Unbelievably, summer is already halfway over. Some sun seekers get to celebrate the last few warm weeks by hitting up their favorite beaches or attending local music festivals like Lollapalooza, others are keeping occupied with their work.
In fact, a recent study from Harris Interactive reveals that most Americans (61 percent) plan to work during their vacations this year. And while we all deserve a break once in a while, the mobility of technology has made it nearly impossible for some professionals to "power down". This is especially true for designers, because part of their job is to be inspired, and we all know that inspiration can happen at the most inopportune moment. The trick, however, is to be prepared once inspiration strikes, so that you can take your idea and hit the ground (or computer desk) running.
In order to be prepared, designers must brush up on all of the latest technology and features that can help them excel during their next creative project. And, since the most popular design technology is Photoshop, Website Magazine has thrown together a festival of sorts that is exclusively for designers - dubbed Photoshopapalooza. The lineup for this design-centered event provides information about the newest features in Photoshop's latest software, Photoshop CC, as well as includes links and tutorials to help designers become even better in their creative efforts. The best part of Photoshopapalooza, however, is that you can attend from the comfort of your own home (if you want).
"Photoshop CC and the Features"
As part of a Creative Cloud revamp, Adobe released Photoshop CC in June. The latest version of Photoshop not only offers new features, but also comes with a subscription model that allows designers to use the platform for as low as $19.99 a month. Learn about three of the platform's newest features below:
Intelligent Upsampling - This feature enables designers to preserve detail and sharpness when enlarging low-res images.
Camera Shake Reduction - If a shaky camera ruined your perfect shot, this feature will be your savior. Camera Shake Reduction analyzes trajectory and helps restore sharpness in blurry images.
Behance Integration - Behance is among the most popular social network/portfolio sites for designers, which is why this integration is awesome. Designers can share their creations directly from Photoshop CC to Behance in order to get feedback from the creative community. Plus, designers can post finished work to ProSite, which is a customizable professional portfolio that is included with a Photoshop CC membership.
Discover more Photoshop CC features here.
Sometimes the best way to stay up to date with technology is to follow it on social media. Check out the three Twitter accounts below to gain inspiration, learn new techniques and find out about the latest Photoshop news.
Adobe Photoshop - Learn about the platform directly from the source.
Photoshop Tips - This handle shares Photoshop tips, tricks and photography tools with its more than 75,000 followers.
Photoshop Disasters - Learn what mistakes to avoid with this Twitter account that shares "awful" Photoshop work with the Twittersphere.
Discover more Photoshop-centered Twitter accounts here.
Addicted to image editing? Take it on the go with you via these mobile apps from Adobe:
Adobe Eazel - Use your iPad as a canvas and access your creations in Photoshop.
Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop - Create custom colors and color themes for Photoshop.
Adobe Photoshop Express - Edit and share photos from the palm of your hand with this app for both, Android and iOS.
Find more Adobe mobile apps here.
A picture is worth a thousand words, which means videos are worth a million, right? Learn about Photoshop brushes, how to create a laser beam effect and how to leverage the platform's Camera Shake Reduction filter, with these video tutorials below:
Brushes 101 - Brushes can be used for much more than just paint.
Laser Beam Effect - Add a sci-fi element to your next creation.
Camera Share Reduction Filter - Get an in-depth look at one of Photoshop CC's newest features.
Want more video tutorials for Photoshop? Visit Adobe TV.
When tutorials and mobile apps aren't enough, check out some of these resources:
Training - Get the most out of your Adobe programs, like Photoshop, with training courses through Adobe's training partners.
Events - Attend a live event to have an inspiration-packed day.
Forum - If you have a Photoshop-related question, or simply want to network, join the Adobe community to join a user group near where you live