windows

Showing thumbnails for all image types in Windows Explorer

On OS X, the system decodes all major image types. On Windows however, only a few formats are recognized, which becomes frustrating for designers and photographers alike. Fortunately, there is a solution.

code
javascript

Fancy Javascript slideshow – no framework required

If you thought having broadband makes page size irrelevant, you were wrong. Bandwidth costs money and a few saved kilobytes over a million impressions means real savings, not to mention that Google ranks sites based on their speed too. I’ll show you how you can create a fancy slideshow in under 2KB, rather than about 100KB for JQuery + JQuery Cycle plugin.

photography

RAW Processors – an extensive review of Aperture, Bibble, Capture One, DxO and Lightroom

RAW processors are getting better with each generation, enabling photographers to produce and manage images of unparalleled quality. The competition is very fierce, with prices ranging from free to over $400, from quick apps aimed at casual users to professional tools. Following up on my previous articles, I am comparing the top 5 RAW converters to see which one is better for you.

php

A Simple Twitter Search Parser with PHP

I was recently asked to aggregate tweets based on their hashtags using PHP (no Ajax), so I decided to turn this into a small tutorial that will hopefully enable you build all sorts of XML parsers in PHP.

photoshop

Photoshop CS5 Digital Painting Tutorial

One of the exciting new features in Photoshop CS5 is the more natural way of painting, opening new ways to express your creativity – even if (like me) you’re not a true painter. In this tutorial I will show you the techniques and the tricks to convert a photo into a great-looking painting.

lightroom

Auto lens corrections in Lightroom 3

My prayers have been answered: Lightroom 3 and Adobe Camera RAW will feature lens correction (perspective and distortions). Check out the video!

laptop
photoshop

What to expect from Photoshop CS5

Adobe Creative Suite 5 will be officially announced on April 12 and will ship probably a month later. The crown jewel is, of course, Photoshop and it’s always fun to speculate on what it will bring.

photography

Adobe Lightroom 3 beta 2

What follows is the official announcement for the availability of Lightroom 3 beta 2. I’ll start playing with it right away and report my findings. I am a bit disappointed that there’s no word on any optical corrections, but I won’t judge anything for now.

photography

Apple finally releases Aperture 3

Aperture 3 brings a number of improvements across the board, most notably better library organization, with easy catalog switching, searching and filtering; GPS integration; face detection; support for video; non-destructive brushes.

avatar

The making of Avatar – some juicy details

In my previous article, I listed the companies involved in the making of Avatar, as well as the tools used. Now I intend to bring more detail and show some of the technical challenges and innovations that helped shape the world of Pandora and its inhabitants.

avatar

The software used in the making of Avatar

Avatar has captured the imagination of millions of people from around the globe. Creating a completely new world from scratch, one with hundreds of species of flora and fauna and breathtaking landscapes is a daunting task that Cameron completed with flying colors. Let’s see what companies and software were involved.

photography

Photoshop and the Rule of Thirds

If you are a photographer and want to use the so-called Rule of Thirds in your compositions, here’s a neat trick to show it in Photoshop: