That Coveted Gritty Look

There has been a surge of people trying to get that really gritty look that has been made famous by photographers like Dave Hill. Most want to be able to get the effect entirely in Photoshop. Here’s is the bottom line. You have shoot for this technique. Meaning the success of the the effect depends on how you set up your lights. Then you can use software like Lucis Art.  Interestingly I was assisting on a shoot with Scott Kelby and he processed the images entirely using Lightroom and Photoshop and actually achieved a really good result. Now you can also use Camera Raw if you don’t have Lightroom. Scott breaks it all down on his blog here. (There is a cool photo of me with my mini.) 

March 7th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

A Little Inspiration…

If you’re a designer, illustrator, or even a photographer you may find yourself in a creative rut at some point. Trust me this does happen. I always find it a good idea to go a spend an hour or two at the bookstore. It’s an amazing source for inspiration, especially the news stands. With hundreds of magazines on virtually every subject, there is always a spark of something creative in there. It’s really interesting to see what other designers are doing and it helps to keep up on current design trends, which is always a good idea. The key here is this: In order to produce something you need the ingredients. Fill your creative mind with the right ingredients and it will all come together.

March 6th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Photoshop Book of the Week

This week’s book is the Photoshop Studio with Bert Monroy. This book’s new edition is scheduled to be released later this month and I can’t wait. Bert’s books are always inspiring and always have that little something you may never have thought of. Bert’s last Studio book was simply amazing. Now you may say to yourself, “I am a photographer why would I want a book on illustration?” It’s simple, you never know what you can use these techniques for. What works for one illustration may work wonders on a photograph. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. To find out more, click here and go here to check out more of Bert’s paintings.

March 5th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Spotlight: Ben Willmore

Ok, I felt I had to post this because Ben Willmore was just in my office. If you have been using Photoshop for a while you know that name. Ben is a world-renowned Photoshop author and instructor at events such as Photoshop World. I have truly learned a lot from Ben and I highly recommend you check out his sites. The first site, Digital Mastery.com is basically the Ben store. It has his newest training, dvds, books, and information on current projects. Also check out whereisben.com. This is his blog on what he is doing and where. As some of you know, Ben lives and works in his coach bus that he drives around the country. Lastly, make sure you check out the Kelby Online Training site. Ben will have some new classes coming soon.

March 3rd, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

The Next Generation of Doodling

I came across this on John Nack’s blog. It’s a really cool drawing and painting program that is designed to educate and entertain. Developed by Umeå University, it’s basically a drawing a painting program but with a little extra. It’s actually physics-based drawing, meaning you can interact with the objects you draw and make those objects interact with each other. It’s certainly taking the average sketch pad to a whole new level. It’s kind of hard to describe, you just have to see it. Here is a link to a demo of the software and go here for more information.

February 27th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Adobe AIR is Live

Adobe has officially launched Adobe AIR which, for those of you who may have perhaps been living under a mouse pad for the past several months, is a new runtime that allows developers to create rich internet-based applications that deploy right to the desktop. Imagine being able to build a custom interface catered to your particular business, running as an application instead of a simple web page. That is what AIR provides - the technology to be able to do this. It really is going to be something big. Find out more here.

February 26th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Just 5 Days Left…

Take advantage of the early bird registration pricing for Photoshop World in Orlando, FL on April 2-4. You only have ’til this Friday, February 29, 2008 to save $100 on the full registration price. Also, if you are planning to enter the prestigious Guru Awards, the deadline for that is also this Friday the 29th. This is a great opportunity for you to get your work noticed. Hey, it worked for me. Find out more about this contest and other specials at Photoshop World here. Hope to see you there.

February 25th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

“See What’s Possible” Challenge

Cut & Paste has teamed with Adobe to put on a “See What’s Possible” Challenge. The contest involves creating an animation up to 15 seconds long that best conveys the “See What’s Possible” branding of Adobe Photoshop. The animation can be put together in After Effects, Flash, or even Photoshop alone but the primary message is what’s possible with Photoshop. The grand prize is $20,000 and the entire Master Suite. Very cool stuff. Check it out here and good luck.

