Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Maximum Photoshop Tour with Dave Cross

Where everyone learns Photoshop - National Association of Photoshop Professionals

On the first day of my Thanksgiving vacation this year, I had the opportunity to attend a NAPP sponsored seminar entitled the Maximum Photoshop Tour which was taught by Dave Cross.

The Agenda

Below I've listed the agenda exactly as it appeared from my materials. Dave delivered as advertised on all of the topics mentioned:

7 Functions You Never Use but Should 10:00 to 11:00 A.M.

Learn very powerful yet often-overlooked Photoshop functions such as Layer Comps, Calculations, Apply Image, Advanced Blending, Tool Presets and more. Increase your productivity, enhance your workflow, and realize new creative possibilities with these essential Photoshop functions..

Selection Secrets 11:15 A.M. to 12:15 P.M.

Make selections like a master! Discover the secrets to making great selections, quickly and easily, each and every time using Photoshop CS4 selection tools and Channels.

Photoshop Fixes 1:15 to 2:15 P.M.

Learn how to quickly fix many of Photoshop's most common image problems. Repair white balance problems and harsh shadows, fix blown out image details, and learn how to colorize black and white photos and objects and much more.

Photo Effects & Finishing Touches 2:30 to 3:45 P.M.

Your Photoshop masterpiece is almost complete, but you need a last little something for that finishing touch. A border effect perhaps, or maybe a color treatment to add some "pop." This class is all about adding a finishing touch to your images, including frames, photographic effects, dramatic lighting effects, adding texture, and much more. You'll learn how to create special effects in very flexible, editable ways that are just the tip of the iceberg, giving you countless possibilities.

Get Smart with Photoshop 4:00 to 5:00 P.M.

So, you think you know Photoshop? No matter how experienced you may be with Photoshop, this class will take your skills to the next level! Learn how to take full advantage of Layers, Adjustment Layers, Smart Objects, Smart Filters, Actions and Variables, and create fantastic re-usable templates that are sure to make your workflow easier.

My Thoughts

When I first entered the classroom and saw what seemed to be a thousand people, I got concerned that this course was going to be fairly useless. I was fortunate enough to get a good seat up in the front row so I could get a good view of the huge projector (there were two). While the class was large, it was well prepared and the hand out materials were excellent. I was also able to walk up and stand in a short line to ask Dave a question which he happily answered without any sarcasm, so I felt he was very accessible during the class.

The price with my NAPP discount was only $79 and the savings offered on books and DVD's were very good during the show, so overall it was an excellent value. I definitely got my monies worth.

In the end, I highly recommend these courses as they seem to be an excellent value and a quick way to learn a lot in a short period of time. Scott's books are probably just as good, so if you learn very well from reading books then you can skip these class, but for those who like to be trained in real life then I think these are a great value.

Don't forget, you can save big if you join NAPP and much of the materials taught in these courses are already available to NAPP members.

NOTE: This site requires cookies and uses affiliate linking to sites that use cookies.

If you enjoyed this article, please support future articles like this by making a donation or saving money by using my discount coupon codes. Either way, your support is greatly appreciated!

This blog is intended for freelance writing and sharing of opinions and is not a representative of any of the companies whose links are provided on this site.

The opinions provided are of Ron Martinsen alone and do not reflect the view of any other entity

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ron, where this event took place?

ronmartblog.com said...

It was in Seattle. They travel throughout the country, but they only seem to come to Seattle a couple times a year at best.