Photoshop Explorations
Our explorations in Photoshop during photography classes are a welcome crossover between my experience in graphic design and this chapter as a photography teacher. Ideally, I want my students to understand the basics of how Photoshop works — layers, masks, selections — and then support them as they dive into experimenting with this sophisticated and fun tool. Below are a few student project samples.
COLOR IDENTIFICATION CHARTS
Students learn how colors are classified and coded as CMYK and RGB. The Photoshop exercise teaches them the basics of using rulers, layers, the eyedropper and fill tools, and how to add text. Teaching this project taught me that short video demos for each step are an effective way to support student learning.
BLENDING MODES
Getting students to loosen up and play with paint or clay is one challenge. Getting students to loosen up and play with a digital tool is another challenge altogether. We emphasize a spirit of play and discovery in this exercise, as students experiment with blending modes, texture layers, and masking to give their photos new life.
SELECTIVE COLOR
Students learn how to use selections and masking to create selective color images. We discuss how selective color has storytelling implications, especially in images that have human subjects. The results of this project are usually stunning, and students often extend to create independent examples.
LEVITATION
This project connects photographic problem-solving to Photoshop strategies. Students enjoy working in pairs or small teams to set up unique photo shoots. We typically do a full in-class demo — including the teacher assuming some ridiculous pose for a student photoshoot — and then students can self-pace with the video demos to refresh their understanding of the Photoshop work.
TAKE ME ON VACATION
This is basically the perfect project to do on the last day or so before a break. Students learn ways to polish their selections and masking in Photoshop, then ‘travel’ to a vacation destination of their (Google-based) choice. We sneak in some conversation about the ethics of using Photoshop to manipulate journalistic images as they are finishing their projects.
 TAKING IT FURTHER
The best part of teaching Photoshop — or anything, really — is when students apply the skills they have learned to their independent creative practice.