One is scheduled for later this year, while the other 2 are set for next year. Be sure to register soon before they sell out!

2021 Grand Teton Landscape & Wildlife Winter Photography Workshop

December 6-10, 2021

Join me for a part landscape, part wildlife photo workshop with the beautiful snow capped Tetons setting the stage. Limited to just 6 photographers!

2022 Grand Teton 1st of Summer Photography Workshop

June 21 – 25, 2022

My popular late spring/early summer Tetons workshop is back! Join me as we photograph the landscape, the wildflowers, and from time to time the wildlife we encounter.

2022 Grand Teton July Milky Way Photography Workshop

July 25 – 29, 2022

Following the sell out of my June 2022 Milky Way Photo Workshop in the Tetons, I have now added a 2nd workshop in July. Register now before this one sells out too!!

Full Photo Workshop Schedule

You can view my entire Photo Workshop schedule here.

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The post New Photo Workshops Just Added for 2021 & 2022 appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

DxO just released PureRAW and honestly, this is a game changer and something almost any photographer will need & want. I absolutely love it and can not recommend it enough!!

It is a standalone program that automatically removes noise AND does lens corrections.

If that wasn’t good enough, it also does this while exporting a RAW DNG file, so you can continue editing your RAW file in your favorite post processing program!

Check out the video I recorded showing the benefits of PureRAW and how you can use it with Lightroom and Capture One Pro. I even compare it to Topaz DeNoise AI.

And be sure to download a free trial of this amazing software here. DxO has it at 30% off right now during their launch promotion.

This software instantly found a place in my workflow, and I have a feeling it just might in yours too. Let me know what you think!

The post How to Dramatically Improve Your RAW Files with DxO PureRAW appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

The photos in this sample kit come from the 3 Cloud & Sky Kits I have available.

In this kit you receive 25 high resolution images:

• 4 Photos: From my Desert Sunsets Sky Kit
• 7 Photos: From my Blue Sky Cloud Kit
• 14 Photos: From my Ultimate 400 Cloud Kit

If you already own my 3 Cloud Kits – this kit is not for you as you already have these!!  

I put together this kit for those who are maybe just starting out with their cloud & sky collection, or are maybe wondering what some of the 700+ Cloud & Skies I have available and want to try out a smaller kit.

The skies in this Sample Kit include clouds from sunny days, stormy days (and one with lightning), sunrise & sunset, and even a Milky Way photo!

They are perfect for real estate & commercial photographers, travel & vacation photographers, creative photographers, illustrators, and anyone else who needs to replace a sky.

The post New Cloud & Sky Sample Kit with 25 Images for Sky Replacement appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

The online program starts mid-April.

Featuring:

• For Landscape & Nature Photographers
• Study With Students Taking the Program at the Same Time & Pace As You – You Are Not Alone Like Most Online Courses!
• Learn How to Succeed at Taking Great Shots
• Master my ACED Foundation of Photography: Arrive, Compose, Expose, and Develop
• Hours of Pre-Recorded Content in Short, Direct Videos Designed to Educate and Not Waste Your Time
• 8 Weekly LIVE Group Sessions for Assignment Review and Q&A
• Access to My ACES Photo Community – Not on Facebook – for Posting Photos, Sharing, Networking with Other Students, and More!
• VIP Upgrade Available with Extra Content & Live Group Sessions
• Olympus EXTRA Upgrade Available for Those Who Shoot With Olympus
• Bonuses, Discounts, and More!!!

The post Waitlist for Upcoming Base Camp Photography Masterclass appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

I was expecting a lot more from Skylum in this release, but unfortunately they failed to deliver accurate sky reflections that look real – a big lost opportunity . In this video I will show you everything to look out for with the new sky reflections feature.

Check out my Cloud & Sky Kits for Sky Replacement – over 700 high resolution images available!

The post Luminar AI Sky Replacement Sky Reflections: Artificial and Not Very Intelligent appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

Introducing Tonal Studies Vol 1 & 2 Hand Painted Photo Textures & Overlays.

A total of 100 original hand painted textures are available in two volumes, along with inverts of the textures, and transparent versions perfect for clipping path usage – for a total fo 400 files.

The textures are for creative photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, and anyone else looking for that extra artistic look for their images & designs.

These are true hand-painted textures & overlays, created by a professional fine art painter specifically for textures and overlays. They are not digital creations, nor were they painted by a photographer like me who doesn’t know anything about painting.

The textures & overlays are designed for any program that uses Layers and Blend Modes including Photoshop, ON1, Luminar, Topaz Studio 2, Canva and more. They also work in the mobile versions of Photoshop and Procreate.

Full details on these textures & overlays including more before/after images can be found here.

Disclosure about product links and affiliations: Some of the links I provide are affiliate links which means I get a small commission, with no additional cost to you, if you click it and end up buying something. It helps me provide free educational resources and articles. So if you use them, thank you! My affiliations however never influence my opinions on any products/services and I am only affiliated with companies whose products/services I personally use.

The post New Tonal Studies Hand Painted Photo Textures and Overlays appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

For those interested in developing a consistent stream of online income, this could be exactly what you need to finally get things off the ground.

Kajabi, my favorite platform for creators, has just launched a new program for aspiring entrepreneurs who are ready to take the knowledge economy by storm in 2021.

And if you want to start selling online courses or other digital product, or are considering a new platform for your courses/products, you are not going to want to miss this opportunity!!

And for a very short time, I can get you in at no charge…

Introducing: The Idea to Income Challenge.

If you’ve ever wanted to build a steady stream of income simply by sharing your passion with the world, this is the challenge for you.

The team at Kajabi has spent the last 10 years helping tens of thousands of knowledge entrepreneurs and course creators do just that.

This program takes you through their simple 3-step system for going from absolute zero (no audience, no product) all the way to launch.

In the challenge, you’ll get expert step-by-step guidance on:

• ●  Creating a digital product people will buy
• ●  Packaging and marketing your offer
• ●  Making consistent, sustainable sales. And it’s flexible enough that if you have some of the existing pieces in place, you’ll be able to use the challenge to improve your process and increase your revenue. Best of all, you get 45 days free to use Kajabi, which is by far the best all-in-one platform I’ve found for building a profitable online business that isn’t a pain to run.

So here’s the catch: the challenge starts on January 16th and completes on February 12th. YOU MUST SIGN UP BY JANUARY 15TH!!

It’s a focused, intensive program designed for people who are serious about building a business and growing their online revenue.

If that’s you, what are you waiting for? Click Here to get your 45-day free trial and access to the challenge.

It’s rare to find this kind of expert guidance free of charge. I can’t guarantee whether or not Kajabi will ever offer this again.

Have any questions about Kajabi? Let me know in the comments section!

Disclosure about product links and affiliations: Some of the links I provide are affiliate links which means I get a small commission, with no additional cost to you, if you click it and end up buying something. It helps me provide free educational resources and articles. So if you use them, thank you! My affiliations however never influence my opinions on any products/services and I am only affiliated with companies whose products/services I personally use.

The post Photo Entrepreneurs, Are You Looking For a Path Forward? appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

This test shows the speed results after exporting a combined 50 RAW images from a Sony full-frame camera and Olympus camera. Let me know if you are interested in other tests in the comment section below!

The post Photography Speed Test M1 Mac Mini vs 2018 Intel MacBook Pro Exporting 50 RAW Files appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

When I first published this photo a few days ago I had no idea how popular it would become, having been shared nearly 1,000 times already with a number of requests for use of it to help raise donations. As an artist I am always grateful when my artwork is appreciated, even when the subject matter is difficult.

