Digital Imaging | Watts Digital Imaging Blog - Part 2

My Photoshop E-Book and Video Series are Behind Schedule…

Posted on April 12, 2008April 27, 2008 by John Watts

UPDATE 04-27-08: Yup, I’m still behind schedule – – Bear with me, I should have the E-Book ready in a few days…Thanks for your patience, and for all of the interest!! _________________________________________ My apologies to those waiting for the release of my upcoming E-Book and Video Series entitled, “Photofinishing with Photoshop” (More info and a sample chapter & video here). As many of you know, I teach Photoshop “one-on-one” to clients all over the United States, but this is my first venture into education-based literature and videos available for all. I have been consulting with a few people more

Testing, 1, 2, 3 ……. AARRGGHH!!!

Posted on April 8, 2008August 19, 2021 by John Watts

A thousand pardons if you’ve had challenges accessing my site in the last week, such as getting a text-only version, or you couldn’t get the RSS feed to work – – I was hit by some very malicious code last week – – I’m STILL having challenges with the RSS feed …. Hackers should be drawn and quartered, forced to listen to Lawrence Welk Polka music 24 hours a day, and then – – ? I hope to be back up 100% very soon – Thanks for your patience and patronage! Cheers, John 🙂

Here Comes the Judge – Photo Judge, That Is…

Posted on April 4, 2008April 4, 2008 by John Watts

This summer, I am again honored and privileged to be a Judge and Speaker at one of the most prestigious photographic contests on the West Coast – the San Diego County Fair International Exhibition of Photography. I will probably be judging one of the “Nature” categories or the “Scenic-Landscape” category. I will also be giving two free seminars every Saturday that the Fair is open – One on Photoshop in general, and one on Color Management. I’ll let you know when I have a definite schedule on those – I’d love to see you there. If you like the challenge

K.I.S.S your Images While Using Photoshop

Posted on March 25, 2008June 14, 2010 by John Watts

What is one of the best things about Photoshop? The amount of functions available to you, the user. What is one of the worst things about Photoshop? The amount of functions available to you, the user! If you are new or fairly new to Photoshop, one of the challenges of using the program is its overall complexity. Most of the time, you will only need to use 10% to 15% of Photoshop’s functionality to achieve the results you want. I’d suggest employing the K.I.S.S. method. K.I.S.S stands for “Keep It Super Simple”. Start with the basics of Photoshop, and grow

A Better Way to Sharpen in Photoshop – Part I

Posted on March 17, 2008August 23, 2022 by John Watts

October 29, 2019 – Updated – although the info is still accurate, it’s been further updated here: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/a-better-way-to-sharpen-in-photoshop-2/ _____________ Having challenges getting your image sharpened properly in Photoshop? Try using this technique rather than the generic Sharpening tools, which are not as effective and prone to over-sharpening. In my opinion, Over-sharpening is one of the two most abused tools in Photoshop (see this post). Give yourself an edge and try this method – it is much harder to accidentally over-sharpen your image. This is a non-destructive technique. Without getting into total “techno-geek propeller-head” mode, it sharpens just

You Can Chat LIVE with Me about Photoshop and Digital Imaging…

Posted on March 17, 2008May 11, 2008 by John Watts

UPDATE 05-11-08: Sorry, this widget really slowed down my blog – – I’ll look for an alternative – – If you know of something to replace this, please let me know… I’ve got a new “toy” on my blog – – Live Chat via AIM’s WIMZI Widget (See the sidebar). It is not unusual for me to spend 4 to 6 hours a day in front of my computer, so I thought I’d experiment to see if this gadget is useful for all of us. You don’t need an AIM account to use it – If it says that I’m

Photoshop Layer Masks – Thinking “Inside” the (Layer Mask Thumbnail) Box – Part II

Posted on March 11, 2008April 2, 2020 by John Watts

04/02/20 Updated here: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/?p=2283 _________________ In the last post, I talked about the purpose of a layer mask: To hide or reveal portions of a layer. If you did not read the last post, I would strongly urge you to do so, and to study the accompanying image. Now I’ll talk about how to create and use a layer mask. So, where do you find or how do you create layer masks? Three places: When you create an adjustment layer, Photoshop automatically adds a “Layer Mask Thumbnail” to your layer (the white box on the right). For a new layer

Photoshop Layer Masks – Thinking “Inside” the (Layer Mask Thumbnail) Box – Part I

Posted on March 6, 2008April 2, 2020 by John Watts

04/02/20 Updated here: https://blog.main.wattsdigital.com/?p=2283 ___________________________ One of the beauties of Photoshop is the ability to make changes locally, not just globally. There are two main techniques to “localize” your changes – one is to make a “selection” using tools such as the Magic Wand or Lasso tools, then creating an adjustment layer to make your changes to that selection. The other technique, and one that can be far quicker, is by using Layer Masks. The purpose of of a Layer Mask is to hide or reveal portions of a layer. It can be used instead of or

Pssst – – Wanna Buy a Legal and Full Copy of Photoshop CS3 – Cheap?

