Posts Tagged learn how to use photoshop
Make Your Brain Grow at Digital Media Academy!
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 18th, 2009 by Philip Harding
Written by Seamus Harte from the John Lennon Bus
Visit http://www.digitalmediaacademy.org to find out how to grow your digital brain.
Visit http://www.digitalmediaacademy.org/give to sign up for your chance to win a trip to one of the many digital media camps happening this summer.
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Is it 'Shopped?
Digital Media Academy News + Events | May 1st, 2009 by Instructor
By Mike Johnson, Lead Digital Photography & Photoshop Instructor, DMA @ UC San Diego
Iain Macmillan had ten minutes one August morning in 1969 to take the iconic cover shot of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road. Out of half a dozen frames, number five became the cover. He used film and he didn’t have Photoshop. What would that image have looked like if he’d had today’s digital tools? Probably not much different.
Today, a creative mind armed with a digital camera and Photoshop are capable of creating virtually any image imaginable. But will others believe it? One of the greatest challenges for the photographer in post-production is to exercise restraint on the computer. As a judge of several photo competitions, the easiest images for me to pass over have been those that were over-processed in Photoshop. Likewise, there is no substitute for a good eye. Synthesizing a natural-appearing image from disparate elements is impossible without understanding the fundamental principles of photography and the behavior of light.
Two images of the famous crosswalk taken in April of this year; which one is real and which one was ‘Shopped? Click each for an enlargement.
In Digital Photography and Photoshop I, we’ll concentrate on techniques to ensure others will enjoy our images without bemoaning our clumsy use of either camera or software. Register now.
The megapixel myth : Take great Digital Photos
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 10th, 2009 by Instructor
Skimboarder shot on 6MP camera
One of the most frequent questions to settle before coming to Digital Photography and Photoshop I is: what kind of digital camera should I choose? The answer depends on your objectives and comfort with camera technology. If you are a hobbyist, you’ll probably focus your attention on DSLRs: those traditional-looking cameras that accept different lenses and provide an optical viewfinder through which to compose your shots. The pocket point-and-shoot alternative is generally more travel-friendly and affordable, although there is considerable overlap in the latter regard among high end point-and-shoots and entry-level DSLRs.
One measuring stick commonly employed when comparing models is the number of effective megapixels (MP) of the image sensor. All things being equal, it would seem reasonable that a 12 megapixel camera would resolve an image twice as well as a 6 megapixel model but, in fact, the comparison depends on additional variables. If the optical precision of the 12MP camera is not commensurate with the power of the sensor, actual improvement over the 6MP camera may be nominal. Even though the greater number of pixels will yield a larger croppable area, insufficient sharpness can render the results a wash. The smaller the size of the pixels and, therefore, the greater their density, the greater potenital for stray data, known as noise, and poor detail in low-light shooting situations. The image of the skimboarder was shot with an older 6MP camera yet reporoduced sharp enough to earn a full page spot for July in the 2009 Tidelines calendar. In this case, the quality of the lens was more important than the number of pixels.
For detailed side-by-side comparisons and actual image samples, I recommend dpreview.com Regardless of the form factor you choose, consider investing in a camera that shoots images in the RAW format. While Photoshop CS4 can employ many of the same enhancements on JPEG images, you’ll truly enjoy the full power of the application with images shot in RAW.
Learn more about Digital Photography and Photoshop 1 class or register now.
