Photoshop CC: Setting up your Workspace with Panels – Video Tutorial

  Updated: 09/01/22, and still relevant today!   Note: Feeling adventurous?  You should definitely watch the video, but perhaps I can save you some time – once a small file, “WD Basic 1.psw”, is properly loaded on your computer, only the 9 “essential” Panels discussed in the video will show up in your Photoshop Workspace.  Easy installation instructions included (link near the bottom):   https://wattsdigital.com/free-useful-downloads   ____________________   Think of Panels as “miniature workspaces”, each accomplishing a different function.  There are almost two dozen different panels available to you, but in the spirit of K.I.S.S., I would suggest that you start with just nine,

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We don’t need no stinkin’ HDR Hassles!! – Use ACR instead …

  Updated: 09/09/21, & still relevant today! – BONUS: See my short video from YouTube below:       Want to take advantage of the positives of High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography, while bypassing all of those confusing HDR plug-ins and software (with their sometimes unpredictable and “plastic-looking” results)?   Then you’re going to love this – you can make all of your adjustments in the powerful Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) plug-in that comes with Photoshop, instead of confusing third-party software…   First, what is HDR? From Wikipedia:  “It’s a set of techniques used in photographic digital imaging to reproduce a

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Photoshop: OMG I’ve Got my Ott! (Ott-Lite, that is …)

Updated 08/29/21     “What?? That’s not what my print looks like – it’s way different in this lighting!”  – How many of us have had that frustrating conversation, and want to know how to avoid it?   When it comes to Digital Imaging, there are  Three Steps to Successful Color Management.  In my experience, the most overlooked is #3: Assure that you have the proper Lighting Conditions and Perception (more here on Perception).   Before your eyes start to glaze over, let me start with a quick and simple definition:  Color Management allows you to print what you see

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Photoshop CC – Time to get your head INTO the “Cloud”?

  Updated 08/30/21, & still relevant today …         August 20, 2013 – So, have you been hearing about Photoshop CC lately?  Welcome to the Brave New World of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, and all of the confusion that results from a revolutionary concept.  Since it’s here to stay, it’s time to get your head INTO the “Cloud”.   Concept:   We’re all familiar with the traditional method of purchasing software, whether from Adobe or another company: install the software on your computer (say, Photoshop CS6), enter a key, and it’s yours to use in perpetuity – a “perpetual” license.

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Thoughts on Judging at the San Diego County Fair Photo Contest

  09/01/21 – Updated, and still relevant today … Note: Sadly, Dave passed away in October of 2020.  He will be sorely missed – both as an accomplished individual in his chosen fields – but also as a friend …   ______________   05/01/2013 – Dave King’s “must-read” on judging at the San Diego County Fair Photo Contest last Sunday is wisdom for more than just photo contest entrants – – this is great stuff!  Dave teaches Photography at San Diego City College, and eloquently makes the same observations I had as a Judge in the same contest:   Dave’s

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Photoshop CS6 & CC’s innovative new Crop Tool

  10/05/20 – This post has been updated here:  https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/?p=3561   ______________________ So, you’ve used previous versions of Photoshop, and now you’ve got CS6.   You’re ready to crop your image, and – – “Whaaa?! #%&*  – Egads!  This new Crop Tool is really different!”  Yes, it is – but once you know how it works and get used to it, you’ll never want to go back. Purpose: The Crop Tool allows you to crop to a portion of an image to enhance the subject matter, remove an unwanted object, or improve your composition. Where to Find: You can find the

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Setting up your Photoshop CS6-CC Workspace with Panels

07/01/21 – This subject has been updated in a new post, with VIDEO: Click Here for more …   _________________   Think of Panels as miniature workspaces, each accomplishing a different function.  There are almost two dozen different panels available to you, but in the spirit of K.I.S.S., I would suggest that you start with just nine, and add those you deem necessary as you gain more experience with Photoshop. Below is a representation of the panels I would suggest that you set up on your Photoshop desktop to create a proper workspace: Photoshop gives you a set of predefined workspaces:

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Photoshop: Profiling your Monitor is easier and cheaper than you think

03/21/19 – The information in this post has been updated, WITH VIDEO – Click here There are 3 steps necessary to successful color management – Profiling your Monitor is “Step #1”.  But let’s face it:  the main reasons most people avoid profiling their monitor are because they’ve got to buy something, and they think it’s too complicated. The truth is, it can be quite simple to get your monitor to match the output of your printer.  All you need are the right tools, the main one being a Monitor Profiling package,  which consists of a piece of hardware called a

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Dynamic Black & White from your Color Images using Photoshop ….

Updated 08/24/21     A question from Dave W in Maui, Hawaii:   Can you create a black & white image  from a color digital image?  My camera has a B&W setting, so should I start there first?  And can these be printed properly?  Mahalo!   Answer:   Yes, you can create stunning black and white from your color images!  I’d strongly recommend shooting all of your images in color, then convert your images to Black and White in Photoshop after the fact.   Here’s why:   •  More Information: An RGB (color) image has 3 times as much information

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Creating Custom Printer Profiles for Photoshop CS6 / CC

8/27/21 – This post has been updated – – click here: https://wattsdigital.com/custom-printer-profiles •  More on Color Management for Photographers: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/color-management-101-for-photographers/ _________________ Updated: 03/01/15 I’ll keep it simple: You cannot use Photoshop CS6 / CC to create your Custom Printer Profile – the “why” is too complicated to get into, but the “No Color Management” option no longer exists (CS4 and earlier), and there is not a “workaround” such as that used in CS5. So you have three choices: 1) The Best Choice:  Use an older version of Photoshop to create your Profile – Yes, you can install more than one version

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Submission FAQ’s for the 2022 San Diego County Fair Photo Contest

  Updated 11/15/21 – – click here for 2022 FAQ’s:   https://wattsdigital.com/sdc-fair-photo-faqs       For those who need assistance with the submission process for the San Diego County Fair Exhibition of Photography Contest, help is here in the form of a FAQ:  https://wattsdigital.com/sdc-fair-photo-faqs   Enjoy, and best to you in the contest!  Oh, and if you’re entering other photo contests where you must submit your images online, I think this might de-mystify the process a bit …   __________________________________________________________________   •  Want to see Photoshop in action?  Check out my “Photoshop 101” series of FREE online & live Photoshop Meetups

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“How do I Navigate through my Image in Photoshop?”

