This week we take a look at one of the more unusual optics we’ve seen for quite a while. The Laowa 24mm F14 Macro Probe lens may look like something out of a science fiction movie, but as Chris and Jordan discover, it opens the door to some really interesting photo opportunities.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
I often find myself knee-deep into editing a photo when an idea hits me to try something totally different. Maybe it’s exploring different cropping options, creating a black-and-white version, or getting crazy with the adjustment brush. One useful feature of a Lightroom editing workshop is that it gives you the flexibility to explore as many different paths as you want for a picture. While always giving you the freedom to jump back to different editing points or start over entirely.
Three of the best ways to do that are with the History, Snapshot, and Virtual Copy options. Let’s dig deeper into each one separately.
Decades ago in the early days of personal computers, you were lucky if you could click undo more than once. Even the first version of Photoshop did not allow more than one undo!
This meant that you had to be extraordinarily careful when creating or editing digital images because any changes were basically permanent. Whereas today most programs allow virtually limitless error-correction when it comes to undoing your work. Lightroom is no different and if you want to fix a mistake just choose Edit > Undo and any errors or changes will be immediately wiped away.
History in Lightroom is sort of like undo but it is infinitely more flexible. It’s a veritable time machine that gives you the freedom to revert back to any aspect of your editing even if you have made dozens and dozens of changes to an image.
Whereas Undo lets you go back to earlier versions of your image one step at a time, the History panel actually lists all the changes made since you imported an image into your Catalog including the numerical values of each edit. If you make a change that involves a numerical value those will show up in the History panel as well, including the amount of the change and the resulting value.
For example, if you adjust the Exposure by +0.5, the History panel will show you Exposure +0.50 and then the resulting exposure value of +0.50. If you make another exposure adjustment of 0.2, you will see that in the History panel along with a final value of +0.70. This helps you see a written description of all the edits you have made to an image as they were applied.
The complete history of all my edits to the butterfly image at the top of this article. Clicking on any of the edits listed will instantly let me jump back in time to that particular step of the editing process.
Every image’s complete editing history is saved in your Lightroom Catalog so you can revisit changes you made to photos years ago just as you can with photos you take today.
Using the History panel is fairly straightforward. Click on any edit and your image will instantly revert back to when that change was made.
However, if you then make any subsequent edits at that point, the changes will be reflected at the top of the History panel and therefore will not take into account all the additional edits you already made. This is where the Snapshot tool comes in handy.
You can use Snapshots in combination with the History panel or all by themselves. Either way, it opens up a great deal of editing flexibility that is light years beyond what the Undo/Redo commands have to offer.
As you work through your edits on a photo you might find yourself wanting to save the current state of your image so you can make additional changes but still have the option of reverting back to a specific point in time or a specific set of edits later.
Snapshots let you do that easily with one click. They are extremely useful for trying new things or even just saving various versions of a single image.
The above image was taken on a recent trip through the state of Kansas. I got it printed as a canvas for my wife to hang on the wall.
After creating this version of the picture I wanted to make some additional changes and even try a black and white version. But I did not want to lose the original image in case I ever want to get it re-printed. Lightroom makes this a simple one-click step. All I had to do was click the + button under the Snapshot panel. Lightroom then created a version of the image frozen in time at that exact point in the editing process.
After creating the Canvas Print Snapshot I did a black-and-white conversion, changed the Blue color slider to adjust the brightness of the sky, and re-cropped it to be a 3:2 aspect ratio.
I was happy with the result, so I saved a new Snapshot which I titled according to the edits made.
This process lets me switch between two versions of the same image with the click of my mouse. I can also create as many Snapshots as I want while also re-naming or deleting them by right-clicking on any given Snapshot name. In addition, I can use the History panel to create Snapshots by hovering over any of the edits listed in the History, right-clicking, and choosing the “Create Snapshot” option.
Finally, one nice but an often-unnoticed benefit of Snapshots is that you can move the mouse over your list of Snapshots and see a preview of each one in the small window in the top-left corner of Lightroom. It’s a handy way to see what each snapshot looks like without clicking and loading them one by one.
Three renditions of the windmill photo now exist, each with its own Snapshot that I can click on at any time to load that particular version.
One limitation of the Snapshots is that you have to manually click through your Snapshots one by one by one if you want to export them as individual photos. This is fine if you have one or two snapshots of a single image, but if you need to export multiple snapshots from multiple photos the process can become cumbersome right away.
