SOLVING THE PHOTOSHOP PUZZLE

Sometimes, we know something is missing, but we just don't know what.

Photoshop is good at hiding stuff. Consider how many toolbar options there are. Consider how many sub-menu options are under each one of those. And how many drop-down box choices are even still under those. It's staggering!

But it gets worse.

Beyond what's on your desktop program, ready to use, Photoshop keeps a vast amount of options stored on your hard drive, (usually your C -drive) but not loaded onto your desktop version for immediate use. It stores all kinds of additional brushes, actions, filters etc. for use only when you need (and load them manually) into your current program.

The PUZZLE FILTER is a good example. You already have the capability to create a puzzle, but you probably never knew it. That's because it's one of those hidden (on your C-drive) files that you have to call up when you want it.

To create a puzzle from any photo, load your photo into Photoshop in the usual manner, then create a duplicate layer and name that layer PUZZLE.

Next, go to the FILTER menu and choose TEXTURE
Under that, choose TEXTURIZER

You'll now see a little drop-down box. Click the arrow and then click on  LOAD TEXTURE
If it's your first time, you'll have to tell Photoshop where to find the file. Go to COMPUTER - C-Drive - PROGRAM FILES (or PROGRAM FILES (x86) and find PROGRAMS - ADOBE - PHOTOSHOP

Double click on the PHOTOSHOP file folder and look for a folder called PRESETS
Open that folder and look for PUZZLE.

Select the PUZZLE folder and click the button at the bottom marked LOAD

[You'll only have to go through this long procedure once.
Next time, you'll only need to click LOAD TEXTURE.]

Now, you'll see the dialog box you want to create your puzzle.
SCALE lets you determine HOW BIG the pieces are
RELIEF set the depth (or shadow darkness) of the piece edges
(You can also change the light direction  and have an option to INVERT your choice)

That's it.

If you want to get fancy with a 3-D effect like the photo shown above. Create a new layer under your puzzle layer, and give that a cardboard color and a bit of texture or pattern to look realistic.

Then, go to your puzzle layer and cut out one or more pieces. You can use the pen tool for most accurate results, but I find the MAGNETIC LASSO tool works just fine for most things, if you remember to click often to set your points.

Once you have the selection complete, go to LAYER - NEW LAYER via CUT to remove this piece. Use the move tool to give it a new location and then give it some shadow to separate it from the photo for that 3-D effect.

==========================================

While this tip is not included in the Original Photoshop Recipe Book, you will find hundreds of other great Photoshop tips for users of all versions in my "PHOTOSHOP RECIPE CARDS" book.

Why "LEARN" Photoshop...

just follow the recipes for great photos every time! 

See why everyone's lovin' these 

RECIPE CARD shortcuts...

Get your book today at: http://photoshoptipcards.com

===========================================

Creative Photography Tricks Revealed

from CreativePhotographyTricks.com

Creative photography can add a whole new dimension and enjoyment to your photography.

It can turn so-so photos into stunning works of art. It can create interest in your work through online communities and in your own local community.

If you’ve lost interest in your hobby, or are struggling to come up with new projects that excite you, or you just want photography to be more fun, you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities of adding a few creative photography tricks to your repertoire.

Nothing beats the feeling you get when the  “oohs and ahhs” start coming as folks look at your creative photos. It has been said that we humans need  praise and attention for good mental health as much as we need vitamins and minerals for good physical health.
Learning just a few new creative photography tricks is a great way to get your RDA of attention and praise.

It’s literally just a click away!

I’ve just opened a website that’s makes it fun and easy for you to get started in creative photography. In no time at all, you’ll be creating super cool photos to amaze and confound your friends. You’ll be their hero and leave them drooling in awe, bug-eyed at your new found skills!

Maybe you'll make a bit more cash with your new creativity too!

Best of all, it really helps us expand our Photoshop skills as we learn and play with these creative photography tricks.

Here’s a link to the new website…click on over and have a look!

http://creativephotographytricks.com

Text... Your Way!

Text...options beyond the Photoshop menu.

Many times you'd like to have your text in bold, or italics, but the options aren't offered in the Photoshop selection dropdowns. If you accept these limitations, you'll be forced to compromise.

But it doesn't have to be this way! You can have it YOUR WAY!

In the case of italics, you simply type your text, then right click on the text layer in your layers palette and select RASTERIZE LAYER. That will change your "text" into a "shape". (Be sure your spelling is correct because after you rasterize you can no longer change the individual letters or font without starting over).

Once your layer has been RASTERIZED (turned into a Photoshop shape) you can then use EDIT>FREE TRANSFORM to slant your text into italics. Hold down the Ctrl key as you drag your top corners to the right and you can achieve any degree of italic slant.

