Blake Rudis

Blake Rudis Through his outside of the box thinking Blake has developed a training style that is both engaging and inspirational! Follow Blake on his journey!

Most artists stop at the edit.File saved • Image looks great • Post it • Hope it sells.But that’s not how art finds...
02/18/2026

Most artists stop at the edit.

File saved • Image looks great • Post it • Hope it sells.

But that’s not how art finds its buyer.

I had a conversation recently with my good friend Jason Matias - artist the mastermind behind The Art of Selling Art that dug into the part no one really talks about:

• Why effort doesn’t justify price
• Why “I like this” means almost nothing
• Why most artists don’t actually have a sales problem: they have an audience problem
• And why the story behind the work matters more than the hours you put into it

We also discussed your ideal buyer and where you should be selling your art.

The edit is only half the job, or even less sometimes.

If you’ve ever wondered why good work doesn’t automatically move… this event is for you. You're in for a treat!

Join us tomorrow (February 19th @ 2 PM Central, US)
• Registration link in the comments below.
• Those registered will get a link to the replay.

Math sucks.Math with letters is even worse.Math with color? That can pound sand.If you’ve ever opened the Channels panel...
02/18/2026

Math sucks.
Math with letters is even worse.
Math with color? That can pound sand.

If you’ve ever opened the Channels panel in Photoshop, you know what I’m talking about. It feels like a game of numbers and logic, except the numbers are hidden and the logic is painted in red, green, and blue.

🎯 So, how do you simplify math that contains color?

That’s the question I’ve been answering for the last three months while building my next course:

👉 Channels: Beyond Luminosity Masks

We often talk about channel masks as luminosity masks, and they’re incredibly powerful. But this course goes a little further.

Instead of stopping at light and dark, we’ll explore what the Red, Green, and Blue channels are actually telling us, and how to pull advanced masks from that data in ways that are surprisingly simple once you see it.

This course isn’t about memorizing formulas, because I'm not that smart and they wouldn't be helpful anyway.

It’s about understanding what the channels are showing you and how to use that information intentionally.

I’m aiming for a March release. I’ve got six more videos to edit, a landing page to build, and notes to finalize.

Still… when I saw what just five simple channel-based layers could do to a single RAW file, I was floored.

You’re going to love this one.

I'm grateful for winter photo walks in the woods with a newly met friend last week. We went with the intent of photogra...
02/16/2026

I'm grateful for winter photo walks in the woods with a newly met friend last week.

We went with the intent of photographing birds, and while there were many woodpeckers and bluebirds, my success rate with them was low, or maybe I'm overly critical?

We stumbled upon these blue and orange-colored turkey tail mushrooms. In the light, the colors were harsh and washed out (second image), but in the shade (first image), they showed real potential.

The light on location, in this case, was incredible. The way it fell on the mushrooms, but it wasn't the best shot, as you can see. At first glance, that may've been the shot, as they say, "it's all about the light". The direct light was dramatic, but it bleached the color. Shade brought them to life.

A metaphor for people in more ways than I can imagine. When someone takes center stage, you don't often see the real version of them; you see the act, the pose they put on to ensure the stage stays on them. After all, when the lights shine on you, you feel compelled to perform; it's been ingrained in us since birth.

But when you're backstage, and the lights are low, there's a sense of relief and an almost immediate calm. That's where you see the individual for who they really are with their family and closest friends. How do they respond backstage?

As I type this and look deeper inward, maybe "they" in the paragraphs above should be me...

I had no intention of writing this deeply about a collection of turkey tail mushrooms, but it got me thinking:

How well do people actually know themselves?
Because if you don't know yourself, how can you put yourself into your art?

I guess I didn't realize that I was editing this image for me. Your work is an extension of you, and whether you believe that or not, parts of you come out in it.

Are you willing to go deep to learn who you are through your work?

I was never a dog person... Until I was.
02/12/2026

I was never a dog person...
Until I was.

Woah! Has it been 15 years already? My YouTube Channel is old enough to get a Driver's Permit!I love what this channel...
02/04/2026

Woah! Has it been 15 years already?

My YouTube Channel is old enough to get a Driver's Permit!

I love what this channel has done over the last 15 years. Through it, I've met some of the most amazing people around the entire globe.

I'm a blessed and grateful man, and I appreciate all your support over the years! How some of you made it through those first several, I will never know :) ha!

01/28/2026

I've been at this art thing for 30+ years. I have seen HUGE shifts in the art world in that time. We've come a long way and have a lot to be proud of in the art community over that time.

ENTER AI

Many people fear AI, some absolutely hate it! But if you look at art history, it will tell you a LOT. The time we are living in has happened time and time again. We, right now, are at the precipice of a new art movement, whether you like it or not.

I would venture to say that at the precipice of EVERY art movement, there were those who liked it and those who hated it. This video is not meant to take sides; it's meant to enlighten you.

Please, do not comment if you do not have something respectful to say. The content was delivered respectfully, and I would appreciate the same treatment.

I know this can be a heated topic, but please open your mind for 9 minutes and give me a chance to bring you up to speed on where we are in the history of art. Yes, we are currently making history.

AI tools have made Photoshop REALLY easy to use. Those new AI tools are great... until they're not.Perfect example. I ...
01/20/2026

AI tools have made Photoshop REALLY easy to use. Those new AI tools are great... until they're not.

