I’ve covered this topic a few times before on the blog, but as there have been lots of changes recently, I figured it would be time for an update. First I will go through the more popular software, and offer my opinion on each as to how it pertains to Fuji processing. Then I will discuss my current workflow. [Updated for May 2019]

I've made a conscious effort this year to try and avoid some of the incredibly stupid things that are said about photography on the internet. It was part of my new year's resolution, and while I've tried to stay above the fray, every now and then someone comes out with something so ridiculous that it has to be called out.

The most recent recent release of Lightroom added a new slider called “Texture”. This function works like a version of clarity, only on a smaller radius and on more “medium” details. A lot of people have liked this new functionality, but for those with older versions of Lightroom, or who have ditched it all together, you can actually do the same thing in Luminar.

Phase One are having a limited time deal for their affiliate partners and their readers. They are offering 15% off select versions of Capture One. You simply follow this link and enter your email address to get a discount code. 

I’m really behind on this post, so apologies. I haven’t really been paying much attention to X-Transformer, as I haven’t been using it that much lately, so I missed the 1.5 update that came out in March. This update changes a couple of things in the software, but the most noticeable is that it adds some lossy compression options and changes the interface a little.

One of the more consistent themes that I constantly hear about Capture One from Lightroom users is that they find it hard to use, and that there is a steep learning curve. It took me a while to be fully comfortable with the software, so I can understand where a lot of people are coming from. With that in mind I wanted to start a new set of videos to help users who are coming from Lightroom get to grips with Capture One.

I’ve just released an updated version of my Fuji Jpeg book. This is a relatively minor update, and is focussed on fixing the language in some places, as well as updating the references mentioned in it to reflect things that have changed since the guide was first written, such as the arrival of newer Fuji cameras, changes to Lightroom etc. the new version number is 1.2, and you can find a complete list of changes below. 

Today Adobe rolls out a series of updates across the Lightroom portfolio of applications. Lightroom Classic is now at 8.3 and it contains quite a few bug fixes and performance enhancements, as well as several new features. The entire suite of Lightroom versions has been updated including the mobile and desktop versions. Here are some of the details.

If you ever need to open a RAW file in Photoshop using Camera RAW I recently saw a demo featuring a feature that is sort of hidden, but is really useful. This is possibly a little bit technical, but the tip basically allows you to open a RAW file as a smart object without explicitly choosing the option to open as a smart object.

If you’re into photography at all, unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock (or stayed off the internet) you can’t help but have read about the recent “price hike” on Adobe’s Photography plan. Site after site reported that Adobe had “doubled” the price of its photography plan, which lead to cries and consternation from all corners of the internet. I was really in two minds as to whether to write about this or not, because I know this will be unpopular, and I will get lots of hate mail because of this. I was really angry and annoyed about this news. Not because of what Adobe did, but because of the way it was reported and the crazy carry on afterwards.

With the recent launch of Luminar Flex and the update of Luminar to 3.1, I’ve been seeing a lot of comments and I've been getting feedback from readers who are confused about the different versions. I have to admit, I was a bit confused myself at first, but I’ve since managed to get a better handle as to the main differences between the two. With that In mind, I will attempt to clear up some of the (yours and mine!) confusion.

Despite being discontinued several years ago, Apple’s Aperture software still worked for the most part with current setups, but that is about to change. Apple has issued a warning that Aperture won’t work with the next version of MacOS after Mojave. 

Today, Skylum Software releases the first major update to Luminar 3. The release brings a couple of new features along with lots of other fixes and tweaks. The two headline features of the new version are Accent AI 2.0 and Raw + Jpeg management. I’ve been trying the beta for a few days and here’s what I found.

In this video I look at how to fix a burnt out sky, that you can’t recover with the highlights recovery or by adjusting exposure, in Capture One. Sometimes if your image is slightly overexposed, or if you’re photographing a high contrast scene you may come across a situation where the highlights are clipped and you can’t recover them. There is still a fairly easy way to fix the problem though, and in this video I show you how.

I’ve been managing to keep an ageing 2012 Mac Pro as my main computer for nearly 7 years now, and from time to time its really been a struggle. Over the years I’ve added various upgrades and replacement parts, and its somehow managed to keep going, despite getting a tremendous amount of use. Lately though it’s been driving me mad. It takes nearly an hour to reboot - from off to being useable. The OS comes up in about two minutes, but by the time everything loads and settles down and is useable - it’s nearly an hour. This is partly because of a slow system drive, and partly due to years of bits and pieces clogging the OS