Category: Photoshop Info

Printer and Monitor don’t match? Try this …

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    05/01/22 – This post has been updated: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/color-management-101-for-photographers/ _____________   One of my clients had a question that brought up a common scenario – – Your prints are lighter/darker/ warmer/cooler (pick one) than your monitor. Although one of the services I offer is the creation of custom printer profiles (ALWAYS better than “canned” profiles, and essential for critical work), perhaps the only thing that needs to be done is to properly calibrate and profile your monitor with a colorimeter such as the Gretag-Macbeth Eye-One Display 2 (my favorite)…   Here’s an email from Peter Nagainis (www.panartphoto) in San

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Photoshop CS3 – Worth the Upgrade?

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So Adobe has come out with another upgrade – Big deal, you say – Why should I upgrade to CS3? Is it worth the extra expense? The answer is a resounding “yes”! . Here are five excellent reasons to upgrade (There are lots more, but I’ve found these to be the most useful): 1) New RAW converter – To me, this new feature alone is worth the price of the upgrade. You now have so much control with new tonal and color features such as “Recovery”, “Fill Light”, “Blacks”, “Clarity”, “Vibrance” and “Tone Curve”. For more information, please contact me

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OK, OK, I’m Back!

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As you can see from the above photo, I’m hard at work on my next project … Yeah, I know, I’ve neglected this blog for months – so sue me! (Um, just kidding..) But I’m back now – lots of fun stuff to share…. 🙂 – – A new look to the blog and website, a new year coming up, new products being introduced, less hair (proof that God has a sense of humor!)… So let’s get started… John Watts

So, What Makes A Color Print A “Good” Color Print?

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Have you ever heard someone look at a print and say, “Oh, that’s digital”? Usually, that is not a compliment. So, what makes a color print a “good” color print, anyway? The process always starts with a well exposed and composed image. Remember, GIGO—garbage in, garbage out (see the last post). Learn how to properly use your camera or scanner. While Photoshop is a great tool for enhancement, it is not a “miracle program” for correcting poor photography. So what makes a good color print and how do we use the basics of Photoshop to achieve it? In my opinion,

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Photoshop: “Miracle Cure” – or just a Tool?

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  Updated 08/30/21, & still relevant today!     03/29/07:  “PHOTOSHOP” – the image conjures up in most people’s minds (including some who should know better) a “miracle cure” for all things photographic – just watch an episode of CSI on TV – they can take a postage stamp corner of crappy little cell phone camera output taken 100 yards away, and read the label on the perp’s clothes!!   PULEEEEEEEZ! Give me a break!   In reality, Photoshop is just a tool – a very powerful tool, but a tool, nonetheless. I think of it as my “digital enlarger” –

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‘So who is this John Watts character, and why should I listen to him?”

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An excellent question! A wee bit about me: I am 51 years old, and I’m a blessed man. I am married to my bride, Marilyn, and we have three great daughters: Jenna (29 and married to Marcus), Cassie (21, and a senior in college), and Vickie (20, and a sophomore in college). I have been privileged over the last 24+ years to work in partnership with some of the world’s finest photographers. I also have a knack for making superior color prints for these photographers, as well as many serious “amateurs”. It’s safe to say that I’ve learned a few

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Hello, and welcome to my Photoshop blog…

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  Updated 09/09/21, and still relevant today …     ______________   Ah, Yes – Digital Imaging – Now you, the average Joe or Jane, can take the photographic process from conception to shooting to Photoshopping (since when did that become a verb?) to the final print …   Such control! Such freedom! Such Artistic License! Piece of cake – or is it?   Digital Photography presents a whole multitude of fantastic options and tools – The challenge is learning how best to use those options and tools without forgetting why we do this – to use your camera as

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