BOLD text can be achieved by simply making a copy of your text layer and changing the BLEND MODE on your new (top) text layer to MULTIPLY. And/Or, you can use the same method we used for italics, RASTERIZE to create a shape layer and then use TRANSFORM to make it just a bit larger too.

Photoshop gives us a lot of great gifts to work with, but it's nice to know we can still exchange them for what we really want. Options...who among us would not like more?

Robert Schwarztrauber

http://photoshoptipcards.com

Reminder...Only a few days left to get your "Photoshop Recipe Card" book in the FREE Holiday Gift Box. Order by this Sunday (Dec. 19) to insure delivery by Christmas.

3 Quick and Useful Photoshop Tips

Everybody's busy at the holidays (including me!)
so here's just 3 quick tips that will speed you
on your Photoshop way  - so you can get back out
there and finish your shopping!

1…Make a New Document from a Layer
To create a brand new picture from any layer,   

go into the Layers palette and choose Duplicate Layer. 

Then, change the document setting to "New”, say OK,

and begin working fresh on a new picture file from there.

2…Layers Palette or Tool Bar Getting in the way?

Press “Tab” to make them magically disappear.

Press "Tab" again and they’ll come back.

3…How’s the view?

Expand your viewing and work options by pressing the letter ‘F’

to toggle through your view options up to full screen.

That's it!

Go on now. There's is no more. Oh, wait. There is one more thing...

Until next time...remember to really take time to enjoy the holiday season because, as the late Andy Rooney  used to say, "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes."

We all could use just a little more time.

Robert Schwarztrauber

http://photoshoptipcards.com

Photoshop Creative Art with Filters

Sometimes, the best way to learn is to play!

The video above offers a fun way to use Photoshop Filters to create your own stunning art collection.

Photoshop is more than just a photo fixer. It's a powerful creator too!

Best of all, you'll be learning all sorts of useful Photoshop tips, tricks and techniques using layers, masks and blend modes while you're having fun!

No worries here mate! You can't ruin your photo because it's 100% Photoshop generated. And Photoshop does all the work with your artistic guidance!

Have a peek at the video. Then, for more inspiration, you can view additional samples on my web gallery at: http://robertschwarztrauber.weebly.com/photoshop-creative-art.html

Have fun while you learn and play with Photoshop Filters!

Robert Schwarztrauber

Then...be sure to order your Photoshop Recipe Card book today!
Now, shipped in their very own gift box thru December 25th.
Makes a great gift for less than 20 bucks!
http://photoshoptipcards.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving
one and all!

Luckily, I was able to convince this fowl creature to give me his camera, before he smartly turned and swam off to safety. Far better to have the photo, than to talk about the one that got away.




While I'm certainly thankful for the coming of digital photography, and for the creative expression Photoshop provides, I am most thankful for the community of fellow artists and enthusiasts who allow me to share my passion with them. Thank you for your readership and contributions.

And I am thankful for all the many talented artists who share their work across the internet to inspire, to teach, and often just to amuse us with the products of their photographic and editorial skills.

So, to thank you for stopping by on this day of celebration, I will share with you not a tip, but a bit of artistic inspiration and amusement. I hope you'll enjoy the work these talented artists have created with the technology at hand, but mostly with the greatest gift that they got for free...their creative minds.

Here is a link to their work. Enjoy!

http://www.thephotoargus.com/inspiration/42-magnificent-photo-manipulation-examples-that-will-inspire-you/

Actions...Consistant, Time-Saving Results

Everyone laughed at Bill Gates. Crazy they thought. A computer in everyone's home? What for? All they do is multiply and subtract numbers at lightening speed.

But nobody's laughing at Bill now! Bill realized how much more potential computers really had. Now, in addition to being our favorite creative tool, they are also the worlds favorite communications device.

But still, at it's core, the computer is great for performing acts of repetition. And sometimes we need that in Photoshop.

Whether we want to process a folder of 100's of photos or just repeat a special effects process that someone else created, we can do that with Photoshop Actions. At the push of a button!

Enjoy this introduction to Photoshop Actions in the video below.

Lightening Fast Word Graphics

In the previous post, I promised to tell you how to create word graphics for Photoshop with lightening speed. It's a great tip I picked up from legendary Photoshop guru Matt Kloskowski, of NAPP fame.



Hope you enjoyed that shortcut. But the fun doesn't have to end there! Get really creative by playing with the blend modes. Add shadows, bevels, and highlights. Create a clipping path, add a filter, distort with free transform.

As the holiday season approaches, I'm reminded that it is so much fun to give. That's why I give these tips!

And...that's why giving your favorite photographer a gift-boxed copy of the nationally popular "Photoshop Recipe Cards" is one of the most affordable photography gifts you can give this year.

