Courtesy of our friends at NAPP UK we’ve got a great DVD to give away this month

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Crash Course

by Matt Kloskowski

This DVD isn’t just about what you’ll learn in Photoshop CS5 – it’s also about what you won’t learn. While many beginner DVDs try to teach you everything there is to know about Photoshop, this beginner’s crash course shows you just the things you need to know to start feeling confident in your skills. Bestselling author, Matt Kloskowski, realized that Photoshop is a huge program with a lot of tools, filters, adjustments, palettes, and menu items. So he cuts through the complexity and shows you exactly what you need to know to hit the ground running in Photoshop. Things like:

- Layers and how they’re the key to using Photoshop

- Selections and the only tools you really need to worry about

- Everything you need to get started with Camera Raw

- Which Retouching tools you’ll use the most

When you’re done with this DVD you’ll realize you didn’t learn every little thing there is to know in Photoshop. But you will have a solid grasp of the most important features and you’ll be at the next level in no time.

To Enter is Easy!

Follow NAPP UK on Twitter and tell Dave @TipSquirrel sent you. #NAPPcomp

And / Or

Join the NAPP UK Facebook Page and tell Dave TipSquirrel sent you.

The Rules

All the usual TipSquirrel.com rules apply.
One entry per person. You may enter on Twitter and Facebook however.
Winner will be chosen randomly by an independent adjudicator.
Closing date Friday 3rd March 6pm UK time.

Entries welcome worldwide.

Why Join NAPP?

• 10 issues of Photoshop User magazine delivered to your door (print) / inbox (digital membership)
• Members-only forums, online portfolios, and a job bank
• Online technical support and special Learning Centers
• Helpful product reviews and breaking industry news
• Unlimited access to more than 1,000 Photoshop and Lightroom tips and tutorials
• UK discounts from companies like Adobe*, Wacom, onOne Software, and Epson
• $100 (£65) off Photoshop World Admission
• $20 off Kelby Training (Amazing NAPP + Kelby Training offer on at the moment, details here.)
• Monthly NEWSWIRE email newsletter with tips, news and exclusive discounts & offers.
• Exclusive live Webinars
• Discounted price on Kelby Training Seminars in UK – Scott Kelby will return !!

• Adobe UK – 15% off Adobe products and upgrades.
• UK MOO Cards – currently waiting for discount confirmation.
• SNAPILY PRO – 30% discount off all 3D & lenticular cards.
• www.ShutterStock.com – 10% discount off subscription.
• www.snapilypro.com – exclusive 30% discount.
• iStockphoto – 10% off 50 credits or more (first purchase).
• Squarespace – 10% discount off LIFE subscription.
• Photomatix HDR Software – 25% discount.
• OnOne Software – NAPP members receive $100 (20%) off of Plug-In Suite 5 (normally $499.95 – NAPP Members $399.96) and 20% off any other individual product. The boxed product is shipped from US at extra $50 UPS, OnOne UK discounted price is £312.50, shipped from UK.
• NIK Software – 15% NAPP member discount.
• SiteGrinder 3 – $100 off the $399 retail price
• AKVIS Products - 30% discount on all AKVIS software for any license type (Home and Business).

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A little while ago Adobe UK gave us a copy of Adobe Master Suite CS5.5 and we invited readers to enter through our Twitter, Facebook and  Google+ accounts.

The response was awesome, so thank you to all that entered. We represented the three ways to enter as a percentage and the method of entry first out the hat was: Facebook. We then randomly generated the number 13. So the winner was the 13th comment on Facebook;

Congratulation to Chuck Griffin of Wisconsin, USA. Your prize will be on it’s way directly from our friends at Adobe UK!

For more information on the Adobe Creative Suite CS5.5 Student and Teacher Edition and a massive 80% saving on the full retail price, take a look at the website;

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All you have to do to win is to Tweet this;

I’d like to win a copy of Adobe Master Suite CS5.5 please @TipSquirrel @AdobeUKEdu http://wp.me/p1q3TU-2Ww #TSCS5.5
OR
Comment and like our Competition post on TipSquirrel’s Facebook page.

T&Cs at the bottom of the page

Adobe UK Education’s Imagination Challenge

The Adobe Imagination Challenge, which will be live until November, offers everything students need to get the most from Adobe software as well as offering them the opportunity to gain national recognition and, with the help of celebrity judges, three will walk away with a top prize of £10,000 each.

The Adobe Student portal will be the hub of the competition; from there you can find our library of videos, tutorials and blogs as well as download trial versions of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Student and Teacher Edition so that everyone, from novices to pros can express themselves using Adobe software.

The guest judges, Helena Christensen (supermodel, photographer), Greg James (TV & Radio presenter) and David Rowan (Editor – Wired UK) will oversee the competition judging. The competition’s dedicated YouTube channel will be feature judges videos including: interviews, their own creative work and a series of creative challenges.

