Capture One Pro is a powerful imaging application that combines photo management, RAW conversion, and post production all under one well-designed roof. And version 10 ups the ante by adding features such as output proofing and 3-step sharpening.

In this course, I embark on an in-depth exploration of Capture One Pro 10. The teaching structure mirrors the design of the software itself, with chapters that step through each of the tabs in the program, from organizing to editing to outputting images.

Highlights include:

• Organizing assets in the library
• Correcting color casts with the Color Editor
• Understanding the HDR sliders
• Straighten lines with keystone correction
• Diffraction correction
• Using a gradient mask to fix a sky
• Soften skin with a brush
• Output proofing
• 3-step sharpening

Here's an overview movie that will give you a good feel for the course.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Having just spent 3 days on the rugged coastline of Sonoma County for our Northern CA Coast Tour workshop, I had the opportunity to photograph the bounty of spring.

I was packing my Pentax KP with a 1998 SMC Pentax-FA 100mm F3.5 Macro lens mounted on it. I had purchased the lens used for $90, and I wanted to see how it performed on the state-of-the-art KP digital body.

As I was looking at the previews on the back of the camera, I thought, "Hmmm, those look pretty good." So I kept shooting. The autofocusing was relatively swift, although not as quiet as with modern systems. The lens itself was very light, so it was easy to hike with. And I could turnaround and capture a landscape shot with it when I wasn't tracking down flowers. In fact, I like looking a landscapes at 150mm (cropped sensor) for a change of pace.

When I got back to my room and reviewed the images in Capture One Pro, I thought again, "Wow, these are alright." So my $90 purchase for a autofocus macro lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 seemed like a good investment. A very good investment.

We all have our "go to" optics that we buy new and pay top dollar for. They serve as the foundation for our work. But it's fun to have a few speciality optics too. And finding them at bargain prices is even better.

More Articles About the Pentax KP

The Pentax KP Review: The Final Verdict

Pentax KP Review - Part One - Top Deck - An overview of the Mode dial, Function dial, and other controls on the top panel of the camera.

Pentax KP Review - Part Two - The Back Panel - An overview of back panel controls and the menu system for the Pentax KP.

Pentax KP Review - Part Three - Image Quality - A hands-on look at how the camera performs with Pentax Limited Edition optics.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Capture One Pro 10 -- a professional, robust image editor and organizer -- allows you to handle all of your post processing in the same application that manages your images.

In this course, learn techniques for improving your images using Capture One Pro 10. Join Derrick as he demonstrates how to create uniformity in skin tones for professional portraits, use the Curve tool to adjust a specific tone, convert a selected color into a mask, and sharpen specific areas of an image. He also explains how to speed up your workflow by creating styles and presets, and using variants for different looks. When you wrap up this course, you'll have the knowledge you need to get the most out of the retouching features.

Topics Include:

• Using brushing tools in the Local Adjustments tab
• Adjusting a specific hue with the Color Editor
• Minimizing an offending color in the Color Editor
• Fine tuning hues with Color Balance
• Exploring Color Balance presets
• Addressing a specific tone with the Curve tool
• Exposure adjustment tricks
• Making color corrections to specific areas
• Speeding up your workflow

Take a look at this intro video that provides you with an overview of the course.

If you've wanted to improve your image editing chops with this professional level photo app, then take a look at Capture One Pro 10: Retouching. I think you'll be happy you did.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #584, May 16, 2017. Today's theme is "The Stupid Things I Do" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Photography isn't about getting some of the settings right; it's about nailing all of them. If there are 10 things you need for a great shot, and you accomplish only 9, then guess what? You're probably going to be disappointed. I was thinking about this after my latest blunder, and realized that there are a handful of mishaps that have plagued me repeatedly. And that's the theme for today's show.

The Stupid Things I Do

After I had just missed a cool shot because of one of my classic dumb moves, I asked my son, "Do you ever do stuff like this?" You see, I have this misguided belief that millennials never make tech mistakes. Instead, he replied, "I do that all the time."

This got me thinking. Maybe I'm not the only ten-thumbed photographer on the planet. So I thought I'd share my top five bonehead moves, then have you submit your favorites on our TDS Facebook page.

• Stuck in Self-Timer Mode - I love using the self-timer for group shots and long exposures on the tripod. But I hate it when I forget to turn the drive mode back to normal single shot.
• Over-swipe to Video - It's hard to see the iPhone screen in bright contrasty light. And in those situations, sometimes don't realize that I've swiped from photo mode to video.
• High ISO Landscapes - Sure, if you want to have your landscapes look like something that NASA has sent back from Mars, leave your ISO at 6400. But if you don't like that lovely grainy, denatured look, you might want to ratchet it down a few notches.
• Rangefinder Lens Cap Left On - Maybe I though use through-the-lens cameras only?
• Backup Dead Battery - I always carry a backup battery. Whether it's charged or not is a different matter.

