Lesson Info
67. Smart Objects and Album Layouts
Lessons
Bootcamp Introduction
16:22 2The Bridge Interface
13:33 3Setting up Bridge
06:55 4Overview of Bridge
11:29 5Practical Application of Bridge
27:56 6Introduction to Raw Editing
11:00 7Setting up ACR Preferences & Interface
07:39 8Global Tools Part 1
16:44Global Tools Part 2
20:01 10Local Tools
22:56 11Introduction to the Photoshop Interface
07:13 12Toolbars, Menus and Windows
25:07 13Setup and Interface
11:48 14Adobe Libraries
05:57 15Saving Files
07:39 16Introduction to Cropping
12:10 17Cropping for Composition in ACR
04:44 18Cropping for Composition in Photoshop
12:40 19Cropping for the Subject in Post
03:25 20Cropping for Print
07:34 21Perspective Cropping in Photoshop
07:11 22Introduction to Layers
08:42 23Vector & Raster Layers Basics
05:05 24Adjustment Layers in Photoshop
27:35 25Organizing and Managing Layers
15:35 26Introduction to Layer Tools and Blend Modes
21:34 27Screen and Multiply and Overlay
09:15 28Soft Light Blend Mode
07:34 29Color and Luminosity Blend Modes
12:47 30Color Burn and Color Dodge Blend Modes
07:43 31Introduction to Layer Styles
11:43 32Practical Application: Layer Tools
13:06 33Introduction to Masks and Brushes
04:43 34Brush Basics
09:22 35Custom Brushes
04:01 36Brush Mask: Vignettes
06:58 37Brush Mask: Curves Dodge & Burn
06:53 38Brush Mask: Hue & Saturation
07:52 39Mask Groups
05:52 40Clipping Masks
04:11 41Masking in Adobe Camera Raw
07:06 42Practical Applications: Masks
14:03 43Introduction to Selections
05:42 44Basic Selection Tools
17:41 45The Pen Tool
11:56 46Masks from Selections
04:22 47Selecting Subjects and Masking
07:11 48Color Range Mask
17:35 49Luminosity Masks Basics
12:00 50Introduction to Cleanup Tools
07:02 51Adobe Camera Raw
10:16 52Healing and Spot Healing Brush
14:56 53The Clone Stamp Tool
10:20 54The Patch Tool
06:38 55Content Aware Move Tool
04:56 56Content Aware Fill
06:46 57Custom Cleanup Selections
15:42 58Introduction to Shapes and Text
13:46 59Text Basics
15:57 60Shape Basics
07:00 61Adding Text to Pictures
09:46 62Custom Water Marks
14:05 63Introduction to Smart Objects
04:37 64Smart Object Basics
09:13 65Smart Objects and Filters
09:05 66Smart Objects and Image Transformation
10:57 67Smart Objects and Album Layouts
11:40 68Smart Objects and Composites
10:47 69Introduction to Image Transforming
04:34 70ACR and Lens Correction
09:45 71Photoshop and Lens Correction
14:26 72The Warp Tool
11:16 73Perspective Transformations
20:33 74Introduction to Actions in Photoshop
09:27 75Introduction to the Actions Panel Interface
05:06 76Making Your First Action
03:49 77Modifying Actions After You Record Them
11:38 78Adding Stops to Actions
04:01 79Conditional Actions
07:36 80Actions that Communicate
25:26 81Introduction to Filters
04:38 82ACR as a Filter
09:20 83Helpful Artistic Filters
17:08 84Helpful Practical Filters
07:08 85Sharpening with Filters
07:32 86Rendering Trees
08:20 87The Oil Paint and Add Noise Filters
15:08 88Introduction to Editing Video
06:20 89Timeline for Video
08:15 90Cropping Video
03:34 91Adjustment Layers and Video
05:25 92Building Lookup Tables
07:00 93Layers, Masking Video & Working with Type
15:11 94ACR to Edit Video
06:10 95Animated Gifs
11:39 96Introduction to Creative Effects
06:08 97Black, White, and Monochrome
18:05 98Matte and Cinematic Effects
08:23 99Gradient Maps and Solid Color Grades
12:20 100Gradients
04:21 101Glow and Haze
10:23 102Introduction to Natural Retouching
05:33 103Brightening Teeth
10:25 104Clean Up with the Clone Stamp Tool
08:07 105Cleaning and Brightening Eyes
16:58 106Advanced Clean Up Techniques
24:47 107Introduction to Portrait Workflow & Bridge Organization
14:47 108ACR for Portraits Pre-Edits
21:27 109Portrait Workflow Techniques
18:46 110Introduction to Landscape Workflow & Bridge Organization
12:17 111Landscape Workflow Techniques
37:36 112Introduction to Compositing & Bridge
06:59 113Composite Workflow Techniques
34:01 114Landscape Composite Projects
24:14 115Bonus: Rothko and Workspace
05:15 116Bonus: Adding Textures to Photos
07:05 117Bonus: The Mask (Extras)
05:18 118Bonus: The Color Range Mask in ACR
04:54Lesson Info
Smart Objects and Album Layouts
The next thing we're gonna look at is how you can use Smart Objects to replace one object within an image with another object. So I'm gonna close this down. Close this down. And what we're gonna do is we're just gonna make a whole new document here. So I'm gonna press Command or Control + N to make a new document and I'm gonna set this up like a layout. Like I want to make, let's say it's an album layout for a book of landscape images that I'm working on. I'm gonna call this Landscape Layout. Then I'm gonna make this inch-based and go 10 inches wide and 14 inches high, at 300 pixels per inch and press okay. Actually, you know what? I kinda want it the other way. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna go to image, and go to rotate canvas 90 degrees clockwise. That's better. So what I want to do is I want to make a layout that I can use on multiple different images, multiple different book pages. So I'm gonna start by just setting a couple of guides for myself. I'm gonna click here at the top...
