Day 1

Photoshop is a powerful graphics editor program. In this 6-session Foundations class, you will use versatile tools to enhance your photos and images, touch up and restore your photos, and gain a basic understanding of the key elements of the program.

Day 1: Intro to Photoshop

Objectives

Practice files: files.learnsoftware.org/photoshop

General Learning Objectives:
  • Understands Photoshop’s uses
  • Performs basic image edits using photoshop
Specific Learning Objectives:
  • Knows difference between raster and vector
  • Knows when to use Photoshop to accomplish goals
  • Knows what layers are in Photoshop
  • Navigates Photoshop
  • Crops pictures effectively
  • Straightens pictures
  • Edits Photos non-destructively

Outline

Hook: Show a before and after photo you created in Photoshop using only the day 1 tools.

Introduction:
  • Names, positions, goals for class, etc.
  • Find out their photoshop experience and comfort level.
  • Tools
  • Panels
  • Control panel
  • Menu Bar
  • Zooming (alt+scroll wheel)
  • The “discover” feature for when you can’t find a tool or feature (command/cntrl+F or the magnifying glass in upper right corner)
  • Explain what Layers are
    • The Layers_Pizza.psd file is good for demonstration here
  • command+J for duplicating base layer

Cropping

  • How to use the crop tool
  • Non-destructive cropping (uncheck “delete cropped pixels”)

Straightening

  • How to use the straighten tool (found at the top when cropping)
    • child-biking.jpg

Dodge and burn

  • Use the same hiker picture from last class, or another image you want to use
  • Dodge to lighten
  • Burn to darken
  • Specify midtones, highlights, or shadows
  • Dodge and burn are destructive edits–copy layers to make it non-destructive
    • underexposed.jpg

Exporting & Saving A Project

  • File>Export As>Go over different options
  • Quick Export as PNG for fast exports
  • Explain the difference between JPEG and PNG 
  • Save as .psd to continue work later

Example Activity

  • Have the students work with hiker.jpg and use the tools they learned today. They can: 
    • Crop and straighten the picture so the hiker is more centered
    • Use dodge and burn tools to adjust the colors
    • Save and export the file when they are done

If there’s extra time:

Conclusion

  • Recap: Today we learned
    • What Photoshop is
    • Why we use Photoshop
    • Navigation in Photoshop
    • How to use layers for non destructive editing
    • How to make basic edits to a photo
  • Next time we will learn:
    • Selections
    • Adjustment Layers

Example Hook

  

A completed file that used all or most of the tools/skills to be taught that day.

Example Questions

  • What is a raster image?
  • What is a vector image?
  • Why are layers significant?
  • What is cropping?
  • When would you crop a photo?
  • Have you ever made adjustments or fixes to your photos before? What adjustments? What program did you use?