Photoshop User June 2017
Photoshop User June 2017
Photoshop User June 2017
PHOTOSHOP
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Adding finishing effects
to your images will have
your clients screaming
for more
to his Photoshop toolbox for finishing his composites. From custom brushes to layer styles to
HDR Toning, these special effects will help unify the elements in your composites and add that
wow factor that will impress your clients and viewers. More importantly, these techniques are a
springboard for you to experiment and come up with your own amazing finishing touches.
Adobe Stock/RUSLAN SOLNTSEV
[020] [032]
HOW TO
DEPARTMENTS
[007]
A NOTE FROM SCOTT
[020] DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
A Few Finishing Tricks to Get that Movie Poster Look
[009]
CONTRIBUTORS [032] DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
Craft Your Own Set of Energy Wings
[010]
BENEFIT SPOTLIGHT [044] BEGINNERS WORKSHOP
Removing Distracting Objects
[112]
FROM THE HELP DESK
COLUMNS
[064] PHOTOSHOP PROVING GROUND
Using the Displacement Map for Particle Effects
Click this symbol in the nav bar at the top [110] BOOK REVIEWS
of the online reader to access the Contents. Reviews of Photoshop and Photography Books
David Williams
Kristina Sherk
[050] [058]
KelbyOne Members
Receive Exclusive Discounts
The
Professionals
Source
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Speak to a Sales Associate
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FROM THE EDITOR
Kalebra Kelby
the best reading app I have used!
I wish I could take the credit, but it was
Chris Main and Erik Kuna who worked to
make this app a reality, and then take it further than any details as we get closer. Congratulations, Melanie! We
of us imagined it could go. But we actually have more app cant wait to share your wonderful work with the world.
news: The all-new, from-the-ground-up version of our One more thing, and then Ill let you get to the mag. If
other app. (Yes, we have two appsone for reading the youre not visiting the KelbyOne Insider blog (the link is in
mags, and one that lets you take KelbyOne courses offline your dashboard), youre missing out on lots of cool stuff.
so you can watch them when you dont have Internet One thing thats really resonating with our members is our
access, or really slow access, like when youre on a flight.) Member Challengesyou have to check it out on the site
Well, weve been testing the new app internally (and yes, (go to page 12 to learn even more). While youre on the
its for iPhone and Android), and its stable enough to site, check out the latest member discount from Macphun.
start having beta testers look at it. They just added a 15% discount on their Luminar plug-in
To find beta testers, were looking to the awesome (thats what Ive been using since my Nik Collection started
members involved in the KelbyOne Community section to die, which has been happening to a lot of folks lately).
of the website. These folks (the most helpful folks in the Sadly, Google announced that they wouldnt be updating
world) are totally engaged with their membership and us, the software any longer for people who cant get it to work.
and I know theyll put this baby through its paces in a In short, its dead, but I have a new class on how to use
big way before the full release to the membership. So if Luminar coming out at the end of June, so you can make
youre an active member of the Community, keep an eye an easy-and-painless jump from the old to the new.
out for your beta release invite for the new KelbyOne app. Whew, thats a lot of stuff, and Ill have a whole lot
In other news, were very, very excited to once again more next issue. In the meantime, thanks to everyone who
announce the winner of our contest where one talented tells their friends about KelbyOne, who gives us a shoutout
KelbyOne member (and a guest) will be flown to Flor- on social, or is active in the Community. You guys rock!
ida for her own solo gallery showing at The Gallery at Now you can check out the magits a pretty good one. ;-)
KelbyOne. We had members enter from all over the
world, and Im thrilled to announce that our winner is All my best,
KelbyOne member Melanie Kern-Favilla. Her stunning
images of flowers absolutely captivated the judges, and
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF
EDITORIAL:
Scott Kelby, Editor-in-Chief
Chris Main, Managing Editor
Kim Doty, Associate Editor
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Corey Barker Peter Bauer Bruce Bicknell Dave Clayton
Michael Corsentino Kirk Nelson Kristina Sherk Colin Smith
Lesa Snider Scott Valentine Erik Vlietinck Jake Widman
David Williams
GRAPHICS:
Jessica Maldonado, Art Director
Margie Rosenstein, Senior Graphic Designer
Angela Naymick, Senior Web/Graphic Designer
MARKETING:
Adam Blinzler Jacque Johnson Rachel Scott Kleber Stephenson
Melissa White
WEB:
Adam Frick Curt Husting Yojance Rabelo Aaron Westgate
PUBLISHING:
Scott Kelby, Publisher
Kalebra Kelby, Executive V.P.
Jean A. Kendra, Business Manager
ADVERTISING:
Jeanne Jilleba, Advertising Coordinator 800-201-7323 ext. 152
PETERBAUER COLINSMITH
is an Adobe Certified Expert that does computer graphics con- is an award-winning digital artist, photographer, and lecturer
sulting for a select group of corporate clients. His latest book is who has authored 19 books and has created a series of training
Photoshop CC for Dummies. He was inducted into the Photoshop videos. Colin is also the founder of the online resource
Hall of Fame in 2010. PhotoshopCAFE.com and president of Software-Cinema.com.
BRUCEBICKNELL LESASNIDER
is the founder of Digital Blue Productions. He has been an is the author of Adobe Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC for
instructor on Adobes in-box training, and is an instructor at Photographers: Classroom in a Book (2016), Photoshop CC: The Miss-
Sessions.edu. His clients include Time Inc., NFSTC, DTCC, and ing Manual, TheSkinnyBooks.com, more than 40 video courses,
magazines that include People and National Geographic.. and the Creaticity column for Macworld.
DAVECLAYTON SCOTTVALENTINE
is a KelbyOne instructor, designer, and creative specialist with is a member of Adobes prerelease team, an Adobe Community
more than 30 years experience. He specializes in creating brand- Professional, and Photoshop author. His books include The
ing projects and logos and has been published by Peachpit and Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers and The Hidden Power of Blend
KelbyOne. Hes also an Adobe Influencer and ACA in InDesign. Modes (both by Adobe Press). Keep up with him at scoxel.com.
MICHAELCORSENTINO ERIKVLIETNICK
is an award-winning wedding and portrait photographer, founded IT Enquirer in 1999. A J.D. by education, Erik has been
Photoshop and Lightroom expert, author, columnist for Shutter a freelance technology editor for more than 22 years. He has
Magazine and Resource Magazine, and speaker and international written for Macworld, Computer Arts, and many others. He also
workshop leader. Learn more at www.michaelcorsentino.com. contributes to UK-based Red Shark News and Red Shark Sound.
KIRKNELSON JAKEWIDMAN
is a professional graphics artist in the Washington, D.C., area. He is a writer and editor who lives in San Francisco. Hes been
has a B.A. from George Mason University and is an Adobe Certified covering the intersection of computers and graphic design for
Expert in Photoshop. Kirks career has touched on a broad range of about 25 years nowsince back when it was called desktop
subjects from logo design to animation. He can be reached here. publishing and Photoshop was just a piece of scanning software.
KRISTINASHERK DAVIDWILLIAMS
is a high-end retoucher based in D.C. and has worked for clients is a well-seasoned, UK-based travel photographer with interna-
such as Time Inc. and Hasselblad. She loves translating Photoshop tionally published work and a passion for sharing his knowledge
for people and has written for Shutter Magazine, as well as authored of Adobe software. Dave lives by the mantra, Lend me your
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
KelbyOne courses and PhotoshopCAFEs Fashion Retouching DVD. eyes and Ill show you what I see.
