In the Narrative Portraiture series, photographer and teacher Chris Orwig explores the use of elements such as location and natural light to create images that tell stories about their subjects and produce a strong emotional connection. In this installment, Chris visits Rodney Smith, a photographer whose work is known for its graceful serenity and its wit. Rodney’s career spans more than four decades and includes editorial, fashion, and advertising work, as well as several books.

In Foundations of Photography: Black and White, Ben Long shows photographers how to develop a black and white vocabulary and explains the considerations to take into account when shooting for this medium. The course follows Ben as he goes on location and explains what makes good black and white subject matter and how to visualize the scene in terms of tonal values and contrast rather than color. Along the way, he demonstrates some exposure strategies for getting the best images. Back at the computer, Ben demonstrates techniques for converting the resulting photos into black and white using Photoshop and other imaging tools, and offers tips on printing and output. Exercise files are included with this course.

This course spotlights the R13 update for MAXON CINEMA 4D, which includes some key improvements in the rendering, shader, and character tools. Author Rob Garrott shows animators how to find their way around the interface, and demonstrates features such as the Physical Render engine, with its camera and depth of field and motion blur controls; the CMotion system for creating parametric movement; and the new and revised shaders. The course also covers the streamlined workflow for Adobe After Effects Exchange and the new file format options OpenEXR and Xref. Exercise files are included with the course.

This course spotlights the R13 update for MAXON CINEMA 4D, which includes some key improvements in the rendering, shader, and character tools Author Rob Garrott shows animators how to find their way around the interface, and demonstrates features such as the Physical Render engine with its camera and depth of field and motion blur controls; the CMotion system for creating parametric movement; and the new and revised shaders The course also covers the streamlined workflow for Adobe After Effects Exchange and the new file format options OpenEXR and Xref. Exercise files are included with the course

Learn how to work with the most important APIs in Drupal 6. This collection also covers import PHP concepts like working with arrays and functions, and explores how to use an IDE to speed up your development process. We also discuss:
# How to be aware of and fix security issues in your code
# How to create automated tests with SimpleTest and Selenium ID
# How to work with Ajax

In the third installment of the Photoshop CS5 Extended One-on-One series, author Deke McClelland shows how to build, light, and render realistic 3D scenes in Photoshop CS5 Extended. Providing a systematic approach to scene building, the course explains how to produce reflections and refractions, balance the interplay of light and shadow, and frame scenes with 3D cameras. Exercise files accompany the course.