Artist Spotlight: The Duke

Picibee is committed to acknowledge great photographers that help shape our visual world and we fully realize that our success is directly correlated and dependent on the success of these visual artists at large. This week we spotlight: Duke Photography

If you stand back and take a long look of Duke's considerable body of work, you’ll see a theme emerge: a consistent artistic vision that has been meticulously perfected and a greatness that has been accomplished.

Duke's images have pushed the boundaries of event photography to new heights. Though he has years of experience, the energy with which he is pursuing his career gives one the feeling that he is a young photographer that has just left the gates.

His work is sheer beauty, whether it is the bride and groom or the air and atmosphere around them.

When Picibee was looking for a professional to consult we needed to look no further than Duke. Duke brought his experience and know-how in helping shape our Darkroom tools and the Backgrounds that are tailored to wedding and commercial shooters.

Lovingly Overdoing It

Just like there can be too much of a good thing with effects like Bokehs, it is also possible to deliberately (and lovingly) overdo it.

Too much of a good thing?

Overdoing an effect such as Bokehs or Flares might kill the shot and the mood. Sometimes all you need is a pinch of this and a sprinkle of that.

Picibee's Darkroom has Bokehs and Flares in a range of intensities: large & small, loud & soft.

Like the saying goes, "Use them responsibly".

More Before & Afters from The Darkroom

Playing around in Picibee's Darkroom today and creating some before & afters for your viewing pleasure.  Below is a portrait using a canvas from the Cold Press series and then another of the bride using Rembrandt from our Painter series.

Bokeh & Flares for Handcrafted Wedding Album Creation

Bokeh is caused by out of focus specular highlights when the lens is wide open and Flare happens when there are light rays skimming across into the lens when camera is pointing slightly off, but still in the direction of the light source.  The application of either of these effects can add additional interest and depth to your wedding portraits.

Picibee offers extensive Bokeh and Flares that you can use for your handcrafted wedding album to enhance and improve your images of the special day. Bokeh & Flares will amplify the visual mood of the event and glorify the moment.

Sticking the Flares Where the Sun Don't Shine

The use of Bokeh and Lens Flare effects is one of the simplest techniques to add some pizzazz to your captured photography.  Given the latest dreary weather reports in the UK, when looking through our collection for a photo to illustrate this technique, we thought it very appropriate to give some vitality to an image captured by a Picibee Photographer in London.

In the image composite below we started with an image that is not too exciting. By simply adding a Bokeh effect from the Picibee library and then playing around with different blending modes (see image notes), we get an amazingly alive image. You can experiment with these Bokehs and Flares on your portraits, landscapes, still lifes or almost any image.

Visit Picibee's Darkroom for our selection of Bokeh & Lens Flare images. They are sold as bundles or individual images.

Canvas Spotlight: Cathodesque

Within some of our Info Page techniques for applying Picibee backgrounds, such as the Subtract Blending Mode tutorial, we have used the unique Cathodesque canvas series to clearly illustrate the technique and end result. Here is an example of a beautiful bride photo from Duke Photography paired with the Cathodesque canvas.

Most of Picibee canvases can be purchased individually or as a bundle.  Below is a look at the various colors and styles available in the 10pk Cathodesque bundle:

The Darkroom is now Live

Picibee's Darkroom is now live. The Darkroom is a digital tools wonderland, it includes canvases, frames (coming soon!), edges (coming soon!), actions (coming soon!) and other photography mechanisms and effects to help you enhance your captured images.

Within our Info pages, you'll find more detailed information, tutorials and general guidance to using Picibee's Darkroom.  Our Info pages will help you better implement and use these downloaded tools.

For Wedding Photographers

It is rare that a background is a work of art but at Picibee that is exactly what we have been trying to create with every background that we offer on our website. Each background Picibee creates is so unique that it can stand on its own as a beautiful image. However, these are all available to complement your photography and play in the background. Find out more about how to apply Picibee backgrounds on our Info Page.

Picibee will offer most of these backgrounds individually or as part of a bundle at a very affordable price. We have collaborated extensively with wedding photographers such as Duke Photography, to get their input in creating backgrounds that will enhance the final portraits and photo books of the special day. Picibee backgrounds will also help hobbyist photographers to create handcrafted wedding albums and portraits that serve as a unique gift to the wedding couple.