[09]
> Benefit Spotlight
We recently released KelbyOne Mags for both iOS and suggestions about the magazines, online courses, or any-
Android devices. This new app is perfect for reading Photo- thing to do with photography, Photoshop, or Lightroom?
shop User and Lightroom Magazine on the go. And the library Visit the Community and start interacting with other mem-
is stocked with back issues. Photoshop User goes all the way bers, instructors, and writers. There are tons of people there
back to January 2014, and the entire collection of Lightroom ready to help. Plus, you can access the new KelbyOne
Magazine is available in the app. Thats more than 60 issues. Insider. This blog is for members only and will keep you up
If youre on a Wi-Fi or cellular network, just tap the cover to date on everything going on at KelbyOne.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
of the issue you want to read and start reading. If you know And finally, you can access our Facebook and Twitter
youre going to be somewhere without an Internet connec- feeds directly in the app to give you even more ways to
tion, download a few issues directly in the app, and then interact with KelbyOne. You can find out more about the
you can read them offline! (We highly recommend that you app right here on the Insider. We also have a dedicated
download issues over Wi-Fi, unless you have unlimited data.) topic for the app on the Community. So go ahead and
But thats not all. The app also gives you instant access download KelbyOne Mags today and visit the Community
to the KelbyOne Community. Have questions, comments, or to let us know what you think.
[10]
#KelbyOneBooks
RACHELSCOTT & DAVECLAYTON
> KelbyOne Community
Inspiration, information, and member musings to fuel your creativity
Ready for a Member Challenge? In Member Challenge 3, we asked members to sub-
Weve always known our members are talented, but mit their best wildlife images, and once again, we were
when the Gallery at KelbyOne slammed that message impressed by the number of amazing images that poured
home with countless incredible bodies of work, we in. It really does make it tough to pick a winner. This time
decided we had to do something more to show off around, Doreen Lawrence took the top spot. Check out
your work. So what did we come up with? Weekly Mem- the Community to see all the great submissions, and the
ber Challenges! Insider to see the announcement of the winning image.
Whats a Member Challenge? Its a mini-contest
thats announced via both the Insider and the Com-
munity. In those posts, we pick a topic or theme with
which to challenge our members. Member Challenge 1
consisted of landscapes. We asked our membersthats
you guysto submit their very best landscape photo-
graphs (only one entry per person). And boy did you
deliver! Our first winner was Scott Chandler with this
beautiful shot of the Moeraki Boulders at sunrise in New
Zealand. Heres the link to the Insider post announcing
the winning image.
The Grid. Scott and Rob discussed what it takes to get paid
as a photographer. So if you want to start making some
cash with your work, you need to watch that episode.
Reason #2: Rob was filming two new sports photography
classes for KelbyOnefeel free to jump out of your seat
and do the wave!
To see some of Robs work, visit his website, Rob Foldy
Photography. You can also get to know Rob on Twitter,
[1 2 ] Facebook, and Instagram.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT >> BRIAN RODGERS JR.
MEMBER SINCE 2008
Please tell us a bit more about yourself and what Who or what inspires you?
made you start in photography? A great source of inspiration are painters and artists from ear-
From my youth I was always creative, and at the same time inter- lier centuries, such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Lawrence
ested in technical stuff. I did mostly painting, as at that time, Alma-Tadema, and Picasso, as well as modern artists, such as
I had no computer or Photoshop. At the age of 15, I got my first Gottfried Helnwein and other hyper-realistic painters. I learned
camera and I liked it instantly. Its a combination of technique and a lot from fellow photographers, especially Bernhard Moestl
vision, and I got a result quicker than in a slow painting process. and Stefan Gesell. Additionally, literature and movies about
Dont ask me why, but at that time photography wasnt on science fiction, fantasy, and comics!
my radar as an occupation. After my bachelors degree, I started
aviation training, and today Im captain of an Airbus 320 flying You seem to enjoy the compositing side of your
in Europe. I did take photos nevertheless, and photography in a work. Do you shoot your own backgrounds?
professional way became interesting in my mid-thirties. At one A good part of my work is collecting backgrounds, textures,
point I was bored with the normal stuff and was keen in going and the like. Whenever I come across some useful stuff, I take
a new and different way, covering subjects that arent every- images of it.
day. My entry into that field was to cover the Special Operations
Unit COBRA, the Austrian Police Special Forces, publishing What kit do you use and what is on your wishlist?
a photo book about them. That led to the Jagdkommando, My first camera was a Canon AE-1 and Ive been using Canon
the Austrian Army Special Forces. Next came Kommando for the last decade, currently owning a D5 Mark III and a 1D X.
Spezialkrfte of the German Army. Recently, I bought a Fuji X-T20 and havent touched my
Canon gear since that day. The Fuji is like my old Canon,
but with the modern technology of today. Now Im seriously
You have a quote on your website that reads
considering a transition to Fuji with the Fuji GFX on top of
Make Visible What, Without You, Might Perhaps
my wishlist.
Never Have Been Seen. What made you start
experimenting with fantasy style images?
My first fantasy style image was Vampires. At that time I was Whats your history with KelbyOne, and what advice
covering actionSpecial Forces, sports, and music. I loved that would you give to anyone who isnt a member?
and still do, but I was looking for something new and different. About 12 years ago I got a Canon D20 and the logical con-
Nowadays, were flooded with zillions of images every day, which sequence was to start using Photoshop. With no knowledge
we rarely look at consciously or remember later on. I wanted to at all, it was a difficult trial-and-error process. Then I came
create images that stand out, catch you off guard, make you stop across Scott Kelbys The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital
and engage. Photographers and that was a game-changer for me. Other
books followed, as well, such as Light It, Shoot It, Retouch
It; Photoshop Classic Effects; Photoshop Killer Tips; and
Where does the idea start for a new project, Photoshop Down & Dirty Tricks. I wish every teacher had the
and do you aim for one image or a series? ability to teach his students like Scott does. He shows you in
Every shoot has a theme, mostly surreal, dark art. Around that
a simple, but effective way how to achieve something. If my
theme the models come up with ideas, outfits, and stylings, and
teachers had been like him, I suppose Id be a little rocket-
I add my input and stuff I have available. I always make a series
science-Nobel-Prize genius. So it was just a matter of time
of imagesdifferent poses and angles, with and without
to sign up with KelbyOne and suck up the different courses
accessories, etc.to cover all corners. Then I have the essential
like a nerd.
flexibility in the postprocessing part.
My advice for others is: Go for it! Look in your heart,
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
[16]
HEARD ON THE TWEET
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
[17]
Here Are Your Late
Every week, we publish at least one new training c
Deconstructing Design
in Photoshop
Take inspiration from good design and make it your own. Join Dave Clayton as he demonstrates in
Photoshop how you can start with an existing design and build on top of it to make something completely
unique, as a tool to help you learn and improve your craft. Learn how to find inspiration, extract from PDFs,
[18] add vector images, work with templates, as well as tips and techniques for adding all the final touches.
est Online Courses
course. Check out these brand-new courses below:
Photograph your kids sports like a pro! Join Rob Foldy, professional sports photographer, as he teaches
you the basic photographic principles that will make your subjects proud. Rob shows you how to configure
your camera for the best results. Youll also learn the importance of storytelling and how being prepared
before you go to the game will help you take your photographs to the next level. [19]
COREYBARKER
A FEW FINISHING
TRICKS TO GET THAT
MOVIE POSTER LOOK
This time around I thought wed revisit a favorite topic of mine,
and thats movie posters. I wanted to show you a few handy
finishing tricks you can add to your own design to get that cool,
gritty, movie poster finish. Well do this by way of a mini project
creating a poster for Sherlock Holmes.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[2 0 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
[2 2 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
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[2 3 ]
HOW TO
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[2 5 ]
HOW TO
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[2 7 ]
HOW TO
[2 8 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
[31]
KIRKNELSON
[3 2 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
Ballet dancer-action
[3 6 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
[3 7 ]
HOW TO
[3 8 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
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[3 9 ]
HOW TO
[40]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
[4 2 ]
DOWN & DIRTY TRICKS
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[43]
LESASNIDER
> BEGINNERS WORKSHOP
REMOVING DISTRACTING OBJECTS
Photoshop excels at removing distracting objects in your photos. If you do the removing on new,
empty layers, you wont harm the photo or bloat your document with a slew of duplicate layers.
