E V E R Y T H I N G A F T E R T H E I M A G E I S TA K E N

FALL 2012

Proles on Leading
Photographers
AN AFTERCAPTURE IMAGE TUTORIAL
PRESENTING THE DIGITAL IMAGING
CONTEST WINNERS GALLERY
PRODUCT REVIEWS

photo group

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FA L L 2 0 1 2

CONTENTS

&217(67
18 THE AFTERCAPTURE DIGITAL IMAGING CONTEST
2012 WINNERS GALLERY

)($785(6
02 MOTHER NATURES MAKEOVERS
How photographer Colby Brown brings an artists touch to the editing room.

07 SURFS UP FOR CHRIS ORWIG

Chris Orwig guides us through the creation of a portrait he made of world champion
surfer Kelly Slater.

11 THE RIGHT TOUCH

A look at sought-after wedding and event photographer Catherine Halls capture
and post-processing techniques.

15 PRODUCT REVIEWS
A close look at the Wacom Intuos5 tablet and an introduction of the Cintiq 22HD
interactive pen display.

25 MODERN METAMORPHOSIS

PHOTO MICHELLE MONIQUE

Using a Wacom pen tablet, AfterCapture Digital Imaging Contest grand-prize winner
Kenneth Rodriguez transforms photographs for his series Modernizing Fantasy.

photo group


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Mother Nature's

Makeovers
How photographer Colby Brown brings an artists
touch to the editing room.

Illustrated Solitude, Grand Teton

National Park, Wyoming, 2009.

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PHOTO COLBY BROWN

orging a successful career in photography

often entails converging an ambition with a
passionto say nothing of the hard work, the
blood, sweat and tears (your mileage may vary
on that blood bit). Photographer Colby Brown
is no exception. Over the course of a six-year
career (and counting), Brown has managed to
fuse a passion for nature and world travel with
the ambition to earn a living as a professional photographer.
Along the way, he honed his craft with an exacting editing
process that enables him to create ne-art landscapes and
photojournalism of some of the worlds most breathtaking
places and people.
When he rst picked up a camera, Brown admits, I didnt
know what I was doing. I was just the guy laying (sic) on the
ground trying to get some crazy shots. Working as a safety
administrator in a hospital, Brown experienced a quarterlife crisis at the age 25 and decided to ditch the nine-to-ve
world for something more fullling. I had this naive notion
that I could travel the world and be a photographer, he recalled with a laugh, so I used my savings to buy a DSLR and
traveled to British Colombia, taking horrible photographs.

PHOTO SCOTT JARVIE

CLICK THE
IMAGE AT RIGHT
TO VIEW VIDEO

Colby Brown

PHOTO COLBY BROWN

In time, however, Browns passion overcame his early

liabilities and he taught himself the craft. I would spend
the morning shooting at sunrise and during the day I
would study my images and try to figure out why one
out of every 100 was good, and the other 99 were crap.
It took about three months of daily work for Brown to
build up his confidence to the point where he was ready
to take on a more ambitious assignment. It just happened to arrive serendipitouslyon, of all things, a oneway ticket to Thailand.
Brown was traveling to photograph some of Thailands
abundant natural beauties. On the plane, he was seated
next to a woman who was enroute to get married and
whose photographer had backed out on her at the very
last moment. On the ride over, I convinced her to hire me.
So here I am, my rst real gig, photographing a traditional
Buddhist wedding in Thailand.
From there, it was o to the races, or more accurately,
around the world. Brown has since amassed a portfolio
that reects his passion for the natural world, with credits
including National Geographic, the Red Cross, the Sierra
Club and the Denver Post. He has set up shop in Denver,
Colorado, where, in addition to assignment work, he hosts
photo workshops and has just published a book, Google+
for Photographers.

String Lake Reections, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 2009.

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EDITING ROOM
From the start, Brown approached his work with a careful attention to detail cultivated over many hours analyzing his images to learn what works, and what doesnt.
And while Brown is now batting considerably better than
1-in-100 with his photography, he is still applying this attention to detail and creative flare in the editing room,
where, by his own admission, he often spends countless

PHOTOS COLBY BROWN

Brown edits his images with Photoshop, a variety of plug-ins and the Wacom Intuos5 in order to bring out texture and detail. LEFT: Cuernos del Paine Sunrise, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, Patagonia, 2010.
RIGHT: The Racetrack at Sunset, Death Valley National Park, Calif, 2011.

hours. But, he insists, its not a chore. Editing isnt just something I do to
get through and get over with, its something that I view as an essential
part of the creative process.
Brown starts the process in Adobe Lightroom, importing RAW images from his Canon 5D Mark II or 1Ds for tagging, naming and perhaps a
few light edits before getting down to work in Adobe Photoshop. Once
its in Photoshop, Brown sets to work with a combination of Photoshop
tools and a variety of plug-ins from Nik Software (including Silver Efex
Pro 2) and OnOne Software (Perfect Photo Suite). Another indispensible
tool in Browns editing arsenal has been Wacoms Intuos line of professional pen tablets.
Two years ago, colleagues introduced him to the Intuos4 tablet and
since then, his Wacom tablet (now the Intuos5) has become more than just
an integral part of Browns photo editing workow, its become his primary
computer interface. I still have a mousesomewhereon my desk, he
confessed. But its gathering dust.
For the kind of landscape photography Brown specializes in, the pressure-sensitive stylus on the Intuos5 enables him to coax out subtle de

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tails, often at the pixel level, with a degree of granular accuracy he simply
couldnt obtain with a mouse. I know, because Ive tried, he said.
I do a decent amount of stylizing, (during the editing process), Brown
added. The goal, he said, is to dampen the line of authenticity between
an accurate representation of what my eye saw and the sense, the atmosphere, expressed by the image. Brown is careful not to go too far, though.
I want the editing to bring out texture and detail, but I dont want a storybook or comic-book feelIm not going to take the saturation slider and
pump it all the way up.
His philosophy is simple: treat every image as if it were going to be
blown up into billboard-sized dimensions. This way, youre attuned not just
to the tiny imperfections that may slip by the casual observer, but youre
also alert to other creative possibilities lying in wait in the photograph.
Its this kind of granular editing that the Intous5 and its pressure-sensitive stylus they excel at, Brown said. I will dive into an image at a very
ne levelI usually blow up the image to 2,000 percentto see whats
there and to seek out imperfections. Using the stylus, Brown can dial in his
corrections, such as noise reduction, or enhancements, such as opacity, at

