Words and pictures (still and moving) by Brian Maffitt The Perseid Meteor Shower is upon us, and last night I sat out for a few hours to take photos of the event. Shooting meteors requires time, patience, a few critical tools and a little bit of luck. Forget holding the camera by hand... you'll never [...]
Adobe has dramatically changed how Previews work in Adobe After Effects CC 2015. In the sample video tutorial below, Total Training's Brian Maffitt gives an overview of the new Preview behavior, and shows you where to adjust things to suit your liking. Bonus: The Cthulhu maquette that Brian animated for this demo was created by [...]
Adobe has just announced a nice new update to the Creative Cloud. These “CC 2015” versions of apps bring some great new features to subscribers (as usual). However, someone at Adobe also made a decision that I--and a whole bunch of other graphics professionals--disagree with, and you should be aware of it before you install [...]
2014 marks the 10th anniversary of our yearly family tradition of custom Christmas cards, created in Adobe Photoshop. As we wrap up our newest effort this week, I wanted to share some highlights of years past.
Words and pixels by Brian Maffitt Social-media followers know that every year I create a creepy Halloween self-portrait, combining original photography and heavy Photoshop work. Last year's example was so popular worldwide that when I was planning this year's efforts, I decided to make a demo to accompany the image. I didn't even try to provide a [...]
Words and photos by Brian Maffitt I have a well-cultivated reputation as a Prince among Nerds, yet in my half-century on this planet I had never attended a Comic Con, the annual pilgrimage to Nerd-vana. My only excuse has been that by the time I noticed it was coming up, it was always sold out, so when this year [...]
At Total Training we understand what it means to be a guru. We're staffed by gurus, we work with gurus, we can't swing a cat around here without hitting a guru. If you want to join the ranks of gurudom, becoming an official Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) is a credible way to stand out in [...]
In 2010 a Brooklyn company called Bitbanger launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for a new light-painting gizmo called the "Pixelstick". Well, it's shipping now, and it's revolutionary. Check out this video: https://vimeo.com/107313503 Check back for more tutorials and product demos! Meanwhile, order your own Pixelstick here. Brian
By Brian Maffitt Before the luster wears off, I wanted to share some random, totally-uninformed thoughts on this week's Apple Watch announcement. In case you missed it, here is Jony Ive’s introduction to Apple’s intriguing new baby. It’s about two minutes long, so if you want to watch it before reading further, I’ll wait. Concept [...]
Elaine Stritch, a Grande Dame of the American stage, passed away today at the age of 89. Some of you may or may not know that I was a Broadway actor before I became a trainer, and to honor her passing, here is my Elaine Stritch story: Fresh out of theater school in New York, I was [...]
I went to Total Training Online logged in and I was hooked. First day, I spent about three hours online. I am impressed with all the Photoshop moves I’ve learned already. - Jim Auty
All I can say is Wow, Fantastic, Brilliant. Absolutely just what I have been waiting for, for nearly 12 years. - Alan Phillips
I frequently promote Total Training for Photoshop in my classes because I have been so impressed by the product. It’s perfect for educators, who are always looking for ways to save time and improve finished projects. - Brit Pursley
Probably the best investment I’ve made outside of my photographic equipment.
Gary LakeValuable tools like the Total Training videos, offer an added layer of support, which help photo and video enthusiasts grow with the products and produce work they are proud to share with family and friends. We are pleased to be aligned with such a recognized training resource.
Stephen Inoue, Adobe