, and just move this guide down to about the half-inch mark. So that I know that that's a safe printing area. Move this over here, to the half-inch mark again so it's about a safe printing area. Half-inch mark over here and notice the marks across the top and where I'm saving them, where I'm moving those guides to. And then one across the bottom right about here. So I'm making a custom layout that I can then put my images into. So I'm gonna make a couple different shapes here. I'm gonna go ahead and grab my shape tool and use a rectangular shape tool. And just do something like this. And we'll just take another one, maybe right here. If I want to maintain that half-inch rule, let's do this. There we go. Okay, I'm getting really picky here. And then Control + T to fix that shape and make it a little bit wider. There we go. And then let's make another shape right here, like this. Then if I want to do it with the half-inch rule. Control + T on that shape, make it a little bit smaller. And there. And then maybe I'll make two more shapes right here. One right here, and then another one right here. And with this one I might need to make it smaller if I need to click on it just Control + click on that shape. (mouse clicks) There we go. Think about a half inch. So, all these shapes are not actually Smart Objects right now. What these shapes are is that they are vector-based images but they are not Smart Objects. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna click on the top one, I'm gonna Shift + click on the bottom one and then right click and say convert to Smart Object. No, I'm not gonna do that. (laughs) Okay. What I'm gonna do is I'm gonna just right click on this rectangle number four and say convert to Smart Object. Then I'm gonna click on rectangle number three. Right click. Convert to Smart Object. Rectangle number two. Right click. Repeat the pattern. Convert to Smart Object. Same thing for rectangle number one. Right click. Convert to Smart Object. So why I'm doing this is that - I can press Command or Control + H to get rid of my layouts now - is that because these are now Smart Objects, I can do things within these shapes that I couldn't necessarily do if they weren't Smart Objects. So if I double-click right here on this Smart Object, it's going to say "After editing the contents "choose file, Save to commit the changes. "These changes will be reflected upon "the returning to Landscape Layout." So, what that's telling you is that when you double-click this, it's actually going to open up what would be in that space as that Smart Object. But it's telling you that, in order for it to commit that space, you have to say that you want to save it to commit. So press okay. This shape is a new layer. It's a new document essentially. You see it says Rectangle.1.psb? It's a different type of document that's gonna save data within the workspace of that layout. So if I were to go into some images that I already have predefined here. And I were to go in and just grab, let's say, this image. And drag this and drop this into Photoshop on top of that rectangle. When I place it, it's gonna make that a Smart Object within inside of it. So if I go and press Shift + Alt, increase the size of that, now placing this inside that space. If I press cancel on this, or close. Remember how it said, "Do you want to save this?" I'm gonna say yes. It's gonna replace that shape with that image. So if you're thinking about album layouts, you're gonna think about how you can make one page that can have multiple images put into it so that you don't have to continue every time making this album layout, you make one album layout that looks like this, and you save it. You save it as landscape album layout 10 by 14, four blocks. Or something like that. Because if you double-click on this rectangle, check out what happens. That... That layer that we added to this is still contained within that square, or rectangle I should say. If we move it, we can move it to even make the size different 'cause it is remembering all of the data that's contained within that. So if I press Escape to commit, or cancel actually. The X I should say to