Welcome to the New PhotoshopCAFE

Hi, I’m Colin Smith, founder of PhotoshopCAFE.com. I’m thrilled to welcome you to the brand-new PhotoshopCAFE website!

This year marks our 25th anniversary, and we’ve celebrated with a complete rebuild of the site. Whether you’re brand new or one of the many friends who’ve been visiting since day one, I’m so glad you’re here. Our mission remains the same: sharing world-class Photoshop and Lightroom training, always free of ads and always accessible.

We’ve now got over 700 tutorials, each with a written walkthrough and a video, all 100% free. And that’s just the beginning. Let me show you the exciting new features designed to make your learning experience smoother, faster, and more inspiring than ever.

Key Features of the New PhotoshopCAFE

Lightning-Fast Performance

• Completely rebuilt with speed in mind.

• Fully responsive and liquid design—resize the window or use any device, and it looks great.

• Cleaner, uncluttered layout for easy reading and browsing.

Tutorials Made Simple

• Newest tutorials displayed front and center for quick access.

• View All option to explore the complete library.

• Optimized for mobile, making it quick and easy to navigate anywhere.

Smarter Search & Categories

• Powerful search function at the top or side of the page.

• Faster, more accurate results.

• Tutorials organized by categories under the Free Tutorials menu—Photoshop, Lightroom, Camera Raw, and more.

Rich Tutorial Experience

• YouTube videos embedded directly into each tutorial page.

• Full written steps for every lesson.

• Share tutorials easily—whether via messaging apps, copying links, or social media.

• Text scaling: expand the page to make reading easier if needed.

The Vault

• Sign up with your email for exclusive access to downloadable resources.

• Existing members go straight to downloads.

• Double opt-in ensures no spam—just quality resources and updates.

Community & Comments

• Updated comments system for better discussions.

• Colin is active in responding—your feedback and questions matter!

New Features Section (Formerly Superguides)

• Clearer navigation: see all new Photoshop & Lightroom features as they’re released.

• Sort by Photoshop only, Lightroom/Camera Raw, or even legacy features going back to CS3.

• One of the most comprehensive feature archives available online.

Reviews & Tech for Creatives

• Honest reviews of hardware and tools creatives use daily.

• Categories include Wacom tablets, monitors, Macs, cameras, gimbals, mobile devices, and more.

Gallery & Inspiration

• Browse Colin’s personal gallery.

• Explore work across different categories for ideas and inspiration.

Premium Courses

• Easy access to all PhotoshopCAFE courses.

• Filter by categories, read reviews, and preview what’s inside each course.

• Built to complement the free tutorials with deeper, structured learning.

Help & Support

• FAQ section under About to quickly solve common issues.

• Friendly support if you get stuck along the way.

A Note of Thanks & What’s Next

PhotoshopCAFE has been a community hub for 25 years, and it’s only possible because of you. Whether you’re exploring your very first Photoshop tutorial or you’ve been with us since the early days, thank you for making this journey special.

When you sign up for the Vault, you’ll also get a weekly newsletter. Most weeks, it’s simply the latest free tutorialdelivered straight to your inbox. Occasionally, I’ll let you know when a new course launches. That’s it—no spam, just great learning.

If you’re new here, welcome! Make sure to subscribe on YouTube and turn on notifications so you don’t miss a tutorial.

I can’t wait to hear what you think about the new site. Your feedback and suggestions help us keep improving. Until next time—
See you at the CAFE.

The post Celebrating 25 years of PhotoshopCAFE with a new Website Design! appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

Welcome CAFE CREW!

I hope you enjoy my very first Q+A. It seems that I get asked a lot of questions about how I do things, buying advice, or different topics, etc. While I do my best to answer these questions, sometimes I get a bit behind (a few of my videos have over 1,000 comments on youtube). So, I decided to do a Q+A session. And YES, I did try to make it fun and drop in some of my dry humor and occasional sarcasm. I hope you enjoy it.

Here’s the thing. This was a little bit of an experiment for me. If you guys (and galls) like this, I’ll do more of them in the future. If not, hey, it was fun. (So far it seems to be a good idea).

Drop your comments and questions below or into the comments on our youtube channel. (If you haven’t subscribed to our youtube channel, please do so).