My fiancee Whitney Hall and I first saw this fire around the time it started, shortly after 3:00pm Friday while shopping at Cashman’s Nursery. On the drive back to our home in Four Corners, we noticed the flames were getting huge fast. We got home, grabbed my cameras, and headed back out to document the fire that afternoon.

We went back out again that evening around 10pm to check on the progress. Finding a great vantage point to photograph from, it was shocking to see how much the fire had grown. I thought of the people who might be in harm’s way, and of those trying to fight this fire to protect lives and homes. It was concerning seeing the height of the flames through my lens as I tried to create an image that spoke of the intensity and power of this fire that evening.

With the help of moonlight lighting up the foreground and Bridgers, I took a 10-minute exposure showcasing not only the fire but the vast sky above filled with stars above the smoke layer. Ten minutes in time for a single photo, but a much longer time for those directly or indirectly impacted by this. I wanted to create an element of beauty in this photo which at the time the fire was greatly affecting those in it’s path. And now, I hope this image can help those recovering from the devastation.

So again, you can purchase a print, a notecard, or other items and I will be donating 75% of all sales after expenses to the Bridger Foothills Fire Relief Fund. You can order here.

In addition if you would like to donate directly to the Bridger Foothills Fire Relief Fund you can do that here.

Thank you for your support to our community and please feel free to share this post!

The post First Night: The Bridger Foothills Fire in Bozeman, Montana appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

This update is free for current users of Sharpen AI – and if you don’t have it they are running a great special now through Friday, August 7, 2020, along with with EVEN MORE SAVINGS using my coupon code “mattsuess” (more on that in just a bit).

WHAT’S NEW

First up is an “auto-detect mode” which allows Sharpen AI to select the best processing mode for your particular image (the Focus, Stabilize, and Sharpen Modes). Simply let the AI choose not only which Mode to use, but you can also opt to have the AI automatically add what it believes is the correct amount of Sharpness and Noise Suppression.

Of course you can override both the Auto-Mode and Auto-Settings amounts at any time if you feel the AI didn’t choose wisely for your particular image. In testing, it does quite well in Auto, but sometimes I can get some slightly better results making further manual adjustments.

Another major new feature to Sharpen AI is an Auto-Detect Masking Tool to generate base masks. This masking tool can detect 20 different types of subjects, including people, cars, planes, and various animals!

Simply click the Masking brush button to the right of the file list and then the “Find Objects” button in the left corner. Once you have your base mask, you can make further adjustments manually.

MY IMPRESSIONS

Sharpen AI has been my go-to tool for sharpening the last year or so. It has rescued photos of mine that were a little soft, making them sharper than I ever imagined and thus good enough for print. It has also helped me put just the right amount of sharpness to my normally sharp images, bringing out detail that you just can’t get from other tools.

And for Olympus shooters in particular who use either the hand-held or tripod high-res shooting modes, this is an absolute must-have to bring out detail in those shots. Be sure to set it on Stabilize Mode and crank up the Sharpness slider!

Sharpen AI is really a MUST-HAVE for all photographers. It works as a standalone or as a plugin to Photoshop. While it can be a little slow especially on older computers, the stand-alone version offers batch processing, and the results are definitely worth the wait.

PRICING

As mentioned earlier, this is a free update for current owners. Next time you launch it you should be prompted to upgrade. If not, click on Help/Check for Software Updates via the Menu. 

If you don’t own it yet, you can download a free trial. The regular price is $79.99 but if you purchase it by Friday, August 7, you can save $20. 

USE MY COUPON CODE: “mattsuess”

That will save you an additional $15 off the sale and regular prices. So right now until Friday, August 7 you can get Sharpen AI for just $45 – a $35 savings off the original price!

Consider the Utility Bundle! This bundle gets you not only Sharpen AI, but another of my favorites Denoise AI & Gigapixel AI, and also JPEGtoRAW AI. The regular price on this bundle is $360 but you can get it on sale before Friday, August 7 for $196. AND my coupon code “mattsuess’ will save you an additional $15 on the Utility Bundle.