Posted on February 21, 2008March 11, 2008 by John Watts

Now that I’ve got your attention… 🙂 If you’re reading this, you may fall into one of two categories: 1) You are using someone else’s illegal “copy” of PS, and cannot legally upgrade, or 2) You are brand new to the program, ready to “take the plunge”, and start learning how it works. Either way, the $650+ price tag is holding you back. You can get a full and legal copy of CS3 for 1/2 to 2/3 of the cost, and here’s how: Buy an unregistered full copy of Photoshop 7 or later, register it, then buy the CS3 upgrade…

The Deadly “I’ll-Just-Fix-It-In-Photoshop” Syndrome…

Posted on February 13, 2008March 12, 2008 by John Watts

Howdy to all… Here’s a great read from Kevin Michael Reed’s ExposingFashion Blog entitled “Stop this ‘Fix It In Photoshop’ nonsense!” I get a sense of righteous anger from Kevin that is well-placed….I blogged briefly about this last year on this post, but Kevin, as a working photographer who has to deal in the sometimes surrealistic and admittedly vain world of fashion photography, puts it even more succinctly. It is definitely a more in-depth analysis on why this trend of “I’ll-Just-Fix-It-In-Photoshop” has to stop!!! (Oh, and Kevin must be a great guy – after all, he quoted me in his

Test Targets for Digital Printing Evaluation

Posted on February 5, 2008February 13, 2008 by John Watts

Howdy to all! Here are links to pages where you can download test targets – I’m very partial to the Photodisc Target myself… These are great for evaluating your printer’s output and how it compares to your monitor, among other things – Enjoy! Inkjetart.com Dry Creek Photo Colormanagement.com So, do you know of others you like? Let me know! Cheers, John 🙂

How To Put A Watermark on your Image with Photoshop…

Posted on February 1, 2008September 11, 2009 by John Watts

By request, here’s a great way to protect your images – “Watermark” them in Photoshop! Anytime you send out a file or small print of your images to a potential client for review or post your images on the web, you are at risk of someone stealing your images. By putting a simple watermark on your images in Photoshop, you can help reduce this possibility. Here are the steps (I am assuming a basic familiarity with Photoshop): 1) In Photoshop, create a new file. Go to the “File” menu ? “New…”. I’d suggest a Width of 10”, a height of

I need your help – I’ve just gotta know!!!

Posted on February 1, 2008June 3, 2008 by John Watts

Hello to all! I’d sure appreciate your input on this… I’m in the process of putting the finishing touches on an E-book and Video Series called “Photofinishing with Photoshop”. What instructional method works best for you – – An E-Book, A Video Series, or both? [poll=2] Thanks for your Vote! Cheers, John

Photoshop CS3 – Worth the Upgrade?

Posted on December 15, 2007March 12, 2008 by John Watts

So Adobe has come out with another upgrade – Big deal, you say – Why should I upgrade to CS3? Is it worth the extra expense? The answer is a resounding “yes”! . Here are five excellent reasons to upgrade (There are lots more, but I’ve found these to be the most useful): 1) New RAW converter – To me, this new feature alone is worth the price of the upgrade. You now have so much control with new tonal and color features such as “Recovery”, “Fill Light”, “Blacks”, “Clarity”, “Vibrance” and “Tone Curve”. For more information, please contact me

More groovy information on Epson Printers…

Posted on December 15, 2007February 13, 2008 by John Watts

From some of our bloggers come some very good questions and suggestions: Mark Albert asks: “I have had severe problems with clogging print heads on Canon and would like to learn if Epson has similar problems. Thank you.” Jill Webber from “Down under” reports: “I used to have an Epson printer and had very bad ink clogging problems. Finished up ditching the Epson and purchasing a Canon. Haven’t had any ink clogging problems with the Canon but the print quality isn’t nearly as good as the Epson. I wish now that I had just gone out and purchased another Epson

Psssst, Hey, Buddy, Wanna Buy A Printer?

Posted on March 31, 2007February 13, 2008 by John Watts

Ok, Ok, Everyday I get asked what kind of inkjet printer someone should buy. Let me answer the question with one word : EPSON… No, I’m not a paid shill for Epson (I wish!). I’m basing this on the various printers that I’ve worked with and profiled. If you are looking to purchase an inkjet printer soon, you can’t go wrong with virtually any Epson photo printer. This is not to say that your HP or Canon is worthless – FAR, FAR from it – I’ve seen excellent prints come out of quite a few. This recommendation is for those

So, What Makes A Color Print A “Good” Color Print?

Posted on March 30, 2007June 14, 2010 by John Watts

Have you ever heard someone look at a print and say, “Oh, that’s digital”? Usually, that is not a compliment. So, what makes a color print a “good” color print, anyway? The process always starts with a well exposed and composed image. Remember, GIGO—garbage in, garbage out (see the last post). Learn how to properly use your camera or scanner. While Photoshop is a great tool for enhancement, it is not a “miracle program” for correcting poor photography. So what makes a good color print and how do we use the basics of Photoshop to achieve it? In my opinion,

‘So who is this John Watts character, and why should I listen to him?”

Posted on March 10, 2007August 19, 2021 by John Watts

An excellent question! A wee bit about me: I am 51 years old, and I’m a blessed man. I am married to my bride, Marilyn, and we have three great daughters: Jenna (29 and married to Marcus), Cassie (21, and a senior in college), and Vickie (20, and a sophomore in college). I have been privileged over the last 24+ years to work in partnership with some of the world’s finest photographers. I also have a knack for making superior color prints for these photographers, as well as many serious “amateurs”. It’s safe to say that I’ve learned a few