The Darlow Report
by Andrew Darlow
9/24/08

Hi folks!

For this installment, I offer a tip for getting a more "film-like" look in your prints, an overview of a new series of shows at ICP in New York, some Photoshop CS4 tutorial links, and some links to info about the photokina trade show now happening in Germany.

First, I've decided to share a tip that I included in my book, 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques, primarily because so many of the people who have attended my recent workshops can't believe that I actually do this. So without further ado, here's the tip: Add Noise to Make Your Prints Look Even Better.

Adding noise to digitally captured or upsized images can often make them look less digital" and more like images captured on traditional film. I first saw the power of this in a presentation by photographer and PixelGenius member Jeff Schewe,who enlarged a file from a 3.1 megapixel Canon EOS-D30 digital SLR using Photoshop (prior to the built-in Bicubic Smoother option) to about 20 × 30 inches, added noise, then printed the image on an inkjet printer. The final print looked very natural--similar to what I would expect from a pro lab that makes digital or darkroomprints.

Following are the settings I often use when adding noise to images using Photoshop'snoise filter (Filter>Noise>Add Noise)--Uniform, with Monochromatic checked. Start with 1 pixel to see the effect. Photoshop's preview at 100% (1:1) will give you a good overview of what to expect, but to really see the power of this tool, it's best to make test prints using different noise settings.

You may be surprised how well "noisy" images onscreen look when printed. To protect your underlying image, I recommend applying noise on a separate layer, just like sharpening. Or, you can save your retouched file, then run the noise filter on a new version, then save it as a new file.

If you'd like to share any thoughts about my thoughts, feel free to contact me through the contact form here: http://www.inkjettips.com/contact-us/. Also, I'm conducting a number of printing-related workshops and seminars in the NY/NJ area in the upcoming months, including a seminar at the PhotoPlus Expo in October (I'll be talking about many of my favorite inkjet printers and papers). For more info, visit http://www.imagingbuffet.com/workshops. Hope to see some Red Dog readers there!

And if you Twitter or would like to, you can follow me and/or sign up and start Twittering here: http://twitter.com/andrewdarlow

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Exhibitions currently on view at ICP from September 19, 2008-January 4, 2009: Susan Meisales; Cornell Capa: Concerned Photographer; America and the Tintype; Living with the Dead: W. Eugene Smith and World War II.

The current group of exhibitions at ICP in New York City looks to me to be really incredible. I have not been able to visit the show yet, but I plan to soon, and I highly recommend taking a look at the site. I saw Susan Meisales' work on display at the Arles International Photo Festival in France a few years back, and Cornell Capa (ICP's founder) has so many iconic images. The other two shows look fantastic as well (I love how photography can help teach us about history in a very personal and up-close way). More information about the current exhibitions can be found here: http://www.icp.org/site/c.dnJGKJNsFqG/b.1196903/k.692/Current_Exhibitions.htm---------------
photokina 2008 News
With all the photokina news hitting the airwaves, I posted some links on imagingbuffet.com to help you keep updated: http://tinyurl.com/4w5oua

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Creative Suite 4 Info and Tutorials:
Photoshop CS4 and the entire Creative Suite from Adobe was just officially announced. Below are some links to more info and a number of free training resources:

http://tinyurl.com/53dvvm
http://tinyurl.com/44e7qz\

All the best!

Andrew

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