Sunday, May 4, 2008

My zero Photoshop skills.


Been planning to change my banner since last month. I've always been aiming for an orange hued image before but after playing with the colors, i got that green instead, which I'm changing now.

This time I'm getting back the orange.


I chose to work with this photo. It was taken from a hotel window in Puerto Galera last February. I thought it best fits the Water World concept that i was talking about here

And because I am still convinced that Photoshop is the most complicated software ever created, I relied with the oh-so-simple, user friendly picture editor that came with the scanner i bought back in 2004.

It's called Ulead Photo Express. Actually I wasn't aware that it was installed in my computer. I wasn't paying attention to the installer except for the next button since all I wanted is my scanner to start working. I just discovered the Ulead icon on my desktop later on.

It has been my "photoshop" since then, my tool in editing pictures, including the banners that I used in this blog.

Back to the banner, I started by cropping the original photo horizontally. Wanting to insert my pic, i resorted to cutting my face into two, took the right side and pasted it right here:

I chose the text because i like how it laid flat in the end.

Viewing it full screen, I realize it's kinda boring so i added the spotlight effect. My 3 year old nephew picked this when i asked him which among the three is the best:


I had a hard time creating a good contrast between my picture and the original image so i got rid of my photo eventually, I thought it's ruing the entire look anyway, I also changed the text, so here's the end result:


It didn't make wonders like Photoshop could, but good enough for my blog.

Cheers!

28 comments:

Felix said...

hi, you know what, you'll be surprised to know that photoshop is not really complicated, ako sariling aral lang (i'm using photoshop cs3 now) just learn na the basic and slowly discover the other "wonders", addicting kung mahilig ka talaga sa graphics :)

goodluck :)

Ronnie said...

amen to jake. at first hirap na hirap din ako. di ko maintindihan how it works. only when i started doing some photoshop tutorials ko talaga na intindihan yung concept behind it. labs na labs ko na sya ngayon. :D

good work on the banner.

Ely said...

hi Jake! I just heard the same from my officemate here who just saw me editing my post. hehe. Madali nga lang daw. she'll let me borrow a tutorial. BTW, i'm adding u to my links.

ironnie. waaah! ewan ko ba bat na-nosebleed ako sa Photoshop dati. Andami-daming icons, nahilo ako. LOL. Maybe that tutorial would help. Pangarap ko talaga matuto ng Photoshop!

Anonymous said...

cool banner! What PS are you using?

pusa said...

wow ang galeng nga eh, ako i have no idea how to enhance/edit photos!!! i'd love to learn photoshop too waaaa

Dakilang Islander said...

buti kapa marunong ng konti...i've been told to that photoshop is so easy to learn pero iwan di talaga ako natuto..
mas gusto ko yung may half face mo sa gilid kaso baka nakawin na naman ng iba...hehe

Dakilang Islander said...

oi nabasa mo ba yung pathetic blogger na parang ang laki ng galit sa mga call center workers?
search mo cofibean

Anonymous said...

cool banner actually.. good job.

Anonymous said...

astig ng banner!
mahilig ako sa sunset, yan ung first concept ko sa blog. heheh

pero madali lang matuto mag photoshop! baka maadik ka nga lang din. aheheheh.

ako ata lahat ng pic ko nalagyan ko n ng arte! hahaha. only adobe touches my skin!=]

ingats bro!

Niel said...

ayus naman ung banner ah.

kung zero skills mo, -10 sa akin. :)

Anonymous said...

not much into photoshopping (lolz sa term)

Fireworker talaga ako (lolz ulit sa term)

Nice banner!

wanderingcommuter said...

uy may bago na siyang header!!! hehehe

Ely said...

joel, nope i don't use PS.

pusa, thanks! Ako din, gusto ko pag-aralan Photoshop.

dakilang islander, i've tried before pero nakakalito. Ndi ko napagtiyagaan aralin. Sino ung galit sa mga call center agents? ndi kaya nagyayaya lang un ng traffic? LOL, i'll try to check.

Ely said...

paolo, thanks!

cedeux, only adobe touches ur skin? hehehe...
mahilig din ako sunsets eh. lahat ata nagsabi na madali lang photoshop ah,. tinamad lang siguro ako dati. LOL

neil camhalla,.thanks! ex-link? just added u here. Cheers!

Ely said...

reyn, hindi ko rin alam ung fireworks! hehe

wandering commuter, opo bago nga. la lang

Anonymous said...

When it comes to making header images via PS, I can never get it done right.

And you did a pretty good job there.

**passing by from ron's site.

Ely said...

hi K! thanks for the compliment, and thanks for the visit! I'm adding u to my links.

theNOTcrack said...

mahirap aralin ang photoshop pero oks naman pag medyo nakabisado mo na. haha! inabot ako ng dalawang taon bago matutong gumamit ng filters. lol!

Anonymous said...

i have to start learning that! di pa naman siguro huli ang lahat despite the fact na otsenta na ako! hehehe! i did like yung font na ginamit mo sa last pic, pero mas like kita of course hehehe

KRIS JASPER said...

actually, it's beautiful. cool nga yung orange, with that font.

Ely said...

thejournicler, dami dami kasi icons at commands. kakatamad aralin. :P

reyna elena, otsenta na ba? hehe.

kris jasper, salamat pow! I really like the orange. Siguro kasi mahilig ako sa sunset.

4ever7 said...

If you need help, Ely, I can teach you what I know about Photoshop. ;)

Plus, go to a lot of online tutorials and you'll be amazed at the skill of those Photoshop masters!

Ely said...

JB, thanks. sige, allow me to go on Aux 9? hehehe. Mae Anne gave me some tutorials she got from the web. Nakasave dito sa pc ko..

chres said...

Hi Ely : ) Your new banner is better than the old one. I was amazed at how the ordinary picture transformed into a spectacular one by putting some effects to it.

Post more pictures pa specially sa World Pyrolympics. Narinig ko sa radyo malapit na daw yun.

Ely said...

thanks Chres! I think i wont be able to go to the Pyrolympics, but you can check Pusa's amazing shots taken from the venue here

. said...

Nice banner. Galing sa photoshop.

Anonymous said...

it's nice to know that i'm not the only one with nil, zilch, zero knowledge in photoshop. :) it's addictive, really.

and yeah, there are photoshop tutorials that enlighten the most clueless minds--like mine. you might wanna try some of them. i'm sure you, too, will get hooked. that is, if you aren't already. :)

i've added you to my list, btw. :)

Ely said...

Mugen, actually it's not from photoshop.

Balot, yah. an officemate shared me thsie tutorials although i haven't tried using them yet. thanks for the link, i think there's a problem with ur link here though, can;t open it.