The Practical Benefits of High-Speed Sync (HSS)

Generally speaking, our cameras top out at 1/250th (or slower) for flash synchronization. This is fine for indoor and low light work. But if you need to freeze action at a higher shutter speed, or if you want a wide aperture in bright light outdoors, you'll probably need a faster shutter speed, such as 1/1000th or more.

By using HSS, you can raise the shutter speed and still get a proper flash exposure. Instead of firing the flash at the start of the shot, HSS pulses the flash throughout the whole exposure, trying to simulate the effects of a continuous light. Many camera systems can do this, including Canon and Nikon. But your range is limited because of the weaker output, and the flash unit can really heat up using this technique.

That said, you can also create some amazing portraits and action shots because you're able to combine flash and high shutter speed.

One of the very practical features of the Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U handheld light meter is that it can measure flash output from one or more units when using HSS technique. This enables you to balance the flash output with the ambient light to create the exact look that you're after. This is particularly important for shoots when you don't have time for a lot of experimentation. You need to set your camera and flashes right the first time, and hope you capture the shot you're after.

"The L-858D-U is the first meter of its kind that can measure the stroboscopic pulses fired from strobes when they are used for Hi-Speed Sync. Finally, photographers now have an accurate way of measuring their lights when they want to overpower the sun or achieve a very shallow depth of field through using HSS."

If you want to learn more about the Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U handheld light meter, visit the link in these show notes.

Federal Jury Awards $900K to Plant Retailer in Photo Theft Lawsuit

Petapixel reports: "An Oregon-based plant retailer was just awarded almost one million dollars in actual damages by a federal jury in one of the biggest photography copyright wins of the year so far. Despite the strange circumstances of this case, it's being called, "a huge win for artists, photographer, and creators."

According to PDN, the case revolves around the unauthorized use of 24 copyrighted images captured by Under a Foot Plant Co. president Frances White for use in marketing a product they came up with called Stepables--basically, plans that can be walked on.

White and co. were able to show, in court, that competing company Maryland-based Exterior Design used 24 of White's images in marketing materials ranging from Web pages, to posters, to brochures for their own Treadwell Plants, infringing on White's copyright a total of 133 times from 2011 until the suit was filed in 2014.

Despite several cease and desist requests sent between 2011 and 2014, Exterior Design continued using the photographs, leaving White no choice but to sue for unauthorized use of the photos, unfair competition, and unjust enrichment. Exterior Design denied all claims, but a federal Jury in Maryland ultimately sided with Under a Foot, awarding the company either $900,000 in actual damages or $300,000 in statutory damages. It's fair to say the plaintiff will probably pick the former.

"These photographs were the result of countless hours of time, attention, planning and preparation," White said in a statement. "This was a huge win for artists, photographers, and creators."

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members! I was able to pay for the podcast server and the backup system from last month's pledges. Your contributions are making a positive impact.

Registration invitations have gone out to Reserve List members for the Autumn in Wine Country Photography Workshop. If you are on the Reserve List, but didn't get your invite, please contact me. You can learn more about the workshops by visiting the TDS Workshops Page.

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Sekonic Light Meters - Learn more about the amazing Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U handheld light meter by listening to next week's show and visiting the Sekonic web site.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Sometimes it's the little things that make our Mondays just a bit easier. Like automatically straightening a horizon with just a single click (or tap). Let's start with Photos for macOS

Nice grab shot with the iPhone. Unfortunately, the horizon is a bit askew. Photo by Derrick Story.

Open the image in Photos for macOS, and hit the Return key to enter editing mode. Click on the Crop icon, then click on the Auto button. The horizon will automatically level out.

Click on the Auto button in the Crop tool, and the horizon levels out.

It's even easier if you're using Photos on an iPhone. Just open the crop tool and Photos will automatically fix that horizon without you even asking it to. And in either case, if you don't like what you seen, just tap on Reset. Also, regardless of where your make the correction, the edited image will be saved to all of your devices via iCloud.

Bonus Tip: Polarize the Sky

I also added a little bit of oomph to the sky. I used just three sliders to achieve this. Here's how.

In editing mode for Photos for macOS, click on the Adjust button. In the Light panel, move Brilliance to the right. Then, in the Color panel, move the Saturation and Contrast sliders to the right, as shown below. These sliders are also available on your iPhone in Photos.

Make that sky even prettier.

What a difference just a few seconds of editing makes. You can see the Before and After by pressing the M key on your Mac, or by long-pressing the image with your finger on the iPhone. Now, your picture is ready for sharing.

Book or Videos: Photos for macOS

Explore the world of modern photography with my The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features insightful text and beautiful illustrations.

