I was challenged by interesting question from Google+ discussion: what post processing is preferred if you are shooting a multiple exposure HDR without a tripod. I’ve tested 3 methods: 1. Align and Merge to HDR image in Photoshop 2. Stack and align bracketed exposures in Photoshop and then assemble HDR image in Photomatix Pro 4 3. Align and process HDR in Photomatix Pro 4
All 3 ways have advantages and disadvantages. I’ll show you 100% fragments, and you will make your own decision on what is the best and where.
My preference will depend from time I have for processing each image. For perfect result, I think, we need to combine all 3 methods and using masking in Photoshop to use only the best parts from each image. The fastest way for creating handheld HDR is Photomatix Pro 4, but we will get little bit blurred image with lost some details. I found that the optimum method for me is to use Photoshop for aligning only and process HDR file in Photomatix Pro 4. Alternatively, Photomatix plugin for Photoshop can be used, I believe it gives the same result. Now, the test results:This is the test image without any post HDR ajustments and corrections with saved as much details as possible:  Test HDR image Continue reading HDR without a tripod: Photoshop vs Photoshop+Photomatix Pro 4 vs Photomatix Pro 4
We are working on our upcoming ebook (another ebook and video from latest masterclass will be available next week), and here I would like to show you the progress. It is not a regular “before and after” image, as before is not a one image, but a picture that showing what you can get from a set of the images using Photoshop and creativity. Now we (Alex and I) have a good grounding in techniques, so this is time for us become more creative. We will experiment with new devices, techniques, objects. Hope it will be very interesting time. Mouse Over to see Before and After  jewelry photography, post-production and retouching New ebook about how we made this photo will be ready very soon. Thank you for looking. Any feedback and suggestions are very welcome!
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Our Last weekend was awesome! There were lake, forest, live music, camp fire, and great company. Thank you Sasha and Rasa for inviting us. Below are some photos of my family. Post production have took only a couple minutes to drag sliders in Adobe camera RAW converter. This is a such creative and easy process:-) At the bottom of the photos you can find screen shots from RAW converter which show how to achieve this film look effect (split toning and vignetting) with Adobe Camera Raw, part of Photoshop CS5. Mouse Over to see Before and After  Photoshop film look effect Continue reading How to make film look photos in 1 minute: Our weekend camping
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I noticed a big interest to the focus stacking topic. I will explain a post production part in Photoshop CS5 more detailed. You can read and see the video of a shooting part on Alex’s blog Focus stacking technique using Adobe Photoshop CS5 So, we have a sequence of images: 5, 8, 12. I mean, as many as we need. I have 11 images. Step 1. Select the sequence of the photos in Bridge CS5:  Images selection for focus stacking Step 2. Continue reading How to do Focus Stacking in Photoshop CS5. Jewelry photography post production.
Based on the responses from Alex’s last post about jewelry photo session I”ve decided to post images before and after post production and 100% crop to see amount of work. Some times I had to almost completely re-create a part of the item: it appears to be faster that to trying to restore lost finish and colors. We made about 50 images for a talented jewelry designer Elizabeth Dupree Lynch for her Fine Jewelry collection. All jewelry was hand crafted by Italian jewelry master; therefore, retouching was not easy. It took us many hours (big thanks to my helper Anna Yenina:-) to do it. All “before” objects showed as-is (Camera RAW default settings) photo without focus stacking applied. First image from a sequence is what you’ll see. Images ‘after” have a focus stacking applied.
I am going to do “focus staking in Photoshop cs5″ post next time, but for now you can check out this video how we do a focus stacking. Some images may look overdone, (especially at 100% crop), but this is what we were able to do considering items’ condition (not new) and an extreme tight schedule for a post production. Mouse Over to see Before and After  Diamond ring retouching. Continue reading Jewelry photography retouching: Before and After.
If you are on the way to create new or update your old portfolio this post is for you. I can show you 3 different ways to do it: easy, intermediate and advanced. 1. Easy Only for $50 per year you can get Gorgeous Portfolio with your own domain and without any upload limits. iPhone & iPad ready. And it is really easy. Just upload your best photos and write bio and contact info. There are several themes for choosing. They are simple, clean and elegant. Go to 500px.com and you will have a great portfolio in minutes. Also there you can start your blog if you want. This is the photo portfolio example: Continue reading How to get a professional up-to-date portfolio for a reasonable money.
Some time ago I was impressed with stunning water splash photos some photographers did. I saw flowers, birds, bulls, horses. I was curious how they actually did it? Now I know the answer:-)
First, you need a huge set of water splash images and second, many hours of assiduous work. And here is my water splash butterfly:  Water splash butterfly As you can see at my Layer palette, I did many trials, errors, experimentation. See how many layers turned off:-) But for me it’s only one way to learn – error and trial, and trial again. This what we call experience:-) Continue reading How to do a water splash butterfly. Post production.
Recently Alex had a new post on Pixiq.com: Using light painting (lighting brush) technique in product photography. It’s not a new technique, we play with it almost 10 years ago, but I think this method is pretty spectacular and expressive. At the same time working with a light brush is so very creative process that it’s hard to stop:-) You fill yourself like a painter:-) Look at the video below and you will see how the final image was created, stroke by stroke. To create the image, in addition to the knowledge of light and the camera, you should know how to work with masks in Photoshop. I will not teach you the basics of how to work with masks, Google it and you’ll find many great tutorials. Knowing masking in Photoshop is a must for up-to-day photographer or digital artist, IMO. Continue reading Light brush painting. Post-production.
In this post I want to show the difference in visual perception of retouched and not retouched images. There is nothing special in post-production: levels, curves, healing, cloning, transforming. Just routine work and images become more clean, crisp and finished. For some cases we should spend more time for retouching to make photos perfect. However you have to know your final goals and ability to say yourself “Stop! It is good enough now.”:-) Mouse Over to see Before* and After *When I say "Before" this means Camera RAW Default settings.  Alcohol drink photoshop retouching. Continue reading Still life retouching. Glass on black, white and grey. Before and After.
| Welcome to AKELstudio post production blog.
Photography after shooting.
Before and After Images.
| | | *If you are interested in technical secrets of a studio photography, please visit also the blog of our photographer Alex Koloskov |
E-videobook| MasterClass + Post Production |  | | DOWNLOAD NOW | | “I’m only one third through the Masterclass videobook, but so far it is great. I have never seen this information presented in any other publication, on or off the internet. If you are interested in splash photography, this is the preeminent reference.” –Danny Brown |
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