Free Fantastic Photo Software

The Free & Easy Way
to share and manage your photos.

If you are like me then this is one of the best and easiest photo programs ever. It searches your entire hard drive and catalogs your photos (this means it even finds shots you lost or forgot about). It offers a simple easy to use viewer and has photo enhancement tools as well as tools to quickly and easily display them on the internet in a gallery e-mail or blog. No other photo software comes close to the ease and functions as Google's Picasa.

I really cannot see why anyone would not benefit from this wonderful software. So stop reading about and just go and get it! Right now!

Picasa is a free software download from Google that helps you:

• Locate and organize all the photos on your computer.
• Edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks.
• Share your photos with others through email, prints, and on the web.
• Picasa is fast, easy and free.

Take your photos further with Picasa from Google. Learn more

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Perfect Portraits Tutorial

Super Airbrush Post-Processing Tutorial

Dan Chips has put together a fine tutorial on airbrushing portraits in Photoshop. It is easy to follow and reproduce. View it here: Super Airbrush PP Tutorial!

"Hello everyone! I thought I would put this tutorial together, as it seems every time I post an image that I have processed in this way, everyone wants to know how I did it. Rather than explain every time, I thought I would give something back to the community and submit my own tutorial. I hope some of you out there find it useful." -Dan Chips.

One of the most popular tutorials to come out of the Canon oriented POTN message board. You can no longer find the original posting there, along with 30+ pages of ongoing discussion about refinements and modifications to the original technique Dan offered. Well worth the read, hopefully it will return soon.
Mizuno's Super Airbrush PP Tutorial!

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Free Photography Workshops from Sony

Sony's

MY 101
Free Workshops and Classes

Sony Co offers a number of free online training and workshops. Each course is designed to last one month and focuses on a particular aspect of digital photography and imaging. The classes are hosted online by an experienced professional instructor and consist of a lesson and assignment and a follow up quiz. The class also has a dedicated message board where the instructor and students can share and ask questions.

Courses offered change monthly and currently include:

• Beginning Adobe Photoshop CS2
• Record Your Life with Digital Scrapbooking
• Digital Photography Made Simple
• Intermediate Photoshop® CS2

Sony is a major player in the Photography world. It makes camera phones, Point & Shoot Digitals, and with the recent acquisition of Konica and Minolta camera companies, now a line of consumer and semi-pro DSLR's.

Of course Sony also makes all manner of Electronic products. The global size and diversity of Sony means it can be tricky to sort through the vast and varied Sony Co websites to locate the photography related resources. I will do my best to help locate them and post them here.

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Do-it-yourself lightbox

Build Your Own Lightbox

A simple and quick article By Joseph Holst on putting together your own lightbox

Available from Ourmedia website. Enjoy!

Building a light box is easy.

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Free Leica M Stuff

Free

Leica M

Screensaver & Guides

My current and favorite screensaver for several years has been the beautiful Leica M screensaver. Available from the Leica Camera Co's website it shows the development of the legendary Leica M camera from the original up to the M7, the latest model when the screensaver was made available.

Leica M System - Screen saver
-PC
-MAC

Legendary - Leica M

For those of us fortunate enough to own or use a Leica M camera there is very little doubt as to why these cameras carry a legendary status or command such a premium price.

For those who haven't yet used a Leica M, it can be hard to understand the passion and devotion that these cameras evoke within their owners. The 3-digit price tag of the bodies and lenses has also added to cloak the Leica M in mystery and awe, keeping the cameras in the hands of only the most dedicated photographers.

The Best lenses...

Ultimately, it is the lenses that are chiefly responsible for establishing the legend and high ideals of the Leica brand. They are all precision crafted masterpieces - practical, compact, ergonomic, cutting-edge lenses for ultimate in analog and digital photography. Their outstanding optical performance makes observing and capturing meaningful moments easy. Pictures taken with Leica lenses not only highlight the quality of their major aspects such as contrast, resolution and beautiful pictorial rendition but also demonstrate the capabilities of Leica products with regard to design, performance, and the ability to capture natural expression.

Few things last a lifetime, A Leica M lasts longer...

