Oh Photoshop, how do I loathe thee? Let me count the ways. Then again, I can neither count that high nor are there numbers high enough to list the things that irritate me about that program. Why did I spend copious amounts of money on it? Well, because it’s probably a useful tool I need to learn at some point to do…stuff. In hindsight, I should not have bothered to get it but that’s neither here nor there. I have it, so I might as well learn it.

To say I am frustrated puts things quite mildly. I’m far beyond pulling my hair out, in fact I’m starting to realize I have little hair left for the pulling. I’ve never had something frustrate me more than this horrendous piece of software.

To put it simple, my main cause of frustration is this: I try to do something that’s supposed to be simple, and it just isn’t! I seem to be missing the 300 steps involved to do just about anything, and thus I’m frustrated because i just don’t know where to start.

Perhaps I’ve gotten used to a workflow from using programs known for their simplicity, or Photoshop has a simplicity that I have yet to see. I don’t have the finances to support a course in Photoshop, and my friends who know it have better things to do than teach me, and I don’t have the patience or diligence to sit through hours of amateur YouTube videos made by those without the skill to properly teach the program.

One friend is willing to teach me some things, but he has asked that I come up with “a list” - problem is I don’t even know the basics of the program, so I wouldn’t know where to start said list. I barely even know what a mask is, let alone what to do with it and how it works. Another friend at work was doing something for a congratulatory email and she showed me some stuff…at a speed that would make lightning look slow. I was lost as soon as she said “you click this, then go over here, and then use this tool, and there it’s that easy.”

So, enough complaining - I have this (egregiously) expensive program, which I’d paid for, that I know nothing about and am imploring you (those reading this) for some guidance… do you have any recommendations of good YouTube videos you’ve seen that are done by people who explain things well? Do you know of any good online courses that are relatively inexpensive and/or free that would be useful? Or, best yet, would you mind giving me an hour or two of your time for a basics lesson? You’d get free dinner out of it, and immeasurable gratitude from me.

I just need to know how to get started; things I’d use photoshop for instead of Aperture, why I would do this, etc. What’s a mask, how does it work, why is it important? I (kind of) understand what layers are, but I’d like a better understanding of that and how they work, especially respective to Photoshop’s workflow. - But this isn’t all, these are just a few things that I should know.  I’m generally pretty good at figuring stuff out once I can get the ball rolling, but I feel like this program is an immovable ball. But, others seem to be able to push it off and let it roll with ease.

So…that’s all I’ve got. Can anyone help, in any capacity?