About Us
Activities
Images/Information
Meeting Topics
..
The Monticello Camera Club
Monticello, MN
(sponsored by the Monticello Arts Council)
Photoshop Tips
This page is devoted to listing Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements tips that our members would like to learn about. It can include links to websites that show these tips. Want to learn how to do something in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements? Let us know and we will try to address it here. Email your questions to the email address below for the webmaster.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These questions were related to the Photoshop Elements Tutorial presented at our camera club meeting on 7/21/2010. These effects can also be done easily in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Give them a try.
Q: I am having trouble with gray skies that I would like to replace with a different "blue sky" pictures. So basically, I would like to learn how to replace skies.
A: Refer to the "Replacing A Dull Sky in Photoshop Elements" tutorial on About.com. Also see projectwoman.com and scroll down for the "Sky Replacement Using Blend Modes".
Q: Can you show how to put a frame or edge around photos?
A: See the following website: http://www.horatians.org/tutorials/frames.pdf. I found a number of textures that can be used for creating frames as well at www.mayang.com/textures.
Q: How can you combine fireworks photos to make one big fireworks display?
A: See http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/add-fireworks-to-your-photos-photoshop-week-25.
Q: How can I lighten a dark photo? (Note: this is just one way it can be done -- there are many others.)
A: See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ3euaLFTII & http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/lighten-dark-photos-photoshop/.
Q: I would like to know how to replicate the effect of the following photo. (Note: I refer to this as a Cartoon effect.)
A: See http://photoshopper27.blogspot.com/search?q=cartoon+effect+in+Photoshop.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Can you create HDR (high dynamic range) photos from one image?
A: Using Photoshop (or other RAW editor) you can adjust a single RAW image that will work for creating an HDR image.
Load your photo into the RAW editor, then set the exposure level to -2 and save the image as a 16 bit TIFF without any metadata such as EXIF info. This is the important part. If you save it with EXIF info you will find that Photomatix relies on that info to produce the HDR shot. The problem with this is that the shutter speed and aperture values will be the same across the 3 images and Photomatix won’t know which image is -2, 0 and +2. Set the exposure level to 0, save that and then set it to +2 and save that image. This information was provided by vanilladays.com.
Q: How do you create HDR photos in Photoshop?
A: Use the File, Automate, Merge to HDR function. Select your series of 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 bracketed photos. I tried it and it does work but it doesn't give you any results close to what you can get with the Photomatix program.
Q: How do you add a text watermark over a photo in Adobe Photoshop (applies to version 5.5 or higher)?
A: Check out this link on About.com. It gives step by step instructions on how to create a test watermark in Adobe Photoshop. Examples are shown on the site. Another option for copy protection for your images on websites that you create, is a program called swfIR (swf image replacement) which converts your images to flash elements. Find out more by going to the links page and finding swfIR under Software. Note: This option is probably best left to the geeks out there who understand a little about javascript.
Q: How do you create actions in Adobe Photoshop CS3 (other versions are similar)?
A: Check out this link on About.com. It gives step by step instructions on how to create an action for batch processing in Adobe Photoshop.
Q: Are there some good sites for Adobe Photoshop Tutorials?
A: I'm including in this one section any good sites that I find.
Q: How do you correct a photo for white balance problems?
A: Here's a good tutorial that walks you through the use of levels to correct white balance. It should work for either Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements although the instructions are for Photoshop. However you should find the levels adjustment under the Enhance menu in Photoshop Elements (depending on what version you are using it may vary). http://www.eyefetch.com/tutorial-white-balance-ps.aspx. Another good tutorial shows show to correct for an image that looks good on one side but needs adjustment on the other side. This tutorial only applies to both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements as well. http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/ss/adjustmentlayer.htm
Q: What methods work best for sharpening an image?
Here's a good tutorial that discusses various methods that can be used depending on the version of Adobe Photoshop that you use. http://www.eyefetch.com/tutorial-photo-sharpening-101.aspx
Q: How do you create actions in Photoshop? Actions are pre-recorded steps to common tasks you wish to perform.
I found another good tutorial for you on how to do this. http://www.eyefetch.com/tutorial-ps-actions-101.aspx. It shows you how to create your own actions to accomplish tasks you want to perform often.
Q: How can you create actions in Photoshop that can be used in Photoshop Elements?
A: On the website About.com, there are many free tutorials. One I found explains the requirements to make an action created in Photoshop available for use in Photoshop Elements. Here's where you can find the tutorial: http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/qt/actions.htm.
Q: Where can I find some Photoshop Actions that are free?
A: A good site that I found is Action Central - The Photoshop Action Exchange. Check it out. This next website has a video tutorial about recording actions to automate tasks. It can be found on photoshopsupport.com. You probably need high speed internet to view it. Here is an additional link to a tutorial that will help you with actions as well. And, Adobe has their Adobe Marketplace & Exchange. This one does require an Adobe login which you may have done if you registered your product. If you do a search on actions in Exchanges for Photoshop you will find all sorts of information and actions available. Some are free and some may cost you. You just have to look around. If you do a search for "photoshop elements actions" you can find some options that might work for you for use with Photoshop Elements.
Q: Where can I learn the basics of my photo editing software?
A: About.com has a page that has links to common tasks for a variety of software programs. This includes Fundamentals of Working with Graphics, Graphic File Formats, How-Tos for Common Graphics Tasks, Adobe Photoshop Basics, Adobe Illustrator Basics, Adobe Photoshop Elements Basics, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo Basics, Corel Painter Basics, CorelDraw Basics, Corel PhotoPAINT Basics, and More Software Basics. http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/beginnerbasics/u/learnthebasics.htm#s6
All images © photographers of the Monticello Camera Club.
The photographic works of the photographers posted here are copyrighted. Any reproduction of proofs or portraits by other than the individual photographer is prohibited by Federal Law.
If you experience problems with our website, please contact the webmaster.
Photography, Camera Club, Camera Clubs, Cameras
