Tag: John Watts

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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Test Targets for Digital Printing Evaluation

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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…

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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

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

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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?

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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

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More groovy information on Epson Printers…

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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

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Psssst, Hey, Buddy, Wanna Buy A Printer?

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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

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

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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,

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

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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

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