Heat or cold, rain or dust - The Leica M is not put off by adverse conditions when in search of the perfect picture. The M needs to be hard-wearing, reliable and robust enough to survive the toughest situations. The designers of an M camera always give durability top priority. That's why only the best materials are used for the camera housing: brass for the cap and base and a highly stable metal alloy for the body. The digital components are carefully selected, too, to make sure they stand the test of practical wear and tear. Meticulous manufacture and careful assembly guarantee decades of reliable functioning to give the photographer as many years of enjoyment with his Leica M as possible. And that means a lifetime. And often longer.

As a result of this SuperEngineering older Leica M cameras are still widely available. The Leica M3 was released over 50 years ago yet is still widely found in use today.

For most of us the Leica M will remain out of reach, especially with the digital Leica M8 commanding a $4000 price tag. For those lucky enough to obtain a Leica M of any vintage, will come a greater appreciation of our craft, and a firm understanding of why the Leica M has earned its legendary status.

Even if you don't get the chance to pick up a Leica M, do pick up these :

Leica M - System Brochure
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_1243.pdf

Leica M Lenses - Their Soul and Secrets
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_119.pdf

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Free guide to your rights as a photographer

The Photographer’s Right

A Downloadable Flyer Explaining Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography

Written by Bert P. Krages II, Attorney at Law and updated in 2006 it is available free here:
The Photographer’s Right

"The Photographer’s Right is a downloadable guide that is loosely based on the Bust Card and the Know Your Rights pamphlet that used to be available on the ACLU website. It may be downloaded and printed out using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may make copies and carry them your wallet, pocket, or camera bag to give you quick access to your rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography. You may distribute the guide to others, provided that such distribution is not done for commercial gain and credit is given to the author."

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Build your own Macro Ring Light

DIY LED Macro Lite

From Brainerror.net : Build your own macro ring light

This is a tutorial on making a so-called macro ring-light and is intended for people who own a consumer type of digital camera with macro capabilities.

There are some macro flashes around, but they're very expensive and intended for SLR camera's not the consumer typed digital camera. Because the light comes from different angles the light is equally divided and the scene is perfectly lit.

A fun project for do-it yourselfers, why not add one to your Dirkon homemade SLR.

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Free Prints From Canon

Canon's "Try My Photo" Promotion

Upload a photo to the Canon "Try My Photo" Site and they will print it on 3 different Canon printers and mail you the prints!

4”x6” - On Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy from the SELPHY ES2 Compact Photo Printer.
8"x10" - On Canon Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss from the PIXMA Pro9000 Photo Printer.
8.5"x11" -On Canon Fine Art Paper Photo Rag(TM) from the PIXMA Pro9500 Photo Printer.

• Only files in Jpeg format can be used for the upload
• Minimum resolution: 512 x 768
• Recommended file size: 200kb-10000kb

One photo file will be printed per household.

Canon USA anticipates that once your image is received and processed, you should receive your photo in 10-14 business days via regular US mail.

Only valid U.S. street addresses will be accepted; no PO boxes.

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Canon Sweepstakes

Canon Sweepstakes
Your Ticket to Super Bowl XLIII
Tampa Bay, Fl. 2009

Enter at the Canon NFL site to win

Grand Prize: A 5 day/4 night trip for two to Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida and a Canon camera kit.

Second Prizes: (10) A $100 NFL Shop gift certificate.

Entry Limit: One per day per person

Eligibility: Contiguous US, 18+

End Date: Friday, February 8, 2008 @ 11:59pm ET


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Nikon Sweepstakes

Nikon
Win a Trip to the Hill Towns of Tuscany
Sweepstakes

• Official Rules

Grand Prize: A 7 day/6 night trip for two to the hill towns of Tuscany, Italy including $2,500 spending money and a Nikon D40 digital camera.

Entry Limit: One per day per person/email address

Eligibility: US, 18+

End Date: Thursday, January 31, 2008 @ 11:59pm ET


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Free Comics for Photographers

What The Duck

by Aaron Johnson

What the Duck is an online comic strip. Viewers are welcome to link, post, copy/paste, or save the strips to their own sites, blogs, forums, newsletters, etc.

Begun as a simple blog "What The Duck" has grown into a regular comic strip. Writer Aaron Johnson mainly tells the tales of a photographer duck as he experiences many of the same trials and frustrations as real photographers.