In this column, youll use the Patch tool, Clone Stamp, Content-Aware Fill and the Spot Healing Brush to
zap power lines and more.
Step One: Choose File>Open and navigate to the Santorini photo shown here. If youre
starting in Lightroom, select the photo and then choose Photo>Edit In>Adobe Photoshop
CC. Press Shift-Command-N (PC: Shift-Ctrl-N) to create a new layer. In the resulting dialog,
enter power lines as the name and click OK.
[KelbyOne members may download the files used in this tutorial at http://kelbyone
.com/magazine. All files are for personal use only.]
Step Two: Zoom into the photo by pressing Command-+ (PC: Ctrl-+). Press-and-hold the
Spacebar and drag to reposition the photo so you can see the power lines at the upper
right. Activate the Rectangular Marquee tool (M) and drag to draw a rectangular selection
around the top of the power pole and the five power lines.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[4 4 ]
BEGINNERS WORKSHOP
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[45]
HOW TO
Before
[47]
HOW TO
[4 8 ]
BEGINNERS WORKSHOP
Before
After
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[5 5 ]
HOW TO
[5 6 ]
D Y NAM IC R A N G E
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[5 8 ]
RETOUCHING MAGIC
Next, I added depth to the finger area, which I thought OK (the thumbnail in the Layers panel will be gray, but you
needed a little more dimension. For my dodging and burn- wont see gray in the document because its set to Soft Light).
ing, I held the Option (PC: Alt) key while clicking the Create On the dodge and burn layer, I used the Brush tool (B) set to
a New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel to open black with a low opacity to paint over the fingers, gradually
the New Layer dialog. In the dialog, I named this layer dodge adding shadows and highlights. (In the image below left, I
and burn, set the Mode to Soft Light, turned on the option changed the blend mode on the dodge and burn layer from
to Fill with Soft-Light-Neutral Color (50% Gray), and clicked Soft Light to Normal so you can see the brush strokes.)
NORMAL MODES
DARKEN MODES
saturated colors
INVERSION MODES
EXPERIMENTING
WITH BLEND MODES
Next, Im going to play around
with a few adjustments to the
lips using other blend modes to
demonstrate some of the differ-
ent looks you can achieve. First,
I created another merged layer at
the top of the layer stack, added
another new Hue/Saturation
layer, set the Hue to 134 in the
Properties panel, and copied the
lip layer mask as described above
from the rainbow color layer to
this new Hue/Saturation layer.
Now that I have the Hue/Sat- Normal
uration layer set up and masked,
I can play around and see what
happens as I switch between
blend modes. Here are the ones
I used: Normal, Darken, Linear
Dodge (Add), Soft Light, Exclu-
sion, Divide, and Hue. (Note: For
some of them, I played around
with the Blend If sliders in the
Layer Style dialog. The sliders
give you even more control over
how the two layers blend with
each other. To access the Blend
If sliders, double-click to the right
of the Hue/Saturation layers
name in the Layers panel. To split
a slider into two parts, Option- Soft Light
click [PC: Alt-click] it. Splitting
sliders will give you smoother
transitions.) Each of the example
images looks significantly differ-
ent, even though they all have
the same Hue/Saturation layer.
Thats the magic of exploring the
different blend modes.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[6 2 ]
Hue
RETOUCHING MAGIC
Exclusion
Divide
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Darken [6 3 ]
ALL IMAvvvGES ARE BY KRISTINA SHERK
SCOTTVALENTINE
> Photoshop Proving Ground
size of the map; they affect where the map reaches out to
your image for pixels.
250% 100% 200% 300%
from bottom to top. The third channel is not used, which is why its
Adobe Stock/Alexander Y
blue. (Ha ha! Well, I thought it was funny.) Anyway, use the Blue
channel to make notes or sketch boundaries when you get to really
detailed D-maps, but for now well ignore it.
Theres an interesting gotcha using channels, though. Remember
that channels get blended together, so if you paint with pure RGB red
on a regular layer, the Red channel gets pure white, but the Green and
Blue channels get black, and that will affect our D-map! The way around
this is to work directly on each channel independently. If I open a docu-
ment with a single layer filled with 50% gray (see images above), I can
go directly to the Red channel and apply a black to white linear gradient
from right to left, and on the Green channel from bottom to top. The
result will look expanded. Reversing that causes everything to squish.
Im using this dancer from Adobe Stock because it has a relatively uni-
form background and will make things much easier to see. To obtain
the stock image used in this exercise so you can follow along, add
it directly to your Libraries panel (Window>Libraries) by clicking on
the link for the image on the next page. When the Adobe Stock
webpage opens, make sure youre logged in to your Adobe account,
then to the right of the image, youll see the option to Save Preview to
My Library (you can click on My Library to select a different library or
[6 6 ] Original
PHOTOSHOP PROVING GROUND
download option). Click on the cloud-with-an-arrow icon, [KelbyOne members may download the brushes used
and the preview image will automatically be downloaded in this tutorial at http://kelbyone.com/magazine. Simply
to your Libraries panel in Photoshop. Double-click the double-click the .abr file to load the brushes into Photoshop.
image in the Libraries panel to open it. Youll find them at the bottom of the Brush Presets panel
(Window>Brush Presets).]
the dancer
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Step Four: Click on the Red channel and press G to load the Gradient
tool. Click on the gradient preview thumbnail in the Options Bar and
choose the Foreground to Background preset (the first one), and then
choose the Linear Gradient icon in the Options Bar. Press D to set Black/
White as your Foreground/Background colors. Drag from the right edge
of the canvas to the left, which will fill the brushed marks with the gradi-
ent, but wont affect the transparency.
Step Five: Repeat the gradient on the Green channel, but drag from the
lower right to the upper left.
Step Six: Click the RGB composite channel, and check out the colors.
Step Seven: Save this file, which is your map, next to your base image in
the Finder (PC: Windows Explorer). I like to use the same name as the base,
but with _DMap at the end, so Photo.psd becomes Photo_DMap.psd.
Step Eight: Back in the original image of the dancer, turn Step 10: Repeating the same displacement (Control-
off the visibility of the brushed layer by clicking on its Eye Command-F, [PC: Ctrl-Alt-F]) two more times yields the
icon in the Layers panel, and then duplicate the Background Final Variation image above.
layer (Command-J [PC: Ctrl-J]). With the Background copy
active, choose Filter>Distort>Displace. Ensure the Scale per- Some things to note: The process is destructive, so work on
cent values are 100%, and then click OK. Navigate to the duplicate layers. If you create multiple duplicates of your
DMap you just saved, and click Open. Background, then apply the D-map to each, at different
percent displacements, you can selectively blend them
Step Nine: Turn on the brushed layer on and off to com- with masks. Also, because of the nature of D-maps, youre
pare the map with the results. Not every brush mark you likely to get pixelated edges.
made will be filled with pixels from the subject, so you may Finally, remember that the gray values of your map
have to Undo the filter (Command-Z [PC: Ctrl-Z]) and try represent specific pixel distances. The pixel dimensions of
again with larger percent values. Alternatively, you can your document will affect the apparent movement of your
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simply repeat the filter, but I recommend starting with the D-map, so experiment with the percent values.
largest percent displacement and working down to smaller As always, be sure to share what you come up with,
values. Voil! Particle displacement! especially on the new KelbyOne Community forums! n
[6 9 ]
By Corey Barker
Tips & Tricks for Creating Special Effects for Your Images
Once you go through the steps in this article, youll have the tools
to experiment with new effects that you can add to your library
and use right away. Before we go into the techniques, Id like to
discuss briefly the world of finishing effects.