All details on Sharpen AI, the Utility Bundle, and how to purchase can be found here.

Disclosure about product links and affiliations: Some of the links I provide are affiliate links which means I get a small commission, with no additional cost to you, if you click it and end up buying something. It helps me provide free educational resources and articles. So if you use them, thank you! My affiliations however never influence my opinions on any products/services and I am only affiliated with companies whose products/services I personally use.

The post Topaz Labs Huge Update to Sharpen AI v2.1 appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

I had all 3 cameras set and ready waiting for the eruption, and then the wind picked up. Not good because I feared the wind would blow the spray in front of the comet blocking it from view.

Anticipating the eruption at any moment, I quickly re-positioned my cameras twice, each time moving further down the boardwalk to get a little more separation between the comet and where Old Faithful would erupt, hoping I gave enough space to count for the spray. Fortunately Whitney Hall was with me and was a huge help getting things moved and in place.

None of the other photographers there that night wanted to take the risk I was taking, and were all lined up for the comet to the right of Old Faithful so I had the whole area where I was shooting from to myself.

Save on all Topaz products with code: mattsuess

I spaced my 3 cameras about 40 feet apart from each other, hoping at least one would get an image with no spray blocking the comet. Each camera was set up to take continuous images using the built-in interval shooting mode that I started up on each camera just in time for the eruption.

My last minute changing of positions paid off, as each camera recorded a great shot with no spray blocking the comet

Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1X with the M. Zuiko 8mm f1.8 Fisheye lens
Settings: ISO 3200, f1.8, 20s
Software: DxO PhotoLab 3 Elite and Photoshop
Processing Notes: This was a single image. DxO handled the fisheye lens correction and noise brilliantly, and I used 5 different Control Points for local adjustments.

The post The NEOWISE Comet, Old Faithful, and the Milky Way appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

Here’s a quick video with some more information and some of my thoughts on what this means in the short term and beyond.

What do you think about this move? Let me know in the comments below!

The post No More Olympus Cameras? appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

In the webinar I showed the AI Sky Replacement Tool as well as the new AI Augmented Sky Tool in action on a number of photos using clouds & skies from my 3 Cloud Kits.

This is a recording of that webinar.

Disclosure about product links and affiliations: Some of the links I provide are affiliate links which means I get a small commission, with no additional cost to you, if you click it and end up buying something. It helps me provide free educational resources and articles. So if you use them, thank you! My affiliations however never influence my opinions on any products/services and I am only affiliated with companies whose products/services I personally use.

The post Webinar Recording with NPEG on Sky Replacement with Luminar 4 appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

The post Meet Your North American Olympus Educators – Webinar Recording appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

I used to shoot professional sports as a photojournalist back in the day and haven’t had a chance to seriously photograph any sports since 2006. It’s the thing I miss the most from my photojournalism days. I was a little rusty, but it was just like riding a bike 

There was no media pass for me this time out and all photos seen here were shot from either my seat along the first base side (see red circle in map) or from standing along the walkway (see arrows in map).

All the photos you see in the gallery below were photographed with the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera with the M.Zuiko 300mm f4 lens and MC 14 teleconverter. Camera settings were on average at 1/2500s at f7.1 at ISO 640.

For autofocus I was using the 5×5 grid and rear-button autofocus, with face and eye detection enabled.

Some people have been surprised I was able to bring in camera equipment. I don’t know what the rules are out there, and maybe they are more relaxed for spring training games.

I do know I was allowed in with openly carrying the Mark III camera with vertical grip and 12-100mm f4 lens attached. And in a ThinkTank bag I had the 300mm f4 with 1.4x teleconverter attached, the 40-150mm f2.8 with the 2x teleconverter attached, and the Mark II camera with 8mm fisheye lens attached. The only thing they didn’t allow me to bring in was a monopod.

