Happy New Year to you and yours. Wishing for a healthy and prosperous year for everyone.

Don’t forget to register for one of my Adult Ed classes. I am also available for private tutoring. E-mail me for details!

Enjoy! Hazel

The Milford session description:

Photoshop Elements – Intermediate

This class will move beyond basic editing and show you how to create many artistic projects including panoramas, word art, montages, and much more. You will learn how to use layer blending modes while adding textures and filters, and how to merge photos. A working knowledge of Elements tools is required for this course. Limit: 12 students. Six weeks. West Shore Middle School Computer Room 1. Starts in Feb., Tuesdays, 7:00-9:00p.m. Residents: $79, Non-residents: $89: Milford Seniors: $69.

Link to brochure: http://www.milforded.org/uploaded/MPSProgramServ/adult_ed/Spring_2012_Brochure_(3).pdf

North Haven class:

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS-LAYERS AND BEYOND

Layers are an essential tool for working in Photoshop Elements. Layers give you the ability to make “non-destructive” changes to your photos allowing you to delete the changes or make further changes easily. We will review the four types of layers and how to utilize each of them. You will learn how to make basic adjustments to your photos to correct color, saturation and contrast, then move into using filters, textures, shapes and type to jazz up your images. We will finish with sharpening, sizing and saving our photos. Hazel Meredith has over 10 years of photographic experience and is a Master Member of the New England Camera Club Council. Prerequisite: Basic computer knowledge required. CD’s with images for group work, class notes and references articles will be provided. 6 weeks, Thursdays, 7-9 p.m.; Fee: $60 Sr. Citizens: $45  Room: 105  Begins: 3/1

Link to brochure: http://www.north-haven.k12.ct.us/Download.asp?L=1&LMID=287385&PN=DocumentUploads&DivisionID=7163&DepartmentID=&SubDepartmentID=&SubP=&Act=Download&T=1&I=152013

I hope you can join me for one of these “hands-on” sessions! Class sizes are limited, so please sign up early! Both of these sessions are held in computer labs, so laptops are not needed.

One of my favorite software plug-ins has a new member of the family — Topaz now has “Lens Effects”! Add some cool creative looks to your images. Reg. price is $79.99 — now just $29.99 with the code “simplefocus”. Offer good until 12/24/11. A gift for YOU!   https://www.topazlabs.com/store/cart.php?m=view

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year!

I have been given the opportunity to do a sneak peek beta test of the new Topaz Adjust 5. MANY more features and the ability to target adjustments to all or part of your image. Here’s my first before and after:

As you know, we’re all about Elements here on this blog. However, there are some other programs and plug-ins that I really like, and one of them is the Topaz Suite. They are releasing an update next week – but you can get a sneak peak on their webinars! (And it will be a free upgrade for current users.) 

The soon-to-be-released Topaz Adjust 5 features an intuitive selective brush, 5 preset collections with over 100 presets, preset stacking, auto layer creation, transparency control, a new finishing touches tab and lots more! These new productivity-increasing tools offer you a more professional workflow experience with unlimited flexibility and customization. Join Nichole Pascal as she gives you the first look at the new tools, improved interface and all that Adjust 5 has to offer! Click the link on this Blog’s homepage to go directly to the Topaz website!

***Please note that these webinars are in CST.
Friday, November 11, 2011 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM CST
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/141257814

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM CST
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/820685694

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

I had three awesome sessions on “The Power of Layers” – very full classrooms with great questions from the audience. I promised to post a link to an article by Tim Grey that covers sharpening your images. He simplifies the sometimes confusing settings in the Unsharp Mask function. This applies to Photoshop Elements as well as CS programs. Here are two articles he has written on the subject:

http://www.naturescapes.net/122004/tg1204.htm

http://www.naturescapes.net/docs/index.php/category-image-editing/37-image-editing/350-unsharp-mask-unveiled

Hopefully these will demystify the sharpening process for you.

Please feel free to e-mail me questions — and I would love to see some of your results after following the “projects” we covered in class! I would be happy to share with other blog readers – just let me know if it is OK to do so.

I appreciate all of the great feedback I received throughout the weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone at next year’s conference.

Join me and 1200 photography fanatics for three intense days of seminars, workshops, models, table top set-ups, balloon glow & launch, and even an ice cream social! Hope to see everyone there!

I’ve had a question from a seminar student as to why she can no longer see multiple images in the main box in Elements 9. Well, here’s the scoop! Elements 9 introduced the “tabbed-document” interface which “docks” your open files to the main Elements window. Along with this feature, Elements also added a shortcut, the Tab Key. When you hit the Tab, the Panel Bin, Toolbox and Project Bin all disappear, leaving just your photo larger to work on. To bring back the other features, just hit “Tab” again.

Another shortcut is a handy one — to switch working between two open photos, hit the “Ctrl-Tab” to switch photos. Much easier than opening up the Project Bin all the time!

If you have questions that you’d like me to answer on the blog, please e-mail me at Hazel@MeredithImages.com.

Thanks for checking in! Hazel