Colin Smith is a best-selling author, trainer, and award-winning digital artist who has caused a stir in the community with his stunning Photoshop work. He is founder of one the world’s most popular Photoshop resource sites, PhotoshopCAFE.com, which boasts over 30 million visitors.
With over 18 years of experience in the creative industry, Colin was formerly Senior Editor and Creative Director for VOICE magazine. He is a regular columnist for Photoshop User magazine. He has been featured in most major imaging magazines including, Computer Arts, Macworld, After Capture, PSD Photoshop, Advanced Photoshop, Photoshop Creative, Digital Photographer, Web Designer magazine and a host of others.
Colin’s digital imaging work has been recognized with numerous awards, including, MacWorld Digital Design and 3 Guru awards at Photoshop World 2001 and 2002. He’s authored or co-authored more than eighteen books on Photoshop, including the best-selling How to Do Everything with Photoshop (McGraw-Hill/Osborne) and award-winning Photoshop Most Wanted, as well as being pominentely featured in the Hall Of Fame book, New Masters Of Photoshop and New Masters of Photoshop 2 (The only artist featured in both editions). Colin is also creator of the Photoshop Secrets Video training series (PhotoshopCD.com). He is in high demand across the United States as a lecturer, presenting his Photoshop techniques to Photographers and graphics professionals across the nation. He has been a speaker at such conferednces as WPPI, Flash Forward, NVision, Photoshop World, PIDE, PIDE, DL Expo, Creative Suite Conference, Cre8, Create Chaos, Deviant Art Summit and many more. In 2012 Colin was the featured speaker for a Multi-City Tour (Route CS6) Sponsored by Adobe. Colin has consulted such companies as Adobe Systems, Edison International, Apple and Disney Studios.
AWARDS
- Nominated for Photoshop Hall Of Fame 2X
- 1st Place – Illustration: Guru Award- Photoshop World Convention 2002 in San Diego
- Finalist – Web Design: Guru Award – Photoshop World Convention 2002 in San Diego
- 1st Place – Illustration: Guru Award – Photoshop World Convention 2001 in LA
- Finalist: Macworld Design contest 2002 NY
- 1st Place Adobe Design Contest
- Winner: Dynamic Graphics, Bright Ideas design challenge.
- Citation: Graphex 33 Tulsa OK
MAGAZINES featured in
- Computer Arts Magazine
- Photoshop User
- MacWorld Magazine
- After Capture
- Digital Photographer
- Computer Arts Projects
- Focus Guides
- Advanced Photoshop
- Photoshop Creative
- PSD
- MacDesign Magazine
- Layers Magazine
- Practical Web Projects
- Web Designer Magazine
- Digital Imaging
- SBS Digital
- Internet Life
- Studio Multimedia
Colin,
I just watched your Adobe TV tutorial on Adobe Story, and it was the first video on Story that really seemed comprehensive to me, and not just a big ad. Thanks!
I do have a question though- I am developing 13 music videos, with segues between them, for a rock opera that requires a lot of advanced planning because all 13 videos are tied together thematically, so I have a lot of green screen shoots to do, and a lot of the visual narrative needs to be composed before I pick up the camera. There is no dialogue, only lyrics to songs with narration between songs.
So, naturally, I am attempting to do this with a 2 column or multicolumn layout, as there is extensive visual information that needs to be associated with the song lyrics.
Apparently the feature sets, like the entire scene properties panel, for instance, along with the vast majority of useful features of Story, do not seem to exist for the 2 column script option. Is this some kind of cruel joke, or am I missing something? I’m hoping you can enlighten me on this- surely, I just left a preference unchecked somewhere, right?
Thanks,
Ernest
Colin,
Your work is amazing, thank you for taking the time to help so many people out. I wonder if you’d have just a few moments to answer some questions via email for a book I’m writing? Please email me if you wouldn’t mind, otherwise feel free to delete this as spam!
Thanks,
Clint
Thanks Clint. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Hi Colin:
I subscribe to Photoshop Cafe and wanted to tell you, as an avid reader of Adobe software texts, how much I have enjoyed your Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration that I bought from you at Photoshop World in Vegas. I’m an Adobe software freak and devote all the time I can to working with those programs, watching videos about them, and reading about them.
As a voracious consumer of software information, I use texts that not only contain the best information but also present it professionally. Because I’m not only a reader, I’m also an editor. I know what throws readers off the page and what keeps them focused. I know what builds readers’ trust in the author and what erodes it.
If you need exquisite editing delivered to your electronic doorstep with a quick turnaround, I’d love to talk with you about your next project. I offer a free edit of a sample chapter so you can check out my style. If you know other people in the industry who you feel might benefit from my services, feel free to pass my contact info along.
I just recently finished editing three of the On Demand books from Perspection Press, written by Steve Johnson: Photoshop CS4 On Demand (2009), InDesign CS4 On Demand (2009), and Illustrator CS4 On Demand (2009). I did a complete range of editing, including typographic checking, grammar checking/rewriting, technical editing (including testing of tutorials with programs), screen shots of programs, and writing of specific sample projects. I also contributed many photographs as sample images to accompany the text.
A little background: I received a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington. I started writing in 1975, publishing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. I worked for a time as a news correspondent and as a professional proofreader. I taught English composition at the University of Washington, edited English and Psychology textbooks, tutored students in English, and edited dissertations. I also published (and edited) poetry and fiction books through my own company (Uccelli Press).
I’m an Adobe certified ACE expert in Photoshop CS2 and CS3. I will be taking the CS4 recertification next month. I’m a NAPP member and tech nerd, spending as much quality time as I can with my 3 Macs and 3 PCs. I also indulge my concurrent love of photography. I completed a certificate course in photography at the University of Washington. I’ve exhibited in 8 group exhibitions, have a solo show up right now and just got accepted into another venue. Many of my photographs were featured as sample images in the text, Adobe Photoshop CS4 On Demand by Steve Johnson, published by Perspection Press (2009). I am also a member of Professional Photographers of America and sell stock photos through iStock and Fotolia.
Thanks for the opportunity to let you know what I can do and good luck with your future books.
Toni Bennett
Seattle, WA
editor@tonibennett.com
Love to see your work Natalia, I sent you an email
if you want i can send you what i did, is not big deal, but is my my first work in Flash, and you was my teacher !!! :)
Colin, thank you!
your lessons in M Flash8 helped me a lot ;) thank you
to convert freehand into photoshop, its real easy. just select, and drag to photoshop!
Dear Colin,
I am a part of a team of directors who run and operate a PPA affiliate photography school in Canada. I am enquiring about your speaking schedule and if you would be interested in coming to Vancouver Canada to teach our photoshop class.
Please contact me at your earliest convienence.
Rockie Lee
(Image Explorations Directors Team)
Hi Colin,
I am totally loving the new look of your site, it is looking fantastic! I need to catch up with the Adobe TV thing, now that you’re on it .. it will be fun to watch it. :)
I totally enjoy your style of tutorials, always short & sweet but informative & never any dull moments. I have seen plenty of tutorials that bore me to death, I am not going to name ‘em here! LOL
I am wondering if you will be updating the Photoshop & Dreamweaver intrigration dvd in future? I have the first one and I really enjoy watching & have learned few tricks from it. Now with CS3 … love to see a brand new DVD tutorial from you. I am sure that I am not the first one to demand okie I will say beg for it! hehe
I sincerely wish you the best for all the amazing works of yours. :)
Cheers,
Bobby
Hello,
My name is Shannon Fitzgerald, with PopPhoto.com. We just introduced a new photography contest that I thought you, and/or your readers, might be interested in. It’s called the Photo Makeover contest, where entrants are asked to improve their worst photograph and submit both their before and after shots. The contest runs until July 14th, and the winner will receive a new camera. For the complete summary and guidelines of the contest please click on the link below.
http://flash.popphoto.com/blog/2008/06/do-your-photos.html
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me at SFitzgerald@hfmus.com
Thank You.
I’m not really a freehand user, but I’m pretty sure you can export as an illustrator file
As for Photoshop, just export as a tiff at the resolution you need and bring it into Photoshop
My name is Donaldo and i’m from Panama and i have a question: Could you tell me how to transfer/convert Freehand MX files to Photoshop/Illustrator?
Thanks