Information Contraband » Software

The Best Photoshop and Lightroom Tutorials Available

Andrew — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:35:59 +0000

I use Photoshop and Lightroom every day. I know the “how” of color correction and retouching with those tools. What remains to be learned is the interesting part, the part that I get from watching good thinkers attack problems— their “why”, their approach and perspective. It’s different from mine, and it gets me thinking in ways I haven’t before. His videos are perfect for that.

He’s thoughtful and precise; not all jokey and digressive. He has a good, subtle voice, and sounds like someone with whom you could have a really great conversation.

Here’s a good free one on B&W conversions to get you introduced to the man’s excellent style.

Giving Away the Farm

Andrew — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:35:19 +0000

Photoshop’s Vanishing Point can push the grids back into your document. Make a new ~~white-filled layer that is set to Multiply Mode~~ empty layer before you head into Vanishing Point. In VP, check out the drop-down menu in the upper left-hand corner (it’s tiny). Turn on Render Grids to Photoshop, draw your grids, and hit OK. Now you have grids on their own layer. It will save you a LOT of time when matching type to box faces or other perspective-y things.

When you have something you wanna liquefy, get it on its own layer, or a merged layer with everything.

(Use The Claw [Command+Shift+Option+E/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E])

and then Image>Image size>[something smaller here, but still big enough to see properly];

then Liquefy, and when you’re done, before you hit ok, Save Mesh and Cancel.

Step back in history to just before you resized.

Filter>Liquefy, Load Mesh, OK.

This will let you work on a lower res image (faster in Liquefy’s private memory space) and also allow you to use much larger brush sizes relative to the image. I always save right before I run heavy duty filters like Liquefy, in case of a crash.

The combination of these two things will let you use grids of any size inside Liquefy. Resize your file, Vanishing Point yourself some grids on a new layer, do your Liquefy, (Save Mesh and Cancel), step back a couple of steps in History, make sure you’re on the right layer, run Liquefy (Load Mesh, OK) and there you are.

This all sounds like a giant pain in the ass, but it’s actually very fast.

|| Thanks to +Dennis Dunbar for pointing out that VP can draw grids on a blank layer. I thought it had to be filled with pixels. He’s got a good tutorial on grids-from-VP here: http://www.dunbardigital.com/blog/blog.php?id=381721930900789741

I’m back, and now I’m doing motion graphics, too.

Andrew — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:25:07 +0000

Be sure to click the X to make it fullscreen.

Click here to view the embedded video.

More at: http://vimeo.com/andrewwebb

Thanks to David Pahl and James Pelz at Stack! http:/whatsinthestack.com

History States are memory gobblers.

Andrew — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:09:45 +0000

Photoshop doesn’t save History States parametrically. That is to say each history state is saved in RAM (or cached if RAM gets flooded) as a fully layered composite file. Next time you’re working on a really big file and your machine is starting to bog down, remember that. Then go change your History States prefs to a nice low number, like 5.

Do a loam from childlike stoolie.

Andrew — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Somebody is using an autotranslater to hilarious effect in this Photoshop resumé (tutorial?).

A few gems:

“… i inject some changes in Hue and Saturation value and sharpness of whimsy to display sediment.”

“Well, here are some instructions on how to grind your whimsy.”

“If you name one’s fiddle with on exaggerated sharpening then diet the impermeability of this layer.”

The whole thing wraps up with this common Photoshop technique:

“To smarmy in default the effect, apart out to Filter – Noise – Median and into a value of 3.”

The Vendor-Client Relationship

Andrew — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:16:17 +0000

If only this weren’t so accurate.

Sex, Lies and Photoshop

Andrew — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:16:53 +0000

Interesting post over on theonlinephotographer about retouching and responsibility. I like Katrin Eismann’s solution to the problem (read the comments). What is your take on this issue?

Color Management Primer

Andrew — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:13:29 +0000

Color Management Specialist/Workflow Consultant and all-around nice guy Jay Kinghorn is writing a series of primer articles on Color Management that everyone should read. The first two articles are here. Jay can be found here. Update: The third in the series is here.

Photoshop: As Real as it Gets

Andrew — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:06:21 +0000

Looks like it was developed for software-asli.com as a Photoshop ad in Indonesia. See:

http://www.advertolog.com/paedia/prints/2008/11/7/205706/

They have some “making of” photos on flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18697966@N00/sets/72157608377333404/detail/

Cycle Blend Modes in Photoshop

Andrew — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:11:29 +0000

People are asking. I’m answering:

Cycle Blending Modes Backward: Shift and -
Cycle Blending Modes Forward: Shift and +

I’ll write a comprehensive post on Blending Modes soon, with extra Mathy Goodness for all you compositing geeks out there. If you’re too excited to wait, go get and read The Art and Science of Digital Compositing by Ron Brinkmann. I was very excited to note that there is a second Edition, and One-Clicked it right away. The First Edition rocked. Thanks to Lexi at Sterling-Rice Group for getting me to post on this subject.