Skylum updates announced

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

Skylum (aka MacPhun) releases major updates

 

Aurora HDR 2018 and Luminar 2018 for both Mac and Windows received a major update at the end of January for both the Mac and Windows version.

With these updates, here are the current version numbers for each and what was updated/added.

These are free updates for existing users of both Luminar 2018 and Aurora HDR 2018.

 

Luminar 2018 1.1.1 version for Windows:

Added support for the following languages:

  • English
  • German
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Portugal
  • Chinese
  • Korean
  • Russian

Added shift + scroll hotkey for brush size adjustment

Curves filter improved

Merge layers feature released

Saving cropped image to document issue fixed

Fixed several issues with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom plugins usage

Sidebar UX improvements

 

Luminar 2018 version 1.1.1 for MAC:

Fixed issues with Photos Extension

RAW Develop support improved, added Leica Monochrome, DNG, HEIC formats, and fixed support for Hasselblad and several other cameras.

Fixed several issues with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom plugins usage

Fixed issue with Dodge & Burn mask from documents created on windows

 

Aurora HDR 2018 1.1.3 version for Windows:

Improved sliders: You can now directly enter values into a slider with the keyboard.

Improved presets: Applying multiple presets are now handled correctly.

Cropping improvements: The cropped state of an image is now correctly captured in the native Aurora HDR file.

 

Aurora HDR 2018 1.1.3 version for MAC:

Batch process faster: We’ve fine-tuned our bracket-detecting algorithm to speed up batch processing.

Align brackets better: We’ve updated our alignment algorithm to improve hand-held HDR photography.

Adobe plug-in improvements: The plugins for Adobe products have been performance tuned.

Improved cross-platform files: We’ve fixed issue with cropped photos created on Windows.

Improved user experience: We’ve refined the software to make it easier to use based on user feedback and testing.

 

To get the updates:

In each application, For Mac choose the application menu (Luminar or Aurora HDR) and choose Check for Updates. For Windows in the top toolbar, go to Help and choose Check for updates

 

If you don’t have either Luminar 2018 or Aurora HDR 2018 you can download a free trial Here

Download a Free Trial of Luminar 2018 for Mac or Windows

Download a Free Trial of Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac or PC

 

#AuroraHDR2018 #Luminar2018 #updates #affiliate

 

Sony a7R III in stock at Adorama

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

If you have been looking to get a Sony a7R III, Adorama Camera now has them in stock

You can get the Sony a7R III Mirrorless Digital Camera Body for $3198 with Free overnight shipping.

Place your order for the Sony a7R III Mirrorless Digital Camera Body here

This is a great camera, but at the moment is out of my price range. As soon as I have the funds, this will be my next camera.

 

#adorama #sonya7r3 #Sonya7RIII #affiliate

 

My first Art Show Season

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

It’s the end of the calendar year and the end of my first Art show season.

 

Doing Art shows is something that I had thought about doing for some time, but it took the extra little nudge from my photography buddy Sean Simmons to get me out there.

 

It has been a fun learning experience for the ins and outs of finding art shows, traveling to them, and meeting the various other artists at the shows. It is definitely something that I plan to continue next year. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of work involved, but it has been great to get out and see all the folks who appreciate my photography in person.

 

So I want to thank everyone that came out to the various shows that I attended this year. It has been a pleasure to meet you all. Even those who came out during the downpour that was my first show of the year at Hampstead Day.

 

I wish you all a Happy New Year.

 

But just because I’m not at a show doesn’t mean you cannot get some of my photography work. If you live in the central Maryland area I can probably deliver any requested work in person, just send me an email at mark@americankiwiphoto.com or an Instant Message via Facebook (American Kiwi Photo) and I’d be glad to print and matte the requested photo. Also, if there are subjects you would like photos to take of in the Mid-Atlantic, please let me know, I”m always looking for additional subjects to photography.

 

Be sure to follow my American Kiwi Photo Facebook Page to find out what shows I will be attending in 2018. I only have one lined up so far and that is Hampstead Day, but there will be much more to come as the schedules and applications are posted.

 

And if you are looking for great photography editing apps to go with that new camera you got for Christmas, there are several that have year-end deals that are expiring today.

Please check out my blog at markdoddphotography.com or follow the below links.

