Introduction:

Hello my name is Dan Alberghetti and I love Photoshop! I have been using Photoshop since 1988. Ouch! That is a long time ago, but still I learn new things in Photoshop all the time. My original pursuit was the fine arts, but on a friend's suggestion I started using computers and Photoshop. Now, years later, I see that I fell in love with computers; from web design to installing hard drives, removing viruses to programming, and from 3D modeling to animation and video; and it all started because of Photoshop. Oh, and did I tell you, I also teach Cisco CCNA, Linux, and network security. Yep it’s true, so beware, maybe Photoshop will turn you into a computer nerd too.  

As an artist and web designer I hope that Photography and not just Photoshop grabs a hold of you as a lifelong pursuit. We will be learning how to work with Photoshop in this class and to do that we will be watching online video tutorials from lynda.com as well as videos made by me. We will also be working on weekly assignments and creative projects.

Class Materials:

The content of this class is designed to help you learn Photoshop and Digital Imaging from a novice to an intermediate level. To allow you access to a wide range of learning material we are going to be using online materials consisting of video tutorials from http://Lynda.com. Lynda.com is the leader in creating easily accessible learning and training materials from top professionals in the field. As an educator, I have the ability to to create a course bundle of 5 Lynda titles which you will be able to purchase through Lynda.com using the invitation code I will be sending you in an email. The approximate cost will be under $40 and will give you access to the 5 titles for 16 weeks. Each of the titles I will be choosing, will offer you a different of approach to Photoshop and digital photography.

In additional to the Lynda tutorial videos, I write my own assignments and lessons and use my own video tutorials which are hosted online at http://youtube.com/danscourses 

For this class you will need access to a digital camera.  I would love it if everyone in the class had a nice entry level, digital SLR like a Canon EOS Rebel. If you have one great! If not, that is okay too as long as you have some sort of point and click digital camera. For those of you who have a nice digital camera, and want to know how to use it better, why not bring it into the lab and I will try and help you demonstrate some of its features and functions. I am sure the things you will be learning in this class will help you to take better photographs and make better images!

Class Schedule and Policies:

This class is offered either as Self Directed Learning-SDL, or Online. SDL students are required to be in the Lab - GMB133, a minimum of 2.5 hours per week you will log your hours in the lab. Here are some questions you will want answered:

• When can I come to the Lab?
  I am in the GMB133 class/lab over 30 hours per week, for my exact lab times click on Lab/Classroom Hours.
• Can I work in the Lab when you are not there?
  Yes, if the door is open you are welcome to come in and work. If the door is locked try coming into the lab through GMB130 the Flex Lab. The Flex Lab opens Mon-Sat at 9am and is open late Tuesday until 9pm.
  
• Can I work with Photoshop in the lab?.
  Yes, I the newer looking HP towers against the wall all have Photoshop installed on them.
• What if I am an online student, and I can't work with Photoshop in the lab?
  If you are an online student you will need to work with Photoshop on your home computer. In order to do this you can purchase Adobe Photoshop either directly from Adobe.com or through an educational discount reseller like http://creationengine.com or the http://academicsuperstore.com . As a college student you can get an amazingly discounted price on Photoshop CS5 Extended for $195 as opposed to $999. You will need to provide proof that you are a student by attaching your current class schedule and sending it to them with your Sheridan College email address. Make sure you specify Windows or Mac when you purchaseThe general public also has the ability to try Photoshop for free for 30 days by downloading the 30 day trial from Adobe.com  
• When should I come to class?
  As soon as you can you should stop by the Lab in GMB133 and introduce yourself. Remember SDL students are required to be working in the lab 2.5 hours per week. It is up to you to decide exactly what your schedule will be.

• How can I assure that I will be successful?
  The students that show up regularly, week by week, both online by logging in to DansCourses and in person by coming to the lab are the ones that will be successful. To finish this class, I recommend you sit down and create a schedule of times that you will work on the class and its assignments.

• Is there a syllabus?
  The syllabus outlines the course, please download it and save it for your records: Syllabus
• How will I turn in assignments?
  All assignments will be turned in as email attachments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• How will I be graded?
  I grade on a point system. Every week you will have the opportunity to earn points by doing projects. This class is about project based learning. For the most part, each week you will be asked to shoot photographs, import them into the computer, and edit and manipulate them with Photoshop. It's Simple! The projects will come from my own experience, alternative sources and texts that I have worked with over the years, and the curriculum provided by Lynda.com. To earn full points on a project or assignment, you will need to follow my instructions and accomplish the task presented to you. Beyond shooting images and using Photoshop the task may require that you do some research, or it may require some creative thinking, or it may require that you post a comment or an image on this website. If you follow the instructions and apply yourself in a thoughtful manner I am sure you will receive full points! Ultimately your final grade is based on scale of total points earned to total points possible. 

Week 1 Overview

This week you will need to purchase your Lynda.com class materials. To do this, you will need the course invitation code which I will email to you. the cost is going to be $36.00 and will give you access to 5 amazing titles for the length of the class. I the email address that you would like the invitation to be sent to; for some of you, that may be your sheridan.edu email account, for others hotmail, yahoo, or gmail accounts. Please let me know which email address you would like the invitation sent to. You can do this by stopping in the lab the first week or by emailing me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

If you are an online student you will need to secure a copy of Adobe Photoshop to work with at home (See question above: What if I am an online student, and I can't work with Photoshop in the lab?). At CreationEngine.com the current price with a college student discount is $175.95 http://www.creationengine.com/html/p.lasso?p=17564 which is a fantastic price considering the list price is $999.

Week 1 Assignment - Due by the end of week 2 at the latest, preferably sooner to be ready for next week's assignment...

1. Acquire Adobe Photoshop, or a 30 day trial version, or at least a place where you will be able to use it like my lab in GMB133 - Sheridan College!
2. Purchase the Lynda.com Curriculum - Contact me in person or with your email address so I can send you the Lynda.com curriculum invitation to your preferred email account.
3. Create a Picasa Web Album to share your projects and images with the class, go here: Picasa and click "create an account." If you prefer, you can use "Flickr" or "Photobucket" for your web album. Once you are logged in your Picasa account click "upload" and create a "new album" called "Photoshop Class" for storing all of your class projects, that will make it easy to organize what you have completed and it will be easier for me to grade your assignments. I recommend editing the Album's properties and changing the visibility setting to public (see the video below)
4. ***Lastly, I want you to introduce yourself to the class with a Photograph and a 6 word title. Listen to this short audio piece on NPR about 6 word memoirs . The photograph and the six words should function together in an interesting poetic way. In other words the title shouldn't just be "Me and Joe at the Beach," but something that is maybe incongruous to the picture or opens up some other meaning else that can't be seen in the image. The assigment is complete when you have 1) posted your Photograph and 6 Word title (called a caption in Picasa) to your Picasa Web Album and then 2) copy a link or URL to your photo and post that link in a post in the DansCourses Forum under the topic "6 Word Memoir". Feel free to introduce yourself to the class in the Forum. To be to post to the DansCourses Forum you will need to create a user acount on this website (An important note about creating a user account on this website, it does not involve an encrypted secure transaction so make your username and password different from your other personal accounts- thank you! Oh and dont forget to write down your username and password...please!)
5. I created a short video tutorial below to help you with this assignment. Please do not hesitate to contact me or ask me for help, that is what I am here for!
   

Having a hard time using Picasa? Maybe my video tutorials will help: