Developing Playground (aka Photoshop) Skills

Developing Playground (aka Photoshop) Skills. I know what you’re thinking.

“Photoshop is just part of editing. Why do you call it a playground?”

Honestly, this term has been a new one for me in recent years. Most people have fun on literal playgrounds, hiking mountains, playing sports, etc… For me, it’s bringing magic into my photography. And if you think about it, I would bet that many of you could say the same. That your photography is what makes your heart happy. It’s fun, it’s (most of the time) an outlet that calms you.

But what makes us get to this point? Where does this love start? I’m sure the answer to this question varies greatly, but I’ll take you back to the beginning of my story (also while showing you the progression from my very first “real camera” edits, to now).

Thirteen years ago, my first baby was born. Like a lot of moms, this made me want to take photos of my new baby. I bought a Canon T3i and never looked back! But I wanted to learn to edit. Back then, the first thing I came across when researching “editing programs for dummies” – literally, because I was completely new to ALL of it and needed the absolute basics – Photoshop Elements was the one that came up the most for beginners. So, I went for it!

I quickly learned that it had its limitations, but I didn’t have the motivation (or the time as a new mom) to learn the more in depth and more advanced Photoshop CS. So, I learned on Elements for the first few years. If you feel lost using layers and doing the more in depth editing that happens in full versions of Photoshop, I highly recommend investing in Elements to learn the basics. These basics can absolutely be applied to the full version once you feel ready to make the leap!

Fast forward a few years (and a couple more babies) later, and I knew I wanted more. I had always had a creative soul, painting and drawing constantly as a young kid/teen. And it felt natural to bring that artistic side of myself into my photography, while also drawing on the imaginations and personalities of my kids to make our so-called “fantasy” images. These sit very near and dear to our hearts, and we still to this day love thinking up new magical photos.

I started playing with layers even more, really diving into using every possible layer and adjustment Photoshop has to offer. Spending hours upon hours in my down time (you now, those short hours you get in the evening when your kids go to bed, and you can feel human again) navigating my way through all of the various options.

My first few years using full fledged Photoshop was all self-taught. Which we all know can get frustrating at times when you just don’t know what you don’t know. I yearned for more and more, and scoured the internet for classes and videos – absolutely anything I could find that would teach me something new. Because, as you may have heard me say before, you should NEVER stop learning!

Any of this sound familiar? What I found was that, despite there being about eleventy-million Photoshop courses, I found it incredibly difficult to find the one thing I really needed when I started. Something to really take me from absolute basics to more advanced editing. Everything all in one. A one-stop-shop if you will. Which is what I tried to make with my Photoshop 101 Workshop. Why not put my entire playground into one big present for everyone else to grow to love as well?

And really, isn’t this what we all strive for? To share our passion – our playgrounds – with those around us. What makes us happy can only help to make someone else happy too, right? Life is too short to keep our happy places all to ourselves. All of this to say, you really can achieve anything you put your mind to. Hard work, willingness to learn, and LOTS of practice, and you can do absolutely anything you’ve ever dreamed! Which is what my photography is for me – bringing my dreams to life!

Want to unlock the potential of Photoshop? Check out Photoshop 101!

For more inspiration, follow Jill on Instagram!