, and the other for vibration compensation processing. The AF drive uses proprietary Tamron technology, USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) providing high torque, response, and silent operation. Manual focus adjustments can be made on the fly with the lens’s Full-time Manual Focus Override system. The Model A041 has an improved VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism with vastly better image stabilization performance from the previous Model A012, now reaching 4.5 stops (CIPA standards). This enables sharper images over a wide range of photographic situations, including indoor and outdoor shots as well as landscape photography at stopped-down aperture settings.

Bastian Werner

New Fluorine Coating for Improved Durability

The durability of the front element coating is greatly improved with the development of new Fluorine Coating. With the new fluorine compound that has excellent water- and oil-repellent properties, the lens surface is much easier to wipe clean and less vulnerable to damaging effects of dirt, dust, moisture, and fingerprints, and enabling your important lenses to be continually protected on a long-time basis.

The Rear Filter Holder Enables Greater Creative Flexibility

A filter holder that allows you to attach gelatin filters to the rear side of the lens is included as a standard feature (for Canon EF-mount only). You can now shoot with filters much more easily, traditionally rather difficult when shooting with ultra-wide-angle lenses with large front lens elements.

Ken Hubbard

The F/2.8 G2 with VC Trinity Is Completed

Now three of high-speed zoom lens with VC, SP 15–30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A041), SP 24–70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A032) and SP 70–200mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 (Model A025), are reborn as Generation 2, providing you with the feeling of luxury and operation unique to the human touch design.

For more information visit tamron-usa.com.

The post Tamron Upgrades Its Legendary Ultra-Wide-Angle Zoom Lens: Introducing the Tamron SP 15–30mm F/2.8 Di VC USD G2 appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

Aloha from Maui, Hawaii – we’re here for the launch of Canon’s just-announced full-frame Mirrorless camera, and I’ve got all the news, first impressions and stuff like that over on my blog today. Here’s the link:

https://scottkelby.com/breaking-news-ca…orless-the-eos-l/

Also, we’re doing The Grid LIVE today from Maui!
We’ve got the tech guys from Canon on the show tomorrow to answer your questions live on the air, along with special guests Fashion Photographer Lindsay Alder, and Video guru and YouTube sensation Devin Supertramp. 

That’s TODAY at 4 PM EDT
Catch it at either kelbyone.com/thegrid or on my Facebook page at facebook.com/skelby

Lots to share from here in beautiful, Hawaii. See you then!

-Scott

P.S. Last chance to grab that last open spot that opened up for my travel photography workshop in Rome, Italy in just three weeks. Come and join me in Rome! Here’s the link with details. 

The post BREAKING NEWS: Canon Announces New Full Frame Mirrorless (and I’m out at the launch event) appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.

The new Tamron standard zoom for Sony mirrorless full-frame cameras is light and small, checking in at 19.4 ounces and 4.6 inches, making it smaller than a soda can. Despite its bantamweight, this zoom delivers outstanding image quality, maximizing the capabilities of high-resolution, full-frame mirrorless cameras.

The fast, constant f/2.8 aperture delivers stunning bokeh and allows portrait photographers to isolate their subjects from the background for dramatic effect. The fast aperture also makes street shooting and other photography more potent.

New Rules for Close-Focusing

New close-focusing capabilities open doors to new creative expression. Have you ever focused to within less than three inches from a subject with a wide-angle lens? Unlike most zoom lenses that have the same hardwired Minimum Object Distance (MOD) at every focal length, the new Tamron 28–75mm can be focused at 7.5 inches (subject to film plane) at the 28mm wide-angle end of the zoom range, delivering a magnification ratio of 1:2.9. The subject is only 2.24 inches from the front lens element! At the 75mm setting, image magnification is 1:4 and the MOD is 15.3 inches.

Quiet—and Blazing Fast

The only sound you’ll hear is your heart beating—the new Tamron zoom is that quiet. Thanks to an AF drive that incorporates an RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent stepping Drive) stepping motor unit, video shooters will be delighted by the absence of extraneous noise.

Also, the addition of a dedicated sensor that accurately detects the position of the lens enables high speed and precise autofocus that allows you to maintain razor-sharp focus when shooting continually moving subjects or filming video.

Because Tamron knows your lens doesn’t stay inside all day, the lens features Moisture-Resistant Construction for extra protection outdoors, plus hydrophobic Fluorine Coating that’s highly resistant to fingerprints and debris.

Specifications

The post Tamron’s New 28–75mm F/2.8 Di III RXD (Model A036): The Perfect Match for Mirrorless appeared first on Lightroom Killer Tips.