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	<title>Online Photography  Lessons &#38; Seminars by The inLIGHTin Workshop &#187; Product Reviews</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/category/reviews/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com</link>
	<description>Online photography lessons &#38; affordable photograhpy seminars for photographers of all skill levels</description>
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		<title>Abe&#8217;s of Maine Review</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/abes-of-maine-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/abes-of-maine-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:15:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[For Professionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abe's of maine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buy camera equipment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera store]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheap camera equipment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electronics store]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=1016</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have purchased my fair share of camera equipment from all sorts of stores. I just discovered <a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-4004172-10542538" target="_blank" >Abe&#8217;s of Maine</a> and they have electronics of all sorts. I ordered a couple products from them that were out of stock everywhere else and man did they have everything I need on such a short notice.</p>
<p>I would highly recommend checking them out. Simply click on the link below to see what <a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-4004172-10542538" target="_blank" >Abe&#8217;s of Maine</a> has for all your photo, video and gadget needs:<br />
<center><br />
<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-4004172-10542538" target="_blank" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.abesofmaine.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status=' ';return true;"><br />
<img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-4004172-10542538" width="468" height="60" alt="" border="0"/></a><br />
</center></p>
<p>Enjoy!<br />
~Mike</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Random Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/bells-and-whistles/" title="The Bells and Whistles Inside Our Cameras">The Bells and Whistles Inside Our Cameras</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/gobee-bags/" title="GO|Bee Bags">GO|Bee Bags</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/5-important-tip/" title="Five Things I Wish I Knew&#8230; My Top Revelations">Five Things I Wish I Knew&#8230; My Top Revelations</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/inlightin-forum-is-live/" title="The inLIGHTin Forum is Live!">The inLIGHTin Forum is Live!</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/canon-powershot-s90-review/" title="Canon PowerShot S90 Review">Canon PowerShot S90 Review</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/when-camera-fails/" title="When Gear Fails&#8230;">When Gear Fails&#8230;</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>We Have a New Sponsor: BaLens</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/sponsored-by-balens/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/sponsored-by-balens/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:11:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[For Professionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post-Processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pro Interviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workflow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[balens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brno balens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[calibration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera calibration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get accurate colors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael alan bielat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new sponsorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sponsor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[white balance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[white balance calibration]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=1001</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello all, Long time no see huh? Well thanks for hanging in there everyone and thanks for your patience! I am just writing to say that I didn&#8217;t forget about you all. I have been knee deep in wedding photography this year. I do have a lot of great shots to show you all and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello all,</p>
<p>Long time no see huh? Well thanks for hanging in there everyone and thanks for your patience!<br />
I am just writing to say that I didn&#8217;t forget about you all. I have been knee deep in wedding photography this year. I do have a lot of great shots to show you all and discuss so look for more posts soon.</p>
<p>So great news on the Sponsorship front&#8230; The inLIGHTin Workshop is now sponsored by <a href="http://www.baLenscap.com">BRNO</a>, maker of the <a href="http://www.baLenscap.com">BaLens white balance</a> accessories. I have been using these for a while now and have even written a post about it way back when. Check it my article on how to <a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/get-accurate-colors-in-camera/">Get Accurate Colors in Camera</a> to read more.</p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="https://www.amplis.com/evolve%5CProducts/media%5Cfs%5CButtons%5ClensCap2.gif" alt="How to get accurate colors in camera. Digital photography tips by the inlightin workshop. Product review of the BRNO BaLens white balance calibration." /><br />
</center></p>
<p>Anyways, they are great people with a great product so show your support and check them out. If you want to pick a couple up then you can visit their ordering site here: <a href="http://www.baLenscap.com">http://www.balens.ca</a></p>
<p>Their website is <a href="http://www.balens.ca">www.balens.ca</a>.</p>
<p>Thanks for stopping by!<br />
~Mike</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/get-accurate-colors-in-camera/" title="Getting Accurate Colors in Camera">Getting Accurate Colors in Camera</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/im-a-ppa-super-monday-instructor/" title="I&#8217;m A PPA Super Monday instructor">I&#8217;m A PPA Super Monday instructor</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/buy-a-monitor-calibrator/" title="WAIT! STOP! Before You Buy That Lens&#8230;">WAIT! STOP! Before You Buy That Lens&#8230;</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/sync-up-your-cameras-time/" title="Sync Up Your Camera&#8217;s Time!">Sync Up Your Camera&#8217;s Time!</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/back-in-business/" title="The inLIGHTin Workshop Is Back In Business!">The inLIGHTin Workshop Is Back In Business!