This 1-day hands-on class will focus on essential Photoshop concepts and techniques for creating accurate selections, alpha channels and layer masks for precision control in the modification of photographs. Masks can be used in a variety of situations for many different tasks, including contrast and color correction masks for photographs and intricate masks for compositing multiple images together. In many cases, the beginnings of a mask are already present in your photograph; you just need to know where to look for it and how to modify it to suit your purposes.

In this weekend workshop, we will be using Adobe Photoshop CS3 to explore the art of the photographic composite. Our explorations will range from simple collages, to combining two exposures of the same scene to control contrast, to the creation of surreal, photo-realistic flights of fancy. Topics include: Masking and knockout techniques; Layers and layer groups; Simple collages based on image overlays, blend modes and opacity; Precision collage control with layer masks; Image transformation tools including Free Transform and Warp; Using Smart Objects to preserve flexibility of transformed elements; Creating a collage from different source photos; Multi-exposure composites to control contrast; Matching color and lighting between images.

Shooting in raw gives you the most control over your images for the best possible quality. This 1-day hands-on workshop delves into the raw processing combo of Adobe Bridge CS3 and Adobe Camera Raw 4.1 in Photoshop CS3. Every feature in the eight tabbed panels of the Camera Raw dialog will be explored and fully explained to help you get the most from your raw files. Speeding up the raw workflow using batch processing capabilities and saved presets will also be covered, as will specialized techniques that are only available with raw files such as Dual Process Raw and High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging.