Photoshop CC for Photographers: The Basics

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files
• What's new (CC 2014)

1. Strategies for Learning Photoshop

• Getting the most out of this course
• The importance of being relaxed and taking good notes

2. Getting Started with Bridge

• Customizing the Bridge workspace
• Finding and organizing your images with folders and favorites
• Viewing your images at full screen and as a slideshow
• Rating, ranking, and filtering your photographs
• Opening your photos in Photoshop

3. Setting Up Photoshop

• Setting up your color settings
• Customizing the interface
• Customizing the interface panels
• Choosing file-handling and autorecovery options
• Improving Photoshop performance

4. Getting Started with Camera Raw

• What is Camera Raw?
• The Camera Raw interface (CC 2014.1)
• The Camera Raw interface
• Opening images in Camera Raw
• Improving your images with the Basic controls
• Correcting color and white balance
• Creating vivid, saturated colors
• Creating a high-contrast black-and-white portrait
• Creating a compelling black-and-white landscape
• Previewing before and after (CC 2014.1)

5. Improving Your Photos with Camera Raw

• Correcting exposure and recovering highlights
• Cropping and straightening your photos
• Correcting lens distortions
• Retouching a portrait with the Spot Removal tool (CC 2014.1)
• Retouching with the Spot Removal tool
• Cleaning up photographs with the Spot Removal tool (CC 2014.1)
• Making selective adjustments
• Painting in improvements with the Adjustment Brush (CC 2014.1)
• Improving the sky with the Graduated filter (CC 2014.1)
• Adding light with the Radial filter (CC 2014.1)
• Improving multiple images at one time
• Sharpening and reducing noise
• Saving and opening raw files in Photoshop (CC 2014.1)
• Saving and opening raw files in Photoshop

6. Getting Started with Photoshop

• Becoming familiar with the Photoshop interface
• Introducing the Tools panel
• Zooming in and out on your photographs

7. Opening, Saving, and Viewing Your Photographs

• Opening, saving, and closing a photograph
• Working with multiple open documents
• Arranging and viewing multiple documents

8. Understanding Digital Images and Resizing

• The relationship between pixels and image sizing
• Resizing an image to a smaller size
• Constraining proportions and resetting the Image Size dialog
• Using the resizing presets
• Quickly increasing your image size
• Effectively resizing images to a large size

9. Cropping Your Photographs

• Recomposing and cropping your photographs
• Cropping your images to a specific size
• Cropping and making the horizon level
• Using the Marquee tool to crop

10. Working with Layers

• Introducing layers
• Creating new layers
• Duplicating a layer to create a special effect
• Combining multiple images together as layers
• Creating a layout of multiple images
• Applying layer style effects
• Changing layer opacity
• Organizing and filtering layers

11. Improving Basic Exposure and Tone

• Adding brightness and contrast
• Fixing an image that is too bright
• Brightening the shadow areas of a photo
• Correcting overexposure

12. Making Selections and Adjustments

• Selecting with the Elliptical Marquee tool
• Working with the Rectangular Marquee tool
• Using the Polygonal Lasso tool
• Adding to or subtracting from your selection
• Using the Magnetic Lasso tool
• Working with the Quick Select tool
• Removing the background with Quick Select
• Using Color Range

13. Advanced Control with Masking

• Introducing masks
• Building and editing a mask
• Removing a person from the background with masking
• Removing color with a mask
• Selectively sharpening an area of your photograph
• Building a selection with Focus Area (CC 2014)
• Using Focus Area to modify color (CC 2014)

14. Improving Exposure with Adjustment Layers

• Automatically improving your images
• Making custom levels adjustments
• Fine-tuning an image with Curves

15. Adding, Changing, and Removing Color with Adjustment Layers

• Changing color with Hue/Saturation
• Increasing saturation and color variety with Vibrance
• Using Color Balance to create vivid color
• Making subtle color adjustments with Photo Filter
• Creating a color effect with Curves
• Converting to black and white

16. Applying Photographic Effects with Filters

• Adding lens flare
• Lighting your photographs with Lighting Effects
• Changing focus with the Blur Gallery
• Using Camera Raw as a filter to create a unique look

17. Sharpening and Reducing Noise

• Reducing unwanted noise with Camera Raw and Photoshop
• Sharpening and perfecting your photos with Smart Sharpen
• Selectively sharpening an area of your photograph

18. Essential Image Retouching Techniques

• Using Content-Aware Fill to remove distractions (CC 2014)
• Using repeated Content-Aware Fill commands to clean up an image (CC 2014)
• Working with the Patch tool and Content-Aware Move (CC 2014)
• Introducing the Clone Stamp tool and Healing Brushes (CC 2014)
• Retouching an image with the Clone Stamp (CC 2014)
• Working with Spot Healing and Healing Brushes (CC 2014)
• Removing skin blemishes with Spot Healing (CC 2014)
• Reducing wrinkles and shadows under the eyes (CC 2014)
• Whitening teeth with selection and adjustment layers (CC 2014)
• Changing shape with Liquify (CC 2014)
• Adjusting facial features with Liquify (CC 2014)

19. Making Picture-Perfect Prints

• Getting ready to print: Resize and sharpen
• Selecting your printer and paper size
• Choosing color management and printer settings