this level much more accurately. With a Intuos pen, its a sweeping motion
[whereas] every time a mouse moves, its jarring.
Take Browns Death Valley scene (above), which features a rock that
seems to have mysteriously trekked its way across the parched dessert
ats. His goal in the editing was to channel some of the locations mystical, cool energy. After merging three dierent exposures, Brown used the
adjustment brush and the Intuos pen to draw out the contrast and clarity
in the foreground so the tiny cracks and lines are evident in the rock and
the fractured ground below. He then used an adjustment brush to remove
some noise in the sky. The real challenge was the mountain, where Brown
said the pens sensitivity and precision enabled him to remove just enough
contrast to create a smoother ow between the ground and mountain
range, rather than the hard, contrasting line he started with. He nished
up with the clone stamp tool and the Spot Healing Brush to clean up the
mud and used a lter in OnOnes Perfect Photo Suite with the pen to gently tease out texture in the mud and the rock.
Brown has also revisited photos he took years ago to improve them
as editing technology evolves. A photo of horses grazing during a storm-

laden sunrise in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is

one such image. In the original, the mountain
peaks were not as clear as he wanted, so Brown
made some local adjustments in Lightroom to
add clarity to the range. In Photoshop, Brown
sharpened small portions of the foreground
that were darker than others. Here again, when
dealing with details as minute as blades of prairie grass, Brown was able to use the pressure
sensitivity of the Intuos pen to apply edits precisely where he wanted them.
Aside from the precision, there are ergonomic considerations with the Intuos as well
particularly for someone like Brown, who has
logged his fair of share of hours behind the
desktop. I dont get the wrist cramps and
strain I was getting when I was using a mouse,
Brown noted.
Editing with a tablet has also made Brown
more efficient. Thanks to the Intous5s customizable ExpressKeys, hes able to pull up commonly used functions instantly with the press
of button. I really like that the keys can be
customized for each program or plugins used
and that the tablet is smart enough to recognize when I move from one program to another,
so Im not stuck with just one set of custom
ExpressKeys for a particular program. Given
that hes editing through large batches of imagesand usually playing catch-upthe efficiency gains have been enormous. Im about
five times more efficient now than I was when I
was using a mouse.

PHOTO COLBY BROWN

A TRUE CONNECTION

Wild Moutains, photographed by Colby Brown in Jackson Hole National Park, Wyoming.

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Since ditching the mouse, Brown has grown to

appreciate a subtle benet of tablet/pen editingone that may not be as quantiable as
eciency gains or the accurate placement of
image eectsbut is powerful nonetheless.
The pen, from an artists standpoint, is a much
more natural extension of the arm than a mouse.
When Im editing with the pen, I feel much more a
part of the imageI feel more connected. It just
ows. Its this creative synergy between the image on the screen and the stylus in the hand that
empowers Browns photo editing as he gives
Mother Nature just the slightest of makeovers.

Surfs
rf s Up for

PHOTO CHRIS ORWIG

Chris Orwig
CLICK THE
IMAGE TO
VIEW VIDEO

CHRIS ORWIG is a celebrated

photographer, author, and
faculty member at the Brooks
Institute in Santa Barbara,
California. He is the author of
the best-selling Visual Poetry:
A Creative Guide for Making
Engaging Digital Photographs
(New Riders/Voices That
Matter) and People Pictures: 30
Exercises for Creating Authentic
Photographs (Peachpit Press).
Chris has authored over 40 online
training titles on Photoshop,
Lightroom and Photography with
Lynda.com (for more info visit:
lynda.com/chrisorwig). As a
teacher, Chris agrees with W.B.
Yeats idea that Education isnt
about lling a pail, but igniting
a re. As a photographer, he
subscribes to Marc Ribouds
observation that Photography is
about savoring life at 1/100th of
a second.

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Portraits may be too generic a term to describe Chris Orwigs

photographs. They are character studies that go beyond what we may
normally think of as a portrait or visual representation of a person.

hris Orwig, a photographer, author and educator,

is also an avid surfer and outdoor adventurer,
so its no surprise that many of his favorite
subjects are those who share his passion for, and
connection to, the water and the outdoors. As
part of his ongoing project titled SALT, Orwig
photographs older or seasoned surfers and watermen
people whose long-time bond with the ocean has helped form
who they are. Its the spirit of these surfers and watermen
that Orwig so sensitively captures with his camera.
But, technically, these portraits of watermen are often
more dicult to create. Orwig sees that, for many of his
subjects, their rugged imperfections are, in part, physical
evidence of their strengths and life experienceelements
that are an inherent part of their strong character. Because
of that, says Orwig, who combines capture and postproduction work to create these character studies, You
have to be really careful to hide your tracks in order to make
the post-production work look honest, authentic and full
of life. In other words, Orwig explains simply, You have to
allow the aw to make the frame.
For this tutorial, Orwig guides us through the creation of
a portrait he made of world champion surfer Kelly Slater. As
many photographers know, some of the best images come
about by chancebeing in the right place at the right time
(and having a camera with you, as Orwig almost always does).
Thats what happened when Orwig and Slaters paths crossed
at a surfboard factory in Santa Barbara, California. The

photograph used in this tutorial is one of several that Orwig

took of Slater in the factorys parking lot.
When reviewing the images after the shoot, it was this
photograph that captured Orwigs attention. There was
something about the kinetic energy, focus and connection
in this frame, Orwig recalls. Yet, he goes on to say, it just
looked too ordinary and I wanted this portrait to be something
that you could believe in. I wanted it to look weathered and
old. (As it turns out, the nished photograph was published
in a special edition of Surfer Magazine, which highlighted the
top 50 most inuential surfers of all timeSlater was #1.
Even more impressive is that the magazine ran the image as a
full pageone of the largest portraits they had ever run.)
In order to achieve the look he wanted, Orwigwhose
teaching credentials are as impressive as his photography
used Adobe Photoshop CS6 and the Wacom Intuos5 touch
pen tablet to merge his vision with the photograph he captured.
Hes been using a Wacom tablet for more than ten years and
initially moved to the Wacom tablet and pressure-sensitive pen
because, he says Using a mouse is like drawing with a bar of
soap. The Wacom tools, on the other hand, allow him to make
subtle yet signicant adjustments with precision.
Although multi-touch technology was rst incorporated
in the entry-level Bamboo tablets, the Intuos5 is the rst
pro model to use multi-touch, which Orwig loves. As an
iPhone and iPad owner, its a nice transition for me to have
the [touch] options for scrolling, pinch zooming and general
navigation.

