Half-way through our 30 Days of Photography and now we are looking at some of the cool special effects we can apply to layers. They are also known as Layer Styles, which implies that layers have styles. They don't, elements on the layers can have these effects applied to them,…

Layer Masks - the secret of the Universe Yes, they are that important! Well almost... Layers are life changing but layer masks are epoch-changing. Most of what we do in Photoshop can only realistically be done by using layers... but without layer masks, layers on their own are effectively rendered…

Layers continued - Blending modes This is another one of those 'mystery' areas of Photoshop. What on earth are Blending Modes anyway? Understanding some simple principles about how the layers in your photograph blend with each other will expand your creative opportunities. This short video will introduce you to three…

Layers - an introduction If I had a pound for every student who told me they didn't really 'get' layers, I would be quite rich by now. Layers are still largely a mystery to so many photographers. They are, I suspect, part of the reason why so many photographers shy…

The Crop Tool If you think you know about the Crop Tool in Photoshop, think again. The Crop Tool has loads of additional functionality that Lightroom can only dream about. Most of it is easy to miss... unless someone shows you. Watch today's tutorial, to discover those goodies for yourself.…

The Brush Tool and Picking Colours I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t use Photoshop’s Brush Tool. It’s another essential tool that needs to be mastered. I guess I use it mainly when working with layer masks, especially for dodging & burning, but not exclusively. Taking control…

How to cut out backgrounds using Photoshop Perhaps of all the tools in the Photoshop arsenal, the ability to cut-out people from a photo and post them in front of a new background, is the most well known. It’s something that most Photoshop owners try at some point. however, it…

Day 8 and more great ways to select stuff After yesterday’s introduction to working with selections, today we dig a bit deeper and look at additional tools to help us: - Lasso Tool - Polygonal Lasso Tool - Magnetic Lasso Tool - Magic Wand - Quick Selection Tool Some of…

Day 7… and it’s a big one! We start a big subject today. So big, that we have to spread it over three days. It’s a subject that on its own doesn’t sound like much, but it’s an essential part of the photographer’s editing toolkit. In fact without it, there’s…

Introducing the Clone Stamp Tool Similar in so many ways to the previous three cloning & healing tools (Spot Healing Brush Tool, the Healing Brush Tool and the Patch Tool)... the Clone Stamp Tool is the only one that clones pixel for pixel. So when you sample an area to…

The Patch Tool The Patch Tool - possibly the Photoshop tool I use more than any other. When I'm working on an image that needs cleaning up... invariably, this is my weapon of choice. It's a super-capable friend that can help you in more ways than you might imagine. Because…

After yesterday's Spot Healing Brush... today we look at the Healing Brush Tool Just like the Spot Healing Brush, the Healing Brush Tool is one of the key weapons that Photoshop uses for cloning & healing. Between the two options, most professional photographers tend to prefer this tool because it…

Introducing the Spot Healing Brush Finally now on day three, we are going to start using our first tool and the Spot Healing Brush Tool is a great place to start. It is arguably one of the most frequently used tools in the photographer’s arsenal. It’s quick and very easy…

Welcome to 30 Days of Photoshop - Day 2 Every day for 30 days I will be teaching you about the basics of Photoshop. This is free to anyone who wants to watch and if you are one of those photographer’s who has yet to explore Photoshop’s extraordinary capabilities… you…

Every day for the next 30 days I will be teaching you about the basics of Photoshop. This is free to anyone who wants to watch and if you are one of those photographer’s who has yet to explore Photoshop’s extraordinary capabilities… you will love this. Watch the 30 Days…

There was a time when lens flare was frowned upon. These days it's quite acceptable and some photographers use it quite extensively. In this short tutorial I will show you how to use Photoshop to add lens flare to your photos... and also how to add the matted look, which…

This is one of those things you do just for fun. Creating an image where you (or it could be someone else) appears in the shot more than once, multiple clone copies. Working mostly in Photoshop, with a little bit of Lightroom as well as some tips about good camera…

Kevin Ahronson from Hampshire School of Photography shows a couple of ways to add a bit of punch to your silhouettes, using Photoshop. Most of my tutorials are only visible to students and members of the HSP online Photography Academy (at the time of writing, the Academy is still going…

Of all the cameras you have ever owned, which one is your all-time favourite? Post a photo of the camera and tell us why it mans so much. (It could be film or digital.)

In this episode, Kevin answers questions on portable storage, image file types and removing hair with Adobe Photoshop

In this episode Kevin answers questions about the best lenses for Architectural photography, what 'Art' lenses are, questions about highlight warnings, exporting RAW files and focusing in Live View

In this episode, Hampshire School of Photography founder Kevin Ahronson, answers questions about: 1. Default camera settings for emergencies 2. Monitor calibration 3. The three most important elements of a great photo 4. Kevin's photographic influences

Hampshire School of Photography teaches hundreds of photographers every year. There are three key principles that echo throughout all of our workshops and Masterclasses. HSP founder and professional photographer Kevin Ahronson explains the importance of the three C's Website: www.gohsp.com

ASK KEVIN No 4 - 27 May 2020 In this episode, Hampshire School of Photography founder Kevin Ahronson, answers questions about using flash at weddings and looks at the options for working in Black & White.