[70]
Look at it this way. When a house is built, it Fortunately, most of us arent designing
starts with an architect who creates the origi- feature film posters (though some of us would
nal concept, followed by someone who builds like to), nor do we have to endure a drawn-out
that design, and finally someone comes in at the review process; however, we can take advantage
end to paint and landscape to make the final of some of the techniques that finishers use to add
house presentable. In entertainment design, pizzazz to our own work. It just might be the thing
such as a movie poster, the concept is presented that makes the difference in getting that next job.
by the art director, a designer creates the initial (Trust me, because this has happened to me.)
concept, and then the finisher adds the final So, in this article, well explore some finishing
effects. Theres even an entire industry built effects I developed over the years that owe their
around designers who only do finishing effects. existence to other effects I learned from other
You know those posters you see in theaters? designers. Once you understand how an effect
Thats the result of a long process of concept works, you can play around with other ways to
and approval at numerous levels until it reaches use it, which leads to discovering a whole new
the finisher, and even then it goes through the world of effects. I encourage you to experiment
wringer a few more times before you have the with the following tips to come up with your own
final movie poster. effects. So enough chitchat; lets get into it!
Real-World
Examples
If youre curious
to see some incredible
finishing work, visit
BLT Communications,
one of the premiere
agencies for feature
film design. Check out
their site and youll see
a lot of work done for
some of the biggest
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[7 1 ]
Brushes & Layer Styles Are Always
There When You Need Them!
Before we get into the techniques, lets talk
about a couple of key features you should get
familiar with if you want to get the most out
of custom finishing effects: brushes and layer
styles. You may be saying to yourself that you
already know how to use brushes and layer
styles, but do you really? Have you exhausted all
thats possible with these two facets of Photo-
shop? Ive been using both features since they
first arrived in Photoshop, and Im still discover-
ing amazing things to this day.
The trick is to look beyond what theyre
called and concentrate on what they do. This
always reminds me of one my favorite quotes
from the movie Apollo 13 in which Ed Harriss
character says, I dont care what anything was
designed to do; I care about what it can do.
So look beyond what something was designed
to do and play with all the settings to see what
it can do. Youll be amazed at what you can
achieve with just layer styles when you com-
bine, mix, blend, and vary the settings. Yes,
many of these features were designed by engi-
neers for a very specific function, but you have
to look at these features as an artist. They go
way beyond what they were engineered for. Its
up to you to discover those possibilities. I hope
these tricks give you a good start.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[72]
Create a Custom Particle Brush
Lets do a couple of exercises to help you think
differently when it comes to using brushes and
layer styles. These are finishing effects I use
often, and once you follow through these steps,
not only will you have a better understanding
of custom brushes, but youll also have a cool
particle brush you can use right away.
Step Three
Step Three: Go under the Filter menu to Blur
and choose Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to
3 Pixels and click OK.
Step Five
Step Six
Step Eight
Adobe Stock/alonesdj
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
[7 5 ]
But why stop there? You know those cool-
looking, slightly blurred spark elements you see
in movie posters? This brush, combined with
layer styles, can achieve this easily. First, turn
off the Shape Dynamics and Transfer options
in the Brush panel, and make the brush a fairly
large Size, about the width of the document.
Add a new layer and click once to add one
instance of the brush. Activate the Warp fea-
ture under the Edit>Transform menu and use
the grid to manually stretch the particles,
resulting in a sense of movement. Press Enter
Corey Barker
[76]
Custom Lens Flares
Adobe Stock/rybindmitriy
One of my favorite brushes is the flare brush.
A flare is a great finishing effect when the
occasion calls for it. Remember theres no need
to add a flare just because you can, but its nice
to have some lens flares at the ready when you
need them. So heres how to create your own:
Step One
Step One: Find an image of a lens flare on a
stock site or even do a Google image search for
anamorphic flares. Doing the latter is more of a
gamble, as theres no guarantee that the image
will be a usable size. You want an image thats
at least 1000 pixels at its widest dimension.
Normally, flares will be on a black background.
[78]
Step Four: Go to the 3D menu to New Mesh
from Layer and choose Postcard. You wont see
any change other than the fact that the circular
flare is now in 3D space.
Switch to the Move tool (V), and in the
Options Bar, choose the Orbit the 3D Camera
tool in the 3D Mode section.
[79]
Heres an example where I used
Adobe Stock/Scree Graphics: d1sk; Woman: Studio Kwadrat
[8 0 ]
PixelSquid/3d_molier
HDR Toning: A Different Use
Now I want to tell you about what has become my secret sauce for
finishing a composite. It involves using the HDR Toning feature but in a
way for which it wasnt necessarily designed. But then again, how many
great things in history owe their discovery to venturing outside the box.
So if you have a composite image comprised of multiple layers of images,
graphics, and effects, this effect will help unify the overall look, while
adding some overall contrast.
Step Two: Once the image is flattened, go under the Image menu to
Adjustments and choose HDR Toning.
Step Three: Go to the bottom of the HDR Toning dialog and set the
Saturation to 100% to remove all the color, as it will tend to muddy
the image with oversaturation. Since this will be an overlay, it doesnt
need color.
Step Four: Go up to the Tone & Detail section and increase the Detail
amount. This tends to brighten the image a little too much in some
areas, so dial down the Exposure slider a little to compensate for this.
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
Depending on the image, you can also increase the Gamma a little to
soften the highlights.
[81]
Step Five: Next, go to the Edge Glow section
and check on Smooth Edges. Then, nudge the
Radius and Strength sliders a little to the right,
depending on how strong an effect you want.
Click OK when done.
[8 2 ]
A Final Word Regarding Textures
Adobe Stock/Militiaman: Mark J. Grenier; U.S. Flag: Daniel Thornberg; Declaration of Independence: lawcain; Parchment: Scisetti Alfio; Map: Sergey Kamshylin
Another secret weapon for finishing effects is
textures. Youll benefit tremendously by build-
ing your own library of textures either by taking
pictures of them yourself or purchasing stock
images. As you start using textures, youll discover
that there are some youll use over and over. Since
textures are abstract, you can use them in variety
of ways.
You can use them as a simple texture overlay to
add some grit to a photo, or you can define them as
patterns and then apply them as a layer style, which
you can then combine with other layer styles to cre-
ate a whole new look. You can turn a texture into
a custom brush and paint an effect on a layer, then
add a layer style to that layer, and apply the original
texture as part of the layer style. Oh yeah, you know
what Im talking about!
The point is that textures can play a key role
in finishing an image. Just look at composites and
even movie posters; some have very obvious tex-
ture effects, while others tend to be subtler. Like the
HDR Toning effect, textures have a tendency to help
unify all of the elements in the composite. In fact,
you can think of the HDR Toning effect as a custom
texture created from the image. How about if you
ran the HDR Toning effect on an image of texture?
