DesertCruiser
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| | 03/07/10 at 02:45 AM | Reply with quote | #1 |
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We're working closely with Jessica Gould the Senior PR Manager at Corel. They make the program Paint Shop Photo Pro X3. They were nice enough to provide us with a copy of the program to write a review. We're waiting now on an update that's in the works from Corel's programing team. There are a couple of bugs associated with the program that we brought to their attention and they are diligently working on a fix for this problem. It will be a few more days at least before we can get and install the fix -- so please be patient, as this is a great software as LarryE has said in the other thread. I've also been using the Trial Version and it is just short of amazing and easy to use, so let's give them a little time to fix this problem. We'll give you a report as soon as possible. I'm currently using it for the Midnight at the Oasis Photos on the Local Happenings Page -- tomorrow evening I'll put up around 400 more images that I worked on in the program. Stay tuned,
Don....
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LarryE
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| | 03/07/10 at 05:47 AM | Reply with quote | #2 |
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Yes, Don, once they get that update done and we can install it successfully, we'll be able to finish the testing and write our review. I'm very impressed with the software so far and am waiting patiently for that update. The software writers have a tough job to do, but I have confidence in Corel and am sure they'll do a spot-on job.
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/07/10 at 01:48 PM | Reply with quote | #3 |
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I really hope they do Larry. What with working with this large number of images for the car show (over 400) it takes too much time, the way I used to do it --- AND the final result is much better now with the new software. I've just picked up another neat feature in the first part of the program that catalogues all your photos, you can select just a few (like 20 at a time) to work on them in the Express Lab. Which does a great job. In fact here's a couple that I just ran out of the 20. We all make mistakes and this was one of mine, using spot on the camera for focusing and exposure, so it underexposed a lot of shots because of light areas on the cars. This can hard to fix, but in the Express Lab. Well see for yourself.
White vehicles are hard to get right -- especially when you forget to check your camera settings?
Nice and only a few clicks and the whites aren't blown out, and now the sky looks better too.
This one looks so bad, I'm ashamed to say I took that, but it happens, and when you only get one chance, you'd better have a way to fix it.
That was probably one of the worst ones, and hardest to fix.
What do you think, it's making my job a lot easier!
Don.....
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LarryE
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| | 03/07/10 at 03:42 PM | Reply with quote | #4 |
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That's excellent Don. And you're only using the trial version of the software, aren't you. Yes, I'm finding lots of things that I think will make this a worthwhile program to have, both for the beginner and the professional.
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/08/10 at 09:34 PM | Reply with quote | #5 |
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Hey I just caught that --- What do you mean I'm ONLY USING THE TRIAL VERSION. Just cause they gave you the packaged version doesn't make any difference. The trial version is a full working version just like yours. Next time I get the software!
Don.....
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/09/10 at 02:57 PM | Reply with quote | #6 |
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Okay Larry beat this. I was playing around with the Photo Pro X3 again. This time with layers. Now I always made my own and did this in a different way, so this is new to me, but still fun. Now this could have been a nice photo if it wasn't for the sky -------
Plus it's a little dark because the camera metered for the bright sky -- we've all had this problem at one time or another. Well maybe Larry hasn't.
So here's the sky I used for this photo.---------------
Remember your suppose to save photos like this and keep a folder of different sky backgrounds just for a photo like the above. You have to collect a lot of different sky backgrounds. Some will work better than others. So here's what I came up with. ------------------
Not my best work, but I'm learning how to do it a different way. I like the way it works. I also ran it through the Express Lab to make the car stand out a little more. What do you think?
Don....
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/09/10 at 11:42 PM | Reply with quote | #7 |
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Okay one more than I'm done for a while. I was playing with Photo Pro X3 again. That text thing got to me and I had to figure it out along with what you can do with it. Also used the fill tool to get rid of the background in the image, and added a little more complex border around the image. The text has a small drop down shadow too.
Now there's a couple of mess-ups in the green background, but that's easy to fix with the paint brush, which works great too. I also gave the text a little 3D effect to make it stand out more. I really like the way the drop down shadow tool works
Don....
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LarryE
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| | 03/11/10 at 07:16 AM | Reply with quote | #8 |
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Nice job on both of those images Don. A little more work and you could really become good at this. LOL |
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/13/10 at 08:14 PM | Reply with quote | #9 |
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Here's two more images that I was playing with. I think Corel has something here -- Corel's PaintShop Photo Pro X3 for anyone that just joined in. Take a good look at both of these, basically the same images. I need a name the for the second one!
Not bad except for all the power lines and power poles. Soooooo.
And the sky needed to be fixed and the color enhanced a little, frame, border added - easily I might add. Then Photo Pro X3 has a neat little item called picture tubes -- that's where the business jet came from, one click, then with the air brush added a con trail and smoke trail from one engine. Got rid of all the power lines, except in the palo verde tree, see them?
Couldn't think of a name for this?
Don....
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/14/10 at 11:02 PM | Reply with quote | #10 |
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Last post till our review is done. I was trying the Corel PaintShop Pro Project Creator. Which is just full of neat stuff, slide shows, posting to facebook, and other on-line networking sites, emailing, and my favorite printing collages. Last night after having this computer on all day and night, and finding out my screens were dirty on the inlet for the fans, plus I was running my two virus, spyware programs, my registry program, and having my mail program open, the program crashed and I couldn't get it to work at all. Is this a program fault, you ask? NO I turned all the nonsense that wasn't necessary off (listed above) and it worked flawlessly. I also vacuumed the dust, cat hairs out of the inlet vents of the computer, it was running hot last night - the processor was running at a little over 128 degrees, too hot!
