NEWS
Permajet have released a new starter version of their Continuous Inking System with smaller bottles at £230. Feedback from members on CIS systems continues to be mixed. The savings can certainly be spectacular but installation can be tricky and there have been inky accidents. Probably worth considering if you have a new printer and make a large quantity of prints annually.
I mentioned the intriguing Micro Fourth Thirds system cameras last month and the new in-depth Review of the Panasonic Lumix GF1 on dpReview is very enthusiastic. This format is worth considering if you want something between a compact and a full size SLR.
HOW TO KILL A LAPTOP
1. Spill your drink over it (preferably sugared).
2. Ignore the increased fan noise over a period of years.
Members can recommend both methods. Personally I favour number 2 and am currently setting up a new ultraportable Samsung Q320 after cooking my Sony Vaio. Alternatively get the cooling system cleaned out.
DISTORTING, STRETCHING AND SQUISHING IMAGES
Images sometimes benefit from distortion for aesthetic or creative reasons - or just for fun. There are several Photoshop tools to achieve this (Photoshop Elements 8 commands given here. Other versions may vary slightly)
Perspective errors such as converging verticals can be tackled with Image>Transform>Perspective. If the error is not symmetric, then the Skew or Distort versions may be more suitable. Image>Transform>Free Transform can do all such distortions and also scaling and rotating with one tool. Use with the Alt and Ctrl keys for the various options.
Filter>Correct Camera Distortion offers a range of sliders to correct perspective, pincushion/barrel distortion and a handy vignetting facility to lighten or darken the corners.
Filter>Distort>Liquify is a powerful sub-program to push the pixels around the screen as though they are wet paint. The Warp brush is the most useful one, with the Reconstruct brush enabling localised re-instatement. Great fun for putting big noses on family photos and photos of committee members!
The Filter>Distort Menu has a range of other filters to simulate glass blocks, ripples, twirls and other distortions. In particular the Zig Zag filter in Pond Ripple mode can produce some impressive concentric ripples within letterbox-shaped selection.
Edit>Transform>Warp (Photoshop CS versions only) enables smoother and more controllable distortions to be made such as those used to turn models into super-models by manipulating their facial features. See Dove Evolution video
Tips:
All of the above tools can be used on the image as a whole or within a selection.
View>Grid turns on a grid to help with alignment. Edit>Preferences>Guides and Grid adjusts the number of lines in the grid.
The tools may not work on the background layer - make a copy of the background first.
When in a dialogue box or palette, the Alt key often converts the Cancel button into a Reset button to enable settings to be zeroed without exiting the function completely.
Ctrl+F will re-apply the last filter used.
Ctrl+Alt+F will show the controls for the last filter used.
Ctrl+Z to undo the last action. Ctrl+Y to re-do the last action.
OFF THE WALL EXHIBITION
Will be held on 25th January, but there are several other opportunities before this date to show non-competitive images to the society. Contact me for details or to add your name to the list of potential exhibitors. This is not intended for the usual type of competition image (pictorial views, people and natural history) but there are no rules and no judges. The entry on 25th will need to be limited to two prints (mounted or unmounted, big or small) due to the high response level.
MISCELLANEOUS
David Pearson revealed a techique to increase contrast using Unsharp Mask with a small value for Amount (eg 15), a large value for Radius (eg 50 to 100) and zero for Threshold.
The default XnView browser window is cluttered by unnecessary icons on top of each thumbnail. These can be turned off by unticking them in Tools>Options>Thumbnails>Icon Information>File Info.
NEXT MEETING
Thursday 3rd December in the Pottery Room when we will have a guest speaker; Oliver Bangham, who will be talking about the Artmaster and Buzz filters which are being re-launched.