Adobe's Photoshop is or should be on your computer if you are a photographer. Sure, you could use other image editing programs that may just do it for you, but after I bought Photoshop CS3, there simply was no turning back.

But Photoshop by itself isn't going to get you too far if you don't use the program's ability to automate through programmable actions what you need to do to enhance all your images. You could, if time is your friend, sit and figure out all the actions you will need or outsource that work and buy the actions from people who simply do a great job.

Doug and Chenin Boutwell are a husband-wife wedding, portrait (and now even commercial) photography team who has produced a pack of actions they call Totally Rad (the name is perhaps a nod to where they live in Orange County). I bought their actions early on and simply couldn't do without them. What's particularly important to me is that their actions creates a separate layer above the image you are working on. Accessing this layer allows one much greater access to tweak it to one's own liking. That is, while some actions flatten your file and you have to just accept what is given to you, Doug and Chenin's Totally Rad Actions give you the freedom to make your images look like your own creation, not someone else's interpretation.

Doug has recently launched a series of online video tutorials on how to best exploit his actions. Here are the first three:

Action Basics – Mix & Match Actions – Layers and Layer Masks

Would it help to buy the action pack as you follow along? Sure. Do I get anything for mentioning the actions here? Nope.

Here is Doug's blog where you can learn more.

Pixish is a place for photographers and publishers to meet. It is another Derek Powazek production (remember JPG Magazine?)

This post is part link love and part real love for what Justine Ungaro has brought me in terms of her knowledge about the portrait photography business over the course of the last few months. I belong to an online forum for professional wedding photographers and Justine has made a name for herself as one the most successful portrait photographers on the planet. That's really no exaggeration. She freely shares information and is clearly a wonderful teacher. I remember reading about some of her marketing materials and requesting that she send me just one sample for me to check out. Three days later I received a packet from her containing all of her samples. Woah! How cool is that?

And so, she is taking her skills on the road. Justine and her mom Diana, also a terrific photographer, are conducting a workshop in DC called “The Modern Portrait.” The associated blog is located here.

“We are not going to try to teach you how to be a photographer or how to be a better photographer. You can learn that anywhere. We are going to give you the tools and the knowledge to sell more of what you are already creating, how to price yourself for a higher sale , how to present your images for maximum impact and how to keep your clients coming back for more.”

Music to my ears. I would love to go. I want to win the scholarship Justine is offering. It's as simple as that. So, please do me a favor and click on this link (all 389 of you!) to send her some link love. Valentine's Day is around the corner isn't it?

A couple of days has past since the former Prime Minister of Pakistan was killed by … well, by someone or something, depending on what the Pakistani government's PR folks want to sell you as “the truth.” From my limited perspective, I can only wonder how someone of her stature gets killed and there is no state funeral where dignitaries from other countries have a chance to say goodbye. The rush to bury her has a boat load of conspiracy theorists already in a tizzy. So, I won't dwell on this as it will only add fuel to the fire that is burning in South Asia.

The future of Pakistan is truly at stake now that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said he will boycott any elections there. Ok, so the rationale is that by not participating in an election, you can usher in democracy? Sounds a little wonky to me. By stepping out of the election process, Mr. Sharif has simply given “President” Musharraf the green signal to do what he pleases. It will be a defacto dictatorship, without the military regalia. The political vacuum that will be felt in that country will have repercussions around the world.

Who will emerge as Pakistan's leader and when are the biggest questions as we turn the corner on 2007 and jump into 2008?

Thanks again to A Photo A Day, here is a link to a New York Times feature showing Benazir Bhutto's last minutes.

I have three book reviews to complete and I hope to have them done by the end of the year. The books are: Betsy Karel's Bombay Jadoo, Mahesh Bhat's Unsung and Steve Raymer's Images of a Journey: India in Diaspora.

Please click the links to find out more and to buy the books.