Taken the plunge- started my gallery

[Simone]

Hi all! Ok, I've bucked up my courage and taken the plunge. As mentioned in my last post in the Beginner area (thread "Just Joined.."), I've put a few things out there as a starting point. Whew! :)
It's very "basic" since I'm rather new to PSE4 - nothing fancy!

I have PSE4; bought and started learning in Sept. with the help of books and these forums. My original driver was scanning/ restoring/preserving decades of paper prints, then moving into new digital photos (rebel xt). In my gallery so far, there's a mix of old scanned photos, new digital photos, and some digi scrap pages. I haven't moved into the "fancy/artistic" effects in PSE4 yet, just getting comfy with the basic functionality, and can't wait to move on.

Question: Of the various Online Training courses, which is best to start with first? Maybe Matt's Layers course? I'd say right now I'm intermediate with Layers. I'm very comfortable with them and Digi scrapping uses it extensively-- but just the basics. I'd like to become more advanced with Layers, I guess.

Merry Christmas all! I'm pretty psyched to be a Subscriber now! :)

[Chuck S.]

Simone, very nice photos! I especially like the before and after of the portrait to which you applied the Cropping tutorial (I wonder if we should call photos done in this manner "Matt-ed"?) and your use of Elements to enhance scanned images from the ancient days of film...!

Thanks for sharing!

Chuck

[Teacher617]

Simone, I especially like the heritage collection you have, here and on your other scrapbook gallery. I am doing a similar project for my mom's 80th birthday party. I have photos back to the early 1900's with her grandparents, up to the present with her great-granddaughters.

I may just be calling on you for a little advice. Great job!!

:)

Tricia

[Simone]

Chuck and Tricia, thanks for the kind words!

Tricia, would be happy to give you any tips I can about your heritage project. Ask away! I really got into it, ended up with 37 pages with photos ranging from 1924 to present. The 1920s/30's photos were in pretty bad shape. It's fun, but (I think you probably already know..) alot of work. But it will be worth it, she will love it! :)

Off to open stockings from Santa now! :)

[AngelicKim]

Simone, great gallery. I am posting Wendy's instruction for you so you can add a link to your gallery in your forum signature.

Here are Wendy's instructions.
... and if you want us to see your images then try adding a link to your gallery in your signature

Click on User CP at the top of the page then on Edit Signature and copy and paste this into it:

[333url=http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/viewgallery.php?user=xxxx] My Gallery[/url]

Where it says My Gallery type in what you want to show in your signature.

Now remove the 333 and where it says xxxx type in your user number. Make sure that you don't add any extra spaces ..

To find your user number ... click on Access my Gallery then click on "Share my Gallery" and you see the user number there.

[Wendy]

... if you get stuck then just ask and one of us will help:)

Wendy

[SCRAPPYGIRL]

HI Simone,
I don't see the link to your gallery.

[Inspeqtor]

HI Simone,
I don't see the link to your gallery.

ScrappyGirl, I don't see a gallery either. :confused: I have no idea how the other people were able to view his photos :eek:

[AngelicKim]

Scappygirl and Inspector, if you go to the gallery link you can search for someones galley at the bottom of the page by typing in there user name.

Here (http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/view_img.php?id=15369) is the link to Simone's gallery

[Inspeqtor]

Thank you kim! ...duh... I shoulda thought of that! :rolleyes:

[Simone]

Thanks for the kind words, all! OK, I'm psyched! This week.. time off from work.. yee-haaa...guess what I'll be doing? Can you say "Tutorials" and "On-Line Training" ? Can you say.. "I wanna get out there to shoot new stuff to use the techniques on"! :)

Now, duhhh, started a gallery with no link to it - duhh.
Here it is, and also I just created a new signature with the link which hopefully will work as well.
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/gallery/viewgallery.php?user=853

:) - S

[kroberts]

Simone,

The link to your gallery in your signature works! Great job on the gallery, I love the color version of the Lost Tooth Cutie.:) You can tell she is proud of her accomplishment!!

[Diana]

Simone, no need to be nervous about starting a gallery with those beautiful images. You do great work!

Diana

[AlphaShooter]

Simone --
Welcome aboard to the forum and to PSE. You'll love it here and you'll learn a lot just by scanning the galleries and reading the posts. I've only been active a few months myself and already I feel many times more capable than when I joined.

Your gallery is a great start. Judging from your pics you seem quite comfortable with layers, since you've removed a background and done some fairly capable enhancements. I'm no expert here by any means, but my own experience is that once I got to that level with layers learning the rest through practice was the way to go... but then again, I'm a guy and we hate asking directions (hope that made you chuckle). Anyways, thanks for sharing your pictures. I look forward to seeing more from you.
Ken

PS - the lady whose picture you took at work is gorgeous... tell her she should be a model.

[Simone]

Feedback appreciated, all! This is gonna be fun, y'all are great.

Alphashooter- yup, it made me chuckle! :) Based on my own empircal experience I would conclude the same thing!

Next- a question for ya-- I'm a bit unsure of what forum to post certain questions on. (apart from the obvious categories, like 'onlinetraining', ' scrapbooking' etc., I can figure that out... :o )

I'm new to the forums and beginner-interm. w/ pse, so I could put all my posts in the Beginner forum. Or, if it's a question about something I've put in my gallery, should it go in the "PET Subscriber Gallery" forum?
For example, I just put a new post in the Beginner area, seeking opinions and suggestions on possible improvements to a new gallery add.
Then I browsed around inthe Subscriber Gallery forum, and think that forum would have been more appropriate?

On the other hand -- Maybe I'm totally over-thinking this big-time!! ?? Does it really matter..?? :o

Thanks much! :)

[Wendy]

Hi Simone ...

Oh don't worry about which section you post questions in ... I think that most of us read them all so it doesn't really matter :)

Wendy

[John L Gray]

Simone ...

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for sharing your photos with all the wonderful smiles. You have a good eye for photography.

John:)

[Simone]

John - appreciate the comment, thanks alot. Just browsed your gallery and -- Wow -- I can only aspire to have the skills to create images like that some day. Your photographs are simply stunning. I need a fairy godmother to send me some extra $$ so I can travel to glorious locations like that. Your stuff is inspiring! I'll keep plugging away ...Thx again! :)

[WingAnimal]

Simone -- Nice gallery! The snow/leaves picture needs to be printed large and framed and mounted on a wall!!! Great job!

You will find this forum very addictive and everyone here very kind and helpful. Don't worry about where you post a question - someone (all of us) will see it and respond. Heck, we might even give you a good answer. :eek: :D Look out for Wendy though... she bites. (Just kidding!!!)

[msbrad]

Simone,
glad you took the plunge. Your work is beautifu. I too will be calling for some restoration advice.
m

[CarolLHB]

Lovely gallery, Simone:)

[Simone]

Thanks once again for the encouragement notes. I was timid about starting a gallery (being 4 mos new to pse) but now I'm more comfortable and want to keep going! :)

Norm - thanks and LOL!

I have a few observations since getting more active on this site in the last month. It was mentioned in some forum posts that ....
- this site is addictive - Absolutely true
- the people are helpful/knowledgable - Absolutely true
- the people are friendly and supportive - Absolutely true
- i will learn tons -- Absolutely true
- watch out for Wendy because she bites -- Not sure about that one!!

W, it was said in jest of course! :) :)

[AlphaShooter]

Simone --
I see that your attitude is just right for fitting in here. I love a person with a sense of humor. An eye for photography is a great bonus... I"m glad you joined in. I look forward to more from you in the future.
Ken