This is where Virtual Copies really shine. While they are similar to Snapshots there are some key differences that make them highly useful in certain situations.
I cropped this image into a square and while the client loved it, she asked if I could send her a vertical version. I used Lightroom to make a Virtual Copy and re-cropped that so I would always have my original crop.
Virtual Copies function in a manner almost identical to Snapshots in that you can create what is basically a saved state of your edits at any point in the editing process. After that, you can add more changes to each saved state without impacting the other Virtual Copies.
To create one, right-click on any image in the Library or Develop module and choose “Create Virtual Copy” or choose “Create Virtual Copy” from the Photo menu (or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+’). This essentially duplicates the photo in your library (as a new thumbnail) but does not actually create a copy of the original file.
Virtual Copies are duplicate versions of images that can be edited like any other photo in your library, and function almost identically. A Virtual Copy has its own unique editing history, can be cropped and adjusted like any other image, and can utilize editing presets as well.
The only way to distinguish Virtual Copies from other photos is that they have a small triangle icon (like a page turning) in the lower left corner of their thumbnail.
The small triangle icon in the lower left corner of an image thumbnail indicates that it is a Virtual Copy.
Snapshots are fine when I’m experimenting with different editing techniques, but I prefer Virtual Copies on client work, particularly when I want to give them multiple versions of a single image.
For example, when processing a recent session I was able to edit an image for white balance, sharpness, tonality, etc., and then create a virtual copy with those same edits that I cropped much closer. When I exported my images from Lightroom both versions got rendered and saved to my computer, which is not the case when working with Snapshots.
I had two different crops of this image that I wanted to send to the clients. I used Virtual Copies instead of Snapshots so both would be exported when I created the final batch of images to send to them.
Lightroom has a host of small but powerful features like this that, once learned, can greatly streamline and enhance your workflow.
Do you use History, Snapshots, or Virtual Copies? If so what are some of your favorite tips and tricks that help you get your work done more efficiently? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
The post How to Use the Lightroom Editing Trifecta: History, Snapshots, and Virtual Copies appeared first on Digital Photography School.
You have probably seen out of focus cityscape bokeh photos with pleasing lights, like the photo below. The term “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke”, which can be translated as “blur”. You should be familiar with bokeh effect that is typically seen in portrait photography where a shallow depth of field is used to purposefully throw the background out of focus (i.e. bokeh) and draw attention solely to the subject.
Unlike portrait photography, everything is thrown out of focus for cityscape bokeh photos that we’re trying here. It makes colourful light orbs appear prominently in the image and creates a unique art style. If you haven’t tried these cityscapes with bokeh lights before, follow along with the simple four steps below. It’s super easy!
Singapore skyline with bokeh lights at blue hour (26mm, f/4.2, 15 seconds, ISO 100).
Shooting at popular cityscape photography spots works great, but any place (such as a road in front of your house) might be suitable as long as there are sufficient lights. The choice of location isn’t very critical, as everything is blurred out, anyway.
My favourite spot to shoot from is an overhead bridge. It always gives pleasing results with many different colors of light sources available (buildings, cars headlights and tail lights, street lamps, traffic lights, etc.).
Shot from an overhead bridge in a suburb. You don’t necessarily have to go to the city center to shoot photos with bokeh lights (34mm, f/2.5, 1/2.5 second, ISO 100).
Cityscape bokeh images won’t work if the sky is still bright. It’s around this time (10-20 minutes before the end of dusk – check gaisma.com for your local dusk time) that city lights have been turned on, and the deep blue color of the dusk sky creates a beautiful backdrop for glittering bokeh lights.
Singapore skyline with bokeh lights, shot exactly at the end of dusk (28mm, f/4.5, 6 seconds, ISO 100).
Shooting after dusk with the pitch black sky as a backdrop also works fine, but I personally prefer shooting during blue hour.
The same view shot 20 minutes after the end of dusk (28mm, f/4.5, 13 seconds, ISO 100).
You may start with the smallest f-stop number and adjust to your liking. A wider aperture (smaller f-stop number) results in larger bokeh orbs, as seen in the photos below that were shot at the exact same location at different settings (top: shot with f/1.8, bottom: shot with f/4).