</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/high-speed-sync-example/" title="Using High Speed Sync">Using High Speed Sync</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>New Wedding Photography Book by Kenny Kim</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/wedding-photography-book-by-kenny-kim/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/wedding-photography-book-by-kenny-kim/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 02:04:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[For Professionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buy book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chicago wedding photographer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kenny kim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[must own]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new book by kenny kim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the wedding photographer's planner]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=991</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You may remember way back when I interviewed Chicago Wedding Photographer, Kenny Kim on The inLIGHTin Workshop&#8230; Well, Kenny just released his first book and IT IS A-W-E-S-O-M-E! The Wedding Photographer&#8217;s Planner This book is over 275 pages of full-color reference to planning for and executing a successful wedding day shoot Wedding photography has become [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You may remember way back when I interviewed <a href="http://www.kennykim.com/" target="_blank">Chicago Wedding Photographer</a>, <a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/kennykim" target="_blank">Kenny Kim</a> on The inLIGHTin Workshop&#8230;</p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/KennyKim/KennyKimHeadshot.jpg" width="25%" height="25%" alt="Chicago Wedding Photographer Kenny Kim" /><br />
</center></p>
<p>Well, Kenny just released his first book and<strong> IT IS A-W-E-S-O-M-E! </strong><br />
<center><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/michalanphot-20/detail/0470570938">The Wedding Photographer&#8217;s Planner<br />
<br/></p>
<p><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MO8ZIRFKL._SS500_.jpg" alt="The Wedding Photographer's Planner by Kenny Kim" /></a><br />
</center></p>
<p><strong>This book is over 275 pages of full-color reference to planning for and executing a successful wedding day shoot</strong></p>
<p>Wedding photography has become a major industry, and the number of photographers getting into this field is rapidly increasing—making it even more competitive. Written by top wedding photographer, Kenny Kim, this full-color reference walks you through all the major (and minor) steps involved in planning and organizing a successful wedding day shoot.</p>
<p>You&#8217;ll get unique advice on everything from your initial meeting with the engaged couple to the final presentation of the commemorative book. Packed with checklists, schedules, etiquette tips, and much more, this book is an essential wedding photography resource for every wedding photographer.</p>
<p>    * Provides detailed coverage of all the major and minor steps in preparing for a successful wedding day shoot<br />
    * Explores preparation for every detail of taking unique and memorable wedding day photos<br />
    * Spans the initial meeting with the couple all the way to presenting them with their photo album<br />
    * Reassures you of your preparation, using checklists, schedules, etiquette tips, answers to questions, and more </p>
<p>From rings and vows to dancing and &#8220;wows&#8221;, this resource will help you prepare to capture every moment of a couple&#8217;s special day. </p>
<p>Be sure to check it out! </p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/kennykim/" title="One on One with Kenny Kim">One on One with Kenny Kim</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Canon PowerShot S90 Review</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/canon-powershot-s90-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/canon-powershot-s90-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 02:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Photo 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon powershot g11]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon powershot review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon powershot s90]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon product review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon s90 review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leica v-lux 20]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[point and shoot review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=983</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I picked up this point and shoot for my wife as part of her Mother&#8217;s Day gift. You all know that I am a Nikon fan boy so you are probably wondering what the deal is with me picking up a Canon. First off, it&#8217;s for my wife&#8230; joking. Seriously though, Canon still has the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I picked up this point and shoot for my wife as part of her Mother&#8217;s Day gift. You all know that I am a Nikon fan boy so you are probably wondering what the deal is with me picking up a Canon. </p>
<p>First off, it&#8217;s for my wife&#8230; joking.</p>
<p>Seriously though, Canon still has the edge in the digital point and shoot market. We used to have all Nikon point and shoots (all the way back when they had a whopping resolution of 2.1mp haha) but we were never happy with them aside from taking eBay photos. We are both professional photographers (the wife and I) so we were always comparing point and shoots to our professional cameras. The biggest issue we had was shutter lag&#8230; It always caused us to miss the moment when we were in a pinch.</p>
<p>So I finally said &#8220;screw it&#8221; and picked up a nice point and shoot that would do the trick once and for all.</p>
<p>So I did my research and it was between the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/643178-REG/Canon_3635B001_PowerShot_S90_Digital_Camera.html/BI/5677/KBID/6550" target="_blank">Canon PowerShot S90</a> and the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/643177-REG/Canon_3632B001_PowerShot_G11_Digital_Camera.html/BI/5677/KBID/6550" target="_blank">Canon PowerShot G11</a>&#8230; I ended up going with the S90 for various reasons with the biggest factor being how it looks&#8230; Yep. You know how girls are where things need to be pretty.</p>
<p><center><br />
<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/643178-REG/Canon_3635B001_PowerShot_S90_Digital_Camera.html/BI/5677/KBID/6550" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images345x345/643178.jpg" alt="Canon PowerShot S90 Review" /></a><br />
</center></p>
<p>I also picked up the S90 because it has the following:<br />
<strong>- f/2.0 Lens!!!!</strong> Ummmm yeah that&#8217;s what I said.<br />
<strong>- Almost no shutter lag</strong> (0.430 &#8211; 0.490 sec and a pre-focused lag of around 0.088 sec!)<br />
- 28-105mm effective focal length<br />
- AF Assist beam<br />
<strong>- Flash Compensation</strong> (+/- 2 ev)<br />
- Various White Balance Settings<br />
<strong>- Can shoot both RAW and JPEG</strong><br />
- An ISO of up to 3200!!! ()<br />
- Optical Image Stabilization<br />
- Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Program Mode.</p>
<p>After playing with it for a bit, I found that these features were no slouch either:<br />
- Advanced Face Detection. No need for those crummy AF points that Canon has in their D-SLRs&#8230;<br />
- 3.8x Optical Zoom. Better than nothing.<br />
<strong>- Exposure Compensation</strong> (great when using Av Mode!)<br />