And if you'd like to cozy up to a video at the same time, watch my latest lynda title, Photos for macOS Essential Training.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

You can share a Capture One Pro catalog with coworkers on a network, but someone has to be in charge of locking and unlocking it.

"What?" you ask. Yes, catalogs can only be shared if they are locked first. Once locked, others can view all of the images and download the ones they need.

But when it's time for maintenance, the ringmaster must unlock the catalog to work on it. And during that time, others do not have access to it. Here's a video that explains the entire procedure.

For the most part, this is good news. Knowing that you can let an entire workgroup browse and download images from a master catalog is a handy feature of Capture One Pro. Just make sure someone is in charge of the entire operation.

Take Control of Your Capture One Library

My lynda.com title, Advanced Capture One Pro: Library Management, shows you how to organize like a pro, covering techniques for referenced and managed catalogs, plus integrating sessions, backing up masters, and configuring your Capture One environment specifically to your needs.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Sunday, May 14th is Mother's Day. And I'm guessing that if you're lucky enough to still have Mom in your life, that you want to do something nice for her... maybe create a fine art card to give her?

I use Photos for macOS to create all of my fine art cards. And because I'm a good son, I just mailed this year's version to Mom. Here's how I did it.

• Open Photos for macOS and choose a picture for the cover of your card.
• Click on the + icon in the top toolbar and choose "Card."
• Design your card, starting with one of the Mother's Day templates in the application.
• Order your card and have it sent directly to her, or print it out yourself.
• If you're printing it yourself, use the Print command in Photos for macOS, and output one side at a time. (Then turn it over and print the other side.)

I printed mine on Red River Paper 60lb. Polar Matte 7x10 card stock (Item #1958) using my Epson R2000 inkjet printer. The card folds nicely to 5" x 7", with a lovely design inside and out.

I have more detailed printing instructions in my Apple Photos Book for Photographers. It's worth doing. They look great. And if you've never tried your hand at creating your own fine art cards, I can't think of a better time to start.

(Happy Mother's Day, Mom!)

Book or Videos: Photos for macOS

Explore the world of modern photography with my The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features insightful text and beautiful illustrations.

And if you'd like to cozy up to a video at the same time, watch my latest lynda title, Photos for macOS Essential Training

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #583, May 9, 2017. Today's theme is "What Separates You from the Other Guy" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

There are millions of smartphone cameras out there clicking billions of photos every year. Styles range from snaps of a sweetheart to attempts at fine art. Now, more than ever before, everyone is a photographer. Which is great, that is, unless photography is your craft. And if it is, how do you distinguish your work from those who don't know the difference between an f-stop and a bus stop. Thoughts about this, and more, on today TDS podcast.

What Separates You from the Other Guy

My friend Oliver is staying at the studio during his visit here from Germany. When he first arrived, I was showing him around the place, and he noticed the film cameras I had out for testing.

"You're shooting film," he asked.

"Yes I am," I answered. "For both fun and business."

I then told him about TheFilmCameraShop on Etsy that I run. After I laid out the whole gameplan to him, he asked,

"Why wouldn't people just buy something dirt cheap on eBay rather than paying a bit more from you?"

"It's all about quality and consistency," I replied. "When you buy on eBay, you really don't know what you're going to receive. Believe me, I know firsthand. But when you make a purchase from TheFilmCameraShop, you know that you're going to get a clean, properly functioning camera that is packed nicely and arrives on time. And judging by the popularity of the store, those qualities are important to a lot of people."

This is the same approach that I apply to working with clients, and to making pictures. And if you're interested in distinguishing your work from others, you might want to think about these five suggestions.

• Practice using the best light possible - I still can't believe what a big difference a few steps make. I'm also looking for the best angle of light, and by looking at my series of photos, it makes a big difference. And remember, if a different angle makes a minor improvement to your eyes, it will be even more so for the camera.
• Compose with great care - Pay attention to distracting background elements, look at all four corners of the frame, and think about the highlight and shadow areas.
• Post production is important - Whether it's taking advantage of the filters and adjustments in Instagram or the advanced controls in Lightroom and Luminar, post production matters.
• Presentation elevates - I've taken my Instagram shots, printed and framed them, then marveled how absolutely different they look.
• Take pride in your work - Pride won't serve you well in relationships, but it's very useful when it comes to producing beautiful images.

Me and My Sekonic Lightmeter

I've been getting to know a Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U handheld light meter. I'll start digging into the particulars of this device in next week's show. But before I do that, I thought we should cover why someone would want to use a handheld meter in the first place.

