In the modern world of photography, there are two kinds of filters. One kind goes in front of a camera lens and is designed to improve the appearance of the images you shoot with it. There are also software filters used as Photoshop plug-ins that are also meant to make your images look better. Both types of filters can be helpful when used in moderation, but both can easily be overused too....

Somewhere between the grand vista and panorama on the one hand, and the realm of macro and close-up imagery on the other, lies the intimate landscape....

Superman is famous for the giant "S" emblazoned on the chest of his signature outfit. I doubt it has anything to do with the ability of an S-curve in Photoshop to make images look better, but both are legendary for the way they help out those in need. OK, so Photoshop may not be faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive, but the S-curve is a remarkable tool that you really should be familiar with....

This Wednesday, Nikon will be officially announcing the introduction of the amazing new Nikon D4.1 digital SLR, the successor to the award winning D3 and D3x. In a departure from previous digital camera design though, the D4.1 will use a milestone imaging system with just a single bit sensor to produce vividly stunning images with greater resolution than any previous system....

Wacom recently released their new line of Intuos4 graphics tablets. After getting one to try out, I must say, I like it. A lot....

The improvements in Photoshop CS4 come in all shapes and sizes    some big and obvious, and others are important yet easy to miss. The improvements in the Dodge, Burn and Sponge tools fall into this latter group....

In the beginning, Photoshop was just Photoshop    there were no "editions" and there were no "suites." The introduction of Photoshop CS gave us a handful of "Creative Suite" options a few years back now and as of CS3 Adobe split Photoshop itself into the Standard and Extended editions. CS4 continues that pattern making the upgrade options less than simple for many of us....

Photoshop is a complex program, and it takes getting used to. But sometimes people are just looking for a quick and easy way to visually make tonal corrections to an image, and for this Curves and such may be overkill. One of the underused features in Photoshop is a tool called "Variations."....

Regular readers here probably know I sold my trusty Nikon D2x and bought a D300 when they first came out late last year. There are a lot of D2x and D2Xs on the used market right now. Since a used D2x and a new D300 currently sell for more or less the same price, you may be wondering which is a better buy. Both the D2x (as well as the D2Xs) and the D300 produce the exact same size image and have effectively the same resolution. The truth is, both are great cameras, but they are not the same....

The best photographs are rarely taken from where you first see what might be an interesting subject. It would be an amazing stroke of luck to be in the right place at the right time on your first try, after all. One of the surest ways to improve your photography is to explore your subject from all angles....