Today, I leant a few new terms which confused me for a long time. I hope that also would be useful for you.

1. ISO is a short for International Standards Organization, an organization that defines standards. ISO speed is a term for expressing the light sensitivity of a digital camera. Just explain it in a simple way that the higher ISO speed, the dimmer the light which you can take picture.

Generally, people prefer to shoot landscapes and general photography in ISO 100-200; in nighttime or dim interiors where flash is not an option then can choose from 400-1600.

2. SLR (Single Lens Reflex) In general, it is a kind of more expensive interchangeable-lens camera that allows viewing though the lens.

3. Shutter speed The length the camera shoot the side that creates shadows and highlights can reveal significant amounts of details.

Sorry, I was very busy last month. Then I stop to learn Photoshop. However, I think that I need to be more persistent on my interests and personal growth. Ya, I will carry on my stuay since this weekends.

Nowaday, we have too many distraction in daily life. Everyone is busy, and keep on busy. Sometime I feel I was lost on the way of life. Friend, we need to stop for a while, to think about the goal of your life. May God bless all his children.

Here is the photo I took on the way home. Hope you enjoy!

Evaluate Your Channels

Layers is a very interesting and useful tool in Photoshop, but slightly complicated.

Press F7, you can see the Layer window appears on your screen. Let’s try something. Open a picture, select Channel from the Layer window, which is next to the Layers. Now, you can see the same picture appear in an RGB channel, red channel, green channel, and blue channel. In RGB channel, the picture still with full color, but it changes black and white in different range in other channels. These images will be useful when we want to have some special effects.

Windows In Photoshop

As a beginner user of Photoshop, sometimes, I feel lost that I don’t know where can I find the toolbox or tool window. It’s not funny. Because there are too many function in the Photoshop. You just cannot remember that which is the right button to click even you already practice last time. Please don’t laugh at me that there were some time I spent more than 20 minutes to figure out where to find the useful tools.

Now, I found an easy guide to find out the tools. Click on the Window which on the top row, then to select the tool window you wanted.

There are many useful shortcuts:

Action Alt+F9

Brush F5

Color F6

Info F8

Layers F7

Want to have more ideas of the tools? Try each button yourself.

Over- and Underexposure (Part 4)

If you are using Photoshop CSII, then you will have a very power tool to correct the over- and underexposure matters.

Press on Image>Adjustment>Exposure. Simply drag the exposure sliders to adjust the photo’s exposure. Try each button -- Exposure, Offset, and Gamma, which can make very different styles and effects.

Further, you also can choose to use the Set White Point eyedropper and click somewhere on the photo that would highlight the details. Yap, either way will give you more excited photos. It is just a piece of cake!

Over- and Underexposure (Part 3)

Hi, here is one more method can help to adjust the over- and underexposure problems – Curves.

Press Image>Adjustment>Curves (Ctrl+M). The bright part of the picture is defined along the top half of the diagonal line. You can try to click in different parts of the curves line to know the different effects. Thus, you can adjust you photo more gently.

However, I have to admit that it not so easy to master this tool without a lot of practices and experience. Let’s work together and share with each other.

Over- and underexposure (Part 2)

Today, I learnt another method to change the brightness of the picture, which is commonly used by the most Photoshop professionals. It provides more control of the tonal level with sliders to adjust the black, gray (in other term is gamma), and white.

Now, let’s try it together. Open a photo, and then click on Image>Adjustment>Level (Ctrl+L for level). You can see a big palette box. By drag white or black sliders, you can adjust the brightness of the photo. The gray slider in between white and black can help to adjust the gamma point. Using this slider can make fine adjustment to the brightness without dramatically affecting the extreme bright or dark area. Then the light of the picture will be more gentle and fine. Try yourself.

However, we may feel difficulties on adjust certain photos. Did you notice the AUTO button in the palette? Just one press, the Photoshop will let it done!