Photoshop tutorials and learning resources for Designers, Photographers and Video.

Over 35,000,000 unique Visitors!

Colin Smith from PhotoshopCAFE on Digital Imaging (aka kiwicolin)

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

Dreamy photo effect in photoshop Lightroom 4 Beta Learning Site

Adobe has just released Lightroom 4 public beta. We have you covered. Head over to the PhotoshopCAFE Lightroom 4 learning site, where we have the Lightroom 4 tutorials, resources and free videos on the most important new features. Get some free presets and try them out as you discover the new features in Adobe Lightroom 4.

 

Learn all about Lightroom 4 public beta

design challange 12Design Challenge 12 is now live

It's time for our 12th annual design contest. We have just opened up entries for PhotoshopCAFE Design Challenge #12. Design a Photoshop Movie, Blu-Ray cover. It's free to enter and there are tens of thousands of dollrs in prizes up for grabs.Entries close end of Jan 2012. Win Wacom Tablets, Adobe and AutoDesk software, On One and NIK Plugins, PhotoshopCAFE training and more.

See the rules for Design Challenge 12

all contests

adobe logoautodesk logowacom logo

Dreamy photo effect in photoshop Removing a Photograph from it's background

It used to be that the extract tool was the way to go in Photoshop for masking photographs. In CS4 it started dissapearing. Now the extract tool is gone in Photoshop CS5.Fear not! Refine Edge and Quick select are the fastest way to remove an object from it's background in Photoshop. Not only fast, but the results are great. This Refine Edge tutorial will show you how its done.

Extracting photos with Refine Edge and Quick Select

Dreamy photo effect in photoshop Colin's 10 Principles for Better Type Design

One of the biggest things I have seen destroy a nice design is bad use of typography. A block of text should be inviting to read and not look like a chore. I'm going to provide a few principles and tips to help you avoid a lot of common typography mistakes. Remember these aren't set in stone, they are suggestions, but as they say, "You first have to know the rules before you can break them"

10 Principles for better type design

 

Dreamy photo effect in photoshop Using Curves in Photoshop

This video tutorial shows you how to use curves in Photoshop. Finally, curves are explained in a way that anyone can use them and understand them. Unlock one of the most powerful image adjustment tools available in Photoshop and take full control over the tonal adjustments of your photographs. These curves work in CS5, Lightroom and Camera RAW.

Learn Photoshop Curves.

 

HDR tutorial photoshopCreating HDR Photos in Photoshop

HDR photography is more than an effect, more than a buzzword. This tutorial will show you what you need to get started creating stunning High Dynamic range images. Colin Smith shows you how to shoot, merge, and tonemap your way to stunning High Dynamic Range photos.

Shooting and combining HDR photos.

More Photoshop Tutorials

Photoshop channelsUnderstanding common File formats and why to use RAW

There are many differences between JPG and RAW files. Often I'm asked, "which is best?" This article explains what each format is, what to use and why. There is also dicussion on DNG, workflows with Lightroom and Photoshop and a lot more in this blog post from Colin Smith.

RAW or JPEG?

More Blog Posts

photoshopcafe videos

Say hello to PhotoshopCAFE TV!

As well as all our original written tutorials, we also have video tutorials on Photoshop, Lightroom, Flash and more. Learn Photoshop, photography, web design and more. Get a taste of what's on our DVDs for free. Check out the special series, New Features of Photoshop CS5 and more.

 

Watch 30 video tutorials now

 

forums and galleries

PhotoshopCAFE Galleries & Forums Reloaded!

We are excited to announce free PhotoshopCAFE galleries for everyone! We also have all new forums. Come on in, don't be shy. Join the fun and discussion with thousands of CAFE members. Share your work, ask questions and hang out at the CAFE, the friendliest place on the web! It's free, so you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Create a free account now

 

New video training

photoshop photographic effectsPhotoshop Photographic Effects

This unique DVD/Download by award Photoshop winning artist, Colin Smith will remind you why you got Photoshop in the first place. Vintage, antique, cinematic, pop art, grungy, fake HDR, tilt shift, toy camera, hand painted, dreamy glows and more are all covered. Make it rain, day for night, sky replacement, change the depth of field, even add an oasis in the desert. These techniques will get you pro results and they are easy to use, all the instructors photos are included.