- DIGIC IV Processor. Great colors and clean files at higher ISOs.<br />
- Ease of Use. I could change between settings very easy. The biggest pro here is when shooting in Manual Mode! I can change the Aperture via the customizable zoom ring (very cool!), The Shutter Speed via the small thumb wheel and ISO via the SET button in the center. That was HUGE for me! I know other point and shoots can do this too but man they are clunky with a ton of click clicking to get to what you want. It is also VERY easy to enable and disable the flash and stuff like that.</p>
<p>I have found myself using the camera in Av mode simply because I wanted it to still be a point and shoot while being able to utilize that f/2.0 lens!!! Granted the f/2.0 goes bye bye as you zoom in but you can rock f/2.0 still while at the widest focal length.</p>
<p>Resolution wise, the S90 comes in at 10mp. <em>Trust me when I say that resolution is not the only reason to buy a camera of any sort.</em> Unless you need the enlargements, a 10mp camera can get you at least a 16&#215;20&#8243;  without &#8220;up-rezing&#8221; (via special software) and when do you find yourself printing something that large? My 6mp cameras could do 8&#215;10&#8243; and 11&#215;14&#8243; no problem even. So just keep in mind, bigger isn&#8217;t always better and it is more of a marketing stunt than anything. If you are a high fashion, commercial or stock photographer then you won&#8217;t be shooting on this S90 so what does it matter right?</p>
<p>The camera also takes some nice videos but it does not shoot in high definition :( like many other cameras offer today. That was a bummer.</p>
<p>Now I mentioned before that the G11 was my other option. I did like that it had more zoom (5x zoom) and a swivel screen (only 2.8&#8243; vs. 3&#8243; but nevertheless) but all the other features remained the same. The cool thing about the G11 was the built in hot shoe mount!!! If I had Canon flashes then I would have rocked the G11 but I don&#8217;t and I am not going to throw PocketWizards on it anytime soon. Sort of defeats the portability part of a point and shoot. Plus the G11 has a f/2.8 lens and not a f/2.0&#8230;</p>
<p>We were going to try the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/686706-USA/Leica_18391_V_LUX_20_Digital_Camera.html/BI/5677/KBID/6550" target="_blank">Leica V-LUX20 or the D-LUX 4</a> but that is one big price tag! </p>
<p>All in all, I give the Canon PowerShot S90 a rave review. I will be sure to post some sample images and video when we play with this camera more and when I get a free second.</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/really-right-stuff-review/" title="Really Right Stuff Review">Really Right Stuff Review</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/hasselblad-h3dii-31-review/" title="Hasselblad H3DII-31 Review">Hasselblad H3DII-31 Review</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>GOING PRIME</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/going-prime/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/going-prime/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[For Professionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canon prime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fast lenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nikon prime lenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prime lens review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prime lenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prime vs. zoom lenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shallow depth of field]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=916</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yes, I am a Nikon shooter&#8230; Yes, I am using prime lenses&#8230; and yes, Nikon does make fast prime lenses. Believe it or not, you don&#8217;t have to be a Canon user to enjoy prime lenses. Yeah you got me on the fact that Canon has some gorgeous f/1.2 lenses out there but Nikon is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yes, I am a Nikon shooter&#8230; Yes, I am using prime lenses&#8230; and yes, Nikon does make fast prime lenses.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, you don&#8217;t have to be a Canon user to enjoy prime lenses. Yeah you got me on the fact that Canon has some gorgeous f/1.2 lenses out there but Nikon is no slouch either!</p>
<p>As you may or may not know (or care) my wife and I work together and she has been my associate shooter for quite some time now. She was always used to using primes since way back in the day so she kept with that while I shot with almost all zooms&#8230; If you are married, and are lucky enough to work with your significant other, then you should REALLY be familiar with the saying; &#8220;What&#8217;s mine is yours.&#8221; </p>
<p>So, long story short she was a prime hog ;)</p>
<p>That was all fine and dandy until Rebecca took a year off to brew and raise our son, Cameron. It was during that time that daddy got to play!</p>
<p>I fell in love with primes all over again and passed the zoom lenses to the wife for the rest of 2009 throughout&#8230;</p>
<p>They are lighter, sharper (yeah that&#8217;s possible, even with Nikon&#8217;s über sharp zoom lineup) and allow me to really utilize my camera&#8217;s amazing low-light shooting capabilities. The shallow DOF (depth of field) is also a great way to help tell a story as well. Take this shot for example:</p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/primeExample.jpg" alt="Using Nikon Prime Lenses at a Wedding Reception | inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center><br />
</br><br />
So you may ask yourself, do I still use the zooms?<br />
Yeah&#8230; I do. The only time you will be seeing me with zoom lenses is typically during the wedding ceremony&#8217;s processional / recessional and at the reception when I am shooting the cake cutting and guest&#8217;s when they are dancing. I still break out the 70-200mm zoom as well since I still don&#8217;t have that 135mm prime (can Nikon beef up stock on these please??). So at this time I am probably using prime lenses 75-80% of the time.</p>
<p><strong>OUR CURRENT EQUIPMENT LINEUP (As of March 2010)</p>
<p>Cameras:</strong><br />
(2x) Nikon D700 DSLRs<br />
(1x) Nikon D300 DSLR</p>
<p><strong>Zoom Lenses:</strong><br />
(1x) Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8<br />
(2x) Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8<br />
(1x) Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR<br />
<strong><br />
Prime Lenses:</strong><br />
(1x) Nikon 24mm f/2.8<br />
(1x) Nikon 35mm f/2.0D<br />
(1x) Nikon 50mm f/1.4G<br />
(1x) Nikon 85mm f/1.4<br />
(1x) Nikon 85mm f/1.8<br />
(1x) Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR Macro<br />
(1x) Sigma 300mm f/2.8 </p>
<p><strong>Speedlights:</strong><br />
(3x) Nikon SB-900<br />
(2x) Nikon SB-800<br />
Alienbee Studio Lighting<br />
PocketWizards<br />
RadioPoppers</p>
