How Photoshop Training Can Change The Way You See The World
The very first time I got a taste of Photoshop training, I was producing an animated film for an independent production studio in Merida, Mexico. That was in 1995. We were utilizing Adobe Photoshop 3.0 on Mac computers-state of the art. I was impressed by exactly what graphic designers and digital editors were doing with Photoshop 3. Dealing with those people altered the way I saw the world.
I'm not a visual designer or a graphic effects editor. I was in awe of exactly what Photoshop artists were doing with Photoshop 3.0 back in 1995, and I'm similarly in awe of exactly what artists are doing today with Photoshop CS2.
I was not a visually oriented individual when I saw Photoshop in usage the very first time. I thought I was, but I wasn't - not when I compared myself to individuals who were doing such fantastic things with Photoshop. I was taking care of, organizing, preparing, attacking logistical problems, looking after the business end, writing and enhancing a great deal of text in English and Spanish. We were working long days and at times longer nights. I was motivated by just what the Photoshop editors were doing. We were utilizing Adobe Photoshop to color and composite animation frames, as Disney did in its animated version of Beauty and the Beast 2 years earlier.
I sat alongside the Photoshop artists whenever I had a chance. Watching them at work gave me a much deeper understanding of how to utilize colour and how to balance elements in a composition. This motivated me to become bolder and even more artistic in my usage of visual images to add value to my text tasks and presentations. I wasn't doing them with Photoshop, however I was getting even more from all my familiar programs by just what I had actually discovered about design, color scheme, and composition from the Photoshop artists I had actually been working with.
Viewing Photoshop artists and digital editors changed the way I saw the world; I was coming to be a more aesthetically oriented individual. And it leaked into everything I did-even the way I laid out text on a page. I established a much keener sense of ways to compose text as I came to be more aware of the aspects of visual composition. One location made me stronger in the additional.
Whether you're a newbie or a knowledgeable Photoshop user, there's a level of Photoshop training that's right for you. If you're merely getting started, an introductory Photoshop training course will give you the essential skills you should get the most out of your pictures and videos.
I might never ever understand Photoshop the way those graphic artists and digital editors had actually understood Photoshop 3 back in 1995. When you enroll for Photoshop training today, you'll be on your way to mastering Photoshop CS2. Even if you're still a novice like me, Photoshop training will include incredible value to your life-it might even change the way you see the world.
My Classes at Photoshop World
Hi Gang: We’re around 60-days or so away from the biggest Photoshop event on the planet:The Photoshop World Conference and Expo (in Las Vegas on Sept 4-6 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino), and if you’re going (and I hope that you are), here are the sessions I’m teaching (there are over 100+ sessions but I hope you’ll check out a couple of mine while you’re at the conference).
Designing With Type for Photographers
(Wed., Sept 4th, 12:00 noon)
Bad type can ruin a really great photo and in this session, I’m going to show you how to create photo book covers, posters, web graphics and more and how to have your type really compliment your work, rather than destroy it. You’ll learn everything from the basics of typography including which fonts to use, when, and why, and how to create simple, beautiful-looking designs (it’s easier than you’d think). This class will change the way think about, and use type and photos together from this point on.
Creating Your Own Custom Photo Book in Lightroom 5
(Thurs., Sept 5th, 12:00 noon)
In this session, updated to include the new photo books features added in Lightroom 5, you’ll learn how to create beautiful photo books from right within Lightroom 4 itself. You’ll see the entire workflow, step-by-step and exactly how to create your own custom books the easy way. There are lots of little inside tips, tricks, and time-saving techniques that you’ll learn that will make creating photo books one of the most-fun, easy, and enjoyable parts of your photographic journey.
Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers
(Fri., Sept 6th, 1:00 pm)
Learn professional portrait retouching techniques for photographers from the guy who literally wrote the book (hey, that’s me!). You’ll learn my latest portrait retouching techniques and the fastest, most efficient, and most realistic-looking retouches for anyone who shoots portraits, and need to spend less time behind the computer and more time making images.
Now, if those three sessions from me aren’t enough reason (and honestly, they probably aren’t, right?), check out the quick video below that gives you 10 actually compelling reasons. ;-)
If you’re going, I hope to see you in one of my classes. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late: Here’s the link.
Also, we’ve designed this year’s event to have Seven very distinct FULL training tracks, so you can pretty much pick what you want to learn and get immersed in that topic for the entire conference, every day, all day long if you like (for example, if you’re into Lightroom, you can take Lightroom classes every day all day — it’s like its own separate Lightroom conference within a conference. Same thing with Lighting, or graphic design, or business, and so on).
I put together a short video (below) that describes this “Seven Conferences in One” concept. Hope to see you in Vegas in September.
How Photoshop Training Really Can Change The Way You See The World
The very first time I got a taste of Photoshop training, I was producing an animated movie for an independent film studio in Merida, Mexico. That was in 1995. We were using Adobe Photoshop 3.0 on Mac computers-state of the art. I was astonished by just what visual designers and digital editors were doing with Photoshop 3. Working with those people changed the way I saw the world.
I’m not a visual designer or a visual effects editor. I was in awe of exactly what Photoshop artists were doing with Photoshop 3.0 back in 1995, and I’m equally in awe of just what artists are doing today with Photoshop CS2.
I was not a visually oriented person when I saw Photoshop in usage the very first time. I thought I was, but I wasn’t – not when I contrasted myself to individuals who were doing such amazing things with Photoshop. I was taking care of, arranging, preparing, attacking logistical issues, caring for the company end, writing and editing a great deal of text in English and Spanish. We were working long days and at times longer evenings. I was inspired by what the Photoshop editors were doing. We were utilizing Adobe Photoshop to color and composite animation frames, as Disney did in its animated variation of Beauty and the Beast 2 years earlier.
I sat beside the Photoshop artists whenever I had an opportunity. Viewing them at work gave me a much deeper understanding of the best ways to utilize color scheme and the best ways to balance aspects in a composition. This motivated me to come to be bolder and even more artistic in my usage of graphic images to include value to my text tasks and presentations. I wasn’t doing them with Photoshop, but I was getting even more out of all my familiar programs by exactly what I had discovered about design, colour, and composition from the Photoshop artists I had been dealing with.
Viewing Photoshop artists and digital editors altered the way I saw the world; I was becoming a more aesthetically oriented person. And it permeated into every little thing I did-even the method I laid out text on a page. I established a much keener sense of how to compose text as I came to be more aware of the elements of graphic composition. One area made me sturdier in the other.
Whether you’re an amateur or an experienced Photoshop user, there’s a level of Photoshop training that’s right for you. If you’re simply getting started, an introductory Photoshop training course will certainly give you the essential abilities you should get the most from your photos and video clips.
I might never understand Photoshop the way those graphic artists and digital editors had mastered Photoshop 3 back in 1995. When you join Photoshop training today, you’ll be on your way to mastering Photoshop CS2. Even if you’re still a beginner like me, Photoshop training will include remarkable value to your life-it could even alter the way you see the world.
I’m not a visual designer or a visual effects editor. I was in awe of exactly what Photoshop artists were doing with Photoshop 3.0 back in 1995, and I’m equally in awe of just what artists are doing today with Photoshop CS2.
I was not a visually oriented person when I saw Photoshop in usage the very first time. I thought I was, but I wasn’t – not when I contrasted myself to individuals who were doing such amazing things with Photoshop. I was taking care of, arranging, preparing, attacking logistical issues, caring for the company end, writing and editing a great deal of text in English and Spanish. We were working long days and at times longer evenings. I was inspired by what the Photoshop editors were doing. We were utilizing Adobe Photoshop to color and composite animation frames, as Disney did in its animated variation of Beauty and the Beast 2 years earlier.
I sat beside the Photoshop artists whenever I had an opportunity. Viewing them at work gave me a much deeper understanding of the best ways to utilize color scheme and the best ways to balance aspects in a composition. This motivated me to come to be bolder and even more artistic in my usage of graphic images to include value to my text tasks and presentations. I wasn’t doing them with Photoshop, but I was getting even more out of all my familiar programs by exactly what I had discovered about design, colour, and composition from the Photoshop artists I had been dealing with.
