Episode 69: Digiland In Review

Steph, Katie, and Peppermint take time out to discuss the happenings around digiland during the past year. Noteable trends, discoveries that changed their scrapping, and other things worth taking notice from 2012.

Joining the Discussion:

Peppermint Granberg
Katie Nelson
Steph

 

From the Show:

Picks:
Peppermint: Recite This
Katie:
Steph: Jawbone

Sponsor:

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83 Responses to Episode 69: Digiland In Review

  1. LeslieM says:

    Yay! Another episode to listen to on my long drive this afternoon. I wanted to tell all the digishow listeners about 2 cool things I just found out about:

    Scott Kelby is offering a free 72 hour rental of his course in how to make a photobook in Lightroom. I hope the link is still good. I watched it last week and learned a lot.

    http://scottkelby.com/2012/take-my-new-class-on-creating-custom-photo-books-in-lightroom-4-for-free/

    Kayla Lamoreaux has her Finding Photo Flow, ACDSee 14 and Lightroom for Memory Keepers classes free now on her site:

    http://www.kaylalamoreaux.com/

    :D

    Leslie

    • Joyce says:

      I just checked out the Scott Kelby course and it’s still there and free, it’s just not that easy to get to (for me at any rate who is spoiled and likes to just press a button and it’s done). Go to the link Leslie provides and click on “Here’s a link” to get to the course. Then scroll down to the rental button on the right. Click it and sign in if you have a Kelby sign-in (and I don’t mean that you have to have the subscription, just a sign-in) or create one if you don’t. Then you need to navigate to to the class again and I don’t seem to be able to get back to that page again as a video is running now. You will notice (or at least I did eventually) that the course consists of 9 videos! They total about 75 minutes so you get detailed instruction but you get it in hunks rather than all 75 minutes at once! Thanks for telling me about this, Leslie! Off to check out Kayla Lamoreaux . . .

    • L Squared says:

      another amazing show!!
      I just got Lightroom 4 for Christmas and in addition to Kayla’s awesome class I’m planning on going through this free course that a friend told me about. It has 17 hours of video so I’m sure I’ll learn something :)

      http://en.elephorm.com/tuto-lightroom-4-complete-training.html

  2. StudioWendy says:

    Great discussion! Thought I’d pop in with a few comments.

    1) If you *only* what Photoshop CS6, you can subscribe to the cloud version for just $19.99/month, I believe. Although you get a much bigger bang for your buck to get the entire suite for just $10 more, for those who really only want Photoshop, the one program option might appeal. I was happy to hear Steph’s scoop on Elements being included in the subscription. I’ve been lobbying for that since Creative Cloud was announced!

    2) Since I don’t have Rad Lab, I don’t know what I’m missing, so I’d totally go with the upgrade to CS6 first. To me, there is so much more to CS6 over CS3 that it would be worth it. And, there are tons of actions and other things available for CS6 that are very affordable if you cannot spring for everything now. But, CS3 was the most stable version of CS I ever worked with. I was sad to retire it when I moved up to CS5.”

    Have a great trip ladies!

    • Joyce says:

      What stops me, Wendy, from being interested in the Cloud version is that it costs $xx a month FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. You can’t decide the version you have now, old that it is, is plenty good enough for you. And then there’s the tricky bit of having internet access. My husband and I travel, take lots of photos, and want to be able to organize (and sometimes process) each evening. Sometimes internet is not available, extremely slow, or incredibly expensive (or a combination of the last two if you’re on a cruise ship).

      • StudioWendy says:

        The software actually gets installed on your computer. Your computer has to check in to the internet every 30 days to verify the subscription, but you don’t have to be connected to the internet to run the applications.

        But, along those lines, that’s why I’m not really excited about long-term cloud storage. I’d rather have my files locally at least. Copying files back and forth takes way too much time, even with high-speed internet, when you’re talking terabytes of digi files!

        • Joyce says:

          Thanks for the info about the software being on the computer, Wendy, that helps. However, I still can’t get around that I would have nothing (except a lot less storage space on my computer) when I stop paying the monthly fee. I am unwilling to assume that I can always pay.