<p>I&#8217;m still looking for that Nikon 135mm f/2DC Lens and am eying up the Nikon 200mm f/2.0 VR lens to add to my lineup.</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/on-location-camera-equipment/" title="What Do You Take To A Photo Job??">What Do You Take To A Photo Job??</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>DQ Studios &#8220;Virtual QuiKeys&#8221; Review</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/virtual-quikeys-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/virtual-quikeys-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:28:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheung]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dave and quin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dq studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photoshop cs4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photoshop plug-in]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[post processing tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quikeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virtual quikeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[virtual quikeys review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=843</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Maybe you remember my past review on DQ Studios QuiKeys and how I gave it a rave review. Well, Dave and Quin have done it again with their latest product&#8230; Introducing DQ Studios Virtual QuiKeys! Long story short, the Virtual QuiKeys is a software based version of their highly successful hardware-based QuiKeys. It is also [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Maybe you remember my past review on <a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/quikeys-review/" target="_blank">DQ Studios QuiKeys</a> and how I gave it a rave review. Well, Dave and Quin have done it again with their latest product&#8230; Introducing DQ Studios <strong>Virtual QuiKeys! </strong></p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="/images/reviews/Quikeys/virtualQuikeys.jpg" alt="DQ Studios Virtual QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center> </p>
<p>Long story short, the Virtual QuiKeys is a software based version of their highly successful hardware-based QuiKeys. It is also a much more affordable solution and is great for those who would like a<em> &#8220;mini-me&#8221;</em> version of the <strong>QuiKeys</strong> product. Where it REALLY comes in handy when you want to do photo editing on the road. I have been using it all the time when I do my same-day slideshows at weddings. I can get so much done in so little time. With that being said, the Virtual QuiKeys can be used by any photographer of any discipline or skill set. </p>
<p>Let&#8217;s get on with the review:</p>
<p><strong>Prerequisites:</strong><br />
The Virtual QuiKeys can run on a PC or Mac. In essence, it is a plug-in for Photoshop CS4 (and CS4 only!) so you need to own Photoshop to rock this mamma-jamma. </p>
<p><strong>Features:</strong><br />
The Virtual QuiKeys is a plug-in for Photoshop CS4 that in short, makes your life easier. They use masking to make all your edits non-destructive. As long as you keep everything in a layer you are all set. If you paint in too much of the effect you can either dial down the effect via Opacity or Fill OR you could simply paint the original image back in&#8230; You can choose a 20 button or 40 button view of the plug-in. Here are some of the effects that the Virtual QuiKeys has: Auto Vignette, Contrast Boost, Dodge, Burn, Clone and Skin Softener. There are also some quick Cropping tools,  Image Straightening, Quick Liquify and amazingly useful Undo/Redo options. They also tossed in some of their Photoshop actions for Black and White, Vintage and more. You can move the effects around to where you want them as well. The coolest part is how they apply the effect. See, they throw the effect into a layer mask and afterwards they change your brush and brush colors for you so you can start painting in the effect. This way you can always get back to the original without a hitch.</p>
<p>Miminum Requirements:</p>
<p><strong>Installation:</strong><br />
Installation was a breeze. I had some &#8220;user-error&#8221; issues with the original QuiKeys that took me longer to set up than normal. It was more of me being an idiot and not being able to follow simple directions than anything. Now, I honestly think a monkey could install the Virtual QuiKeys without an issue!<br />
First off their, are amazing tutorials on how to set up and use the Virtual QuiKeys. This came as no surprise because the QuiKeys had amazing tutorials as well. Secondly, there is an installer for the Virtual QuiKeys. Just click the installer and let it do its thing. How cool is that?</p>
<p><strong>User Interface:</strong><br />
The Virtual QuiKeys installs to Photoshop as a plug-in. I have mine always hanging out on my Photoshop panel. It is chic and sexy looking and reminds me exactly of my iPhone. Great user-interface with amazing, easy to understand icons. You also have the option of expanding the Virtual QuiKeys and having access to your favorite Photoshop Actions without having to search for them. </p>
<p><strong>Ease Of Use:</strong><br />
I find myself running a sort of hybrid set-up where I use both my QuiKeys and Virtual QuiKeys to save me even more time. Just because it is road-ready doesn&#8217;t mean it is a slouch in the office! It is super easy to use and I use it all the time on both my Macbook Pro and iMac. I find myself rocking my Wacom tablet, QuiKeys AND Virtual QuiKeys when I am sitting at my desk. What is cool is that there is a check box that you toggle between to let it know if you are using a tablet or mouse. This lets the software know how to handle painting on your image and makes it so it is more convenient for you. I honestly can paint on my effects with my laptops touch pad with ease and it works great.  </p>
<p><strong>Conclusion:</strong><br />
This is one of the best purchases that I have made. I would recommend this to anyone who is thinking about outsourcing their photo editing to save time as well as anyone else who would like to spend more time shooting and less time editing. It is an amazing product and is actually well designed unlike a lot of what photographers are trying to sell out there.</p>
<p>Where to Buy:<br />
You may purchase the Virtual QuiKeys on their website here: <a href="http://www.quikphototools.com/Virtual-QuiKeys-Photoshop-Plug-In.10" target="_blank">DQ Studios Virtual QuiKeys</a> for only $175.<br />
<br />
If you want their original QuiKeys then you can pick that up here: <a href="http://www.quikphototools.com/shop/Photo-Keyboards.6" target="_blank">DQ Studios QuiKeys and Modules</a> Prices Range from $888 to $1250.</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/quikeys-review/" title="DQ Studio&#8217;s &#8220;Quikeys&#8221; Review">DQ Studio&#8217;s &#8220;Quikeys&#8221; Review</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The inLIGHTin Workshop Is Back In Business!</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/back-in-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/back-in-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Flash Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Professionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post-Processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pro Interviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workflow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dvd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instructional dvd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael alan bielat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pre-sale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the business of photography ebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workshop News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=836</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello fellow inLIGHTin&#8217;ed Ones. Mike here just letting everyone know that The inLIGHTin Workshop is back in business after a little hiatus so I could spend some much needed time with the family. It was hard being a new father to be running my photography business and doing the daily blog posts over here. But [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello fellow inLIGHTin&#8217;ed Ones.<br />