Viewing Photoshop artists and digital editors altered the way I saw the world; I was becoming a more aesthetically oriented person. And it permeated into every little thing I did-even the method I laid out text on a page. I established a much keener sense of how to compose text as I came to be more aware of the elements of graphic composition. One area made me sturdier in the other.
Whether you’re an amateur or an experienced Photoshop user, there’s a level of Photoshop training that’s right for you. If you’re simply getting started, an introductory Photoshop training course will certainly give you the essential abilities you should get the most from your photos and video clips.
I might never understand Photoshop the way those graphic artists and digital editors had mastered Photoshop 3 back in 1995. When you join Photoshop training today, you’ll be on your way to mastering Photoshop CS2. Even if you’re still a beginner like me, Photoshop training will include remarkable value to your life-it could even alter the way you see the world.
Our Move to Creative Cloud: An Update Photoshop-Viz
Our Move to Creative Cloud: An Update
We announced a major update to Adobe Creative Cloud at our MAX Creativity Conference on May 6th and as we gear up to ship this release of Creative Cloud in a few weeks, we’d like to update the community on the feedback we’ve been getting.
Our goal with Creative Cloud is to deliver the world’s best creative products and services to customers. On May 6, we announced a new generation of “CC” desktop applications and sophisticated cross-device collaboration and publishing capabilities. Creative files can be stored, synced and shared, via Creative Cloud, on Mac OS, Windows, iOS and Android. In addition, Behance, the world’s leading online creative community, is now integrated with Creative Cloud, so customers can showcase work, get feedback on projects and gain global exposure.
We will continue to offer new innovation in apps and services on an ongoing basis, which is one of the top reasons members tell us they are subscribing. We were thrilled with customer adoption leading up to the announcement on May 6th, with over 80% of people purchasing on Adobe.com selecting Creative Cloud. That momentum continues today.
That said, through discussions with the community, we have heard some concerns around our move to Creative Cloud. Three main themes are coming through:
File access. Customers want to be sure that, if their membership to Creative Cloud lapses, they will still have access to their files.
Photographers, particularly photo-enthusiasts, are looking for a more tailored offering that focuses on their particular needs.
Some customers are not convinced that Creative Cloud is right for them and would rather continue to purchase desktop applications as before.
We want to start off by reinforcing that we continue to believe that the move to Creative Cloud will benefit the wider creative community because of the constant stream of innovation that we’re able to deliver. Creative Cloud also allows us to explore new areas in mobile apps, helping you collaborate better and build a meaningful worldwide community to share work and find inspiration. Because of this we have no plans to change our focus on Creative Cloud. We understand this is a big change and for customers who are not yet ready to move, we will continue to offer CS6 products through our reseller partners and Adobe.com.
For photographers, we are looking at potential offerings that recognize the photography community – because it is so broad – has some unique needs.
With regards to file access, Adobe completely agrees that customers should have access to their files if they choose to stop their Creative Cloud membership. Our job is to delight our customers with innovation, but there are a number of options open to us here and we expect to have news around this issue shortly.
We sincerely appreciate all the feedback you have given us. We believe that an honest and open dialogue with the community will ensure that, together, we can move the creative process forward.
Thanks again for using Creative Cloud. If you have any questions or comments, please post them in our forums, where we are continuing the conversation.
We announced a major update to Adobe Creative Cloud at our MAX Creativity Conference on May 6th and as we gear up to ship this release of Creative Cloud in a few weeks, we’d like to update the community on the feedback we’ve been getting.
Our goal with Creative Cloud is to deliver the world’s best creative products and services to customers. On May 6, we announced a new generation of “CC” desktop applications and sophisticated cross-device collaboration and publishing capabilities. Creative files can be stored, synced and shared, via Creative Cloud, on Mac OS, Windows, iOS and Android. In addition, Behance, the world’s leading online creative community, is now integrated with Creative Cloud, so customers can showcase work, get feedback on projects and gain global exposure.
We will continue to offer new innovation in apps and services on an ongoing basis, which is one of the top reasons members tell us they are subscribing. We were thrilled with customer adoption leading up to the announcement on May 6th, with over 80% of people purchasing on Adobe.com selecting Creative Cloud. That momentum continues today.
That said, through discussions with the community, we have heard some concerns around our move to Creative Cloud. Three main themes are coming through:
File access. Customers want to be sure that, if their membership to Creative Cloud lapses, they will still have access to their files.
Photographers, particularly photo-enthusiasts, are looking for a more tailored offering that focuses on their particular needs.
Some customers are not convinced that Creative Cloud is right for them and would rather continue to purchase desktop applications as before.
We want to start off by reinforcing that we continue to believe that the move to Creative Cloud will benefit the wider creative community because of the constant stream of innovation that we’re able to deliver. Creative Cloud also allows us to explore new areas in mobile apps, helping you collaborate better and build a meaningful worldwide community to share work and find inspiration. Because of this we have no plans to change our focus on Creative Cloud. We understand this is a big change and for customers who are not yet ready to move, we will continue to offer CS6 products through our reseller partners and Adobe.com.
For photographers, we are looking at potential offerings that recognize the photography community – because it is so broad – has some unique needs.
With regards to file access, Adobe completely agrees that customers should have access to their files if they choose to stop their Creative Cloud membership. Our job is to delight our customers with innovation, but there are a number of options open to us here and we expect to have news around this issue shortly.
We sincerely appreciate all the feedback you have given us. We believe that an honest and open dialogue with the community will ensure that, together, we can move the creative process forward.
Thanks again for using Creative Cloud. If you have any questions or comments, please post them in our forums, where we are continuing the conversation.
Announcing: Full-length Photoshop and Lightroom Online Training Classes Exclusively for NAPP Members
I really want to tell you about my shoot yesterday at the Atlanta Falcons playoff game,but that’ll have to wait until tomorrow because today I’ve got some really big news about our launch of full-length, in-depth Photoshop & Lightroom classes for members of the National Assn. of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), the association for Photoshop users that I head.
Here’s a quick Q&A on it:
Q. Didn’t NAPP always have full-length training classes?
A. Actually…no. We have an insane amount of tutorials on the NAPP member Website, but our thing has always been quick, to the point, tutorials covering a particle topic or effect. This is the first time we’ve launched this type of in-depth, full length online classes.
A. Actually…no. We have an insane amount of tutorials on the NAPP member Website, but our thing has always been quick, to the point, tutorials covering a particle topic or effect. This is the first time we’ve launched this type of in-depth, full length online classes.
Q. Is there just one class?
A. Nope. We launched with 20 full-length classes, starting with the basics and moving to more in-depth topics, including Layers, Paths, Shapes, Brushes, Printing, Selections, Blending Modes, and a bunch more. The cool thing is: this is just the start — we’ll be adding new classes all year long.
A. Nope. We launched with 20 full-length classes, starting with the basics and moving to more in-depth topics, including Layers, Paths, Shapes, Brushes, Printing, Selections, Blending Modes, and a bunch more. The cool thing is: this is just the start — we’ll be adding new classes all year long.
Q. Is there anything for beginners?
A. Actually, beginners were our main focus for this launch — we wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anyone behind, so if you’re brand new to Photoshop, man do we have you covered!
A. Actually, beginners were our main focus for this launch — we wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anyone behind, so if you’re brand new to Photoshop, man do we have you covered!
Q. So who does the teaching?
A. The Photoshop Guys (of course). The online classes are from me, Matt Kloskowski, Corey Barker, Pete Collins, and RC Concepcion.
A. The Photoshop Guys (of course). The online classes are from me, Matt Kloskowski, Corey Barker, Pete Collins, and RC Concepcion.
