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» QT: Load a layer mask as a selection

In Photoshop you can load your layer masks as selections. Just Command-click (PC: Ctrl-click) on the layer mask thumbnail right in the layers panel and it will be activated. All the normal selection shortcuts apply.

» Defend your Art

 The major discussion right now is all about the Orphan Works Act and that we need to do something about it. A recently created website by a couple of members on the NAPP Forums, are this website called Defend Your Art. On the site you can get to know all about what you need to know and how the act affects us and what we can do about it. You can also find posters to print or share over the net that’ll help spread the word about what’s coming, because no one, in the act’s current writing, is spared from it. Definitely go and take a visit on the site. Here’s below a quote from the site, one of the more disturbing ones.

A quick Google search will show that Shawn Bentley was a lawyer and lobbyist for none other than Time Warner Cable. As far as I can tell, he was the VP in charge of intellectual property, who’s job description included: the acquiring of, the management of and the protection of intellectual property for Time Warner Cable. To me this says he fully understood what he was doing

 

» QT: Fading adjustments and filters in Photoshop

Did you know that you can fade the effect of a filter and most adjustments you make in Photoshop after you’ve applied them? You can! Right after you’ve applied the filter or adjustment (and we are talking right after), go under the Edit menu and you’ll see an option that says "Fade" and then the name of whatever filter you applied or whichever adjustment you used.

» Busy busy Friday!

 I’m extremely busy today. I’m helping at my organ teacher’s exam-concert tomorrow by hand-pedaling the organ along with another one. It’s really fun but it causes me to have limited time over so I’ll post more on Sunday again when all is over, however I hope all will be a success!

I just want to mention in passing also though that I received an order with business cards, post-it’s and a stamp from VistaPrint and for XLD Studios. I’m really happy with the turnout considering the price paid. A full review will come soon.

» Wednesday Stuff

 

Third time a go this time then? I’ve been trying to post this post three times now and all times I’ve accidentally quit the window in one way or another, causing this one to close and loose all writing.So lets try one more time now then.

• Scott Kelby has turned his recent "No-Blog Wednesday" into "Guest-Blog Wednesday" and about time as well, we were definitely missing something on Wednesdays (nah, just kidding Scott, you deserve your break). Anyway, this first week it is Vincent Versace who is doing the blogging with an article about "how to take better photos".
   
• The Orphan Works Act are coming closer to a vote all the time now and I’m getting an article written on its basics and possibly getting that up this week so keep your eyes on the site.
   
• I came across a cool flash component called 3D Wall. It basically lets you create a 3D Wall with photos as a slideshow in flash. All in all it is a pretty cool thing I must say and very simple to do. It’s available for $99 from their website.

» It is Tuesday-day!

Well today is indeed Tuesday and adding some corny titles to it, we end up with Tuesday-day, the day which really is Tuesday. Just arrived home after being at the doctors taking a blood test to find out if I’m allergic or not, unfortunately I bleed easily so the nurse had to try twice, once in each arm because the first vain broke. Anyway I’m all good and now I just need to wait for the results and just take the pills when I get symptoms. Anyway, that’s enough about me and onto the news!

• Firstly, I’m taking a minute to wish one of my best friends a very happy birthday!! You know who you are and have the best birthday possible!
   
• Yesterday I released a brand new starting episode of the Creative Suite Tips and Tricks Podcast. It’s great to be back and you can view the InDesign tutorial on the podcast site. Also released are two new tutorials here on the site, Create HDR Photos Part 1 & Part 2.
   
• If you are a user of iWorks and specifically Pages you probably want to check out the list of templates for Pages from Jumsoft. They are available from there for only $29 and are of great quality. They also have other templates for other applications.
   
• Trying to get a job? Just got a job and want to make sure you handle it? Over at A List Apart today they’ve posted an article today called Why Did you Hire me?. It gives you some tips on what you do when you just get a job with negotiations etc. Give it a read!

» Monday Interview: Dave Seeram/PhotographyBB

  

It’s a new Monday again with a full week of work ahead of us. Now that is always a good time to ponder into the minds of a fellow artist a bit. This week we have Dave Seeram, photographer and graphic artist who is running the free online magazine, PhotographyBB!

» New Headset Purchase!

Finally, what you all have been waiting for I’ve just got back after picking up a new headset for my recordings. Things are sounding a lot better now I can tell you and a much cleaner sound! I’ve done some initial tests to see the performance and I think it looks really good for my purposes! I’m going to try to record some new things today and get up a lot of things this week.

When it comes to the CSTT podcast, I have a lot of episodes to catch up on and you’ll see a few new this week and continuing the coming as planned originally!

» New Kelby Training classes this week

 

Kelby Training has this week not just released one, but an amazing number of three new online classes this week! And just because I like Kelby Traning and the guys (and gals) over there are amazing and doing an incredible job (and they are good people as well), there’ll always, every Friday, be this Kelby Training column (if more than one class is added, if there one new added, it’ll be in the news post, unless it is seriously cool)!

Layers styles in Photoshop by Corey Barker

The first class this week to go online is a really good class about Layer Styles done by Corey Barker (the Photoshop Laddie!). It is covering the basics on what you need to know in regards to layer styles and how to work with them as well as what the options are. Swing by the class details today!

From Photo to Graphic Art by Lesa Snider King

I’m a big fan of Lesa’s training but it is hard to get to and find, therefore I’m pretty thrilled to see a class form her up at Kelby Training. It’s called From Photo to Graphic Art and will teach you a number of different techniques to do normal effects to your photos and make them look a little bit different as well as use them in new creations.

InDesign CS3 for Printing by Taz Tally

If you are an InDesign user or rather a new InDesign user and want to be able to learn how to prepare your documents and set them up for printing! Taz is doing a great job with this class and I’d suggest you should go and watch it today, InDesign CS3 for Printing is the name, online now at Kelby Training.

 

» Friday Coolies

It’s Friday today and since yesterday was a silent blog Thursday, I have a lot of things up today. Now, for those of you wondering, all is well with the person I talked about yesterday and only got a sprained leg and bruises.

• I get some questions to me sometimes on how I manage to run a business and manage to do all this etc. while still keeping up with school (getting almost straight A’s, so no slacking here) and life in general. Well, if you are running a business from home it’s the things that David Ziser mentioned in this blog, Digital Pro Talk yesterday, with "20 Pointers for running your business out of home".
   
• A trend these days in Web Design is to use resizable image backgrounds in websites to really make a website out of a photo or similar. This week CSS-Tricks posted a tutorial/article on how to make it. It takes up three different methods and rank them, good, better, best. If you want to know how to, read the article!
   
• I thought I’d tip all of you off on an article which I read back when I started out, but which still does apply very much. The article is called Becoming A Web Designer by Mat Dwyer and it is well, really awesomely made with a lot of insight and tips. It is well worth a read any day, even for someone who’s been in the industry for a little while.