Tutorials

Digital imaging and photography related tutorials

There are a growing number of tutorials and 'how to' articles on this site. This page provides links to all of them. You might also want to check our Articles and Reviews sections. New items on the site will also be posted on our What's New page.

Topics

Photography

Photography Training for businesses

The What's New Page gives a quick overview of the hundreds of pages of articles and picture on this site.

Northlight Images prides itself on its independence when giving advice. We do not sell hardware or software and have no direct commercial links with any of the software or hardware vendors that may be mentioned here. See our Review Policy for more information.

Photography

Better pictures for your web site
Keith was recently asked for advice on getting better pictures on a web site. His top ten tips cover the process of taking the pictures in the first place, through to sharpening and saving for web use.

An Introduction to Black and White digital photography
The basics of producing high quality black and white images from your digital camera. An extended version of an article that Keith first wrote for Canon in their CPS magazine.

Image manipulation

Converting Colour images to Black and White
A collection of examples showing different ways of converting a colour image into Black and White. There are many subtle differences that can produce much more satisfying results than simple desaturation. Some of the methods are covered in our Photoshop Elements tutorials

Photoshop Elements -basics
A collection of tutorials based on Keith's locally taught courses. Eight simple techniques enable you to dramatically improve many digital images. Takes a pragmatic results based approach, rather than the usual description of all the functionality and features.

Photoshop Elements - removing colour casts and converting to black and white
Two more examples from Keith's courses. Correcting colour casts caused by awkward lighting and an introduction to getting black and white from colour

Digital after two years
Keith has written about his travels in Colorado in April/May 2006. The article includes examples of how he went about producing some black and white photographs from the colour originals from his Canon 1Ds

Colour management

Viewing tips
Our Monitor set-up page with greyscale test images and information on monitor calibration.

Printing

DIY Black and White Inkjet printer profiles
A simple way of generating a 'profile' for better digital black and white printing. Using Photoshop curves and a scanner, Keith explains how to get much better monochrome prints. Not the precision of a full ICC profile, but it works -- and gives an insight into how profiles work.

Test images
Our collection of test images and links for downloading. When you are testing printer systems, it really does help to use a known test image.

The web

Web colour management and Web photo galleries
A discussion of the various options for compression, sharpening and colour management when putting photographic images on the web.

Diversions

Canon View Camera
An adapter ($20) to use an old MPP 5x4 view camera with a Canon 1Ds. Article shows details of construction and just what it can be used for. Could be adapted for any DSLR and many old large format cameras.

The 1Ds digital pinhole SLR camera
Keith converts his Canon 1Ds into a pinhole camera, making a 50mm 'standard' pinhole and a 200mm zoom version - results are compared to a lens £1400 more expensive.

Photomicroscopy on the cheap
An alternate use for your high cost film scanner. Includes a very nice photo of a Honey bee wing. Based on Keith's experiments one afternoon, when he got bored :-))

Other areas of our site that may be of interest...

NEW -- Create your own customised A3 size wall calendar from a choice of 90 of Keith's images. Choose your own images for your own custom printed calendar - 12 months starting any month of the year - many all new images not yet in our main gallery.

Digital Black and White. Keith was recently interviewed about digital black and white photography for a magazine article. We have an expanded version here covering some of his thoughts, techniques and tips for those thinking of trying black and white.

As well as our Commercial Photography services and Training there is a growing collection of photography Articles and Reviews on the site aimed at helping you get the best out of your own photography. We also have a growing collection of Photography related information and links that we hope you find useful.

New site features and some of Keith Cooper's latest work are always covered in the What's New page.

Visiting Leicester or wondering where it is? We have views from the Leicester traffic cameras.