For you, CAFE CREW, here are links to all the things I talk about on the video.

• Kicked off the plane
• Seagull incident (DJI Spark)
• Cutting out hair tutorial
• More difficult cutting out hair
• Removing difficult things from images
• 10.5 inch iPad Pro review
• Why I returned the 2016 Macbook Pro
• PhotoshopCAFE Instagram page 

Great to see you here at the CAFE!

Colin

The post Colins first Questions and Answers session, your questions answered appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

Colin Smith puts them through their paces and shows you both.

MAVIC PRO

Pros: Lightweight, portable, affordable, batteries are reasonably priced. 20mins or so flight time, rotating camera, Quick to set up and fly. Fast shooting.
Cons: Can be a bit bumpy on video while flying in wind because of light weight. Hard to move gimbal smoothly while shooting video. Gimbal is very fragile. Crooked horizon often,

Phantom 4 Pro

Pros: 1″ sensor, sharp photos and video. Good Dynamic Range. Good Low light shooting for photos and video. Very stable, even in moderate wind. 360 obstacle avoidance. Good flight time with upgraded battery (over 20 mins).

Cons: Heavier and larger than Mavic. More expensive.

More info on DJI Mavic Pro and Buy here

Buy the Phantom 4 Pro here

Buy Inspire 2 here 

All our Premium Drone training is here:

I have been making best of class drone training videos since the very beginning and have amassed over 24 hours of training on Flying different drones, understanding the flight apps, strategies for getting great video and photos. These videos have all been shot on location in Southern California and the Hawaii Islands. I also have indepth tutorials on how to get the most form your images in Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere Pro. Enjoy!

Why PhotoshopCAFE training? 
Because this is something I do every day and Im passionate about it, I have written the book “The Photographer’s Guide to Drones” available in bookstores or Amazon. I am currently #1 on DJI’s SkyPixel community, an Adobe ACP and I preset this at the largest conferences and conventions around the USA. I have a lot of good stuff I want to share with you!

Original Phantom / Phantom 2 Training

Phantom 3 / Inspire 1 Training 

Phantom 4 training

Processing images and video (all drones, latests Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro)

Mavic training (coming soon)

Check out my series of videos that cover everything DJI and drones! The best way to learn to fly safely and shoot amazing photos and video. I also show my entire workflow for processing aware-winning photos and videos! 

Check out my new book:

The Photographer’s Guide to Drones

 checkout at Rocky Nook’s website or Amazon 

Thanks for watching guys! Don’t forget to subscribe!

Colin

Phantom 4 Pro review and videos

The post Dji Mavic or Phantom 4 Pro? Drone v drone appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

This camera is slated somewhere between a Digital Rebel and a 80D. It has appeal for someone wanting to get into a DSLR camera, but desiring something a bit better than a Rebel without breaking the bank. The cost of this camera is about $900 (USD) for the body only.

It’s appeal to me was for a Vlogging camera (aka Run and gun). It’s lightweight and small, has a flip-out screen with touch controls for the main settings. Couple this with 1080 HD Video (no 4k) up to 60fps with fast 45point Dual cross-type autofocusing, makes this a great candidate for this kind of video shooting.  The dual Pixel CMOS auto focus with Phase detection sounds really complex. What that means is that it focuses really, really fast. (Spoiler alert, this actually works). It also boasts wifi and bluetooth connectivity.

Check out my Video here, where I;

• unbox the camera
• show you the camera and features
• demo the touch screen
• show how to control the camera remotely, from your computer
• Go out on the field and test the HDR video and stabilization
• do a little vlog-style video with it

If you want to spend <$1000 and don’t need 4K, this is a great little camera for  vlogging-style self operated, travel video. You can easily see yourself on the screen, with face detection, you will stay in focus most of the time.

The HDR video actually worked, I really was surprised by this one, as its an unsung hero. I got the kit with the 18-55mm lens. With the stabilizer turned on in the body and also on the lens, I was able to get some very stable looking hand-held footage without the use of any extra equipment or gimbals.

Also the quality of photos is good, 24Mp RAW stills with decent sharpness (using the kit lens). You can also use most Canon lenses with this camera, so if you were using an L series lens, the photos will look very nice. The 77D also uses the latest Digic 7 processor.