          • Jenny B. says:

            I just wanted to pop in and say that I am also Doug the Photoshop only subscription for $19.99. Try don’t advertise that option much, and it wa hardtop find on the site, but it is there. :) Also, PS comes with Adobe Camera Raw, which has all th same photo editing capabilities as Lightroom (just not the organizing). Since I already have a photo filing system I like, then that’s all I need. Anyway… Just my 2 cents. I also like that with the subscription, I’ll be able to download the new version whenever it comes out without having to pay anything extra. And I’m also not going to be stuck with an outdated version. Again, that’s just my take on it. :)

            • Jenny B. says:

              Oh my! Autocorrect really botched up my comment. Ha! I am not “Doug,” I am doing the subscription, and they don’t advertise it much, and it is hard to find on the site. :) Hope that’s clearer.

  3. Laurel says:

    I’m still listening, but had to jump in about PL journaling cards. I have done a PL/365-type project for a few years now. I love it, but like Peppermint, I always have a ton to say about each photo/day of the week. Every time I see a pack of journaling cards I want to laugh because there’s almost no space on them to actually journal — they’re too decorative. Super cute, but so not functional.

    Hope you ladies have a great time in the sun! Thanks for another great show.

    • Joyce says:

      I have been doing PL for one year and 10 days now (but who’s counting). When I have more to say than will fit on one 3×4, I have several other things I try: Use more than one 3×4. Use a 4×6. Tape two 3x4s together with Washi tape as a hinge at the top and slip into slot with top card outside (allows three surfaces in the space of one but only really works on right-hand pages unless you want to go nuts with the Xacto knife). Little books that I can slip out and read. The last one sometimes has a decorative cover so it functions as a filler card or just starts right out with the journaling. I type them up in Word to fit two columns on horizontal legal size paper and then trim to 4×12 and fold in half. Washi tape makes lovely binding. There are probably lots of ways to make little journaling books and I imagine I will work out some more of them as this year moves forward. Oddly, editing down what I am writing is rarely a choice!

      • Laurel says:

        Yes, I agree…condensing my story rarely happens :) Great tips, but I’m going digi — my first 365 book (non-digi) is about 3 or 4 times thicker than the two photo books it takes to print my yearly album now.

  4. Barbara says:

    I LOVE journaling cards! LOL! And, arrows, and chevrons, and houndstooth…I’m so happy that there is something for all of us.

  5. betsy says:

    Great show as usual guys! Just wanted to say, I heard Peppermint mention the book “Imagine”, and I’m not sure if she realizes that the book was fabricated – I’ve read that it was the parts about Bob Dylan that started the investigation into this author. He has made a public confession of making up quotes in the book and plagarism in other areas of his work and resigned from his Wall Street Journal job.

    here’s one link:
    http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/jonah-lehrer-resigns-from-new-yorker-after-making-up-dylan-quotes-for-his-book/

    but I believe you can find more about it online too. It was big news about 6 months ago i think.

    I had bought it on my Kindle and was so angry when I found out about his lies and plagarism, that I deleted it – I didn’t even ask for my money back. <— but i should have.

    • Peppermint says:

      WHAT?! I had NOT heard that! I’ve had the book on my tablet for a few months and then finally decided to read it.

      Man alive. Figures! Thanks for letting me know :)

  6. Barbara says:

    I would be SO happy to meet up with you ladies on Saturday in Downtown Disney in front of the LEGO store, but I didn’t hear the time! Or is it a secret??? :-)

  7. Tammy says:

    OMGoodness, Steph! You had me laughing because I’ve always said that exercise is against my religion ;) and I seriously ONLY exercise when I am walking at Disneyland (parking lot, DCA, DTD, etc)! I was just there yesterday & got 4 hours of “exercise”…I think that will do it until my next trip there…which will be soon :)

    I can’t wait for the meet-up on Saturday! :) I hope you all have a safe trip.

