Overview
The Digital Resource Group is the place to come for your training, scanning and calibration needs.
Members of our group can borrow from our large library of photography books and DVDs. With well over 100 DVDs, we cover the gamut of General Photography Techniques, Color Management, Flash Lighting, Lightroom, and Photoshop. Check out the Training DVDs & Books Tabfor the complete list.
We have hardware and gear that we loan out to members, including a 35mm Slide and Negative Scanner, a Lens Calibrator, plus Monitor and Printer Calibrators. Click on the Gear to Loan out Tab.
We also have a Digital Lab located at the RA that has a very high-quality flatbed scanner that will scan up to 8x10 size, a 35mm slide negative scanner and a computer with CS3 and excellent scanning software.
We have automated the booking system for the room. Click the Digital Lab Tab to see the details.
To make it fair for all members, the items will be loaned out for one week at a time, except over the summer when they are loaned out for one month.
Digital Lab
The Digital Lab is located upstairs just past the Laurentian Room and before the Boardroom.
The Digital Lab is available all year, 7 days a week, (except Xmas day, Boxing Day, New Year's and Good Friday). New members of this group must attend (regardless of their level of experience) a briefing session to explain the particularities of the equipment and various accepted procedures of operation. This session is available on request. Please email:
DigitalManager@raphotoclub.ca to set this up.
Bookings are divided into 2 hour slots from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. There is a limit of two time slots per day. To book the room click this link Booking System and change the dropdown to Digital. If you click on the calendar and nothing happens make sure the dropdown is changed to Digital. The key can be picked up at the east desk.
In the Digital Lab we have a Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED 35mm slide/negative scanner (4000 dpi resolution).
New this year is a Epson 750 Pro flatbed scanner, the first flatbed scanner with ground breaking 6400 dpi resolution and unique fluid mount capabilities for photo studio applications. It has an enhanced optical system (High-Pass Optics) consisting of anti-reflective lens coatings. A high-reflection mirror provides the highest level of image quality and helps you achieve faster scans. In addition, the Dual Lens System from Epson optimizes each scan, automatically selecting from two lenses for the desired scan resolution.
The computer in the Digital Room is loaded with CS3 and in addition has on it:
- Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 (special effect filters)
- Nik Dfine 2.0 (noise reduction software)
- Nik Sharpener Pro 2.0 (software for sharpening photos)
- SilverFast Scanner Software - SilverFast® brings out the maximum quality from any device and clearly exceeds the results of the manufacturers' software. Although SilverFast is designed for professional image editing, it's so easy to handle the software that even beginners can create brilliant pictures using the intelligent automatic functions and the integrated QuickTime movies. SilverFast is available for Mac and Windows and is usable as a stand-alone software, as well as a Photoshop plug-in.
Gear to Loan Out
Scanner
A second Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED was purchased with the intention of letting Digital Resource members take it home. New members of this group must attend a briefing session (regardless of their level of experience) to explain the particularities of the equipment and various accepted procedures of operation. This session is available on request. To book this seesion please Email:
DigitalManager@raphotoclub.ca.
Lens Calibration Tool
LensAlign is a Focus Calibration System that uses your camera's menu-based AF fine-tune function to match each of your lenses precisely to the camera body. You no longer have to settle for out-of-the-box performance from your lenses. You can now make them as sharp as they can be.
Monitor Calibration Equipment
- X-Rite I1 Display Pro (this calibrates Monitors and Projectors)
- X Rite colormunki will calibrate your monitor, projector and printer.
- Spyder2Pro (this calibration device and will calibrate LCD or CRT monitors).
Photoshop User Magazines
These are available to all Photo Club members from the RAPC Lending Library at the weekly meetings.
Training DVDs & Books
To see the list of titles we have, click on the category and it will expand . For a full description of the DVD or Book, click on the thumbnail.
As any design pro will tell you, color is a complex topic--which is precisely why master trainer Ben Willmore has devoted an entire course to it. Contained on this DVD are more than two hours of Ben's trademark Photoshop instruction, all focused on just one thing: using and correcting color with the program. Over the course of the DVD, Ben covers all of Photoshop's options for transforming colors within images (including new ones like the Match Color command in Photoshop CS). Best of all, he offers the logic behind those options, so that you understand not only the choices available to you but when best to apply them. In short order, you'll learn how to change the color of a car, match the color of two objects, add optimal color casts to images, and more. You'll also find a slew of tips and tricks for improving the detail, color balance, and sharpness of your images, both on the computer screen and in print.
