Using the Quick Mask Mode in Photoshop

The Quick Mask Mode is a much overlooked method for making selections. In particular, “burning” or darkening skies more at the top of the image than at the horizon. To do this, go into Quick Mask Mode, either by clicking on the icon at the bottom of the tool bar or by pressing Q. Immediately, [...]

Article filed under: Artwork, Photoshop 2 Comments

Improving photos with Photoshop

I’m writing an article about the very basics of improving landscape photography. For years I’ve been taking rather bland photos of both natural landscapes and cityscapes and then pushing those pixels to bits in Photoshop.
One of the most important things to learn in Photoshop is selecting areas of pictures. For example, in the Tower [...]

Article filed under: Artwork, Photoshop 3 Comments

Scrolling through layer blend modes in Photoshop

This is one quick key that I discovered recently that’s going to save me so much time. If you are working on a Photoshop layer and have the move tool selected then you can use the shift key with – or + (plus or minus) to flip through the layer blend modes, from Normal, Dissolve, [...]

Article filed under: Artwork, Photoshop 1 Comment

Naughty November … Xmas is coming!

It never ceases to amaze me how sensitive freelancing is to economic fluctuations. After a prolonged and lucrative indian summer I have spent the last two weeks with very little. A lot of the agencies are saying the same thing. Yet I’m living in a city of ten million people and the centre of one [...]

Article filed under: Freelancing 1 Comment

A free and easy way to give up smoking

Fanfare! I have just published a new website detailing the method I used to quit cigarettes. Please have a look.
I started smoking when I was 18 and very quickly developed a 20 a day habit. I immediately noticed a dip in my health – not to mention an increase in my asthma. But still I [...]

Article filed under: Internet, Stop smoking 15 Comments