I find photoshop editing so overwhelming!!

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/13/2005 04:23:34 PM · #1

Am I the only one? I start dinking around with a photo (currently working on my Perspectives entry) and I get so confused on where to start and what might look better. I guess I just don't know enough about it... I mostly get a huge range of "that looks good" but no specific place of "yeah, that's exactly perfect." I never really know what adjustments will help in the right way. Levels, curves... I need private photoshop lessons or something... I just don't seem to have an eye for the fine adjustments that make a good photo a "WOW!"

And then there's the whole issue of some people having dark monitors, some having light, and some having funky colors. (I'm still getting over people telling me my pink entry wasn't pink... what???) I worry about what other people see. I tend to enter photos that are a step lighter than I really like them, and still I get told they are too dark. My monitor is calibrated... I guess maybe that's just my preference.

Anyway, just venting. I have about 20 versions of an entry for tonight and I. Don't. Know. Might just pick one at random. :P

BlackDot

Canon EOS-20D

09/13/2005 04:26:48 PM · #2

put them all in a folder as thumbnails. Close the folder and leave. Come back, open it and there is sure to be 1 or 2 that stand out.
Good luck!

mycelium

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

09/13/2005 04:27:12 PM · #3

well, I couldn't hope to give you an answer as thorough as I'm sure you'd like, so I'll just throw one tidbit out there, and perhaps others can follow suit--

when you're editing, look at the tonal range of your image. are there areas of (almost) pure black and (almost) pure white? a good dynamic range is almost always desireable.

Klifton

Nikon D50

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

09/13/2005 04:27:29 PM · #4

Go for what looks good to you, make sure your ducks are in their rows on your end...

If you have a specific look you're going for, but can't figure out how to get there, just ask. I'm sure there's someone here who can help out. :)

But yes, using photoshop, and figuring out how to make a certain picture look its best, is at least, an art form, and a daunting task.

As soon as I think I have a look down, I end up running out of options on the next photo, and have to figure something out from scratch again.

I guess it will all come eventually with practice, experimenting, and experience.

I wouldn't take what people say too harsh though. If you look at the greats in photography (or art in general for that matter), most were not taken seriously until the end of their career or after their death. Morbid huh?

Have fun with it, make what looks good to you, and keep practicing and experimenting! :)

th3ph17

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/13/2005 04:29:39 PM · #5

go with your gut instinct. all i do all day long is look at photos. pick photos, fix photos. pick photos, fix photos. coming here is a part of that process.

you have to train yourself to let your eye pick. use the force.

and don't worry about feeling lost in the huge world of photoshop. I'm going on over a decade using it and i'll still find new things, or change the way i do something. Try and make radically different versions of the same image, then close them without saving. Make them again. Trash them. That is how you learn.

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

09/13/2005 04:33:23 PM · #6

walking away for an hour is a good suggestion...fresh eyes might see genius or realize what you just spent 5 days on is total crap.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

09/13/2005 04:35:17 PM · #7

If you're not sure, do 2 or 3 versions that each look at little different. Spend some time looking at them, then leave them alone for a couple of days.

I sometimes to get all excited over something I just photoshopped, but a few days without looking at it seems to give me a more sensible perspective on things and I find it much easier to pick the best one.

Perhaps that could work for you, too.

e301

09/13/2005 04:43:32 PM · #8

What no-one has mentioned, and what in ymopinion is essential, is ...

Once having seen the image as it has come out of the camera, and perhaps having spent some time to consider it, you should have an idea of precisely how it should look; you should then use PS, PSP, whatever to move that image into that place. Obviously, this is not an immediate ability - it takes practice, and imagination, and care and concentration. Do not expect PS to suggest to you how it should look - it cannot do that. What it can do, is just baout anything you want it to.

e

Elemmennope

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

09/13/2005 05:17:47 PM · #9

I'd kill to have a mentor or something here on the site to help me out. But since it's a challenge entry I'm doing, I feel it needs to be kept to myself, with only my abilities on the editing.

