What is Digg?40 Comments
- paradoxic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21They put each item on a seperate page to whore themselves out for advertising.
I find it annoying as well. - Fett101, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17You're using a $650 piece of software. You're already sprucing your images up like a professional.
- 2L84ME, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17I need all the RAM I can get when using Photoshop, I think these plugins would push it over the top.
(On a side note, websites like this get really annoying when you have to keep clicking next to see every individual item!) - PatrickB, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15None of these plugins are useful for real-world application. They might be fun for amateurs though...
- asteron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I agree with the parent. The set is a bunch of *ok* preset shortcut effects and some random prepackaged colorings. Presets are all fine and good but actual tools that you can build on are more useful. There is really no replacement for skill and experience.
If I ever had a need to use a camoflage texture I would probably be better off making it myself as opposed to using some preset. - jeeff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6i work with photoshop, and i can tell you that a bundle of fancy filters will not give you that "pro" look. a few of these would be useful in very specific circumstances, but there are other ways to accomplish almost all of these things just by playing with the basic parameters of an image and layer blending modes. you're much better off investing a minimum of time to learn about the edit->transform and image->adjust menus. quickmask mode is also very useful.
the problem with filters is that most people use them randomly to try and "spruce up" digital photos that didn't turn out so well. filters are fine if you're trying to achieve a specific look in a specific context, but please don't use filters to polish a turd (and post it to deviantart). - jervana, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9None? Well I suppose you downloaded them all and tried them. Some of them look like good shortcuts in PS. The Auto FX and Luce plugins look pretty interesting.
- blingfinger, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Hardly, just having a program used by professionals does not mean you edit your images in a professional manner. Similarly, just because I have a nice bass guitar at home does not mean I play like a professional musician (working on that one).
- patmfitz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Seeing a lot of the "photoshop tutorials" posted to digg, no, they're not using it "like a professional".
/fitz (not "a professional" but using Photoshop for 10+ years) - DigitalN3k0, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6These plugins are useless.
Indeed all these features can be easily achieved using Photoshop CS.
Besides half of the examples aren't even in focus and they're low as ***** quality. - DarkPrince11, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3the Virtual Photographer is pretty cool but everything else just seems pointless.
- knaaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Weak. You can replicate any of these plug-ins with a little extra time and some knowledge of the program.
- Ghezus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They're nice for the newer people but most of these effects can be done with the base program....
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2These filters are good if you're just starting out - but I'd say to anyone who downloads them, work on being able to create the same effects on your own - it's far more satisfying, and it means you can create JUST the right mood for your image instead of what at best would be an approximation.
For me, these filters are too much 'point and click' - I like to spend time and get it just how I want it (and to be honest, I've never needed a 'night vision filter'... - jedimasta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2though I wouldn't says NONE of them are useful (cuz the Luce plugin has some features worth noting), all of these can be done easily with existing built in tools and filters. The problem with plug-ins is that it lets amateurs make crappy lookin images easily. They almost promote mediocre work. I admit, I fell into the trance of AlienFX back in the day, but I now know better.
- Brutal, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3meh.. these are pretty lame.
- guitarromantic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Most of the original images looked better than the edited ones.
- dbr_onix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just because it lets "amature users make crappy looking images easily", doesn't mean someone who can use Photoshop decent can't save a little time doing these effects manually.. Being "professional" doesn't mean wasting time doing everything by hand, a lot of it depends on simply knowing how.. For example, composoting/keying - it's great to know how to manually build a keyer, but theres often times theres no need to, and your as well using a keyer-plugin, but if that doesn't work, if you don't know how to use anything but the plugin, your screwed..
- Ben - Greyhaven7, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, because what this world needs is more lazy ass ways to make armatures feel like they're bad ass graphic artists.
I want to kill someone every time I see a full page magazine ad consisting of one image with one filter applied to it. What ticks me off is that someone is probably getting paid big $ to do that crap. I hate managers who don't know the tools their employees work with. GAH! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1::Greyhaven7:: The point you are missing though is that the "full page ad" you mention is there. The "artist" got the job, did the job and got paid. Your PS skills may be killer, but if you can't pull serious jobs then you lack the skills needed to make big money. You may curse his lack of real PhotoShop expertise, but he thanks god for your lack of self promotion expertise.