Q. Where should I start?
A. Well, I’d love it if you checked out my brand new four-part Portrait Retouching techniques class. I cover an amazing amount of stuff, but it’s not for absolute beginners — you kind of have to at least know your way around a bit, but once you do, I really think you’ll get a lot out of it. I also have a whole new series on learning Camera Raw (Lightroom’s Develop Module) there, too!
A. Well, I’d love it if you checked out my brand new four-part Portrait Retouching techniques class. I cover an amazing amount of stuff, but it’s not for absolute beginners — you kind of have to at least know your way around a bit, but once you do, I really think you’ll get a lot out of it. I also have a whole new series on learning Camera Raw (Lightroom’s Develop Module) there, too!
Q. How much extra does it cost?
A. Nothing — it’s included free as part of your annual NAPP membership.
A. Nothing — it’s included free as part of your annual NAPP membership.
Q. Hey, just to break things up, how about a Pop Quiz?
A. Sure. OK, “how many fingers am I holding up?”
A. Sure. OK, “how many fingers am I holding up?”
Q. Three? No…four!
A. Oh, I’m sorry…it’s two. See, you would have gotten that right if you had taken our new online classes.
A. Oh, I’m sorry…it’s two. See, you would have gotten that right if you had taken our new online classes.
Q. Really, you guys teach that?
A. Well, not that per se, but taking these classes just generally makes you smarter. Kind of like staying at a Holiday Inn Express.
A. Well, not that per se, but taking these classes just generally makes you smarter. Kind of like staying at a Holiday Inn Express.
Q. So, what’s the difference between NAPP and Kelby Online Training?
A. NAPP is for people who want to learn Photoshop (everyone from graphic designers to Web creators to photographers to artists). Kelby Online Training is for people who want to learn photography. We have thousands of folks who subscribe to both, because they want to learn both (Do you know what we call these people? “Our favorite people in the whole wide world.”). ;-)
A. NAPP is for people who want to learn Photoshop (everyone from graphic designers to Web creators to photographers to artists). Kelby Online Training is for people who want to learn photography. We have thousands of folks who subscribe to both, because they want to learn both (Do you know what we call these people? “Our favorite people in the whole wide world.”). ;-)
Q. But what if I don’t belong to NAPP?
A. We can fix that — you can join right now (membership is open to anyone who wants to learn Photoshop, regardless of your skill level). Here’s a link with details on how to join (and I hope you do — you’ll love it, and you’ll be joining more than 70,000 other Photoshop users around the world who are a part of NAPP already.
A. We can fix that — you can join right now (membership is open to anyone who wants to learn Photoshop, regardless of your skill level). Here’s a link with details on how to join (and I hope you do — you’ll love it, and you’ll be joining more than 70,000 other Photoshop users around the world who are a part of NAPP already.
Q. What if I already belong to NAPP? Is there a special deal to renew?
A. You bet. If you renew your existing membership by Feb. 1, 2013 (so, in the next three weeks), then you get two bonus gifts: (1) A complete digital collection of all 10 issues of Photoshop User Magazine from 2012, and you’ll get 2 extra months added to your membership free! Sweet!
A. You bet. If you renew your existing membership by Feb. 1, 2013 (so, in the next three weeks), then you get two bonus gifts: (1) A complete digital collection of all 10 issues of Photoshop User Magazine from 2012, and you’ll get 2 extra months added to your membership free! Sweet!
Q. What is Photoshop User magazine?A. It’s a very cool print magazine that comes out 10 times a year (you can choose a digital version if you like — see above), of course I’m a bit biased because and I’m the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher but it is awesome! It’s like getting a Photoshop book mailed to you 10 times a year! Inside the magazine, is our “magazine with magazine” on Lightroom, so if you use Lightroom and Photoshop, you’re totally covered. We’ve got all the best writers in the industry, great columns (I write a column on Camera Raw), and people totally dig it.
Q. How much extra is the magazine?
A. It’s not. It’s part of the annual membership, which is (and has always been), just $99 (US), and that includes the online Photoshop training classes, too (and lots more cool stuff).
A. It’s not. It’s part of the annual membership, which is (and has always been), just $99 (US), and that includes the online Photoshop training classes, too (and lots more cool stuff).
Q. Seriously?
A. Seriously!
A. Seriously!
Q. So, I get the magazine, and the new online Photoshop training classes?
A. Yup. You also get exclusive access to our kick-butt members-only website, with very cool tutorials, articles, reviews and tons of great learning resources. I honestly think it’s now, hands down the best Photoshop site anywhere. The content is real world stuff you can really use in your daily work.
A. Yup. You also get exclusive access to our kick-butt members-only website, with very cool tutorials, articles, reviews and tons of great learning resources. I honestly think it’s now, hands down the best Photoshop site anywhere. The content is real world stuff you can really use in your daily work.
Q. Do you guys arrange discounts for members?
A. Man, am I glad you asked that. Absolutely! We have TONS of discounts, everything from free shipping from B&H Photo to discounts on Adobe upgrades just for NAPP members, to Mac and PC hardware, Photoshop plug-ins, you name it. We hear from members all the time who have paid for their entire membership using discounts the first time they even try one.
A. Man, am I glad you asked that. Absolutely! We have TONS of discounts, everything from free shipping from B&H Photo to discounts on Adobe upgrades just for NAPP members, to Mac and PC hardware, Photoshop plug-ins, you name it. We hear from members all the time who have paid for their entire membership using discounts the first time they even try one.
Q. Did you just say you offer discounts on Apple hardware products? Really?
A. I know, it’s crazy right, but we have a special version of the real Apple Store just for members. Want to see how much I saved myself using the member discount? I wrote about it on my blog a while back (even took a screen capture) right here.
A. I know, it’s crazy right, but we have a special version of the real Apple Store just for members. Want to see how much I saved myself using the member discount? I wrote about it on my blog a while back (even took a screen capture) right here.
Q. This is starting to sound like an ad for NAPP
A. Starting to? Are you kidding? This started sounding like an ad back at Question #6.
A. Starting to? Are you kidding? This started sounding like an ad back at Question #6.
Q. Well, isn’t that bad?
A. Look, I’ve spent my entire career building NAPP, along with an incredible team of very passionate, genuine, and dedicated professionals, and adding these online classes is one the coolest, biggest, and most important things we’ve been able to do for our members, and:
A. Look, I’ve spent my entire career building NAPP, along with an incredible team of very passionate, genuine, and dedicated professionals, and adding these online classes is one the coolest, biggest, and most important things we’ve been able to do for our members, and:
(a) I’m really excited about it, and…
(b) I want as many people to take advantage of it as possible. NAPP is where people go to really good at Photoshop, and I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished thus far and for the great things we have planned for our members this year. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think it’s a great thing (even if it does sound a bit “ad-y.” OK, more than a bit but you know what I mean).
Q. So when do we get to see the stuff from the big Falcons win of the the Seahawks playoff-game yesterday?
A. Check back here tomorrow, where I’ll have full coverage, photos, and other stuff.
A. Check back here tomorrow, where I’ll have full coverage, photos, and other stuff.
Q. But you feel like I should join NAPP first, right now, and start watching these full-length online classes, right?
A. Oh, absolutely. I feel strongly that’s what you should do (Hey, it was worth a shot, right) :)
A. Oh, absolutely. I feel strongly that’s what you should do (Hey, it was worth a shot, right) :)
Q. OK, I’m convinced. I’ll go join right now.
A. I knew I liked you. There’s just something about you. Something different. You’re not like the other kids. ;-)
A. I knew I liked you. There’s just something about you. Something different. You’re not like the other kids. ;-)
New Photoshop CC Now Available from Adobe
New Photoshop CC Now Available from Adobe
Adobe’s new version of Photoshop, Photoshop CC, is now available for download through its Creative Cloud subscription service. New features for photographers include a camera-shake-reduction filter, and improved Smart Sharpen and upsampling algorithms.