February 22nd, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

New Online Training Course

There is a new course available on the Kelby Online Training site. It is called Retouch a Portrait in 15 Minutes by photographer and Photoshop World instructor Vincent Versace. This course is already a hit because in a very short time Vincent teaches how to brighten and enhance features, improving overall tone, flawless skin textures, and much more. This course is a must for any photographer, both novice and professionals alike. Find out more about Vincent and the course here.

February 21st, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Ready 1, 2, 3…

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Photoshop…..Happy Birthday to you!!! It was this day in 1990 that Photoshop was born. Some would argue the greatest thing ever created. Anyway it’s not just Photoshop’s birthday, a year ago today that powerful program we know as Lightroom was born as well. So Happy Birthday to you…..awe you get the picture. (No pun intended). Anyway there is an interesting little story on this on PhotoshopNews.com. Check it out.

February 20th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Get a Signed Copy!!

Last week some of you may remember I posted a little something about Matt Kloskowski’s newest Photoshop book: Layers. Well this book is available now and if you order it through the Kelby Training site you will get a genuine signed copy. This book is destined to be the core book that beginners and experts will find indispensable. For understanding the complexities of layers is essential to Photoshop mastery. Find out more about the book here and ordered your signed copy today.

February 19th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Photographer Spotlight: Moose Peterson

A while back I was occasionally pointing out a notable photographer or designer on this blog and I seem to have been lagging on this, so I thought I would get back into it by spotlighting wildlife photographer and Photoshop World instructor Moose Peterson. Moose truly has an eye for nature and captures it beautifully with every shot. The interesting thing is that Moose puts himself right in the middle of the action. He visits places where animals roam free. Not zoos or farms. I am talking about the wild, and the images speak for themselves. Moose teaches a number of workshops throughout the year and even has some classes on the Kelby Online Training site. You can also keep up-to-date with what’s happening with Moose and wildlife photography by checking out his news blog as well.

February 18th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Photoshop Book of the Week

This week’s pick is Matt Kloskowski’s newest title: Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature. If you are a beginner or just want to sharpen your skills when it comes to layers, this is the book for you. At the center of every working Photoshop document are layers and there is perhaps considerably more going on with layers in Photoshop than you can possibly imagine. With straight-forward explanations and dazzling images, it’s as much fun to look at as it is to learn from it. Find out more here.

February 14th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

The Best of Both Worlds

Those of us who enjoy the ease of use and creative freedom of using a Wacom pressure-sensitive tablet know that being mobile has become increasingly popular and hauling around a lot of extraneous equipment can be tiring to say the least. Enter the Modbook from Axiotron. This new device is basically a Mac Book and a Cintiq all-in-one. Perfect for the traveling artist. It has roughly a 13 inch screen and Wacom’s patented Penabled technology built right in. A remarkable step forward in bringing these two powerful features together. You know, it’s astonishing that with all these advances in technology that we still have to contend with short battery life. When will this madness end?

February 13th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)

Photoshop World News

The NAPP is pleased to offer scholarships to 25 full-time students for its upcoming Photoshop World Conference & Expo scheduled April 2-4, 2008 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Photoshop World is sponsored annually by Adobe Systems Incorporated and produced by NAPP. It is the largest educational event worldwide for Photoshop® users, photographers, graphic and Web designers, and digital artists of all skill levels and interests.

Educators specializing in design, fine art, digital media, and photography at art institutes and colleges nationwide may nominate their most talented and promising students for a Photoshop World scholarship. The cut off date for nominations is Friday, Feb. 29, 2008. A nomination form can be downloaded off the Photoshop World website.

The Photoshop World scholarship program was created to give full-time students a chance to learn breakthrough Photoshop and digital imaging techniques from leading industry experts, and the opportunity to network with digital imaging professionals at Photoshop World. The value of the scholarship is $599 USD, which includes free admission to Photoshop World, a one-year NAPP membership, and a subscription to Photoshop User magazine (NAPP’s official publication).

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February 8th, 2008 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (0)