Check out the new holiday gift offer over at:
http://photoshoptipcards.com

10 Most Common Workflow Elements

 

Whenever I'm asked to teach someone Photoshop, I always start with the work flow techniques I find most useful. After all, learning how to seamlessly apply the LIQUIFY tool will hardly be a good use of time if the most basic elements of your photo are out of whack.

So, here in this post I'll tell you my Top 10 Most Used, most essential techniques for creating great images. These are 10 common elements that I use 100% of the time when I edit an image in Photoshop - and why. In just a general order of importance:

1. LEVELS - under LAYERS - NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER - LEVELS 

To set the overall photo exposure (lightness or darkness). Use the histogram image to drag the light (rt slider mark) or dark (left slider mark) in to just  touch the edge of your histogram image. If you go beyond the touch you will be clipping pixel from your image. Sometimes that's OK, just a word of caution.

2. CURVES - under LAYERS - NEW ADJUSTMENT LAYER - CURVES

This allows me to add just a bit of contrast to create a more intense image. I've covered this elsewhere on the blog so I just restate that it basically puts just a slight "S" curve to the diagonal line. Also, I'll use CURVES to adjust the white balance if needed. Just click the white eyedropper and then sample somewhere on your photo that is supposed to be white. Zoom in if needed. The white of someones eyes are often good reference points (but not if it's you're buddy who was out drinking all night!)

3. CLONE STAMP - in the tool palette by your eraser and paintbrush. Hardly ever get an image without some spot, pimple, reflection, shadow, ghost, or intrusion that doesn't need to be covered up.

4. Ctrl-J  The ultimate layer duplication shortcut. What more can I say?

5. FILTER - OTHER - HIGH PASS, my preferred sharpening method. Use Ctrl-J to duplicate the layer you wish to sharpen. Once in, slide the marker to the left until most of the color is gone (usually pretty low on the scale, <10.) Click OK. Change the blend mode on this layer to OVERLAY. Adjust the blend mode opacity to less that 100% if it looks too sharp. Use Ctrl-E to merge this new layer down over your original and you're done.

6. MASK - the layer mask (icon that looks like a rectangle with a white circle in it) when added to a layer let's you selectively paint in or out the parts of that layer that you do not want seen. Painting with the BLACK brush will hide (or MASK) anything on that layer. 100% opacity will mask completely. Use less that 100% to fade the hiding or blend to the surroundings. But it's reversible! If you want to change what you did with black, paint it back using white!

7. RECTANGULAR MARQUEE - it's the crop before the crop. Use the rectangular marquee to copy portions of your image to a new layer for further editing. Until you figure out just how much of the photo to keep, the rectangular marquee gives you time to play with your image a bit and still undo your changes. Once you use crop, all the surrounding area of your photo, down through all the layers is gone.

8. Ctrl - New Layer Icon - this puts a new layer BELOW the one currently active. Photoshop will put your new layer always directly above the one currently active unless you give it a modifying command like Ctrl. I use this mostly for background coloring, isolating layers,  previews, or creating frames or borders.

9. Ctrl - Alt - Shift - E - this command will merge all the visible layers together into one, like FLATTEN, but with one critical distinction...all the previous layers remain in their original state. Flatten is a true merge, all of your layers will be combined into one layer which means you will lose the ability o go back and make changes if you don't like the way they blended. However, Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E will create the composite just like FLATTEN, but will do so without actually removing all the layers. It's like a great reversible PREVIEW of flatten, before the actual flatten. To use: Create a new blank layer at the top of the layers stack, then press together Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E.

10. CROP - almost everybody needs more Crop. The great photographer Robert Capa once said,  "If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough."  Well, if at the Photoshop editing stage, there isn't anything we can do to physically get closer to our subject, but we can simulate the effect of closeness by zooming in. Compose your photo using the Rule of Thirds and the CROP tool to get rid of any elements that distract from the story your photo was supposed to tell.

That was a long post, but hopefully helpful.

At the risk of running on, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that from now (11/9/2010) until December 24th the beloved PHOTOSHOP RECIPE CARD books will be shipped in their very own FREE GIFT BOX!

So whether you order for yourself, or for that special shutterbug on your Christmas List, these cards will make a wonderful holiday gift. Just click on the link here > PHOTOSHOP RECIPE CARDS< or the RECIPE CARD ad at the top right.

In my next post, I'll show you how I created that crazy word graphic above in less than 30 seconds!

Robert Schwarztrauber

Yesterday I promised if you stayed tuned I'd have a great Photoshop deal for you.

Shane Goldberg, an expert Photoshop teacher,
sent me an email the other day I knew I'd
have to share with everyone.

Rather than drone on, he's given me permission
to share that email with my readers here...
================================
Hi Bob,

I need your help.

I've got 600 Photoshop Elements Training DVD's in my garage.
I HAVE to get rid of them (for a number of reasons) NOW!!!

