Learn With Betsy » Programs + Materials for Professional Photographers

Blow Up 3 Photo Enlargement Plug-In for Photoshop

I finally got a chance to explore Alien Skin Software‘s new release of Blow Up. I have to say, I’m impressed! The interface has gotten much nicer, and is simpler to understand. And, I’ve been told the image quality is even sharper than the previous version. “Our best achievement in Blow Up 3 is image sharpness,” said Terence Tay, the designer of Blow Up. “Even huge prints don’t have any traditional computery artifacts.”

If you’re not familiar with Blow Up, it’s a plugin that runs from within Photoshop, and sharpens your images for print based on a number of variables (size, paper type). And, with version three, it now works with Lightroom! The plugin runs within Photoshop (CS4+, Elements 8+) and Lightroom (2+); you’ll need to make sure your system meets these requirements:

  • Microsoft Windows users need Windows Vista or later.
  • Apple Macintosh users need Mac OS X 10.6 or later.
  • An Intel Core 2 processor or compatible is required.
  • A monitor with 1024×768 resolution or greater is required.

The installation process is simple and painless. Just download the setup file and run the installation. Once installed, you’ll need to open Photoshop. To access the plug-in, you’ll need to go to File > Automate > Blow Up 3. You do need to have an image already open in Photoshop in order to access the interface.

Using Blow Up 3 with Lightroom works in a similar fashion… except that Blow Up 3 is run from Lightroom as an external editor. You launch Blow Up by selecting an image (or multiple images), then going to Photo > Edit In > Blow Up 3 (you can access this by right-clicking on any of the images). The developers recommend that you have Lightroom “Edit a Copy with Lightroom Adjustments” when using Blow Up.

From here on out, the experience is pretty much the same, except for the fact that Lightroom users can open multiple images in the interface, while Photoshop users must open each image individually. This next screenshot shows the Blow Up 3 interface. There are three main tabs – you can crop, resize, or stretch the image to fit our desired output size.

The document size dropdown includes photographic print sizes (i.e. 8×10, 30×40), square sizes, etc — these will use Smart Crop technology; or, you can do a custom crop by dragging the crop marks on the image with the crop tool.

Enlargement tuning will “activate” once you select a output size; you can tweak the settings if you want. You’ll also want to make sure to set the output medium to screen, photographic print (matte, luster, or glossy). I chose medium sharpening for my comparison example, which I’ll show you a close-up of in one minute. Note that you can also save custom settings so that you can streamline your workflow! Here’s a screenshot of the dialog box for creating a new custom setting.

Ok, and now for the big finale. Here’s an image that I had edited and prepped for print already. No sharpening was applied before using Blow Up. I tested the 30×40 enlargement option, with medium sharpening, and here is the comparison at 100% zoom:

While I expected good things, I was definitely impressed! Now, if there is any way to batch multiple images with Blow Up 3 using Photoshop (like you can do in Lightroom) — I would totally use this as a tool for prepping all my client orders. Between the vastly improved user interface and the blow away results you can achieve with this plugin, I’m sold. If you’re interested in trying out this software for yourself, Blow Up 3 is available through alienskin.com for $199 USD. There are a number of video tutorials you can view to get a feel for how the plug-in works in more detail.

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Nook Simple Touch

Over Christmas, I acquired a new toy that actually has me putzing around on the computer less! While I may still be looking at a screen, the Nook Simple Touch doesn’t really feel like it. The e-ink screen definitely is more reminiscent of a physical book.

As an avid reader, I anticipate my Nook will find a sense of purpose in my possession. Whether it’s being used around the house, or on my next trip — I am looking forward to having a plethora of books at my fingertips. It’s already come in very handy, as I can read while the little one is nursing in my arms. I’ve tried doing that with a real book, and it didn’t work so well (page turns were a bit distracting). Trying to have a baby and mini laptop share my lap didn’t work out so well either, so it’s nice to have something I can do while I’m sitting there.