  8. Tammy says:

    So, are you getting Peppermint to go to Disneyland?!

    • Peppermint says:

      I am a total Disneyland convert, Tammy. But I think it’s because I saw it with Steph and Katie. I don’t think it would have been nearly as magical, and I think I would have felt very frustrated, lost and overwhelmed if I hadn’t had them as my special VIP tour guides. As a matter of fact I’m afraid to go back with anyone else, because I fear that I would just stare at them resentfully because they’re not Steph & Katie.

      • Tammy says:

        YAY!! I was worried :}
        I can imagine it would be a bit overwhelming going for the first time without someone who has been there to help you navigate. I’ve never been to WDW and I think it would probably be like that.
        I’m really happy to hear you had the best tour guides & enjoyed it!

  9. Ok Steph & Peppermint-

    I downloaded the trial of photoshop to try making some layouts, using the puppet warp tool, and the content aware fill, but I HATE it! I can’t figure anything out. Why is there a difference between “undo” and “step backwards?” Ctrl+Z is my enemy right now. How the heck do I add a photo or paper to a template and clip it to the underneath layer? There is no photo bin to drag from so I arranged the photos side by side, but I still can’t drag it over. How do I even make a page? There are tons of tutorials out there on using templates in PSE, but none for PS. HELP!

    Sincerly,
    Concerned on Couch

    • Gennifer says:

      Kelsey, in PS it’s Ctrl-Alt-G instead of the Ctrl-G it is in PSE.

      Undo only goes one step, so if you undo something and then hit Ctrl-Z again, it will “undo” your undo, and take you forward again. Step backwards (Ctrl-Alt-Z) will take you back step-by-step, but I generally just use my history window to go back and forth. (If it’s not open automatically, you can view it by going to Window and checking it.)

      Also, the first thing I do when I load it is change the default setting from tabs to windows. With those, you can drag and drop pretty easily. :) Edit > Preferences > Interface, and then uncheck “open documents as tabs” and you should be good to go.

    • StudioWendy says:

      It’s definitely a bit of a learning curve from PSE to CS. But, once you figure out the interface, most everything else will work the same.

      I use my history panel too. (WINDOW>HISTORY) to step back. You can control in your settings how many steps will show in the history panel.

      I highly recommend that you try Mini Bridge. It’s very much like the photo bin in PSE. It’s under FILE>BROWSE IN MINI BRIDGE. That will bring up a little window that you can move and resize. You navigate to your supplies or photos and drag and drop from there.

      To clip your layers, I usually just hold in the option key and hover my mouse between the layers in the layer panel until the cursor changes and then click since I can never remember CTRL+ALT+G which is really funny because I use as many key commands as possible usually.

      I did a video on scrapping with a template in PSE that releases next week, but maybe I’ll go in and record a companion one that shows the same steps in PSCS. I

      One other tip about CS… to constrain your proportions in CS, you must hold in the SHIFT key when you click and drag. In newer versions of PSE, you don’t have to do that, so that might be confusing too.

      If you want to compile a list of questions or frustrations as you work through it and send them to me, I’d be happy to put together a video on moving from PSE to CS as well. I started on CS, so it’s hard for me to know what PSE users face when they move over. You can email me directly too if you want… wendy at scrapbookgraphics dot com.

      • Sarah R. says:

        Super awesome offer Wendy! I just moved from PSE to PS but a lot of what I was having issues with has been addressed even in this response. I was also having trouble finding good digi scrapping info for PS even though there is lots of info out there for PSE.

      • Thanks for all the advice!

        I think most of the issues I ran across last night were all addressed. If I come up with anymore I will let you know.

        • iDebbie says:

          You can also do what several of my digiscrap friends did when they switched from PSE to PSCS a year ago… they changed the keyboard shortcuts to match the ones in PSE. So for example Ctrl-G (or for Mac, Cmd-G) will once again clip your layers. I think they changed the Ctrl-Z behavior too. Just an option for those who prefer the PSE shortcuts.

          • I figured out how to change them. I guess it is time to give it another shot.

