Ten Basic Photoshop Skills - Must have ??

[PhotoJourno]

Hi all, I was thinking about collectively building a Photoshop Tutorial, with the 10 most basic and useful features it can provide new users, who want to get their hands dirty with Post Processing.

Can you post what 10 (or however many you can think of, not more than 10) skills are a MUST when working with photoshop?... Those posted the most, or the ones everyone agrees to, then would be the 10 topics (nothing fancy, just the basics for new forum users or anyone new to Photoshop who wants to improve their photos).

Think about those skills that can help anyone improve their photos. If you were new to Photoshop, what do you wish you knew then, that you know now?

[danpass]

lets find out :mrgreen:

[PhotoJourno]

For me, it's something like this: (Imagine if we could come up with something that becomes a Stickie !!).

1- Photoshop Workspace (zooming, layering)
2- Auto Levels, Brightness & Contrast
3- Saturation and Tint
4- Filters: Sharpening and Noise Reduction
5- Photo size and resolution. Resizing, Framing an image.
6- Healing Brush and Cloning
7- Masking
8- Exporting and Saving, psd, tiff, png, etc.
9- ??
10- ??

[In2Photos]

While I think this might become a great thread and possibly a sticky let me direct everyone to one of our members' sites with wonderful tutorials:

http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

[JoeW]

Okay, not sure if this is what you're looking for, but these are the things I use most often in photoshop (not in any particular order)
1. Shadow/Highlight
2. Layer Masks (Adjustment layers like levels, curves...)
3. Levels
4. Hue/Saturation (knowing how much without overusing)
5. correct bicubic sampling when up-sizing AND when downsizing
6. Actions--don't use this every day, but it is a good thing to know how to set these up when you have multiple photos
7. Cloning tools (healing, spot healing, and good old clone)
8. straightening, stretching to correct for distortion, etc
9. ?
10.?

[Ephemeral]

You've got most of what I'd put down, but for me, I also use a little liquify and lens distortion correction.

[adam75south]

if we're talking about basics....then i'd say.
1. learn what the histogram represents and keep an eye on it.
1.5 learn how to use the zoom tool and hold space to move the image around.
2. levels
3. smart sharpen
4. clone tools(clone, healing, patch tool)
5. selection tools(and modifying your selections..feathering, smooth, expand, etc)
6. hue/saturation
7. save as and save for web and the differences
8. learn how to make and use actions
9. crop
10. resize

this is my basic list..for advanced stuff, i'd add layers, blend modes, masking, channels, and all that stuff.

[chris_m_atl]

All of the above.

Also, if any of your images are intended for print in a publication, it's a MUST to learn how to work with CMYK. And at least a basic knowledge of the Press Plate to Paper process. Otherwise you could end up with a black splatter for a photograph...

[neil_r]

Layer Masks are a must

[aaronpass]

1. Establishing a good workflow! cant believe this isnt on the top of eveyones list.
2. Layer Masks
3. Color Correction
4. Healing Brush
5. Cutting out objects
6. Levels or Curves
7. File Types
8. Black and White conversion
9. Resizing
10. Sharpening

[Longwatcher]

Lets see what I come up with
- Using and building Actions
- Using layers
- Spot Heal, Heal, Clone, and patch tools to correct blemishes.
- Adobe Camera Raw (especially the new 4.1? version)
- Unsharp Mask
- The fine art fo cutting out a subject from background.
- using the new CS3 convert to B+W feature

That about covers everything above the very very basic level of cutting, pasting, resizing, and contrast/brightness/levels.

[howzitboy]

1. color correcting image
2. contrast correction/adjustments
3. touch up ie. remove small things that dont belong like pimples, dust spots, scratches
4. brightness/darnkess adjustments
5. turning shot b/w, sepia or what eve
6. sharpening and image
7. resizing or changing image save as (jpg, gif, tiff etc)
8. combing images
9 and 10, cant think of any more lol

[strmrdr]

1- Photoshop Workspace (zooming, layering)
2- Auto Levels, Brightness & Contrast
3- Saturation and Tint
4- Filters: Sharpening and Noise Reduction
5- Photo size and resolution. Resizing, Framing an image.
6- Healing Brush and Cloning
7- Masking
8- Exporting and Saving, psd, tiff, png, etc.
..................
9- layers and none destructive editing
10-color profiles for the web and for printing

[MaDProFF]