Mike here just letting everyone know that <strong>The inLIGHTin Workshop is back in business </strong>after a little hiatus so I could spend some much needed time with the family. It was hard being a new father to be running my photography business and doing the daily blog posts over here. </p>
<p>But I have things prioritized better. Time is now also more on my side (outsourcing work is a beautiful thing!) so I can get back into full swing with The inLIGHTin Workshop and doing something that I love.</p>
<p><em>I haven&#8217;t been slacking off though. Take a look at what I have been up to.</em></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s what is in the works:<br />
- I have an <strong>eBook</strong> on how to get into the business of photography. It is my little crash course to awesomeness. That will be available for sale at the storefront by Summer.<br />
- I plan on finishing up that <strong>workshop DVD</strong> which has been in limbo for a while.<br />
- I plan on holding some <strong>group inLIGHTin Workshops</strong> around Buffalo and am accepting invites to give workshops in your hometown. Contact me at <a href="mailto:mike@inlightinworkshop.com">mike at inlightinworkshop dot com</a> if you are interested.</p>
<p>Thanks for you patience everyone! I know there have been a lot of new mailing list subscriptions over the past couple months so expect some nice newsletters soon with some cool freebies and fun stuff like that!</p>
<p>Take care,<br />
~Mike</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/high-speed-sync-example/" title="Using High Speed Sync">Using High Speed Sync</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/save-for-the-web/" title="Saving Images for the Web">Saving Images for the Web</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/quikeys-review/" title="DQ Studio&#8217;s &#8220;Quikeys&#8221; Review">DQ Studio&#8217;s &#8220;Quikeys&#8221; Review</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/the-future/" title="The Future of The inLIGHTin Workshops | Buffalo NY Photography Seminars">The Future of The inLIGHTin Workshops | Buffalo NY Photography Seminars</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/backup-your-images/" title="Backup Your Images">Backup Your Images</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/iprintfromhome-workshop/" title="inLIGHTin Workshop @ IPrintFromHome.com HQ">inLIGHTin Workshop @ IPrintFromHome.com HQ</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>2010 Workshop Price Increase</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/2010-workshops-prices/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/2010-workshops-prices/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:52:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Flash Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[For Professionals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo 101]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post-Processing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workflow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010 workshop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price increase]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price list]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workshop News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=685</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hello fellow inLIGHTin&#8217;ed Ones, Man, I never expected my workshops to go so well last year. The feedback has been so great and I got to meet a ton of amazing up and coming photographers. It is always great being able to share knowledge with others and I know that I have learned so much [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello fellow inLIGHTin&#8217;ed Ones,</p>
<p>Man, I never expected my workshops to go so well last year. The feedback has been so great and I got to meet a ton of amazing up and coming photographers. It is always great being able to share knowledge with others and I know that I have learned so much since 2009 and how I can better &#8220;inLIGHTin&#8221; future students of mine.  </p>
<p>The only downside is that these workshops have really had me booked solid without any breathing room. My workshops and my photo business (<a href="http://www.paramourphoto.com" target="_blank">www.ParamourPhoto.com</a>) made it so that I really had no free time with my wife and child. I still love doing what I do but the photo business is my main priority. The only way to really make things work is for me to raise my workshop prices for 2010. Prices last year were VERY affordable and you got years of knowledge in a 6 hour seminar. Now, prices will remain on the affordable side, unlike other workshops, with only a <strong>$100 price increase</strong> for my one-on-one workshops. </p>
<p>I would really like to do more group workshops. This will be another way for me to get you all the most bang for your buck. I can keep prices lower when multiple people attend and I can reach more people in one day as opposed to individual sessions so it is a big win-win situation.</p>
<p><em>I also want to branch out past Buffalo, NY so if you aren&#8217;t a Buffalo native and would like to host a workshop in your town then be sure to get in touch with me and to set something up. </em>Those who host a workshop get a lot of perks such as a free admission, complimentary phone consultation and other special goodies.</p>
<p>Thank you all for such a great 2009. I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010 and hope to see you all very soon at one of my workshops.<br />
~Michael</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/im-a-ppa-super-monday-instructor/" title="I&#8217;m A PPA Super Monday instructor">I&#8217;m A PPA Super Monday instructor</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/july5-webinar/" title="FREE inLIGHTin Webinar July 5th @ 7pm EST">FREE inLIGHTin Webinar July 5th @ 7pm EST</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/posing-techniques/" title="To Pose, or Not to Pose&#8230;">To Pose, or Not to Pose&#8230;</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/tips-for-better-landscape-photography/" title="Top 10 Tips for Better Landscape Photography">Top 10 Tips for Better Landscape Photography</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/matthewbailly/" title="Member of the Month: Matthew Bailly | Feb. 2009">Member of the Month: Matthew Bailly | Feb. 2009</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/join-the-inlightin-workshop-on-facebook/" title="Join The inLIGHTin Workshop on Facebook">Join The inLIGHTin Workshop on Facebook</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Really Right Stuff Review</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/really-right-stuff-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/really-right-stuff-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[best tripod head]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[camera review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reall right stuff review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[really right stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RRS review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tripod head review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been really working my you know what off on my www.MichaelAlanFineArt.com site. It has turned into a really big project and I am trying to get that site off the ground. One of the features on that website is a gear review section. So why should you care??? One such review was on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have been really working my you know what off on my <a href="http://www.michaelalanfineart.com" target="_blank">www.MichaelAlanFineArt.com</a> site. It has turned into a really big project and I am trying to get that site off the ground. One of the features on that website is a gear review section. So why should you care???</p>