"Color Confidence is one book that no photographer, especially me, can afford to be without!"
Art Morris, Photographer (www.birdsasart.com)
Establishing a successful color management workflow that produces predictable results is an important -- yet tricky -- undertaking. Most photographers are all too familiar with the frustration of a print not matching the image on the monitor. In Color Confidence, digital imaging expert Tim Grey provides the crucial information you need to get the color you want, every time.
His results-oriented guide shows you how to manage color effectively across all devices. He demystifies complicated topics and takes you through each component of a color-managed workflow step-by-step.
Designed for busy photographers, this full-color guide cuts through the theory, focusing on the practical information you need to make the best color decisions from capture to output.
Improve your photographic ability, regardless of your skill level. Learn from one of the most respected names in the industry. Yes, it's no longer necessary to continue the trial and error method of learning. Discover the facts needed to offer digital portraits now. Commercial and portrait digital opportunities are becoming "on-demand." During this DVD you will learn how to photograph individuals and couples together with correct posing, lighting, and refinements. Facial analysis, white balance, raw capture, exposure, and new outdoor techniques are discussed in full detail.
Improve your photographic ability, regardless of your skill level. Learn from one of the most respected names in the industry. Yes, it's no longer necessary to continue the trial and error method of learning. Discover the facts needed to offer digital portraits now. Commercial and portrait digital opportunities are becoming "on-demand." During this DVD you will learn how to photograph individuals and couples together with correct posing, lighting, and refinements. Facial analysis, white balance, raw capture, exposure, and new outdoor techniques are discussed in full detail.
Improve your photographic ability, regardless of your skill level. Learn from one of the most respected names in the industry. Yes, it's no longer necessary to continue the trial and error method of learning. Discover the facts needed to offer digital portraits now. Commercial and portrait digital opportunities are becoming "on-demand." During this DVD you will learn how to photograph individuals and couples together with correct posing, lighting, and refinements. Facial analysis, white balance, raw capture, exposure, and new outdoor techniques are discussed in full detail.
You've created works of art in Photoshop and now you want to show them off. Scott Kelby, shows you step-by-step, how to create a wide range of layouts, edge effects and special effects to enhance your images and transform them into gallery-quality pieces.
With the help of this DVD, you'll learn how easy it can be to create show-stopping displays of your work
You'll learn:
How to take a series of good photos and turn them into an outstanding display of images
The steps to convert a painted look using a History Brush
Simple yet effective methods to frame your photos, including mattes
How to create a variety of eye-catching edge effects
The steps to creating the look of slide mounts, Polaroid frames and other traditional photographic formats
Get Up Close and Personal with Your Photographic Subjects
Macro and close-up photography open up a whole world of photographic possibilities, offering new ways for you to express your creativity, create unique images, and better understand the capabilities of your equipment. In this Learn by Video workshop published in partnership with Peachpit Press, Tim Grey guides you through the equipment, techniques, and concepts that will help you produce the very best results when taking a closer look at a wide variety of subjects, big and small. You'll learn about the special accessories used in macro photography, how to light macro subjects, and how to deal with the often-problematic issue of depth of field. The course culminates in a series of photographic projects, where you'll follow along with Tim as he chooses the right tools and techniques to create stunning macro images.
Use Still Images to Create Video
A time-lapse video essentially compresses time into a smaller space, creating some entertaining and evocative results. In this workshop author and expert Tim Grey explores the tools, techniques, and concepts involved in creating great time-lapse videos from still captures. You'll learn how to choose the right equipment, get the right settings for your camera, and compose shots in a way that will be easy to work with later. Then you'll follow Tim through a series of time-lapse projects where he photographs both fast-moving and slow-moving subjects, as well as one where the camera itself is moving.
Fine Art Printing Tutorials by Luminous Landscape Jeff Schewe and Michael Reichmann.
the subject that is most challenging for photographers – the craft of fine art printing.
It is an ongoing challenge to produce digital files in-camera that are optimized for printing, and then to work with the best contemporary software and hardware tools to produce quality prints. In this almost 7 hour video tutorial, Jeff and Michael explore in-depth virtually every topic that needs to be covered – from camera settings, to printer settings (both Windows and Mac), RIPs, paper types and choices, softproofing, current printer models (2007/8), colour management, profiling options, rendering intents, monochrome printing.....(you get the idea). If it's about printing, we cover it – in depth.