The best entries will be displayed in the Imagination Gallery where you can share your own work with friends and vote for the pieces that inspire you the most. Adobe will be giving away a £50 gift voucher daily for voting in the gallery so make sure to check back regularly to get some more inspiration for your own project.

To enter the competition all you need to do is create something using Adobe software. The entry requirements are wide open, just like your imagination. Whether it’s a poster, a video, an engineering plan, a poem or a dream the competition is all about finding a way to share that vision in your own, unique way.

To enter, vote and find out more, click here

Terms and conditions for TipSquirrel’s Master Suite Competition

Enter as often as you like.
Family of Photoshop Nuts may not enter.
Eligibility for the activation of software apply.
Prize will be posted to UK address only
Winner will be selected at random from all entries.
Closing date:  Friday 28th October

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No nonsense guide to getting the most out of your images using Photoshop Elements.

Save time with invaluable shortcuts and tips to cut through unnecessary steps, helping you to work faster and smarter.

With thanks to Photoshop Nut David Asch and Focal Press we’ve got a couple of great books to give away. Click on the image of the books above to find out all about them. Then enter our fun competition.

Entering this competition couldn’t be easier, all you have to do is pop a comment on this post saying why you think you need these books. We’ll choose the most deserving, funny or wacky and if TipSquirrel and David can’t agree we’ll pop our favourites in a hat and draw a winner.

Things That May Improve Your Chances of Winning;

Follow TipSquirrel on Twitter, Facebook or Google+ and say ‘hello’.
Follow David Asch on Twitter and tell him how much you’d love to win his books. (Or how majestic he looks in his avatar)
Visit David’s Page on Amazon and name drop some of his other titles.
But above all, make your comment stand out.

Rules and What-Not

Open to everyone, anywhere.
The decision of TipSquirrel and David Asch if final.
Prizes will be posted from the UK.
Bribes taken only in the form of kindness.
A maximum of 2 entries per person please.
Closing date Sunday August 21st. Midnight-ish UK time.

Good Luck.

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Congratulations to

Mark Pearce

Who has won 2 tickets to three days at this year’s Birdfair!

Since launching the competition I’ve been asked “what its got to do with Photoshop?”. On the surface, not a lot, but a look at the sponsors and exhibitors shows how the optical giants love this show. OK, they may lean toward scopes and binoculars but you’ll find cameras, lenses the size of your arm and tripods galore. Add to that the lectures and talks by some brilliant wildlife photographers and you’ll see why I recommend it.

I’m not a birdwatcher but you can rest assured you’ll see me there!

“Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury, Birdfair encompasses the whole spectrum of the birdwatching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation. This is the event of the year if you’re into birds and wildlife. There are hundreds of stands selling the latest products for wildlife enthusiasts. You’ll find everything, from scopes to sculptures, binoculars to bird food, eGuides to eco-holidays!

Every day we offer a packed programme of events. Three separate timetables boast a fantastic variety of lectures. The Events Marquee hosts quiz shows, question and answer sessions, exclusive book launches and family-based entertainment. The Birdfair Auction offers you the chance to bid for a whole host of lots, donated by our exhibitors, ranging from holidays, to artwork, to unique one-off experiences, with all the monies raised going directly to this year’s Birdfair project.”

How we picked the winner;

We listed all the entries
Used an online application to decide how many times to shuffle the list (5)
We then put the list into a random list shuffler and shuffled 5 times
We copied the list and pasted it into a random draw application.
We used ‘Does follow’ to check the winner was following TipSquirrel and BirdFairRutlan

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For some years I’ve been invited to go along to Birdfair, and every year I’ve made some excuse or another. You see, I’m not a birdwatcher so why would I want to go? Last year however I  succumbed, and off I went. During my day I looked at all manner of photographic and optical equipment, watched TV nature presenters battle it out in a Call My Bluff style game show and heard the gasps as nature photographer and presenter Chris Packham ‘confessed’ to using Photoshop.

So enthused and inspired by what I saw I’ve had a chat with the lovely people at the Birdfair office and managed to grab 2 three day passes to this year’s event!

To Enter:

Just Tweet This:

Follow @BirdfairRutland and @TipSquirrel and RT this for a chance to win 2 x 3-DAY TICKETS to Birdfair 2011 :http://bit.ly/kWTIC3 #BirdFair

Closing date is Sunday 10th July
You may enter once a day
Entries will be listed, shuffled and chosen by random number generator.
Tickets can be posted or collected.

Good Luck!

Birdfair Sponsors

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Firstly, visit the Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 website and have a look at all the great new features. Find the one that appeals to you most and tell us why.

Next, head over to Janine’s course at Lynda.com and watch the free tutorial “Using Levels” and answer this simple question: On what does Janine find a good grey, or mid, point?

