Author Archives: David J. Julian

Improving Winter Scenes with Lightroom 4

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Sage, Snow, Sky

“I’ve just returned from back country skiing in Yellowstone National Park. I shot some images of snowy landscapes that need careful processing to bring out the beauty of the snow and features. Lightroom 4 can do it with ease.” Whiter whites: If skiing in fluffy pristine snow wasn’t enough excitement, Adobe just released the completed Lightroom 4, which has many features I’ve been wishing for. One of my favorites is that now there are separate sliders to … more >> →

Creative Photoshop: Montages & Lighting with Layers and Masks

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I’m presenting to the Seattle Area Photoshop User Group on Tuesday, February 21st at Adobe’s Seattle Headquarters. The title of my presentation is: “Creative Photoshop: Montages & Lighting with Layers and Masks” We have 250 RSVPs. It will still be the largest turnout ever for any Photoshop-related Meetup. Read more about it here.

A Pre-visualization Collage Technique in Photoshop

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          “Making a Photoshop collage is a defined yet flexible process.” One can approach this with complete spontaneity, like a child with a crayon, or with a methodical approach as seen here. For client work, I first create a sketch, then once approved, I begin to create or search for my existing visual elements. This technique is called ‘Pre-Visualization’, because one must first think of what one wants to create. It’s a … more >> →

Standing in The Shadows

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“When your subject needs the human element, why not step into the composition?” While on the phone during a walking break, I saw these pleasing branch shapes casting shadows on a concrete wall. I liked the shadows but needed another element. I stepped into the photograph, recomposed, and took several shots with my iPhone 4s. I am sometimes amazed at how this little 8-megapixel iPhone camera can make such interesting photographs that might take over … more >> →

Next workshop: Santa Fe Workshops in March 2012

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“Creative Photography with Any Camera”  MARCH 14 – 17 :  Santa Fe, NM “Join me to capture the beauty, history, and nature in and around Santa Fe!”                   No matter what your photography experience is, this workshop will inspire and give you hands-on instruction to master camera settings, use intuition to capture the best moments, artfully compose shots, edit and organize images and create slide shows, prints and web galleries. You’ll … more >> →

A Starry Night Sky Captured With a Pocket Camera

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Starry-Night_2011-xmas-card1

  This year’s New Year Wish card is a starry night sky from a photo I made on compact camera. The scene is a very chilly night at pristine Lake George near the base of Mt. Rainier. Here’s the story:   My campout at the lake was a spontaneous decision made late in the day. I had just been camping with my sister and nieces. Something was tugging hard at my mind to solo on the mountain but I … more >> →

Reaching out creatively with a wide angle.

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Coastline park, trees Ke'anae, HI

“I have a confession. I’ve been addicted to very wide angle lenses for over 30 years, and I have no intention of quitting.” There is nothing quite like the inclusive sweep of a photograph made with a wide angle lens. I find it intriguing how wides see the world so much differently than my own eyes. The characteristic distortion of wides, when used creatively can create inviting and dramatic images. I started my own ‘habit’ in 1974 … more >> →

Capturing the Living Environment

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“Wherever I go, I seek compositions that artfully interpret subjects and the ‘feel’ of the place they inhabit” On a recent road trip down the Oregon coast, I spent a day at infamous Canon Beach. To say that it’s a magical and photogenic place is an understatement. The surrounding public-access coastline draws over 20,000 people a year, yet much of it can easily be seen with hardly a soul upon it.

Reflections on a Foggy Morning

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“Nothing gets my poetic creativity flowing like photographing water reflections in morning fog.”                   I love that fog coats everything in moist dew, and love exploring compositions where foregrounds softly fade into backgrounds. It also melds together two of my favorite sounds: seagulls and foghorns.

Get Low For a Unique Perspective

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“Photographing a landscape from a low angle perspective helps me illustrate subjects in nature.” When photographing the land, I shoot traditionally and also look for a unique perspective or point of view. Low vantage points are often overlooked, and are often truly rewarding. Before getting close with my camera to capture the details, I use my body position to try various ways I might view the subject. To the causal onlooker, I must look insane with my … more >> →