Topaz ReStyle, New Product Available Aug. 8th

Topaz ReStyle lets you explore new artistic and creative possibilities for your images and helps you achieve looks you might not have thought of otherwise. Transform your images with just one click using over a thousand easily searchable styles and looks.ReStyle offers inspiration through exploring the unending possibilities included in this product, and as a result, you can quickly achieve your vision or even extend and enhance the original vision for your image.

Here are some of the unique features introduced in Topaz ReStyle:

1. Breakthrough Mapping Technology. ReStyle introduces a cutting-edge process of mapping color and tone statistics from a selected style to a target image. This newtechnology creates high-quality transformations, even for dramatic styles and looks.
2. New Style/Preset Creation Method. ReStyle creates presets using a source image’s color and tones, allowing you to save your own unique styles to use later.
3. Blending Modes. With ReStyle, we have incorporated blending modes for the adjustment modules, essentially showing 8 different looks for each style preset.
4. HSL Technology in 5-Color Style Sliders. Easily enhance your selected style’s 5 dominant colors using the unique hue, saturation and luminance controls.
5. Advanced Masking Workflow. The masking module, attached to each adjustment tab, contains a comprehensive set of tools including an edge-aware brush, gradient mask, smart feather tool, color aware tool and more.
6. User Interface Design. With ReStyle, we have continued to develop a cleaner, more modern and efficient interface to improve usability, workflow and overall aesthetics.

Topaz ReStyle will release on August 8th and retail for $59.99, but will be on sale for $29.99 through August 31st with this discount code: restyleit. Click the "Get It Now" button at the top of this post and start downloading it now.

Better yet, if you are new to Topaz, this product will be included in their Complete Collection where you get all 14 Topaz products at a super discount, use my discount code, gclure, and save an additional 15% off the Complete Collection.

 

Pro-Tip #8: My First Rule of Creating Stunning Images (aka Composition)

Sunlight Ripples, Blue Lake -- © Greg Clure Photography

If you want stunning images you must go to stunning locations, if you are a landscape photographer. If you shoot portraits, a good location is great but you need good looking (stunning) people.  The same rule applies to any genre of photography, subject matter, matters!  Does the subject have impact? If the first thing someone says when they see your image for the first time is, "WOW, you took that?", you know you have captured something special.  That WOW factor or impact should be your number one objective to creating stunning images.  Many other compositional factors go into making stunning images but this one should always be at the top of your list. If I want to create stunning landscape images, I need to leave my backyard, not that I can't get some good stuff back there but it's no Yosemite Valley.  I do take images in my backyard, I call it practice. Just like any craft, sport or hobby, practice makes perfect and prepares you for the time you are in that stunning location or have a beautiful model to shoot.  I most likely will not be hanging any of my practice shots on my wall but I would rather experiment and hone my technique in my backyard so I know what to do without even thinking about it when the light is perfect in my stunning location.  The last thing you want to be doing is honing your technique when a spectacular event appears before you and quickly fades while you are still trying to figure out what the best settings are to capture the scene you just missed. Case in point, my "Sunlight Ripples" image featured in my Images of the Month gallery was a phenomena that lasted less than 30 seconds with the light peaking for less than 10 seconds. Had I been honing my technique I would have missed it, but what wasn't missing was the stunning location.  Blue Lake in the Eastern Sierras with dramatic storm clouds building, I was set-up in a beautiful location when the sunlight ripples appeared making this already stunning location even more unique with an event not likely to be repeated or captured by the next would be photographer who wonders by this location. Some might say you were just lucky to be in the right place at the right time, and I would agree had I not been set-up and taking shots and working the location to find compositions I liked for the two hours prior to this event. With weather, luck will always be a factor, but luck will always favor the prepared. Keep this rule top of mind when you go looking for your stunning location.

Topaz Labs Lens Effects, 50% Off, July 16-31

Topaz Labs is running a special promotion for 50% off Lens Effects ($79.99 to $39.99) from July 16th- July 31st, use promo code: julylens.  They will also have a great line up of webinars on Lens Effects over the next two weeks where you can learn what this plug-in is all about, at Topaz Labs Webinars

Here is the upcoming Lens Effects webinar schedule:
Monday July 15th at 4:00pm CST- Realistic Lens Filter Simulations
Thursday July 18th at 2:00pm CST- Quick Tip Thursday- Create Realistic Fog
Tuesday July 23rd at 3:00pm CST- Specialty Lens and Camera Effects
 
Lastly, I also wanted to make you aware that Topaz has changed the way they sell their suite of products. They have removed the product known as the Topaz Bundle, which included 10 of their products and replaced it with the Topaz Complete Collection, which now includes all 13 of their products including the host program PhotoFXLab. The price for this is $349.99, a $360 savings over purchasing each product seperately.

Now for an Overview of Topaz Lens Effects

• Realistic Depth of Field simulation
• 1-click focal point selection
• Traditional and Creative filters - offering convenience and major savings
• Specialty Camera Effects. Explore and apply unique effects without additional equipment costs

 

Your Virtual Camera Bag

Simulate realistic filters and lenses for unique focal point flexibility and creative focus effects in your images.

Topaz Lens Effects brings all of your camera lenses and filters (and even those you don't have yet) together in a powerful and easy-to-use plug-in, eliminating the need for additional and expensive equipment, while providing unparalleled editing flexibility. The diverse range of effects made possible by virtual simulation of common lenses, filters and specialty cameras make it easier than ever to change or emphasize focal points, adjust depth-of-field, add vignettes, balance color tone, create miniature scenes and so much more.

Lens Effects Highlights

• Explore, experiment with and apply 29 effects and over 200 presets
• Bokeh, (blur) to minimize undesired backgrounds and foregrounds
• Filter characteristics like color tone, fog, reflector and more
• Flexibility to enhance or change your focal point
• Creative focus effects like motion, miniatures and dual focus
• Depth-of-field adjustments with depth map and Smart Brush
• "Apply" button to stack effects and create customized looks
• Separate controls for adjusting background and foreground details
• Enhanced sharpening algorithm, grain, quad toning and vignettes

 

Flexibility After the Shot

Traditionally, most lens and filter effects are interposed at the time of the shot. However, Lens Effects extends the functionality beyond your camera, giving you the convenience and flexibility to add any number of filter, lens, hood and specialty-camera adjustments after the shot. This type of control helps simplify your shooting process by simulating the abilities of your camera equipment inside of Photoshop. Lens Effects offers a more effective way to explore the many benefits that traditional lenses and filters offer - in just a click.

Go to Topaz Labs now!