            One other question: in when the move tool is selected in PSE it will highlight objects in each layer when you hover over them. Is there some way to turn that on PS?

            • Steph says:

              Kelsey (or should I say, Concerned on The Couch) ;)
              Almost all of my tutorials on TDD are written in CS. Sometimes, I add notes for PSE, but not always. There are two tutorials specifically created for a new PSCS user. One is creating your first layout and the other is creating your first layout without a template. I wrote them for a friend that requested them.

              You will need to do some searching on the site, because I’m on my phone. Let me know if you have trouble and I will find them for you at some point tomorrow, when I can get on my laptop or iPad.

              There are a lot of tutorials at TDD and many of them are for PSCS users. Poke around in the tutorial section as well and see what you can see.

            • StudioWendy says:

              You can change that too. With the MOVE TOOL selected, look at the very top, under the word Photoshop or FILE on the tool bar and you’ll see an unchecked box next to AUTO SELECT. Check that. Then set the drop down next to it from GROUP to LAYER. You can play with that drop down to see how the functionality matches PSE. As an aside, you can turn that option off in PSE. It drives me crazy to have it on. LOL

              • Steph- I looked for a tutorial on TDD tutorial page the first time I was trying to do a page in PS, but I couldn’t find one. I guess I will have to look again.

                Thank You to everyone for the helpful suggestions. (especially Wendy) I am almost done with the my first page. I just need a title and journaling.

                And for all of you who are going to the meet up tonight I am so jealous. I know if isn’t going to be super warm down there, but their won’t be 2 feet of snow either. :-/

          • StudioWendy says:

            Awesome tip!

    • Peppermint says:

      Yipes! I feel so bad that you’re so frustrated with CS. I’m totally helpless in the “conversion” department because I never used PSE so I have no idea how things work within it. I see others have jumped in to help, though, which is why I love how active the comments are on the shows!

      As for the photo bin part, I’ve always used a standalone program (ACDSee) to navigate the contents on my hard drive, and I just drag and drop items *directly* onto my layout window, not to the Photoshop desktop.

  10. Crystal (Lukasmummy) says:

    Such a great show ladies, thought you might like to know that the jawbone one is showing as having an android app and blackberry app too – https://jawbone.com/apps hugs Crystal xx

  11. AshleyM says:

    I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to whoever selected Feedly as a pick. I just got a beautiful, shiny, and completely wonderful new iPad and Feedly makes blog reading feel more like magazine reading! I thought that plain ole Google Reader could not be improved, but WHOA, I am seriously glad I broadened my horizons! Love you guys!

  12. Julie S says:

    As always, a great show!
    I’m curious about your favorite Rad Lab presets/recipes. I’ve just started using it and love it and would love to hear about others favorites.
    The other thing I’m curious about has to do with Lightroom. I’m a mac user and right now have all of my photos in iPhoto. This has worked fine for me, but when it comes to editing, I’m bringing everything into Photoshop to edit and then most of the time it never gets saved back into iPhoto. If people are using Lightroom, does iPhoto then become obsolete? I know none of you are dedicated mac users, but hopefully someone can share some insight.
    Have a great trip to CHA!

    • StudioWendy says:

      I don’t use iPhoto at all. I thought it was clunky and slow. And, Lightroom can even load my iphone as a drive and import my pix so I don’t ever have to go into iphoto.

      • Julie S says:

        Thanks, Wendy. Although I imagine it’s pretty simple, are you aware of any tutorials about making the switch?

        • StudioWendy says:

          Not specifically, but I wonder if Kayla’s Finding Photo Flow covers that? I heard she was moving her classes back to her blog, so you might look there first. She also has a lightroom for digi scrappers course. http://www.kaylalamoreaux.com/

        • Laurel says:

          A couple of shows back I wrote in the show notes what I did to switch my photos from iPhoto to LR on my mac. Took forever (but it was just the computer doing stuff, I just started it and then did other things while it worked). It was relatively painless. So excited to have that done and now I can try Radlab :)

          • Peggy says:

            Laurel, do you have any quick hints in how you moved your photos from iPhoto to Lightroom? I am in the same situation. (I am sorry to be slow in posting in this older digi-show. I am a little behind the times!)

