Maffitt Family Christmas Cards
2014 marks the 10th anniversary of our yearly family tradition of custom Christmas cards, created in Adobe Photoshop. As we wrap up our newest effort this week, I wanted to share some highlights of years past.
“Face Mask” – Free Halloween Photoshop Tutorial
Words and pixels by Brian Maffitt Social-media followers know that every year I create a creepy Halloween self-portrait, combining original photography and heavy Photoshop work. Last year's example was so popular worldwide that when I was planning this year's efforts, I decided to make a demo to accompany the image. I didn't even try to provide a [...]
NY Comic Con 2014: A Newbie’s Photo Safari
Words and photos by Brian Maffitt I have a well-cultivated reputation as a Prince among Nerds, yet in my half-century on this planet I had never attended a Comic Con, the annual pilgrimage to Nerd-vana. My only excuse has been that by the time I noticed it was coming up, it was always sold out, so when this year [...]
Pixelstick Review – Verdict: Awesome!
In 2010 a Brooklyn company called Bitbanger launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for a new light-painting gizmo called the "Pixelstick". Well, it's shipping now, and it's revolutionary. Check out this video: https://vimeo.com/107313503 Check back for more tutorials and product demos! Meanwhile, order your own Pixelstick here. Brian
A Consummate Pro: My Memory of Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch, a Grande Dame of the American stage, passed away today at the age of 89. Some of you may or may not know that I was a Broadway actor before I became a trainer, and to honor her passing, here is my Elaine Stritch story: Fresh out of theater school in New York, I was [...]
New Effects Controls in Adobe AE CC 2014
Yesterday we celebrated the launch of Adobe Creative Cloud 2014 by taking an in-depth look at the new Live Text Integration feature between Adobe After Effects CC and Adobe Premiere Pro. Today I want to take a close look at another area of improvement in After Effects CC: New Effect Controls. After Effects has long been a [...]
Adobe Creative Cloud 2014 is here!
by Brian Maffitt I’m at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on the West side of Manhattan, where Adobe is unveiling the next major release of its Creative Cloud software. I’ll be reporting on my impressions of the exciting new features (as well as the announce event itself) over the next few days. To [...]
CANON EOS 5D Mk III – Superb Light Sensitivity for Macro Photography
by Brian Maffitt I have many professional photographer friends. Most of them work very hard and have studied their craft for a long time, and nothing gets their collective noses out of joint like a "civilian", presented with a lovely photograph, asking innocently “what camera did you use?” A clever, indignant retort usually follows, along [...]