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Free wallpapers and calendars

Master Automotive Photographer
Easton Chang

has built WallpaperGarage.com to distribute his work free in the form of wallpapers and calendars to the fans who have been asking

At WallpaperGarage.com you will find free and exclusive car wallpapers by Easton Chang and other car photographers. The site is aimed at being updated monthly, and a calendar is provided for each new month.

According to Easton Chang,"WallpaperGarage.com was created to offer wallpapers to the internet community. One of the most common questions we are asked is whether we have our images available in wallpaper format. And here they are! We are updating the website roughly once a month, and considering the prospect of creating a new section with 1920x1200 resolution versions of the wallpapers. The Chrome D1 Drift Car is amazing. A much bigger update is coming next month with new photographers on board."

Photos: Top: Ford Mustang Bottom: Nissan Silvia S15 D1 Drift Car

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Free Sample Pack of 3M™ Transparency Film

Free Sample:
3M Transparency Film

Clear transparency film guaranteed for use in most color and black-and-white laser printers and hot temperature copiers not requiring a sensing strip. Made with with a water-based coating, 99% solvent free.

• No stripe

• Brilliant color & crisp black

• Meets most transparency needs with a single product

Receive a FREE Sample Pack of 3M™ Transparency Film!

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Free Sample Pack of 3M™ Print to Last Paper

Free Sample:
3M Print to Last Paper
For Laser Printers

These Papers provides an extremely high-resolution image, that is resistant to water/tearing/fading. And you can write on it! Use the 3M Print to Last Paper as you would any other specialty paper. Select the feed tray that typically handles heavy paper or coated stock. Also recommended for Black and White Laser Printers and copiers.

Receive a FREE Sample Pack of 3M™ Print to Last Paper!


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Free Web-Tool... Grab videos from share sites like YouTube

KeepVid 1.1
Lets you download videos from YouTube
and other Video sharing sites.

Tired of having to be online, and logged in, to view the videos on YouTube? Then bookmark KeepVid. The KeepVid website is a simple web application that will let you save the videos you find on YouTube and virtually any other video sharing website.

This free service is especially useful for photographers who like myself, enjoy using video tutorials, but often find when I have some time to view them I am not in a convenient place with an internet connection.

KeepVid is very simple...

1. Choose the site you want to download from.
2. Copy the link of the page with the video on it and paste it in the KeepVid text box.
3. KeepVid will make a link for you to download the video file.

KeepVid can get videos from YouTube, Google, iFilm, Putfile, Metacafe, DailyMotion, break.com, Angry Alien, Artist Direct, Blasto, and almost any other video sharing site you can find.

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PhotoShop Tube... Free stuff on YouTube!

Photoshop on YouTube, Fun and Educational too!

YouTube is a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view, and share video clips. The wide variety of site content includes movie and TV clips and music videos, as well as amateur content such as videoblogging and short original videos.

Although YouTube is most often associated with entertainment it has a vast collection of educational content as well. Photoshop is well represented with a wide variety of educational and entertaining videos available.

You can visit the YouTube homepage to search by key-word, or view some favorites I have listed below.

Don't miss these gems...

Dove Soap's "Evolution Makeup & Photoshop"
Watch a team of studio photographers and photoshop artists transform an ordinary girl into a supermodel!

Lose weight in Photoshop (makeover)

Makeover of a big lady. Just to show the power of Photoshop.

Extreme (Photoshop) Makeover

A photographer and designer shows the photo retouching process in detail.

HDR. Before and after.

Some of my works, before and after. Shows the effect after Tone Mapping.

Merge to HDR in Photoshop CS3 High Dynamic Range

HDR in Adobe photoshop

Curves :: Photoshop Tutorial Learn the Basics of Curves!

Learn the basics of curves in no time!


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Free Computer Wallpaper from Nikon

Nikon Walpaper

A collection of free wallpaper for your monitor. Select an appropriate image size and download your favorite wallpaper.

Visit Nikonimaging.com for the complete collection.

Here is a small selection, click the appropriate button to download






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Free Rangefinder Magazine Subscription

Rangefinder Magazine
"The Magazine for the Professional Photographer"

Free Subscription

(click here)

Rangefinder Magazine (rangefindermag.com) is a photography trade magazine targeted, but not limited, to the working professional wedding or portrait photographer. It has many articles that would appeal to a general photographic audience and is a well written magazine. I look forward to receiving my copy each month.