Additional features include a built-in intervalometer for shooting time-lapse. The 77D can also shoot timelapse sequences and make a video out of it in camera.

It is a crop sensor, so it isn’t full-frame. This means that the lenses wont shoot as wide as they are marked and will be a little bit longer. Also you won’t get as shallow a depth of field as a full frame. However, on testing, I was easily able to put the background out of focus even with the 4F 18-55.

For an enthusiast photographer, who doesn’t want to break the bank, this is a great entry level DSLR.

For the purposes of vlogging, it’s perfect for me for now (apart from the lack of 4K).

Here are the specs:

The post Canon 77D Review, Entry level DSLR with great video features appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

Suggestion BOX

Hi everyone, this is a brand new idea I had.

I wanted to create an open forum for you to make suggestion and requests.

How can we make YOUR PhotoshopCAFE better?

I know, I often ask questions in the weekly newsletter and there really wasn’t a way to have an open forum so to speak. But here is a better way. Add a comment below and we can all discuss these ideas together! Let’s make the CAFE the online home you want it to be and make sure we stay on track to meeting your Photoshop, Photography and Design learning goals!

(Please keep this to a discussion on the CAFE, not for spam or self promotion – those posts will be deleted and posters banned)

Thanks for being a part of the conversation and the community here at the CAFE!

Colin Smith

The post PhotoshopCAFE is listening! Go ahead and speak. appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

I recently announced a free Photoshop, Layer Blend Modes ebook and put it on our S3 for people to download.

Then the question arose, how many people have downloaded it? You would think this would be pretty simple to log into Amazon and view the stats. Nope, there are none! I stumbled around and figured out how to enable logs, which saves a list of every single download. Then all you need to do is open them up and manually count them. My ebook was downloaded 60,000 times in the first few days. I didn’t figure that out by counting the log files! I discovered S3stat which allows you to connect your S3 account and then it gives you normal, simple, human readable logs, by reading those log files for you. Check it out here for 3Sstat.

The post How to get stats from Amazon s3 easily appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

Be informed – Be connected – Be a part!

Welcome to the PhotoshopCAFE member’s info page

We are more than just world-class videos. We are an online community, with thousands of like-minded members. We have forums, free tutorials, weekly newsletter with discounts and exclusive content. Check out our superguides and our online magazine; featuring the top names in the industry. Reviews, advice, interviews and more. We are in this together, let’s learn and grow together. Best of all, it’s free… always!

How does it work?

Really simple, just sign up in the box on the right. It’s that simple. (You can always unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe button in the newsletter.) As you can see, it’s very easy.

Why bother?

As you know, PhotoshopCAFE is an open community. That means that you don’t need to log in to enjoy the content on this site. There are always lots of free tutorials and goodies.

Here is where it gets good… There is more! We send out exclusive newsletters to our members (no more than once a week) that include crazy giveaways and discounts. Each month, our members receive their code which is good for 10% off everything at PhotoshopCAFE. They also get the superguides, tips and tutorials that aren’t on the main site. Not to mention, our members are the first to know of breaking news when it comes to the creative industry. I think you’re starting to get the idea.

Community

You can also sign-up on our forums and participate in discussions and share your images for others to critique or just enjoy. You can grow tremendiously this way. Ask for advice, or give it, we are all about the spirit of sharing and growing. Many people have found permanent jobs and business through our community. It’s the best place to learn on the Internet and it doesn’t cost anything. (Separate sign-up is required for the forums, it’s free too).

I really hope you take the time to become a PhotoshopCAFE member. I look forward to assisting you on your journey, to surpass your goals!

Colin Smith – Founder, PhotoshopCAFE

The post PhotoshopCAFE Membership, Be informed – Be connected – Be a part! appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to an advance screening of The Angry Birds Movie at Sony Pictures in LA. I also attended a press interview with the 2 directors, Fergal Reilly (Spider-Man 2, The Iron Giant, Hotel Transylvania) and Clay Kaytis (Frozen, Tangled) . The best part was having a 1 on 1 interview with them. I decided to bring my video camera and turn it into more of a conversation. Why would I do a piece on a movie? Because it’s the first movie to come from a mobile app. Think about that for a sec? Apps weren’t even around a few years ago and now they are inspiring movies!

