Photoshop basics articles

I have decided to write a couple of new articles on some of the more basic elements of Adobe Photoshop, these are aimed at new users or those who are totally at a loss as to where to start (believe me there are people who need this help, I have taught a few).

The first of our basics articles is:

Photoshop - Basics - Opening and Saving Files - it covers the very basics of how to open and how to save a file. Hopefully clearing things up for those who need this help.

Our second is:

Photoshop - How to resize an image - This is more indepth than the previous one but still covers quite a basic area of Photoshop usage.

Please let me know your thoughts, and if you have any ideas for other basic Photoshop areas we could cover (if you would like to write one for us we are more than happy for that as well, please get in contact). Part of the aim of Fatphotographer is to cover every aspect of photography, this we hope will cater for the true beginner.

Two new how to post process articles

So today I have published two new how to post process articles (following on from yesterdays). These two are articles that relate to each other so knowing one will help the other and vice a verse:

Photoshop - Understanding Layers
Photoshop - Understanding Layer Masks

As you can see they are both photoshop related and both focus on using layers one of the best tools a photographer can have at his disposal.

We are always interested in articles on software other than Photoshop, if you would like to write one (or already have) please feel free to contact us and we will see what we can do.

How to create Photoshop Actions

We have published a new post processing article today.

Photoshop - How to Create a Photoshop Action.

We hope that it will help people to be able to create what is in reality a simple, but very helpful tool, for themselves to use to create their own actions for photoshop (and save time). We'd love to hear if it helps people and what actions they create.

A must learn for the photography enthusiast it really can be a time saver.

My new favourite portrait photographer

I have just finished reading (and looking at the brilliant photography included) Brian Smith's book: Secrets of Great Portrait Photography; Photographs of the Famous and Infamous.

What a great book, what a great photographer!!

Read my review here:

Secrets of Great Portrait Photography; Photographs of the Famous and Infamous - a Review

And please visit his website for more of his great work:

http://briansmith.com/

Ashley 

A New Book

My latest book for reviewing arrived today from New Riders, part of Peachpit a division of Pearson Education (it gets complicated in the publishing world!). Any way it is Secrest of Great Portrait Photography - Photographs of the Famous and Infamous - by Brian Smith, and it looks a good book if the brief flick I have had is anything to go by.

The Front cover alone sells it well with a great portrait of Richard Branson in a space suit!

While I am reading/reviewing check out the authors websites:

http://www.briansmith.com
http://www.briansmith.com/blog

Enjoy.

Ash

Wisconsin you have me puzzled?

At my daughters choice I have spent today populating the Wisconsin Photography page of fatphotographer (I asked her to pick a state, odd choice but she is three so we will let it go).

Anyway, after adding loads of new links, I have found something that (so far) I have only come across in Wisconsin, there are loads (well quite a few) photographers who call their business - [something] Portrait Design check it out if you don't believe me.

I am not knocking the name it is just that "Design" seems an unusual tag to add to a photography companies name, and like said so far I have only found it used in Wisconsin. Can anyone out there explain it to me?

I hope someone can. I must be honest I don't know much about this state (except I think it was the setting for That 70's Show and the wrestler Mr Anderson (Kennedy) hails from there), well you can see all the links found and added so far here:

http://www.fatphotographer.net/links_geo/america_united_states/wisconsin.html

Oh and we still need an introduction and representative photograph for the page, so if you would like to contribute please get in touch.

To follow the dragonflies

After our last review of Britain's dragonflies (see my last blog post), comes another photographic field guide review (let's face it as a wildlife enthusiast if I get the chance to review a really good field guide I'm not going to say no, and if, like these two, they are photographic than I can always make room for them on fatphotographer). This time it is

Britain's Butterflies by David Newland, Robert Still, David Tomlinson & Andy Swash

If you are in the market for a field guide to butterflies found in Britain and Ireland, then this is what you are looking for. Light weight, full of wonderful photographs and excellent identification points as well as other great features I would heartily recommend this book to you.

Anyway I hope you enjoy my review please let me know, I always like to hear from the readers of this blog or fatphotographer.

Ashley Beolens

A different tack

We have just published our latest review, and it is a slightly different tack to the normal books we review, this time it is a photographic field guide to Britains Dragonfiles:

Britain’s Dragonflies by Dave Smallshire & Andy Swash - Review

It is full of fabulous photos and I thought with so many wildlife photographers out there they might appreciate the review as well, hope you all like it.

I love this book, it is a little gem that covers a passion of mine, and will make my life easier. The photographs are amazing, the species write ups are detailed and clear, and the key characteristics tables are great for identification purposes. As a field guide it is light enough to carry in my bag, and will be with me on many trips out and about from now on.