The post An Afternoon at the Ballpark with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

I also wanted to check out using a complete mobile workflow. All the photos you see here from the Mark 3 were wirelessly sent from the camera to my iPad Pro via the Olympus OI Share app. Lightroom Mobile was used to edit the RAW files, size them for web, and to add a watermark.

I further continued with the mobile workflow by using the WordPress iPad app to create this post you are reading here. Why not continue the mobile workflow all the way to the end, right?

Although I brought a few lenses, I ended up using only 2 of them. Most shots came from the M.Zuiko 75mm f1.8 lens, with the rest coming from the M.Zuiko 12mm f2.0 lens. As I mentioned, the lighting conditions here were absolutely terrible and I needed fast lenses to let in as much light as possible. And I wanted to travel super light so I didn’t bring any of my f1.2 glass this evening.

Below is a collection of the best photos from the evening. I hope you enjoy them and if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments section at the bottom!

The post An Evening of Bull Riding with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark 3 and iPad Pro appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

On February 12, 2020 Olympus announced the new OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera.

I have been shooting with a pre-production version for a couple weeks prior to the announcement. When I first received the camera from Olympus I videotaped an unboxing of it and this is that video posted here.

While I won’t go into many specifics right now on this new camera, I will mention some of my favorite new enhancements to this over the Mark II and they are in no particular order:

• Handheld High Res Mode that produces a 50MP file
• Rear joystick
• Tethered USB Charging
• Starry AF for autofocusing on stars
• Dedicated ISO button
• Live ND

I’ve been thinking of this camera as a mini E-M1X and initial thoughts are that this camera will be a great all-around camera. I’m envisioning using my E-M1X primarily for wildlife/action, my Mark II as my main video camera, and the Mark III for everything else.

I’ll be posting much more about this camera so be sure to follow my blog here, and be sure to subscribe and enable notifications on my YouTube channel.

Any questions feel free to ask below! Are you planning on getting this awesome new camera?

The post Unboxing the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

First off, Think Tank Photo has been a favorite of mine for years. I already own four of their bags and I have a feeling my collection is about to grow. Built by photographers for photographers, I have always been impressed with their quality and attention to detail. Their bags perform great and are built to last.

Their MindShift Gear is designed for those who love to “Engage with Nature” and their BackLight series is especially geared for that. And one feature in particular that I am very interested in trying out in the field is their rear-panel compartment for photo gear, which allows you to access your gear without taking off the backpack!

While I don’t have any photos yet of that specific feature in-action, here’s a couple quick photos of just some of the gear I’m able to fit in the 18L version. (They also have 26L and 36L sizes too).

How much of that Olympus gear can I get inside of the BackLight 18L?

How about all of it minus one camera body & one lens!

Not being able to fit all of my gear into the 18L is definitely not a deal-breaker for me, as I prefer to hike with at least one camera & lens hanging from my neck or shoulder in case I come across anything I need to photograph immediately like wildlife for example.

And here is a list of all of that equipment that is inside the bag as shown:

• Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark 2 with vertical grip
• Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm f4 Pro lens
• Olympus M.Zuiko 8mm Fisheye Pro lens
• Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f1.2 Pro lens
• Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f2.8 Macro lens with two Viltrox Extension Tubes
• Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f2.8 Pro lens
• Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm f4 Pro lens
• Rode Wireless Go Microphone System
• Godox V860II Flash
• Platypod Ultra with Oben BE-117T head

Not included in the bag which I would carry around my neck or shoulder is the Olympus OM-D E-M1X with the 40-150mm f2.8 Pro lens and 1.4x teleconverter.

Not only was I able to fit all the above mentioned gear in it, but there is room still for extra batteries, extra memory cards, a small laptop and/or tablet, water bottle(s), tripod, headlamp/flashlight, snacks, and even a light windbreaker.

Normally I would not hike with all this gear, but knowing so much of it fits as well as feeling super comfortable on my back while walking around in my backyard, maybe I can take most of my gear on extended day hikes!