Chris Orwigs Intuos5 custom settings.

What follows is a tutorial that leads you through some

of the steps Orwig took to create the Slater image. He
touches on specifics of using Adobe Photoshop CS6
and the Wacom Intuos5 that you can follow. However,
Orwig says, Whats most important with any tutorial, is
remembering that the concepts and techniques used with
one particular image can be repurposed to accomplish
many different visual ideas.
So, we invite you to try out Orwigs techniques and then use
themin whole, or in partto explore the possibilities when
making them your own.

Tutorial:

Before

1. To create the nal image of Kelly Slater, Orwig opened the

photo in Adobe Photoshop. (Tip:
( p use this step to test out the
image and see if you like
ke it enough to go further)
Chris Orwig used Adobe Photoshop
CS6 and the Wacom Intuos5 touch
pen tablet to merge his vision with
the photograph of pro surfer Kelly
Slater that he captured.

1a. Duplicate background

ackground layer (CMD
(C
J/Ctrl J).
1b. Select Burn tool to darken background
on duplicate layer;
bac
(Tip: use Wacom tablet controls or
o Touch Ring to change
opacity and brush softness;
ess; Orwig assigns Cmd+Opt or
Ctrl+Opt to the Expresss Key just above
the Touch Ring to
a
adjust the Brush tools hardness and
a size in the Heads-Up
Display. Simply hold the key, then drag up/down
up/dow or left/right
with an active Brush tool.)
ol.)

After

1c. Reduce or remove blemishes

emishes and
a distractions
distraction using
Healing Brush and Clone Stamp tools.
t
1d. Convert to black and white by creating a black-and-white
adjustment layer (Tip: program Express Key for black-andwhite conversion).

2. Add lm grain to give the photograph more texture.

2a. Merge layers (Tip: program Express Key to merge underlying
layers to the top).
2b. Zoom in (Tip: use
e Intuos5 multi-touch functionality to zoom).
2c. Run Filter>Noise>Add
= 2,
Noise>Add Noise (settings: Amount
Am
Distribution = Gaussian and Monochromatic).
Monochromatic)

ALL PHOTOS THIS STORY CHRIS ORWIG

2d. To make the grain eect more realistic, cr

create a mask based
on the luminosity of the red channel.
nel. Use the shortcut Command
+ Option + 3 /Control + Alt + 3 to
of the red
o load the luminosity
lum
channel, then press the add layer
ayer mask button in the layers panel.

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5. Remove
emove logo.
5a. Zoom
pad.
m using the tablets multi-touch
m
5b. Merge layers to the top. (Tip: program one of the
Intuos5s Express Keys to merge layers.)
5c. Start o by using the Patch tool to remove logo.

3. Darken the background more: Orwig

wig felt
background brightness was competing
c
ng too much
m
with
the subject. Make smooth and subtle adjustments.
Think about how light travels and falls, and start to
build emotion by changing tones.
3a. Select Brush tool, choose Black from the Color
Picker. (Tip: use the tablets Touch Ring to change the
brush size or see Step 1b for ExpressKey brush size/
hardness setup; Use pressure-sensitive Pen to darken
background area).

4. Tone the image with a sepia-type color palette.

4a. Add Color Balance adjustment layer: Layer>New
Adjustment Layer>Color Balance. (Tip: create a
custom keyboard shortcut in Photoshop for New
Adjustment Layer and then program the Wacom
tablets Express Key with that keystroke or, as
Orwig does, create action in Photoshop and then
assign action to Express Key, e.g., new Color Balance
Adjustment Layer.)
4b. Increase reds and yellows.
4c. Add Photo Filterr adjustment layer: Layer>New
Adjustment Layer>Photo
see step 4a) to
r>Photo Filter (Tip:
(
further adjust color
olor tones.

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5d. After using the Patch tool, use the Healing Brush
and Clone Stamp tools to rebuild texture and detail
on the shirt; be sure to zoom in/out using the tablets
multi-touch functionality while retouching. (Tips:
Use the Touch Ring to increase/decrease brush size;
program the Pen Switch to modier Option (Mac)/Alt
(Win) so all you have to do is tap the pen to the tablet
to target the source for Healing Brush/Clone Stamp;
customize Express Key for Undo/Redo.)

6. Enhance shirt after removing logo.

6a. Zoom in using multi-touch gesture.
6b. Select Brush tool (Tip: use Touch Ring to adjust
brush size).
6c. Choose dark brown color and paint to create
shadows to counterbalance the atness resulting
from logo removal. (Tip: remember, the Pen is
pressure sensitive,
ve, so be sure to use it to create
natural looking
ng shadows.)

7. Add Texture

8. Correct face shadows.

7a. Find an image with a texture that

at work
works well with
the image (Orwig used the texture
re from a photograph
of wood he had captured a few days earlier).
ear

8a. Create new Curves adjustment layer (manually

or using custom Express Key). Drag the curve up to
brighten the overall image.

details (Tip: Orwig uses Express

9. Adjust tone and details.
hat are customized with actions he usually
Keys that
ns to his F [Function]
[Function keyboard
yboard keys.)
k
assigns
9a. Create new Curves Adjustment
and adjust
stment Layer
La
contrast.
ast.

7b. Open the texture image and add it as a new layer

to the original.

10. Finishing touches.

8b. Create a mask by pressing the Add Layer Mask
button in the layers panel. Next, press Command
I / Control I to invert the mask and conceal the
brightening eect.

9b. Create a new layer; choose Brush Tool; change

blending mode to Soft Light, select a dark brown
color from the Color Picker and paint to darken areas
of the background.

7c. Change the blending mode to Soft Light. (Tip:

Shift/+ cycles through blending modes. Or, if you
have your function keys programmed, as Orwig does:
Cmd+Option+F (Mac)/Ctrl+Alt+F (Win).)

7d. Create a mask and selectively paint in the texture.

(Tip: use the Wacom tablet to adjust brush size and
opacity levels, along with the Wacom pressuresensitive pen to vary the texture so that it looks like it
was worn into the image or that the image was worn
out. Orwig cautions that you dont want it to look like
the texture is sitting on top of the image.)


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10a. Remove logo on surfboard (see Step 5).

10b. Remove dark line on the background using the
Healing and Clone Stamp tools.
10c. Make
nal tonal
nal
to adjustments
ts (see Step 9) to
create more drama and to nish o the image.

8c. Choose Brush tool; select white and adjust size,

opacity, ow, etc.
c.
8d. Paint withh white on the mask in order
to brighten
o
the shadows and details where light is required.