Improve your photographic ability, regardless of your skill level. Learn from one of the most respected names in the industry. Yes, it's no longer necessary to continue the trial and error method of learning. Discover the facts needed to offer digital portraits now. Commercial and portrait digital opportunities are becoming "on-demand." During this DVD you will learn how to photograph individuals and couples together with correct posing, lighting, and refinements. Facial analysis, white balance, raw capture, exposure, and new outdoor techniques are discussed in full detail.
Improve your photographic ability, regardless of your skill level. Learn from one of the most respected names in the industry. Yes, it's no longer necessary to continue the trial and error method of learning. Discover the facts needed to offer digital portraits now. Commercial and portrait digital opportunities are becoming "on-demand." During this DVD you will learn how to photograph individuals and couples together with correct posing, lighting, and refinements. Facial analysis, white balance, raw capture, exposure, and new outdoor techniques are discussed in full detail.
Getting your Canon Speedlite to produce the light you need can be a real challenge. For those new to flash photography—or for anyone who has previously given up out of frustration—Speedliter's Handbook is a revelation. Photographer Syl Arena takes you on a journey that begins with an exploration of light and color, moves through a comprehensive discussion of the Canon Speedlite family and all of the accessories and equipment available to the Speedliter, then settles down to crafting great light in one photo shoot after another. Whether you want to create a classical portrait, shoot an event, or simply add a little fill light to a product shot, Speedliter's Handbook shows you how.
A fantastic in-depth resource illustrated with over 500 images.
Lightroom 5. Master the tools needed to enhance, refine and even retouch your images using quick and easy non-destructive image adjustments! From glamour skin softening, to eye and teeth enhancing, to skin color unifying and special effects like luscious high key black & whites, selective hand tinting, cross-processing and even changing depth of field, there are incredibly powerful features in Lightroom that allow a huge amount of the polishing of your photographs to be done right there, without ever having to go into Photoshop!
Manage, Optimize, and Share Your Photos Like Never Before
Whether you're completely new to Lightroom or have been using it from the start, this course from author and digital imaging expert Tim Grey will help you get up to speed quickly with Lightroom 4. You'll get a complete overview of the Lightroom interface and workflow and learn how to set up Lightroom to best suit your needs. You'll also learn the basics of importing, managing, optimizing, and sharing your images. Along the way you'll learn to use features like auto-advance, Smart Collections, the Library Filter, the Map module, and more.
Get Organized So You Can Always Find the Photo You Need.
In this video training course, author and digital imaging expert Tim Grey teaches you how to use the Library module in Lightroom 4 to manage your images, ensuring that you'll always be able to find any image you need, when you need it. You'll learn how to make full use of the Import feature, sort and organize your images, add keywords and otherwise identify key images, filter and search images, create backups, and much more. You'll also get lots of tips on configuring the Lightroom interface to suit the way you work, making everything you do faster and easier.
Edit, Manage, and Share Your Digital Images.
This complete training program published in partnership with Peachpit Press combines more than 10 hours of video instruction with a 120-page full-color guide to teach you the fundamentals of Adobe Lightroom 3, as well as the basic principles of image processing and management. You'll master the program's interface and learn to organize and review images, improve your images through lens correction and filters, control and shoot images directly from within the Lightroom workspace, and share your images through slideshows and web galleries. Interactive quizzes throughout the course reinforce what you've learned.
Lightroom 1
Dive right into the settings, functions, and techniques that you can use right away to boost your efficiency and get the best images possible. From Import to Print, you'll learn exactly what you need to do and in what order you should do it — no hassle, no fuss, just the tips and techniques you need to use Photoshop Lightroom like a pro.
Today you can enhance select areas of any image with extraordinary power and precision. Simple brushing techniques applied precisely can
take your image to a whole new level, giving you vastly expanded possibilities for creative expression. These essential go-to techniques will help you master selections and masks; simple
masks, gradient masks, luminance masks, contour masks and more. Plus, learn to control the position and quality of every transition and edge.
Scott Kelby, Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine–and the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today–once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers more of the latest, most important, and most useful Adobe Photoshop CS6 techniques for digital photographers. This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that's never been done before–it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That's why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guides in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.
