Focalpoint 2 is here!

OnOne Software, the maker of some very powerful plug-ins for Photoshop,  has put the finishing touches on their new version of selective focusing software, Focalpoint 2.  This new version has a ton of new features and  lets users alter the focus and depth of field after the image has been taken. This software can give you beautiful blurs that can simulate the effect of having used a faster and more expensive lens.

The blurs on this newer version are much more realistic and can open up a whole new world for many photographers. I have worked on many examples for them, which they will be using in demos around the country and they are using my before and after image of a Lynx on the software box. Below are some of the tests I have done with Focalpoint 2 and I can’t say enough about how much I love this new version. As a writer of The Digital Photographers New Guide to Photoshop Plug-ins, this is without a doubt one Photoshop plug-in that is a must have!!   It will be available sometime in November 2009 and the creative possibilities you can achieve from it are endless!!

Making collages in Photoshop

This weekend I taught a two-day intensive workshop on Photoshop Tips & Tricks at the Art Wolfe Digital Photography Center in Seattle.  Art Wolfe is a good friend, and his classroom is a beautiful environment for teaching. Students flew in from as far away as Canada, and it was one of the best workshops I have ever had thanks to the inquisitive and enthusiastic students.

I showed them how to create a collage consisting of multiple exposures. Using layer masks, I illustrated how to combine several images into a single image that became one giant multiple exposure collage.  I asked everyone to bring tripods and cameras for Sunday morning. I let them have the run of Art’s gallery to set up their gear and create something unusual.

I remained in the classroom and decided to do a collage with my girlfriend Holly as a model. I had her sit, lay and stand in 15 different positions while my camera stayed in exactly the same place on my sturdy tripod. After all of the students finished shooting, everyone downloaded their images. Using layer masks, each student assembled the images into one final collage to create an outstanding final composition.

Everyone learned a fun and creative technique using layer masks.