Searching for someone who is good with ADOBE photoshop CS5.

[Mr Felix]

I am in the "trial" period of the program seeing if it is worth it.

I have a couple of questions on how to do things which I am not sure if/how the program can do.

I've done a bit of looking but to no avail.

Is someone here a guru with it?

[ricktas]

Photoshop is a HUGE program, you will not learn it in a few weeks. I have been using it for years and have no idea how some of the features work. If you are looking for some good tutorials, try www.youtube.com and type in what you want. For example "Photoshop sharpening" and watch the videos. You can pause the video and copy the steps in your own photos.

[kiwi]

I agree, get Kelbys book too

I'd actually ditch cs5 and go with elements anyhow

[Mr Felix]

Thanks. And again I shall say I understand it isn't something I will "pick up" overnight.

I am trying it for 30 days and want to see if I can get my head around it before parting with money to buy a half baked program which won't do what I want.


Indulge me with the question here:

I have a photo. Let's call it "AB" It has A and B in it.
I am looking for a "function"/way that I can seperate the photo into two layers giving me:
Layer A
and
Layer B
That way I can do things with Layer A and not change B. Also do things to B and not change A.

It seems like a pretty simple concept.

I can take "AB" and make a new layer and do a cut function and get A or B, but NOT both A and B on different layers.

[Mr Felix]

Kiwi, thanks.

Is what I am wanting to do possible in Elements?

[ricktas]

anything like you state is possible, but it also isnt a simple thing to do. It's not a matter of click here and separate. Have a look at the Magic Wand tool, it could be what you seek

[kiwi]

Yip, but i dont have elements but id be staggered if basic masking and layers isn't supported in elements which is your essential issue here

So would the free program Some use here called Gimp

With any software you need to start with a basic understanding, get the fundamentals right then undertake continuos learning

I'm quite happy to admit that I hardly use, let alone totally understand masking and layers and i consider myself quite capable at most things photographic

[Mr Felix]

Kiwi,

Yeah. The only reason I am trying that program is that I got a copy of Elements with my 300D and it was ok.

Typically it isn't compatible with the newer 550D.

I am wanting to play with HDR too and I've read that PS is good at going that - with the required update/patch to get the require (there's that word again: REQUIRED) camera raw thingy.

I am kind of more for having a specific program to do a specific thing and don't like putting all my eggs in one basket but alas with the size of the images now if I can get one program to do most things I want - with a bit of future compatibility - it would make my life a bit easier.

Also this thing called windoze is not exactly user friendly and some things conflict with others.

[ricktas]

for HDR photomatix is a much better program than using CS5, well that's my opinion anyway

[Mr Felix]

Rick,

Thanks. I shall keep it in mind. I know I need to keep an open mind with what to use.

As I said - and fair enough you weren't to know - I had an old version of Elements and so just though I would give it a go with the newer version.


Shall look at the Magic wand tool too. I was semi-fixated on the lasoo tool. But that was partly because I was going through the examples in a mag I bought.



Learning all the time.