9c. Merge layer to top, apply sharpening lter: Smart

Sharpen > Remove Lens Blur, Amount = 100, Radius =
9d. On the sharpened layer, add a layer mask by clicking
the Add Layer Mask icon. Press command + I/control +
I to invert mask. Choose a soft-edged brush with 30%
opacity and paint in the sharpness to the face.

TOUCH



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ometimes the journey that culminates in

a beautiful wedding photograph begins
with a change of luck. When Catherine Hall
was starting out on her path in the world
of photography, she found work as a photo
editor at Tommy Hilger and seemed headed
toward a successful career. But a sudden turn of events
altered her course. A competitive skier, she broke her back
on the slopes in Vermont and found herself out of a job and
o her feet for a lengthy recovery. It was a situation that she
came to see as a blessing in disguise, because it gave her the
time to take a hard look at the direction in which she was
moving. In the end, she recalls, I decided I didnt want to
spend my career editing other photographers work instead
of my own. It was a dicult decision to give up editing, but I
felt that what I was really destined to do was shoot.
Hall resolved to throw her energy into developing a career
as a photographer, and spent her recovery time editing and
retouching her own work. I could retouch and then lie down
and retouch and lie down, she says. So thats how I built up
my portfolio. After getting back on her feet, Hall continued
to do part-time editing work while assisting a wedding
photographer, who began to refer clients to her. I realized
I loved shooting weddings, which I hadnt thought I would,
she says. Word of mouth about her talents spread, and Hall
gave up photo editing when her schedule started to ll up
with wedding jobs.

PHOTO CATHERINE HALL

THE RIGHT

A chance event led

Catherine Hall to start
her business. Now shes
a sought-after wedding
photographer with a
unique approach to
bringing her artistic
vision of each gathering
to fruition.

CLICK THE
IMAGE TO
VIEW VIDEO

getting all the best ingredients possible. But retouching and

creating the nal productthats the feast. Once Hall is in
the kitchen, the rst thing she does is apply the skills she
learned as a photo editor. Im really kind of a tough editor,
she admits. I dont just go through the images once. Ill go
through three or four times on dierent days. She edits
her image captures down to about 700 of the best shots to
give to her client in digital form, then sits down to select the
100 images shell retouch and rene to tell the story of the
wedding day in a printed album.
As a retoucher, Hall works to bring out the natural flavors
of her ingredients. I really dont look to retouching to
transform an image, she says. I use it to take something

ABOVE: Storytelling and drama are important elements to Halls work. RIGHT: Retouching is done with a two-step
approach: rst cleaning up imperfections, then applying artistic effects.



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PHOTO CATHERINE HALL

PHOTO SUE BRYCE

Now
a
sought-after
photographer who shoots
weddings
across
the
country as well as abroad,
Hall has gained a reputation
for her sophisticated yet
natural style. Many of the
gatherings she photographs
are destination weddings
held in lush outdoor
settings like Californias
Wine Country and the
Catherine Hall
Hamptonsspots favored
by the affluent clientele she attracts. Theyre people with
a taste for casual elegance, she says. They appreciate
art and have the means to afford it. Hall attributes her
appeal for her clients to the authentic approach she has
cultivated from the beginning. I shoot in a style thats
really, truly me, she explains. Photographing a wedding
is like shooting a personal project. I consistently shoot in
my style, which naturally attracts my ideal client.
Hall currently shoots with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III,
judiciously applying her technical skill with lighting to
maintain a clean, natural look. If you were to compare
my style to architecture, she explains, it would be a light,
airy Art Deco with a lot of room to breathe. By setting an
uncluttered scene, shes able to let the viewer focus on
the narrative aspects of her work. Im really interested in
storytelling and drama, she says, but when it comes to
directing people, there has to be a feeling of authenticity
and realness. Im authentic with my clients, so its easy for
them to reciprocate that. Bringing out the natural also
imparts a timeless quality to her images. I want my work to
be as beautiful in 50 years as it is today, she reects.
Of course, Halls skill at capturing the wedding day is only
half the story. When I shoot a wedding, she explains, its
like Im a chef and Im going to make you an amazing meal.
Photographing the wedding is like going to the market and

RIGHT: Images that have been handretouched with the Intuos. Hall believes it
is patience and attention to detail that allow
an image to develop to its full form.


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ALL THREE PHOTOS CATHERINE HALL

Ive already created to the next level. And I

think thats why people hire me. There are
a million great photographers, but its the
patience and attention to detail involved in
those final steps that let the image develop
to its full form.
Working in Adobe Lightroom and
Adobe Photoshop, Hall also uses Nik
Software and Kubota Imaging Tools to
hand-retouches each image, never batch
processing or applying overly gimmicky
eects. The last thing I want... is have
someone look back at their album and think,
Oh, that was done in 2000 when plastic skin
was really in, she says. Hall takes a twostep approach to each image, rst cleaning
up imperfections and distracting elements,
and then experimenting with artistic eects.
I use my Intuos for all of it, she remarks. I
cant retouch without it. Regardless of what
Im doing, I need the uidity and pressure
sensitivity that a mouse cant give you.
The intuitive feel of the Intuos is a key
element of her process, allowing her to bring
the same naturalness to retouching that
she cultivates during a shoot. Whats really
great is that I dont even think about it, she
says. I dont say, I want this to be darker so
Im going to press harder. Its like drawing
with a pen or a pencil. And if I retouched
an image without my Wacom, I would be at
least ve times slower.
As in every aspect of photography, time
is an essential element in Halls retouching

buttons when I pushed them. Now the buttons are

atter and more subtle, and theres more space
between them. Its incredibly well engineered. The
tablets multi-touch support lets her pan and zoom
seamlessly as she retouches with the stylus, and
she uses its wheel to zoom and adjust brush sizes.
Thats astronomically more uid than having to go
and press buttons, she explains.
The intuitive design of the Intuos5 lets Hall keep
her focus on bringing out the natural beauty of
each scene. Theres a disparity between what the
camera can see and what your eyes see, she points
out. Im always trying to bring the image back to
what your eyes can see. But part of her craft is
also bringing to life the vision her clients see in
their minds eye when they reminisce about their
wedding day. When you photograph a wedding,
youre actually shooting peoples memories, she
says. Twenty years from now, theyre not going to
remember their wedding exactly as it was. Theyll
remember your rendition. I want them to look back
and think, What a brilliant day. There were blue
skies and we looked great. So retouching is really
about taking an image to the place where its the
best it can be, without transforming what it is.
And her clients reactions to her retouching
work? I dont think they see it, Hall observes.
Theyre just so happy with the nal images. But
its not like they know exactly why. They just see
beautiful photographs of themselves and their
family, and theyre thrilled.