1/ Shadow / Highlights
2/ Sharpening your photo, various technics using different ways
3/ What order of process to carry out pp
4/ Learning ways to make a work flow or automating certain jobs like cropping, sharpening, chaing exposure etc. adding Copyright (something that is my next job with PS.
5/ Ways to go from color to B&W images, and then add some color back
6/ To try and enhance certain colors in your picture with out effecting others
7/ Learning to add picture, copyright, info, and the picture data for others to view
8/ Learning about color profiles from camera to PP to printing
9/ Working with levels and Curves, Brightness and Contrast
10/ Last and not least setting up your monitor

Not in this order, but what I need to learn, or have asked about on these forums :) well asked for some, I need to learn out the others

[PhotoJourno]

Ok, so now that we have pretty much of a concesus of which skills are vital to learn in order to be a beginner PHotoshop user (say open a regular photo, and save it later in better shape than it was originally open).

Which of these are most important?
Can you prioritize ? Where would you start?...

[lnterestlng]

Keyboard shortcuts. If you are going to do anyhting in volume you must know the shortcuts.

I say the thing that is most foreign, and therefore most important, to new users is the concept of layers and masking. Next, I say adjustment layers and other NON-destructive editing. Last Learn how to save for each different medium.

A BIG problem I see around here is lack of moderation in Post Processing. Things like oversharpening, blind action application, etc...

Maybe I'm getting too ahead of the topic. My number one is learn the program, it's workspace, where everything is located(even if you don't know how to use it). If you know where something is and how to access it then you can at least get by.

[PhotoJourno]

Kbd Shortcuts, thanks for adding that. It took me forever to learn what the use of the SPACE key alone did. It changed the whole way I worked thereafter.

[Palladium]

I can't believe no one had this

NUMBER 1: Backup up your original unedited images first - either RAW or JPEG's

[PhotoJourno]

uhhh, nice !!..

[S.Horton]

While I think this might become a great thread and possibly a sticky let me direct everyone to one of our members' sites with wonderful tutorials:

http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

WOW. Thx for the pointer there!

[redone]

AS a noob to both photography and photoshop, i am watching this thread with great interest.

Any chance that peeps could give a little explanation as to why they feel certain skills are most vital, nothing long but a short note would allow me (and hopefully others) to be able to pick which ones we need to learn first and incorporate into our workflow.

[chris.bailey]

This is a good idea but I think we all have slightly different priorities and probably different ways of doing things.

My priorities would be -

1) Develop a backup routing that is simple enough that you actually use it and gives the level of security that the worth of your photos dictates.
2) Develop a directory structure that works for you and stick to it.
3) Use of ACR
5) Use of layers for corrections
6) Levels, Curves and White Balance corrections
7) Composition cropping and straigtening horizons
8) Making selections and use of layer masks for selective application of corrections
9) Use of clone tool for spotting
10 ) Knowing alternative methods for sharpening and when each works best.

[MaDProFF]

I agree we have different priorities because we all have a different level of some understanding to PS

I have used it for years, for various jobs, but never so much of late with photography, and did not relise so many use PP with photographs for sure and just a small amount of time will improve every picture.
My one I want to learn today, is can I make a copyright sig, that I ca nsave as a layer or some form of script so I can add same sig and then move it to where i want it on the picture, sort of looked at doing it, but not seen how :(
Perhaps 2 lists once for the ultimate beginner, and the other for say intermediate?

[howzitboy]

Ok, so now that we have pretty much of a concesus of which skills are vital to learn in order to be a beginner PHotoshop user (say open a regular photo, and save it later in better shape than it was originally open).

Which of these are most important?
Can you prioritize ? Where would you start?...

first id say is to set black and white. from right there you've fixed half of your pictures problems. Id always do this first so u can see what the other problems even look like.

second would be brightness/darkness because very easy to fix.
third color balance, harder then the above 2 but turns blah picture into wow.

[PhotoJourno]

I like that order , makes sense to me.

[Ray Marrero]

How about:
1. Layers
2. Masks
3. Levels
4. Curves
5. Sharpening
6. Skin softening
7. Selecting
8. Saving (File management)
9. Resizing
10. Converting to B&W

[PhotoJourno]

How about:
1. Layers
2. Masks
3. Levels
4. Curves
5. Sharpening
6. Skin softening
7. Selecting
8. Saving (File management)
9. Resizing
10. Converting to B&W


How does this sound, everyone ??

[In2Photos]

How does this sound, everyone ??
How about:
1. Levels
2. Curves
3. Layers
4. Masks
5. Sharpening
6. Color Correction (Hue/Saturation)
7. Resizing and Saving (File management)
8. Skin softening/Spot repair
9. Selecting
10. Converting to B&W