Photoshop Elements Tutorial

[JoelHazelton]

Photography seems to be a popular topic 'round these parts as of late, so I though I'd throw a useful link up for those who can't afford photoshop. This is a recent article for a free, monthly updated online magazine.

http://www.naturephotographers.net/arti ... 310-1.html

It teaches how to blend exposures in Photoshop Elements, which is generally accepted as something that requires full on Photoshop. It looks like it will work best with a straight horizon (as will most blending techniques). This is a technique that replaces the use of a GND in the field. It is essential to use a tripod in the field and take two identical compositions with different shutter speeds (don't adjust the aperture... keep it on fully manual or shutter priority)... One exposing the ground correctly and one properly exposing the sky. Upload your two shots, import into Elements and follow this tutorial for some sweet results

Basically, if you have a camera with manual controls (certainly does not have to be DSLR), a tripod and a copy of photoshop elements, you can take some bad@$$ sunrise/sunset photos using this technique.

[joebartels]

What is it that you don't get in Elements? I've heard channels, anything else?

[JoelHazelton]

I've never actually used it, but according to this article you don't get layer masks, which is I use masks for blending, dodging/burning, sharpening, even saturation. But, also according to the article, elements provides masks for adjustment layers, so this tutorial "tricks" elements into using the adjustment layer mask on a normal layer.