commit. Press Yes. Now, if we double-click on this rectangle. Double-click. It's giving me that space of rectangle number two. If I go ahead and go into my images, click on this image. I believe I clicked all images from Chicago. Move that into there. Press Shift and Alt. Make this larger, to fit that screen a little bit better. If I exit out, it's gonna ask me, do I wanna save? Yes. And now that image is in there. Double-click this one. So what you can see, what you can do with this is if you have an album layout, even if it already has pictures within it, and you have it saved, you can go back to that anytime and change out what pictures are in there. So if you've got, maybe you have 15 different page layouts that you're going to use in this process for client-based work. If you're a wedding photographer and you wanna build your own very specific album pages, you could build all of your own album pages with Smart Objects, and then replace those pictures as necessary from one bride series to the next bride series. Now I know that there are other ways that you can do this within other programs but I'm gonna show you why this is beneficial to do it in Photoshop as opposed to other programs in a second here. So I'll move this into this rectangle. Shift and Alt, fix my size there. I'm just resizing that. Press Enter. Exit out. Save it. And then we need to open up the other one. Rectangle number four. Let's just take this guy. Some of them. Let's just take all of the Chicago images. That's what we're gonna do here. To my Chicago page. Something like that. Now obviously, I'm cropping these too, because I'm cropping off those edges. If I wanted to make this template exact to those images, I'd have to pre-plan a little bit, 'cause this image started out as a square and I'm putting it into the space of a rectangle. But when I commit to it and I save it, I can always go back by double-clicking on that to go into it if I needed to. But the cool part about this, is because these are all set up as Smart Objects, this is where the cool part comes in. We did that whole thing with the filters before, right? Let's say with this rectangle, we click on it, we go to filter, we go to blur and we go to Gaussian blur and we blur it a little bit. Let's just blur it a lot, so we can tell the difference. Blur it to about there. Press Okay. If we were to double-click this, nothing has actually happened to this photograph. This photograph remains the same. So if I were to replace this photo with any photo that I have in here. Let's just grab this one right here. And replace this photo with this one. Oops. I dragged it into the wrong space. Not thinking smart. So go ahead and drag this into this space here. Resize it to fit. Exit out, commit. Yes. Look at that. It changes the image, but it also changes the effect that happens within it. So for instance, if this is one of those albums that you're building where you know that, that's that one place it's gonna have that bokeh effect. Even if we were to come in here on that smart filter, and we were to brush, and brush something else. Let's make this a really large brush, and do kinda like a bokeh effect here. Like a little Gaussian vignette. Now if I double-click on this. Look at the images that are in there. Both those images are still in there. So if I turn this one off, and I save it, it's gonna replace that other image with that bokeh blur effect that's happening there. Now obviously, because these are Smart Objects, if you save it down with multiple files contained within that Smart Object, it's going to become a very big file. As we talked about before, there is a downfall to this. So a lot of times what I would consider doing with this is just maybe making your layouts like this. There is an ulterior way that you can do this. Instead of using Smart Objects you could also use clipping masks. The only problem with those clipping masks is that you wouldn't get the benefit of adding the smart filters to that area. And what I mean by a clipping mask is if we were to go into this one and just delete this completely and save that out, say Yes. We could essentially go in here, grab this image, pull this on to our photo or layout. Shape it to that rectangle up there and if we press Alt or Option and click here that will allow us to clip that into here. The only problem is, any effects that we do in there because it's not a Smart Object, would not happen to that photograph. This is basically now just overlaying itself and you're telling this image to just clip itself into that box, which is not the same as using a Smart Object workflow. Smart Object workflow will contain that information within it.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