Unlike nearly all newsstand Poto Mags, Rangefinder Magazine spends little time gloating over the latest gear and technical wizardry and focuses on the craft and attitudes and issues of modern photographers.

From the Rangrfinder Magazine website:

"Rangefinder is the premier monthly magazine for the professional photographer. The editorial content of Rangefinder will assist professional photographers in producing better images while increasing profits. Rangefinder's in-depth features include product and new equipment reviews; lighting and technical pieces; promotion and management issues; digital imaging tips; information for portrait, wedding, and commercial photographers; black-and-white shooting; and processing techniques.

Regular columns from top photographic professionals include Profiles, Problems and Solutions, Digital Photography, and the RF Cookbook, which has a wealth of how-to information to help you fine-tune your craft. Rangefinder also offers information on competitions and instruction, workshops, industry news, a calendar of events, and future trends."

The subscription form lists many various countries, but also says on the link to the form that it is for US and Canada. I have heard of photographers in the U.K. and France receiving it for free in the past. If anyone outside the US and Canada signs up, please leave some feedback and let us know if it worked out for you.

-Sabrina

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Free Nik Efex Pro filters

As a promotion for their wonderful Nik Efex filter Software, Nik Software inc. often makes a couple of great filters available for free.

The Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 filters offer a wide variety of professional photographic enhancements that can be applied within Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, or any software application that supports the Adobe Photoshop Plug-In format.

Currently available for free are:
Three Free Filters
• Skylight Filter
• Graduated Orange
• Monday Morning Violet

And also:

Four Free Filters
• Brilliance/Warmth
• Bi-Color Cool/Warm
• Graduated Orange
• Contrast Only

The graduated orange makes the list twice so they are only offering 6 total free filters.

Brilliance and Warmth

Before	After

Contrast Only

Before	After

Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 is offered in three editions: Standard, Select, and Complete. The Standard Edition contains 19 popular filters. The Select Edition includes all 19 filters in the Standard Edition and adds 26 additional filters, for a total of 45 filters. The Complete Edition contains all 75 filters in the Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 collection.

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Do It Yourself - SLR

Homebuilt SLR camera?

Sure why not.

The Domokon proves the concept.

Although the plans seem to be a bit vague, it looks like a fun project!



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DIRKON – THE PAPER CAMERA

Cut-Out paper pinhole cameras known as the Dirkon, published in 1979 in the (Communist Czechoslovakia) magazine ABC mladých techniků a přírodovědců [An ABC of Young Technicians and Natural Scientists].

Pinhole CZ maintains a website with the instructions for making the Dirkon camera which you can download in Adobe PDF format.

Find it here: http://www.pinhole.cz/en/pinholecameras/dirkon_01.html

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Free Lens Hoods... Part III

You do the math...

Finally thanks to The Great Pyramids, Igor Yefremov, and a little math, we can now easily make our own lens hoods from scratch, on the go and in the field. Read his article How to make a simple lens hood, Recalling ancient pyramids.

One of the most important ways we can go about improving our photographs...

So still not convinced a lens hood is the thing for you? Then you must read Lens Hoods, over at vanwalree.com. It is an expert text on lens flare and the effects of different style hoods to combat it. It is simple to read and has lots of good visuals, don't miss it.

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Free Lens Hoods... Part II

Don't forget to Recycle...

Another great source for lens hoods is found in every day items around the house, namely plastic bottles.

About all it takes is some time and care and careful, slow going to cut the material appropriately and such that it fits properly. In this instance, the 40.5mm diameter of a typical Russky normal lens did not translate out perfectly to the diameter of the plastic bottle, and thus it was necessary to make the cut such that its slightly concave (as seen in the accompanying photo).

When fitted onto the lens, the plastic flexes slightly and exerts a bit more holding pressure than would naturally occur in a straightforward ‘press on’ fitting.

The now finished hood is painted a flat or matte black, and the job is complete. I consider this the “perfect” lens hood for one main reason: it didn’t cost anything but the few minutes work it took to make it.

To really finish it off you could use your PDF printout of a tulip petal-shaped hood to trim the front of the plastic bottle hood.


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