RIGHT: Hall strives to bring to life the vision her clients see in their minds eye when they reminisce
about their wedding day. She says retouching is about making an image the best it can be without
completely transforming it.



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BOTH PHOTOS CATHERINE HALL

work. Its fast and easy to over-retouch, she

explains. There are software programs that will
x a whole face in a minute. But at the end of the
day, theres no shortcut to retouching a portrait
well. It takes patience and a lot of little steps. I
dont have recipes. Each individual piece requires
something dierent.
One of the things Hall loves most about her
new Intuos5 is the way it allows her to use her
retouching time focusing on the artistic instead
of the technical. Theyve made it so that you
rarely need to take your hands o the tablet or
your eyes o the image to go to a keyboard, she
says. It allows you to spend your time being an
artist instead of a technician navigating things.
Its combination of eight programmable buttons,
a touch ring, and multi-touch support means
that Hall rarely has to look away from the image
shes retouching to type keyboard shortcuts or
adjust tools, even if shes forgotten how shes
programmed a button. If you rest your ngers
on a keystroke, she explains, a guide will pop
up and tell you what all the buttons do. It makes
the learning curve a lot quicker because theres a
dummy-proof visual reference any time you need
it. Hall was surprised to discover that it took her
only about 15 minutes to set up her new Intuos5
and get accustomed to its features.
Another pleasant surprise was how natural the
Intuos5 felt. It feels good to touch it, she says.
With the earlier one I had, the buttons felt like

$)7(5&$3785(
PRODUCT REVIEWS

Introducing Cintiq 22HD

With extensive customization options and high-denition pen-on-display interaction,
the Cintiq 22HD will forever improve the way you edit photographs. By Nikki Anthos

diting images on a Wacom Cintiq 22HD interactive

pen display is so intuitive and natural that its
hard to imagine working any other way. Even the
younger generationsome of whom learned to
navigate a computer screen with a mouse before
they picked up their rst pencil or crayonwill
feel at home with the Cintiqs pen-on-display interaction. As
much as the Intuos5, with its multi-touch panel, enhances and
streamlines a photographers workow, the Cintiq 22HD takes
the user experience to another level.
But its not just the act of working directly on screen
with a pen that puts the Cintiq 22HD a step above. The
tablet has 16 ExpressKeyseight on each sideand two
4-mode Touch Strips. Keyboard shortcuts, actions, and any
other repetitive (or specialized) task can be programmed
to an ExpressKey or Touch Strip (the latter is perfect for
increasing/decreasing brush size and/or hardness, zooming
in and out, and other functions that have opposing actions).
Of course, the pen, or pens (specialty pens are available) can
be customized as well. Beyond that, the pen display can be
set up as a mirror image of your main screen, as an extended
display (great for putting your Adobe Photoshop palettes
or tools out of the way, thereby expanding the already
generous, 19.5 x 11.5 inch working area) or as a separate
HD monitor. A trio of dedicated controls at the upper right
oer convenient access to settings, including the ability to view
current ExpressKey and Touch Strip settings, customize them on the y
via the Wacom control panel, and adjust the monitors color, brightness, and
backlight levels.
There are a few details to keep in mind while setting up this tablet. While



$)7(5&$3785()$//

CLICK HERE
FOR MORE
INFORMATION

this cross-platform device supports DVI and VGA, youll

get the best display quality with DVI. And be sure to
set the resolution to 1920 x 1080after all, it is a highdenition displayand spend whatever time necessary
to calibrate color and contrast. Wacom oers plenty
of help in the form of the user manual and videos (the
company has its own YouTube channel), and all the
accessories you need to get started are bundled with
the tablet. In addition to the display, which measures
25.6 x 15.7 x 2.2 inches and weighs 18.7 pounds (with
stand), the Cintiq 22HD comes with DVI, power and
USB cables (Mac users will need to supply their own
adapters), an adjustable stand, rotation lock screws, a
pen with colored personalization rings, a pen stand with
replacement nibs and nib extraction tool, a wide-bodied
grip for the pen, a printed quick start guide, and an
installation CD. Free software can be downloaded from
the Wacom site and software discounts are available for
tablet owners.
A set of non-skid front feet keep the Cintiq 22HD
rmly in place while a pair of rollers at the rear of the
stand makes it easy to place the tablet at the perfect
angle. The stand also pivots so you can rotate the
monitor along the axis from landscape to portrait mode.
Its clear that the Cintiq 22HDs many attributes will benet
photographers with their extensive customization, compatibility with
the most-often used image-editing applications, and pressure- and tiltsensitive pens, to name just a few. Wedding and portrait photographers
will certainly nd value in speeding their workow and being able to
make even the most nely detailed corrections with precision and ease.

$)7(5&$3785(
PRODUCT REVIEWS

Wacom Intuos5:
Touch Sensitive and
Better than Ever

he latest generation Intuos5 is a far cry from my beige Wacom

tablet from many years ago. Dressed in all black, its design is
sleek and simple, with eight ExpressKeys, a Touch Ring control
and a touch-sensitive surface. I tested the medium-sized
Intuos5 (it comes in small and large sizes, too) that, at 2.18
pounds, is lightweight enough to rest on your lap, but sturdy
enough to stay in place on your desk. It measures 15 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches and
has an active area of 8.8 x 5.5 inches, which I found was more than sucient
for working in Adobe Photoshop.
Compatible with Mac and PCs, the Intuos5 comes with a Grip Pen, pen
stand, 10 replacement nibs, a pen nib removal tool, a 6.5-foot USB cable,
quick start guide, installation CD and a license key for free software. The
latter can be downloaded from the Wacom site upon registration, and
includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 10, Anime Studio Debut by Smith
Micro, Autodesk SketchBook Express and, one of my personal favorites,
Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4 Select Edition. A 90-day trial version of Corel
Painter 12 is also available. Discounts for a range of photographer-favorite
applications from Nik and onOne Software are available when you register.
Rather than creating a separate wireless model, Wacom now oers
an optional kit to add wireless capabilities to any Intuos5 (and Bamboo
Capture and Create models). Other accessories include a ve-button mouse
and a sleeve to protect the tablet while traveling.
Installation is a no-brainer, but be prepared to set aside some time
to customize the tablet. There are so many options for programming
ExpressKeys, the Touch Ring and, yes, even touch gestures can be assigned
specic tasks, that youll keep busy for a while exploring the dierent
permutations and congurations. You can even create application-specic
custom settings to suit dierent workows. (Click on the image for more
information on how to customize the Intuos5.)
After installation, but before you begin customizing the tablet, as we
did for Adobe Photoshop CS6, take a look at the default functions
including those for the Touch Ring and Penby pressing the Show Settings
ExpressKey (second from top if the tablet is on your left; second from
the bottom if youre left-handed and positioned the tablet to your right).
Whats even more convenient is that all you have to do is click on any one
of the on-screen keys to launch the tablets properties dialogue box. From