Ive actually done this, and it does a great job
Adobe Stock/snaptitude
of pulling gritty detail from a texture you didnt
even know was there. Many would never think of
applying an HDR effect to a texture, but its that
kind of thinking that prevents people from discov-
ering what lies on the other side. All you have to
do is try it! (Check out my Down & Dirty Tricks
tutorial to see some of these techniques in a step-
by-step poster project on page 20.)
[8 3 ]
DAVECLAYTON
> Designing in Photoshop
Adobe Stock/sborisov
TO PARAGRAPH TEXT
AND VICE VERSA
There are two ways to add text in
Photoshop: point or paragraph
text. If you simply click on the can-
vas with the Type tool (T) and start
typing, then youll create point
type; but if you click-and-drag out
a frame for your text, youll create
paragraph text. Point text will stay
on the same line until you press
the Return key; paragraph text
will wrap to the next line when it
hits the edge of the frame. Both
of these are useful, and the good
news is that you can always change
them later. You can convert a point
text into paragraph text and vice
versa at any time using the Convert
to Paragraph/Point Text option in
the Type menu. This option will be
grayed out if you have your cursor
inserted in the text, so commit the
type first before making the switch.
The same applies to converting
horizontal and vertical text, which
can be created with either the Hori-
zontal or Vertical Type tools found
in the Toolbar. To convert them,
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
2. C
ONVERT TEXT TO SHAPE FOR CUSTOM TEXT (LIKE ILLUSTRATOR)
Converting a text layer into a vector shape layer means to Shape. This is usually done to create a type effect, such
that youll no longer be able to edit the text; but youll as a logo mark. Using the Direct Selection tool, drag points
be able to use the Direct Selection tool (A) and the Path to manipulate the text shapes, elongating or shortening
Selection tool to make custom modifications to the parts of the letters. You can marquee over two corner
characters. Keep in mind this conversion cant be reversed. points to select them and use the Up or Down Arrow keys
You can either Right-click your text layer in the Layers to elongate or shorten that part of the letter.
panel and choose Convert to Shape, or go to Type>Convert
added as smart filters, making it easy to revert or change text smart object in the Layers panel. This will open a tem-
the text. To convert the text to a smart object, just Right- porary file with your text. Change the text, close and save
click on the layers name in the Layers panel and select the temporary document, and when you return to the PSD
Convert to Smart Object. But even if you forget to convert file, youll see the changes apply to the text but the effects
the text before you select a filter, Photoshop will politely are still the same. [8 5 ]
HOW TO
4. QUICKLY DISTORT OR
CHANGE THE SIZE OF
LIVE TEXT
Whether youve set point text or
paragraph text, you can distort the
text and still have live, editable text.
With your type cursor inserted in
the text, press-and-hold the Com-
mand (PC: Ctrl) key, and youll see
a Free Transform-like bounding box
appear around the text. If you hover
the cursor below any point of the
bounding box until it changes to
a white arrow, you can click-and-
drag to skew the text box to how
you want it. All the text inside will
remain editable.
Sometimes the obvious tips are
still unknown! You can also click-
and-drag any point to resize the text
(hold the Shift key to maintain pro-
portions). You can check this in the
Character panel or Options Bar to
see that the point size has changed.
Plus, you can click-and-drag any-
where outside the bounding box
to rotate the text. (Note: With para-
graph text, you dont have to hold
the Command [PC: Ctrl] key to
rotate the text.)
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[8 6 ]
DESIGNING IN PHOTOSHOP
5. C
HARACTER AND PARAGRAPH STYLES
Character and paragraph styles can save you a lot of time depending on which panel youre in. You can now apply
when you need to use the same styling of text in the same the character styles to any selected part of your text, but
Photoshop document. You can find both panels under applying paragraph styles will affect the whole paragraph.
the Window menu. Once youve formatted your text the You can experiment with mixing the two types of styles
way you want, click on the flyout menu of either panel together. You can also double-click the name of the styles
and select New Paragraph Style or New Character Style, in the panels to edit them.
click OK to make it the Foreground color. Then, select the by clicking its swatch in the Toolbar. Highlight the specific
text you want to change with the Type tool, or double-click piece of text you want to change and then use Command-
the T in the Layers panel to select all text, and then use the Delete (PC: Ctrl-Backspace) to make it the Background color.
shortcut of Option-Delete (PC: Alt-Backspace) to change the
text to the Foreground color. [8 7 ]
HOW TO
9. T
YPE ON A PATH:
LOGO STYLE EFFECTS
Start by creating a path. In this instance, use
the Ellipse tool (press Shift-U until you see it
in the Toolbar), set it to Path in the Options
Bar, and hold the Shift key as you drag out
the path to create a perfect circle. Now select
the Type tool (T). Hover the cursor over the
outside of the circle, and youll see a wavy
line appear, which means you can start
typing on the outside of the shape. You can
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[8 9 ]
HOW TO
14. USEFUL
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS TO EDIT TEXT
What better way to end this article than with a bunch of useful shortcuts to edit text quickly in Photoshop?
J ump between words: Command-Left or Right lignment: Shift-Command-L (PC: Shift-Ctrl-L) for
A
Arrow (PC: Ctrl-Left or Right Arrow) Left, R for Right, C for Center, and J for Justify
J ump between paragraphs: Command-Up or ll Caps: Select text and press Command-Shift-K
A
Down Arrow (PC: Ctrl-Up or Down Arrow) (PC: Ctrl-Shift-K)
Select characters: Shift-Left or Right Arrow erning/Tracking: Insert cursor between two
K
letters and press Option-Left or Right Arrow (PC:
elect words: Command-Shift-Left or Right Arrow
S
Alt-Left or Right Arrow) to change kerning; select an
(PC: Ctrl-Shift-Left or Right Arrow)
entire word or words to change the tracking.
Select lines: Shift-Up or Down Arrow eading: Select at least one line of text and
L
elect paragraphs: Command-Shift-Up or Down
S press Option-Up or Down Arrow (PC: Alt-Up or
Arrow (PC: Ctrl-Shift-Up or Down Arrow) Down Arrow)
The photographers workflow in Photoshop has evolved greatly over time, and in the latest
edition of The Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers (2017 Release) by Scott Kelby,
youll wind up doing a lot of your processing and editing in Photoshops Adobe Camera Raw
(whether you shoot in RAW, JPEG or TIFFit works for all three). Thats because, for years
now, Adobe has been adding most of Photoshops new features for photography directly into
Camera Raw itself. Since todays photography workflow in Photoshop is based around Camera
Raw, nearly half of this book is about mastering Camera Raw like a pro. If youre ready to learn
all the tricks of the tradethe same ones that todays leading pros use to correct, edit,
retouch, and sharpen their workthen this is the book that will get you up to speed!
of doing this in the past, such as Option-double-clicking (PC: ing or sharpening. The term (RGB/8) means that youre in
Alt-double-clicking) the Background layers thumbnail. Now, RGB color mode and working in 8 bits per channel. And
theres an even faster way (its actually been there for a cou the last part, the *, is really important. This means that
ple of years now). Simply click the padlock to the far right there are some changes to the document that are unsaved.
of the Background layer in the Layers panel and, voil, you Bonus, if youre working on a layer or mask, it will also dis
now have a floating layer. What about changing it back to play which layer or mask is currently active; for example, if
a background? (Huh?) Just choose Layer>New>Layer from youre working on a mask on Layer 1, youll see (Layer 1,
Background. There you goround trip! Layer Mask RGB/8).
