Learn on Line Galleries

The Evolution of a Masterpiece : The purpose of this course is not to teach you how to fix bad pictures in PhotoShop but how to turn an already pretty good picture into a great photograph. The course deals with two different kinds of subjects: first of all, techniques that will enhance and stylize your images; but second, how to envision your final image from the start. I will not show you the missing fine art button in PhotoShop, because there isn’t one, but I will share with you lots of techniques and tips to make your images more grabbing, communicative, inspiring, innovative, artistic. If you think that your photographs are sellable, you may be just one click away from right. These techniques will give your photographs the “boost” they need to stand out and call for attention. Most of all, I will help you to develop a personal work strategy, to plan an artistic “workflow” that will differ each time according to what you want the final look of your photo to be. You will learn how to “read “your own photographs while removing the personal attachments that may interfere with seeing what the photograph lacks and what you need to do about it. You’ll learn to be 99% honest with yourself and constructively critical about your work. Course Requirement: This is an advanced PhotoShop course that is intended for photographers who are in fact familiar with the use of PhotoShop. If you have already taken one or more of my courses here at PPSOP, be assured that you will find plenty of new material, to inspire your creativity and most of all, a strategy to develop better- than-ever Photo-Art. http://www.ppsop.com/evol.aspx

The Evolution of a Masterpiece

The purpose of this course is not to teach you how to fix bad pictures ...

Updated: Sep 11, 2008 5:14pm PST

The Art of B&W, Infrared and Sepia Photography in Photoshop : http://www.ppsop.com/bwis.aspx I still take B&W pictures with my old film camera and that is what kept me from switching to digital. Are B&W photographs taken with a digital camera less beautiful then the ones we used to take with B&W film? If you have a camera that has a preset B&W, should you take the shots in this mode or in color and then convert in Photoshop? Do you need to use screw-on filters to achieve the classic B&W? What about infrared pictures taken with a digital camera? These are just a few questions you will find answers to in this incredible photography course. In this course you will rediscover your old love for B&W photography, or you will fall in love with it for the first time. What in the old days was considered a true art, the darkroom art, now is performed in Photoshop through a series of tools and filters. You will learn how to master these secrets and become an artist yourself! Have you ever dreamed of selling your B&W photographs? Would you like to showcase them in an art gallery or simply on your living room walls? Now you can. After taking this class, not only will you discover how to post-process your digital color photographs into B&W or infrared but you will also learn how to showcase them at their best using frames, borders and vignetting. After learning how to turn your color digital images into TRUE B&W, you will also learn how to improve their look using techniques such as dodging and burning, i.e., selectively darkening the sky or making a person’s eyes lighter, as if they were glowing. In addition, you will learn how to add grain to mimic the look of a highly sensitive film such as ISO 1600. You will experiment with digital effects like the old Sabattier, solarization or the emboss effect, and the great Sepia toning look just to name a few. Your portfolio will scream ART! REQUIREMENTS: Digital camera and Photoshop To subscribe to this course click here: http://www.ppsop.com/bwis.aspx

The Art of B&W, Infrared and Sepia Photography in Photoshop

http://www.ppsop.com/bwis.aspx I still take B&W pictures with m ...

Updated: Sep 15, 2008 12:23pm PST

Controlling The Weather and Mastering the Light in Photoshop : http://www.ppsop.com/wxps.aspx So nobody can control the weather? NOT anymore. Not in your pictures, at least! In fact, after taking this terrific course you will be able to season your photography, meaning change the weather. No kidding! You will turn any daytime scene into an evening one, add fog, change the color of light, create a starry night sky, and more You will learn how to create warm and cold light in your photographs, how to turn a boring picture into a moody one by adding some candlelight to achieve a warm look. You will be taught how to draw lightning and rainbows and make a flat sky into a dramatic one by filling the sky with clouds, or how to make a blue sky in one of those hazy-day pictures that we all keep in our drawer because they have boring, flat, gray skies. You will make a moonlight scene from an ordinary picture and create a sunset from an image taken at noon, or turn on a neon sign without calling an electrician. I will teach you the different kinds of lights available in nature and how to successfully recreate them in PhotoShop. But wherever there is light there is shadow, and you will be in charge of creating shadows: I will teach you how easy it can be to add a shadow to the objects and people in your photos, and more. We will see how to cast shadows from a Venetian blind over faces, or cast a shadow of a window frame or the one from a leaf over the elements of your picture. What about reflections? Of course! You will learn how to recreate a mirrored reflection in sunglasses or how to remove unwanted reflections in your pictures, like yourself on the metallic surface of a car. Adding a curved reflection on a drinking glass will never be a problem after taking this course. This course is packed with creative, easy-to-duplicate PhotoShop tutorials and tips on techniques; every week you will be given assignments on the topic you have just learned. What are you waiting for? In only four weeks you will be in control of the light in your photography. Sign in and become the next Photoshop Wiz! To subscribe click here: http://www.ppsop.com/wxps.aspx

Controlling The Weather and Mastering the Light in Photoshop

http://www.ppsop.com/wxps.aspx So nobody can control the weather? N ...

