Photoshop is now a verb and a mandatory skill for any photographer who wants total control of the creative and editing process. This powerful software is the recognized professional standard in raster graphics editing that incorporates the tools and structure to create, enhance, salvage and export your images.
What you’ll learn:
Each series consists of four classes. The first three classes of each series are demonstration style with the instructor taking you through a tour of tools, features and techniques. The last class of each series is a hands-on lab where you’ll work with your own laptop and follow along as you’re shown how to put your newfound skills into action. The “Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book” is recommended and will provide support and exercises for several of the modules.
Beginner Photoshop starts at the beginning. These classes are designed to be an overview for those who are new to the world of Photoshop. No previous experience is required. You’ll become comfortable with the interface, importing and saving files and learn what the most commonly used tools do. At the end of the beginner series you’ll be able to make adjustments, work with layers, adjust colors and make selections. Hands-on work will include swapping heads in group shots, enhancing a landscape, working with the selection tools and placing simple text.
What you’ll need:
You will need to bring a laptop for your own use for the last class, but the first three sessions are designed to be an instructor demonstration with opportunity for questions and answers.
What You’ll Learn:
Photoshop 101: In the first class we start at the beginning with an overview of workflow, including how to organize media, open files and set up your workspace. Then we dive into global corrections. After just one introductory class you’ll be ready to do some real work.
- Philosophy of creating projects and various work assignments
- Setting up your work environment
- Adobe Camera Raw vs Lightroom as the front end for bringing in your raw files
- Global adjustments to color and contrast using different approaches
- History and undo
- Saving your edited images
Photoshop 102: Layers and cloning make up a lot of what people mean when they say “that’s been Photoshopped”. We’ll explore those tools as well as ways to use them in an organized way so you don’t lose track of the pieces of your image. You’ll find out why you can’t really just “take something out” in Photoshop.
- Creating selection areas and masks with Magic Wand, lasso, quick mask and modifying the selections
- What layers are and how they work
- Keeping it all organized with Layer Groups and Layer comps
- Clone stamp and spot healing brush, two of the most powerful and popular tools in the toolkit
- Working example – head transplants: Getting one good family portrait out of several almost good shots
Photoshop 103: Photoshop has powerful text tools and you can often finish a project without going to Illustrator or InDesign. We’ll also explore the often confusing areas of resolution, bit depth and file formats.
- Working with text, font selection, sizing, vector vs raster
- Adding depth to text and shapes with layer styles, drop shadows and stroke
- Cropping and resizing
- Working with aspect ratios
- Making sense out of color space and bit depth
- DPI and PPI demystified and how it affects file size, display size and print resolution
- Saving in other file formats, exporting for web
Photoshop 104: The final class of the series is a hands-on lab. Using your own laptop you’ll follow along while the instructor takes you through some basic exercises to test your new skills. Image files will be supplied.
Q: Do I need a laptop?
A: You will need a laptop for the final class, but the first three sessions are designed to be an instructor demonstration with opportunity for questions and answers.
Q: What is Photoshop?
A: Adobe Photoshop is the de facto standard for faster graphic and photo image construction and manipulation. It is extremely powerful and layered and can be a necessary part of your skill set if you need total creative control over your images.
Q: What about Lightroom?
A: Lightroom works in conjunction with Photoshop. Think of Lightroom as the corner emergency clinic where you go if you have a cold, sprain or splinter. Photoshop is the equivalent of a large hospital where major surgery is performed. For many people Photoshop is unnecessary and their entire workflow happens within the toolset of Lightroom. If you are doing commercial, industrial, special effects or other types of photography that require major surgery then Photoshop is an essential skill.
Q: What will I learn?
A: Photoshop is a devilishly complicated program that few every truly master. The goal in this series of introductory classes is for you to learn the overall workflow that works best for you and to be introduced to many of Photoshop’s most powerful and commonly used tools.
Q: Can I take individual classes instead of the series?
A: No, this series can only be purchased as a bundle.
Q: How will I know if a class makes or not?
A: If a class doesn’t make and has to be canceled, you will receive an email no later than the day before the scheduled class date.
Q: How late can I sign up for a class?
A: As long as the class doesn’t show as “sold out”, you can register and pay up to two hours before the starting time of the class.
Q: What if I have to cancel?
A: If you cancel 7 days or more ahead of the scheduled date of the class, you will receive a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee. A cancellation between 5 to 7 days ahead of scheduled date will receive 50% refund minus a $25 administrative fee. There is no refund or transfer credit for cancellations within 4 days of start time of the class or workshop. Full details on cancellations are on our Policies page.
Richard Klein
Richard is committed to passing on the craft and joy of image making by teaching classes and workshops at the Dallas Center for Photography, University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University and as a contributor to lynda.com.
“Learning is a process and I see myself as a lifelong learner continually taking on new subjects, being in a state of Beginners Mind. My commitment as an educator is to share complicated material in a way that is easily understood by the student regardless of their experience level.”
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