Shot at f/1.8
Shot at f/4
Use manual focus (as opposed to autofocus) and turn the focus ring until the lights are completely out of focus. This is easy as pie, but if the word “manual” turns you off, you can remain in autofocus and do the following, too.
In order to capture these pleasing cityscape bokeh effects, you might be thinking that you need a so-called “fast lens” (i.e. a lens that is capable of opening up to f/1.4 or f/1.8, for example.) that portrait photographers typically use.
No, you do not! In fact, you can take these bokeh photos using f/3.5 on your kit lens. Some photos in this post were shot at f/4.5 on my trusty Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5, hardly a lens that is considered fast.
Furthermore, you can take these bokeh photos handheld (i.e. without using a tripod), as shooting with the aperture wide open (or close to it) helps keep the shutter speed high enough. Anyway, stability and sharpness aren’t very critical, as you are shooting photos that are completely out of focus!
The only occasion I use a tripod is when I want to create smooth water by using a neutral density (ND) filter. Then, a tripod is a must, as the exposure lasts at least for several seconds even if you’re shooting with the aperture wide open.
Singapore CBD with bokeh lights at blue hour, shot with a 3-stop ND filter attached (20mm, f/3.5, 13 seconds, ISO 100).
What I particularly like about shooting cityscapes with bokeh lights is that a single view can produce two completely different images, one in focus and one out of focus, like the photos below shot at the same location.
At blue hour, I typically shoot an in-focus cityscape with a few minutes of long exposure first. Once finished, I switch to manual focus and shoot out of focus photos with the cityscape bokeh lights until the deep blue hue in the dusk sky is gone.
By the way, I like shooting with a little smaller aperture like f/3.5 to f/4.5 so that the shape of the skyline is still recognizable for those who are familiar with the place.
Singapore skyline in focus (18mm, f/11, 194 seconds, ISO 100).
Singapore skyline with bokeh lights (18mm, f/3.5, 8 seconds, ISO 100).
I hope this article helps you get started with cityscape photos with pleasing bokeh lights if you haven’t tried previously.
As a cityscape photography enthusiast myself, I’ve found it quite fun to shoot something that looks completely different from otherwise ordinary cityscapes. If you have any questions or tips to share, feel free to do so in the comments below.
The post Tips for Shooting Out of Focus Cityscape Bokeh Images at Blue Hour appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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Earlier this year I guided a group of photographers in Namibia. It had been some time since my last visit and I was very keen to return, but little did I know that this beautiful African country would see some very rare weather conditions during my visit. In this article I’ll describe what happened.
It was a peculiar time in Namibia, with some very weird weather. A massive thunderstorm hit about 1500 km north of where that kind of thing normally happens, and bizarrely enough, it happened exactly when we were there. We were rained on during our entire visit to the ghost town of Kolmanskop, which my participants weren’t too happy about, since it meant they were missing the famous light coming out of the windows of the buildings.
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Kolmanskop on a normal sunny day. The light plays a significant role in the images usually produced here. |
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The same room on a rainy day. The pockmarked dune was unique and visually quite interesting, but there was no light. |
Locals said the last time it had rained that hard was 12 years ago, and small children were panicking, having never experienced such a storm in their lifetimes! Several 100-year-old roofs collapsed, further restricting access.
I, for one, enjoyed the rainy conditions. The dunes inside the rooms were all pocked with raindrops, which contributed a great deal to the uniqueness factor.
But Kolmanskop was just the forerunner. After wrapping things up there, we headed to what was planned to be the highlight of the trip: Sossusvlei Desert. A local friend told me to watch the dunes upon arrival: if there were lines on the dunes, it meant that there was heavy rain in the desert. I have to admit I didn’t really understand what he was talking about – lines on the dunes? But upon seeing the dunes, I immediately got it.
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The rain had painted the dunes with wonderful dark brush strokes. Note how high the dunes are in comparison with the full size camel thorn trees! |
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The dark lines completely transformed the red dunes. |
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Flame-like patterns accentuated by the dark lines. Note that the blurred tree is due to heat-haze, not misfocusing. |
I could barely contain my excitement for the next morning shoot. We were scheduled to shoot in Deadvlei, and heavy rain over the Sossusvlei dunes meant a chance for water in the pan. Unfortunately the Namibian sun is hot, and most of the water had evaporated before our arrival. A very small number of tiny puddles remained, and my group and I took advantage and produced some unique shots.