They were selling for $89.95 but they're getting older now
and there's new versions of Elements out now etc.

Anyway, here's the link it's directly to Paypal.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MWEBZDCDCEQF6

I want you to have one even if you don't own Elements as
there are 85+ video tutorials on there, practice images
and the DVD is a GREAT Christmas present! (it's shrink wrapped
and professionally produced)

So for $10 that will cover my shipping and you get yourself
a killer DVD for yourself or someone special ;)
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MWEBZDCDCEQF6

Have a great day, Hope you can help me out!

Thanks heaps,
Shane
PhotoshopZoo.com

p.s. You can order as many as you want, i've got stacks of them!

p.p.s if you have any questions let me know shane@photoshopzoo.com
=======================================================
He says...

This DVD includes...

85+ Awesome Video tutorials on everything from:

    * Organizing & Tagging your photos
    * The Tool palette (all about the tools!)
    * Tips, Tricks & more cool stuff
    * Color - Hue & Saturation (color adjustments)! Very cool
    * Layers, Layer Masks etc.
    * Digital Photo Editing
    * Cool Effects in Elements
    * and Productivity Techniques....

That's it over 6 hours of awesome video tutorials
=============================================

Looks like a great deal to me!
I got mine without hesitation.

For $10...how could you go wrong?
You'd have to learn something right?

Just to be upfront, there's nothing in this deal for me.
I have no ties to Shane, monetarily or otherwise, beyond
my respect for his work. I just thought it was a deal
that was too good for any Photoshop student (and aren't
we all really?) to pass up.

But, he's movin' them out before his wife does
it for him. So this offer won't last long.

Stretch your ten dollars and get this DVD.
Here's the link once more:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MWEBZDCDCEQF6

by Robert Schwarztrauber

Stretching for Elements Users

Stay tuned...

I'm planning something big for my oft neglected Elements users.
If all goes well you'll be very happy with me by the end of this week.

If all doesn't go well, at least you'll know I tried.
I'm thinking about you.

============================================
While you're waiting, I hope (if you haven't already)
you'll take a couple minutes to help me with
my research project on the effects of Photography
on those who do it.

It's a simple 10 question, multiple choice survey.
It's completely anonymous.
No names. No emails. No offers.
Pure and simple research. 10 questions.
And unlike school, no one fails.

Why not take a minute (while you're waiting)
to give me your take on Photography?

Here's the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BMG3WNP
===========================================


Thanks and Stay tuned!

Control Your Photoshop

I still remember the joy I felt
when I realized that I finally "got it".

After months of frustration,
opening then just as suddenly
closing Photoshop, in a huff
because I couldn't figure out
how to make it work,
the day finally came when
I could edit a photo.
Poorly at first. But my
learning curve rose sharply
from there.

Control had shifted. Now I was in control!

And so today I bring you some of my favorite
CONTROL keyboard shortcuts
to help you tame the Photoshop beast.

And, I'll show you where to get a PDF list of
all the Photoshop keyboard shortcut commands
for your system.

And, If you haven't yet contributed to my
research study on what photography means
to you, I'll give you that link again. It will help
me tailor my messages and tips to your desires.

So first, here are my favorite "Control Freak"
keyboard shortcuts...

Ctrl-J  Duplicate the current layer
Ctrl-E Merge your current layer to the one
            directly below (merge down)
Ctrl-H Stop those "ants" from marching
            Repeat to make them start again
Ctrl-Z Undo your last command
Ctrl +  Zoom in
Ctr l-   Zoom out
Ctrl- Left mouse click on Layer Thumbnail
         (creates a selection of the entire layer
          with marching ants and everything!)
Ctrl-  Click on create New Layer icon to
         put your new layer BELOW the current one
Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E  Create a new layer then use this to
                          Merge all active layers together
                          (it's like flatten all layers but the individual
                           layers are preserved so you can still
                           go back and make changes if you wish.)

Well, that should help you take control and gain some speed
in your editing.

======================================

I hope you can help me in my research, The results
have been very interesting so far. It's just 10 simple
multiple choice questions in an anonymous online survey
hosted by SurveyMonkey. I'll be sharing my findings
here in a later post so make your thoughts known!
Here's the link, it will just take you a minute
and help me a lot...

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BMG3WNP
====================================

Finally, If you want a complete PDF of all the
keyboard shortcuts for:

    * Adobe Photoshop CS4
    * Adobe Photoshop CS3
    * Adobe Photoshop CS2
    * Adobe Photoshop CS
    * Adobe Photoshop 7
    * Adobe Photoshop 6
    * Adobe Photoshop 5
    * Adobe Bridge & Adobe Camera Raw

Go Here:
http://morris-photographics.com/photoshop/shortcuts/index.html

That's it for today!
I hope you took time to complete the survey above.