I received this comment on one of my videos the other day and I thought it was pretty timely considering I just finished a big update to my Photoshop System Course.
It was a video where I had edited a bunch of photos all at once and did the edits rather quickly:
This one really got me thinking, because I wholeheartedly disagree but at the same time, I LOVE PHOTOSHOP and I tend to agree in some ways.
So that’s what led to this video. I start off by showing that (for some photos) this person is dead wrong. The sign of a good photo is not whether or not I used Photoshop. But then again, for some photos Photoshop is the absolute key to getting where I want in the photo. Many times, even more so than Lightroom.
Also, please do me a favor and leave a comment on things you find Photoshop essential for.
Quick side note here… my Photoshop System 2.0 course is ready and live on the site. I hope you’ll stop by and take a look at the course page.
Hello, Matt, Thanks for all of this. Some days ago my wife has been told me. I need to learn Photoshop for our wedding photo editing work. I am really sad because I have no idea. But your course helps me. Thank you.
Funny thing this photoshop. Back in the days of film the only thing needed was camera knowledge and talent. No click, check and delete, and re shoot. you got it right first time or not. We seen the end result in our mind then set the camera accordingly. The camera is the tool – the mind is the photo.
Great lesson. I learned a lot. I just subscribed to Photoshop and Lightroom a few weeks ago and had been struggling with the program. My cousin is a really good photographer and his pictures are great. He told me about your tutorials and classes on Photoshop and Lightroom and said he had been using your lessons for about a year and had really helped improved his output. Hoping it will do the same for me. Thanks.
Matt, is there really anything that Lightroom can do on an individual photo by photo basis that cannot be done in Photoshop. I see the LR advantage for classifying, etc. multiple images, but for a single image, should I be switching over from PS to LR?
Hi Bruce. Lightroom’s Develop module is exactly the same as Photoshop’s Adobe Camera Raw. So no… LR can’t do anything new. It’s just a better place for organizing and (basic) editing of large amounts of photos.
Thank you, Matt.
Thank you Matt for an excellent video. I learned some new things. You are an excellent teacher. I am using PS Elements and LR 6 and can do all the things shown in the video with some slight variations in approach. I love both Lightroom and Photoshop but could not finish editing many of my images without Photoshop (Elements in my case). I think whatever software one decides to use (On1/PS/LR/ etc.) its important to know how to use it well and to continue to learn. I feel that its up to the photographer to artistically interpret what he sees in his images and process them accordingly. Thanks again for the excellent videos.
Matt, I strongly agree with your assessment of LR and PS. I do a majority of my editing in LR but never have any second thought s about going into PS for those edits I could never do in LR. Love LR but could not live without PS. Always find your videos very informative and entertaining.
Thanks, Matt, for your excellent explanation of why keep Photoshop. So many years ago, my husband and I went to a course given by Scott Kelby, on PS, maybe PS1 or PS2. We even took the PS Hawaiian Cruise with you, Dave Croft (I think), Moose Petersen and Laura Excell. My husband was really good at PS (he has PS5, LOL), but moved on to LR1. I, on the other hand, kept with PS/Bridge. I decided I wanted to be really good at just one thing, i.e., PS and Bridge. I have many 3rd party PS filters that I really enjoy, and these filters help me add a touch of creativity to my photos. And, in wildlife photography, you never know which way the “wind will blow or should I say the light.” I have purchased several of your tutorial courses, which help me with many of the different projects I like to do in PS. So, I would be devastated if I had to leave Photoshop/Bridge.
Partly due to your tutorials and endorsement, I switched from LR?PS to ON1 Raw a year or so ago. I think a lot of what you showed in this terrific tutorial can be done in On1 Raw without having to create a huge PSD file. The significant exceptions are Photoshop’s
content aware power and ease of selection, which I can do with inexpensive Affinity Photo when necessary.
Am I missing something?
Hi Philip – Two things… (well, three)…
I always made sure to never tell anyone to buy ON1. I leave the software sales up to the sales people and I always just educate. Next…
1) if it works for you that’s all that counts. Maybe just check the size of the .ON1 file that is created when you add layers. It’s on par, if not larger, than a PSD. To me file size is not a reason to switch programs though, so if what you have works I’d stick with it.
2) No, everything I did here can’t be done, or done as easily. But again… if you like your workflow stick with it.
Matt: I always learn so much from you. Great video as always. You are a master teacher! I have used Photoshop and Lightroom for many years. I think that for anyone who is just beginning to learn these programs, they have to just play around with a few tools at once – get to know what they can do, then try a few more tools, learn them and so on. It is very easy to see a large program and give up or feel overwhelmed – happens to everyone. Small steps – playing with a couple of tools at a time and In conjunction with your teaching videos, people can be successful with their photo editing. It is like me going to the gym….I don’t like going but I stick with it because in the end I will get the results I want. Small steps = achieving goals.
Albert Einstein said “Creativity is intelligence having fun!”
In addition to my above comment……..sometimes fresh starts are in the gym and sometimes they are in other parts of our lives like photography!
A great demonstration Matt, thank you.
We all invest in our cameras and lenses and then getting to some lovely photographic destinations.
So, maximising the impact of those pictures is the next step. The quality of the instruction so far, as well as the other courses, makes this purchase an easier decision. Keeping the course on your own computer system makes repeat viewing that much easier too. Mastering photoshop is in some ways like mastering the camera…..so many bells and whistles to lead you in new directions. And then because a new setting (or procedure) was better understood the pictures jump to a new level…they can pop. Thank you for making this journey of enlightenment so enjoyable. Best wises Pat
Thanks Matt! I really enjoyed this video. I learn a lot.
Again, a great demonstration of doing a lot with a reduced set of techniques. Great.
