Lightroom 3.4 (Mac|Win) & Camera Raw 6.4 (Mac|Win) are now available for download, adding support for the following cameras:

• Canon EOS 600D (Rebel T3i / Kiss X5 Digital)
• Canon EOS 1100D (Rebel T3 / Kiss X50 Digital)
• Fuji FinePix S200 EXR
• Fuji FinePix F550 EXR
• Fuji FinePix HS20 EXR
• Fuji FinePix X100
• Hasselblad H4D-40
• Kodak EasyShare Z990
• Nikon D5100
• Olympus E-PL1s
• Olympus E-PL2
• Olympus XZ-1
• Samsung NX11

You can read all about the fixes including tethering for Nikon D7000…HERE.

If you are still not using Lightroom 3, get with the program and order it today.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3

Click on the product title to go to Adobe’s site for more details.

Adobe Eazel

With Adobe Eazel, you can use your iPad and your fingertips to paint beautiful works of art. Paint across your entire iPad screen, and easily access the tools you need. Send your artwork directly to Photoshop CS5 from any location—all you need is a network connection between your iPad and computer. Or do all your painting in the app, and share via email.

Adobe Nav

With Adobe Nav and a network connection between your iPad and computer, you can customize the Photoshop CS5 toolbar on iPad to easily access the tools you use most. Browse, reorder, view, and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop documents on iPad. Tap a document on iPad to make it the active document in Photoshop CS5. Disconnect from the network and use iPad to easily share files in person with others.

Adobe Color Lava

With Adobe Color Lava, you can use your fingertips to mix colors on your iPad and create custom swatches and five-swatch themes. Instantly access them in Photoshop CS5—all you need is a network connection between your iPad and computer. Or use the app wherever inspiration strikes, and then bring your colors into Photoshop CS5 when you’re connected. Share colors via email, too.

Here is Adobe’s video explaining the whole thing, color me excited!

This is what NIK has to say and you can read all of the details…HERE.

Revolutionary U Point Technology

For photographers, one of the most difficult aspects of image enhancement has been the ability to selectively edit areas of an image without affecting other areas. It’s often easy to look at an image and determine specific things you want to fix, but frustrating to actually fix them.

Specially Developed Algorithms

Achieve incredible results faster than ever with never-before-seen advancements in black and white controls such as Dynamic Brightness, Fine Structure, Soft Contrast, Amplify Whites, Amplify Blacks, and our legendary Grain Engine.

Intuitive History Browser

The new History Browser enables you to explore all of the features in Silver Efex Pro 2 with the freedom to try different looks, undo adjustments at any time, and compare different edited history states of your image.

Dynamic Brightness

Intelligently adjust brightness in your images using the new Dynamic Brightness control. This unique new tool adapts the brightness effect to existing tonalities in an image, creating spectacular results.

Amplify Blacks and Whites

Accentuate blacks and whites in your image for greater impact by increasing the presence of highlights and shadows adaptively throughout the image. Unique contrast effects are easily achieved without blocking up darker areas of an image or blowing out lighter ones.

Structure and Fine Structure

Typical contrast adjustments enhance lights and darks along edges. Introduced in the first version of Silver Efex Pro, our innovative Structure control works more precisely “between” the edges to enhance images, often working in concert with contrast.

Grain Engine

Film grain often sets the mood of an image. Silver Efex Pro 2 has an unparalleled grain reproduction algorithm that doesn’t merely layer grain on an image but rather recreates the image using the grain settings you’ve chosen. The result is a more natural-looking image that evokes the nostalgic film era.

Soft Contrast

Conventional contrast darkens and lightens details in a very straightforward yet unsophisticated manner, often producing images that are harsher than intended. Soft Contrast, however, adds contrast to an image by applying contrast to different areas of the image in a dynamic way. By intelligently adapting contrast to image details, Soft Contrast achieves a softer mood or feeling in the photograph.

Natural Image Borders

Silver Efex Pro 2 contains an entirely new set of intelligent algorithms that incorporate organic elements to create unique, natural, and random image borders. This is a modern interpretation on classic darkroom borders and offers virtually infinite possibilities.