Interviews

artists interviewsGoro Fujita, Visual Development Artist (Dreamworks)

After graduating High School he went to an animation school called "The German Film School for digital production" near Berlin. He graduated in 2005 and started working as a freelance character animator and visual development artist for TV commercials and Feature Films in Germany.In August 2008 he was hired by PDI/DreamWorks as a visual development artist. Recent Projects are "Merry Madagascar" (2009 TV Special) and "Megamind". more

All Interviews

Latest training releases on DVD and download

San Francisco, CA

Get ready for a learning adventure like never before. The best just got a whole lot better!
This ground-breaking 5th release of Photoshop Secrets for Digital Photographers, will blow your socks off! Colin has pulled out all the stops. All the workflows have been fine-tuned to take advantage of the new features in Photoshop CS5. Don't just learn the features, integrate the skills into your every day workflow.

 

Horses

Supercharge all your photos in a few clicks in CS5's Camera Raw
With Photoshop CS5's new ACR 6, Adobe has introduced tools that have the power to completely change the way we shape our photography. Instead of working one image at a time, one step at a time, now the vast majority of our photographic finishing can be done quickly, elegantly and nondestructively in one place! - without even opening Photoshop! This includes such universal tasks as dodging & burning, skin softening or even targeted sharpening! That's what Adobe Camera Raw 6's Localized Correction tools have brought with it to yield a highly increased workflow. You will have to see these techniques in action to understand just how powerful they are.

Open Space

Learn how to extend the dynamic range of any Photograph!
Have you ever looked at a stunning HDR image and wondered, "how did they do that?" Wonder no more! This video will serve as your easy to follow and informative guide to the world of HDR. You will be getting results better than you dreamed of with maximum ease. Colin explains in Plain-English all you need to get going in HDR. All new and expanded for Photoshop CS5 and Photomatix 4.

Orchids

NEW for Photoshop CS5. A "must have" for tablet users.
This is the 5th edition of THE best-selling video on Wacom tablets and Photoshop. The most complete training on the Wacom Tablet and Adobe Photoshop ever! This fully updated video will show you how to unleash the power and creativity that only comes from a pressure-sensitive tablet. Set up your tablet correctly and stop working like a mouse user in Photoshop. Two of the Top instructors in the industry combine their talents to bring you a video that will totally change the way you approach graphics on your computer. If you currently own, or are considering a pen tablet or Cintiq™, this video is one of the best investments you can make. Stop mousing around and finally take control of your Wacom Tablet and Photoshop CS5.

San Francisco, CA

Learn Lightroom Inside-Out! The most Comprehensive Guide for Lightroom 3
This is the most comprehensive video on the market for Lightroom. Learn how to import, organize, develop and output all your captures with effortless ease. Enjoy in-depth coverage, pro techniques, secret tips and Colin's way of breaking down even the most complex tasks into quick and easy to understand techniques. You'll spend less time in front of the computer and more time behind the camera!

 

San Francisco, CA

Conquer the most difficult retouching challenges
These beyond the basics sessions include step by step hands on instruction on how to handle some of the most common retouching jobs in portraiture. The projects have been selected specifically to give you practice using a variety of techniques and the files are cropped to isolate the particular session topics. Included on the disc are a set of Jane's Retouching brushes plus her layered psd files for your reference and visual guides in Photoshop.

 

San Francisco, CA

How to make Faces look amazing...
This step by step project based DVD leads you through a variety of techniques to accomplish beautiful skin retouching. You will work on professional images by some of the world's best portrait photographers, Clay Blackmore, Maz Mashru, Patrick Ciatto, Brooke Christl – and Jane – and learn how to sculpt faces, blend skin, remove shine, retouch wrinkles … everything pro retouching artists do on a daily basis. Taught by Jane Conner-ziser, an internationally respected retouching artist with over 25 years of professional excellence in the portrait industry

 

San Francisco, CA

Expand your creativity with ease.
What's the quickest way to produce professional looking artwork and album pages from your photographs? Use some high quality templates. Graphics/Photography expert, Judy Host shows you how to get the most out of templates in Photoshop. You will learn to go way beyond the ordinary. Follow along as Judy shows you how to use Layers, Blending Modes and more to maximize your creative results. Discover how to create some of today's hottest looks and master the tools you need to create stunning and original artwork for yourself in a fraction of the time.