Perfect example. I was editing an image and had about 25 layers in the stack. I went to use the remove tool, and it wouldn't work because my machine was so bogged down by my workflow.

I waited and waited and waited... Nothing.

I literally said outloud, "BRO you teach this stuff for a living stop relying on that AI crap."

I cancelled the Remove Tool operation, grabbed the clone stamp tool, and had the spots healed in less than 3 seconds.

Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics. That's what this summit is for: to help you with the foundations so you can rely on your skills and not automated features.

Joj us February 23-27th. Its free to watch, with an optional VIP plan for those that want the notes and downloadable goodies!

•► Link in the comments!

I somehow managed to find a quiet moment in this otherwise incredibly chaotic scene. I'd never photographed song birds ...
01/20/2026

I somehow managed to find a quiet moment in this otherwise incredibly chaotic scene. I'd never photographed song birds until this occurrence. As beautiful as the moment was, it was all the more special that I could share it with my family AND come away with a shot to commemorate it.

If you like this and want to know all about it, I'll be showing the entire editing process on Thursday, the 22nd @ 2PM central. It's free to watch.

Registration link in the comments ;)

This one should be fun :) AI, the Algorithm, and the authentic self. These are three things every photographer and arti...
01/15/2026

This one should be fun :)

AI, the Algorithm, and the authentic self. These are three things every photographer and artist faces in today's world of art creation. The AI discussion has been a hot topic for a long time, and while we've all been deliberating over it, it's been growing behind our backs.

In this video, I share a moment from my own feed where two nearly identical images showed up back-to-back, and the reactions to them couldn’t have been more different. That moment sparked a bigger question: how AI-generated and human-made images are perceived by viewers, and what the algorithm is really rewarding.

This isn’t about attacking AI or defending one type of art over another. It’s about understanding the world we’re creating in, and where we still have control as artists. If AI can generate images and the algorithm decides what gets shown, authenticity may be the only thing we have left.

I'm wearing a t-shirt today with a target on it and am fully prepared to take all the darts thrown at me. The video link is in the description below.

🖌️Artists CAN work in harmony with AI 🤖I was experimenting with Midjourney the other day (as you saw in the Lego post a ...
01/09/2026

🖌️Artists CAN work in harmony with AI 🤖

I was experimenting with Midjourney the other day (as you saw in the Lego post a few days ago). I simply put ^^^ in as my prompt. That's it; it made a few images, but one caught my eye.

I loved the linework in it and the minimalistic approach to the rocks and details. So I grabbed that image from Midjourney and then brought it into ChatGPT. I grabbed a random shot from my archive and asked it. "Can you make my photo look like this AI painting?"

It did one better. I just wanted to add the style of the AI image to the photo ... It made a composite of both combined 😍

As AI usually does, the color and contrast were WAY over the top, but I used the Visionary Panel to edit it like I would my photos, and WOW! I love the result, artists CAN work in harmony with AI.

I'm not done with this one yet, though. I think I may work it even more and build something unique from this experience.

What do you think?

I remember capturing this in 2021 saying, "I'll definitely do something with that." I never did ... 😂Well, the truth is...
01/08/2026

I remember capturing this in 2021 saying, "I'll definitely do something with that." I never did ... 😂

Well, the truth is, my workflow wasn't prepared for this image, and the software wasn't where it needed to be to make it happen at the time. In the last 5 years, ACR Noise Reduction has gotten REALLY good, especially for wildlife images, and my process has matured exponentially (at least that's how I feel).

So my question for you ... Wait, no question! Let's make this fun:

• Go find an image in your archive that's at least 5 years old.
• Process it now, with a fresh set of eyes, a few more years of experience.
• Post it in the comments. Not the before, just the after, is okay.

I want to see what you can resurrect today :)

AI image generators MUST produce something no matter the prompt. So I did this prompt... #@!$%^ #&*$(&)_&(^*&%^$ #$@ #!...
01/07/2026

AI image generators MUST produce something no matter the prompt. So I did this prompt...

#@!$%^ #&*$(&)_&(^*&%^$ #$@ #!@$%^&*()_&*(*&^%$@! #% #^$&*^(&)*(_(&*^&%$^ #@ #!%^&*(%%$ #@ #!@$@% #^&*()&&^^%$ #@ #@%^&*(&^%^%$ #!@%^&*()&^%^$ #@%^&*()_&^%$ #@!%^&*(&)&&^%$ #@!!$%^&*()_*&^%$ #@%^&*()_+)(*(*&^%$ #@!@$%^&*()_+)(*&^%$ # #%^&*()_(*&^%$ #^&*()_(**&^%$&*()_*&^

I kid you not, the result was the image below. Well done, AI ... You were able to generate an image from the exclamation that comes out of my mouth when I step on my kids' Lego.

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About Blake Rudis… Who is this guy anyway?

Blake Rudis is a self-published author and the host of f64 Academy. Blake is most passionate about post-processing images in Photoshop and mentoring others.

Blake takes great pride in his Fine Art background. From Acrylic and Oil Painting to Printmaking and Sculpture he has had his hands in just about every art form. This has been paramount in shaping his ideologies on Photography and Post Processing.

For Blake, it is not about the act of photography, but the artistic process as a whole.