<p>One such review was on the Really Right Stuff camera support products. They make amazing tripods, ballheads and other accessories to lock down your camera system. All in all, steady camera is a happy camera (and an even more happy photographer!)</p>
<p>Here is where you can check out the review:<br />
<a href="http://www.michaelalanfineart.com/review-really-right-stuff/" target="_blank">http://www.michaelalanfineart.com/review-really-right-stuff/</a></p>
<p>For now on I will just be linking to my Tech Review Tuesday articles to my fine art site instead of copying and pasting them across the board. </p>
<p>Thanks for stopping by!</p>
<h2  class="related_post_title">Related Posts:</h2><ul class="related_post"><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/canon-powershot-s90-review/" title="Canon PowerShot S90 Review">Canon PowerShot S90 Review</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/photography-is-expensive/" title="Photography&#8217;s Expensive&#8230; Or is It?">Photography&#8217;s Expensive&#8230; Or is It?</a></li><li><a href="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/hasselblad-h3dii-31-review/" title="Hasselblad H3DII-31 Review">Hasselblad H3DII-31 Review</a></li></ul>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>DQ Studio&#8217;s &#8220;Quikeys&#8221; Review</title>
		<link>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/quikeys-review/</link>
		<comments>http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/quikeys-review/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Alan Bielat</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Product Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dave cheung]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dq quikeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dq studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hardware base]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lightroom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael alan bielat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael alan photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photoshop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quikeys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quikeys review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quiklips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quin cheung]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raw module]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retouch module]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workflow empowerment system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workshop News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/?p=667</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Man this has been a busy year! The best part is that it isn&#8217;t even over yet&#8230; Can you tell I am being sarcastic with that last remark? haha. Long story short, I have been doing a lot; Aside from being a new father, I have been doing so much with my photography business and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Man this has been a busy year! The best part is that it isn&#8217;t even over yet&#8230; Can you tell I am being sarcastic with that last remark? haha. </p>
<p>Long story short, I have been doing a lot; Aside from being a new father, I have been doing so much with my photography business and then top it all off with my inLIGHTin Workshops. So how can I make more time for myself and my family while still doing what I love to do? The only way to do this was either to outsource some of my work or change the world so I can add a couple hours to the day. Outsourcing seemed like the only logical thing so I started investigating. Now, I&#8217;ve been outsourcing my wedding album designs for about a year now and that really works wonders. But how can I save even more time? Should I outsource my post processing too? </p>
<p>But how can a control freak like me turn over such an integral part of my work? I couldn&#8217;t come up with an answer so I decided to give things one more chance&#8230; Instead of searching for a place to outsource my stuff, I decided to search for hardware and software options that could at least speed up my time behind the computer. Enter <a href="http://www.quikeys.com" target="_blank"><strong>DQ Studio&#8217;s QuiKeys</strong></a>. <strong>Quikeys </strong>is the brainchild of <a href="http://www.dqstudios.com" target="_blank">Dave and Quin Cheung of DQ Studios</a>. They are a husband and wife photography team over in Canada and they created the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>to do everything that I have been looking for to speed up my workflow. </p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.dqstudios.com/quikeys/blog/images/banner.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" height="75%" width="75%" /><br />
</center></p>
<p><strong>OVERVIEW:</strong><br />
So you may be asking yourself &#8220;what the heck is this <strong>QuiKeys </strong>thing?&#8221; I&#8217;m glad you asked&#8230;<br />
Dave and Quin state on their website that the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>is a <strong>&#8220;Workflow Empowerment System&#8221;</strong> and they couldn&#8217;t be any more correct! The QuiKeys is a 58 key programmable keyboard that Dave and Quin have customized to interact with Photoshop and Lightroom to speed up your workflow. Simple as that.</p>
<p>Now I am a self-proclaimed computer geek so anything that has to do with gadgets and technology is cool with me. I received the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>a couple weeks ago and it took no time at all to get installed and accustomed to. </p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/01.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/03.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center></p>
<p><strong>ORDERING:</strong><br />
You have to specify certain things when ordering your <strong>QuiKeys</strong>. The site does a great job of holding your hand throughout the process. The two biggies that you need to inform them about are what operating system you are using and if you want the right or left hand version of the <strong>QuiKeys</strong>. I selected Mac OS X and left handed. Now, one can get away with using the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>and a mouse but it is <em>REALLY </em>stressed that you pick yourself up a Wacom Pen Tablet of really any flavor. So you will want to purchase the correct setup based upon what hand you use to draw/write with. I have the Wacom Intuous4 (medium sized) pen tablet and if you see in the pics below, the tablet is off to my left while my right hand operates the <strong>QuiKeys</strong>. <em>This means that the LEFT hand version, should be used with your RIGHT hand</em>&#8230; Got it? Good.</p>
