Hi all you Digital Divas (and Dudes)!

Why dont' we start sharing some favorite Photoshop techniques and inspire each other. I just wrapped up a photojournalism course and learned soooooooooooo much. The techniques I learned in photojournalism were largely relative to photo correction, color correction, contrast, etc. No artsy stuff in journalism. So here's a tip on a better way to lighten your photo rather than using the brightness/contrast adjustment.

1. Open the photo in Photoshop

2. Make a copy of the background layer.

3. With the copy layer active, go to the drop-down list on the left-hand side of the layer pallette where the default is Normal. Click the drop-down list and choose Screen. Voila! Your photo automatically lightens.

4. If it lightens too much, use the Opacity scale and reduce the opacity to darken it just a little until it looks right.

5. If it's still too dark, make another layer copy. With each additional layer the photo gets lighter

6. Once you have the photo where you want it, merge all the layers. Then you can go on to color correction or sharpening.

I think this method produces a much cleaner adjustment.

And here's a great web site for beginning photographers or photographers wanting to go beyond Auto-focus: http://www.photonhead.com/ Especiall check out the Sim Cam feature. You can make different adjustments to the aperture, film speed and shutter speed using drop-down lists, click Shoot It and see the effects of your settings. Pretty cool!

I know all you digital wizards have some sexier techniques than this. Come on let's share!

Happy shooting!

 Hi Cheryl,

I personally love the bevel/emboss features, it's what makes things pop with dimension. Gotta have that bevel/emboss. I Also love the magic wand. 

Hi Annamarie,

I agree. Bevel and emboss is wonderful for giving digital artwork that 3-D look. What do you use the Magic Wand for?

Hiya Cheryl, annamarie and everyone,

I tried out the screen feature you wrote about, Cheryl, and it works great. I think the best advice is to keep making separate layers so that if you want to delete what you just finished doing, you still have the original to work with. Another very important reminder to save, save, save.  Can't tell you how many times I've lost work because I didn't take the few seconds to save the work!   I also passed the photography website to my hubby who is sure to enjoy it.  While I love to take pictures, I'm afraid my talents only go so far as point and shoot. 

The bevel/emboss feature that annamarie suggested can be used in all kinds of ways.  It takes away from that 'flat' look that you get with digital work and adds a highlight and a shadow edge. 

One technique I use alot is the drop shadow feature found under Styles and Effects, Layer Styles.  You can use it to make your work look almost three-dimensional.  It can be added to either text or different images in your work with a variety of shadows to choose from:  High, Low, Noisy, Hard Edge, Soft Edge, Outline, Fill/Outline, and Neon depending on what you feel is most suitable for the artwork.

- chameleon

Hey Chameleon!

I like the drop shadow feature too. It's another way to give your artwork that 3-D look. I agree with the SAVE, SAVE, SAVE advice too. It's a good habit to foster in any computer program!

Photoshop has such a broad spectrum of functionality for photographers and digital artists. I wasn't sure which way to go with this string. We have some very talented photographers here in the Cafe as well as the many exceptionally talented digital artists. Professional photographers rely heavily on Photoshop's capabilities to correct and repair photographs and digital artists can find a virtual playground of toys...uh, I mean features to fuel their creativity.

I love using Layer Masks to cut pieces of images out of a picture and blend pieces for a collage. It gives you so much more control than the Extract feature or the Lasso tool.

Basically all you do is click on the layer mask icon at the bottom of the layers pallete. It will add a frame to the right of the image on the layers pallette. Click on the frame to activate the Layer Mask. Always make sure you're working on the Layer Mask and not the actual image. To "remove" portions of the image, grab the brush tool (a soft edge is usually a good choice). Make sure black is the color choice. Then just "paint" away the portions of the image you want to "remove" (actually your masking portions of the image). If you go too far and "remove" a part you didn't want to, just flip the color to white and paint over the section you want back in the image. If you're working on an intricate detail of an image it's a good idea to magnify to 200 percent. You can work the image back and forth like this until you have it the way you want, then apply the layer mask to make the changes permanent or just keep the mask active depending on what you're trying to accomplish.

A great book I recommend for learning some fun creative techniques in Photoshop is "Adobe Photoshop 7 Creative Workshop" by Andy Anderson. I know the CS versions are out now, but a lot of his techniques will still apply.

Hi Cheryl and everyone,

 I'll definitely be trying out that 'toy' (whoops, feature) of Layer Masks that you described so well, Cheryl.  I'm afraid I've been somewhat lazy in trying out that technique although it sounds like it would save me a great deal of time as far as removing part of the image that I don't want.  Presently, I use the magic wand but that doesn't get all parts (and sometimes too much) of the image which then requires going by hand with the eraser tool to get rid of the rest.  You've explained everything very clearly and concisely, Cheryl, and look forward to more tips and techniques that will encourage me in my digital artworks!

- chameleon