            I have tons of photos in iPhoto, but I don’t have the courage to begin the process. I am sure it will take a lot of time, but perhaps there are some suggestions to hasten the process.

    • Peppermint says:

      I really like some of the RadLab recipes I’ve found on Faded and Blurred’s blog.

      Specifically I find myself using some of the ones from their Swing States pack frequently: http://fadedandblurred.com/blog/swing-states-radlab-recipe-pack/

      and also this Game of Thrones inspired one: http://fadedandblurred.com/blog/radlab-recipe-pack-no-5/

      I think I’ve used “Arya” from the Game of Thrones set more than any other recipe, followed closely by “Tyrion” from that same set.

      I do usually tweak them all somewhat after applying them, their sharpening especially is a little too sharp for my taste, but they have some great layering of effects and they’re a great jumping off point for quick effects!

  13. Sarah R. says:

    I kept commenting while listening to this episode but quickly realized no one could hear me :) I wanted to comment on a couple of things related to Adobe’s Creative Cloud. There are several pricing options depending on what you qualify for and when you signed up. There were additional discounts through the end of Nov. 2012 so if you qualified for student/faculty pricing and signed up before 11.30.12, you are paying substantially less than someone who doesn’t qualify for student pricing and signed up in December 2012. Also, I believe the add’l discounts are available for the first year of your subscription and pricing may go up after that.

    Peppermint made a comment about there being some features available only to Creative Cloud subscription members vs. those who have outright purchased PSCS6. I read this article and it spoke to this issue – good, bad, or indifferent. http://prodesigntools.com/why-creative-cloud-gets-exclusive-features.html

    I think I had some other comments but I’ll have to re-listen to the show to remember what they were! I would take notes if I didn’t listen in the car :) I do know that I am SUPER tempted to try Rad Lab but am trying to heed Peppermint’s warning of having the $$ in hand before downloading the trial.

    Great show, thanks ladies!

  14. Lissa says:

    I was finally convinced to download Rab Lab and try it out with Lightroom 3 based on how Peppermint said it was the one thing that has most changed her workflow. So exciting! I’m playing with it now but I’m wondering if Peppermint can do a post about her workflow and how Rab Lab fits in? That would be such a help for me (and so many others I’m sure!). Hope you all are having a great time at CHA!!

    • Peppermint says:

      I will put it on my list of things to cover on my blog, Lissa! It’s an ever-growing list, but I need to get cracking on it. :)

      • Lissa says:

        Steph’s article this week helps a ton! I’m mostly wanting better sharpening overall. I see that RadLab has lightroom presets too, and I’m thinking maybe I’ll just do those for now. Can’t decide!

  15. Michelle Huegel says:

    I feel like a celebrity!! About had a heart attack (while driving!) when I heard my name! Thanks for reading and discussing my comment :). Your suggestions really helped! I ended up not upgrading to Photoshop CS6, I am perfectly happy scrapping in CS3 and haven’t really run into anything I can’t do there. I’ve decided that I can’t live much longer without Radlab, though! I ended up spending most of my Christmas money on Tangie Baxter’s Art Journal Caravan 2013, so now I have to save up a couple months of blogging money before I can get Radlab, but it’s top of my list :) – then Lightroom I think.
    Oh and I have to say, I hope you’re planning to do a CHA show, I’ve been following the CHA proceedings this week with great interest and a lot of drooling. Did I spot a picture of Steph with Becky Higgins and Ali Edwards?!

  16. VickiH says:

    Hi Steph. Hi Katie. Hi Peppermint. (Always wanted to say that.) I’ve listened to your show from the beginning and love every episode. I have a couple of questions.

    First – sorry, but this is the most basic of all questions, but I don’t have any IRL friends who digi scrap so I’m throwing it out there to the digi divas. When you want to scrap a page with a white background on a template, do you just leave the background “blank” or do you add white cardstock. I know, so easy a cavewoman should know it, but after a couple of years of scrapping I actually don’t know.