Initial Backyard Impressions

While I just received this review backpack from Think Tank, I already have a feeling I am going to have a hard time returning it to them. If you shoot Micro Four Thirds you will be surprised how much you can fit into this bag. Even if you still shoot full-frame – does anyone still shoot full-frame these days?? – I still think you will be able to fit enough gear for an extended day hike, which this bag seems most ideal for.

Once I return from my trip I’ll do a more formal review along with a YouTube video so keep an eye out for that! And if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below!

The post MindShift Gear BackLight 18L Backpack from Think Tank Photo Preview appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

While I have not yet been able to use this hands-on, I have watched a presentation on these new tools working on a beta version of Luminar 4 and I have to be honest, the presentation was quite impressive making quick work of portrait enhancements such as smoothing of the skin, blemish removal, along with eye & teeth & lip enhancements.

AI Skin Enhancer

Using AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology Luminar 4 can automatically detect faces & skin in your photos. The AI Skin Enhancer will allow for the automatic removal of various skin imperfections like acne, freckles, and moles all while smoothing the skin. It does this while also keeping small details like hair & eyelashes & skin pores preserved.

Sliders are available to adjust the intensities, and the tool was created with non-aggressive programming to keep facial features looking real and not the plastic look that is often the case when skin retouching goes too far.

Portrait Enhancer

Portrait enhancer is a collection of tools to help improve the primary features of a person’s face and includes adjustments for the following eight areas as described by Skylum:

• Face-aware Lighting: Adjust lighting for a face that doesn’t impact the rest of the scene. Get the emulation of a flash or reflector aimed at a face.
• Eye Improvement: Enhance and make a person’s eyes more expressive and sharp as well as whiten pupils.
• Dark Circle Removal: Easily remove dark circles or shadows below the eye.
• Red Eye: Fix red eye problems caused by flash.
• Face Contouring: Make the face thinner, achieving more attractive results in your portrait.
• Eye Enlargement: Is your portrait subject not fully awake yet? Squinting in bright light? Bring their eyes to life by gently increasing the size of their eyes.
• Eyebrows: Thicken and darken brows for stronger framing of the eyes.
• Lips and Teeth Enhancement: Bring more color and depth to a person’s lips, and take advantage of teeth whitening tools.

All of this is accomplished via AI technology which is supposed to find and target the right areas in your photo. There is no need – nor ability – for selections or masks, and sliders are there to provide you with the ability to adjust the amount of the correction.

The post Skylum Announces AI-Powered Portrait and Skin Enhancement Tools for Luminar 4 appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.

The original Retrospective series came out in 2016 featuring a classic “retro” minimalist & stylish look with a lightweight and form-fitting design. Since May of 2018 I’ve been carrying around the original Retrospective 10 shoulder bag and it immediately became my favorite lightweight shoulder bag for when I don’t need to take all my camera gear with me. The bag is extremely well made with a super comfortable strap and is just a joy to use out in the field. It’s no wonder that the Retrospective shoulder bag series has become one of their most popular lines.

My Original Retrospective 10 camera bag with some of the gear I often have in my bag

While the V2.0 bags have been out for a little while now, the new Black bag includes all the new features including lighter weight, greater security with a zippered opening under the main flap that tucks away when not in use, dedicated interior tablet or laptop pocket, luggage handle pass-through, and a compressible water bottle pocket (something sorely missing from my v1.0 bag).

The Retrospective V2.0 line consists of 5 different bag sizes (5, 7, 10, 20, 30) with a completely customizable divider system which includes extra dividers to further organize compartments for smaller lenses or equipment. A seam-sealed rain cover is also included.

Here is a list of Key Features along with what fits in the various bags. If you are considering ordering one – and I highly recommend them – if you order through my link Think Tank will send you a FREE Gift, and orders over $50 include Free U.S. shipping.

The post Think Tank Photo releases Retrospective V2.0 Shoulder Camera Bags in Black appeared first on Matt Suess Photography.