Watching & Waiting (Fine Art Photography)

[Rebel]

It seems that you are doing a tedious job Manfred might give you a better answer but I can suggest you the book ' Classroom In a Book' by Adobe. Actually Manfred suggested this book when I started learning PS. It makes you practise on the files which come with the book and you learn this way. But if it is easy for you to learn by watching , I'm afraid I can not suggest you some videos to learn the basics. You can always look at my pinterest page for some tutorials but they are mostly helpful for editing images , not for learning the basics.

Thanks Binnur, it looks a really good book.

I've just ordered it from Amazon

[bnnrcn]

You won't regret ordering it

Thanks Binnur, it looks a really good book.

I've just ordered it from Amazon

[FootLoose]

I definitely need to learn about layer masks etc, do you know of any good tutorials available online?

The best source I have found is Aaron Nace http://phlearn.com/photoshop Try navigating to the earliest pages and working through the tutes that appeal to you. Then go back and do the rest there is something to learn in them all. And FWIW, the pro tutorials (that you pay for) offer a lot more and imho are worth the outlay. You may not be into compositing but he certainly knows all the tricks and is very good at explaining how to use PS.

[Rebel]

The best source I have found is Aaron Nace http://phlearn.com/photoshop Try navigating to the earliest pages and working through the tutes that appeal to you. Then go back and do the rest there is something to learn in them all. And FWIW, the pro tutorials (that you pay for) offer a lot more and imho are worth the outlay. You may not be into compositing but he certainly knows all the tricks and is very good at explaining how to use PS.

Thanks Greg I'll take a look.

[pnodrog]

Adobe TV has numerous tutorials. Some use features that are specific to CC but in general the approach is usually applicable to CS4 and later.

This is a link that may be of interest. https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/ho...--fundamentals It is aimed at the graphics design use of photoshop but it is still relevant.

The second video is probably more what you are after. However there are lots of videos available on all sorts of Adobe products. Just search the site.

[Manfred M]

I'm afraid I have no online videos I can refer you to. You might want to consider picking up Katrin Eismann's book "Photoshop Masking and Compositing". This is what I used to get started in developing my workflow / technique.


http://www.photoshopmasking.com/

The other thing you might want to consider getting sometime is a Wacom tablet. I've been using one for years and makes detailed retouching and compositing a lot easier. The only thing I will suggest is that the learning curve is very steep and frustrating, but once you "get it", you'll wonder how you ever did without one.

I used the Intuos 3 for years and recently upgraded to the Wacom Pro Small.

http://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/...tuos-pro-small


All I can say is that you are doing things the hard way.

The book that Binnur suggest is very much an introductory book to Photoshop and based on your work, you are well beyond much of what it covers.

[bnnrcn]

I Googled the book Manfred Suggested and also looked at the rewievs about it in Amazon. it seems to be a book for intermediate and advanced users and I think it mainly concentrates on compositing images. Considering that you study art , it might be a very useful book for you. The book I suggested can be useful for everyone who deals with photoshop, one can look at it from time to time to remember some points needed.

[Rebel]

I'm afraid I have no online videos I can refer you to. You might want to consider picking up Katrin Eismann's book "Photoshop Masking and Compositing". This is what I used to get started in developing my workflow / technique.


http://www.photoshopmasking.com/

The other thing you might want to consider getting sometime is a Wacom tablet. I've been using one for years and makes detailed retouching and compositing a lot easier. The only thing I will suggest is that the learning curve is very steep and frustrating, but once you "get it", you'll wonder how you ever did without one.

I used the Intuos 3 for years and recently upgraded to the Wacom Pro Small.

http://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/...tuos-pro-small


All I can say is that you are doing things the hard way.

The book that Binnur suggest is very much an introductory book to Photoshop and based on your work, you are well beyond much of what it covers.

Cheers Manfred I'm definitely due to purchase the tablet

[pnodrog]

Matt just curious - What is your definition of "Fine Art Photography"?

I see the term used often but I am not really sure what it is. Will google it out of interest.

P.S. Just googled "Fine Art Photography" It seems to have a wide variety of rather vague definitions.

[Rebel]

Matt just curious - What is your definition of "Fine Art Photography"?

I see the term used often but I am not really sure what it is. Will google it out of interest.

P.S. Just googled "Fine Art Photography" It seems to have a wide variety of rather vague definitions.

I think this quote from Wikipedia and The Art & Architecture Thesaurus defines it well for me...

"Fine art photography is photography created in accordance with the vision of the artist as photographer."

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus states that "fine art photography" (preferred term) or "art photography" or "artistic photography" is "the movement in England and the United States, from around 1890 into the early 20th century, which promoted various aesthetic approaches. Historically, has sometimes been applied to any photography whose intention is aesthetic, as distinguished from scientific, commercial, or journalistic; for this meaning, use 'photography'"

[pnodrog]

I think this quote from Wikipedia and The Art & Architecture Thesaurus defines it well for me...

"Fine art photography is photography created in accordance with the vision of the artist as photographer."

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus states that "fine art photography" (preferred term) or "art photography" or "artistic photography" is "the movement in England and the United States, from around 1890 into the early 20th century, which promoted various aesthetic approaches. Historically, has sometimes been applied to any photography whose intention is aesthetic, as distinguished from scientific, commercial, or journalistic; for this meaning, use 'photography'"

It is only the last 10 years or so the term seems to have gained in popularity. In the eighties and nineties "Pictorial or Pictorialism" were terms used to try and elevate photography so it is accepted as an art form or at least differential it from more practical or commercial uses for photography. "Fine Art" and "Pictorial" are slightly different but I think both terms are primarily used in an attempt to gain more importance of photography as an art form. Photography obviously is an art form and it is a pity it struggles to get the recognition it deserves.

[John 2]

Hi Matt. Love the composition. Not sure about the treatment. Learning how to use masks is the best investment in time that you will ever make and its a bit like a language, once you get past a certain point, you will think masks and start to do things that won't need a book. On line tutorials were my route into the subject but I'm sure that the recommended books will be equally good.

I suspect the ghosting is down to the fact that you have selected the figure, copied it, blurred the BG and then re pasted the figure back onto the blurred result. If so, the problem is that when you blur an image it spreads and so the original figure is larger than the sharper re pasted figure. You can avoid this by cutting rather than copying the figure, blur the BG then clone around the edges of the resulting blurred hole to extend the blurred edges inwards. Then paste the sharp figure back in place. You will probably find that because you have carried out some intermediate PP, the figure will be repasted back on the centre of the image rather than its original position but being a layer, the move tool will sort that out. Hope that's useful.