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| The dead camel thorn trees of Deadvlei reflecting in rainwater. The puddle was actually tiny, and to get the image to look like this I had to shoot at water level, getting mud all over the bottom of my camera. |
I returned to the lodge quite happy with my results, but I knew that by the next day there would be no water left. In the morning I woke up expecting a standard Deadvlei shoot. But when we reached the end of the short hike, something marvelous appeared before us. The pan was absolutely full of mist!
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I quickly pulled myself together and informed my participants that we needed to make very good use of the mist. It could dissipate before sunrise or even in a few minutes, and so deep focus and efficiency was needed to capture as many good images as possible.
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We kept shooting, and the mist was moving back and forth in the pan, but it was still there. In fact, at times it seemed to be getting thicker! When the sun started hitting the dunes, I knew it was money time.
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| This isn’t a unique composition by any means, but the heavy mist made it exceptional. Note the figures being lit by early sunlight on top of the dune to the left. |
As the sunrise progressed, I tried to utilize the mist to my advantage, and used it to create depth in my images but including trees in different distances. The further trees were deeper in the mist.
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Many more compositions presented themselves, some more unusual, some less so. But all were beautifully enhanced by the mist.
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| A misty twist on a well known composition. Note the dark lines on the background dune. |
As the sunlight began moving across the pan, I could incorporate the lines it created in the images, to create even more interest.
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When the mist finally dissipated, we could all take a breath and digest what had happened. That once-per-decade storm that left enough water to allow reflections had also left a large amount of moisture in the air, creating the mist. We couldn’t help feeling incredibly fortunate to have witnessed this special combination of circumstances.
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Luck is a major factor in nature photography. While a good photographer can create good imagery in sub-optimal conditions, there are times when it all comes together, and the photographer who is ready – and focused – will reap the rewards.
Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, photography guide and traveler based in Israel. You can follow Erez’s work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates.
If you’d like to experience and shoot some of the most fascinating landscapes on earth with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Southern Iceland, Northern Iceland, The Lofoten Islands, Patagonia, Greenland, Namibia the Faroe Islands and Ethiopia.
Erez offers video tutorials discussing his images and explaining how he achieved them.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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GoPro has revealed its Q2 2018 financial results, boasting a massive 40% quarter-over-quarter revenue increase to $ 283 million and net loss of $ 32 million, which the company says is a 51% sequential improvement. This marks two consecutive positive quarters for GoPro, which has historically struggled and taken various actions, including multiple layoffs, in an effort to survive.
GoPro saw its inventory drop $ 47 million from its first to second 2018 quarters, reaching the company’s lowest inventory level since early 2014. Year-over-year, GoPro also reduced its operating expenses by $ 16 million and increased its paying Plus subscriber numbers by 9% quarter-over-quarter.
GoPro says it took 97% dollar share of the action camera market in the US, with its Fusion model taking 48% of the nation’s spherical camera category
GoPro claims its 18th straight quarter of having the #1 selling camera in North America, also citing a strong presence in the spherical camera, European, and Asian markets. Based on data from NPD Group, GoPro says it took 97% dollar share of the action camera market in the US, with its Fusion model taking 48% of the nation’s spherical camera category.
During the company’s earnings call with investors yesterday, GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman revealed that the company will release three new products later this year. Details on those three products were not provided, but it’s likely one will be the company’s upcoming flagship Hero 7, an update to the Hero 6 action camera released late last year.
Catch up on GoPro’s Q2 investors’ call
Via: GoPro
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Motorola has announced its 2018 flagship smartphone, the Moto Z3, which, like previous Z-series models, is compatible with Motorola’s Moto Mod magnetically attachable expansion modules, including the 10x zoom Hasselblad TrueZoom.
This is Motorola’s third and last generation of Moto Mod-compatible devices
At this point in time the Moto Z3 is a Verizon-exclusive device and once the carrier’s 5G network is available next year, you’ll be able to purchase a brand new Moto Mod: A 5G module that comes with a Qualcomm’s X50 modem and an additional 2,000 mAh of battery capacity, allowing you to send and receive data via a 5G connection. This could make the new Moto an enticing option for anyone sending large image files from the field.
The bad news is that this is Motorola’s third and last generation of Moto Mod-compatible devices, meaning that from next year the modular system is going to be history.