    Second – I am wondering if there is any way to financially support the Digi Show, other than subscribing to the DigiFiles? I subscribed for a few months in 2012, but I just couldnt’ keep up with all the new supplies and they weren’t always what I needed at the time, so I’ve been taking a few months off. However, I love the show and would be willing to give in some way to ensure the show goes on.

    Thanks for the great shows and just for being you!
    Vicki

    • Can’t answer the second question but on the first question. I would added a textured white cardstock. The template makes often have a background layer which has a color which isn’t always white. I also rename the background layer the name of the template I used so I know. A number of designers have some nice packs of white cardstock which have a slight texture in them.

      • Tammy says:

        Renaming your background layer as the template name is a great idea, Ronnie! I always forget to write it down & then once I’ve renamed it, have to dig through my stash to figure out what it was :) Thanks!

      • iDebbie says:

        I love this tip, Ronnie! I’m a big template user and wish I’d thought of this from the beginning. Thanks so much! :)

      • StudioWendy says:

        Personally, I’d add a textured cardstock too. For me, it adds to the realistic look of the page. If you’re printing it on cardstock later, maybe it’s not a big deal, but I like my pages to have texture on the digital versions as well. So, yeah, I’d add some!

      • VickiH says:

        Thanks for the response and the tip on naming the background. Genius.

    • Peppermint says:

      Add me to the list that uses a white textured paper on my white pages – however there are girls on my creative team and on other creative teams that I know have simply used a flood filled white background on theirs. So whatever your heart desires!

      And I do not believe that there is a way other than The Digi Files to support the show, specifically. Except for the “Buy Digi Show Goodies” link in the sidebar where you can do exactly that … get yourself some goodies!

  17. Raylene says:

    I enjoyed the mail discussions again as usual. The first letter asked about upgrading to PS6 for only scrap booking. I tried the new version, got so frustrated with some of the new things that really didn’t make any difference to me . . . had to delete them anyways. So I switched back to my old version and haven’t missed the agony. I do have Totally Rad actions and I find I use them a LOT for photo editing. I would spend the extra money specifically on the extra things I WANT. It’s like buying a new car every year . . . why? So the manufacturers can make more money????

  18. Coffeebreakjackie says:

    Thanks again for a super show ladies. Sure wish I could meet up with you all. A couple of questions:
    1. I am a Mac User and purchased Aperture. I hear talk of actions in Rad Lab and wonder if it is possible to do the same in Aperture. I am storing my Digi files in Aperture on my ED. I like face identity in IPhoto and the two programs communicate with each other so I do have (almost) a workflow with what I have. I have a feeling that it would be foolish to put Lightroom on my computer in addition to Aperture. I have tried installing some of the actions previously that we’re made for PSE but that was not easy in PSE10. I now have PSE11 and haven’t tried installing actions there.
    2. Would or could you do a show/post/video. On scrapping on your iPad or phone. That kind of blows me away!
    3. I have a friend at church who is doing photo/graphic work in a church office setting and has PSE11 but is a little intimidated by it. She was thinking about attending an Adobe Workshop scheduled at one of the hotels but my gut is that it would be too advanced. She mainly edits photos and creates documents for a church newsletter or other communications. Could you point me to a couple of PSE tutorials on cropping and editing photos?
    Thanks -sorry Katie it isn’t five sentences.

