Todays Project: Using Gradients and Overlays

Today, we are going to learn about gradients and overlays in Photoshop. Download the two files below and we'll do the project together at first. Then you'll be able to pick your own graphic either of your own or off the Internet and do it yourself. Download the two files below and we'll get started!

Check Out This Great Visual Aid

Check out this chart below. We haven't learned white balance or metering yet, but the upper half is great information pertaining to what we've learned so far.

An Army of One

New project! In this project, you will be using a digital camera and Adobe Photoshop to take several pictures of yourself and place them in the same document. Remember to keep the tripod in the exact same place!

This project is due at the end of class on Wednesday, December 10th.

Today we are going to retouch both models below. Download the files and use the skills we learned in Photoshop to make them both look "magazine ready". This project will be graded on hoqw realistic we keep the quality of the image. All blemishes should be removed and there should be no wavy edges. (40 pts.)

Fashion Photography, Modeling and the Effects That Photoshopped Pictures Have on the Body Image of the American Public

Today's class was great! We started off talking about the effects that digitally manipulated photos can have on our body images. After the introduction, we began by watching 3 videos featured below.

After watching these videos, we spoke about the benefits that this sort of image manipulation can produce for businesses and marketing agencies. We also spoke about the negative effects that it can have on people's self image. After that, we fielded questions from the class and also heard lots of great opinions about the topic.

During the last part of the class, we learned how to create some of these effects in Photoshop. The three tools that we used today were the spot healing brush, the clone stamp tool, and the liquefy filter. 

The pictures below are of a model named Kelly Brook. The first photo is shown before any manipulation was performed with Photoshop. The second photo is what we had when we were done the demonstration. Most of the work we did consisted of removing any blemishes or wrinkles from her skin, making her arms thinner, making her legs thinner, tightening up her waist, straightening out her bathing suit bottom and lifting and decreasing the size of her top. These are all actions that would be performed when preparing a photo to be placed in an ad. If you click on the photos, you can see them in a larger size and also flip back-and-forth to see the before and after effects a little more dramatically.

Adding A Shadow To Your Stock Photos

 Today we are going to learn how to add a shadow to your stock photos. We will do this for two of our stock photos;  the one that was taken with the light source on the left and the one that was taken with the light source on the right. Below are two pictures. The top picture is a "before" picture and the bottom picture is an "after" picture. In between the two are some basic instructions. These are brief instructions and you will need to use some of your existing Photoshop experience, but it's definitely enough to get you started. Finally, there is a video posted at the bottom. Watch it and enjoy.

1. Take your image and open it in Photoshop
2. Create 2 duplicate layers of the background. Label 1 of them "shadow" and the other one "object".
3. Remove the white around from around the "object" layer.
4. Desaturate the "shadow" layer.
5. Add a gaussian blur to the "shadow" layer.
6. Move the "shadow" layer slightly to the right and down if the light source is coming from the left. Do the opposite if the light source is coming from the right.
7. Paint white over any leftover sections near the sides and top portion of the "shadow" layer.

This exercise is all about using layers, so be aware of what layers are selected while you are working.

When you are done, save your 2 photos as JPEG files and I will come around and grade them all at once on Wednesday. (40 pts.)

How To Add A Shadow In Photoshop from Michael Pagliara on Vimeo.

It's The GIMP!

Okay, so it's not called "The" GIMP, it's just called "GIMP". GIMP is a free photo editing piece of software. Photoshop currently costs $10/month. This isn't bad if yo have a business and make money off of your work, but if you're a student or hobbyist, you might want something you can use for free. GIMP works differently than Photoshop, but you should be able to figure it out if you spend a little time on it. You can download GIMP here. Also, if you need to finish a project at home, this is a great way to do it using free software.