Maybe after this challenge someone would be willing to walk me through a few versions, showing how they would've approached it. That would be awesome. Some of you rattle off all this photoshop stuff... it's very intimidating to me.

For now I'll just... use the force. ;)

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

09/13/2005 05:28:20 PM · #10

Originally posted by turquoise919:

I'm your man, if you like. We'll have a mini-tutorial, the two of us, after the challenge, ok? Hang in there, it gets easier over time.

As e301 points out, they key component is to have a vision of what you want out of the image; photoshop is your tool to realize that vision. It's generally very frustrating to just slog around in Photoshop with NO idea whither you are bound...

Robt.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR

09/13/2005 05:46:57 PM · #11

I too would love some help with photoshop but perhaps at even more basic level than what turquoise needs. I havent really used it at all it just looks to hard. Could there be a mentor group for this?

BADDBOYY21

Nikon D300

09/13/2005 06:11:00 PM · #12

I definitely could use some help too. I think I have some of the basics down.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

09/13/2005 06:38:54 PM · #13

As far as I can tell the "Natural Light" and "Landscape" mentorships have withered away to nothingness. Do we have support for a "Photoshop Workflow/Photoshop Basics" mentorship? I can handle that... There's already a post-processing mentorship thread, but it's a little more advanced...

Robt.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

09/13/2005 06:40:38 PM · #14

Yes please!!! :)

joezl

Nikon D200

09/13/2005 06:51:03 PM · #15

turquoise, you may feel lost but your entries are awesome so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Go with your gut as it obviously serves you well.

Good luck

ajschel

Fujifilm FinePix X100S

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

09/13/2005 06:55:12 PM · #16

I would be honoured to be part of the "Photoshop Workflow/Photoshop Basics" mentorship by bear_music... I'll watch this thread, but make sure to notify me if you start it please!

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/13/2005 07:08:51 PM · #17

Consider a continuing education class in Photoshop at your local community college. It will help.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/13/2005 07:11:13 PM · #18

I am going to , apparantly there is one starting in Feb that is one night a week for 12 weeks. Anything I can learn before that would be great. :)

Apple iPhone 5

09/13/2005 07:21:05 PM · #19

Originally posted by turquoise919:

(I'm still getting over people telling me my pink entry wasn't pink... what???)

It's orangey/peach. :-) Your umbrella however... now *thats* pink.

But don't drive yourself insane over monitor calibration! (I know I did)

JeffryZ

Nikon D80

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 18-135mm f/3.5- 5.6G ED DX

09/13/2005 07:47:47 PM · #20

I found this to have helpful suggestions (I think I found this site through here somewhere). //arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/mystery.ars/1
I am still new and learning to use PS Elements 3.0. For a Challenge picture, I will first check if I need to straighten and crop. Then I will resize so I will know what it will look like compressed. Sometimes if I compress after processing, it does not look the way I wanted it to. I usually then use Levels if necessary and then see if I need to further adjust Shadows/ Highlights- going from the biggest adjustments to the smallest. I do color last because the other adjustments will affect the color also. I don't know anything about using layers yet and Elements does not have Curves. For most pictures this is enough for me- and not too complicated. I am sure there are almost as many ways to do it as there are people with Photoshop.

nova

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM

09/13/2005 07:57:31 PM · #21

Originally posted by bear_music:

...It's generally very frustrating to just slog around in Photoshop with NO idea whither you are bound...
Robt.

I can attest to that. I'm also interested in a Photoshop Basics workgroup, Robert. Keep me in mind please.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR

09/13/2005 08:00:36 PM · #22

See some things you have mentioned there make absolutely no sense to me!!!

BADDBOYY21

Nikon D300

09/13/2005 08:03:25 PM · #23

Count me in if there is a group formed.

BMacD

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

09/13/2005 08:08:48 PM · #24

I just upgraded to CS2 and would really appreciate a photoshop basics group. Please count me in if one gets started and if there is room.

Elemmennope

Canon EOS-300D Rebel