Practical uses for Adobe’s Photoshop Touch app

Feb, 19 2012
By admin
iPad, Software
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In browsing through Adobe’s latest creations, I see they have introduced an Adobe Photoshop Touch app, currently only available for Android, that allows you to apply professional effects to photos with some of the more common commands that you would find in the full version of Photoshop.

Very seldom do I edit photos on my iPad given that the iPad2 only has a 5 mp camera most pictures are poor quality. In thinking this through, one instance where an application like this would be of use is in conjunction with untethered shooting options like Eye-Fi or Shuttersnitch (Get in here ). In those instances, you could make basic adjustments to show a client right on the spot. In that scenario it would be useful to have minor tweaking capability on the spot.

Certainly as the technology of the iPad evolves, this could be enhanced allowing more control out in the field. This will certainly not replace Photoshop ever, but the possibilities are intriguing.

Depth of Field

You may have exercised any one of these standards of good composition, but if you failed to achieve adequate depth of field, your images may leave you dissatisfied. Unfortunately many of today’s lenses lack a depth of field scale and/or depth of field preview buttons. One easy way to assure maximum depth in your photograph is use as small lens aperture such as f/16 or f/22 and then focus a third of the way into the scene. Not the actual physical distance of the closest object in your picture to the farthest, but a third of the way into your frame as you look through the viewfinder. If you use your depth-of-field preview button, it allows your to stop the lens down to its taking aperture to visually check and see if everything looks sharp. Take your time and allow your eye to adjust to the darkened image in the viewfinder. A ‘dark cloth’ or coat can be handy to shield the sun as you look into the viewfinder. Depth-of-field and critical focus is very important to the finished image. Another way to get maximum depth of field is to focus at your lens’ hyper-focal distance which is what you’re simulating by focusing 1/3rd of the way into the scene. OK, now your asking yourself, “What the heck is hyperfocal distance?”

Whenever you focus your lens there will be an area that is in focus and areas that are out of focus. The in focus area is referred to as the “focal plane”. The import thing here is that 1/3rd of the focal plane is ahead of the thing you’re focused on and 2/3rds of the focal plane falls behind what you’re focused on. Focus your lens at infinity and the leading edge of the area that is in focus is the hyperfocal point for that lens. Focus on that point instead of infinity and you’ll have the greatest range of focus from infinity back toward your location.

Here is a free PDF that gives you a guide of hyperfocal distance.

Nikon Picturetown app as advertised

Feb, 12 2012
By admin
Apps, iPhone, Software
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Nikon’s Picturetown app is a nice way to organize and share photos with family and friends. The app is available free of charge in the app store. Some of the highlights include:

•Access to the user’s my Picturetown online storage site
•Ability to create photo albums
•Tagging and organizing images
•Ability to upload images taken via the iPhone camera

There are numerous apps that allow the same functionality as Picturetown, but for one that is free, it does a pretty nice job. If you need a more robust app, then this is probably not for you, but if you are a casual shooter, then this just might fit the bill. It’s worth a look.