$)7(5&$3785()$//

Wacom tablets have long been a staple of photographers who realize

the special synergy between a pen tablet and software applications
such as Adobe Photoshop. But with the proliferation of multi-touch
devices like smartphones and iPads, weve moved into a touchsensitive world and so has the latest Intuos tablet. By Nikki Anthos

there, customization is quite simple, with plenty of options in drop down

menus. You may want to make a list of some of your most used keyboard
shortcuts before you begin, and, although you can program an ExpressKey
for a specic shortcut, it may be more useful to set one of the keys with a
modier (e.g., Cmd or Ctrl) if you make heavy use of keyboard shortcuts.
Keep in mind that Photoshop, for example, allows you to create your own
keyboard shortcuts that you can later assign to the tablet. Actions can
be assigned to ExpressKeys as well. And if you ever forget the function
youve assigned to an ExpressKey, gently rest a nger on any key and
the new Express View head up display appears on your screen to
identify the settings for all the keys. Theres also a Radial
Menu option that can be customized with up to eight
dierent functions so you can quickly select the
one you need from the on-screen menu.
Some of my must have tablet
features include increasing
and decreasing brush

CLICK HERE
FOR MORE
INFORMATION

size, cycling through layers, and programming one of the Pen switches
to Option (Alt), so that I can simply press the switch and tap on an area to
sample pixels when Im cloning. And, I do like the Radial Menu for functions
that I use less often, such as stepping forward and backward in Photoshop.
And now with its multi-touch surface, you can program gestures as well. In
addition to standard movements like pinch and swipe, and Wacom-specic
presets, custom settings are available for ve dierent gestures (threenger tap, four-nger swipe up, four-nger swipe down, venger swipe up, ve-nger swipe down). Like other custom
tablet settings, a drop-down menu oers a number of
choices that range from setting a keystroke to
showing the Radial menu.
Any of the ExpressKeys or
multi-touch gestures can be
disabled, but I chose to have
everything active. My
initial concern with
the touch surface
was that I would
accidentally swipe
and activate a tool or
function. But unlike my
iPhone and iPad with their
super-sensitive
touchscreens,
there havent been any accidental
mishaps with the Intuos5.
Since Im a long-time user of Wacom pen
tablets, it didnt take much for me to fall in love
with the Intuos5. That said, I think rst-time Wacom
tablet users and those stepping up from earlier models will
appreciate the Intuos5s features and multi-touch surface as
much as I do. Granted, my current Intuos works well but Ive found that
by using all the custom options and gestures of the Intuos5, I can edit an
image in about half the time. That translates to more time away from the
computer to shoot, and quicker turnaround on projectstwo of the best
benets one could hope for.

$)7(5&$3785(

32575$,76

PRESENTS THE

DIGITAL
IMAGING
CONTEST

2012
Congratulations to all of the winners. The
work on the following pages was judged
based on post-capture technique including
the difficulty of the effect created and the
steps taken to achieve the final image.
Grand-prize winner Kenneth Rodriguez
will receive a $2,000 cash prize, Wacoms
Cintiq 22HD interactive pen display, a PDN
PhotoServe portfolio, a PDN PhotoPlus
Gold Expo Pass, and a feature on his work
that begins on page 25. First-place winners
Walter Pinkus, Ryther, Extreme Group and
Braxton Wilhelmsen will each receive a
$1,000 cash prize, a Wacom Intuos5 touch
medium pen tablet, a PDN PhotoServe
portfolio and a PDN PhotoPlus Expo Gold
Expo Pass. Second-place winners Tong
Sarin, Dennis Jones, Julia Kuzmenko
McKim, Drasko Petric and Michelle Monique
will each receive a Wacom Intuos5 touch
medium pen tablet.
A special thank you to the judges and to
everyone who entered the contest.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

3rd Place
Olga Barkhatova
New Age Victorian.

2nd Place
Julia Kuzmenko McKim
Memories of Summer.

This image was retouched and composed in Photoshop. The models body line, hair,
makeup and clothes were adjusted. The background pattern was created separately
and lighting was also applied in post production.

Model: Nicole Keimig, MUA

Hair: Mikala Vandenbroucke

Model: Katlin Sumners

GRAND PRIZE

Kenneth Rodriguez
The Fall of the Crow Princess.
This image was created as part of my
series titled Modernizing Fantasy. By
using layers, masked layers and brushes,
a beautiful image of a ballet dancer was
transformed into a fantasy setting with
modern undertones.

1$785(3+272*5$3+<

1st Place
Walter Pinkus
Light In The Forest.
I shot this on Tech Pan lm with a Minolta SLR camera
in 1984. Traditional printing of the image would have
required dicult dodging and burning, and the negative
had scratches and permanent dust. So instead I scanned
it and processed it in Photoshop CS2 with an Intuos
tablet, cloning out the dust and scratches. Then I added
several masked Curves and Brightness/Contrast layers
to replicate my analog printing dodge/burn sequence.

2nd Place
Dennis Jones
The Angel.

3rd Place
Charles Kang
Crane and Reection in Moonlight.
This image is painted but I dont want it to appear that way; it should be
believable in the same way actors dont want you to know theyre acting.


$)7(5&$3785()$//

I discovered this tiny detail amidst the chaos

of the Costa Rican forest. Using Curves to
reduce the overall luminance, I painted the
leaf with white at varying opacities to sculpt
the light. Painting with contrast caused it to
glow from within. Niks Soft Focus softened
and darkened the background. The reections
on the big leaves were color-shifting.
Adjusting their hue toward green, and then
using Viveza to change the luminance and
saturation maintained their color. Finally, I
enhanced the leafs texture with sharpness.
My vision for the nished image was to
separate the angel-shaped leaf from the
confusion and sculpt it with light for an
ethereal feel.

