When I first got into photography, I was thirsty for knowledge. Being the impatient person that I am, I wanted someone to open up my head and pour the information in! I’ve learned a lot the past year by trial and error, but I’ve also utilized a number of great resources, which is why I’m starting this new blog segment, and picking the dorkiest title that came to my head :) This is mainly for photographers who are brand-new to the industry, but past the initial stages of learning how to use their cameras. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share the resources that have worked best for me. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section!
My first “Photo Mojo” will be about Photoshop! The first misconception, though, is that Photoshop should not be used to fix mistakes you could have corrected in-camera. I think a lot of new photographers have this impression that anything can be fixed in Photoshop – color, contrast, exposure, etc, and it can. The problem arises when you are shooting, you know you are making mistakes, and then think, “I’ll fix this in Photoshop later.” I’m guilty of that thinking earlier in my career. And I won’t deny that Photoshop is a great tool. But it’s not self-intuitive. Learning how to edit photos in Photoshop takes a great deal of time, not to mention the actual adjustments you’re making to every photo. So my first suggestions is ALWAYS get it right in-camera, and then use Photoshop to enhance your photos.
I have two books that have a permanent place on my desk whenever I’m in Photoshop. The first is Scott Kelby’s book for my version, CS2:
I picked up this version used off of Amazon because I have a slightly older version of Photoshop. This is my Bible of Photoshop correction! It deals with just about everything you would ever need to know to adjust a photo.
I happen to learn very well through reading, but if you think videos would help you to learn a bit more effectively, check out Adobe TV or Kelby Training . Or there’s always youtube :)
Kevin Kubota’s Digital Photography Bootcamp is another great book, and I especially love it because of the focus on wedding photography and workflow. It’s also a little less overwhelming that Scott Kelby’s book, since the focus is mainly cleaning up and enhancing images. I have saved many of the techniques listed in this book as actions to make my Photoshop adjustments that much easier.
Happy learning!
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May I also add that you are a superb Photoshop tutor?! Yup. Hands down!