WOOHOO!

As with the other plugins, these updates are also free. You can download them on the Nik Software site…HERE!

If you’ve been waiting to take the plunge, I have added a link for the complete package and it is on sale for less than $450. That is for all of the plugins! As of this writing the description does not include HDRPro, but that is incorrect this collection is for all plugins.

Nik Software Complete Collection – Professional Photographic Tools for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture

Nik Sharpener and Nik Dfine are going to be able before the end of the year.

If you don’t own these filters, I think you should. They are all outstanding and work really really well. As I have said before, at least one Nik filter touches every image I’ve taken…

I’ll make it easy, here are links to Nik products. Go on I know you want them!

Color Efex Pro 3.0-Complete

Viveza 2

Silver Efex Pro

Sharpener Pro 3.0 by Nik Software

Dfine 2.0

Here are the highlights.

• Compatibility with Mac OS X version 10.6.4 has been added.
• Support for RAW images captured with the D3100 has been added.
• Information for lenses used with the Auto Distortion correction function under Camera & Lens Corrections in the Develop section of the Edit List has been updated.
• An issue that prevented smooth display of graduations when certain RAW images were opened has been resolved (however this issue may remain in some images)
• An issue that caused certain RAW images to be displayed too brightly with Capture NX 2 Ver. 2.2.0–2.2.4 has been resolved.
• When the Image Dust Off function under Camera & Lens Corrections in the Develop section of the Edit List was applied, block noise was generated in some very rare cases. This issue has been resolved.

The link for the upgrade for Mac is…HERE.

The link for the upgrade for PS is…HERE.

If you son’t already own NX2 and don’t have this version it is worth upgrading. It has always been stable and fast for me. You can buy it from Amazon with the link below.

Nikon Capture NX 2 Full Version

Here are the details and you can download the software…HERE.

ViewNX 2 Primary New Functions

Revamped user interface

Three workspaces

It is easy to switch between the three workspaces—Browser, GeoTag, Edit—with the simple click of a button on the Toolbar.

• Geo Tag workspace
• Browser workspace
• Edit workspace

Four background colors

The color of the workspace background can be selected from white, grey, dark grey and black, depending upon the brightness of images.

Changing palette display, thumbnail list display

As the Browser palette at the left of the ViewNX 2 window and the Edit palette at the right of the window can be displayed separately, working with ViewNX 2 is more efficient. What’s more, as unnecessary palettes can be hidden, the workspace can be maximized. In the Browser and Edit workspaces, the Thumbnail List option can also be selected to display image details with thumbnails.

New image editing functions

(1) Crop

Save only the desired portion of a photo.

(2) Auto Red-Eye

Correct the “red-eye” effect that often occurs in photos of people taken with a flash.

(3) Straighten

Straighten photos taken at an angle.

(4) Auto Lateral Color Aberration

Correct color shift caused by chromatic aberration and reduce lateral chromatic aberration.

Movie editing functions

Trim

Use to specify and extract only the desired portion of a movie file.

Save movie frame as still image

Saves a specified movie frame as a JPEG image with the same pixel count as the original movie frame.

Improved print functions

(1) Printing date/time shot

Print the date images were captured over or below the images.

(2) Background color

Select one of four background color options for printing.

(3) Metadata

Select the shooting information to be printed with images from a detailed set of options.

(4) Header/Footer

Text can be input for use as headers and/or footers with printing

Greater collaboration with my Picturetown

Simple viewing

Images uploaded to my Picturetown can be viewed in the ViewNX 2 Browser window. This allows users to check the images uploaded to my Picturetown without opening a Web browser and entering their login e-mail address and password every time.

Simple upload to my Picturetown from ViewNX 2

Images can be uploaded from ViewNX 2 to my Picturetown using simple drag and drop operations from the folder displayed in the ViewNX 2 Browser window.

