Topaz Labs Blog « Articles and tutorials on photography, post-processing, and Topaz software

Pro Insights Inspiring Documentary & Fine Art Photography by Jim LaSala

Pro Insights Order Out of Chaos: Photographing the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica

Joel Wolfson is a fine art and nature photographer who conducts photo workshops worldwide from his native Southwest to Italy, France and other locales. His roster of notable clients include Newsweek, Elle, Seventeen, Houghton Mifflin, and corporate clients such as Apple, AT&T, 3M, United Airlines and Pillsbury.

His technical articles on digital imaging have been translated for use in more than 30 countries. Yet he is best known for his artistic images and unexpected views of everyday places around the globe.

Tips and Techniques from a pro by Joel Wolfson

Part 1 of 2

In my last article I covered the equipment side of travel photography including how to get your gear to your destination and back safely along with the images. Now I’d like to share some tips and techniques I’ve developed from years of taking travel photos.

There are many creative uses for masking software, however they may not be evident at first. Read on for a list of ideas to try on what you can achieve using Topaz ReMask!

Jim LaSala is a fine art and documentary photographer with some of his most notable and recent work coming from the streets of Haiti and Cuba.

With the ability to capture the human condition in its most natural form, LaSala’s strong communication skills with strangers is an essential quality for any photojournalist or aspiring street photographer to strive for.

LaSala is also a fine art photographer, merging this artistic style into his documentary photography through post processing.

Transform Your Photo into a Surreal Work of Art

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Software covered: Clarity, Clean, Lens Effects, ReMask Difficulty level: Beginner, Intermediate

In this tutorial I will demonstrate how to extract a subject (in this case a tree) from its background using the Color Range brushes in Topaz ReMask.

We’ll then apply selective adjustments by bringing out the tonalities & exposure in the tree using Topaz Clarity, followed by enhancing the tree’s edge texture using Topaz Clean.

To finalize the image, we’ll bring the background into Topaz Lens Effects to create an abstract, dreamy background.

So if you’re tired of your same ole editing workflow and looking to try something new, download the image to the right (or use your own) and follow along!

Don’t own the plugins used in this tutorial? Download a free 30-day trial here.

Greg Basco is a fine art nature photographer who had originally found his way to Latin America as a researcher for politics and the environment. Having first visited Costa Rica while in the Peace Corps, followed by work as a conservation professional, Basco is now a full time photographer and owner of Foto Verde Tours in Costa Rica.

More than just a simple documentation of nature, Basco’s style can be classified as fine art. His work has been published in a variety of publications, from National Geographic to Newsweek to The Nature Conservancy.

Read on for some crucial tips from Basco on how to capture spectacular images when placed in a tropical rainforest with limited light. (And also view some beautiful images!)

How to Capture Stunning Travel Photos by Joel Wolfson (Part 1)

Tips and Techniques from a pro by Joel Wolfson

Part 1 of 2

8 Creative Ways to Use Masking Software

Inspiring Documentary & Fine Art Photography by Jim LaSala

Transform Your Photo into a Surreal Work of Art

Order Out of Chaos: Photographing the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica

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