May 10, 2016: Tips & Tricks To Make Your Images “Pop”

Bill Achuff at PMUG's June 2015 meeting

(Click for larger version)

The ability to digitally capture moments in our lives, is now in the hands of almost everyone. Cameras have become as commonplace as has the mobile phone. MY how our lives have changed.

Many of us communicate with one another through photography—facilitated by resources like Flickr, Instagram, and Facebook. But just as not everyone who writes, can write WELL, not everyone who snaps a photo can capture an image that can convey a positive message.

Bill Achuff will review some of the applications he uses to process the majority of his photos, including some that are free and many that are inexpensive and relatively easy to use. He’s presented on Lightroom and Photoshop in the past, so this time he’ll steer clear of the mainstream and set sail into lesser charted waters.

“Recently I’ve begun trying to differentiate my work, even common photos, from those of others,” Bill says, “so I make extensive use of applications like: On1 Photo 10, Smart Photo Editor Studio, PostworkShop, FX Photo Studio Pro, photoFXlab, etc. Turning my photos into oils, watercolors, sketches, and cartoons stimulates my imagination BEYOND finding the perfect, or NOT so perfect subject, and photographing it in a unique way.”

About the presenter…
Bill Achuff‘s most recent career—that of professional photographer, has extended more than a decade. He’s chosen not to specialize in one particular genre, instead opting for variety and diversity in the subjects he photographs. “News photography gave me that,” Bill says, “but the need for professional photography has diminished. More and more news outlets are quite content accepting photos from ANYONE, so long as they’re timely and free.”