Transform Photographs into Stunning Paintings or Sketches with Photoshop's Generative Fill A.I.

This is a fun one. There's a little trick you can use with Generative Fill AI in Photoshop Beta to transform your own photographs into paintings and drawings, and here I show how it works. With it you can turn a picture into an oil painting, a watercolour, a pencil sketch and more, all from the same starting image, which makes it a really enjoyable way to experiment and see your photographs in a completely different light.

Squarespace makes it easier to add Photographs

Now this is a great update from Squarespace. It's made it so much easier to add photographs to your website straight from your phone or tablet, without having to go through the whole process of importing and exporting first. Here I show how the feature works, which is especially handy if you take a lot of photographs on your phone or tablet and want to get them onto your site quickly.

Wales and West Photography Show 2023

Last Friday (16th June) I was at the Wales and West Photography Show, held at the International Convention Centre in South. Wales, presneting on behalf of Permajet …

Large red Welsh dragon sculpture against a blue sky

This was the 2nd year of the show, and my first time being there and loved every minute! Such a great venue and so well organised with a great hall of vendors, stands and stage / presentation area.

Large screen in an exhibition hall showing a man's portrait and the name Glyn Dewis

Nothing was too much trouble. Smiling faces an d helpful staff from. the Camera Centre UK but also from staff at the Convention Centre. There was always someone noticing if you were ok or not, maybe needed pointing in the right direction and so on. Also outside, a great refreshements area.

Wales and West Photography Show speaker badge for Glyn Dewis on a black lanyard

My talk / presentation was going thorugh how to get “Perfect Prints” so taking folks through how to correctly calibrate their displays and also explaining what certain settings mean, what settings to use in your printing software (Lightroom, Photoshop etc) and then paper choice.

This was a brand new presentation I’d put together for the show including the new Palette Master Ultimate Software from BenQ, which allowed me to go through settings clearly and that translated into other calibration software. Feedback after and since has been wonderful, so thank you if you were there!

Speaker presenting to a seated audience in front of a screen reading calibration, settings and paper
Speaker with arms outstretched on stage in front of a screen showing a Lightroom Classic logo
Presenter talking to an audience in front of a screen showing a monitor and calibration notes

Thank you to my friend Steve Healy for grabbinh these shots during my presentation

Thanks once again to Permajet, in particular Adam Hinchcliffe who not only was working incredibly hard on the stand but sorted everything out so that on the day I literally had nothing to think about other than my presentation. Also, Abi Symons who had done a fantastic job printing out some of my images on various papers, so that they could be on display on the stand over the 3 days and folks there could cleasrly see the benefits of certain paper types.)

If this was just the 2nd year of the Wales and West Photography Show then I can’t wait for next year. It’s definitely one to add into the diary!

LIGHTROOM UPDATE (June 2023)

In June 2023 Adobe added some updates to Lightroom Classic and Lightroom Cloud, which includes Lightroom Mobile, so this is a quick run through of the main bits. I look at the changes to Refine Saturation, HSL and Grain, along with the Devices tab and a few other additions. There were also the usual minor updates, including support for new cameras and lenses, but here I've concentrated on the changes that'll make the most difference when you're editing.

Book Review: "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

"Atomic Habits" by James Clear is definitely now one of my favourite books!

Atomic Habits is a powerful and insightful book that provides practical strategies for creating positive habits and breaking destructive ones. With a clear and engaging writing style, James demystifies the process of habit formation and guides readers on a transformative journey toward personal growth and productivity.

It seemed that on each and every page I found myself nodding in agreemnt or outwardly saying “Now that makes sense” or “I never thought of that”

So breaking the contents down, here’s some of the main key concepts and takeaways …

1. The Power of Tiny Habits:

James Clear emphasises the significance of small, incremental changes—what he calls "atomic habits." James encourages readers to focus on making small, manageable adjustments in their daily routines, as these compound over time to create significant and lasting results. In his own words, “By breaking down big goals into smaller, actionable steps, readers can develop a sense of momentum and build successful habits that endure.”

2. The Four Laws of Behavior Change:

James introduces the framework of the Four Laws of Behavior Change, which are cue, craving, response, and reward. By understanding how these laws interact, readers can design and shape their habits effectively. He guides readers to identify the cues that trigger their habits, the cravings that drive them, the responses they take, and the rewards they receive. This framework empowers individuals to modify their behavior and create positive habits while eliminating negative ones.