Other ViewNX 2 Functions

Files can be converted to a different format and image size can be adjusted

Aspects such as brightness, contrast, highlights and shadows can be adjusted for both JPEG and RAW images

Equipped with a variety of display modes including Thumbnail Grid, Thumbnail List, Image Viewer and Full Screen

Comprehensive RAW image processing with Exposure Comp., White Balance and Picture Control adjustments

Custom Picture Controls can be created and saved. Custom Picture Controls created with a Nikon camera can be imported into ViewNX 2 and exported to compatible cameras. (RAW images only)

Nine color labels and ratings (up to five stars can be specified) enable detailed organization and classification of images

I am sure the rest of the packages will be rolling out shortly.

Per Nik Software and a link to the free updates is…HERE.

Version 2.003 for Mac includes:

• 64-Bit Compatible
• Fixes additional minor bugs

Viveza 2.003 has been updated for 64-bit compatibility for the Macintosh and Windows operating systems. If you are currently running a workflow that supports 64-bit, such as Adobe Photoshop CS5 and/or Macintosh OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard), please download this update.

However, if you are currently using Adobe Photoshop CS2 and/or Macintosh OS 10.4 (Tiger), which do not run natively in 64-bit, the update is currently not compatible in these environments.

Version 2.003 for Windows includes:

• 64-Bit Compatible
• Fixes additional minor bugs

Of course, if you don’t own Viveza, you can buy it from me!

Viveza 2

The details from Adobe:

New Functionality

• Additional direct publish functionality to Facebook, the popular social networking site.

Newly supported camera models include:

• Casio EXILIM EX-FH100 (DNG*)
• Leica S2 (DNG*)
• Panasonic DMC-FZ100
• Panasonic DMC-FZ40 (FZ45)
• Panasonic DMC-LX5
• Pentax 645D
• Samsung NX10
• Samsung TL500 (EX1)
• Sony A290
• Sony A390
• Sony Alpha NEX-3
• Sony Alpha NEX-5

You can get the downloads from Adobe Labs….HERE.

If you still have not bought Adobe Lightroom shame on you and here is a link for the upgrade!

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Upgrade

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3

• A number of issues that could cause slow performance have been addressed.
• Top crashers found in the field have been addressed.
• 3D refractions, Ray Tracing and IBL workflows have been improved.
• Out of memory error opening some TIFFs has been addressed.
• A crash in Content-Aware Fill has been addressed.
• Font related crashes have been addressed.
• A number of user interface and workspace issues have been fixed.
• A number of painting-related problems have been addressed, including video layer issues.

We also addressed several issues that were result of the major architectural changes on the Mac side in the move to Cocoa/64-bit:

• Right-click correctly selects the layer clicked on in the context menu.
• Right-click to bring up the brush picker displays the picker under the cursor on the correct monitor.
• Slow performance when using the Liquify filter has been fixed.
• An issue where menus become disabled has been fixed.
• Scrolling speed using Apple Mighty and Magic Mouse mouse wheel has been improved.
• Double-clicking the document title bar now correctly minimizes the document.
• Fixed a crash that could occur when generating font previews. Note: We continue working with Apple to address remaining issues related to fonts and font caches.
• Fixed an issue with batch processes on open documents.
• Droplets are now Intel-native to improve compatibility in 64-bit mode and to remove the requirement to run droplets using Rosetta.
• Fixed an issue where a white pixel would show up on screen after invoking certain dialogs.

Windows-specific issues of note:

Fixed an issue running on older AMD processors that prevent Photoshop from launching. (Application failed to initialize properly (0xc000001d))

If the auto updater does not fetch this for you, you can get the Mac update…HERE. And Windows…HERE.

If you have not upgraded your software yet…you should. Remember that Adobe has changed the upgrade rules. You can only upgrade from 3 generations past. So if you are using CS2 this is the last year you can upgrade at the discount price.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Mac]

Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5 Upgrade

This is a terrific version and offers a ton more features than have been updated in a few years. So if you have an old photoshop or have never bought it, why not now?

The noise reduction is vastly improved, but will it unseat Define as my go to product? Check back next week and we’ll compare the two of them.

Read what Adobe says….HERE.

Here are the juicy details:

myZenfolio is the perfect mobile companion for your Zenfolio account. It allows you to easily manage and show your photos hosted on Zenfolio, as well as upload new photos directly to your Zenfolio galleries.