• Not limited to reflected light readings. The meters in our cameras are quite good. But they only can measure reflected light, which can be influenced by color, and often needs to be compensated for.
• Incident light readings measure directly from the source. In this case, you point the meter directly at the light source and measure. So colors, highlights, and dark areas don't influence the measurement.
• Can measure flash output. Again, our cameras have TTL flash metering, and again it can be easily fooled. Whereas a separate handheld meter can read the light from the flash itself.
• Handheld meters can help you balance ambient light and flash output in ways that you never dreamed before. And once you find the magic formula for your work, you can repeat it time and time again because you working with actual light measurements.

At first you may thing that handheld light meters would be used primarily for commercial work. And it's true, they are used there. But when you really want to get creative and balance various light sources for a truly creative effect, they are indispensable.

We'll dig deeper into this subject next week. If you want to learn more about the Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U handheld light meter, visit the link in these show notes.

Olympus announces significant firmware updates for OM-D and PEN cameras

Imaging-Resource.com reports: "Olympus has announced significant firmware updates that enhance the performance and capability of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, the OM-D E-M5 Mark II, the PEN-F and select Zuiko Pro and Premium lenses. These updates are available immediately, and for the OM-D series cameras includes true compatibility with the Profoto Air Remote TTL-O, a new "Save Settings and Mysets" which preserves camera settings on a computer (currently on the E-M1 Mark II, but now available for the E-M5 II and PEN-F), and a midtone adjustment function which has been added to Highlight & Shadow control.

With the update, the PEN-F will offer touch-to-select Art Filters while viewing the effect in real time, and you can set the slowest shutter speed allowed before the camera raises the sensitivity in ISO Auto. For the E-M1 Mark II specifically, High Res Shot and Focus Stacking Modes are now compatible with non-Olympus flashes, and AF HOME settings are saved when the camera is turned off. The E-M5 Mark II is upgraded to Version 3.0, while the PEN-F makes its way to Version 2.0.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members! I was able to pay for the podcast server and the backup system from last month's pledges. Your contributions are making a positive impact.

Registration invitations have gone out to Reserve List members for the Autumn in Wine Country Photography Workshop. If you are on the Reserve List, but didn't get your invite, please contact me. You can learn more about the workshops by visiting the TDS Workshops Page.

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Sekonic Light Meters - Learn more about the amazing Sekonic Speedmaster L-858D-U handheld light meter by listening to next week's show and visiting the Sekonic web site.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Some shots we can take our time improving in post, and others we have to turn around quickly. For those portraits that need to be posted right away, I have a speedy Luminar workflow that only takes 1-2 minutes.

"Leah at Railroad Square" - Pentax KP, Pentax 70mm f/2.4 HD lens, speed edit in Luminar. Photo by Derrick Story.

Take a look at my article, Speed edit portraits with Luminar where I outline the steps for this workflow. You can use this technique with the standalone version of the app, the Photos for macOS editing extension, or as an external editor for Lightroom. If you don't need to save your changes and history, feel free to use the editing extension for a one-off. To return to the app for more work later, I would go the standalone route, and follow the instructions in the article.

After you use this approach a few times, you may want to save your favorite filters as a custom Workspace instead of starting with the standard Portrait Workspace. I've been very impressed at how much better my shots look after just a couple minutes in Luminar. Try it for your portraits and see what you think.

Luminar as Your Digital Darkroom

You can learn more about using Luminar as an editing extension in my lynda.com training, Photos for macOS: Advanced Editing Extensions.

And if you'd prefer to cozy up with a book, check out The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features chapters on basic editing, advanced post processing, and editing extensions.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Of all the cool new stuff in Capture One Pro 10.1, Temporary Reset is the feature that I've been waiting for.

"Strength in Numbers" Oracle Arena, Olympus OM-D E-M10 with Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 at ISO 1600. Photo by Derrick Story. Showing image edits in Capture One Pro 10.1.

Holding down the Alt/Option key while clicking on the Reset Adjustments icon.

Essentially, we now have a Before/After function. To enable it, hold down the Alt/Option key while clicking on the Reset Adjustments icon in the top toolbar. You will see the original image. Let go of the keys and you're returned to the edited version. Cropping is not temporarily reset, but everything else is.

Sometimes it's the small things that make post production easier. I'm glad to finally have this function in Capture One Pro.

More Capture One Pro Tips and Techniques

Improve your skills by watching Capture One Pro Essential Training now available on lynda.com. More than 5 hours of tips, tricks, and techniques. Plus many free movies using advanced techniques.

I've also created a dedicated Capture One Pro Training page on The Digital Story. You can follow all of the tips and techniques that I publish in one convenient spot.

Thinking About Making the Transition from Aperture or Lightroom? - Download my free eBook titled, Rocky Nook's Guide to Moving to Capture One Pro. I show you the steps to create a test library, then build the foundation for a smooth transition to Capture One Pro.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.