3. The Importance of Habit Stacking:

Habit stacking is a technique that involves attaching a new habit to an existing one. Clear explains that by linking a desired habit to an established routine, individuals can leverage the power of consistency and make habit formation more seamless. This approach eliminates decision-making and makes it easier to adopt new habits without relying solely on willpower.

4. The Role of Environment:

James highlights the influence of environment in shaping our habits. He suggests that individuals can optimise their environment to make desired behaviors more attractive and easily accessible. By making small adjustments, such as organising workspaces, removing distractions, or surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals, readers can create an environment that supports their desired habits and increases their chances of success.

5. Continuous Improvement and Identity:

Clear encourages readers to focus on the process of continuous improvement rather than solely fixating on the outcome. By embodying the identity of the person they want to become, readers can align their habits with their self-perception. Through consistent action and mindset shifts, individuals can reinforce their new identity and sustain positive habits for the long term.

Conclusion:

"Atomic Habits" by James Clear is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand the science behind habit formation and leverage it for personal growth. Clear's practical strategies and actionable advice empower readers to make small, incremental changes that lead to profound transformations. By adopting the principles outlined in the book, individuals can break free from destructive patterns, cultivate positive habits, and ultimately achieve their goals.

"Atomic Habits" is a must-read for those looking to build a solid foundation for lasting change and maximise their potential for success. At no point did I find myself thinking this was all just clever wording and regurgitating what some many other books in the P.M.A. genre seem to do; quite the oppisite in fact … the contents, the principles, the suggestions are well explained, make total sense and effective.

Highly recommended.

Camera Shake Podcast

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of being invited on the very popular Camera Shake Podcast to chat with host Kersten Luts.

I’d been a Guest on the podcast way back when it was in its infancy around the early time of the Covid Pandemic (Episode 46) but a lot has changed since then not just with what I’m focusing on but also in the creative world with the very recent release of Generative Fill A.I. in Photoshop Beta.

So, in this episode amongst other things Kersten and I chatted about how I’ve focused on my YouTube Channel and my process for creating weekly videos, mobile phone photography and how that is something I’m dong A LOT of now and also, of course Generative Fill A.I. 

The podcast is available as audio only where all great podcasts are found and also in video format on YouTube: LINK

Here’s a couple of links:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Y2Lmfm
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/304sm2G

Hope you enjoy it,

Glyn

iPHONE Photography and LIGHTROOM Masking Tip YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW !!!

Here's an iPhone photography and Lightroom tip you probably didn't know about. I start by showing how to change the depth of field on your iPhone before you take a photograph, and then how you can still change it after you've taken it. From there I move into Lightroom and show how to use the depth information captured in the photograph to create Depth Range masks, giving you a really useful way to target adjustments based on how near or far things are in the scene.

BenQ UK "Show your Mac Desktop" Event to WIN a Designer Monitor

BenQ UK are currently running a “Show your Mac Desktop” Event where anyone who posts a picture on Instagram of their current Mac Device and BenQ Monitor stands a chance to WIN a 4K Thunderbolt 3 Designer Monitor …

To enter the competion all you need to do is the following steps …

✅ Post the photos on your public Instagram channel with hashtags #BenQ and #ShowYourMacDeskSetup
✅
Visit BenQ UK event site 
✅ 
Visit @aqcolor_by_benq and @BenQ UK on Instagram 
✅ Follow @BenQ UK on Twitter

Here’s my current Desktop Set Up with my Designer Monitor (PD 3420Q) on the right hand side and you can just about see my Apple Mac Studio on the far left 😃

Desk set-up with two monitors, a microphone, a softbox and acoustic panels on a dark wall


GENERATIVE FILL A.I. in Photoshop is INCREDIBLE for Photographers

When Generative Fill arrived in Photoshop, it was clear straight away that this artificial intelligence technology was going to change editing for photographers. Here I take a look at what it can do and why I think it changes things for the better, both practically and creatively. On the practical side it can help with everyday editing jobs, and on the creative side it opens up a whole range of new ideas, all from within Photoshop itself.

Guest Blog Post on Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider

Really proud to be a Guest over on Scott Kelby’s Photoshop Insider website today ( LINK )

I followed Scott’s blog when I first started out and still do to this day. Back in the day Scott used to run a ‘Motivational’ post every Tuesday and I’ll never forget the morning I started reading as usual and saw that his Tueday post was about me.

We’d not met and become friends at that point but Scott was telling his readers about my work and recommeding they go check it out. That meant a lot!

So much has happened since then and a big motivator of that was and is the support Scott has shown me over the years, so to be back on his blog today is something special for me … it’s kind of where it all started.

Thanks Scott and thanks to Brad Moore for reaching out.