Topaz Adjust

Discuss which third party applications you use to help create your slide shows using ProShow Producer. This is not a forum to promote other slide show software programs.
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Topaz Adjust

Postby czali » Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:56 am

I just purchased Topaz adjust yesterday and would love some insight from any experts out there. I would like to know how you approuch a photo with people. Seems a bit harder to get the skin smooth. I read about removing the noise in the photo but should you do that after or before you add the topaz affect? Any thoughts?

Here is the photo I was playing with. What should be corrected or done to make this better?

Thanks,

Colleen

http://www.photosremembered.com/page1.html

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Re: Topaz Adjust

Postby dalekincaid » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:21 pm

Colleen

I haven't yet explored Topaz Adjust as a basic image enhancement program. There are much better programs for that. I purchased it for its creative possibilities. It is becoming more and more trendy to take images beyond the normal photographic quality into a variety of creative art forms. Topaz Adjust seems to be better suited as a very good tool to create an illustrative representation of a photograph by boosting tonal contrast, saturation and detail. This has become a popular look by some of the HDR enthusiests.

I don't have an on-line gallery of some of my new work demonstrating this illustrative effect, but here is a web site you can browse to see examples simular to what I do with Topaz Adjust. http://www.brianbrownphotography.com Cruise through the portraits and other sections. You will no doubt enjoy Brian's work.

I would suggest watching the video on the Topaz web site and experimenting with the software controls and tabs to discover the creative techniques you may like to use.

Dale K

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Re: Topaz Adjust

Postby Barkingmad » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:36 pm

dalekincaid wrote:Colleen

I haven't yet explored Topaz Adjust as a basic image enhancement program. There are much better programs for that.
Dale K


Just curious which programs [or filters] do you recommend for basic image enhancement?
Shaz BMad
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Re: Topaz Adjust

Postby Aida » Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:40 pm

czali wrote:I just purchased Topaz adjust yesterday and would love some insight from any experts out there. I would like to know how you approuch a photo with people. Seems a bit harder to get the skin smooth. I read about removing the noise in the photo but should you do that after or before you add the topaz affect? Any thoughts?

Hi Colleen,
I have been playing with both Topaz Adjust & Topaz Simplify for a while. I'm really fascinated by what it can do to transform my photos. In fact, I find them quite addictive . . . My photographic interests are mostly landscapes & scenery and architecture. No portraits.

Being a newbie myself regarding the use of both Topaz Adjust & Topaz Simplify, I have no advice to offer you except for this:

Are you aware of the topazlabs forum?

I often lurk there. The forum members - just like our ProShow Enthusiasts members here - are a bunch of very friendly & helpful people, who offer great advice to those who ask for it. Perhaps you'll find some useful suggestions there. I've learned a lot in the past several weeks. Here's the link, in case you don't know about it:

http://www.topazlabs.com/forum/index.php

Hope this will help you somewhat. Cheers,
-aida
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Re: Topaz Adjust

Postby czali » Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:20 pm

Thanks so much! I will check out the forum. It might be just what I need for my limited use. Thanks!

Colleen

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Re: Topaz Adjust

Postby dalekincaid » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:12 pm

Just curious which programs [or filters] do you recommend for basic image enhancement?


Being careful not to hijack this thread, I will give a short & sweet answer. Photoshop is no doubt one of the best software programs for basic to advanced image editing. The must have speciality plug-ins would then be Imagnomic's Noiseware and portraiture. Secondary plug-in would be Nik's Color Effects Pro. These combined give me all the tools needed for people and nature photography.

Disclaimer: This is the opnion of the poster based on education and experience and does not imply a debate.

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Re: Topaz Adjust

Postby dnealious » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:39 pm

As a portrait photographer I use it mainly to first adjust the exposure if needed. I test to see if any of the Topaz filters "improve" my image. I may not like what it may do to the skin, but like the effect on other parts of the image. If that is the case then I use the filter and always on its own layer. Then in PS adjust the layer opacity to taste, and then bring the skin tones back to where I like them with the. It's strange, but sometimes a filter will look great on one image and you'll be hard pressed to get a similar effect on what seems to be the same kind of image. The link below will show the effect of one of the Topaz Adjust filters. The first two images were shot on the same background which had subtle cloud-like patterns you've seen a million times. TA is able to see those subtleties and crank 'em. On it's own layer you can do a lot.

http://dni-seniors.blogspot.com/2009/06 ... ssion.html

Don N
Don Nealious

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