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Earthbound Light Photography Tips
Weekly Photoshop and digital photography tips, articles and tutorials from EarthboundLight.com

DxOMark.com Sensor Rankings Website
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
30 Nov 2008 at 12:00am
Objective image quality data isn't easy to come by. Most of us have had to rely on our own limited experience coupled with a wide array of anecdotal evidence scoured from friends, acquaintances and various websites to make buying decisions on new cameras. DxOMark.com changes all that. The new website created by the people behind the excellent DxO raw converter provides a wealth of information comparing and rating the camera sensors that at the heart of how digital photography works....
Should You "Maximize Compatibility" in Photoshop?
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
23 Nov 2008 at 12:00am
In a default installation of Photoshop, you'll be confronted with an ominous warning about maximizing compatibility when you save a new image as a PSD file. The dialog warns you that failure to do what it suggests may interfere with the use of your file in other applications or with other versions of Photoshop. Scary stuff. The question is though, should you heed its advice? Is safe better than potentially being sorry later?....
Are Adjustment Layers Really Still Necessary in 16-bit?
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
16 Nov 2008 at 12:00am
The use of adjustment layers helps to maintain image quality by avoiding the buildup of artifacts that can result from a series of successive individual edits. But if you're editing in 16-bit mode, you've got a heck of a lot more data to work with. Each pixel value is so much more precise than it would be in 8-bit, do you in fact now have data to spare? That is, do you really still need to worry about using adjustment layers at all?....
Phottix Cleon Wireless/Wired Remote
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
9 Nov 2008 at 12:00am
If you've been reading my website for any time at all, you probably know that I shoot as many shots as I can using a cable release with the camera firmly atop a tripod. Wide angle and fisheye lenses though can make getting out of the way difficult when I'm tethered to the end of my remote control cable so I've always considered getting a wireless remote. I think I've finally found one I like....
Shadows and Highlights, the Easy Way
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
2 Nov 2008 at 12:00am
Unfortunately, Adobe hasn't seen fit to let us use it on an adjustment layer, but the aptly named Shadow/Highlight adjustment in Photoshop is definitely the easiest way to bring out shadow detail, tone down reflective highlight glare and make other common tonal adjustments. Here's how it works....
What to do with Lens Caps
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
26 Oct 2008 at 12:00am
You want to take some pictures so you take off the lens cap. What do you do with it? This may seem like a simple question, but can you find the cap when you're done shooting? Ah ... not so simple after all now is it?....
Nature Weekends: Ideas for Where to Go
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
19 Oct 2008 at 12:00am
Sometimes you just want to get away for a quick weekend trip to take some photos but can't decide where to go. If you live in the northwest and are looking for some ideas, this week's PhotoTip is definitely for you. If you live elsewhere, you may just some ideas too....
If it Sounds too Good to be True ... is it?
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
12 Oct 2008 at 12:00am
Not all internet retailers who offer low prices are on the up and up. Some are, but some resort to a variety of tricks you probably should be aware of. Paying attention to site such as Reseller Ratings will generally alert you if a deal offered by a retailer really is too good to be true. But a little advance knowledge of some of the common gambits never hurts....
Shopping for Camera Gear: Is It Safe to Buy Online?
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
5 Oct 2008 at 12:00am
The Internet is all the rage these days. Everything is online it seems. Heck, you're reading this online, now aren't you? So if you're in the market for buying a new camera, lens or something else, the question is: is it safe to buy it online?....
A Use for Old Slide Mounts
by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
28 Sep 2008 at 12:00am
Back in the age of film photography, 35mm slides were everywhere. Whether they were in stacked in yellow Kodak boxes or something else, most photographers had lots of slides. Slides are a lot scarcer now that digital has taken over though. But if you have an old slide mount lying around still, go dig it out. You can use it to help you improve your photographic vision....