Adobe announced last month that new versions of Photoshop and other Creative Suite software would only be available via a Creative Cloud subscription. This provoked an outcry amongst some pro and amateur photographers who use only Lightroom and Photoshop, and for whom even a single-product Cloud subscription to Photoshop would be a very large price increase. There was also substantial criticism of the Creative Cloud’s “software-rental” model, where once you stop subscribing, you lose access to the software. (Note that Lightroom will continue to be available as a stand-alone perpetual-license product.)
Adobe has since indicated that while it is committed to the Cloud approach, it is working on a more tailored photographer offering. If you’re not sure if a Creative Cloud solution is for you, I would suggest waiting a month or two to see how this develops. Adobe has reassured customers that it will continue to sell Photoshop CS6 as a perpetual-license product, so there is no hurry to make a decision.
Adobe product manager Tom Hogarty demonstrated last month a Lightroom app in development for our mobile devices, and hinted that we may be able to access at least some part of our main Lightroom catalogs on these devices via the Cloud and Lightroom 5′s new smart previews. This shows us the potential of Adobe’s cloud offering. I’m optimistic that Adobe will come out with an offering that better balances price with value delivered.
Adobe’s new version of Photoshop, Photoshop CC, is now available for download through its Creative Cloud subscription service. New features for photographers include a camera-shake-reduction filter, and improved Smart Sharpen and upsampling algorithms.
Adobe announced last month that new versions of Photoshop and other Creative Suite software would only be available via a Creative Cloud subscription. This provoked an outcry amongst some pro and amateur photographers who use only Lightroom and Photoshop, and for whom even a single-product Cloud subscription to Photoshop would be a very large price increase. There was also substantial criticism of the Creative Cloud’s “software-rental” model, where once you stop subscribing, you lose access to the software. (Note that Lightroom will continue to be available as a stand-alone perpetual-license product.)
Adobe has since indicated that while it is committed to the Cloud approach, it is working on a more tailored photographer offering. If you’re not sure if a Creative Cloud solution is for you, I would suggest waiting a month or two to see how this develops. Adobe has reassured customers that it will continue to sell Photoshop CS6 as a perpetual-license product, so there is no hurry to make a decision.
Adobe product manager Tom Hogarty demonstrated last month a Lightroom app in development for our mobile devices, and hinted that we may be able to access at least some part of our main Lightroom catalogs on these devices via the Cloud and Lightroom 5′s new smart previews. This shows us the potential of Adobe’s cloud offering. I’m optimistic that Adobe will come out with an offering that better balances price with value delivered.
8 bit, 12 bit, 14 bit, 16 bit — What Does It Really Mean to Digital Photographers?
You may be photographing in raw rather than jpeg because you know that raw files contain more information and because they are unprocessed, giving you more flexibility. But how do they contain more information? Among other things, digital photography raw files are captured at a higher bit depth — depending on the camera, 12, 14 or 16 bit, compared to 8 bit for jpegs. Whether 12, 14 or 16, these higher bit-depth files potentially contain much more information than 8 bit files.
So what is bit depth?
For each pixel in your image, the tonal value or brightness of the scene you are photographing is stored in the image file on your memory card, along with the color. Computer files store information in zeros and ones. Bit depth refers to how many digits the tonal information for each pixel is stored in. Imagine if your camera used a bit-depth of one: you would have one digit to store how dark each piece of the scene was, the only possible values would be 0 and 1, and the only two tones that could be represented are black and white:
Image From File with Bit Depth of One
This image of course has very little detail, since it contains no shades of gray.
If the file had a bit depth of two, there would be two digits, and the four values of 00, 01, 10, and 11 would be possible, so the image could have black, dark gray, light gray, and white:
Image from File with Bit Depth of 2
Notice that we have gained some detail, but that the image is still very choppy. In the histogram for this image, below, we see huge gaps between the tones, confirming the choppiness or posterization. (The histogram is a graph of the tones in an image, going from pure black on the left side to pure white on the right side.)
Histogram for File with Bit Depth of 2
Let’s jump to a file with a bit depth of 5, which allows 2 to the 5th, or 32 possible values from 00000 to 11111:
Image from File with Bit Depth of 5
We gain alot of detail, but there is still obvious posterization in the sky (click on the image to see it larger). The histogram supports this:
Histogram for Image with Bit Depth of 5
Now let’s jump to 8, which allows 2 to the 8th, or 256 values, and is what a jpeg supports:
Image with Bit Depth of 8
Histogram of Image with Bit Depth of 8
This image shows the full detail of the scene with no visible posterization, even when viewed at full size, and the histogram looks much better. (If you see any posterization, it is not real, but rather just the result of my blog save process.) So why not stop here, with 8 bits and 256 tones?
The problem is that as soon as you start enhancing your image, you start compressing and expanding the tonal range. This creates choppiness in the histogram and potentially, visible posterization in your image. To show this, I took this 8 bit image into Photoshop, and added contrast and darkened it:
Darkened and Added Contrast to 8 Bit Image
Notice how this pulled apart the histogram:
Result of Working 8 Bit Image
The more heavy-handed your adjustments, the more and wider gaps you will end up with in your histogram, and the greater possibility that you will see posterization in your image. 256 tones is often not enough for the fine detail in the image to hold together.
12 bit files have over 4,000 tones, and 14 bit files have over 16,000. This is vastly better, and with almost any work you could do to an image, it would hold together. Here is the histogram from the 12 bit version of the above image, with the darkening and increased contrast:
Histogram from 12 Bit Version with Darkening and Contrast Boost
To have this additional “editing headroom”, you have to capture a high bit-depth image, i.e. a raw file, and you have to enhance it as a high-bit depth file. It does no good to convert a raw file into 8 bit as you move into Photoshop to work it. While you are working in Lightroom or Camera Raw, your work on your raw file is in 16 bit (standardized to accomodate 12, 14 and 16). When you move a file from Lightroom or ACR to Photoshop, you need to ensure that the Photoshop file stays in 16 bit. In Lightroom, go to Edit or Lightroom>Preferences>External Editing, and set your PSD or TIFF preference to 16 bit. In ACR, click on the workflow options at the bottom of the screen and do the same.
Higher bit depth files also potentially have a much larger number of colors: an 8-bit jpeg can represent around 16 million colors, whereas a high bit-depth file can represent over 28 billion. Perhaps we could make do with 16 million, but if your photography is important to you, why not start out and work with the best quality image possible?
The downside to higher bit-depth is larger image files — all else equal, a 16 bit image file is twice as big as an 8 bit image file. But large memory cards and hard drives are so much cheaper these days than they used to be.
“Help! My Photos Are Completely Unorganized and Lightroom is a Mess. How can I just start all over?”
I got this question from readers twice in one day last week, so I thought a blog post was in order.
It’s the ultimate in Fall/Spring cleaning — essentially you will build a new closet, put copies of everything in it ( nicely organized), and then throw everything away from the old one. This may not be a cost-effective way to reorganize your clothes, but it works for your photos!
This particular method will start you over with a new blank Lightroom catalog, and will organize all your photos into shoot (date) folders within year folders within a master folder. You can choose to organize them differently, but my way allows you to automate the reorganization process.
This process is efficient, but it does have costs: you will lose any collections, flags, and virtual copies you have created in Lightroom. If you have question marks all over files and folders, and your photo organization system is a mess, this may be for you. On the other hand, if you don’t have too many question marks to resolve and your photo organization can be easily cleaned up by dragging and dropping using Lightroom’s folders panel, I wouldn’t recommend this more drastic method.
If working with files and folders makes you uncomfortable, this process also may not be for you. Read through all the instructions to make sure you are comfortable with the whole process before starting. (If you like the idea of this, but doing it makes you nervous, I am available for private sessions, either in-person or over the web.)
If you want to start over with a new catalog but don’t need drastic rearranging of your images, see the note at the end of this post for which steps to follow.
