Julie Powell

Melbourne

Writer, Educator and creative photographer, helping photographers of all levels create their own amazing images. Inspiring women to be their true selves

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Articles

Master landscape masking in Lightroom

2 days ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

Here with a quick Lightroom Classic tip for beginner and hobbyist photographers—have you seen the new Landscape Masking feature? In this video, I’ll walk you through how the latest Lightroom update now automatically separates your photo into three (or more) editable masks—sky, architecture, and vegetation—giving you greater control and flexibility in your landscape edits.
Creative portraits: Going for the blur

5 days ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

Nothing quite like a creative portrait and shooting for the blur. Especially when it comes to shooting on location. My home studio is fairly small, so I can’t shoot effectively with my 85mm lens or a 70-300mm lens. Well, at least not full body shots. Well, blur is just so dreamy. I know not everyone likes it, but for those who do — it’s simply delicious. For fantasy fairytale-like creative portraits that I adore creating I simply adore it.
Nik Collection 8 review and demo: Powerful Photoshop plugin upgrades you NEED to see!

1 week ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

Julie here with an in-depth first look at the brand-new Nik Collection 8 from DxO—an exciting upgrade packed with powerful new features for Photoshop users. In this review and demo, I’ll walk you through how to access the updated plugins, explore the fully dockable plugin panels, and show how you can now import masks directly from Photoshop into Nik tools like Viveza, Silver Efex, and Color Efex.
Announcing the new NiK Collection 8

1 week ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

Creative control just got a serious upgrade, thanks to the latest release from DxO. Nik Collection 8 supercharges Photoshop with new masking tools, smarter workflows and game-changing plugin updates. DxO has just launched Nik Collection 8, and as a creative photographer and educator, I’m genuinely impressed by how much this update expands what’s possible inside Photoshop.
Lightroom tutorial: How to make one color pop in a black & white photo

1 week ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

Want to create that dramatic black and white photo with just one color popping—without using Photoshop? In this Lightroom tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to isolate and highlight a single color using the HSL panel and masking tools in Adobe Lightroom Classic.
Neewer HS60B & HS60C Handheld LED Lights: A photographer’s review

1 week ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I’m always on the lookout for gear that makes creative photography easier, more fun, and a little less intimidating — especially for those just starting out. Today, I want to introduce you to two lights that have quickly earned a spot in my workshop kit: the Neewer HS60B and HS60C handheld LED lights. These little powerhouses are designed to make lighting flexible, fast, and portable.
Review: Neewer HS60B & HS60C Constant LED Lights

2 weeks ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

In this video, I review the Neewer HS60B and HS60C constant LED handheld lights — perfect for beginner and hobbyist photographers who want to improve their lighting skills and gain confidence in their photography. Whether you’re shooting portraits, still life, or creative setups, these compact yet powerful 60W lights are portable, easy to use, and offer both bi-color and RGB functionality for total creative control.
PolarPro Road Runner Camera Bags: First impressions

2 weeks ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

As a working photographer constantly on the go, I’m always searching for gear that is both functional and stylish without compromising on performance. The new PolarPro Road Runner Series of camera bags recently landed on my desk, and after some hands-on time with the full lineup—including the 16L Backpack, 12L Shoulder Bag, and the 1L Compact Pouch—I’m ready to share my first impressions. Note: Polar Pro did send me these bags for review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
How I got the photo: Springtime Blooms

3 weeks ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

I adore playing in the studio and getting creative with some lighting. This session was all about some pretty springtime blooms and high key. I was playing with the new Neewer HS60B LED Light. This is a bi-color continuous hand-held light and it comes with the cute little dome diffuser (see in foreground). Let’s have a look. To set my scene, I put the larger LED light and softbox behind my table. I then placed a piece of white acrylic over the table and added my flowers.
Neewer CA021 Rotatable Tripod Collar: Spec report and hands-on review

4 weeks ago | photofocus.com | Julie Powell

For photographers and videographers who regularly shoot with telephoto or macro lenses, a lens tripod collar can make a world of difference in stability, balance, and rotation control. The Neewer CA021 is one such accessory—a rotatable tripod mount ring that offers a budget-friendly alternative to OEM collars. In my YouTube video, I demonstrate how the CA021 performs in practical use. Below is a full spec breakdown and my personal experience using it both in the studio and on location.