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The Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop news and software updates, Photoshop tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.
Photoshop Actions, Photoshop Action Tutorials And The Automatic Album Creator
March 25, 2008
I recently talked with Gavin Phillips, owner of ‘Photographers Photoshop’ about his latest Photoshop Actions package deal. You can view some demo movies, and you can also download some free actions from his site. They are located in the menu bar, top left. In the download you will also find a PSD that contains some nice actions tutorials that will walk you through installation and some tips on how to use the free actions. Here's the interview...
What does your company offer?
We’ve developed 5 sets of creative Photoshop ‘actions’ and short movie tutorials over the past 5-years. Photographers and graphic artists can create great images by clicking a button or watching a 3-minute movie.
But there are thousands of free ‘actions’ available online. Why pay for them?
Yes, there are thousands of free ‘actions’ online, and that’s the problem. Good luck sifting through the junk to find one that creates a great photo ‘look.’ There are hundreds of free Photoshop tutorials online as well, but the bookstores graphic design section is loaded with Photoshop books. Professionals will always pay for products that give them high quality results rapidly.
We work with professional photographers and listen to what they tell us the market demands are. We add some of our own ideas into the creative mix before producing a set of ‘actions’ and movie tutorials. In each set we invest at least 1,000 hours development time.
How do the movie tutorials fit into your program?
Our creative ‘actions’ are powerful tools, but there are limitations to what you can do with an ‘action.’ Our movies serve three purposes.
1. Sometimes they work with an ‘action’. Our hand-tinted infrared technique is a good example of this. The Infrared ‘action’ runs through 15 or more steps automatically. Then the movie shows you the next few manual steps required to finish the effect.
2. A movie may give advice about different creative ideas about how to use an ‘action.’ An example of this is our ‘All-in-one ‘action’. This ‘action’ creates many different photo ‘looks’ on the same photo. You then go to the history palette to see which effect suits that photo.
3. Traditional movie tutorials that show manual techniques that cannot be created with an ‘action.’ For instance, one of our instructional movies shows you how to apply our art/sloppy borders to your photographs.
Speaking of ‘art/sloppy’ borders, what is the point of them?
They set your photographs apart from their background, and they add another artistic dimension to your imagery.
Once again we have created and discarded dozens of borders in order to give you borders that enhance your images. The image is the focus of attention, not the border.
How many sets of creative ‘actions’ and movies do you offer?
We offer five sets of creative ‘actions’ and movies. They were developed to offer photographers and graphic artists different types of imagery.
Infrared and Elegant Tones
Many soft types of photo ‘looks’. Some of the most popular ‘actions’ and techniques are Infrared, hand-tinting, skin-soften, cross-processed, 1950s, antique-color.
Stylish FX
Edgy effects for high-schoolers and young adults. The most popular are pop-art, tinted-litho, bleached, color wash, out-of-photo technique and Classic frame. Includes several custom gradients.
Black and White, Artistic Borders and Unique Tones
Many BW tones using custom 'curves'. Lith print, Vintage, Camelot, Autumn, Mystique, All-in-one, teal. Also includes Art/photo borders and Collage 'action'.
Portrait and Glamour Retouching
Includes two sets of movie tutorials that show you different retouching techniques. Our Glamour Gal retouch get’s great results in less than 5-minutes. Several ‘actions’ included.
Paint like Monet
How to create authentic hand-painted portraits in Photoshop using out custom art history brushes and techniques. You do not need any other software, like Painter, to achieve great painted photographs. Popular ‘actions’ are Color-art, Stylize, Paint-bold, Watercolor, Pencil-sketch.
Do you package the sets of ‘actions’/movies together?
We used to offer 1-set for a certain price, and then offer discounts if you purchased two or more sets. We now offer two packages. Infrared/Elegant Tones and Portrait /Glamour Retouching.
The second package is all 5-sets at a great price.
You mentioned a unique special offer this month. What is it?
Actually we have two unique special offers this month. The first offer is that anyone who purchases one of our sets of creative ‘actions’/movies this month will receive the Automatic Album Creator.
We are working with ‘Pixel Creator Pro’ whose software completely automates photo album design. You simply click on the custom JavaScript for a particular collage template; it then creates that template and prompts you for each image.
But what about positioning and resizing the images?
The software automatically allows you to resize each image after placement in the album page design. You can move any image around.
How many images can you put on a page?
There are many different page designs ranging from 2-6 images per page. The page design below took less than a minute to make using the Automatic Album Creator.
What is the second unique offer?
This is for anyone purchasing all 5-sets of ‘actions’/movies this month. They will receive the Automatic Album Creator , and a 1-hour ‘live’ online Photoshop training session with me.
I will show them how I use my creative ‘actions’ and movies to get them up and running fast. And give them different ideas about how to maximize sales.
What exactly is this ‘live’ online training? Do you need special equipment to take part? Is it interactive?
Yes, it’s completely interactive. ‘Live’ online training is a way for me to share my computer screen with participants on the Internet. They see exactly what I'm doing in Photoshop as I do it. They follow along with the tutorials just as you would in a traditional class.
We are also phone-conferenced in as well, so clients may ask questions at any time. You only need a high-speed Internet connection. I supply you with a free small software download. No other equipment is required.
Are there any charges for this?
Participants only pay for their phone call.
You don’t overload the classes with 30+ students do you?
There are never more than 10 people in a class at any time. Many times less than 8.
And after we’ve finished going through the program we spend time going over other techniques in Photoshop. Whatever’s on clients ‘need-to-know Photoshop wish-list’.
Do you have an easy to understand outline of what people receive with each package?
Yes, please see the chart below.
Sum-up in a sentence the benefits of your program.
Makes you more money, gives you more creative ideas and harnesses the power of Photoshop by clicking a button or watching a 3-minute movie.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
Find all the details on these special offers at the Photoshop Actions Page at Gavin's site, as well as a link to some free actions you can download and use instantly.
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