 

The On1 Holiday Bundle

The Topaz end of Year Sale

Aurora HDR Holiday Offer

Luminar Holiday Offer

#happynewyear #affiliate #artshows

 

On1 photo Raw 2018

On1 Photo Raw 2018 is Here

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

On1 Photo Raw is here and ready to download

On1 Photo Raw 2018 is available for both Mac and Windows

 

Photo Editing
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
In One App

ON1 Photo RAW 2018 includes the essential tools and features every photographer needs in their workflow. Our super fast, non-destructive, and state-of-the-art processing engine gives you an ultra smooth and efficient editing experience. ON1 Photo RAW is focused on allowing you to get the most out of every photo. Photographers now have a tool with fast photo management, hundreds of customizable photo effects, fast and beautiful HDR, panoramas, masking and selection tools, layers, and much more—in one app.

If you have been looking for an Adobe Lightroom replacement this could be it for you, so give it a try

Comes with a way to catalog your images.

on1 photo raw 2018

 

Packed with all the adjustment tools you need.

on1 photo raw 2018

 

Get On1 Photo Raw 2018 or download a 30day trial today

 

3 Courses included with your purchase

  1. On1 Photo Raw 2018 HDR Course
  2. On1 Photo Raw 2018 Pano Course
  3. On1 Photo Raw 2018 Masking Course

 

Here are just some of the new features in On1 Photo Raw 2018

  • HDR Mode
  • Panorama
  • Versions – can create multiple different versions that are separate from the original file to try various options on one photo.
  • Improvements in adjustments.
    • paint with color brush
    • skin retouching, color
    • Selective noise removal and adding
  • New masking tools
    • Blur
    • Chisel
    • Color Range Mask
    • Luminosity Masking update
  • On1 for Photo Mobile – lets you sync photos to and from your phone.
  • Updated UI
  • Create folders with groups of photos
  • Additional Camera Support

 

 

Get On1 Photo Raw 2018 or download a 30day trial today

 

#on1 #windows #mac #on1photoraw2018 #trial #On1discount #affiliate

Come join American Kiwi Photo this weekend – Nov 4th

On By Mark DoddIn American Kiwi Photo, General Blog PostLeave a comment

Come join me this weekend at one of my last Art Shows of the season.

 

I will be attending the

Art Market

Saturday, Nov 4th from 11am-3pm at

 

The Gallery

1101 Maiden Choice Lane, 2nd Fl

Baltimore, Md 21229

 

The event is open and free for all to attend

For more information on the event visit www.bcartsguild.org

 

Since this is getting to be the end of the season I will be offering some deals.

Such as buying 2 or more matted prints and save $5 off each.

So get 2, Save $10, Get 3 Save $15, and so on.

 

I might even have some of my recent New York trip photos such as this one of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge

 

#americankiwiphoto #artshow

 

Getting something different, a sunset reflection

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog Post, Hershey, Milton Hershey SchoolLeave a comment

I was up in Hershey PA over the weekend at my high school’s homecoming activities so, of course, I had my camera with me.

After meeting up with all my fellow Milts, I wanted to get a sunset picture from Founders Hall on the school campus.  So I walking out onto the patio to get some shots of the sunset that was directly ahead of me. Things were not that impressive due to lack of clouds and started heading back inside, but then I saw this interesting look and had to take a picture.

 

Sunset reflection on the glass of a door and the chandelier from inside

Sunset reflection on glass and Chandelier

Yes, not the most impressive picture I know and it is far from a perfect edit yet, but it is more to the point of don’t forget to look around as the best picture might be behind you, or beside you and not where you thought it might be.

Edited this one in On1 Photo Raw 2017 using layers and the develope module and it is composed of 2 images so I could get the complete chandelier in this image. Each image had a different part of the chandelier showing due to the how the lights were cycling.

#sunset #hershey #MHS #On1PhotoRaw

 

Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and Windows

Aurora HDR 2018 Now Available for Download

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

Aurora HDR 2018 is now available for immediate download for both Mac and Windows

 

If you missed out on the pre-order bundle or just wanted to wait until you can download a trial before buying, Aurora HDR 2018 is now available for download today.

Download a Free Trial of Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac or PC

Upgrade to Aurora HDR 2018

or

Get Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac or Windows

 

Although you may have missed out on getting the pre-order bundle, if you use my coupon code of

MARKDODD

at check out you can still get it for $89, a $10 discount off the retail price of on Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac or Windows of $99

 

Tutorials, New Presets, and Bundle

from Stuck in Customs

If you are looking for additional Presets, a complete tutorial, or a Bundle of both Aurora HDR 2018 and the extended length, step-by-step, 2 hour video tutorial ($39 value) that shows how to get the most out of Aurora HDR 2018 in a variety of different scenarios… from landscapes, indoors, single image files and much more. Check out Stuck in Customs

Get Aurora HDR 2018 tutorials, Presets and Bundles from Stuck in Customs

 

Be sure to use my Stuck in Customs discount code of MDP10 to save even more.

