Processing, best way to learn?

fguihen

Im getting into photoshop, but just the basics. i want to become more proficient at processing images, and knowing what to do so an image will look its best. I know pracitce and jumping in are good ways to learn , but id rather have a book on hand/take a course so that i might be a little quicker at processing an image.

currently i might spend hours and get nothing right, simply because i dont know what im doing. what course/books/learning techniques do you recommend?

Rojo

Photoshop for photographers, the book, could be a good investment! You can get a copy for either CS2 or 3.

elven

I picked 99% of it up online. There's an excellent sticky on resources in the Digital Darkroom forum, my personal favourites would have been the Luminous Landscape - see a load of basic stuff that covers a range of processes here, and for some reason when i watched the video tutorials on the Radiant Vista site, stuff started to click into place that I just didn't *get* before.

As a suggestion on what to look out for, first you want to understand adjustment layers, what they are, how they work and why you use them, learn about the different kinds (levels, curves, gradient map/black & white), then learn about masks on adjustment layers so you can apply each effect to selective areas of the image - this would encompass a version of 'manual' HDR, then maybe do some finding out about sharpening and different methods (look for usm and high pass), you can get a bit further on and check out blending modes, and maybe different ways to convert to black & white.

That should keep you busy for a while

Also Martin Evening's photoshop books are great reference material for any particular area, but I found it difficult to use as a tutorial, more as research. Personal experience only.

OnLooker

I have CS2 at home. I have a query.

When you crop an image you lose your camera data (Canon model, ISO etc ...).

How do you retain all of that information?

melekalikimaka

OnLooker wrote: »

I have CS2 at home. I have a query.

When you crop an image you lose your camera data (Canon model, ISO etc ...).

How do you retain all of that information?

you cant that info is always stored at the edges sorry...

elven

Hmmm damn those edges...

It depends how you are cropping. If you're using the crop tool, or selecting and area then going to the 'Image' menu and choosing 'crop' then you shouldn't lose any.

You may actually be losing the exif data when you save rather than when you crop though...?

melekalikimaka

that was a wee joke... (crash)

it should save it, how do you save your images?

OnLooker

Normally use the crop tool and copy the selected image into a new image.

The data must not transfer.

melekalikimaka

do you not just crop and leave it?

OnLooker

Should really but like to keep the original as well. Being lazy I suspose.

Will try just using the crop tool later.

Thanks

Paulw

If you're going to work like that, you're better off making a copy of the image before you start. Then crop within the image, rather than copy/paste the cropped section of the image.

That way, you'll keep all the EXIF data of the photo.

elven

Or save it under a different name...?

OnLooker

Cheers lads. Got it working.