[9 2 ]
PHOTOSHOP TIPS
MAKING GUIDES
Guides are a pain. I mean, theyre really useful, but theyre a
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
pain to set up. Say you want three columns: First, you have
to divide the page into thirds, but what if you want to add a
little margin around the edges? Wait, youll need a calcula
tor for this. Stop the madness! You can make Photoshop do
ALL IMAGES BY COLIN SMITH [9 3 ]
JAKEWIDMAN
> Design Makeover
CLIENT
Evas Phoenix
www.evas.ca
home design
[before] Evas Phoenix is one of three facilities operated by Evas
Initiatives for Homeless Youth in Toronto, Canada. The
organization is named for Eva Maud Smith, an immi-
grant from Jamaica who worked as an educator and
youth worker. In those roles, she saw the challenges that
homelessness presented for many students, and how shel-
ters intended for adults didnt offer the special services that
homeless youth need.
As a result of Smiths efforts, the youth shelter Evas
Place opened in 1994. Over the next 10 years, it was joined
by Evas Satellite, another emergency shelter, and then Evas
Phoenix, which provides longer-term transitional housing,
as well as educational support and employment and inde-
pendent living skills for ages 16 to 24. Up to 50 youth can
live here at one time, says Alanna Scott, Evas director
of development and campaigns. The facility comprises
10 townhouses that accommodate five residents each.
Residents get a private bedroom and their own key,
continues Scott. They can live here for up to a year.
A couple of years ago, Evas Phoenix got the opportunity
to relocate to an unused municipal building; but before it
could do so, the organization had to come up with $12.1
million to renovate the structure into the living spaces
needed. That meant appealing to corporate and financial
donors, who would expect some kind of recognition for
their generosity. Evas old facility had a list of donors on the
wall, but the organization wanted something more appeal-
ing for the new place.
At about the same time, the organization undertook a
logo redesign. We had a primary-color logo that looked
like it came out of the 80s, says Scott. We had a com-
pany come in and redesign the brand pro bono. The new
donor recognition signage, whatever it turned out to be,
would also reflect the logo redesign.
Evas Phoenix opened its new location in September
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
makeover submissions
Were looking for real-world makeovers for future installments of the Design Makeover, so let us know if you recently had a branding makeover or if you did
a branding makeover for a client that youd like us to consider. We cover everything from product packaging or labels, print advertisements, websites, logos, and
magazine covers that are currently in the marketplace. So if youd like to be considered, send us an email at [email protected].
[9 4 ]
DESIGN MAKEOVER
CLIENT
Evas Phoenix
www.evas.ca
[ the project ] For the donor-recognition signage in its new space, Evas
Phoenix wanted to find someone to interpret our brand
look-and-feel into something that would work in our
facility, says Scott. Each of the 10 townhouses would
be named for a donor, and a sign on the door would
acknowledge the donation. In addition, there would
be five Pillars of Supportcolumns running down
the central aisle of the building, each sponsored by a
donora Donor Wall, a Cumulative Wall, and a Brick
Wall, all bearing the names and logos of the donors who
funded the move. But we didnt want the interior to
feel like a branded environment, says Scott. There was
understandable concern that the youth they were serving
wouldnt feel comfortable or at home in a space filled
with corporate logos.
In the summer of 2015, Evas put out a Request for
Proposal for the donor-recognition signage. The directors
of the fundraising campaign chose the proposal of Jamey
Cactus Vella, owner of Anxiety Attack Designs. My job
as the designer was to give fair and high-quality recognition
to the many donors, while keeping Evas Phoenix a place
that still felt like home to the residents, says Vella.
Evas gave donors the opportunity to include a famous
quote that related to why they supported youth experienc-
ing homelessness. They provided the quotes and the donor
information, along with Evas brand guidelines, to Vella.
Aside from that, they didnt give me any design direction,
he says. He proceeded to research the donor recognition
areas of hospitals and corporate spaces, but he didnt like
what he saw. A lot of those were very sterilejust text,
he says. Were working here with a shelter for young
Early versions of plaques on architects renderings people, so youd want it to be a little more fun.
Eva Maud Smith (19231993) immigrated to Canada in 1956 from Jamaica and started working in domestic jobs. But it wasnt long before she became a Toronto community
leader, youth worker, and educator. Through her work, the first youth-focused shelter in North York, Toronto, opened in 1994.
Over the next 10 years, Evas expanded with Evas Satellite and Evas Phoenix, which provides housing for 50 youth aged 16 to 24 for up to a full year in townhouse-style
units. Furthermore, working with business, labor, and community partners, Evas Phoenix provides homeless and at-risk youth with educational support and employment and
independent living skills that give them a base from which to move forward with their lives. While at Evas Phoenix, youth develop the skills to live independently through
goal-setting exercises, workshops, and hands-on programs that are delivered in a supportive environment. [9 5 ]
COLUMN
DESIGNER
Anxiety Attack Designs
anxietyattackdesigns.com
[ the process ] Vellas concept took off from Evas Initiatives recently
redesigned logo, which incorporated a house shape. I
looked at it and said, This is the main point of your brand-
ing. We can run with this, recalls Vella. He started work-
ing in Photoshop using the architects renderings of what
the final space would look like. Id design the plaques
and then put them at the proper angles, with the drop
shadows, to re-create how it would look. (See images
on previous page.)
By the time they got to the second meeting, Evas Capi-
tal Campaign Chairperson and Executive Director wanted
to see physical samples. Vella had some printed onto Plexi-
glas and some onto card stock at various sizes. The original
idea was to have the Plexiglas cut in the shape of the house,
but there was concern that the results had too many sharp
points. We even got a couple of mockups made so I could
bring them into the donor presentation meetings, Vella
says. Everyone was really impressed with them, but were
housing 50 young people here, and we didnt want any-
Early mockup of plaques
thing that could potentially cause harm. So we just went
with the square with the image behind it. The image is
printed on paper (at Evas Phoenixs own print shop) and
sandwiched between two squares of Plexiglas.
That turned out to have an added advantage: on the
cutout version, the only other visual was the donors logo.
Placing the donors logo inside the house shape meant
Evas logo dominates the plaques, increasing their visual
consistency and reducing the branded-environment effect.
That approach brought its own challenges, however. As
new donors signed on, sometimes their logos had a dif-
ferent dimension or shape than most of the others. That
meant Vella would have to rework some completed designs
to maintain their consistency.
In addition to the donors logo, theres also a quota-
tion chosen by the company about why the donation was
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[9 6 ]
DESIGN MAKEOVER
DESIGNER
Anxiety Attack Designs
anxietyattackdesigns.com
[ the result ] Anxiety Attack took Evas brand and the donor brand and
put them together, says Scott. If you walk down the
main area, you see these wall plaques everywhere, but
all you really see is the Evas logoa plaque with a blue
background and a white logo. Then, as you get closer,
you see that inside is someone elses logo.
According to Scott, many people arent aware of how
big a problem youth homelessness is, but theyre interested
in who the donors are. I lead donor tours with our board
of directors, and I find that people stop to see who is sup-
porting the capital campaign, says Scott. It helps when
people see all these prominent companies supporting us.
The donors appreciate the recognition too, says Vella.
When we do tours of the building, they usually walk right
up to their plaque, and they usually have a big smile on their
face. At the official launch last September, with the mayor
and a city councilor present, everyone was taking photos
in front of their plaques, Vella says.
He also thinks he accomplished his goal of incorporat-
ing the donors logos without making Evas Phoenix feel
too corporate for the people who live and work there. The
staff all seem generally pleased with it, he says. I think
because there was so much concern about what it could
look like with so many logos in a small space, when it was
all done, everyone was pleased.
All in all, I think I did my job well because no one com-
plained, he concludes.
