Don
I too am a traditional film photographer first.
Now for books on photography and Elements a good start is "The Photoshop Element Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby. There is also a new book out "The Digital Photographers Guide to Photoshop Elements" by Barry Beckham, although I can’t comment on it as I haven’t used it yet. Once you have reached an understanding of Elements there is "Photoshop Restoration and Retouching" by Katrin Eistmann, while this book is directed towards Elements big brother there is lots that can be gleamed if you understand Elements. For a general introduction to Elements you may want to take a trip over to Bob Warren’s web site
http://www.rewarren.com/challenge/books.htm The best place for help about Elements is right here. This forum is populated with artist, photographers and Element users, both expert and not so expert, that are more than willing to share their talents.
Grant
There’s also "Traditional Photographic Effects with Adobe Photoshop" by Michelle Perkins and Paul Grant.
This book is oriented towards the full Photoshop and uses tools like the channel mixer which aren’t in Elements. But, for the most part, it can be used in Elements as well. Some of the missing Photoshop features can be obtained by add-ons (see the free tool links here:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~challenge/Links.html look at the Shipley and Hidden Powers links). While you’re at that site look at the challenge entries and consider entering one yourself.
Bob
Thanks to all three of you for your help. I’ll look into the resources you suggested.
By the way, I’m a big user of filters for both color and B&W photography. Is there a plug-in that simulates the effects of common photographic filters such as graduated neutral density, polarizing, color enhancing, plus the various color filters for B&W contrast? This would be enormously helpful for me.
Thanks again,
Don
Don
With a few exceptions you can put all your filters away as elements can handle these filters in post processing. Polarization, UV and neutral density are not a one to one conversion and it take quite a bit of energy to simulate but not duplicate these filters. Neutral density gradient is very easy.
Grant
wrote:
Thanks to all three of you for your help. I’ll look into the resources you suggested.
By the way, I’m a big user of filters for both color and B&W photography. Is there a plug-in that simulates the effects of common photographic filters such as graduated neutral density, polarizing, color enhancing, plus the various color filters for B&W contrast? This would be enormously helpful for me.
Thanks again,
Don
I think there are several plugins that will do this. For instance:
http://www.powerretouche.com/White-balance_plugin_introducti on.htm Be sure to check that the plugin is Elements 2 compatible.
Ed
Don, just like you I have a lot of filters lying around. I even don’t know how many. As I am used to the effects of B&W filters, I still like to apply these filters as I know exactly what they can do to my images. I found the solution in some free software, called "Filtersim". You can download it at <
http://www.mediachance.com/digicam/index.html>
Leen
Ed, wouldn’t you say the the ‘levels’ command already in the program will do this ?
wrote:
Ed, wouldn’t you say the the ‘levels’ command already in the program will do this ?
But then the OP would have to ignore his years of filter-meistering.
Ed, although this might seem to be funny, I still prefer to know what kind of filter I am applying to an image and I suppose the OP has the same kind of built in routine.
Just only when it comes to applying B&W filters I am as conservative as.., sorry, no politics. 😉
Leen
This is an extremely interesting thread for an Elements beginner. I think I fall into Leen’s camp in being familiar with the effects of particular photographic filters. I know, for instance what a red filter will do to a cloudy blue sky in a B&W print as opposed to a yellow or orange filter, and I choose the specific filter (effect) for the look I have in mind.
What I would like to do with digital photography, is to take photographs unfiltered (or minimally filtered) and then apply a "filter" during processing. I’m looking, in fact, for the digital analogs of common filters. The flexibility of being able to vary the filter at will and see the result is part of why I’ve jumped into digital photography. While Grant suggests that similar effects can be created in Elements, it isn’t clear to this beginner what those procedures might be, or if they replicate or merely approximate the desired effect.
I’ll be visiting the sites already suggested. Thanks again for the help, and for an interesting thread.
Don
Don,
Thereare Elementscompataable Actions available that help with "traditional" digital photography. There may be something at this site that you can use:
<
http://www.geocities.com/rnlnero/PE2stuff2.html>
I use Pekka’s 10D Workflow Tools and the Canon Daily Actions set alot (you don’t have to have a Canon camera) and there are some others, too.
CR
Once again, thanks for the help. It’s appreciated.
Don
Don, Grant is right. These effects can be created in Elements, but, just like yiou, if you know how to filter, why waste this knowledge?
BTW, if you want to print real good B&W, have a look at fine art papers for inkjet printers. The results usually are much more impressive than the normal photo papers can offer.
Leen
wrote in message
The results usually are much more impressive than the normal photo papers can offer.
Leen
Every once in a while you do get the hairs on the back of my neck up. "much more impressive" Oh my oh my what am I to do with you.
Grant
Grant,
Just love me for what I’m worth.
Leen
and how much would that be exactly ?
Reading this thread I again have to emphasize that I expect Adobe to come out with an Elements 2.1 simply offering an array of filters and plug ins etc.
This way you could update Elements in that field only, knowing you do not corrupt your original Elements soft ware. It saves each and every one of us to go scrounging the internet for more and Adobe would show that way they care about their customers.
Robert
Jodi, the bidding starts now.
Leen
Speaking of paper for B&W prints, I’ve run across the Moab Paper Company, a purveyor of fine art paper for digital printing. My avocation is desert photography, and I’ve spent a lot of time in southeast Utah around Arches and Canyonlands National Parks (that is, around Moab, Utah), so I’m partial to anything located in Moab.
Has anyone used products from this company?
Thanks again for the advice.
Don
Don,
Do you have an online gallery of your desert photography? I did some photography around the Moab area while on a bicycle trip in May. I’d be interested in seeing some of your work.