- WallyAnti, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ditto, VP was pretty neat to play with. I think it's a bit funny how easy it is to get a rise out of "pros" by even mentioning the word filter. And god help you if you so much as mention lens flare... oh god... what have I done!
- JohnyD, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2These plug-ins are NOT free. Flaming Pear does NOT give their plugs away... they SELL them. SO WHY ARE YOU TELLING US THEY ARE FREE?!?! Demo software != FREE FULL VERSIONS! I buried this btw.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3With only the examples as a measure I would have to say that all of these plug-ins (with the exception of the camouflage effect) can be achieved in a few minutes with existing Photoshop tools. BUT... the thing to remember is that even a true Photoshop pro doesn't use ALL of Photoshop's capabilities. Someone who retouches photos for a living might be terrible with fonts. And another who uses it to do cartoons might have no concept of color correction or layer masks. Plug-ins can be a great way to to get the quick effects you don't have time to learn. I highly recommend however that when one has the time they should attempt to mimic the effects using just Photoshop. The exercise will expand ones skills and allow more freedom in customizing the effects.
some of the posters I have made using Photoshop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockland/sets/101549/ - TheKingInYellow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i agree. it seems like as soon as i graduated from college and tried to find a real job that everyone in the world was a graphic designer. most of them never attended college but they knew the basics of photoshop and that got them a job doing graphic design even though they didn't know a damned thing about composition or typography.
i competed against a large ad firm for an addy and they won (of course because they were a firm and i was just a freelancer nobody). their ad was a stock photo (which they admited to in their addy credits) of a lemon with a logo and a small piece of text. it was later brought to my attention that the creative director of the firm was the vp of the advertising federation in charge of the addys.
it's amazing what passes as creative these days, especially by large companies that don't know anything about how the real world works. - LFTravel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I haven't tried it yet, but you can run Photoshop plugins on GIMP also:
http://www.gimp.org/~tml/gimp/win32/pspi.html - asteron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1That camouflage effect can probably be achieved with a few layers of sploches (each layer a different color) distorted with glass ripple in overlay mode. Maybe a minute.
- subversivepinko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Had you actually read the article or carefully browsed Flaming Pear's site, you would have noticed that they also offer a suite of free (not demo or shareware) plugins, which are what are mentioned in the article. Whether their free products are anywhere near the quality of their commercial products is an entirely different matter.
- knaaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0TheKingInYellow, you hit the nail on the head. Great comment.
- Machine, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You know... I wish that most people who put together tutorial websites (AND BOOKS!) on Photoshop... would realize that if you use a mediocre image as an example... you're just going to alienate the audience. Some of those plug-ins are probably useful... when applied with a light hand... but the examples are sub-par.
- jonnyfatman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1But surely if you're a 'Pro', you'll have shelled out the full asking price already for Photoshop and learnt how to use it properly.
Unless these plugins are just for people who use pirated software who just want a free breakfast, so to speak. - TheKingInYellow, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4if you're a serious photoshop user you don't use filters.
- ninetynine, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1i just can't get behind the logic of the macromedia suite, besides flash. best advise stick to what you know.
- 81v3d07g0d, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3you have to learn somehow dont you?
- JOSHDAVE, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1"if you're a serious photoshop user you don't use filters." AMEN to that
- BugMeNot2, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Do I detect sarcasm in your comment?
- roqs, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4photoshop plugins usually work with macromedia fireworks which imo is better suited to the home developer.
Thanks will give these a go on fireworks. - jervana, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Have you guys ever heard of a Table of Contents? If you don't want to click next, just use the TOC if something interests you.
- exoendo, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1dupe.
- EODMpink, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Static images FTL; give me some nifty AE or Combustion plug-ins.
- Celeron, on 10/12/2007, -21/+5Time for me to go pirate Photoshop.
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