It was really interesting finding out about the film. I was really curious how the film came to be. Angry Birds is the most downloaded mobile game in history, with over 3 billion downloads and the first to be made into a major motion picture. The film is entirely funded by Finnish company  Rovio Entertainment, the makers of the Angry Birds game. Sony Studios was commissioned to make the movie, which took 3 1/2 years and involved a crew of over 500 people.

Check out my vlog video where I have a little fun on out LA adventure and meet the directors.

Overall, my impression of the movie was very good. I didn’t know what to expect going in and my biggest fear was from the lack of a back story and personality of the characters. Jon Vitti (writer for the Simpsons) created the story behind the Angry Birds and why they are angry. The directors and actors created wonderful personalities for the characters. These guys will make you laugh, it’s truly is a funny movie. If there was a weakness, it was that the pigs were kind of cute in their own weird way and I found it hard to distain them as villains. Sure they were bad and sneaky, but too dumb to be hated, the kind of villains that people love.

The quality of the animation was really well done (no surprise looking at the team involved). I was particularly impressed with the way the animation mimicked the game in certain places, but it didn’t feel like an plug for the game at all, the movie stands on its own. In fact, you may fall in love with these character even more. The Hatchlings are so cute, I see a separate movie career for them (think, minions). You can catch a little glimpse of the hatchlings at the end of my vlog above.

Here is a video of the entire Press Interview.

Official Synopsis

In the 3D animated comedy, The Angry Birds Movie, we’ll finally find out why the birds are so angry.

The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Jason Sudeikis, We’re the Millers, Horrible Bosses), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Josh Gad in his first animated role since Frozen), and the volatile Bomb (Danny McBride, This is the End, Eastbound and Down) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.

Featuring a hilarious, all-star voice cast that includes Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids, Sisters), Bill Hader (Trainwreck, Inside Out), and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), as well as Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live, Ghostbusters), Tony Hale (Veep, Arrested Development), Hannibal Buress (Daddy’s Home, Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Sisters), Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Jillian Bell (22 Jump Street), Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Latin music sensation Romeo Santos, YouTube stars Smosh (Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla), Billy Eichner (“Billy on the Street”), and country music superstar Blake Shelton, who co-writes and performs the original song “Friends,” the Columbia Pictures/Rovio Entertainment film is directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis and produced by John Cohen and Catherine Winder. The screenplay is by Jon Vitti, from a story by Mikael Hed & Mikko Pöllä & John Cohen, and executive produced by Mikael Hed and David Maisel.

Columbia Pictures and Rovio Entertainment present The Angry Birds Movie. Featuring the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Tony Hale, Hannibal Buress, Ike Barinholtz, Tituss Burgess, with Bill Hader and Peter Dinklage. Directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis. Produced by John Cohen and Catherine Winder. Screenplay by Jon Vitti. Executive Producers are Mikael Hed and David Maisel. Music by Heitor Pereira. Animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks.

The Angry Birds Movie will be released in theaters nationwide on May 20, 2016.

The post A conversation with the directors of the Angry Birds movie appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

The post kicked off a plane with my drone, for trying to obey the rules appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.

Jetman! A man who really flies!

Jetman Dubai and Emirates A380 take to the skies of Dubai for an exceptional formation flight with real life Jetman. Is this real? You bet! Watch the video here then read on to find out more about Yves Rossy who is the Jetman, and watch his TED talk.

Here is the viral promo piece that you may have seen. Emirates: #HelloJetman

Here is a BTS video of the making of the Emirates video.

Meet Jetman: Yves Rossy

Take off and landing

Ted Talk with Jetman Yves Rossy

https://www.ted.com Strapped to a jet-powered wing, Yves Rossy is the Jetman — flying free, his body as the rudder, above the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. After a powerful short film shows how it works, Rossy takes the TEDGlobal stage to share the experience and thrill of flying.

Check out the BTS documentary “Young Feathers”

The post Jetman is real-life Iron man flying beside Jumbo Jet appeared first on PhotoshopCAFE.