To enter, visit our Competition Page Here

Adobe Photohop Elements 9Simply unlimited! Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 9 photo-editing software delivers powerful options that make it easy to create extraordinary photos, quickly share your memories in Online Albums and unique print creations, and automatically organize and help protect all your photos and video clips.	Photoshop Elements 9: Scanning and Restoring PhotosBring new life to old photos. This course begins with a look at the types of photos that may require restoration, including slides, negatives, prints, and newspaper photos, and options for scanning them. She discusses the types of scanners that are available, from flatbed to film, and the best settings to use for originals. The course then delves into Photoshop Elements tools and techniques to help restore clarity to faded photos and fix problems such as dust, scratches, and tears.

Some stuff you need to know:

• Only one entry per person please
• Closing date is Sunday 19th December
• All entries will be numbered and the winner will be selected by a random number generator
• We only need your email to let you know if you’ve won.
• Only entries received through the above form are valid
• The Photoshop Nuts and their families are not permitted to enter

Many thanks to Janine Smith, Lynda.com and Adobe for putting together this great competition!

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The Winner:

An awesome photograph, which really does go to show there’s a great image to be found in everyday objects.

Congratulations Andy, your prize will be spinning its way to you!

Thanks to Gavin Hoey for supporting this great competition.

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What you have to do

Gavin’s video is all about finding a great photo wherever he is, so that’s your challenge here. We’re not looking for the glamorous or exotic but a great photo of an everyday object. Of course it wouldn’t hurt your chances if you added a little Photoshop flair to it, even better if you use a Gavin Hoey technique.

Where You Can Find Gavin Hoey Tutorials

On TipSquirrel.com
In Digital Photo magazine
On YouTube
On Gavin’s blog

Some rules;

Entries should be posted to the Flickr Gavin Hoey DVD Competition group
Sorry, if you’re a Nut, or related to one, you’re out.
Wherever you live, that’s ok, so long as we can post the prize to you.
Got more than one idea? That’s ok, keep ‘em coming.
All the photos have to be your own work.

Be quick, we’re not hanging around, the closing date is Friday 26th November 2010

What You Can Win

15 Minute Photo Challenges
- Best of Vol.1

The idea is simple. Take one camera to one location and spend no more then 15 minutes taking photos. The results can be unusual and surprising images.

Of course the photography is only half the story as Photoshop also plays its part in the process. So for the first time ever Gavin Hoey (professional photographer and winner of the Adobe Photoshop Evangelist 2010) reveals some of the Photoshop tricks and techniques used to make the final images.

Software used in videos: Photoshop CS4 (Compatable with CS3, CS4, CS5)
Number of videos:22
Approximate run time: 122 minutes

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“Adobe Photoshop Lightroom delivers a complete workflow solution for the digital photographer – from importing, reviewing, organizing, and enhancing digital images to publishing photos, producing client presentations, creating web galleries, and outputting digital prints.  The user interface is highly intuitive and easy to learn, yet Lightroom has all the power and versatility you would expect from an Adobe application, utilising state of the art technologies to manage large volumes of digital photographs and to perform sophisticated image processing tasks.  Whether you’re a home user, a professional photographer, a hobbyist, or a business user, Lightroom enables you to stay in control of your growing digital photo library and to easily produce good looking pictures and polished presentations for both web and print.”

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Classroom in a Book

Photographer and Photoshop Nut Richard Hales reviewed Lightroom 3 for TipSquirrel.com. See the review here

What’s Happening Here?

Welcome to this special series for Lightroom 3.  If you don’t have a copy, don’t worry, you can still take part by downloading and installing a fully featured demo edition available here.

Over the next two weeks we’ll be publishing a Lightroom 3 tip or tutorial each day from Photoshop Nuts Mike Hoffman, Dan Moughamian, AJ Wood, Richard Hales, and Gavin Hoey.

We’ll also be providing reviews of the latest Lightroom 3 books courtesy of our friends at Peachpit Press. These reviews will appear on our new sister site CreativeOaks.com.

Win a Copy of Lightroom 3!

In addition to this we’ll be giving you the chance to win your very own copy of Lightroom 3 courtesy of Adobe.

All you have to do is go and grab the demonstration version, as detailed above, and with it produce a before and after image. Upload both images as a single image to our competition Flickr group. All entrants will be judged by members of the TipSquirrel team and someone from the Adobe Lightroom team.

First prize is a copy of Lightroom 3 while a runner-up will receive a Lightroom book and a copy of Dan Moughamian’s Adobe Digital Imaging How-Tos.

The competition is open now with a closing date of Friday 24 September 2010. Winners will be notified personally with an announcement being made on 29 September on TipSquirrel.com.

All the details can be found on the competition page here, or by clicking on the tab above

But Thats Not All!

All this week you can get a massive 35% off Lightroom 3 books from our friends at Peachpit with the code “LR3week”

We’d Love to Hear From You!

We’d love you to interact with us over the next fortnight either through the comments at the bottom of each post, via Twitter, Facebook or e-mail.

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