Here goes:
1. Save any Lightroom work you have done to photos (keywords, stars, color labels and other metadata, Develop work) out to the folders where your photos live:
In the Library module, click on All Photographs in the Catalog Panel (top left), make sure you are in Grid view (G), select all your photos (Ctl/Cmd-A), and go to Photo>Save Metadata to File, or do a Ctl/Cmd-S to do the same. By doing this, your work will still be available when you re-import the photos. (You may see little .XMP files in the folders with your photos — just ignore them.)
2. Make sure you understand where your current Lightroom catalog is, as you are going to delete it later:
Go to Edit (Lightroom on a Mac)>Catalog Settings. The general tab shows you where the catalog folder is – make a note of this.
3. Decide where your photos and your Lightroom catalog are going to live — on an external hard drive? In your Pictures folder on your internal hard drive?
I prefer to keep my photos and my Lightroom catalog folder together in one master folder. I will assume for the rest of the article that you will do this, but you can of course put your catalog and photos in separate places, as long as you make a conscious choice. (Note that while image files can be stored on a network drive, Lightroom catalogs cannot.)
Using Mac Finder or Windows Explorer/My Computer, go to the location you have chosen and create a new folder. Call it something like “My Lightroom Photo Library”. Open up this folder and create a new folder inside it called “My Photos”.
4. Create a new Lightroom catalog:
In Lightroom, go to File>New Catalog. For the location, specify the My Lightroom Photo Library folder you created above (not the My Photos folder). For File Name, call it “My Lightroom Catalog“. Click Save (or whatever the choice is on the Mac). Lightroom will relaunch with this new blank catalog. (Your old one hasn’t been deleted, Lightroom just isn’t using it at this point.)
Go to Edit (Lightroom on a Mac)>Preferences>General, and under Default Catalog, When Starting Up Use This Catalog, click on the dropdown and choose the catalog that you just created.
Still under Preferences, click on the Presets tab. If the box is checked next to “Store Presets with Catalog”, then in order to have all the presets and templates that you created, you will need to copy your Lightroom Settings folder from the old catalog folder to the new one. (If the box isn’t checked or you don’t care about preserving any presets or templates, skip this step.) Click on the Show button to go to your new Lightroom catalog folder. Open it, and delete the Lightroom Settings folder. Open another Mac Finder or Windows Explorer window, and go to your old Lightroom catalog folder (from step 2). Open it and Ctl/Cmd-drag the Lightroom Settings folder into the new catalog folder in the first window. Now close these windows, and close and restart Lightroom.
5. Have Lightroom’s Import Process create a copy of all your photos and reorganize them:
You are going to import photos from everywhere you currently have them, have Lightroom create copies and organize them correctly, and then when this is all done and you have verified that all is well, you will delete the original versions.
In the Lightroom import dialog, on the left, choose a source for existing photos (If there are photos in your Pictures folder, do this one first, then return and do other locations where you have photos.) Be sure to check Import Photos from Subfolders at the top of the Source panel. Choose Copy, and on the right, down in the Destination panel, navigate to and click on your new My Photos folder inside your My Lightroom Photo Library folder, so that My Photos is highlighted. At the top of the Destination panel choose “organize by date”, and from the drop down below this, choose yyyy/mm-dd or yyyy/yyyy-mm-dd. (The “/” after the year is important!) This will put all of your images for each day’s shooting into separate subfolders, within year folders. In the top right of the Import Dialog in the File Handling panel, be sure to check “Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates”.
Repeat with every different source, taking notes on where these photos are coming from. Because you have “Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates” checked, Lightroom will just put a copy of the photos in your new folder if it hasn’t already.
6. Reveal your folder structure.
The Folders panel in the Library module now most likely just has a list of date folders within year folders. Right-click (or Cmd-click) on one of the year folders and choose Add Parent Folder. This will reveal your My Photos folder. Right-click (or Cmd-click) on My Photos, and Add Parent Folder to reveal My Lightroom Photo Library. Right-click on this, Add Parent Folder to reveal wherever this lives — now you can be clear where all your photos are.
7. Rename all your date folders.
This isn’t fun if you have a lot, but it is a one-time investment — don’t skip it! Click on each date folder to see what’s in it, then right-click on the folder name, choose Rename, and add a description of the shoot.
8. Work with your catalog for a while.
If all went well and nothing is missing, you are ready for the final two steps:
9. Delete the original photos.
Using Windows Explorer/My Computer or Mac Finder, go back to each photo source that you noted earlier and delete your original photos. Don’t delete anything from your new My Lightroom Photo Library folder!
10. Delete the old Lightroom Catalog.
Go back to the location noted in step 2 and delete the catalog folder (most likely named Lightroom.)
11. Sit back and admire how organized your photo library is!!
Once you have enjoyed this for a bit, it is time to start keywording your photos!
What if your photos are organized reasonably well, but you just want to start over with a new Lightroom catalog? In this case, you will do 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10. In step 5, the Import, choose Add rather than Copy, so that your photos are just added to the catalog, and stay where they currently are on your hard drive.
Shooting in Raw + JPEG Mode: Why Most of Us Shouldn’t, And How to Set Lightroom Preferences If
raw+jpeg options canon-5dMore and more photographers are aware these days that raw files provide higher quality information and more flexibility in processing than JPEGs do. For those of you convinced to shoot raw files, your camera most likely gives you a choice to save just a raw file, or to save both a raw file and a JPEG of each photo you capture. Frankly, I hope to convince most of you who capture raw + JPEG to stop doing it and capture just a raw file. However, for those who choose to capture both, I will explain the file management options available to you.
My Experience Shooting Raw + JPEG
When I first started shooting in raw, I chose raw + JPEG because I wasn’t yet comfortable with raw files, and I wanted some insurance that I could revert to using the JPEGs. Not only did this mean that I had twice as many files to manage, which took up a lot more hard drive space, but it was frustrating as well. I would often accidentally work on the JPEG instead of the raw file, and then have to redo my work on the raw file. I I also found it extremely frustrating that the raw file didn’t look like the JPEG, and I could never get it to look like the JPEG. As soon as I took the plunge into raw only, all of these issues melted away — less hard drive space, no confusion, and no jpeg for comparison, so I simply worked the raw file to my taste. And this is in fact what I would encourage most of you to do.
You will be OK Shooting Raw Only!
For those of you new to capturing raw files, here’s why I think you can safely give up capturing those JPEGs as well:
1. The workflow in Lightroom is exactly the same for raw files as it is for JPEGs — so there is nothing new to learn!
2. You can create a JPEG from your raw file (to email out or post on the web, for example) anytime you want, very quickly, using Lightroom’s Export functionality.
3. If there is something about the colors of your JPEGs that you really like and want to apply to your raw files, you can use camera profiles to start out closer to the look of your jpeg. (You will probably still need to add more saturation and contrast.)
4. If you are on a PC and can’t preview your raw files in Windows Explorer/My Computer and want to be able to, just like you can your JPEGS, you can install a plug-in from Microsoft that will allow you to do so (at this link, check to see if your particular camera file type is supported).
Still Want to Capture Raw + JPEG?
All that said, I certainly have heard valid arguments for capturing both. For example, the JPEG can be sent off to someone without any processing at all — meaning without having to import it into Lightroom, potentially work it, and then export a jpeg copy. So for those of you who need to get a draft version of your files out to someone immediately after capture, this can certainly make sense.
If you choose to do this, you will need to make a decision on how Lightroom is to handle these two copies of your photos. You have two choices: to treat the JPEG and raw files as separate photos or not. This is specified on the General tab in Preferences (Lightroom>Preferences on a Mac, Edit>Preferences on a PC).
Ultimately I can’t make a recommendation to you on which option to use, as it will depend on why you are creating the JPEGs, but here is how the two options work:
1. Box checked: JPEG files next to raw files ARE treated as separate photos
This means that when you import your shoot, you will see both the raw files and jpegs in the Import dialog, and unless you uncheck one or the other in the Import dialog, both the raw file and the JPEG will be copied to your hard drive and imported into Lightroom, just as if they were two separate photos. You can store them in the same folder, or move them to separate folders; deleting one will not delete the other — they are independent.