<p>Excuse the messy desk BTW ;)<br />
<center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/08.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/09.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center></p>
<p><strong>CHECKOUT:</strong><br />
You have to purchase the QuiKeys hardware base (the keyboard) and all the modules (Retouching Module, Freeform Album Design Module and RAW module) separately. I chose to go with the Retouching Module and RAW Module myself since I outsource my album designs. I believe that the Retouching Module and RAW Module are necessities so get both! Upon purchasing the QuiKeys, you receive a nice set of emails from the DQ crew that gives you a rundown on everything. They also give you links to about two dozen instructional videos to watch while you are awaiting for your QuiKey&#8217;s Hardware base to arrive. I watched those videos, did my homework and it paid off. I felt like a pro with QuiKeys before it even arrived. I actually found myself learning where the very important keys were just by watching Dave and Quin demonstrating the QuiKeys in those videos which was stellar. All in all, the QuiKeys Hardware Base is a keyboard therefore it is just like learning to type. Before you know it, you will be hitting the correct keys without even looking!</p>
<p><strong>INSTALLATION:</strong><br />
There is no one click installer for all of the <strong>QuiKey</strong>&#8216;s setup simply because of how the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>taps into Photoshop and Lightroom. Installing the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>hardware was a snap but it took me about an hour to set the intricate stuff up. It should have been quicker but I was a jamoke and didn&#8217;t use my noodle. So I spent like 20 minutes trying to find Photoshop script files that I just installed when they wouldn&#8217;t appear. A simple restart of Photoshop did the trick which I should have known immediately. I told you it was dumb stuff like that which made it take longer than necessary&#8230;</p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/06.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center></p>
<p><strong>WORKFLOW:</strong><br />
Within minutes I was soaring through my files with the <strong>QuiKeys</strong>. Dave and Quin have put a lot of TLC into ensuring that the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>has all the important stuff available at the press of a button. I don&#8217;t have their Freeform Album Design Module so I cannot comment on that. I can say that if it is anything remotely like their other two modules then it rocks! </p>
<p><strong>LAYOUT:</strong><br />
The basic layout for the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>is as follows:</p>
<p><strong>The Top Row (18 keys)</strong> mostly handles Actions (Photoshop) and Develop Presets (Lightroom). There are a couple other important buttons like one that toggles the keyboard layout for whatever app you are using. Each app (Photoshop, Lightroom Library Workspace and Lightroom Develop Workspace) has their own color LED associated to it so you know what one your are on. The Toggle button changes the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>so your keyboard layout applies to the correct app. You can totally swap out their canned Actions with your favorite ones. I have re-assigned maybe four of the actions buttons to ones that I use.<br />
<strong><br />
The Left / Right Columns (20 total / 10 on each side) </strong>are vice versa for Left and Right hand users. The basic gist of this is that the buttons you have available to the blade edge of your hand are the ones you will be using the most. These 10 keys are therefore assigned to zoom in and out of your image, shrink or enlarge your brush and arrow keys to control a variety of things; From moving around the image, to controling the height of each curve point in Photoshop. Did I mention how cleaver this is yet? The other side contains stuff like clone tool opacity, quick cropping and stuff like that. Things you will use, just not all the time. For Lightroom users, this section (and a couple of the top keys) controls your Exposure, Contrast, Brightness, White Balance/Tint and other important sliders like that to make RAW editing a snap&#8230; Press the RIGHT key there and you will increase the Exposure (or whatever else) and vice versa will decrease it. </p>
<p><strong>The Center area (20 keys)</strong> handles the meat and potatoes of your Photoshop and Lightroom app. This section stays the same for both right and left hand users. For Lightroom, you have all your picking and flagging options here and there are more of those RAW editing slider adjusters here too (Clarity, Vibrance, etc&#8230;)<br />
Photoshop has a lot more important stuff here! This section is dedicated to brush inverting and pallete color swapping (great for showing and hiding your layer masks with the brush tool), and even a great combo for the liquify tool. I can make my subjects look better than ever now with a couple clicks! This combo is all laid out in order too to make the speed even faster. </p>
<p><strong>USAGE:</strong><br />
I shoot in RAW so the first step is to use Lightroom to import and catalog all my images from a shoot. Let&#8217;s go with a wedding for example. Now I take about 1,200 images at a wedding and have more to work with if I have a second shooter present. I did a high end wedding a couple weeks ago, which had three shooters all together, and I had 2500 images from that wedding alone! This was also the first wedding that I used the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>on. So once the images are imported, I go about picking my favorites and getting rid of the crummy shots. Within one hour, I had all those images down to about 950&#8230; I was in Lightroom&#8217;s Library module and used the Grid View to work very quickly and pick my faves. From there, I did simple adjustments for exposure and white balance where needed. The Grid View is great because you can select X images and it batch edits each one for you. So I press the + exposure button on the QuiKeys twice and all 20 underexposed images that I selected get the boost and look great. Cool huh? That took maybe 45 minutes&#8230; </p>
<p>From there, I exported my RAW images into high quality JPEGs and went to bed. When I woke up, I had all 950 of my final images in a folder. Now is the time for me to use the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>in Photoshop&#8230; THIS is where the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>REALLY shines! </p>
<p>The first step here is to open the AutoLoader script and assign a working folder and a destination folder. Why do you need to do this? Glad you asked. To answer your question, I will have to first tell you about the part of the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>that I absolutely love. <em><strong>The little RED button!</strong></em><br />