Features

• Browse, create, modifgy groups, galleries, and collections
• View your photos online through a native iPhone experience
• Upload photos taken with your iPhone
• Upload original size or low resolution images
• Set Access Control rules (public, private, password)
• Edit titles, captions, categories, and keywords
• Move and delete photos
• Send e-mail invitations

The great news is that is works just as well as the main site! Very fast and very easy! The thing that I like the most, if I want to show someone my work, I don’t have to keep pictures stored on my iPhone, with a couple of taps on my iPhone I can show my images instantly…in a word awesome…and even better its free!

This is a must have win win situation. In other words if you have an iPhone and don’t have a Zenfolio account, go get one. If you have a Zenfolio account and don’t have an iPhone, go buy one!

Download the app for your iPhone…HERE.

You have to watch the whole thing to get to the bikini removal, but its worth is…no perv, not that good!

Adobe has built a pretty cool webpage with a countdown timer for the launch party…HERE.

Things I’ve played with in LR3

I have been shooting with high and higher ISO lately and the Luminace Noise Reduction button now works…and it it works really well getting that “stained glass” noise out of a high ISO image.

LR3 now supports importing and managing video! How cool is that? No editing (YET!) and no built in player, but at least you can ingest the videos at the same time as your stills.

Here are the highlights:

• Improved performance throughout the application for faster importing and loading of images
• Native tethered shooting support for select Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras
• Luminance noise reduction has been added to the previous color noise reduction improvements available in the first public beta for outstanding overall high ISO quality
• Support for importing and managing video files from DSLR cameras for better overall photographic workflow control
• Improvements to the import experience in the first beta to reflect public feedback
• Improved watermarking functionality from the first beta to reflect public feedback
• Support for a bunch of new cameras

Of course Adobe’s Lightroom Journal blog reveal all of the juicy details…HERE.

And you can download the beta and play with it yourself…HERE.

Lightroom on the MAC installs both 32-bit and 64-bit versions and by default activates the 32-bit version. Which is fine. (Under Windows you have to select which version to install, so you guys don’t need to read anymore.)

When I opened the More Info panel for Lightroom it showed that indeed that “Open in 32 bit mode” was not checked. However, the credits screen did not show that Lightroom was running in 64-bit mode! I am sure that you know how to get to the info screen via Finder>Applications>Adobe Lightroom. Here is another screen shot to help.

My solution was to select “Open in 32 Bit Mode” and then open and close Lightroom. Go back and then de-select the 32-bit mode and voila, when Lightroom opened, I’ve got 64-bit!

I have to say it is a gigantic difference, duh! Going from 3GB of RAM to 10 is going to make a difference. I just got the MAC and so when something isn’t right, I assume user error. After my discovery I was very excited and so I called several friends. To my shock it wasn’t me, they were not in 64-bit either and they knew what they were doing. I bet a lot of you are not in 64-bit mode either.

After the switch, Lightroom is now turbo-charged and changes made to images in the develop module are instantaneous. This is what I was expecting with the new MAC…WOW! So check your settings to make sure that you are also in WOW mode!

Now it just got better, with an app for your iPhone. I mean you do have an iPhone right?

Anyway, check out Tripit it s works, it is easy and it is FREE!

There are 245,000 books in the Amazon store including 396 about photography! Here are some ideas.

Lightroom 2 Bugs – Fixed

• In the Windows 64-bit version of Lightroom an sFTP upload process could cause Lightroom to crash.
• Slideshows could return to the first image randomly during playback.
• A memory leak could cause Lightroom to crash while attempting to process files with local adjustments.
• Canon EOS 5D Mk II sRAW files could process with artifacts in Lightroom 2.2.
• Lightroom 2.2 could cause disc burning to fail for Windows customers.
• Attempting to undo(CTRL-Z) a single step in Lightroom 2.2 on Windows could cause a series of previous actions to be undone.
• Additional camera support for the Nikon D3X and the Olympus E-30

Windows Update Link

Mac Update Link

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Upgrade

Support for the following cameras has been added in this update. Visit the Camera Raw page for a complete list of supported cameras.

• Nikon D3X
• Olympus E-30

Windows Update Link

Mac Update Link

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade