RetouchPRO Tutorial Contest, October 2006

[Doug Nelson]

Rules

• Write a tutorial illustrating how to do a basic digital imaging task in your preferred software

• Publish it via the RetouchPRO tutorial publishing system, in the Basics category

• Give your tutorial a clear title. Include the software name and version in your title

• Include a summary of what your tutorial covers in the field labeled Brief Description

• Tutorials with a forum thread dated between October 1 2006 and October 25 2006 are eligible (created automatically when you first publish)

• Voting will be from October 26 2006 to October 31 2006

• Voting will be via PM to Doug Nelson.

• Vote for a single tutorial by its title and author

• You can publish more than one tutorial, but you still only get one vote

• You can't vote for your own tutorial

• You must participate in the contest to vote

• Moderators are allowed to participate

• Since this is our first tutorial contest, rules might get tweaked until October 7, 2006

Prize
The author of the winning tutorial will receive a copy of AKVIS Sketch, donated by AKVIS
"AKVIS Sketch is a plugin for conversion of photos into pencil sketches and watercolor drawings."

Voting Criteria
How you vote is totally up to you, but here are some suggestions:

• Creativity - How fresh is the approach?

• Clarity - Is it easy to follow?

• Originality - Has the topic already been done to death?

• Relevance - Is the topic useful to a typical RetouchPRO member?

• Accuracy - Is the information presented correct?

• Ambition - Does it show thought and effort, or was it just slapped up to enter the contest?

• Writing Talent - Be forgiving here. We're not all Hemingways (or even native English speakers)

Disqualifications

• Use of copyrighted images (USA copyright laws)

• Use of likenesses without permission

• Plagiarism (includes self-plagiarism)

• Links outside of retouchpro.com

Tips

• Read the "Important" threads at the top of the RP Tutorials forum

• Write your tutorial offline, then publish

• Publish with a note (not in the title) that you're not finished until it really is finished (don't forget to remove the note before the deadline)

• Use plenty of screencaps and illustrations. Use circles, arrows, and other highlighting techniques

• It's up to you whether to publish early or wait until the deadline. But if you publish early, you'll get feedback and can make changes, which is fully within the contest rules

• Read our existing tutorials for ideas on formatting, etc.

• Discuss this contest in this thread. Discuss an individual tutorial in its thread

• Don't reference the contest in your tutorial

• Subscribe to the What's New forum. That's where future contests (if any) will be announced

[Cassidy]

self-plagiarism? now that's harsh! Alzheimers runs in my family!

[Marthig]

Originally Posted by Cassidy

self-plagiarism? now that's harsh! Alzheimers runs in my family!

Oh Cass that is quite a problem ... just make sure not to use anything you find in your computer that says "My Documents - Already submitted to RP" or something like that ... Hope that helps ?
Sorry had to say it , your remark was very funny

[Frank Lopes]

No self-plagiarism????

Does that mean that I can't say what I've already said? :-)

[Doug Nelson]

Originally Posted by Frank Lopes

Does that mean that I can't say what I've already said? :-)

Precisely

Actually, it just means don't paste in something you've already published somewhere else. The goal is original tutorials, not to collect previously-published tutorials.

Tangent:
It occurs to me that is someone were to volunteer to reply here posting the URLs of tutorials submitted within the contest period and edit it occasionally to update the list, that would be a very good thing

[Flora]

Cass,

[bart_hickman]

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=251

Bart

[Frank Lopes]

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=249

[Cameraken]

Hi everyone.

Here is my entry.
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/index.php?m=show&id=255

This took ages. I hope it’s useful. I would be most grateful if you would check my method / numbers / logic / English etc.

Some of the screen shots were difficult to capture. Holding down the left mouse button and the Alt key AND trying to get a screen shot.

I have just tried to add my pictures. It says ‘Uploaded Successfully’ but the picture is not there.? I am using Firefox. Should I try IE?

Ken.

[Frank Lopes]

I had the same problem with Firefox... When I switched to IE it worked fine...

Originally Posted by Cameraken

Hi everyone.

Here is my entry.
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/index.php?m=show&id=255

This took ages. I hope it’s useful. I would be most grateful if you would check my method / numbers / logic / English etc.

Some of the screen shots were difficult to capture. Holding down the left mouse button and the Alt key AND trying to get a screen shot.

I have just tried to add my pictures. It says ‘Uploaded Successfully’ but the picture is not there.? I am using Firefox. Should I try IE?

Ken.

[Cameraken]

Hi Frank.

I tried IE. But when I click the ‘Insert Picture’ button I get a bleep but the Picture dialog box does not open. I think it may be something to do with popups blocked.

Ken.

EDIT.

I sorted it. Firefox would Not upload the images. I got IE to upload them after I switched off the popup blocker.

Thanks.

[Flora]

My entry...

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/index.php?m=show&id=258

.... been fighting with the tutorials Image Uploader since the beginning...

basically, we hate each other ... but we seem to have agreed on a truce ... for the time being ...

[philbach]

Hey that was a great tutorial and thanks for posting it, Flora. I'm going to use that all the time. Just wondering...When you use Apply Image + Difference blending mode what represents the blend color and what represents the base color.

From Photoshop Help files

"Difference Looks at the color information in each channel and subtracts either the blend color from the base color or the base color from the blend color, depending on which has the greater brightness value. Blending with white inverts the base color values; blending with black produces no change."

[Flora]

Thanks Phil!!

Originally Posted by philbach

Just wondering...When you use Apply Image + Difference blending mode what represents the blend color and what represents the base color.

... If I have understood correctly the PS help file on this ... (but not sure about it.. ) ... I would say that the base colour is represented by the 'colours' of the blue Channel wich I used as source ... and the pure white mask represent the blend colour .... but it could be exactly the opposite!!!

[BobJones]

It's the other way around.

If you think of how the blending modes work on layers, the blending layer is the one on top and the base layer is the one below. Applying images is similar, the blending color is from the image you are applying and the base color is from the one you are applying it to.

In this example, you are applying the blue channel (blend) to the white mask channel (base). In difference mode, blending with white inverts so, in effect, what you have done is to simply load the levels adjustment layer mask with an inverted copy of the blue channel.

[philbach]

Well thanks for the explanation. I guess I will fiddle some with Layer Masks and try out Apply Image and Layer Style Blending Options and Blending modes. Thank goodness I don't have to work.

[Flora]

Thanks for the explanation, Bob!!

[Doug Nelson]

We're coming up on the final week for tutorial entries. If you've been waiting for the last minute to publish yours, it's time to look at your watch. Or, if you've been letting the ideas percolate before writing, it's time to get pouring. Or any other metaphor you like.

[Doug Nelson]

Only today and tomorrow to get your tutorials finished.

[Cassidy]

Sorry Doug, but that tut has totally avoided me, still trying to come to grips with the concept and implementation, but I will not give up easily!

[bart_hickman]

Don't know if this makes the deadline--it's Nov 25, 11:17pm where I'm at (Pacific Coast). Would've been earlier but the publishing tool ate my tutorial and I had to re-insert all the images.

http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=264

Bart

[Doug Nelson]

If you entered a tutorial, PM me with your vote. Vote for a single tutorial, by name and author.

[Doug Nelson]

Congratulations to the winner of our first tutorial contest:

Cameraken, for his tutorial "Restoring an old photograph"
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=255

PM me for your prize details.

Thanks to everyone for participating, we got some killer tutorials and I hope everyone had fun doing it!

[Frank Lopes]

Cameraken, congrats!!! It was well deserved!!

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

Congratulations to the winner of our first tutorial contest:

Cameraken, for his tutorial "Restoring an old photograph"
http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=255

PM me for your prize details.

Thanks to everyone for participating, we got some killer tutorials and I hope everyone had fun doing it!

[Cassidy]

Yes congrats Ken,

I took took part of that away with me

[bart_hickman]

Way to go Ken!

Bart

[NancyJ]

Congrats Ken!

So are we going to have one of these contests every month?

[Cameraken]

Thank you all so much

One month ago I did not think I could write a tutorial. So I am so amazed to have won this.
‘Restoring an old Photograph’ is intended to be Part 1, dealing with the black and white (Luminosity). I intend to add Part 2 which will deal with repairing the Colour. (Coming Soon).

Thanks Again.

Ken.

[Cassidy]

keep it coming Ken, invaluable

[bkpoltis]

Bart,

I just found your tutorial 'Fixing a Hazy Landscape'.

I love it!!!! I have some pictures that really need it. Thanks so much for the detailed information.

Bernie