Final design
Jamey Cactus Vella is a Toronto-based freelance graphic designer. He launched Anxiety Attack Designs in 2010.
I can remember designing my very first event poster back in high school, cut-and-paste style. Armed with scissors and magazines, I utilized the Xerox machine at my
school and meticulously created what I thought was a masterpiece. I also remember a few years later when a friend showed me Adobe Photoshop for the first time. That was
a game-changer! Those were both life-altering events for me.
Vella is also a husband and father as well as an accomplished musician. (Check out his music here.) When Im not working on a design project, youll find me spend-
ing time with my beautiful wife and daughter or performing on a stage somewhere.
He calls Aaron Draplin one of his biggest influences. The guy has created an empire of sorts, and hes changed the way freelance designers work and promote themselves. n [9 7 ]
> Reviews
GET THE SCOOP ON THE LATEST GEAR
Sekonic
Exciting news for light meter geeks everywhere: The Sekonic
L-858D-U Speedmaster Light Meter is finally shipping, and its
L-858D-U
a game-changer!
The new Sekonic L-858D-U Speedmaster Light Meter sports
the full digital feature set and touchscreen interface common to
Speedmaster Sekonics recent mid-tier model makeovers. Its large 2.7" color
dot-matrix touchscreen makes adjusting settings quick and easy,
but thats where the similarities begin and end.
Multifunction Light Measurement Control This light meter is not just a revamped digital version of
for Photographers and Filmmakers Sekonics venerable Sekonic L-758 DR, but rather the first meter
Review by Michael Corsentino
able to measure flash durationa crucial metric when trying to
accurately and predictably freeze motionand the first that can
Company: Sekonic measure strobes in High Sync and Hyper Sync modes. You can
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
Brandon Rechten
The L-858D-U also has three stops of increased sensitivity for
incident light and two stops for reflected light, allowing you to
measure light down to 0.1 lux. Available ISO settings have been
expanded to include the native ISOs of todays most popular
This light meter is the cameras. In addition to the tried-and-true Aperture and Shutter
first meter able to measure Priority modes, a new ISO Priority mode has been added.
Wireless triggering options abound with no less than three
flash durationa crucial metric optional radio modules available: one for Pocket Wizard (U.S.
when trying to accurately and and Canada); Pocket Wizard (International); and Elinchrom and
Phottix (select countries) combined into one moduleperfect for
predictably freeze motionand anyone with both Elinchrom and Phottix gear. The Pocket Wizard
the first that can measure modules allow users to trigger any Pocket Wizard wirelessly and
control the power on any Control TL-compatible unit. The com-
strobes in High Sync and bined Elinchrom-Phottix module also offers full Skyport triggering,
Hyper Sync modes. Skyport power control capabilities, and complete Phottix Strato
capability. Also included with the Sekonic L-858D-U Speedmaster
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
Light Meter are: a nylon padded pouch with belt loop, lanyard, AA
batteries instead of CR123A, antiglare screen protector, weather-
sealed ports, and a three-year warranty; however, theres no
included sync cable for camera calibration.
[9 9 ]
REVIEWS
Intuos Pro
Wacoms new Intuos Pro graphics tablet is the thinnest (0.3") and
best ever. For my tests, Wacom kindly sent me a large (L) Paper
Edition model (16.8x11.2"). [Its also available in a medium (M)
Paper Edition
model thats 13.2x8.5" and uses A-5 (half-letter size) paper sheets
instead of A4 (letter size).] The Wacom Intuos Pro can be hooked
up via USB cable or wirelessly with Bluetooth 4.2 built-in.
The newest version of the largest Intuos Pro still has the familiar
Wacom Combines Professional eight programmable buttons and Touch Ring that can have up to
Pen Tablet with Paper four different assignments, but its surface is now a sheet that feels
Review by Erik Vlietinck like sketching paper. The box contains swatches of replacement
sheets that have a smoother or coarser surface. Multi-touch is still
supported, but it can now be activated and disabled using a but-
Company: Wacom Co. Ltd. ton on the tablets side, which is more efficient than having to go
to any kind of onscreen menu.
Price: $549.95 (Medium $399.95)
I tested the Wacom Intuos Pro Paper Edition with a slew of
Rating: 5 Mac apps, including Corel Painter 2017, OmniGraffle Pro 7,
DxO Optics Pro 11, Perfectly Clear Complete v3, Alien Skin Expo-
Hot: Surface tactile feel; pen pressure sure X2, and even Final Cut Pro X. With most of these apps,
levels; paper sketching; broad range
of applications I tested the tablet by drawing and paintingfrom masks to
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
brush strokeswith the Wacom Pro Pen 2. This new pen supports
Not: 8192 pressure levels, which is four times as many as the previous
pen. It was obvious when testing it with Painter 2017 that theres
a far more subtle feedback when varying the pressure. You have
much better control over the flow of the paint or effect with the
new pen. The sensation of working with a graphite, lead, or pastel
on paper, as youre used to, is further reinforced by how thin the
new tablet is. Its also half the height of a Rhodia dot Pad. Whereas
[100 ]
REVIEWS
Illustrator or Photoshop. onscreen version in real-time when your tablet is connected via
Bluetooth. Id like to see this Inkspace feature evolve into a plug-
in for Photoshop and other hosts. That would make the Wacom
Intuos Pro Paper Edition sketching party complete!
[101]
REVIEWS
HP Z2 Mini G3
How does the saying go? Mini is mighty? Well, if thats not a saying
now, it should be with the new HP Z2 Mini G3 Performance Work-
station. Ive reviewed computers of all sizes and forms from both
Performance sides of the fence (Mac and Windows), but I have to say this one
has totally blown me away. Not only does it have the cool factor,
Workstation
as it looks like it should be on the desk of a superhero, but it also
has the horsepower and flexibility to rival just about any desktop
(and not just mini form factors)! The ability to hook up six monitors
out of the box is quite a feat for any size box, but its even more
A Mighty Computer in a Small Package
impressive considering the small size of the Z2 Mini.
Review by Bruce Bicknell
Lets start with the horsepower and functionality. My test
model is maxed out with an Intel i7-6700, 32 GB (2x16 GB)
of RAM, and a discrete NVIDIA Quadro M620 GPU with 2 GB
Company: HP
of dedicated video RAM. Storage is provided by a 256-GB HP Z
Price: $1,946.70 (as tested); starting at $694 Turbo PCIe SSD and a 1-TB SATA drive that gives more than
enough space for files, and the SSD launches all of the systems
Rating: 5
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
of hoops. Well, this one may surprise you, as youll find four
DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, two USB Type-C 3.1 ports, four USB
3.0 ports, and an RJ-45 Ethernet port. (Note: Theres also an
Entry-level version of the Z2 Mini that has fewer ports.) I was
excited about the capability of hooking up to six monitors out
of the box. I only have four external monitors, but I had them
all up and running in no time, and the video card handled them
Not only does it have the with ease and no lag between them.
The designers and engineers at HP have created an aesthetically
cool factor, as it looks like it pleasing case that oozes coolness, as well as being functionally
should be on the desk of sound with its performance and cooling capabilities. This machine
stays cool and is ultra-quiet sitting on the desktop. Its VESA-
a superhero, but it also has mountable (for Z Displays and third-party stands, arms, and
wall mounts) so it can be mounted out of the way if desired;
the horsepower and flexibility to
but personally, I love the look of it on my desk, as its design is
rival just about any desktop. inspirational (and did I mention that it just looks cool).
