Using Photoshop Elements Level II

Taught over 4 classes, Using Photoshop Elements Level II explores the full functionality of Photoshop Elements, so that at the end of the course, students are using Elements as they would Photoshop CS, and getting nearly all of the functionality of Photoshop CS out of the much smaller, simpler, more intuitive, and far cheaper version of Photoshop Elements.

What is Adobe Photoshop Elements?

See Using Photoshop Elements Level I for details.

What is Taught in the Class and How is it Taught?

While Photoshop Elements Level I covers all of the Organizer and Camera Raw, as well as the basic functions of Photoshop Elements, Level II digs deeper and specifically uses Photoshop Elements as a professional photographer uses Photoshop CS, mining it for all of the powerful techniques that Adobe Photoshop has used to become the reigning leader of Photo-editing for the last 2 decades.

The student will constantly utilize Layers, the most powerful tool of Photoshop, to both safeguard the editing on any image, and to achieve effects impossible without Layers, as well as greatly quicken the speed of editing in Photoshop. All of the nuances of brush work, and all of the tools and menu features of Photoshop Elements are covered in Level II, leaving the student with dozens of effective, simple to remember, and simpler to apply tools to produce absolutely competitive-quality images and editing work.

The student finishing Photoshop Elements Level II will have practice with all of the functions and features of Photoshop Elements, and through reviewed homework will have mastered the most important and most commonly used techniques that professionals use in editing in Photoshop.

Using Photoshop Elements Level II uses the popular and successful format of CPLC’s ‘Using Your DSLR Camera’ of teaching a principle, and then having the students perform the principle on their computer in class, following along with the instructor and then doing guided exercises in class. In addition, the course also includes homework designed to solidify the techniques in the mind and practice of the students. It’s easy to follow along in class, but the techniques can be lost if you don’t use them right away for the brain to encode the memories. As such, the course employs homework that is submitted for review in order to ensure students are using all the techniques of memorization so the concepts stick.

These are just some of the topics covered:

• Getting the colors you want and producing photo-realistic and artistic color variations to bring your work to the next level
• Removing unwanted objects, from pimples to signs to full people, from your image, using surprisingly simple and quick techniques.
• Playing with levels and layers to produce complex effects of brightening areas and tones of parts of your image distinct from other areas
• A full and powerful set of tools and techniques to edit portraits to produce any texture of skin tone you wish, remove pimples and scars, enhance eyes and teeth—or even the abilitiy to do all of that, but keep it subtle and photo-realistic, and not ‘too photoshopped’!
• Basic HDR techniques
• Salvaging images taken with a dirty lens

What Do I Need to Bring to Class?

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 retails for around $90 (just 12% the price of Adobe Photoshop CS 5, retailing for around $750). There is also a 100% full functionality free trial version that works for 30 days (longer than the duration of the course!). Previous versions of Photoshop Elements can be used in class, but there will be features in Elements 10 that are not present in previous versions.

Using Photoshop Elements Level II is offered as four weeknight course, and you can take the entire course without needing to purchase Elements 10 until after the course is completed provided you do not install the trial version too far in advance and run out of time before the course is over. We recommend installing it several days before the first class.

Because image processing is a memory-intensive process, and more-so because Photoshop requires your images to file manage, the only meaningful way to teach the program is on the student’s own computer.

As such, this course requires Photoshop Elements to be installed on a laptop or self contained computer (like an Apple iMac) to be brought to, and taken away from class daily. There will be no computers supplied to the student in class as this would defeat the purpose of learning about file management.

The student is responsible for making sure their computer exceeds the minimum requirements for using Photoshop Elements, as Photoshop is a memory-intensive program, it requires a sufficient computer to run it effectively.

Length & Format	12 hours total Weekdays 4 nights of 3 hours each
Fee	$199 + GST
Prerequisites	Students may skip Photoshop Elements Level I if they are already familiar with and using levels in their editing workflow, and also Camera Raw in their workflow. All students wishing to skip Photoshop Elements Level I must call and talk with CPLC staff first, and it is not recommended for most students.
Bring With You	Laptop / notebook or other portable computer, iMacs that are portable are acceptable. Power cord, keyboard, mouses and desired accessories. Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 (or lower, but please contact CPLC) installed and updated.
Scheduled Dates	Wednesdays (6:30pm-9:30pm): July 4, 11, 18, 25 Tuesdays (6:30pm-9:30pm): November 6, 13, 20, 27
Location	The King’s University College (map) 9125 50 St. NW Edmonton AB T6B 2H3