Hi {name},

Welcome to Lenscraft in Focus for January 2022.

I’ll start by wishing you a Happy New Year and I hope that you achieve your photographic goals this year.

Whilst it’s customary to start the year with new year resolutions, I haven’t, and won’t be making any. It’s not that I don’t need to improve my photography but rather that I’m constantly striving for that every day. I’m always searching for new inspiration as well as ways to improve my editing. It’s one of the great things about photography that there’s always something new to learn.

Perhaps the only thing I should try though is to get out with a camera more often. I only managed two outings in December (partly due to contracting COVID). Fortunately, I was rewarded on both occasions with excellent conditions. Here’s one sunset shot of many that I captured on Formby beach.

Another “custom” at this time of the year should be to update the copyright information in your software. It’s not funny to get to August and then realise it’s wrong and that you’ve been sending out photos with last year’s date. If you use Lightroom, I’ve published a short article about adding copyright details, which you’ll find below.

I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and find something that’s helpful.

Robin

Quick Question

I’m looking for ideas for fresh articles and videos about the Nik Collection. If you would like to help, could you please answer a question for me. It shouldn’t take much longer than reading this sentence and you get to influence the tutorials I create.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17nlSpycEVAUpZ1SsKjwtC18SlpeKCvH_0_J_bGRYgEw/edit

Thank you

New Lenscraft Content

Here’s a list of the new articles and tutorials published on Lenscraft over the past month.

From Around the Web

A selection of interesting photography related resources from the internet.

The Audience Academy

The Audience Academy is a free newsletter (usually fortnightly) from photographer David duChemin. Some of you may know David from his Craft and Vision business or his excellent photography. But as is often the way in today’s overhyped world, his work may have passed you by which is why I wanted to bring this newsletter to your attention. It has great value and best of all is free.

I subscribed to the Audience Academy in March 2021 when it was launched and have been eagerly reading every issue. The newsletter is geared to photographers earning from their work, but it’s equally applicable to any artist, as well as those simply wishing to share their photography more widely.

What’s interesting about this newsletter is that it isn’t a collection of tactics to help you shout louder. It’s about being yourself whilst helping others which is very refreshing. If you’re interested in signing up, you can find out more at the Audience Academy website.

https://www.theaudienceacademy.com/

Photographers You May Not Know – Birgit Potthoff

Recently I tried my hand at Abstract Landscape Photography, sharing some of my mistakes and advice in this YouTube video. Whilst I managed some shots that I like, they pale next to the work of Birgit Potthoff. As her website is in German (and I found the layout a little cramped on my screen) so I’m sharing her Instagram account instead.

https://www.instagram.com/birgitpotthoff/

If you use Instagram yourself, she is well worth following. I think her abstract ice shots amazing. Also, if you subscribe to the On Landscape magazine you will find she was featured a couple of years ago in edition 156.

Books & Course News

Latest book and course news.

New Lightroom Selections & Masks Book

I’m sure many of you are aware that there was a major Lightroom release towards the end of 2021 and this significantly changed the selection tools. I’ve received a lot of requests asking me to do a video about these, but I’ve resisted for a couple of reasons:

1. This is too large a change to do justice to in a single video.
2. I have decided to write a short but detailed book on the subject.

I’ve now completed the first draft of the book which I hope to release it in February. It will be available as an eBook only as I’m aiming to price it low (print books are very expensive to publish). I will be able to share much more in the next newsletter.

Until next month, stay safe and enjoy your photography.

Robin

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