Get your file structure whipped into shape by learning Bridge with Lesa Snider! This Deep Dive takes you into the organizational functions of Bridge so you can get your files into order. Filter and rate your images, keyword and rename files, make batch changes, and more! If you have Photoshop, you have Bridge, and now you'll know how to use it
Lots of people suggest working non-destructively but don't really explain why. This session Dave Cross will show both how to and why work non-destructively, and will cover both the best methods to use, and how they can help you. We'll cover Layers, Masks, Adjustment Layers, and introduce Smart Objects and Smart Filters.
With Lindsay Adler, we'll cover the basics of portrait retouching: cloning, the patch tool, teeth whitening, brightening eyes, and more. If you've been wanting to jump into portrait retouching but didn't know where to start, this class is for you
Big, small, hard, soft... brushes come in all shapes and sizes. Khara Plicanic focuses on learning to manipulate various features of brush tools (not only the brush tool itself, but also other brush engine tools). Creating a finished project, we'll incorporate various preset brushes as well as exploring how to make our own custom brushes.
Above and beyond simply adding text, Khara Plicanic will explore different type styling tools (kerning, leading, etc.), the differences between the varius type tools, as well as some different ways to get the most out of your Photoshop typography. We'll also talk about recommended resources for responsible typography.
Who says file formats can't be sexy? People get all kinds of confused about file formats. JPG, PSD, TIF, PNG, EPS, PDF, etc. What's the
difference and when/why would you choose one particular format over another? Learn to understand your options within Photoshop With Khara Plicanic.
Adobe released over a dozen new features for Photoshop CS6 in Dec. of 2012. Learn how to access these features and get the most of them with Ben Willmore. Use Smart Objects with Blur Gallery and Liquify, CSS export for web design, Crop tool refinements, Conditional Actions, Changes to the Pen tool, Improved type styles, Larger JPEG support & more.
Photoshop includes a slew of tools that sport Content-Aware technology for analyzing your images, and CS6 added even more. In this class with Lesa Snider you'll learn practical, everyday uses for all of these tools including Content-Aware Scale, Content-Aware Fill, Content-Aware Move, and Content-Aware Patch.
Photoshop CS6 lets you edit video easily and efficiently. In this class with Lesa Snider, you'll learn how to import, trim, & split video clips as well as apply adjustment layers for color correction or creative color effects. Get the scoop on adding edge effects with Layer Styles, using Solid Color Fill layers to fade intros and outros, as well as animate text and other graphics to create compelling motion videos.
Each version of Photoshop comes with new features that let you work faster and more efficiently, and CS6 is no exception. Unfortunately, old editing habits can be hard to break. In this session with Lesa Snider you'll learn when to use adjustment layers in place of pixel-based or duplicate layers, when to use Shape tools and vector masks in place of selection marquees & pixel-based masks, how to handle repeating elements, and more.
In this segment, learn all about selections! Using the lasso, polygon lasso, magic wand, and quick selection tools, then using the Refine Edge tool to perfect the selections—then learn to save them as channels. Also, learn to effectively use the quick mask tool with Jason Hoppe.
Learn a step-by-step workflow to cut your retouching time! Plan your changes, prep the images, do basic color correction, remove distractions, capture skin texture, paint in new skin (while preserving texture), work on the details (eyes, lips, and hair), then make global changes—all in no time flat.
Learn how to use adjustment layers for exposure and color correction, changing color, how to apply various color effects, and more.... they're one of the most versatile tools in Photoshop, and in this 1-day Deep Dive, Photoshop Missing Manual author Lesa Snider will teach you all about Adjustment Layers!
Selecting difficult, irregular areas, selecting by shape and color using various tools, doing quick selections or carefully refined edges... in this 1-day Deep Dive into Photoshop, Lesa Snider will cover all aspects of Selections. Regardless of what you need to select, Photoshop Missing Manual author Lesa Snider will show you how!
Image management is one of the greatest challenges for photographers. Fortunately, having access to Adobe Bridge offers powerful features to help you manage, sort, organize, and even share your digital photos. But not everyone knows how to take advantage of these capabilities, so in this course Tim Grey shares his tips for using Bridge to stay organized, streamline your workflow, and make your life easier.
Optimize Tone, Color, and Contrast.
The Curves adjustment in Photoshop has a reputation for being daunting, challenging, and for some photographers, even scary. But there's no need to be frightened if you know your way around. In this workshop, Photoshop expert Tim Grey will take you step by step through every aspect of the Curves adjustment, helping you truly understand the concepts behind it so that you can quickly and easily maximize tonal range, optimize contrast, and enhance your photos´ color balance. Note: This course was recorded in Photoshop CS5, but was created with users of both Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS4 in mind.
No matter how careful you are taking your photos, sometimes things go wrong. You end up with dust spots caused by image sensor contamination, objects that simply couldn't be avoided, or problems with color, exposure, or texture in the image. In this workshop, expert photographer and trainer Tim Grey shows you a wide variety of powerful techniques for solving many common challenges. You'll learn how to fix everything from simple blemishes and red eye to color contamination, chromatic aberration, and image noise, and learn advanced techniques like using multiple exposures to remove a subject from an image. Note: This course was recorded in Photoshop CS5, but was created with users of both Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS4 in mind.
You might not think that automation and creativity go hand in hand, but sometimes they do. By automating tasks where appropriate in Photoshop, you can streamline your workflow and free up time to work on the artistic aspects of photography. In this workshop from Photoshop expert Tim Grey, you'll start by learning core automation concepts and using basic automation tools to process multiple images quickly and easily. Next, you'll explore actions, an incredibly powerful tool for processing one or more images in a consistent way. You'll see how actions let you apply creative effects consistently to your images and prepare images for sharing. Finally, you'll work through a variety of real-world projects that reinforce what you've learned and demonstrate some of the many ways you can employ automation in your own workflow.
This thorough, self-paced guide to Adobe Photoshop CS3--written by the experts at Adobe Systems' is ideal for beginning users who want to learn key Photoshop concepts and techniques, while readers who already have some experience with Photoshop can use this book to learn Photoshop CS3's more advanced features and newest tools. Using clear, step-by-step, project-based lessons, each chapter walks readers through the creation of a specific project, with each chapter building on the reader's growing knowledge of the program, while review questions at the end of each chapter reinforce the skills learned in each lesson.
By the end of this course you will be proficient at: understanding the toolbars and interface, navigating documents, the fundamentals of color correction, layering, doctoring images, filters and special effects. You will not be a Photoshop expert but you will have the foundations to manipulate images and the comfort of understanding the tools and interface of Photoshop CS3.
There's nothing like having a teacher at one's side when learning a new program--especially one as powerful and complex as Photoshop CS2. But a private tutor is a luxury few users can afford. With this DVD, they don't need to! Adobe Certified Instructor Dave Cross provides all the essential information beginning users need to dive right in and start using the image manipulation program immediately! Throughout, the focus is on the practical advice that will get users familiar with the program fast. In short order, Dave provides clear, succinct explanations of pixels, resolution, color modes, and file sizes; how to set up the workspace; which tools to use for what; how to take advantage of the History palette and layers for making changes; how to use Photoshop's selection tools effectively (and why this is so crucial); methods for adjusting and retouching images; techniques for cropping, transforming, and using filters; and more. A slew of timesaving tips and shortcuts ease the way!
Learn the powerful features offered in Photoshop CS2. Our trainers will amaze you as they demonstrate the new Adobe Bridge, Revolutionary Vanishing Point, Spot Healing Brush, Advanced Noise Reduction, Optical Lens Correction, Smart Sharpen, Customizable Workspaces and Menus, Smart Objects, 32-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) Support, One-Click Red-Eye Correction and Animation for Web Graphics. This is not a DVD for beginners. You're expected to know your way around Photoshop before you start.
This DVD will help you understand and master all of the new effects that were added into Photoshop CS2. It also shows you how to work with the new Adobe Bridge. Mr.Kelby goes through each effect step-by-step, showing you how to lighten, darken, erase, and whatnot to a camera raw file, making the image look 100% better then when you took it.
Scott Kelby goes into detail over all of the new "Smart" filters and effects and shows you how to put them to good use. You will learn many tips, shortcuts, and tweaks that are quite easy to learn. Overall I would recommend this dvd for anyone that wants to learn and take advantage of the new features in Photoshop CS2. This dvd is about 2 hours long, but it's worth every minute of it. This DVD is a must have for beginners to even professionals, it will help out a lot.