Some things I like about the Nook:

  • e-ink screen – this was a must for me
  • NO ads – a dealbreaker (the basic Kindle had ads, knocking it off my wish list)
  • lending library – I can share books with friends
  • epub and PDF compatibility – I can load my own PDFs via USB, or check out library books!

While it is just a basic reader, and lacks an internet browser… I’m still happy. I have heard rumors that you can root the Nook Simple Touch, since it runs on an Android platform, but that’s a decision to be made another day. For now, the absence of apps and the web allows me to focus on one thing — reading!

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Dom @ElevateMarch 6, 2012 - 7:02 am

eInk-wise, is the screen virtually the same as a Kindle? Or is there a difference. The Kindle freaked me out when I first opened it, I was trying to peel the cover not knowing it was the actual screen telling me to turn it on :P

Babywearing = Mobility for the Working Mother

boba baby carrierSince the little one arrived, I’ve been finding new ways to be productive, and learning how to get things done effectively while juggling my baby’s needs. One of the techniques I’ve found most helpful has been babywearing. My little guy is very well-behaved, but he is such a social butterfly… he’s not too happy to be left alone. That can really put a kink in the whole “getting things done” plan… My solution? Babywearing. It sounds kind of silly, but the concept is as old as civilization… the saying goes that babies who are carried (worn close to the body) cry less and their needs can more easily be met. I’ve found this to be true for my child. When I snuggle him into his carrier, he becomes calmer, he is happy to be near me, and enjoys being able to still view the world.

I’ve tried a number of baby carrier styles:

  • Soft Structured Carrier
  • Mei Tai Carrier
  • Wrap

My favorite? Well, it depends. Up until 3 months of age, we exclusively used a wrap and a mei tai carrier… I loved how snugly these secured my baby to me; my Baby Hawk mei tai carrier even had head support built in to prevent that baby bobble head effect. The only downside was the fact that these types of carriers have to be tied on (it can be awkward to try and extricate the baby). For easy on/off, I like my soft-structured carrier. It’s like a mei tai, but with buckles instead of ties. I have a Boba baby carrier, but Ergo is another popular brand (see photo at right — even Grandmas like babywearing!).

The best part? Wearing my baby frees me from the couch. I can nurse my little one while standing or doing work… and the familiar motion of being walked helps him to fall asleep when he’s tired but fighting sleep. He will nap happily in either a front carry or back carry, while I work in my studio or do housework.

Aa baby carrier is on my list of essentials for any mother …but it’s especially useful for the mobile, working mom. If you need to be free to move about and have use of both hands while taking care of your child, babywearing is the perfect solution!

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PicktureThat! Bracelet Review

I recently stumbled upon a neat website that offers photo bracelets…. PicktureThat! The bangle bracelets are a bit chunkier than I personally would wear, so once I ordered a sample bracelet (pictured at right), I lent it to someone with more “style” so she could try it on for size. She got a lot of compliments on the bracelet; a number of ladies asked her where they could get ones for themselves.

So, my thoughts — the ordering process was pretty straightforward. I had to start over a few times because I uploaded the wrong pictures, but once I got that figured out… it went pretty smoothly.

When the bracelet arrived, I found it to be bigger than I expected (again, no big deal, except if you’re a “subtle” jewelry-wearing kind of person). I also discovered that this might not make the ideal product for resale purposes, as the PicktureThat! logo is featured at the bottom of the bracelet. Again, not a big deal if you’re the end-user, but sadly this product wouldn’t really be ideal for a studio to resell to clients. Otherwise, the bracelet is very nice — the metal has a nice solid feel to it, and the bracelet certainly isn’t flimsy at all. If only I were a chunky bracelet person, I’d love wearing these pictures on my wrist!

The bracelets retail for $24, and $1 is donated to a good cause. You can choose to feature three or four images on your bracelet, as well as whether they are horizontal or vertical. I chose the horizontal aspect with four images because it reminded me of a photobooth strip.

For more information about PicktureThat! make sure to visit their website… and try on a bracelet (or two) for size!

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