Tutorials/Articles/Other Writing
I have a goal of writing more about the things I love. For this website, that would be photography, the desert Southwest, and Photoshop. Like for many people, writing doesn't come easy for me, but the desire to share what I know with others motivates me to try.
So far I've completed several tutorials. The links below will take you to the them. There is a banner at the top of each page, like the one on this page, that will allow you to navigate the rest of this site. If you leave the tutorial and wish to return, use the "Back" button on your browser or return to the "Home" page and click on the link for "tutorials".
Thanks for stopping by.
I have recently been introduced to the
Chromasia Photoshop tutorials. Writer David Nightingale clearly shares my passion for getting the most out of every pixel and is adept at explaining his methods for doing so. I have read through several of the tutorials and found them enlightening and easy to understand. They are an additional resource that could be helpful for those looking to develop and improve their Photoshop skills.
I occasionally receive email feedback on the Photoshop actions and tutorials available here and, with the sender's permission, have posted some of it below.
- "Your actions are so great I would tell you to raise the amount of the suggested donation. I have been meaning to email you about how good the actions are and how much they have improved my work. Using the Lum and Sat actions have helped me reach a level in my work that I was getting frustrated trying to attain. I am a believer!" Albert Horner (Personal note: Albert Horner's portfolio is a study of quiet, beautiful light. There is a real sense of peace and tranquility in the water, trees, and sky that are his primary subjects.)
- "Tony, thanks for replacing my stone axe with such a fine set of scalpels. You have advanced digital image making for the fine art photographer by a full order of magnitude." David Kachel (Personal note: David Kachel is a former contributing editor to a former photography journal known as Darkroom & Creative Camera Techniques. I literally cut my photographic teeth reading this magazine in the 1980s and owe much of my interest in advancing Photoshop techniques to David and the other writers of this publication who graciously shared their knowledge with me and other photographers. It's sometimes hard to know all the influential people that helped get us to where we are today until they suddenly reappear and say, "Remember me?" I am well aware that everything is connected in the most surprising of ways, and very much appreciate the reminders of where I came from when they come along.)
- "Your actions are transforming the world of landscape photography! The saturation and luminosity masks have become critical steps in my processing." Michael Anderson (Personal note: Michael Anderson's portfolio shows some of the finest nature photographs ever made. He has a way with light like no one I know.)
- "I actually use luminosity painting with almost every photo I process, but it wasn't until recently that I decided I should start mentioning it. Normally, with the pictures I post on NPN, I only include the field specs, nothing about processing. But, like you said, folks should really give luminosity painting a try. It is one of the few techniques that I can truly say has made a significant, positive impact on the quality of my work. I discovered it through other photographers including post-processing info on their NPN posts, so I figured it was time I returned the favor :)". From an email exchange with Joel Hazelton (Personal note: Joel Hazelton is a very talented photographer whose Arizona images demonstrate a unique, personal vision of the desert landscape. His website might remind you of Arizona Highways magazine . . . only better.)
- "I recently finished going through your tutorials and using my photos as practice. This was quite a learning experience and has improved my workflow tremendously. The tutorials are first rate, clearly written, and very understandable. I no longer spend time creating “hard edge” masks. The luminosity masks are the building blocks for a more efficient process and have greatly improved the quality of my master files. I have found the advanced Photoshop actions for Luminosity Painting, Saturation Masks, Smart Glow, and "masking-the-mask" to be particularly powerful and very useful. Thanks so much for creating and sharing this informative set of tutorials and powerful set of actions." Charles Zabilski
- "I just thought of you now as I am printing. I donated for your actions a few months back and I am really glad I did. That extra bit of control over my images is just what I needed." Wesley Law (Personal note: Wesley Law just put up his website in June 2010 and it's definitely worth a visit.)
- "I donated for your Adobe actions a week and a half ago and wanted to give them a good workout before I passed judgment. Wow! I've been using Photoshop daily at work since version 2.5 and thought I knew the program very well. Wrong! After having used the actions many times the past week, I am amazed at the tonal control that that is possible through the actions. No more or at least much less lassoing, feathering, and using curves. This is like using curves and feathered selections on steroids. I cannot overemphasize how useful these actions are to my image processing. Well worth the money." Dan Jurak
- "Tony, I can't thank you enough for your tutorials and actions. Learning and becoming proficient with Photoshop is a long and continuous process and I have progressed a lot further and faster from reading your tutorials and trying to understand how the actions work than I would have otherwise. The Luminosity and Saturation masks are a part of my standard workflow now when processing my scanned 4x5 images and I can't imagine a more efficient way to make the kinds of adjustments that most images need. All of the other actions are simply part of my toolbox now and get pulled out when an image and situation calls for. I recommend these actions to all those who may be interested in my workflow. Thanks, Tony!" Lon Overacker (Personal note: Lon Overacker has an exceptional eye for landscape images, especially intimate compositions, and his portfolio is must see for anyone interested in nature photography.)
- "Just a note of appreciation: I spend a lot of time using your luminosity masking tools, and I spend a lot of time investigating other mask-building techniques to see if they are useful to me. Besides what I knew before using your tools, I have found nothing worth adding to my standard repertoire. I use your tools all the time." Eric Vogel
- "For years I have been using the dodge and burn layer, but it was always difficult to target just what I needed. I have been using masks with curves to make adjustments as well, but in making the mask, it was again difficult to get just the right tones. So when you so graciously introduced all of us to the luminosity masks and the offshoots, it was like the choir started singing and the lights went on. Now I am more confident than ever in instructing workshop attendees on the power and usefulness of masks in processing photographs digitally. Again, Tony, thanks so much." Youssef Ismail (Personal note: Youssef Ismail's photos not only shows an incredible command of the light, but he also has a very active blog and workshop schedule that shares his considerable knowledge with others.)