This machine performed well above my expectations in both
Lightroom and Photoshop. I think HP has a serious contender in
this market and a much-welcomed alternative to anyone who
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
Theodore Kefalopoulos
Alien Skin
Exposure X2
Is Alien Skin Exposure X2 an alternative for apps such as Adobe
Another Kind of Photo Editor/Organizer
Lightroom? It depends on your needs. With Exposure X2s latest
Review by Erik Vlietinck
Advanced Layers update, the app offers nondestructive RAW
editing and better organization, enhancement, and export-
ing capabilities.
Company: Alien Skin Software
In this update, Exposure X2s nondestructive layering not only
Price: $149 (Upgrade: $99) works with brushed adjustments and effects, but applies to pre-
sets, as well. This means you can apply a preset to a layer, then
Rating:
quickly remove (or add) effects, or make them weaker or stronger
Hot: Unique approach for editing/organizing; on another layerand possibly only in some parts of the image.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[104 ]
REVIEWS
brilliant is the healing brush, to strengthen the illusion. Another feature that I found brilliant is
the healing brush, which allows you to adjust healing areas after
which allows you to adjust the fact, by dragging them around.
healing areas after the fact, On the management side of things, Exposure X2 lets you set
metadata, such as ratings and flags. It also allows you to select
by dragging them around. matching images and show EXIF data by hovering over images.
The apps export support has been given a unique twist in that
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
[105 ]
REVIEWS
OWC
Drive Dock
The appeal of a bare drive dock is that you can hot swap and
Use Bare SATA Disks with
a Thunderbolt 2 Mac read two disks simultaneously. The OWC Drive Dock has speed
Review by Erik Vlietinck and expansion functionality to spare with its two Thunderbolt 2
ports and single USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface. Its an all-aluminum large
Company: OWC Digital square box with independent power switches and LED activity
monitors per drive bay, in addition to an overall on/off switch at
Price: $269.75
the back of the unit.
Rating:
The top is made from a robust matte black plastic sheet that
Hot: Speed; ruggedness; design; holds the inward-swinging, dust-protection covers. The whole
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
[106 ]
REVIEWS
and its sturdiness combined SATA connector sitting just a bit further from the edge so that
I could use it to mount Atomos disk caddies when offloading
with its performance makes for video. (It would be awesome if you could!) Alas, the bare drives
a very attractive product. must lean against something in order to reduce the risk of
breaking the SATA connector when removing the drive.
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
ON1 Photo
ON1 Photo 2017 is a completely new, sophisticated, beautifully
implemented piece of software, delivering a ton of new features
2017
and a fast, state-of-the-art RAW-processing engine and image-
processing pipeline, ON1 Photo RAW. The interface is still
thoroughly familiar, however, for anyone transitioning from a
prior version, and intuitive enough for new users.
Photo Organizer, Editor, RAW Processor,
and Effects App Lets talk about RAW and why you need it in your life. In
Review by Michael Corsentino addition to the much wider latitude RAW files allowcompared
to JPEGwhen making exposure adjustments, the other huge
Company: ON1, Inc.
benefit of a RAW workflow is nondestructive image editing. The
Pricing: $119.99 (Upgrade: $99.99) value of this cant be overstated. With hard-drive storage and
Rating:
large-capacity memory cards now relatively inexpensive, RAW
is no longer a question mark, but the only way Id tell you that
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
with significant improvements haze and foga feature I know landscape photographers are
going to love.
and useful changes designed The Browse module has gotten a major facelift, too, with
to make your life with RAW the addition of even more sophisticated filtering and search
features. The powerful new indexed-folder feature makes
workflow easier and faster.
managing images quick and easy, and this feature is truly
a showstopper because it allows users to drill down and
browse the entire hierarchy of folders on a directory in just
seconds. This means not only being able to view every image
> K ELBY ON E . CO M
Publisher:
Watson-Guptill Publications
part of my permanent library. The book is divided into four parts:
Understanding the Vocabulary and Logic of Photoshop; Tutori-
Pages: 304
als for Drawing and Painting Digitally; Tutorials for Creating and
Price: $35.00; $21.99 (Kindle) Developing Fine-Art Digital Photography; and Tutorials Combin-
cuts so that the very newest beginner cant get confused. What
strikes me most about this book is the section on drawing and
painting in Photoshop. Some tutorials start with a photo, others
with a blank canvas. Youll likely also find that the tutorials on
digital transfers give food for thought. n
[1 10 ]
R E V I EWS
Publisher:
Weldon Owen
it, its likely covered. If you want to shoot it, heres where to
learn. Each section starts with Getting Started, Tech Tips, What
Pages: 327
to Shoot, and a very valuable and thought-provoking section
Price: $40; $7.55 (Kindle) called Gear Up. (The section on shooting birds suggests that a
[1 11 ]
PETERBAUER
> From the Help Desk
ANSWERS TO PHOTOSHOP AND GEAR-RELATED QUESTIONS
Im trying to create a panorama, and nothing seems to work: Not Photoshops File>A utomate>Photo
merge; nor loading the files into layers and using Edit>Auto-Align Layers. I shot the images
using a tripod and overlapped each by about 25%, and the overlap areas include such identifiable
items as windows and the corners of houses. Is there any way to manually create a panorama
in Photoshop? Rusty
Yes, sometimes the automated processes dont read the Zoom out so that you can see more of the canvas. Use
images well enough to create panoramas. (Ive seen Photo the File>Place Embedded command to add the second
merge take four well-overlapped horizontal images and image to the canvas, and then press the Enter key to accept
try to stack them vertically, and Auto-Align often mis- the images size.
orders the images.) Creating a panorama in Photoshop Now for the fun part: In the Layers panel, change the
from a series of overlapping images is certainly possible upper layers blend mode from Normal to Difference (down
and precise, but it takes a number of steps. Heres how near the bottom of the menu). Using the Move tool (V),
I do it: Shift-drag the top layer until the area of overlap turns
Open the first image (left, right, top, or bottom completely black (or almost completely black, depending
depending on what youre creating). In this case, Ill use on your lens). This ensures that the area of overlap is prop-
the example of creating a horizontal panorama, starting erly aligned. You may need to rotate the upper or lower
with the leftmost image. layer a bit to get proper alignment.
With the first image open, head to the Layers panel and Back in the Layers panel, return the upper layers blend
click the Lock icon to unlock the layer. (This isnt techni- mode to Normal. With the Hand tool (H) or the scroll bar at
cally necessary, but I prefer to work over a transparent back- the bottom of the image window, scroll to the right until you
ground rather than whiteor whatever the background see the right part of the second image and empty canvas.
color is during the next step.) (Youll want all of the right sides area of overlap visible.)
Go to the Image menu and select Canvas Size. In the Place the next image in the sequence of your panorama
three-by-three proxy box, click on one of the three boxes (and press Enter). Again, switch the top layers blend mode
on the left, so that when you extend the canvas, it extends to Difference and align the area of overlap, then return the
to the right rather than to both sides. blend mode to Normal.
Switch the unit of measure to Percent. Make sure that Using the same techniques, add each of the other
the Relative box is unchecked. In the Width box, increase photos for your panorama. At this point, I strongly suggest
the width according to the number of images in your saving the image as a layered PSD or TIFF. Of course, its
panorama. (If youre using five photos, for example, good practice to save after adding each image.
> PHOTOSHOP USER > J U N E 2017
enter 500 in the Width box.) This is more canvas than we Crop the panorama to remove the empty area to the far
need because of the image overlap, but the image gets right. If you had to rotate any of the images and you ended
cropped later. Leave the Height field set to 100%. Click up with transparency in areas, use the Crop tool with the
the OK button to expand the image to the right. Content-Aware option selected in the Options Bar. n
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