67,///,)(

2nd Place
Drasko Petric
Handyman.
My inspiration for this image was a cool dude with attitude. The look of the picture was
achieved by retouching the background and the model in Photoshop and I am very pleased
with the results.

1st Place
Extreme Group, Halifax
Musical Note Light Bulb.
I used the base of the light bulb from the original image. Next, I redrew the shape
of the light bulb as a musical note using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet pen tool.
Lastly, I created the shading and highlights on the new bulb with the brush tool,
the pen tool and my imagination.

3rd Place
Josh Marrah and Victor Prado
Splash Letter A.
This photograph was created as a
collaboration between Josh Marrah and
Victor Prado. All of the post-processing
was done by Marrah and the original
concept is by Prado.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

&20326,7(250217$*(

1st Place
Ryther
Dress Cock.
I wanted to use layers of clothes like
feathers in this image and it was a real
challenge. To create the individual photos
I threw each garment into the air and
photographed each of them as they
were lled with air. I then retouched each
garment to extract them of their bottom
and imported and composited all of the
layers (approximately 200) in Photoshop.

3rd Place
Jean Francois Seguin
Marion the Violinist.
The rst step was to photograph the background and all of the
items separately on location and in the studio, respecting focal
length, height and distance so that they all t together. The next
step was the post-processing in Photoshop using a pen tablet
to precisely select and extract and resize the models and the
doors in order to integrate them into the background image.
Lastly, I blended everything by adjusting contrasts, colors, hue,
saturation, color balance and matching sharpness using dierent
tools in Photoshop.
2nd Place
Tong Sarin
Take A Break.
The rst step was to montage together all of the elements including photos of the talent, sky, etc. Next, I did the grading, which was a little
bit tricky because of its various low-key tones and strong highlights. Going for the illustrative look, each gure had to be graded individually,
painting light in and bringing the shadow up. The last tools I used were dirt brushes combined with real dirt to add action to the scene.


$)7(5&$3785()$//

678'(17

1st Place
Braxton Wilhelmsen
More Power!
I did my best to de-clutter by removing the items in the reection, some plants, etc. Next, I used eyes from
another photo to improve the expression and moved the models arm up so it would look more realistic.
Lastly, I used a plate image to remove the stool and I took hair from several images to make it look fuller.

3rd Place
Sadie Robinson
Golden Light.
Golden Light features a lovely goldsh named Goldie Hawn. The idea came to me because
I thought it would be funny if you could keep a goldsh in a light bulb for real, but all I have is
Photoshop. There are three images in this composite: one for the bottom of the light bulb,
another for the top, and a third for the goldsh. The images were combined by masking out the
area around each of the other photos. I then dodged, burned, sharpened, and cropped.

2nd Place
Michelle Monique
Babydoll.
This image was inspired by the movie Sucker Punch. All of the elements in this picture were created in real life and
manipulated in Photoshop. The train was made out of a cardboard box, the bits of metal are painted eggshells and the
robots are wooden anatomy dolls. From start to nish this picture took around 50 hours to complete.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

3(23/(6&+2,&(

2ND PLACE
Matthew Roharik
Furry Bottom Nude Beach.
Where do I begin? Every prop was handmade, including the beach water and boats. It took hundreds of layers and hours
to construct the image. There are many layer masks. This would not of been possible without a Wacom tablet and I wore
through two nibs working on this. I wanted to create a whimsical scene with pet guinea pigs and make people laugh.
Photographer, Set Builder and Retoucher: Matthew Roharik
Co-Prop Builder and Guinea Pig Stylist: Autumn DeSellem
Models: Pumpkin, Samantha, Quincy, Runt and Cheeko

1ST PLACE
Tiany Lynn Morley
Untitled
This traditional style portrait was enhanced using Photoshop and Wacoms Intuos pen tablet.
Basic adjustments including exposure, color balance, lens correction and sharpness were primary.
Additional techniques such as Micro Dodge/Burn, Frequency Separation and Digital Makeup
were also used to enhance this image.
Model: Rebecca Taylor

3RD PLACE
Mahmood Fazal
Bringing Hope.
This image was created as part of a series to bring awareness to the issue of human sex tracking.
The idea was to communicate a combination of freedom, uncertainty, adventure and hope.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

7+28*+76)5207+(-8'*(6
WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING FOR AS YOU JUDGED THE AFTERCAPTURE DIGITAL IMAGING CONTEST?

Dan Havlik

Tim Cooper

What I was looking for in this contest

were not only images that showed a high
level of skill in Photoshop and the ability to
use a Wacom tablet effectively, but photos
that produced a serious impact on the
viewer. Or in another words, I was looking
for eye-catching images that could stand
on their own as powerful photos, not just as
manipulated shots you would look at and say
Wow, that mustve taken a lot of work.
www.havlikindustries.com

www.jeremycowart.com

In short, a persuasive blend of skill and

aesthetics. Even though photography began
as a highly technical pursuit, it quickly gained
popularity with people wanting to express
themselves. Successful imagery was, and
will continue to be, dependent on a balance of
creativity and a keen application of skill. The
best submissions for this contest showed great
imagination, creativity and the technical skill to
make their vision come alive.

The best test for me when

it comes to my work is, would
I hang this image on my wall?
If so, I consider that image a
winner. So when it comes judging
work by other artists, I try and
apply the same standards.

www.timcooperphotography.com



$)7(5&$3785()$//

Jeremy Cowart

In judging this contest, I was

looking for a number of things. I
wanted to see skill, obviously, but I
also wanted to see that people were
avoiding common missteps such as
bad haloing and sharpening, etc. But
most importantly, I wanted to see
nal images that are relevant to our
industry and that will get the portfolio
ball rolling for the participants.

Joel Grimes

www.joelgrimes.com

MODERN
METAMORPHOSIS
PHOTO COURTESY KENNETH RODRIGUEZ

Using a Wacom pen tablet, AfterCapture Digital

Imaging Contest grand-prize winner Kenneth
Rodriguez transforms photographs for his
series Modernizing Fantasy.

Kenneth Rodriguez


$)7(5&$3785()$//

t was late at night at his aunts house in

Kenneth Rodriguezs native Corozal, Puerto
Rico, when he found his shot. Rodriguez had
been working on a series called Modernizing
Fantasy for six months, and the rst image he
had in mind for the series had not yet materialized.
In this collection he was aiming for fantasy-based imagery with modern undertones. Four other pictures
had come to fruition already, including a water dress
image titled Water Nymph and a steampunk-inspired image called The Flight of the Valkyrie, but
the one he had imagined to begin with was still waiting in the wings.