This program uses a lot of resources so it's important to shut off anything that's not necessary, like your virus programs, web browser, e-mail programs. (edited 3/15) I should note here the reason for the large use of resources by the program -- when you open 16 large images and each one has all these options available - like being able to zoom and move them around in the template - this takes a lot of resources, and this feature is not available anywhere else that I'm aware of with such an easy interface. So what can you do with it? The options are almost endless and final outcome (in this case prints) turned out great. Here's an example of one of the collages I printed for this trial run, The way you can lay them out has a lot of variations. I printed all them on 8.5 X 11 inch glossy photo paper on my canon i9900 printer. Here's one of them --------
I thought this turned out great, but to make sure, I also printed it using my regular printing software on the same printer with the same paper, and the results were exactly the same, which honestly was a surprise. So then I printed a photo that I knew was not big enough for an 8.5 X 11 print and to do that I had to raise the resolution to 123 pixels per inch to get it to print big enough. Now 200 pixels per inch should be your bare minimum for printing (see this article). This image was also too dark, and had too much contrast, but is good for a judging the print quality, detail of the print, and dynamic range. I also printed it using both printing software's and once again there was absolutely no difference. Here's that image.
I could see the small amount of loss of detail because the image was too small to begin with, but in both software's they did an excellent job maintaining a reasonable amount of detail and giving me a decent print.
The collage can be done in either landscape or portrait (vertical or horizontal) and does an great job. It can be saved as a jpeg or sent as an e-mail or even made into a PDF file. You can also have them printed commercially on the web when your done right through the program.
Stay tuned for our review of this software --- Larry is not feeling too good right now so give us a little time. Larry will be doing the majority of the review.
Don.....
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LarryE
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Registered: 01/16/10
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| | 03/16/10 at 02:45 PM | Reply with quote | #11 |
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Nice collage you did there Don. You're really getting to like that new software, aren't you? That's great.
Am feeling better today and well on the road to a full recovery from whatever bug bit me. Got some sun today and it felt great. Supposed to be even nicer tomorrow.
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/16/10 at 03:13 PM | Reply with quote | #12 |
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Nice to have you back Larry -- now get to work. LOL Take it easy and get completely better. Glad your feeling better.
Don....
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/17/10 at 01:16 PM | Reply with quote | #13 |
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Corel just had a Webinar on Gotomeeting, with an hour long presentation on using their software. It was for people who owned the software and it was a great chance to pick up tips on it's use. The gentlemen who did the presentation was explaining it in a fashion that was easy to understand with some great pointers. If you'd like to see it, I think I can put a LINK to it here.
Their program does tone mapping -- know what that is? I'm not sure how it works myself, but have used it in other programs that do HDR (High Dynamic Range) on photographs. It's a software enhancement that is just short of amazing if you use it for landscapes. It makes the clouds POP and the rocks really stand out. Unlike what over sharpening does to an image, this makes the image look great. Other software's have tone mapping, but none make it this easy, quick and flawless to use.
The Express Lab in the program does most of the work on your images and unlike other one click fixes -- these are adjustable, and really work nice. Actually I can't believe what it's capable of, and what I've done with it. AND the best part, anyone, and I mean anyone could learn to use this software in a very short time, like a few hours, compared to others that require months to learn, and maybe even longer. And with no benefit greater than what's available here. In fact this software works better!
At first I ignored the Express Lab as I've always liked to go into an imaging program and make all the fixes myself, using the levels, curves, dodge (lightens parts of an image) and burn (which darkens parts of an image) and saturation, and finally sharpen the photo. Now all these are still available in the Full Editor in the program, I know I started there in this software.
We'll write this all up in our full review -- hang in there ---
Wait for our review before you purchase the software, please.
(edited 3/17) I just tried the link above and it works if you sign in with your name and e-mail address. It comes up in the Windows media player. Take a look!
Don....
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DesertCruiser
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| | 03/25/10 at 05:11 PM | Reply with quote | #14 |
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We got the review up and you'll find it HERE
Also on this message and the page linked above you'll find a coupon number that's good for an excellent discount for the software.
Here's the info on that:
Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 full version for $69.99 until April 9th. Coupon Code: DESERTBLOG2010 To use the coupon code: 1. Go to the Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 page at corel.com and click on the Buy Now button 2. Click the "Add to Cart" button 3. Once in the cart, enter the Coupon Code in the box that is labeled "Enter Coupon Code" 4. Click "Apply", which is located right beneath the coupon code box 5. The discount gets applied automatically 6. Click on the Secure Checkout button Please read the review on our site for more information. Most important, don't miss this discount, it's only good till April 9th.
You won't find this low price anywhere but here!
The staff at http://www.in-the-desert.com/
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LarryE
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Registered: 01/16/10
Posts: 96
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| | 03/26/10 at 12:09 PM | Reply with quote | #15 |
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Yes Don, I hope everyone of our members can take advantage of that discount coupon. Offers like that don't come by every day. It's a super program and again, I hope everyone get it at that super discounted price. |
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