WHAT SKILL LEVEL IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is for Intermediate (non-beginner)users. The “Bonus” videos on this page are a great indication of skill level. If I move too fast, or don’t cover things in as much detail as you need, then you may want to beef up on your Photoshop skills first.
While there is a “Primer” section that goes over the concepts I use on selections and masking, it assumes knowledge of Photoshop. I won’t be covering the basics of Photoshop layers, filters, masking, selections, blend modes… Compositing alone is a more advanced topic, so we move at a faster pace than my beginner courses. If you don’t feel comfortable with layers, masking, filters and basic selections I wouldn’t recommend this course.
IS THIS A MASKING AND SELECTIONS COURSE?
This course concentrates HEAVILY on using masks and selections. But it’s a compositing course first and foremost. That means every selection is meant for a composite. Because of that, it doesn’t cover every single masking and selection tool possible (like Channels or the Pen Tool), only the ones I need to get the job done for a composite.
HOW DIFFERENT IS THIS FROM YOUR COMPOSITING BOOK?
Oh wow… This course is VERY different. First, that book was written almost over 7 years ago. While the basics of compositing haven’t changed much, I think its application has. In my book, about 80% of the 16 projects primarily concentrated on studio lit composites that were photographed on a simple background with a composite in mind. In this course I flipped that percentage around totally. Almost every project in this course is something that wasn’t originally photographed to be a composite, but I show you the key concepts to learn how to select the right photos and work with them to make some great looking images.
Another BIG area that makes this course different from the book is that I walk you through many of my failures on the way to success. Just as much as you’ll see what works, you’ll also see what didn’t work, why, and how I worked around it – something I wasn’t able to do while writing a book.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR PHOTOSHOP SYSTEM COURSE?
The Photoshop System was created for a beginner level Photoshop user. It kind of like a huge reference guide for Photoshop and teaches layers, masking, selections, and the tools of Photoshop for some one just starting out. This course is an intermediate level course. It doesn’t cover basics. It’s assumed you already know how to use the tools, and it moves at a slightly faster pace as it covers the more artistic and creative side of compositing.
WILL THIS COURSE WORK WITH ELEMENTS, ON1, AFFINITY, LUMINAR, OR OTHER PROGRAMS?
No, this course was built for Photoshop users. I would not suggest purchasing the course if you are not using Photoshop.
IS THIS COURSE ALL ABOUT PORTRAIT AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIO COMPOSITES?
No. These projects are meant for everyday photographers that don’t have access to a studio or lighting setups. There is a mix of sports composites, wildlife, outdoor (moon and skies), as well as people composites (most photographed in natural light).
WHAT VERSION OF PHOTOSHOP IS THIS BASED ON?
The course was created using Photoshop CC 2018. However, most features used work the same in older versions of Photoshop. The biggest difference you may see is that the Select & Mask Dialog (which gets used a lot) used to be called Refine Edge. But I’ve been able to make great selections using Refine Edge and Select and Mask for years, so using an older version will work fine. Overall I’d say about 90% of the course would be exactly the same.
DO I HAVE TO START THIS COURSE ON A CERTAIN DAY OR FOLLOW A SCHEDULE?
No, not at all. When you purchase the course you’ll download it and the videos are yours to keep. At that point you can watch them at any time. The course is very project based. The main course outline contains the project difficulty level, as well as the watch time for a project. It’s one of those things that you won’t go through all at once. Instead, I think the videos will inspire you to follow along and then maybe even try a project yourself with your own photos.