2. Box NOT checked: JPEG files next to raw files NOT treated as separate photos
In this case, when you import a new shoot, you will only see the raw files in the Import dialog. In fact, both the raw and JPEG files will be copied to your shoot folder on your hard drive, but only the raw file will be imported into, meaning visible and accessible in, Lightroom. Lightroom will consider the JPEG file asidecar file — meaning that it is linked to the raw file, and if you move the raw file to a different folder using Lightroom, the JPEG will move as well. Similarly, if you delete the raw file from your hard drive from within Lightroom, the JPEG will also be deleted.
This option allows you to create and send off those camera-generated JPEGs, without having to deal with the confusion of having both copies in Lightroom. In the Grid in the Library module, if you are displaying the file extension, it will display as your raw file type +JPEG to let you know that you also have a JPEG out on your hard drive.
A Note on Working on Your Photos
Note that in neither case will your work on the raw file or on the JPEG (rating, flagging, keywording, developing, etc) transfer to the other. Particularly in the case of Develop work, I would argue that you would not want it to — your raw file and JPEG will look different out of the camera — the same Develop decisions will often not be appropriate. If you have imported both the raw file and JPEG and want to work on them together, you can use Sync or Auto Sync to do so
For those who choose to shoot raw+JPEG, and import both into Lightroom, in the follow-up post below I discuss a couple organizational options and tools available to you.
How to Upgrade to Lightroom 5
How to Upgrade to Lightroom 5 You have taken the plunge and bought Lightroom 5. In the video below, I show you how to upgrade. I discuss how you can find your old catalog if necessary, how to ensure that your new Lightroom 5 catalog is named appropriately and that your presets come along, and how to remove your old catalog and software.
This video has been UPDATED to include the scenario where Lightroom does not prompt you to upgrade your old catalog.
For higher quality video, hit Play, then click on the sprocket wheel in the bottom right and choose 720/HD.
(For those of you more experienced users wondering why in this video I have users who store their presets with their catalog rename their catalog later, it is because if you do it in the upgrade dialog, it will put the catalog in a new folder, which will separate your presets (i.e. your Lightroom Settings folder) from this new catalog. If you choose to go this route, copy your Lightroom Settings folder into this new catalog folder.)
Should I Learn Lightroom or Photoshop (or Both or Neither)?
Should I Learn Lightroom or Photoshop (or Both or Neither)?
Students often ask me whether they should go with Lightroom or Photoshop or something else, so I thought I would put down my thoughts on this in writing.
Lightroom is Adobe’s image management and enhancement program designed specifically for serious amateur and professional photographers. With the inclusion in version 2 of the ability to make local image enhancements, and more new powerful features added in Lightroom 3, Lightroom has become a very powerful program which can help you get more out of your images, dramatically increase the efficiency of your workflow and make working on your images more enjoyable.
I define serious amateur as someone who can and wants to spend the time to get the most out of their images. If you are only interested in doing a few simple adjustments, such as cropping, fixing a color cast and fixing red eye, and don’t expect to have alot of images to manage, then Lightroom is most likely more than you need. In this case, Picassa, Photoshop Elements, or any number of free or inexpensive consumer photo programs would be appropriate.
Back to serious amateurs and pro’s: I am a very big advocate of Lightroom as the foundation of the post-processing workflow. It is an elegant and very powerful program for managing your images, fixing and enhancing them, and for sharing them, whether by creating jpeg copies to email out, making prints, creating slideshows or web galleries. When it comes to fixing and enhancing your images, it has a wide variety of powerful Develop tools, and many handy features, such as the ability to see Before and After side-by-side, to save your image work at various stages as snapshots, keep different versions of your images such as a black and white and a color version, and much more. All of the image fix and enhancement work you do in Lightroom is non-destructive, so you cannot ruin your image! Anything you do can be undone, today or 5 years from now. You can also do things much faster with Lightroom — searches for images are lightning-quick, you can work on multiple images at once, and you can save settings and layouts so that you can use them again in the future with the click of one button.
A note on Aperture for the Mac: you will find much debate out on the web about which is better, Lightroom or Aperture. I am not a Mac user, and don’t take a position on it. The last study I saw, which is very dated at this point, was by Info Trends in 2008. It showed that among pro photographers, Lightroom users outnumbered Aperture users by over 4 to 1 in total, and over 2 to 1 among Mac users. I appreciate that Lightroom is cross-platform, fully integrated with other Adobe products, and has a very large web and local community presence — the number of quality Lightroom blogs, forums, training videos, in-person workshops and books far outnumbers what is available for Aperture. But I also appreciate that there are many Aperture users out there that love the program.
Should I learn Photoshop?
For all the reasons stated above, plus the fact that Lightroom is cheaper, I recommend that students start out by learning and getting very comfortable with Lightroom, making sure that you understand and are using it to its full capabilities. Only at that point would I advise considering Photoshop as a supplemental tool to Lightroom, and only if you feel that there are things you want to do to your images that you find you can’t do with Lightroom. Don’t succumb to peer pressure to buy Photoshop — many amateur and pro photographers now use only Lightroom, others use mostly Lightroom but occasionally do additional work in Photoshop, and still others use Photoshop for every image they work. It all depends on what you want to be able to do. In any case, Lightroom and Photoshop are designed to work together. If you end up using Photoshop, you will do so from within your Lightroom workflow (rather than abandoning your Lightroom workflow!). For me, Camera Raw and Bridge are no longer in my bag of tools.
Some areas that photographers still turn to Photoshop for include: complicated clean-up and retouching; local adjustments involving complicated selections; applying artistic and other types of filters; and compositing images together (such as in HDR, panoramas, and creative compositing).
Students often ask me whether they should go with Lightroom or Photoshop or something else, so I thought I would put down my thoughts on this in writing.
Lightroom is Adobe’s image management and enhancement program designed specifically for serious amateur and professional photographers. With the inclusion in version 2 of the ability to make local image enhancements, and more new powerful features added in Lightroom 3, Lightroom has become a very powerful program which can help you get more out of your images, dramatically increase the efficiency of your workflow and make working on your images more enjoyable.
I define serious amateur as someone who can and wants to spend the time to get the most out of their images. If you are only interested in doing a few simple adjustments, such as cropping, fixing a color cast and fixing red eye, and don’t expect to have alot of images to manage, then Lightroom is most likely more than you need. In this case, Picassa, Photoshop Elements, or any number of free or inexpensive consumer photo programs would be appropriate.
Back to serious amateurs and pro’s: I am a very big advocate of Lightroom as the foundation of the post-processing workflow. It is an elegant and very powerful program for managing your images, fixing and enhancing them, and for sharing them, whether by creating jpeg copies to email out, making prints, creating slideshows or web galleries. When it comes to fixing and enhancing your images, it has a wide variety of powerful Develop tools, and many handy features, such as the ability to see Before and After side-by-side, to save your image work at various stages as snapshots, keep different versions of your images such as a black and white and a color version, and much more. All of the image fix and enhancement work you do in Lightroom is non-destructive, so you cannot ruin your image! Anything you do can be undone, today or 5 years from now. You can also do things much faster with Lightroom — searches for images are lightning-quick, you can work on multiple images at once, and you can save settings and layouts so that you can use them again in the future with the click of one button.
A note on Aperture for the Mac: you will find much debate out on the web about which is better, Lightroom or Aperture. I am not a Mac user, and don’t take a position on it. The last study I saw, which is very dated at this point, was by Info Trends in 2008. It showed that among pro photographers, Lightroom users outnumbered Aperture users by over 4 to 1 in total, and over 2 to 1 among Mac users. I appreciate that Lightroom is cross-platform, fully integrated with other Adobe products, and has a very large web and local community presence — the number of quality Lightroom blogs, forums, training videos, in-person workshops and books far outnumbers what is available for Aperture. But I also appreciate that there are many Aperture users out there that love the program.
Should I learn Photoshop?