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| Moto Z3 with 5G Moto Mod accessory |
The actual device is quite similar to the already released Moto Z3 Play but comes with a more powerful chipset and a different camera setup. The latter offers a dual-camera on the back, which combines a 12MP RGB sensor with 1.25um pixels and F2.0 aperture with a 12MP monochrome chip for wider dynamic range and lower noise levels. A dual-LED flash is included as well. The front camera unit uses an 8 MP sensor and F2.0 aperture.
The ability to attach a 10x zoom camera module makes the Z3 attractive from a photographic point of view
The Android OS is powered by last year’s Snapdragon 835 chipset instead of the current Snapdragon 840 which can be found in most rival flagships. The battery offers a 3,000 mAh capacity and images can be viewed and composed on a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080 x 2160 resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio.
Overall the new Moto’s spec sheet doesn’t look too impressive when compared to some high-end rivals. However, specs aren’t everything and the ability to attach a 10x zoom camera module makes the Z3 attractive from a photographic point of view. The moderate price point of $ 480 is another plus point.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Despite most images existing exclusively in digital format these days, there is a good choice of portable photo printers available in the market and Canon has just added a brand new option to the segment in the shape of the Zoemini.
At 160 g and measuring only 118 x 82 x 19 mm, the Canon Zoemini is lighter and smaller than most comparable products and very similar in size to the smartphone you would typically pair it with, making it easily storable in any bag.
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Like most printers of this type, the Zoemini uses ZINK printing technology – ink is stored in water- and tear-resistant 2” x 3” photo paper. Larger output sizes can be achieved through the Canon Mini Print app that allows you to “spread” images across four or nine of the self-adhesive sheets.
The Canon Zoemini and the corresponding mobile app for Android and iOS will launch on September 5th. In Europe it will retail at €140 (approximately $ 160). No information on pricing and availability in other regions has been provided yet.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
I did portraits and weddings as commissioned work for years. To this day, people photography is still my favorite thing to do. So, whether you’re into travel, street, or full-on portrait photography you can practice your people skills with this week’s photography challenge.
Natural light portrait, taken in Turkey.
If you need some tips and help getting started, try these dPS articles:
Need more information and training? Grab our dPS ebook Portraits: Making the Shot.
This portrait was lit using a combination of flash and natural light at 1/30th of a second.
This portrait was made in a classroom when I was teaching a portrait class. There is a large window off to camera right which is lighting the model’s face, another reflector being held behind her and up high to light her hair and add highlights. Finally, there is a black reflector being held by one of my students to create the background. You don’t need a lot of gear!
Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to appear so be patient and try not to post the same image twice.
Portrait using window light (camera left) and a gold reflector to add the highlights on her hair.
You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.
The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Portraits appeared first on Digital Photography School.
In this 7-minute video, photographer Craig Beckta has 5 tips that will help improve your portrait photos drastically.
“The larger the light source and the closer it is to your subject, the softer the light,” says Beckta. He also prefers to use round softboxes, as it creates a round catchlight similar to that which you can expect from the sun.
For more on this topic read:
Moving your light source around and adjusting the angles and modifiers allows you to change the pattern of light. Some lighting patterns are more flattering for particular situations, but changing the lighting pattern throughout a shoot means that you have more options available to you back in the editing room.
Read 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know
Even with experienced models, it is “important that you give them subtle directions.” After all, the model can’t see what you can see as the photographer. Keeping good direction over the shoot keeps you in control creatively, and dialogue between yourself and the model can only be a good thing to keep everyone comfortable.
Check out our dPS printable posing guides for more ideas.
A wide aperture will allow you to blur the background, but be careful that there aren’t distracting objects intersecting your subject.
Be careful with your exposure. There’s nothing worse than coming home from a shoot and finding the highlights are blown out or the shadows lost. Beckta runs through his entire process with regards to monitoring his exposure during a shoot.
What do you think? Do you have any other tips for portrait photography?
The post 5 Tips to Improve Your Portrait Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School.
You wouldn’t start cooking dinner and go to the supermarket each time you need an ingredient, that wouldn’t be very efficient, right? For any activity you want to undergo in life it’s always best to have everything you’re going to need before you start, don’t you agree? With the Photoshop interface, it is the same.
You will be able to work more efficiently if you set up your workspace according to what you need right from the beginning.
In order to set up your workspace, you need to know what tools are available to you, how they behave, and what are the options. All of these things combined are called the interface, so let’s get to know it.
