PhotoActive - Episodes Tagged with “Photoshop”

Episode 182: Photoshop on iPhone

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Adobe has released Photoshop for iPhone, a bonafide version of real Photoshop, not to be confused with Photoshop Express or other earlier variations. We take a look at this new app with one main question in our minds: Who is this for?

A programming note: Toward the end of the episode we talk about using the Remove tool in Photoshop and Lightroom, but Jeff forgot to take screenshots. When he tried to reproduce the same actions later, he didn’t get the same results as described while we were doing it. So we apologize that we don’t have visuals to accompany what we’re describing.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

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Photoshop on iPhone main interface

Tap the + button to add layers.

Adjustment layers are where you change tone and color in a photo.

Applying a Curves adjustment layer to adjust the exposure.

A Black and White adjustment layer.

Episode 140: Denoise and Healing Tools

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 01:00:00 -0700

Adobe added a new AI-assisted denoise feature to Lightroom and a Remove tool in the public beta of Photoshop, both of which are impressive. But how many photographers find themselves using these and other tools?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Carson Camera Sensor Magnifier - 4.5 x 30mm (SM-44)
Kirk: Photomator

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

The noisy original (edited for tone and color)./Photo by Jeff Carlson

Noise removed using Denoise in Lightroom Classic./Photo by Jeff Carlson

A close-up comparison of the original (left) and the denoised version (right).

Event photography is often tough for camera sensors. This photo from CreativePro Week 2022 was shot using a Fujifilm X-T4 at ISO 2500 and processed with DxO PureRAW 2./Photo by Jeff Carlson

Another photo from CreativePro Week 2022, this one shot at ISO 5000 and processed in DxO PureRAW 2./Photo by Jeff Carlson

Photo by Kirk McElhearn

Using the new Remove tool in the public beta of Adobe Photoshop, the people in front of the castle have been removed./Photo by Kirk McElhearn

Episode 79: Professional Retouching with Lisa Carney

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

In Episode 78, we talked about everyday photo retouching, such as removing dust spots and objects from your images. Now, we’re shifting to the big leagues, talking to professional retoucher Lisa Carney about the art and business at this level. You may never look at a movie or TV ad the same way again.

Guest:

Lisa Carney, Instagram

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Art of Drew Struzan
Kirk: Pixelmator Pro; AppleScript support

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Drew Struzan’s poster art for The Thing (from DrewStruzan.com )

Episode 53: Focus Stacking

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0700

You can control depth of field in a photo using narrow apertures, but what do you do when that’s not enough to get everything in focus? For macro and some landscape photography, the answer is focus stacking, a technique that blends several images shot at different focal lengths. Kirk and Jeff talk about how it works and when you’d want to use it.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
How-To: Focus Stacking in Photoshop, Adobe Create
Episode #20 - The Blur-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named
Photographing the Canadian Rockies, Part 1, Nick Page’s video about when he shot the ice image that appears in the Adobe Create article.
Affinity Photo
Pixelmator Pro
Helicon Focus
Zerene Stacker
Fuji X Secrets, by Rico Rico Pfirstinger
Bob Sober
Episode 47: Jeff Becomes an Event Photographer

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Fujifilm X-T3 Vertical Battery Booster Grip
Kirk: Peak Design Standard Plate

If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.

Nick Page’s photo from Jeff’s article in Adobe Create Magazine.

Red Onion Camera: Fujifilm X-T3 Shutter speed: 1.6 sec Aperture: f/11 ISO: 160 Photo: Kirk McElhearn

Focus-stacked coins Camera: Fujifilm X-T1 Composited in Adobe Photoshop Photo: Jeff Carlson

Barn and Fence Focus-stacked from the next two images. Camera: Fujifilm X-T3 Shutter speed: 1/250 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 160 Photo: Jeff Carlson

Barn and Fence Image #1 with the foreground fence in focus and the barn out of focus Camera: Fujifilm X-T3 Shutter speed: 1/250 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 160 Photo: Jeff Carlson

Barn and Fence Image #2 with the barn in the background in focus, but the fence in the foreground blurry. Camera: Fujifilm X-T3 Shutter speed: 1/250 sec Aperture: f/8 ISO: 160 Photo: Jeff Carlson