I bought Photoshop system 1.0 few years ago. Why should I buy PSsystem 2.0 now ? And if I should, do you offer a special price to upgrade from 1.0 to 2.0 ?
Anyway I like watching your video and the way you teach.
I got the first edition and got the second one for free
Hi. You shouldn’t buy again. If you purchased the first one, check your account and the new one will automatically replace your old downloads. And just email if you’d like online streaming access. Thanks!
Oops!! Wish I had seen this first. I just “bit the bullet” and paid for the 2.0 bundle. You’re that good!!
But, since I have paid for a zillion of your courses, I’d really love to have my payment refunded and just get access to the new system. I’ll send an email to support and maybe they or you can sort this for me.
As always, love your style of teaching. I actually learn from it (and there is often a chuckle or two).
I have to admit I’ve tried for some time to get away from LR/PS, ON1 has been my go to software for a while now, and I do like the software, especially now in the new ON1 RAW, but
Due to no other software I know off able to handle “Photoshop Actions”, I remain committed to Photoshop.
I tend to initially process in ON1 RAW and if there is no further processing needed it stays in ON1, but as soon as I want to go beyond the basics I will always head over to Photoshop and work in my very large collection of Photoshop Actions.
Very nice Matt! I really enjoyed your video. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I watched it twice. Keep up the good work.
Sheriff Kenny
You are always right on this topic and I have learned a whole bunch from your books and presentations at Photoshop World. I will purchase your program when I have the time to spend learning stuff I forgot as I plowed into Lightroom. They sure didn’t make Photoshop easy for non technical people but it really important for everyone that wants to be good in photography.
I don’t have Photoshop or Lightroom. I do ALL my editing in ON1. I’ve had this system for 4 or 5 years now and am still having trouble figuring out how to do all that is in the program. Now, you’re telling me that I have to have Lightroom and Photoshop. I don’t know about Lightroom, but, I do know that Photoshop is a very complicated system to learn. Most people I know who use Photoshop have gone to school for a couple of years to learn it. I was led to believe that ON1 would do it all. That doesn’t seem to be the case with what you are telling me here, although a lot of what you showed me here can be done in ON1.
I find Photoshop essential for removing distractions. I love shooting landscapes and you will often find elements in the scene that just don’t belong there, a piece of garbage, an orange cone, or some dead branch poking in from the side. However I have a creative side of me that really wants to make it more of a piece of art. I sort of kind of know layers, but really don’t know quite get how it works, and that has been holding me back. LR can make a RAW photo great, but I think Photoshop can really make it special. Your camera can never capture the moment and emotion you felt at the time of capture, it’s just a computer, it’s the photographers job to interpret what the camera recorded. I was relieved you priced it so well so I plan to get your Photoshop 2.0.
I subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud. What is the advantage for me to purchase the Photoshop and Lightroom Bundle. Am I duplicating my programs or do they run in tandum?
Bob. This is not a software bundle. It’s a training system of tutorial videos by Matt to help you get to know LightRoom and Photoshop.
Thanks again and again, Matt. Great video! I agree with Steven Gotz’s comments that it’s timeless. You saved me an hour in editing in the first 5 minutes.
I learned so much, as I always do, and agree that Photoshop is the one tool I could not do without. Thanks so much and keep up the good work. NancyJ
If you are a photographer and want to take your photography to the next level then you need Photoshop. If you are new to Photoshop and want an easy step by step guide to fully understand the program at your own pace then Matt’s Photoshop system is the only course you will ever need. I’ve purchased his PS System 1.0 2 years ago along with his LR system and have never looked back or to anyone else since. Matt is a fantastic teacher and having full access to the entire system allows you go back to any section, anytime, to hone your skills is invaluable. It will be the best $99 you will ever invest in your photography.
Great video, Matt. Unfortunately, it seems that the more I learn about Photoshop, the more I realise how little I know! However, I do love the power of using layers and the various filters. Also, I could never get along with Lightroom’s Library function but I’m quite happy with Bridge and ACR.
Thanks Matt, great tutorial as always.
Great video Matt. I have been using PSCS6 for quite a number of years and just never took the plunge into the subscription of PS. I think I’m ready. So many new cool things in PS2020 like the subject selection, WOW! Should I uninstall my CS6 and then install the PSCreative Cloud? I need your expertise. Thanks. Keep Teaching. You’re great. Lois
Hi Lois. They can run side by side, but yes, it’s probably best to just uninstall once you’re up and running with the new version. Thanks!
I have been a fan for a long time, but the timeliness of this tutorial is astounding. It is like you recorded the part with the texture behind the birds especially for me.
I shoot for a zoo and we just got three new male Guira Cuckoo birds. I have been working on culling the over 1000 images I shot while trying to get a wide variety of poses, and my next step is to remove the wire mesh behind them. Obviously I will cull more than usual since each shot I send in will require a bit of work in Photoshop. I will keep quite a few of the sharpest images for later, just in case, but the ones I turn in must have the mesh gone since the zoo will not use any shot with fencing or wire mesh.
Even though I was shooting through fencing, and therefore I shoot almost wide open and zoomed all the way in, they are closer to the back mesh and even though pretty blurry, it is not quite blurred enough. I don’t want to just blur, so replacing the background will be the choice for many of the shots.
So, thanks Matt and keep up the good work. You will see some of my work on an upcoming KelbyOne class, probably in February.
Matt, thank you. Very nice presentation and approach. I learned a few things along the way, which is always nice and certainly appreciated. You’re an excellent instructor!
Hi Matt. I think your videos are the best and you talk nice and clear. I have follow you on many a video and have learned a lot. I would love be able to buy your course Photoshop System& Lightroom System Bundle for $179.99, but I do not have that much money at anyone time. So would ever think of a pay monthly account. All the best Vince