  19. Lynnette says:

    Hi Ladies! Just wanted to say I really loved listening to this show. I LOVE following the trends in digi scrapping, and I often write about them on My Scrapbook Art’s Everyday Inspiration blog. I found myself wishing I was a part of the conversation with you guys! Over that past year I’ve blogged about most of the trends you mentioned including woodgrain, journaling cards, doilies, hexagons, and the chalkboard look. This past year I also noticed maps, ombre, and cutouts – like words and little things like hearts or stars cut out of paper. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for a fun show! I think you nailed all the trends and big events for the past year. And thanks for all the hard work you guys put into this, it’s something I look forward to each week. :)

  20. Rhadonda says:

    Another great show. It was fun reviewing the trends of 2012. It would be interesting to “forecast” 2013 and just see how it follows through on your predictions. Maybe you could be the trend setters! I always enjoy when you 3 learn from each other on the show. I think i just assume you all know everything about everything. I wish i had an unlimited digital money bag when i hear about all the awesome programs and products talked about. But i am thankful for all I do have which is probably way more than i will ever use. God help us if the internet ever loses “power” though sometimes i wonder if it might be a good thing and get us back to some basics of family life, interaction etc. Just my thoughts. Thanks again.

  21. Kelsey Brown says:

    I have a favor to ask!? If you don’t have an entry in the Persnickety contest I would really appreciate your vote.

  22. Jen says:

    Another great episode, as always.
    I wanted to pop in and say a couple of things regarding site closings. Peppermint mentioned the closing of Scrappity Doo Dah. I was an admin and CT member there. The news of SDD’s closing came as a shock to most of us. We were a small community, but very close. I am happy to say that most of our designers have found new homes at other stores. A few did decide to retire, at least temporarily. But we have several opening at Gotta Pixel and at Scrapbook Bytes, so please check out those stores if you’re looking for former SDD designers.
    Jen

  23. Sarah says:

    I recently upgraded to LR4 and Totally Rad does supply you with “free” updated presets for LR4 IF you already had them for LR3. Totally works!

    • Peppermint says:

      Last night (1/24) I finally upgraded to Lightroom 4. I bought my new camera last week and then I figured I may as well just bite the bullet on LR4 as well. After an objective look at all of my presets, I honestly don’t think I’ve used any of them more than a handful of times since I found out I could use RadLab in Lightroom (and it works in LR4, too!)

      I was pleased to find that I don’t have to convert any of my old photos over from the old “2010” develop process unless I want to use a LR4 preset on them. Then I have to convert them over to the 2012 develop process (which is just a drop-down menu, really). I can also continue to use my LR3 presets on any photos that are still in the old (2010) process, I just can’t use them on new photos that I import unless I convert them backwards.

      I kept thinking I would have to choose one or the other, 2010 process or 2012 process, but for now all of my photos from previous years are still on the 2010 process and everything from yesterday forward is in the 2012. I can see a time in the future once I have more LR4 presets (if I ever do) that I might have to convert some old photos over in order to use them – but if that day never comes they’re all fine the way they are.

      I really should grab the LR4 versions for my existing presets if they’re available, though. So I’ll have to poke around. I’ll definitely grab my TRA ones!

  24. Andrea W. says:

    Hi there! I love listening to your show and have been listening from the beginning. I have learned so much from you and laughed a lot too.
    My questions is about RadLab. I am tempted by it but I do not do a lot of editing of my photos – just basic editing like red eye correction, cropping, simple exposure fixes, etc.
    I have also heard a lot about the Snapseed program lately too, which also does simple and creative photo editing. I am wondering if you are familiar with Snapseed and how the two programs are the same or different.
    I have a Mac and use Aperture (mostly just the filing and sorting features; very little editing done in Aperture).
    Thanks for your feedback. Keep up the great work with your shows!
    Andrea

    • Peppermint says:

      If you don’t do a lot of editing of your photos, RadLab might be something of a non-event for you. Although if you would like to dabble in adding some effects to your photos RadLab is one of the most user-friendly ways I’ve found to do it. It becomes a little bit addictive. Since I prefer subtle effects on my photos I typically move the strength of all the photo effects waaaaay down (like 10-20%), but after layering several of my favorites I always love the results.

      I’ve only ever used Snapseed’s mobile app on my phone and really like it for cleaning up my phone photos – I mainly just use their automatic adjustment and then their “fine tune” function to add contrast or correct a color cast. I’ve never tried their desktop version, but I’m all for anything that streamlines the process of adding a little extra “oomph” to my digital photos. I’m not one who enjoys spending a lot of time fiddling with sliders and opacity and the layering of effects. I know a lot of people who love the post-processing portion and they achieve beautiful results and have a lot of advanced know-how on such things, but I feel fortunate to have quick solutions for impatient people like me!