For all the reasons stated above, plus the fact that Lightroom is cheaper, I recommend that students start out by learning and getting very comfortable with Lightroom, making sure that you understand and are using it to its full capabilities. Only at that point would I advise considering Photoshop as a supplemental tool to Lightroom, and only if you feel that there are things you want to do to your images that you find you can’t do with Lightroom. Don’t succumb to peer pressure to buy Photoshop — many amateur and pro photographers now use only Lightroom, others use mostly Lightroom but occasionally do additional work in Photoshop, and still others use Photoshop for every image they work. It all depends on what you want to be able to do. In any case, Lightroom and Photoshop are designed to work together. If you end up using Photoshop, you will do so from within your Lightroom workflow (rather than abandoning your Lightroom workflow!). For me, Camera Raw and Bridge are no longer in my bag of tools.
Some areas that photographers still turn to Photoshop for include: complicated clean-up and retouching; local adjustments involving complicated selections; applying artistic and other types of filters; and compositing images together (such as in HDR, panoramas, and creative compositing).
Photoshop Courses in Auckland & Wellington using CS5, CS5.5 & CS6.
Photoshop Courses in Auckland & Wellington using CS5, CS5.5 & CS6.
At Bring Your Own Laptop we will ensure that on completion of your Photoshop Course you will become confident in how this powerful photo editing software works.
You will learn how to turn dull, lifeless photographs into powerful moving imagery that you can use in your work. You will have the skills to create photomontages that can be used in your photography and also in newsletters, advertising and websites.
Amongst a variety of skills you will learn how to make simple and advanced masks for clipping around people and objects.
We will make all the prepress techniques, such as; resolution and colour modes, simple, clear and memorable so you will have complete confidence sending artwork to a printer or website.
Whether you're a professional photographer, marketing professional or someone brand new to photography you will get the guaranteed best Photoshop course from an experienced Adobe Certified Instructor.
At Bring Your Own Laptop we will ensure that on completion of your Photoshop Course you will become confident in how this powerful photo editing software works.
You will learn how to turn dull, lifeless photographs into powerful moving imagery that you can use in your work. You will have the skills to create photomontages that can be used in your photography and also in newsletters, advertising and websites.
Amongst a variety of skills you will learn how to make simple and advanced masks for clipping around people and objects.
We will make all the prepress techniques, such as; resolution and colour modes, simple, clear and memorable so you will have complete confidence sending artwork to a printer or website.
Whether you're a professional photographer, marketing professional or someone brand new to photography you will get the guaranteed best Photoshop course from an experienced Adobe Certified Instructor.
Get serious about Photoshop training
Jumping into Photoshop without Photoshop training can be a frustrating experience. I had my first "hands-on" experience with Photoshop in 1995. It was one of the most rewarding and frustrating experiences in my life. I was producing a feature-length animated film for our independent start-up company in Merida, Mexico. We were developing this project with amazing talent-that was the rewarding part of the experience.
I had never been part of a project that relied on digital editing and compositing. Some of the people I worked with and got to know at that time were major talents in the world of high-end digital solutions-people who had risen to top positions at Apple Computer and Silicon Graphics. And then there were the whiz kids just out of college who could do anything you could imagine on a Macintosh computer running Adobe Photoshop. Just watching them use Photoshop to color animation frames in a fraction of the time it would have taken to paint the frames by hand was a great learning experience for me.
I had the opportunity to watch people with amazing talent do amazing things with Adobe Photoshop. But when I sat down and started playing around with Photoshop, trying to emulate the simplest effects I had seen others create so effortlessly, I quickly ran into trouble. I didn't take the time to seek out any sort of Photoshop training; I learned to get by with simpler design software.
I did what I needed to do for my text presentations, but I gave up dreaming that I'd ever be able to do anything myself with Photoshop. Like many people, I decided that Photoshop was too deep for me-I wasn't a graphic designer or visual effects artist anyway, so I saw no need to sign up for Photoshop training. And like most people, I thought that Photoshop training was only for those who wanted to turn their Photoshop skills into a career path. I didn't have time for it, I didn't really need it, so I crossed "Photoshop training" off my wish list and went on to other things. That was a big mistake.
Not long ago, I was forced to realize-after all these years-how badly I need to learn enough digital editing and compositing to create better graphics and videos for the Internet. Just a hobby to begin with-I told myself-but something that has been in the back of my mind ever since I crossed "Photoshop training" off of my wish list. I had mastered the simpler software and gotten as much out of it as I was going to get. There is only one program in the world that can let me do what I want to do with photos and video-Photoshop. It's time for me to get serious about Photoshop training.
I hope you'll decide to get serious about Photoshop training, too. It's one of the best investments you can make-even if you only want to get the most out of your photos and Internet videos.
What Makes a Great Photoshop Tutorial?
A good Photoshop Tutorial combines all levels of proficiency into one comprehensive program and offers a complete Photoshop education as opposed to a quick video that only teaches one specific technique. With a great Photoshop Tutorial, a person who has never used Photoshop can learn fundamentals, and a Photoshop expert can learn something new and innovative.
If you have never used Photoshop, seeing the interface for the first time is an overwhelming experience. Buttons, panes, and menus fill the screen and you think to yourself, “How do I…” But, you are a tech savvy individual so you quickly take your questions to the internet and Google “Photoshop Tutorials.” This produces more than 11 million results, and you suddenly realize the irony in the concept of searching for software that teaches you how to use software. So where do you start?
In this site you will find articles on learning Photoshop and comprehensive reviews on Photoshop Tutorials that will help you make an informed decision on which is best for you.
What to Look for in a Photoshop Tutorial
Photoshop Tutorials should be well organized, include video tutorials and project files, follow logical progression, and be entertaining. In addition to teaching you how to use the program, a great Photoshop Tutorial also incorporates graphic design and photography concepts such as defining bitmaps and vector images, or explaining the difference between an 8-bit color scale and a 256-bit color scale. Understanding and applying these fundamental concepts is crucial in learning how to effectively use Photoshop. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate Photoshop Tutorials:
Features
A Photoshop Tutorial should have a variety of lessons that address broad range of topics. It should also include features that provide an exceptional learning environment such as project files or exercise files, online access, free demonstrations, and easy navigation.
Quality
The videos should be visually appealing, well organized, minimize the use of confusing jargon (unless they explain it in lay terms), be taught by accredited instructors, and must be entertaining.
Experience Level
The tutorial should include Photoshop fundamentals as well as intermediate and advanced tools and techniques.
Versions
A Photoshop Tutorial should address tools and feature specific to the version of Photoshop you are learning in. There are many versions of Photoshop available so we only give credit to the version used to demonstrate the lessons.
Help/Support
The program should offer several ways to communicate questions and concerns you may have during the learning process. Finding answers to those questions should be quick and easy.
You may find programs that claim to teach Photoshop in 2 hours or less. Don’t be fooled by such gimmicks. Adobe Photoshop is without a doubt the best digital photo editing tool on the planet and contains countless tools and techniques that take time to master. To be great at Photoshop, you will need to learn about filters, layers, brushes, color modes, units of measure, etc. This is obviously not something you can learn and apply in a short two hour DVD.
If you have never used Photoshop, seeing the interface for the first time is an overwhelming experience. Buttons, panes, and menus fill the screen and you think to yourself, “How do I…” But, you are a tech savvy individual so you quickly take your questions to the internet and Google “Photoshop Tutorials.” This produces more than 11 million results, and you suddenly realize the irony in the concept of searching for software that teaches you how to use software. So where do you start?
In this site you will find articles on learning Photoshop and comprehensive reviews on Photoshop Tutorials that will help you make an informed decision on which is best for you.
What to Look for in a Photoshop Tutorial
Photoshop Tutorials should be well organized, include video tutorials and project files, follow logical progression, and be entertaining. In addition to teaching you how to use the program, a great Photoshop Tutorial also incorporates graphic design and photography concepts such as defining bitmaps and vector images, or explaining the difference between an 8-bit color scale and a 256-bit color scale. Understanding and applying these fundamental concepts is crucial in learning how to effectively use Photoshop. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate Photoshop Tutorials:
Features
A Photoshop Tutorial should have a variety of lessons that address broad range of topics. It should also include features that provide an exceptional learning environment such as project files or exercise files, online access, free demonstrations, and easy navigation.