The big central area is called Canvas.
This is where your image will be displayed, therefore it’s quite an important component. All around the canvas area you’ll find tools and information to help you manage your image.
On the right-hand side, you have the panels. There are tabs here that provide you with information about what you have on the canvas. Which tabs are there is entirely up to you as it is completely customizable, but I’ll get to that later on.
On the left-hand side, you’ll find the Tool box which, as the name suggests, contains the various tools you can use to modify your image. I’ll show you later how it can be moved but as a default, you’ll find it here.
On top, there’s the Option bar which provides the setting options for each tool that you select from the Tool bar, therefore it is constantly changing.
And on top of that, you’ll find the menu bar with many options to control your canvas, file, and interface.
When you put together these sections you can transform your workspace. Now that you know what everything is and where to find it you can start personalizing it according to your needs. Let’s get to it.
The very first thing that catches your eye, and therefore is something you want to decide, is the color. If you go to Menu > Photoshop > Preferences > Interface you’ll find the options.
You’ll notice on the image below that I have used the lightest shade of grey. But the choice is completely personal, try all of them and see which suits you best.
No matter which one of those you choose, you can change the color of the canvas any time because each photo may need a different background.
For example, if you are working on a black canvas and you start working on a black photo you might not be able to see the edges of the image. Just right-click anywhere on the canvas area and choose any of the default colors or make a custom one.
I’ll make it a really evident green, not because it’s something I would recommend using, but because I want you to be clear on which area is changing with this option.
Now that you fixed the look of your Photoshop interface and workspace, it’s time to move to the practicality aspects.
As a starting point, you can use any of the default workspaces that Photoshop has built-in. To find them just go to the drop-down menu on the top right corner. Feel free to try them all out.
However, since you are reading this in a Digital Photography School article, I’ll suggest you start with the Photography Workspace and we’ll start building up from there.
To start personalizing, it’s worth knowing that most panels can be detached and dragged anywhere on your workspace. You can just click on the top of the panel where there is a dotted line and let go wherever you want the panel situated.
However, this can get very messy really quickly. So if you want to move the panels around, I suggest you still attach them into another available slot. To find them just hover over the workspace and look for the blue lines as they indicate snapping points.
Let’s now focus on the panel area as it’s the most flexible of all. In here, you have different information windows in tabs that can be grouped or stacked. You may think that it would be helpful to have all of them open but that would take away space on the canvas for your image.
So it is actually much more practical to have as little as possible opened at one time. Therefore, let’s start by closing the ones you don’t need from the default setup. To close a tab just go to the top right corner of the tab and click on the drop-down menu, from there choose “Close”.
You’ll notice that the panel area is divided into smaller boxes. This is because tabs can be grouped. To move tabs from one group to another just drag them. And to close an entire group just choose Close Tab Group instead of Close from the drop-down menu.
If you need a panel that didn’t come with the default preset, you can access it by going to Menu > Window and select the desired option. It will be dropped into the collapsible column on the left of the panels which is a collapsible extension of the panels.
If you need it open all the time, like the Layer panel for example, then you can have it on the right so it displays all the information all the time. But if it’s something you need just on occasion, you can keep it collapsed on the left and just click on it when you need it.
If you don’t need a panel at all you can always make it disappear from that column just by right-clicking it and then choosing “Close”.
This column can also be customized to show the icon and name of the panel or just the icon. Just click on the arrow at the top to choose.
While I’m on that, let me tell you that the Tool Bar has a similar feature by giving you the choice of one or two columns. Keep in mind that expanding it means losing Canvas space, so I like to keep it in the slimmer version.
Now you know how to customize your Photoshop interface and workspace.
But, if you work on different projects (i.e you’re a photographer but also do design) you may need different workspaces according to each specific needs. Or if you use a shared computer with another family member or a co-worker then you also might need different workspaces for each of you.
This is why you want to save your customized workspace so you can come back to it easily each time without the need for repeating this process.
To do this, go back to the drop-down menu of the top-right corner and choose New Workspace. Name it and go back to it any time you need.
Furthermore, if you are in your workspace but still find that are some changes from how it’s supposed to look, just click reset and everything will be back to normal. One last tip, from the bottom of the Tool box you can also choose the screen mode you want to use.
Okay, no more procrastination, get to work!
The post How to Set Up the Photoshop Interface and Workspace for Maximum Efficiency appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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