Now he was home visiting family, and Rodriguezs

cousin, Maritere Mediavilla, was graduating from
high school. She asked him to shoot her senior pictures, and as a seasoned portrait photographer he
was more than happy to do it. It was really dark outside, and I was taking the opportunity to shoot with
a new lighting set-up. We started around sunset and
continued until almost midnight, he says. Maritere
was a ballerina, and I wanted some shots that showed
her form. These werent traditional senior portraits
they were something special.
Around 10 p.m. on a warm evening last spring, Rodriguez shot the photo that would become the fth

in his series, Modernizing Fantasy titled

The Fall of the Crown Princess. He had
tried for this moment many times in Manhattan, Kansas, where he lives, but none
of the pictures he had taken with models
were quite right. This time, as Maritere
leaned forward into the light and pointed
her left toe behind her, Rodriguez knew
he was almost home.
His struggle to nd this perfect capture reveals his progression as a photographer over the eight years he has been
shooting seriously. I used to take a lot
of picturesI mean a lotand then sort
through them to nd the right one. I
grew weary of that way of doing things
and a few years ago I started going after
certain photos that I really wanted. It is
a more aggressive approach, and it can
be risky because it might not work. But
at this stage I would rather try for something specic than hope for a workable
outcome, explains Rodriguez.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

BOTH PHOTOS KENNETH RODRIGUEZ

The before and after photos of

Water Nymph, an image from Rodriguezs
series Modernizing Fantasy.

BOTH PHOTOS KENNETH RODRIGUEZ

The before and after photographs of the

image The Flight of the Valkyrie.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

Once he had his shot, it was time to get to work

on post-production. Manipulating images is really
what grabbed me early on. I love the whole process
of nding a picture and shooting it, but working
with the image and transforming it into something
from my imagination is what drives me, he says.
First, I tweaked the white balance and exposure
in Lightroom. Then I went into Adobe Photoshop
and did the whole edit. I isolated the subject using a masked layer. I copied the layer and masked

everything but the dress. Then I turned that layer into a black-and-white layer and added color
overlay to change the color of the dress to red. In
another layer, I changed her hair using a brush. I
added the mask, red feather, red bow and arrow,
each in its own layer. I applied some smoke brushes
and added two crows. Then to achieve the reection on the oor, I copied the image, turned it vertically and changed the opacity. Finally, I added the
background, and with the burn tool created the

shadow, says Rodriguez.

Rodriguez owns a Wacom pen tablet, and without it, I dont think I could edit this image the way
I did, he says.
I bought my Wacom tablet last year because a
friend told me I should really have one, says Rodriguez. He said my workow would be more efcient.
I wasnt sold on the idea, but I bought one. Then I let
it sit on the shelf for a while, because I was so used
to my mouse. Big mistake. Once I committed to us-

BOTH PHOTOS KENNETH RODRIGUEZ

The before and after photos of Rodriguezs

AfterCapture Digital Imaging Contest grand-prize
winning image, The Fall of the Crown Princess.



$)7(5&$3785()$//

ing the Wacom pen tablet, it completely changed the

way I work for the better.
After owning the tablet for a few months, Rodriguez
decided to spend a full day using it exclusively. By the
end of the day, he was able to get rid of his mouse.
The tablet makes editing so much easier. It is like having a touch screen. If you have to draw a line with a
mouse, you are going to try 20 times. But with the tablet, you are actually making a line the way you want
it the rst time. Eventually I started playing around
with it more, using it to make logos and other illustrations, and each experiment helped me get more comfortable and expand my skills. A lot of the detail in
my winning photo in the AfterCapture Before and After
Digital Imaging Contest is the result of my condence
with the Wacom pen tablet, he says.
Rodriguez had studied Computers and Business

Administration at the University of Puerto Ricos

Mayaguez Campus, but left before nishing his degree. After a short period of time in the U.S. Army,
he left because of an injury, and in 2004 he returned home.
I immediately bought my rst digital camera and
started taking pictures of whatever was in front of
me. I started with landscape photography, and then
my familys portraits, he says. Then a friend of mine
practically forced me to cover his wedding and I got
hooked on wedding photography. It was fast-paced
and demanding, and I loved it.
Rodriguez soon got married himself, and he and
his new bride moved to Kansas, where theyve stayed.
The seasons here in Kansas are in great contrast
to Puerto Rico. Here, I can actually see the seasons go
by. It was September when I moved here. The trees

A lot of the
detail in my
winning photo in
the AfterCapture
Before and After
Digital Imaging
Contest is the
result of my
condence
with the Wacom
pen tablet.

were changing color. When I saw the pink, purple

and yellow, it inspired my photography in a new way
and gave me a fresh start. Then winter came, and I
saw my rst snowfall. I felt like a little kidit was totally magical. I quit doing weddings because I needed
to expand my range of subjects, says Rodriguez.
He moved on to portrait photography: couples, infants and seniors. These portraits have become the
basis for the work he is doing today: portraits enhanced in post-production toward the end of telling
a full-edged story with a single image.
Now, he says, I go into shoots with a vision. I
dont go into it just to document, but rather to create something new from the basic material in front
of my lens.
http://kennethrodriguezphoto.com

Wed like to extend our hearty congratulations to all of

the winners of the AfterCapture Digital Imaging Contest.
Contestants brought out their best for this competition,
showing us what could be accomplished when they combined
their talents for in-camera capture with post-production
image editing. The quality of the submissions that we
received is truly inspiring. Your creative vision and technical
skills came together to make some very impactful work.
A special congratulations to grand-prize winner Kenneth
Rodriguez, who caught our judges attention with his image
titled The Fall of the Crown Princess. In the words of one
of the judges, the image showed great imagination and
creativity, along with the technical skill to make his vision
come alive.
Wacoms goal is to help our customers get the most
from their creative software, including Adobe Photoshop,
Lightroom, and the entire Adobe Creative Suite, as well as
dozens of other creative applications. If you try one of our
products, were condent that you will benet from the
advantages of our pressure-sensitive pens and nd that our
pen tablets and interactive pen displays are a natural and
intuitive way to work.
We are pleased to celebrate the creative accomplishments
of photographers worldwide, and we especially appreciate all
of the work demonstrated here in the AfterCapture contest.
Cheers,

PHOTO CATHERINE HALL

$33/$86($//$5281'

7+$1.<28)255($',1*
Visit www.wacom.com for more
information on interactive pen
displays, pen tablets and digital
interface solutions.

Your friends at Wacom

photo group


$)7(5&$3785()$//