- "I've been involved in several book designs lately and have had to prep a lot of images for CMYK halftone printing. This is always a dispiriting exercise as you face the limitations of 4 color ink-sets. Out of frustration with the results, I started using the luminosity masks to address the contrast issues posed by the soft proof. I cannot begin to tell you what a difference this has made. Using the masks in this manner gives an exact degree of control over contrast adjustments. I almost want to say "no images were harmed by this conversion" but that may go a bit far. You might think about mentioning this as an aside in updates to the luminosity masking tutorial. It is simply marvelous." --Patricia A. Minicucci via personal correspondence. (A copy of Patricia's complete letter along with a screen capture that she sent can be found here.)
- "When I started learning Photoshop for post-processing images I was bit confused with so many tutorials available on the Internet. However, when I found your extremely well documented set of tutorials and revolutionary way of doing post-processing in very natural way, I knew I was on to the right thing. I would like thank you very much for sharing this. Luminosity and saturation masks are now an integral part of my work flow." Avishek Roy (Personal note: I've had the pleasure of watching Avishek Roy's photography develop and mature in a photo forum where I participate. His new website is a real treat. Go there, visit the portfolios, click the "PLAY SLIDESHOW" button, and enjoy.)
- "Your tutorials have been helping me for quite some time now and I'm very pleased with the quality I can achieve using your methods. It has saved me both time and money. If you ever need samples from people who have downloaded and worked with your methods I would be more than glad to send you a couple of pictures to use to that end." Emmanuel Coupe
- "Your articles have re-sparked my interest in some things that I have been doing by hand and through calculations using many different types of channels from different color spaces. To be able to dodge and burn while a mask selection is in place is just great and makes so much sense. I cannot wait to start the creative process again with a fresh outlook. However, I don't know whether to thank you or curse you as I'm a perfectionist and have a feeling that I'm going to rework a lot older images. Seriously, I do want to thank you for writing such a comprehensive approach to masking.
" Jacob Getz
- "When I got your recent email it jogged my memory about the "Magic Mid-tones" tutorial and I went back to review things. Well my life just changed. Now I want to re-edit every photo I have done in the past 3 months. I just wanted to let you know that you have single-handedly improved my final images YET AGAIN. Other than stitching, my PS process is completely TK. Honestly, how do you come up with this stuff?" Mitch Fowler (Personal note: Mitch Fowler has an eclectic mix of images on his website, and his mountain light images are some of the best you'll ever see. He has scenes of weather conditions that no one else has photographed and the images are all wonderfully composed and crafted.)
- "I would like to express my thanks and gratitude for your tutorials. Because of your efforts and willingness to share what you have learned, my own photography has improved. I frequently use the luminosity masking, luminosity painting, saturation masking and make-it-glow techniques. I'm sure I will eventually use all of the techniques in your tutorials." Terry Olsen
- "I want to thank you Tony for making these tutorials and actions available. I know I still have much to learn in PS, but your explanations are really helping me see the light (pun intended) and to become more proficient with PS. Your documentation is easy to follow and I am a having fun learning and trying new things. While I have been doing photography as a hobby for probably 35 years, it is only in the past 3 years that I have become serious with digital. I never really used layers or masks in PS, so this is all new to me. Your tutorials are extremely helpful and have opened my eyes to the digital darkroom." Eva McDermott (Personal note: Eva McDermott has images from many different parts of the country on her website, but her Midcoast Maine and Inverness Nova Scotia portfolios show the advantage of getting to know a place well.)
- "I went through all of your tutorials last week, which was a pretty intense learning project. Absolutely amazing! The web sharpening is perfect!" Jay Goodrich
- "I sent $20 for your luminosity masks on
6/6/08. Those actions alone have been worth every penny :)" --Rob Graham via personal correspondence 11 April 2010.
- "I just wanted to say thanks for the Luminosity Masks and Painting tutorials. I never really understood it before, but your tutorials helped me see the light. In just one day it has given me a very powerful post processing tool that I will now use routinely in my workflow! Awesome job! I used your tutorial to create the actions myself and it has totally revolutionized my processing. I figured I should at least donate a bit to credit you for your time. Thank you!" Doug Roane (Personal note: Doug Roane's images display an intense love for nature that is evident in every picture. His work always reminds me just how beautiful this planet can be.)
- "Your article in April's Outdoor Photographer (Cloning Color, Retaining Texture tutorial) was a miracle for me. I am straining to get four master demo prints absolutely perfect and got stuck with some red lens flare in one of them. Sure, no problem, I could just select the areas and desaturate them, or use the sponge brush or whatever, but I was waiting to figure out the better way so that I could fix them and not be at all destructive to the print, and leave no indication of the fix. I read your article tonight and BAM it clicked with me! I rushed into my office to try the fix, which I knew was going to work because I understand a bit about the separation of color and detail (since I work in LAB all the time) and as soon as I tried your tip, it worked perfectly! The technique is now a powerful and indispensable tool in my workflow." Mark Metternich
- "I just wanted to say THANK YOU for sharing these actions! I've played with them a little and am nowhere near fully understanding what each action does, but already I can see a massive improvement in my processing. I've put up a little before/after comparison in a blog post on my website if you're interested in seeing the difference." Sunniva Molvaer