Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. – Maya Angelou

Mr. Walker's Classroom Blog

  • photoshop4-500

    This is the new guide from MakeUseOf and is something to play with on Photoshop for the summer. 

    From MakeUseOf:

    Love learning Photoshop? You’ll be happy to know our popular series of Photoshop tutorials continues today. “An Idiot’s Guide to Photoshop, Part 4: Advanced Features and Fun Photo Effects”, from author By Azamat “Bohed” E. of TrueKolor.net.

    To master Photoshop, you need to practice. The more tutorials and guides you go through, the more methods and tools you will have at your disposal. But reading isn’t enough. To really learn, you need to open Photoshop and follow the steps outlined. Do that with this manual and you’ll pick up some new skills.

    In this guide, we’ll show you how to make use of some amazing features that came with CS5, such as Content-Aware and Puppet Warp, along with some tools that came before CS5. Also, we will show you how to create a basic animation in Photoshop and how to use it to create a morphing effect.

    Some tools are overlooked by users, even Photoshop veterans, but that doesn’t mean those tools can’t make your life easier and enhance your workflow. We’ll go through some of them as well.

    Note that in most cases we will skip basic explanations, assuming that you are familiar with basic tools and techniques. Be sure to go over Parts 1, 2, and 3 before reading this guide, if you haven’t already. Find them here:

    Part 4 of this amazing free guide outlines:

    • Using the Content-Aware feature to reshape pictures or remove unwanted items from photos
    • Change someone’s posture with Puppet Warp
    • Using 3D in Photoshop: 3D text, 3D Christmas balls and downloading extra 3D content
    • Using the Background Eraser tool
    • Morphing a face with Photoshop, and creating an animated GIF
    • Tips to speed up Photoshop CS5
    Download Link

    Download Link (pdf)

    Download as ePub (iPad, Nook, Kobo etc)

    You can also purchase the book on Amazon. You’ll have to pay 99 cents, but you don’t need to subscribe to or share anything. You’ll also directly support the creation of these guides.

  • its-all-about-images-infographic_1000

  • Build a Super Simple Light Strip Using a Heavy Duty Power Strip

    This photography light strip is practically snap-together; read on to see how you can build a 15,000 lumen continuous lighting system with hardware store parts.

    Courtesy of DIY Photography reader Flaviu Leordeanu, this simple photography hack involves using a sturdy 10-socket industrial power strip to server as the framework for a 10-bulb light strip. Hit up the link below for a closer look.

    How to Build a Sweet and Simple CFL Light Strip [DIY Photography]

  • This should do an even better job of answering the question from class yesterday.

    Story from another class yesterday: student had friend was just hired at GeekSquad THIS WEEK, based on S QUESTION ABOUT THIS!

    Makes you want to learn this!

     

        Does this help answer the question from class yesterday?

      By Adam Dachis Lifehacker.com

      Why You Should Watch and Record Video in 720p Instead of 1080i

      Despite the many technological advancements we’ve had over the past few years, interlaced video seems to have stuck around. Interlaced is the "i" in 1080i and the reason it’s not quite as good as 720p. It’s in your cable, your televisions, and your camcorders. You should stop using it. Benjamin Higginbotham, the Technology Evangelist, explains why in the above video.

      Essentially, when you’re dealing with interlaced video you’re really only seeing half the resolution because the image is split into two fields that alternate very quickly. This tricks our eyes into seeing the full image even when it’s not being displayed at the same time. This was very useful for overcoming bandwidth limitations in the early days of standard definition. Now we can display progressive video (the "p" in 720p and 1080p) which shows us the full image in every frame. With 720p video, you get 720 lines of horizontal resolution in each frame. With 1080i video, you only get half of 1,080 lines of resolution (meaning 540) in each frame. In many cases this isn’t a big deal, but it starts to show up in interlaced artifacts during high amounts of motion in any given frame. Basically, objects in fast motion will look like they’re smearing cross the screen instead of looking natural. There are also numerous issues that can arise when displaying interlaced footage on progressive displays like HDTVs, for example. For a full run-down of what is a pretty complicated subject, be sure to watch the video above. While 1080p is definitely your best bet in terms of highest resolution, don’t think that 1080i is just as ideal because the number’s the same. Choosing a progressive resolution like 720p will look a lot nicer.

      720p vs 1080i HD Explained (HQ) | YouTube via PetaPixel via Apartment Therapy Tech