This little red button is the <strong>AutoLoader </strong>button. Pressing the AutoLoader button will open up image #1 in your working folder (the one that you selected in the AutoLoader script as the working folder). You do your edits and when you are happy, press the AutoLoader button again. Look here, image #1 gets saved for you (in the format and size that you specified in the AutoLoader script) to the destination folder and image #2 then pops up for you to work on&#8230; Press the AutoLoader button again, #2 gets saved to the destination folder and image #3 opens&#8230;. No more File > Save As > Blah blah blah followed by File > Open > blah blah blah. One button click and it does about 6-8 button clicks for you. Let me tell you, THAT adds up! Say one of your favorite images isn&#8217;t a favorite image anymore and you don&#8217;t want it to make the second round of cuts. Just X out of the image and then hit the AutoLoader button to open the next image for you. </p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/11.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center></p>
<p>Another cool perk about the AutoLoader script is that you have the option to load the images in REVERSE ORDER&#8230; Why would you need that? Glad you asked haha.<br />
This is a perk for those who work and who do parallel editing with another photographer. One photographer starts from the top down and the other starts from the bottom up. No one is stepping on the others toes overwriting files. Instead, you just meet half way and the entire photo shoot is finished and edited. </p>
<p>I found myself actually &#8220;finishing&#8221; every single file for my client. That means, clone tool to get rid of distracting stuff, retouch tools to make the bride and groom look awesome and flawless and even the liquify tool to modestly remove a couple bingo arms here and there. I also got to give every photo a certain &#8220;pop&#8221; to them which I didn&#8217;t do before. I find myself using the 4 Actions buttons that I re-assigned (I use Totally Rad Actions Re-Touch action and a couple Kuboda actions religiously) and have been using the QuiKey&#8217;s Dodge and Burn buttons along with their Auto Vignette action and stuff like that. A cool thing to note is that each and every button press that makes an adjustment to your image is all done on a layer mask. This makes it easy for you to adjust the opacity of the layer and it even allows you to paint in the effect to only the areas that you want it to. Much nicer than the effect adjusting the entire image on you&#8230; When I end up with a file, I have maybe 5-6 layers so I just press their &#8220;Merge Layers&#8221; button and then I am back to one layer before saving and closing the image with the AutoLoader button.</p>
<p>All in all, my first time using the QuiKeys with Photoshop was about 6 hours and I went from those 950 images down to 850 AND finished every image to look awesome! That means that I edited an entire wedding containing over 2500 images down to 850 and FINISHED the files within 8 short hours! One day to shoot the wedding, one day to edit the wedding and you are literally DONE! </p>
<p>Now when I post the pics to Pictage, I know that every guest who purchases an image will have an amazing file to use as the basis so they will truly be happy with the print, I also know that I don&#8217;t have to touch any files no matter which images the bride and groom choose for their wedding album. I just send the files off as is to get thrown into a wedding album design.</p>
<p><center><br />
<img src="http://www.inlightinworkshop.com/images/reviews/Quikeys/10.jpg" alt="DQ Studio's QuiKeys Review | The inLIGHTin Workshop" /><br />
</center></p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t even get a chance to talk about how beneficial having a Pen Tablet is! Here&#8217;s a quick cliff notes version: Having a pen tablet is very intuitive since it is like you are drawing on your computer screen. I have never worked so fast as I have with my pen tablet. I am now even using it for my everyday mouse. The Wacom Intuous4 tablets have about 8 buttons on the tablet itself that you can assign features to. Furthermore, it knows what app you have open so it can dynamically adjust your 8 buttons to ones that you associated for each application you have open, Firefox can have 8 buttons while Photoshop can have another 8 and so on. The pen itself have a variety of nibs that you can use. I prefer the soft, felt feeling one since it slides over the tablet the best. The pen also has two button on it. I have both set to the Alt/Option button to make picking out my Clone and Healing brush targets that much easier.<br />
<strong><br />
FINAL THOUGHTS:</strong><br />
Is this product a necessity for budding and amateur photographers? No&#8230; Is it an amazing tool for those who are professional photographers and who are looking to get their life back and away from the computer? Yes Yes Yes! All in all, the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>is an investment but how much is your time worth to you? To me it was well worth the price. The QuiKeys hardware base runs $250 while each module runs $350 to $500. All in all, it ran me $1100 for the QuiKeys and it was worth EVERY penny! If you want the QuiKeys but are on a budget then maybe ditch the RAW Module and do the Lightroom stuff with your traditional QWERTY keyboard. The Retouch Module is worth it&#8217;s weight in gold and is a MUST for Photoshop users! Nuff&#8217; said.</p>
<p>The pen tablet can run $99 for a Wacom Bamboo (never tried it but it seems like a cheaper version of the Wacom tablet- expect it to have less features and won&#8217;t be as touch sensitive) up to $2000 for a tablet screen. I have the $450 Wacom Intuous4 but would recommend at least the size smaller which is $250. Don&#8217;t forget, you can always get one of these used and save cash!!!!</p>
<p>Now that brings me to around $1600 for a complete workflow setup. I spent that much on stupid photography gadgets that are collecting dust and I am sure many of you have as well. Therefore the $1600 to save myself a crap ton of time AND to get me more time to spend with my wife and child was well worth it!</p>
<p>I have been using the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>for just under a month now. I have become fluent in the usage of the <strong>QuiKeys </strong>and know where every key is without even looking. I am now killing off wedding jobs in under 5 hours (with the longest part being the Exporting of RAW to JPEGS!) and am killing off portrait jobs in under 2 hours. Given these numbers, I have knocked down my time per job by roughly 66% !!! What? You mean to say that I cut my time behind the computer AND am giving my clients better files.</p>
<p>As a matter of fact, that is EXACTLY what i am saying. Props to Dave and Quin for making an amazingly awesome product!</p>
<p>Here is some information for further reading:<br />
<strong>DQ Studios Website:</strong> <a href="http://www.dqstudios.com"target="_blank">http://www.dqstudios.com</a><br />
<strong>QuiKeys Website:</strong> <a href="https://www.dqstudios.com/dqquikeys/site.html" target="_blank">http://www.quikeys.com</a><br />
<strong>About the QuiKeys:</strong> <a href="https://www.dqstudios.com/dqquikeys/site.html" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<strong>QuiKeys Examples:</strong> <a href="https://www.dqstudios.com/dqquikeys/site.html" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<strong>QuiKeys Tutorials:</strong> <a href="https://www.dqstudios.com/dqquikeys/site.html" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<strong>QuiKeys Products:</strong> <a href="https://www.dqstudios.com/dqquikeys/site.html" target="_blank">HERE</a></p>
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