Updated: Aug 15, 2008 8:07pm PST

Beyond Color Photography In Photoshop : http://www.ppsop.com/byps.aspx Do you often find that the colors in your images don’t look precisely how you remember them at the moment of exposure? Every camera has a preset set color balance built in like: daylight, flash, cloudy, evening, etc. Sometimes you forget to apply the appropriate setting prior to taking the shot. As a result, your image ends up with the wrong color balance. Other times, even with the appropriate color balance, the image still does not look right. Why does this happen? This course will teach you how to get around this problem and how to calibrate your white balance in camera and in Photoshop after words. Is Black And White the only alternative to Color Photography? Absolutely not! There are many creative, color tone effects you can use. During these four weeks you will learn the techniques to “reinvent” your color images and take them to a new level. You will be taught how to apply duotone, triotone and quadritone effects. In addition, you will learn how to create Split Toning, Cross Processing and posterizing effects. These effects are used by professional graphic artists/designers and can be seen in magazines and books everywhere. You will learn how to create a true sepia tone. Have you ever found yourself glancing through a magazine and asking yourself how did they make the color in this ad look like that? By the end of this four week course, you will know exactly how to do this. Knowing and understanding these wonderful effects and how to create them will make your work more versatile. As a result, your images will look more professional. After taking this course, your photographic eye will be more elastic. You will think ahead about post processing effects and compose your images differently. As a result, your images will take on a whole new dimension and allow you to be more creative and resourceful. When you look through your lens you will know at once how to further develop that picture you are about to take. Creative and artistic are the adjectives that will define your style of work from now on! To subscribe click here: http://www.ppsop.com/byps.aspx

Beyond Color Photography In Photoshop

http://www.ppsop.com/byps.aspx Do you often find that the colors ...

Updated: May 07, 2006 8:49pm PST

GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY : What is the difference between Fashion and Glamour Photography? Sassy, sensual and sexy are the ONLY three words to describe the adventure that lies ahead in this most anticipated course. In less than four weeks, and through a combination of exciting lighting and Photoshop lessons you will be creating some very sassy photographs of your kids, sensual photographs of your friends, lovers or spouse and sexy photographs of the ‘guys and gals next door’! Unlike fashion photography which places its emphasis on the wardrobe or products being sold, glamour photography places the emphasis on the person themselves. In this course you will learn how to create ‘glamour’ lighting as well as the right ‘glamour’ pose, both of which are invaluable tools in bringing out the glamour which all of us possess. In addition, you will also learn some extremely valuable post-production tips with PhotoShop where more often than not, the subtlest of changes can make the biggest difference in success or failure. No doubt about it, Glamour photography has more to do with creating a glamorous look than having a glamorous model and the simplicity of Danilo’s lessons along with his noted personal attention will help you realize your goal of creating stunning glamour images right inside your own home. Course Requirement: This course is designed not only for photographers who want to learn the basics of the glamour, it is also a fun course for photographers who like to take people photographs and want to learn how to make them look better through the right use of correct lighting techniques and of course jaw-dropping Photoshop effects afterwards. All this course requires is a basic knowledge of Photoshop and of your camera, that’s all! http://theitalianeye.smugmug.com/gallery/972706 To subscribe to this course email me : http://www.ppsop.com/site/glam.html info@theitalianeye.com

GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

What is the difference between Fashion and Glamour Photography? Sassy ...

Updated: Aug 21, 2007 9:21am PST

Create Art from your photographs : What could be more satisfying than creating art from your own photographs? When you take this course, you’ll finally be able to satisfy your desire to create your own artwork. Of course photography is an established art; but what if we take our photographs and, by pushing the envelope, we transform – draw , paint, sketch and perform other artistic interpretations of – those photographs? We will create art from art! And why would we do that, you may ask. Some people, who for one reason or another were unable to learn or master the art of drawing or painting, turn to photography as an outlet; photography somehow seemed like the "easy" way to fill in this gap. By taking this course, you will learn in four easy lessons how to trace your own photographs and make paintings out of them. And the best part is that you don’t even need to know how to draw!!!! Finally you can be the painter you always wanted to be, skipping all the hard stuff. It will be a little like learning how to play an instrument without needing to learn how to read music first. You will also learn how to combine parts of different photographs into one composition and then, after tracing all the elements, you will fill in using the colors and techniques of your choice. In these four weeks you will learn how easy Corel Painter program is and how you can create astonishing watercolors, realistic chalk and pencil drawings, impressive oil paintings and more. And who better to teach you than an Italian artist with a master's degree in fine art from "the old school," with more than 15 years of experience in this field? No need to worry about making a mess around the house; painting has never been so mess-free! No need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on art supplies. All you will need is a working copy of Corel Painter XI.5 and a digital tablet. If you are not sure about spending the money for the program, you can download a trial version from the site for free. It will last as long as the course, and you will know by then if you want to buy the program or not. And if you are not a photographer....not to worry! I will supply you with photos to work on if you need that. Every week there will be Videos for you to watch and learn how to use the program and techniques and become the artist you always knew you were but never had a chance to prove to the WORLD! To subscribe to this course email me at: info@theitalianeye.com

Create Art from your photographs

What could be more satisfying than creating art from your own photogra ...

Updated: Apr 01, 2007 6:18pm PST

I am always seeking perfection in my attempt to tell a story in just one frame.

As a man, I never really had much interest in reading text; to me the images that illustrate an article or book are the only important thing to focus on. Perhaps Mother Nature sought to compensate for my dyslexia by blessing me with a greater visual imagination.

As a viewer, I love to see how other photographers interpret reality, offering us their unique perspective and point of view to arouse our human curiosity and help us all to develop our creativity by using our imagination.

As an artist, I pay as much attention as possible to details, lighting, colors and texture and include the environment, where the subject of my photograph lives within the frame. I love using my wide-angle lens; I like to make a statement by enlarging a detail in my imagery by deforming the size of objects with this lens, making them appear larger than they really are. It is like underlining a sentence in a book, making it stronger, bolder.

As a photographer, I am obsessed with the idea of being able to tell a full story in one frame only. Too often our minds are influenced by what the narrator or the journalist is telling us; I want individual viewer to be less passive and able to create his or her own vision of reality. That‘s when I feel my mission has been accomplished, because my task is reporting the truth to viewers and at the same time leaving them enough space and freedom to create their own story through their imagination, with my imagery.

Danilo Piccioni