  25. Amy K says:

    Steph you made my day at the end of the show….you’re kicking PayPal to the curb and going with Amazon?! Yes! I closed my PayPal account several years ago after a very unfortunate experience, and that is the sole reason I haven’t subscribed to the Digi Game, but have definitely wanted to. I really enjoy the show, and am looking forward to being able to do my part in supporting it. Keeping my eyes open for the switch….

  26. Rebecca says:

    With the change to Amazon does that mean I will have to use a credit card? I’m in Canada and would prefer to not have to use a credit card.

    • Steph says:

      Are you currently using a debit card or do you have your checking/bank account connected to PayPal?

      If you are currently subscribed with PayPal and want to continue using PayPal, you will be able to do that, unless you unsubscribe.

      • Rebecca says:

        Sorry just seeing this. I currently have my bank account attached to Paypal. Good to know about continuing to use Paypal. Debit cards for online payment are fairly new here. I just recently got one from my bank but haven’t set it up yet :p Thanks Steph!

  27. linda says:

    Wanted to say that it is definitely sad regarding all the various shop closing. As a designer, it’s been a really hard because you start somewhere then it disappears and you have to start all over again. It’s as if your work is not worth it and you start questioning it all… I know that the stores aren’t doing it on purpose, but you would think there’s an obligation to stay open at least for a certain amount of time, because it’s so much work to setup everything.

    Anyway, on happier news, I wanted to say that Project Life has definitely changed so much for everyone. I agree that many use the materials or ideas, even if they don’t follow the strict system of Project Life.

    Peppermint mentioned the book Imagine, which I really enjoyed reading, but not sure if she knew that it was discredited as well? I guess that is more sad news -eek! http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/jonah-lehrer-resigns-from-new-yorker-after-making-up-dylan-quotes-for-his-book/ The issue is that credibility has been questioned, so not sure what to believe or not in the book now…

    Finally, just wanted to say thank you for doing The Digi Show and I’m excited about 2013 – new year – fresh start – more scrapbooking! :)

  28. Katie (sakura-panda) says:

    This was a fun episode! I was hoping to hear about last year’s trends from the perspective of The Digi Show (that is, what trends influenced the topics or what trends were propagated by The Digi Show) but that might have been too hard to put together. By the end, I thought that hearing your personal perspectives was much more interesting!

    I’ve always loved to use large tags and journaling cards in my paper scrapbooking — for me they have been harder to come across in digital scrapbooking. At least, they were before Project Life came along! (That’s one of my favorite things about Project Life — all the journaling cards that have been popping up!) I’m like Katie where I use them as more of a design element — usually it is tucked behind something or has just a couple of words on it — rather than actual journaling. I prefer the 4×6 size — when I use the PL templates, I either put photos, pp or I leave them empty and use the space for something else. I never thought of using them for journaling — they are so small!

    Peppermint was not kidding about color! I complained about the lack of color available for a couple of years but I did notice over last year there was a lot more available. As someone that loves color, I thought it was wonderful and I hope it continues!

    I have a now-discontinued FitBit Ultra (replaced by the FitBit One) and I like it a lot. It is on a clip so I only use it on the days when I’m wearing a belt. (Most days, but not all.) It keeps track of the number of steps you’ve taken, the number of floors you’ve climbed, and calories burned. My favorite features is the flower — the more active you are, the more “leaves” are on the flower and it grows taller! You can use the app or go online to track your food, exercise and sleep; I sync mine with MyFitnessPal instead of using their tools. They also give you badges when you’ve reached certain milestones, such as number of steps in a day. (I have a badge for going over 20,000 steps, earned only once on November 23, 2012. I’m guessing that was Black Friday!) I need to get better about using it, but I like having the step counter and the flower to motivate me to move more!