#aurorahdr #aurorahdr2018 #aurorahdrwindows #aurorahdrmac #aurorahdrpc #affilate

 

A quick multi-panel image of the eclipse

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog Post, TennesseeLeave a comment

It is going to take me awhile to go through all my images as I have over a 1000 bracketed photos to go through to see which are the best, but here is a quick edit I did with the full eclipse in the background and the various stages in the foreground.

 

One note as I have to switch around the order of the images. Currently, the shadow timeline goes right to left instead of left to right. Meaning, the start of the eclipse is currently on the right and goes to the left.

 

This was just a quick piece together and my no means the final version.

Enjoy

Update: Here is the final version polished up and the order is now right to left.

 

A panel of the moon path across the Sun and the total eclipsed sun with corona and Bailye’s Beads during the Great American Eclipse of 2017

 

Had a great Solar Eclipse Day

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

It was a long hot day but well worth the 12.5 hour drive in traffic on Sunday

I’ve only ever seen partial eclipses before and being in totally was an spiritual experience that I definitely plan on doing again in 7 years

Not everything went as planned as far as taking pictures but I did get some interesting shots and will be posting over the next week or so as I process them.

Had a panic moment as one set of memory card got full just before the totality but luckily I had my other cards on hand

I hope everyone had a great viewing experience wherever you were

Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and PC

Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac and NOW Windows

On By Mark DoddIn General Blog PostLeave a comment

That’s right folks,

Aurora HDR 2018 is now available for Mac and Windows.

 

So what is Aurora HDR for those who do not already know….

Aurora HDR is not just a tool for merging bracketed images, it also provides numerous tools and countless options to create perfect HDR photos for every taste – from one-click presets and advanced tone-mapping, to layers, noise reduction, and powerful luminosity masking controls.

Sign up to be notified when you can Pre-Order Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac or Windows today

 

Here are some of Aurora HDR’s Key Features that currently exist:

  • Total HDR editing experience with a complete set of tools available.
  • Fast, powerful RAW processing engine.
  • Tone-mapping algorithm to achieve both realistic and dramatic HDR images.
  • Over 70 presets that give photos an amazing HDR look in just one click.
  • Luminosity masking that automatically makes advanced selections within HDR images based on the Zone System.
  • Unique layer system that supports blend modes, custom textures and using original exposures as source images.
  • Image Radiance, brushes, masks, lighting, vignettes and much more help users achieve their artistic vision
  • Highly versatile batch processing
  • Works as a standalone app, or a plug-in to Photoshop and Lightroom

 

And here is some of what’s new in Aurora HDR 2018:

  • Lens Correction Tool – The new Lens correction filter easily fixes all kinds of lens distortion, from barrel to pincushion, to chromatic aberration and vignetting.
  • New User Interface – Redesigned from scratch, the modern and responsive user interface brings a powerful, yet joyful experience to HDR photo editing. (See sameple images below of the new interface)
  • Cross-platform version – Aurora HDR 2018 will be available both for Mac and PC users. Files are interchangeable and mixed-computer households can share the same product key.
  • Speed Improvements – Up to 4x improvement in RAW image processing, and up to 200% faster merging and masking performance means that Aurora HDR 2018 is dramatically faster than the last version.

And there will be more new features I’m sure.

 

You will be able to pre-order Aurora HDR 2018 on September 12.

The software will be released for download on September 28.

 

The All important, So How Much is It?

Pre-order pricing

  • Current users of Aurora HDR may upgrade at a special pre-order price of $49
  • New users can purchase Aurora HDR 2018 at a special pre-order price of $89
  • A collection of bonuses will also be included with every purchase.
    • To Be Determined as to what the bonus items will be, but I will add them here as soon as they are announced.

After the Pre-Order Period ends, the regular retail pricing is

  • $59 for current Aurora HDR users
  • $99 for new users

 

Generous Licensing model:

For households that have both Mac and PC (Windows) computers, you can share the same product key for both Mac and Windows up to the maximum of 5 activated devices.

Or if you are just a Mac household, up to 5 Mac devices.

Or if you are an all PC (Windows) household, up to 5 PC (Windows) devices.

You get the idea. Mix and match as much as you want to up to the max of 5 total devices using the license.

 

Sign up to be notified when you can Pre-Order Aurora HDR 2018 for Mac or Windows today

 

Sample images of the new simplified user interface

Lens Correction

 

Filter UI

 

 

Aurora, AuroraHDR, AuroraforWindows, AuroraforPC, Aurora2018 AuroraHDR2018, affiliate, Mac, Windows