Quality
The videos should be visually appealing, well organized, minimize the use of confusing jargon (unless they explain it in lay terms), be taught by accredited instructors, and must be entertaining.
Experience Level
The tutorial should include Photoshop fundamentals as well as intermediate and advanced tools and techniques.
Versions
A Photoshop Tutorial should address tools and feature specific to the version of Photoshop you are learning in. There are many versions of Photoshop available so we only give credit to the version used to demonstrate the lessons.
Help/Support
The program should offer several ways to communicate questions and concerns you may have during the learning process. Finding answers to those questions should be quick and easy.
You may find programs that claim to teach Photoshop in 2 hours or less. Don’t be fooled by such gimmicks. Adobe Photoshop is without a doubt the best digital photo editing tool on the planet and contains countless tools and techniques that take time to master. To be great at Photoshop, you will need to learn about filters, layers, brushes, color modes, units of measure, etc. This is obviously not something you can learn and apply in a short two hour DVD.
The Secret to Learning Photoshop
The Secret to Learning Photoshop
With So Many Photoshop Tutorials Available, What Will Work Best for You?
Knowing how to use Photoshop effectively is extremely valuable. Whether you are an amateur photographer taking pictures of your children or pets, or a professional advertising designer creating international campaigns, Photoshop has the tools you need to make your images perfect.
Learning Photoshop can be a great experience, if you find the right Photoshop Tutorial. With millions to choose from, how do you know which will work for your individual situation?
There are a few general categories Photoshop Tutorials fall into; classroom instruction, online learning, and books. Just about every one of the 10 million plus Google hits will point you toward a product in one of these categories. What works best is different for each person because we all learn differently. Here are a few things to consider for each category.
If you want to get straight to the best site for online learning, look at lynda.com. This site covers everything from basic fundaments to advanced animation techniques. lynda.com is always up to date and offers several courses in Photoshop CS4. You can also learn any version back to Photoshop 6. The site even has tutorials for Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, and Photoshop Express.
With So Many Photoshop Tutorials Available, What Will Work Best for You?
Knowing how to use Photoshop effectively is extremely valuable. Whether you are an amateur photographer taking pictures of your children or pets, or a professional advertising designer creating international campaigns, Photoshop has the tools you need to make your images perfect.
Learning Photoshop can be a great experience, if you find the right Photoshop Tutorial. With millions to choose from, how do you know which will work for your individual situation?
There are a few general categories Photoshop Tutorials fall into; classroom instruction, online learning, and books. Just about every one of the 10 million plus Google hits will point you toward a product in one of these categories. What works best is different for each person because we all learn differently. Here are a few things to consider for each category.
Classroom Instruction:
Hands-on training from an Adobe Certified instructor in a class room setting will get you on your way to becoming a Photoshop master in no time. These courses are offered in schools and community centers around the world and accommodate a variety of experience levels. You can find information about where and when these courses take place on Adobe’s website.
Most courses are a combination of text-book and hands-on instruction that includes assignments and tests to help track individual progress. Classroom instruction works best for people who learn better in a structured environment, or people who tend to have a lot of questions.
A downside to classroom instruction is that you may have to wait several weeks for the next class to start and it may be quite expensive. Students will also have to find extra time to attend class, which may not be a possibility in this chaos we call life.
If classroom instruction doesn’t sound appealing or you just can’t possibly find the time to squeeze something else into your schedule, consider the next three “work at your own pace” options.
Online Learning:
Online learning is great because it allows you to work at your own pace from the comfort of your home. Just remember, you can’t learn Photoshop in a couple of hours and any website that claims otherwise isn’t worth your time.
If you want to get straight to the best site for online learning, look at lynda.com. This site covers everything from basic fundaments to advanced animation techniques. lynda.com is always up to date and offers several courses in Photoshop CS4. You can also learn any version back to Photoshop 6. The site even has tutorials for Photoshop Elements, Photoshop Lightroom, and Photoshop Express.
lynda.com is a subscription site which means you have to pay-to-play. The fee is about $25/month for a standard subscription. Another benefit to this subscription is it includes all of the nearly 600 courses available at lynda.com, including products in the Microsoft Office Suite.
Don’t forget to also look at free online Photoshop tutorials. For instance, Good Tutorials.com offers a selection of topics ranging from fundamentals to web layouts and animation. It doesn’t cover as much as lynda.com, but it is a good all around tool for learning Photoshop and it’s free. Also, if you can handle PG-13 language and want a spicier Photoshop Tutorial, check out You Suck at Photoshop. 
Free online Photoshop Tutorials are generally best for people who already have a good understanding of Photoshop fundamentals. Once you learn the basics, free online tutorials can teach you the really cool stuff.
Books:
If you learn best by reading and following instructions, you will be happy to know there are thousands of Photoshop books to choose from.
The “Classroom in a Book” series is one of the best and it includes a CD with project files to work with as you complete each lesson.
Also, check out Deke McClelland’s “Adobe Photoshop CS4 One-on-One.” Coincidentally, Deke is the instructor for many online Photoshop Tutorial videos found at lynda.com.
Congratulations, you made the decision to learn Photoshop. Now get busy. You’re friends and co-workers are waiting to be impressed when you show them how a photo can be greatly improved by simply blurring the facial pigments, or how you can create an artistic representation of a photo by applying a mask.
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What advanced Photoshop training can do for you
Professional photographers and graphic designers know how important it is to keep learning new Photoshop skills and retool fundamentals skills. Like no other software I can think of, Adobe Photoshop repays the serious student with treasures and experiences that beginners only dream about. If you find yourself getting frustrated by not being able to make Photoshop work for you like it works for the best creative talent all over the world, the only thing that's stopping you is a lack of Photoshop training.
Why you need to sign up for advanced Photoshop training: An advanced Photoshop training course will give you the ability to design professional web sites. You'll learn how to create web interfaces through the use of special effects and photography, how to use weighted optimization like a professional designer, and how to use rollovers, animated files, slices, and transparencies. If you have mastered the basic Photoshop tools, commands, color options, layers, and layer management, you're ready to take your design skills to the next level by signing up for advanced Photoshop training.
Learn how to improve and restore difficult images: Advanced Photoshop training will teach you how to work with levels and curves, adjustment levels, and how to use curves for advanced color correction. You'll also learn how to enhance and restore troublesome digital images. You'll learn professional selection and masking techniques, and you'll master the use of channels, layer masks, working with paths, and blending.
Take your skills to the next level: Even if you've already learned how to use all the basic tools, sign up for advanced Photoshop training today and break through the barriers that have been keeping you from moving to the next level. If you've been working with an older version of Photoshop, sign up for advanced Photoshop training to learn all about the new features of Photoshop CS2. You'll learn how to create graphics ready for the Internet and how Photoshop can help you get the most out of animation and video. You'll quickly learn to navigate the Photoshop CS2 interface, and you'll find out how to take full advantage of new features like Bridge, Smart Objects, Vanishing Point, Warp, Lens Correction, and Video Actions. You'll learn how to create interactive web sites using the powerful new features of Photoshop CS2, while at the same time retooling your skills with all the Photoshop fundamentals like palettes, tools, and filters. You'll learn how to import vector graphics, how to create animation for the Internet, how to input and output video, and how to use automated features to make a video clip of your still images.
Learn how to create professional images: With advanced Adobe Photoshop training, you'll learn how to create and edit professional images. The great thing about Photoshop CS2 is that it lets you use new techniques for solving old problems - everything from selection to correction of your digital images. Advanced Photoshop training will also give you a deeper knowledge of layer masks.
So make up your mind to take your career to the next level - sign up for advanced Photoshop training today.
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