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Kubota Image Tools adds two more products to their Artistic Tools series. They are Viva La Vintage and POW WOW! The other Artistic Tools are the “Classic Film Effects”, “Modern Chic”, “High Fashion Edgy”, and the “Cutting-Edge” Paks.
Who is Kevin Kubota and what makes his products so special? Well first off he was named one of the top ten wedding photographers of 2007 by Popular Photography Magazine for giving his customers more than they expect by capturing fresh, expressive images. He has now taken that philosophy to Photoshop processing by providing the same techniques to you via his image tools.
Artistic Tools – Viva La Vintage – Flashback Pak
This pack was prompted by the Lightroom product Kubota Vintage Delish Presets for Lightroom and is a similar collection of vintage flavors now as Adobe Photoshop Actions.
Viva La Vintage contains 25 actions that bring back that element of yesteryear. They allow you to take your images and process them with that nostalgic feel and look. Some of the effects include Bleachy Peachy, Hot Flashes, Nostalgia, Time Machine, Lens Flare, and Image Grunge.
For example Bleachy Peachy will enhance the dark tones in an image, bleach out the whites and add a touch of peach to help make the image pop. Red Rover provides deep rich colors and adds a mahogany hue. Nostalgia will take your image and give a muted and warm feeling while adding chocolate touch.
For the image here, I was looking to create something like from an old picture from the sixties or seventies. A little bit faded and with the color toned down like old film prints would sometimes do. For this I started off with TenSeventies which gives a bright-light version of a cross-processed look. That was good for the coloring, but I still wanted the fading look so I added ShoeBox which provides for a muted and cool look.
I found that there was a lot of possibilities with Viva La Vintage and your limit is your own imagination. There are examples of “Viva La Vintage” on the Kubota Image Site.
Artistic Tools – POW WOW! High Fidelity Pak
Like the Viva La Vintage Flashback Pak, the POW WOW! High Fidelity Pak was built to set your images apart from the pack. This time by injecting bold fresh looks into your image. These include BW Museum, Pearly Shells, FunkTaFi, It’s Just a Vibe I Get, Best Mango Ever, and Kubota HiDef.
In the POW WOW! High Fidelity Pak, the FunkTaFi will give you a cross processed look, the Jewels will add a twinkle to your image by using a bright, color popping look. Kubota HiDef adds clarity, dimension and pop your image.
For the image below, I wanted an image that not only popped, but one that had a grittier edge. So for this one I started with “Pow Wow” which provides a light-bright color effect. Next I added “Bring it On” which brings out the colors and brings out the detail. Finally I used “Kubota HiDef”, which adds clarity, dimension, and pop to the color. I was really pleased with the results.
Again, the possibilities are endless with POW WOW! and the limit is your own imagination. There are examples of “POW WOW!” on the Kubota Image Site.
Along with the Kubota Viva La Vintage + POW WOW! Combo Pak, you also get the Kubota Dashboard that lets you see each of the actions before you apply them. You also have the ability to search using the dashboard as well as undoing an action if you decide that you don’t like it.
The biggest problem I see with having all of these effects is knowing what to use and when to use it. Obviously, the final results will come from experimentation and trial and error. One thing that helps is that the samples from the Kubota site are a great starting point as well as the tutorials.
If you are a professional photographer, especially one who does weddings, portraits, or graduations, you really owe it to yourself to check into the Kubota Viva La Vintage + POW WOW! Combo Pak, or any of the Kubota products for the photographer. They will allow you to get the maximum productivity with the least amount of effort. Even if you only use a small portion of the effects, they will pay for themselves in time savings and customer satisfaction over and over again. I highly recommend this product.