08/24/21 – This post has been updated, with VIDEO: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/photoshop-cs6cc-the-navigator-and-history-panels-video-tutorial/ Question: “I only see part of the image on my monitor because I’ve zoomed in or it’s blocked by panels, other images, etc. – How do I navigate around and see different parts of my image?“ Answer: Use the The Navigator Panel in your Workspace –  it allows you to “navigate” around your image at large magnifications.  If it’s not in your Workspace, go to the “Window” menu -> “Navigator”.   When your image is enlarged bigger than your Document Window, simply drag the “Red Box” with your mouse to

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Photoshop – CS5 or Elements?

Question –   From Frank S. in Weymouth, MA: “From a photographer’s standpoint, what are the differences between the full version (i.e., CS 5) and the Elements version of Photoshop, and which would you recommend?”     Answer – The biggest consideration in deciding which version to purchase, of course, is price.  The full version (CS5) costs around $700, versus $100 for Elements – a considerable difference. If cost is not a major issue,  then I’d strongly recommend you invest in the full version – the “learning curve” is essentially the same between the 2 versions.  That being said, Elements is

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Gamut Warning in Photoshop

  08/29/21 – The answer to this post is still relevant, but has been further updated in a new post – Click here     Question – from Ken Johnson:  I have read some very confusing things regarding the effectiveness of the “Gamut Warning” when soft proofing in Photoshop.  Is the Gamut Warning of any value when editing RGB images for photo-based ink jet printers and, if not, what is the best way to detect and deal with out of gamut colors?   Answer: Thanks for an interesting but complex question – I’ll try to avoid being overly-technical … The answer applies

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Monitor Calibration Packages for Photographers?

A question from Maritie in San Diego: “What monitor calibration package would you recommend? Oh, and can you suggest a medium cost one that will do the job, and not a professional one that will cost an arm and a leg?” 03/21/19 – The answer to this post has been updated, WITH VIDEO – Click here Answer: I’m very partial to the X-Rite Eye One Display 2, and this is a perfect time to think about buying one, as the price is about half of what it used to be: Amazon        B&H      newegg.com It’s technically a “discontinued” item, which is

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iPhone Photos, Photoshop Express, and more fun stuff …

  Got an iPhone, iPad or a Smartphone? Been playing with the Camera and Photo Apps? Been intrigued by the power of your phone camera? Wanna share your favorite pics, apps and social sites? Wanna participate in smartphone photo contests with prizes?  You’ve found the place…  This is “just for fun”, but we can also learn something about photography & Photoshop … Smartphone and tablet cameras (and particularly the iPhone) have done quite a few things for photography – Just think: Your camera is always with you, and the simplicity of the cameras and apps allow us to get back

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Here’s my Photoshop and Color Management Seminar Schedule at the 2011 San Diego County Fair

  It’s time for the San Diego County Fair Exhibition of Photography, and this year I am again honored to be a judge. And again this year, I am going to be giving a number of Photoshop and Color Management seminars – – If you are in Southern California during the fair, come on by – – I’d love to see you there! Click Here to download a PDF of my schedule … Cheers, John 🙂

Submission FAQ’s for the 2023 San Diego County Fair Photo Contest …

  Updated: March 29th, 2023  • SD County Fair Photo Contest Homepage: https://www.sdfair.com/p/participate/entry/photography _________________ For those who need assistance with the “electronic upload ” submission process for the San Diego County Fair Exhibition of Photography Contest, help is here in the form of an FAQ: https://wattsdigital.com/sdc-fair-photo-faqs ________________ By the way, if you advance to Tier 2, I can help you with the printing – more here: https://wattsdigital.com/sdc-fair-print-special Thoughts on Judging at the Photo Contest: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/judging-at-the-2022-san-diego-county-fair-photo-contest/ Enjoy, and best to you in the contest!   __________   •  What is a Master File?  Find out here – with VIDEO: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/photoshop-master-file-creation/  

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Free Photoshop “Color Wheel” Custom Panel …

  Updated 04-30-22:   •  Sorry, but this custom Panel is currently unavailable – but you can find a printable JPG  (and more!) here: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/heres-a-jpg-of-the-color-wheel-for-color-correction-in-photoshop/   •  You can find more free useful downloads related to post-processing here: https://wattsdigital.com/free-useful-downloads   What is the “Color Wheel”,  and why is it important in Photography? The “Color Wheel” will help you visualize how the Primary Colors – – Red, Green and Blue – – and their corresponding Complementary Colors – – Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow – – interact with each other. It will help you better understand your color photography, particularly while in Photoshop

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A Video on Photo Judging at the San Diego County Fair …

This is really cool – Thanks to David Poller,  www.davidpollerphoto.com,  for putting this together (and he’s a pretty darned good judge, too!) – As a fellow judge, I found this fascinating … Cheers, John 🙂