Photography

Adobe refines HDR tool with Photoshop CS6

Adobe has spruced up Photoshop CS6's tool for creating HDR images--at the same time that it's updated editing tools with features that make high-dynamic range photos less interesting to me.

HDR images combine multiple shots taken over a range of bright to dark exposures. That means that the shadow detail can be taken from the bright images and the highlight detail from the dark images.

Used in a tame way, an HDR image shows more of the full range of tones the human eye can see. But plenty of people prefer the more unusual or even outrageous effects … Read more

How to easily round the corners of a photo with RoundPic

Rounding the corners of a photo can be visually appealing, especially in profile photos and avatars. Sure, you could get it done in Photoshop and or other photo-editing programs, but a Web service called RoundPic can do it for you in about a minute.

To use RoundPic, upload a photo or paste in the URL of a photo you want to round, then click the Round it! button.

After RouncPic completes processing, you'll be presented with a rounded photo. If you want to customize the rounding, change the settings to your preferences, then click the Round! button. Once you'… Read more

With CS6, Photoshop takes a step toward Videoshop

Don't beat yourself up if you didn't know that some modest video editing abilities are tucked into the premium version of Photoshop CS5.

But expect a lot more starting today, when Adobe Systems releases an open beta version of Photoshop CS6 code-named Superstition.

The new version brings video from the higher-priced Extended version of Photoshop to the standard version, and it adds editing features such as the ability to apply Photoshop tone and color adjustments. And instead of relying on Apple's QuickTime, the new tool draws from Adobe technology elsewhere in the Creative Suite, such as the … Read more

Zeiss announces fast--but not cheap--15mm lens

Carl Zeiss, a premium maker of camera lenses, announced a new wide-angle model today, a 15mm F2.8 model that should ship in May for $2,948.

The Distagon T* 2,8/15 joins other members of the Distagon family with fixed focal lengths of 18mm, 21mm, 25mm, 28mm, and 35mm. The 15mm model should be particularly desirable for people serious about architectural and landscape photography--subjects that need a wide shooting angle and that often afford enough time for manual focusing.

With a price that high, it's not something a lot of customers will be able to afford. But … Read more

Toshiba announces Exceria line of high-speed SD cards

Toshiba has announced new SDXC and SDHC cards that support the UHS-1 high-speed interface--and the new Exceria brand name to go along with them.

The Exceria name is meant "to reflect a combination of 'excellent' and 'experience,'" Toshiba said in a statement this week, but I wouldn't have guessed that without being told. Too bad Sony got there first with Xperia.

The new cards come in three varieties. At the top of the heap are models that will arrive in July with read speeds of 95MBps and write speeds of 90MBps; they'll come in 8GB, 16GB, … Read more

Apple update supports Nikon D4, Canon G1 X

Apple has released an update to let Mac users view and edit raw files from several new high-end cameras, including the new $800 PowerShot G1 X, Canon's answer to the parade of high-end mirrorless compact cameras with interchangeable lenses.

Also supported is Nikon's new flagship SLR, the D4.

Raw photo formats, taken directly from the image sensor without in-camera processing into a JPEG, permit greater flexibility and quality for editing. But they require manual processing with software, and this update means Apple's iPhoto and Aperture can handle the shots. The proprietary raw formats aren't standard, so … Read more

Creative pros: Tell us what you think of the new Adobe

As Adobe Systems prepares to release Creative Suite 6, it's in the midst of two major shifts: the addition of its Creative Cloud subscription and the addition of design tools using Web standards.

And we want to know what you think of the change.

In conjunction with Jefferies, a financial research and investment banking firm, CNET is conducting a quick survey about Adobe's Creative Cloud and embrace of Web standards. It's only nine multiple-choice questions long, so it's very fast and easy to fill out.

We'll be publishing results of the survey later so you can see if other people see things your way. If you are open to us asking you follow-up questions, you can leave your e-mail address at the end of the survey, but it's completely optional. Of course, you also can leave comments on this post. … Read more

Adobe releases Lightroom 4--at half the price

Adobe released the fourth version of its Lightroom software today, adding video abilities and editing finesse while cutting its price in half.

Lightroom 4 costs $149 new and $79 as an upgrade, a big step down from the earlier prices of $299 new and $99 upgrade. That's going the same direction Apple has with its competing Aperture, though not as dramatically: an introductory $499 price, then a drop to $199, and in the App Store version now, $80. You can download Lightroom 4 for Windows and Mac.

Lightroom is geared for photography professionals and enthusiasts, especially those who want … Read more

How to take 800 photos a minute with your iPhone

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An iOS app, Fast Camera, aims to help people never miss an important photo again. When the user launches Fast Camera, your device will instantly start taking pictures.

Fast Camera, which is usually 99 cents, is free in the App Store today.

Upon launching the app, you will begin to hear a camera shutter sound almost instantly. Fast Camera is already taking pictures, and it won't stop until you press the stop button. You can see the number of pictures that have been taken in the lower-left corner of the screen. Once you press Stop, you can … Read more

Dolby aims for richer images with JPEG-HDR

BARCELONA, Spain--High dynamic range (HDR) photography has largely been the province of photo enthusiasts willing to put up with its hassles, but Dolby Laboratories hopes to bring it to the masses with a semi-proprietary technology called JPEG-HDR.

HDR photography began as a way to compensate for cameras' shortcomings compared to the human eye. The biological image sensor can capture a much greater range of dark and bright tones, whereas cameras typically can capture only one, the other, or something in the middle.

That means problems with photos in areas with a wide range of lighting- a scene where someone is … Read more