Master Collection by Layer
Cake is a library of more than 900 elements that a digital artist can use to
improve and enhance their compositions.
The collection consists of
high-resolution 300 dpi elements that are Mac and Windows compatible, provided
on individual Photoshop layers, with precision cut-out selections ready to drag
or copy/paste into a target photograph.
The creative digital artist
will be able to draw from a rich and expansive compilation of image elements
that include clouds, skies, constellations, moon phases, birds in flight,
landscapes, trees, floral overhangs, farm animals, dogs and cats, ranch fences,
and much more. There is plenty here to get creative juices flowing and
actualized as imaginative digital compositing.
Original scene.Image with elements from The Master Collection.
Also included are a variety
of vignettes and frames. Helpful tutorials will reduce the learning curve,
although anyone familiar with Photoshop will have the prerequisite skills to
make good use of the collection.
Included are a set of almost
200 Photoshop Actions that simplify the process of applying menu selections and
tools. $200
A concise review of the most interesting and innovative developments in the digital publishing field as selected and reviewed by Professor Michael Kleper, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology. The Kleper Report on Digital Publishing has been in print and on-line since 1979. This blog is a continuation of the website still available at http://www.printerport.com/kdp.
StudioMagic
I and II are powerful plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop CS that significantly reduce
the complexities of producing professional-quality image compositions.
Photoshop
excels as the most creative digital imaging environment available. However,
just as a grand piano will not produce pleasing music in the hands of a novice,
Photoshop’s superpowers will remain dormant without a skilled digital artist…until
now! The single-click capabilities of the StudioMagic palette selections can be
applied by virtually anyone, and the results can match those of the most
talented computer artist.
The
StudioMagic plug-ins address the two major design capabilities and general uses
of Photoshop: Namely, cutting an element out of one image and placing it
seamlessly into another; and, adding effects that materially alter the
appearance of an image.
The StudioMagic plug-ins provide intuitive features and controls.
In
the first case, cutting out an image element, such as a person, from its
original image, and placing it on a new background, requires that the process
includes every pixel of the target, and nothing more. The human eye, which is
capable of a resolution of 576 megapixels, can easily detect any
irregularities, requiring that a target image is precisely defined and
realistically placed. StudioMagic I provides three tools for this purpose:
CutOut, ShadowCaster, and LightBrush.
CutOut
enables the easy transfer of a selected foreground object, specified by means
of Photoshop tools (i.e. Magic Wand or Quick Select), to be automatically
pasted into a new background with a single click. Particularly difficult images
having fine detail, such as hair, can be precisely cut out using the
StudioMagic Refine Edge option. Once pasted and resized the newly composed
image can be acted upon using other MagicStudio tools.
ShadowCaster
offers an easy way to apply any of more than a dozen shadow effects, with real-time
control over placement, size, slant, softness, height, and intensity.
LightBrush
enables the application of various forms of light, such as beams and vignettes,
that can dramatically affect the mood and feeling of an image, significantly
changing the ambiance it conveys.
StudioMagic
II provides a set of tools that materially affect the overall appearance of the
composed image, including the introduction of atmospheric effects. The tools
include Enviro, HyperZap, Reflections, LightingEffex, and Compositor.
The
Enviro component may be where StudioMagic best displays its magical powers. The
Season Shifter option enables the user to select the season (Spring/Summer,
Autumn, or Winter) and have the image conform, with an adjustable degree of
intensity, and with options for snow, rain, fog, and sunset, each with sliders
to apply precise control. As each effect is created, it can be moved up or down
in the Layers palette to conform to the composition.
The original scene.The beach with added clouds, sunset, light rays, dog, and toning.
The
HyperZap component consists of two options. Color Pop, which affects the
overall coloring of the image, with a wide selection of color presets with
adjustable intensity; and Grunge Boost, which can be applied to the entire
image or a selected subject, with sliders for saturation and intensity.
The
Reflections component provides adjustment sliders that can create either Water
Reflect or Mirror Image effects to the entire image or a selected subject. The
Water Reflect, in particular, provides dramatic imagery with precision control
over ripples, height, cooling, blur and intensity.
Lighting
Effex can act on either the entire image or a selected subject. With its
Intensity slider it can apply Warming, Cooling, or tinting of a selected color
in the image. The Rays, Beams, and Bursts option provides more than two dozen
lighting selections that can be customized by intensity, size, and blur.
Finally, the Edge Light option produces a vignette around the edges of the
image, or selected layer, with control over width, softness, and intensity.
Lastly,
the Compositor is an environmental wonder tool that affords the user the power
to create the world as they would like it to be. It provides an inventory of
presets of clouds, moon phases, rainbows, starry skies, lightning strikes, and
birds and flocks, all with precision slider controls. In a matter of minutes
the user can compose a realistic scene of incredible beauty.
MicSwap Pro is an iOS app that provides a number of switchable microphone emulations existing within seven different virtual recording environments. The collection of 15 microphones mimic classic real-world sound capture devices, such as the Shure SM58 and Sony Laval iframe. Technical information about each microphone is available by tapping its logo as portrayed on-screen.
The app essentially makes the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch a portable recording studio, supporting real-time monitoring using headphones. It can be used as a Bluetooth mic; be used with an external Bluetooth mic; or used with a connected mic.
Recordings are captured in either .m4a or .WAV format, requiring about one MB per minute for .m4a, and ten MB per minute for .WAV. Recordings can be of any length, limited only by the storage capacity of the device.
After a recording has been made, or imported, it can be processed through any combination of microphones and virtual studio spaces, providing unrivaled versatility. In-app-captured and imported recordings appear in the recordings list, which can be sorted by title, date, mic, duration and color category. Either type can be trimmed and exported to a variety of outputs.
A free, feature-limited version is also available.
This inexpensive app is quite extraordinary in its array of features and capabilities, its excellent sound emulations, and its import and export options. $19.99