Amazing course, but don't be fooled into thinking this is a beginner's course for photographers. The problem isn't Blake's explanations; they're top. The problem is the vast scope of this course and the order in which the topics are presented. Take layers for example. When I was first learning Photoshop (back when we learned from books), I found I learned little or nothing from, for example, books that covered layers before they covered how to improve/process photographs. These books taught me how to organize, move, and link layers before they showed me what a layer was actually for. Those books tended to teach me everything there is to know about layers (types of layers, how to organize them, how to move them, how to move them two at a time, how to move them two at a time even if there are other layers between the two you're interested in, useful troubleshooting tips, etc. ) all before I even know (from a photographer's point of view) what it is the things actually do. The examples of organizing, linking, and moving mean everything for graphic designers from Day One, but for photographers not so much. Blake does the same thing as those books. Topics he covers extremely early demand a lot of theoretical imagination for a photographer who doesn't already know quite a bit about what he is talking about. Learning about abstract things first and concrete things later only makes PS that much harder to understand. If you AREN'T a beginner, however, this course is amazing. I thought it would be like an Army Bootcamp, taking you from zero and building you into a fit, competent Photoshop grunt. Now I think it's more like Army Bootcamp for high school varsity jocks. It isn't going to take you from the beginning, but the amount you'll get out of it is nonetheless more than your brain can imagine. I've been using PS for years to improve my photographs, and even to create the odd artistic composite or two. The amount I've learned in the first week is amazing, and every day I learn something -- more like many things -- which I immediately implement to improve my productivity and/or widen the horizons of what I can achieve. If you ARE a photographer who's a Photoshop beginner, I'd take very seriously the advice Blake gives in the introduction: Watch one lesson, and practice the skills and principles you learn in that one lesson for two weeks. THEN watch the next lesson. You can't do that of course without buying the course, so it's up to you to decide whether you'd like to learn Photoshop and master Photoshop all from the same course. Learning it first and mastering it later will cost more money, but I think you'll understand everything better and have a much more enjoyable ride in the process. As for me? I'm going to have to find the money to buy this course. There is simply way too much content in each lesson for me to try to take on all at once, but on the other hand I don't want to miss anything at all that he has to share.
Robert Andrews
Blake Rudis is the absolute best in teaching photoshop. His knowledge and how he presents the instruction is clear and concise - there is NO ONE BETTER. Yes, his classes require some basic skills, and maybe I'd organize the order of (or group) the classes in a different order, but, let me be clear - if anyone is to be successful or famous in the Photoshop world, it should be Blake Rudis. I strongly recommend his teaching. I started photography and post processing in 2018, and because of this class, I'm know what Im doing. The energy you get when you create something beautiful is profound, it makes you bounce out of bed (at 4AM) like a 5 year old, to go create. It's a great ride! Thanks Blake, & Thanks Creative live.
Esther Gambrell
WOW!!! I've been purchasing CL classes for several years now and have watched HOURS of "How-To Photoshop" classes, but this is the first one I've actually purchased because of the AWESOME BONUS content!!! SERIOUSLY??!!?!? A PLUG-IN??? But not only that, Blake is SO easy to understand, and he breaks down concepts in different ways to connect with different people's learning styles. I REALLY appreciated this approach because I am a LEFT-BRAINED creative that has an engineering background, so I really connected to what Blake was saying. THANK YOU FOR THAT! There are TONS of Photoshop courses out there, but I found this one to be the most helpful in they way Blake teaches concepts so that you know WHY you're doing what your doing. I feel like he taught me how to fish with Photoshop to feed me for a lifetime instead of just giving me a fish to feed me for one day. This is the BEST overall PS course out there!!! Thank you!!!!