 

San Francisco, CA

Over 100 Brushes included
If you want to create awesome paintings in Photoshop, you are going to need a great set of brushes and the know-how to use them. Join one of the entertainment Industry's leading experts, as Lee Kohse shows you how to create high quality brushes in Photoshop. Lee will also show you the settings that you need to make them work the best way. Then watch over Lee's shoulder as he paints a real project. Watch and learn as Lee redesigns the iconic "Voltron" in a Steampunk style. Starting with a shaded sketch, you will learn the secrets to painting with custom brushes to create natural and realistic texture and detail without that overly CG look. Lee includes over 100 custom brushes for your immediate use on this DVD.

 

San Francisco, CA

Learn the 3D tools in Photoshop CS5 Extended
This unique disk will teach you the basics of 3D. Then you will understand how to use the 3D tools in Photoshop for yourself. You'll learn about 3D objects (Geometry), lighting, custom texturing and more. This training provides a comprehensive, overview of the 3D workflow and features of Photoshop CS5 Extended. This DVD will also address the concept of importing and exporting 3D objects from 3rd party programs. Understand UV map texturing, Image Based lighting, general lighting techniques and texturing. create a single 3D scene with multiple 3D objects in a visual story line.

 

San Francisco, CA

Learn Smith Micro Poser 8
Using Smith Micro Poser, you'll learn the features and workflow that the pros use. In a simple step-by-step, plain English approach, Stephen will show you exactly what you need to know. Even if you have no prior experience, this video will teach you what you need to know to create stunning artwork in Poser 8. (Also covers the new interface of Poser 2010). This PhotoshopCAFE training video shows you how to pose a character, apply clothing and accessories, lighting, rendering and much more. You will import to Photoshop and integrate it into a scene. This DVD will also address the concept of posing characters into a visual story line.

 



Learning Resource Micro-sites

CS5 learning siteAdobe CS5 SuperGuide Online

Visit out our CS5 Launch site. We have indepth feature review and CS5 tutorials as well as free Photoshop videos, tips and first looks of many of the Adobe CS5 products by some of the top experts in the industry.




View Previous Launch sites: CS4 | CS3

lightroom 3 learningLightroom 3 Released

See the PhotoshopCAFE learning site and see what's new in Adobe Lightroom 3. Videos, new features and more. Also see the original Lightroom learning resources all free.

 

 

design challenge 11 contestPhotoshopCAFE
Design Challenge 11

Winners and finalists announced!

Congratulations Hortensiu Milstein!

adobe logowcom logoauodesk logo

Photoshop Photorealistic Illustrations

photoshop photorealistic illustrationsI won the GURU Award for Illustration again at Photoshop World and I was a finalist in the MacWorld Design contest. I also was a finalist in the Web Design Category. It seems that these images have been taking the world by storm. They have been featured in various magazines and I'm featured in the New Masters Of Photoshop book. Check out my Guitar and other images in the Gallery.

News

Colin featured in After Capture Magazine
You can download the pdf of the interview.

Colin featured as spotlight interview on Renderosity home page.
Read the interview here

The Story Behind Colin Smith
Interview in Photoshop Creative Magazine
Read it here

Colin featured in Advanced Photoshop Magazine.
See the Spreads here

phottoshop creative magcomputer arts

PhotoshopCAFE founder, Colin Smith Nominated for the Photoshop Hall of Fame at Photoshop World 2005 & 2006, Las Vegas

More news

17-Inch Epson Stylus Pro 3880

epson printer

Epson Expands Its Award-Winning Large Format Printer Lineup with New 17-Inch Epson Stylus Pro 3880

Read more about it here