Workshops
ej arts is pleased to introduce new series of workshops by John Latimer. Please contact us for details or to register for the workshop.
Our first workshop, "Photoshop Demystified for Photographers" will be run (June 25 - 27, 2007) in conjunction with View Camera Magazine at the View Camera Expo in Louisville, KY.
Cost: $750 including online access to our Flash video tutorials.
"Photoshop Demystified for Photographers" workshop will be run several times a year (dates to be announced). We will be adding more workshops with different themes in the near future.
"Photoshop Demystified for Photographers"
A 4-6 person hands-on Workshop with follow up online material so the learning doesn’t end after the three day workshop.
Do you sometime feel like Photoshop is a mountain casting a shadow over you and your images rather than you having control over Photoshop? If so, it is time to lift the veil and understand how to control the dynamics of Photoshop. It is this dynamic that could make Photoshop feel overwhelming but it is also the attribute that makes Photoshop so powerful.
Do you hate that “Photoshoped” label and look? Then, it is also time to understand the subtlety that resides in the power of Photoshop in the hands of a creative user – YOU!
A comment that I get all the time from photographers getting into digital imaging is that they just don’t know what to do or where to start. They have read books that talk about the lasso tool but also typeface and rarely does this transform itself into a productive experience for really working with Photoshop on their images. They see images that look great and are inspired. They hear about techniques for doing this or that but trying to apply those techniques themselves is too overwhelming or daunting. In my experience, the best method of learning a program like Photoshop is to sit down with someone who can guide you through the initial steps because those are the hardest. This small group workshop is designed to do just that. We will together take those first steps and in the end, you will be taking great strides.This workshop is drawn from years of my professional use and teaching experience with Photoshop. You will gain insights into the tools, palettes and menus of Photoshop so that you no longer avoid tools because you don’t understand them. You will no longer use one tool for every correction getting mediocre results. There are any numbers of ways to tweak your image in Photoshop. I will teach you the strengths and weakness of different techniques, and how to combine them to get better results in quick and efficient ways that make sense. You will learn to create a logical workflow based on analysis of your image that makes imaging enjoyable rather than frustrating and random. We will explore the uses of Layers and Masks that open up new possibilities to the savvy Photoshop user. Your images will take on a whole new level of finesse that extracts every detail from your vision.
In the past, we spent years in the darkroom learning how to make master prints, with various forms of dodging and burning, contrast control, and toning. You will develop the same control in Photoshop, with precision and flexibility taken to beyond that of the darkroom. The hardest part of Photoshop is overcoming the initial learning curve to control its power. It is like taming a wild stallion, scary as hell in the beginning but with the right knowledge and handling, in the end, pure elegance and grace will emerge.
You will learn how to integrate the tools to make all your vision come to fruition. The workshop is geared towards giving you a very practical approach to imaging in Photoshop. You will not only learn the tools of Photoshop but a philosophy of application that demystifies the whole experience. There will be plenty of time set aside for questions and refinement of your skills as you not only learn these tools and techniques but also actually apply them to your own images.
The workshop is for everyone from Photoshop novices to upper intermediate users. Even advanced users will gain very useful insights in how to tune their skills. How can one workshop cover such a broad range of user experience? It comes down to seeing the application of each tool and technique in Photoshop as a small part of a greater goal and building an understanding that every step is related in the production of the end result. For example, while a beginner will be learning what the lasso tool does, an advanced user will gain a fuller understanding to see how the use of the lasso tool fits the greater scheme of his tool selections.
The workshop will be taught on Apple Imacs with Wacom tablets using Photoshop CS3. For Windows users, keyboard differences will be explained, so everyone will feel right at home. Adobe has done a wonderful job matching the user interface between Windows and Mac platforms. Since all the hardware and software are provided, you only need to bring yourself, a notebook, and a few of your images files.
While the workshop will be a fantastic experience, there is a vast amount of information to soak up. Sometimes when you get home, you feel a bit overloaded with new information. The result is often…. “I just can’t remember how we did that one step!” If you cannot retain what was taught, it feels like money down the drain. So, here is the best part. As a workshop participant, you will be able to log into my online video tutorial site that goes over every step we covered in the workshop. This way, you can review specific steps at your leisure. The tutorials will be made as Flash movies so you can watch as often as you like.
The workshop will cover:
Workstation setup
Tools
Palettes
Menus
Keyboard shortcuts
Image workflow tips
Sharpening
Global image balancing
Selections for area specific adjustments
Adjustment layers
Masking and Mask modification
Color control
Density control
Contrast control
Blending modes
Opacity control
How to work with dark shadows and soft highlights
Grayscale conversion
Manipulation of both color and B/W images
And much more…