Online Training Simplified, Organized and Easy Online Videos to Watch!

Written by Siotha on February 29, 2008 – 11:39 am -

Have you noticed how unorganized training sites feel when they have hundreds and thousands of videos. It could take 3 or 4 minutes to get through them. So, Jeremy, my team, and I have been feverishly working on making xTrain better… Just take a look at this quick intro to the site…. (Note: Please login to xTrain before trying the following! It’s free and won’t cost you anything just to sign in and easy to watch the free classes). We’ve worked really hard to make our site logical for the different types of artists – photographer courses are in photography – designer courses are listed in graphic design – internet marketing courses are only in internet marketing sections. How cool is that – we’ve designed the site – so that you choose your training by passion – then by subject – then by topic!

Creative Training FREE, Free Photoshop Classes

Written by Siotha on February 25, 2008 – 8:08 pm -

Tags: Creative Training FREE, Free Photoshop Classes
Posted in 3-D Animation, 3-D set, 3-D studio, Adobe, Adobe CS3, Adobe CS3 InDesign Training, Digital Arts, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Geek, Digital Photography Training, computer art production, creative training | No Comments »

Make Quick Christmas Cards!

Written by Siotha on December 20, 2007 – 12:30 am -

Wow. Today I was in a pinch to make a Christmas card for my family. I thought well I can sit and play in Illustrator all day or photoshop something with my daughter and call it even.

Then I realized, why do that when istockphoto.com has already created the card for me! All I had to do was pick (wich by the way was not easy there are sooo many awesome backgrounds) a background and bam… a few tweaks in InDesign, I was done. It took me 20 minutes to finish the typography, copy writing and then the printing… of 1 card.

Now, all I need is my digital printing company to hurry up! I want to send my cards tomorrow… It’s less than a week till Christmas!

Tags: easy christmas card, illustrator christmas cards, indesgn christmas card, make quick christmas cards, photoshop christmas cards, quick christmas cards, stock christmas cards
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Adobe CS3 InDesign Training, creative training, xPert Training, xtrain | No Comments »

Adobe CS3 InDesign Training Classes & Tutorials with ACEs

Written by Siotha on December 10, 2007 – 1:12 pm -

Wow! The demand has been huge for InDesign Classes! I’m so excited to give you a sneak peak of our InDesign Classes!

Virginia Brodie introduces InDesign CS3: Simplified and Fun in a well crafted thorough course that will get you up to speed building pages in InDesign Today!

Shellie Hall has created several Advanced Classes for InDesign users… Very inDepth and project oriented!

Myself: I’m so excited to be filming a FREE Indesign Class just for old Skool Quark Designers!!!!

Whew! Now…. We just have to get them online! Check out our Adobe CS3 Track for all of our Adobe Specific Software Training Classes! And Our Graphic Design Trac for Project based training! I’m So excited…

Did I mention I’m an InDesign ACI? an InDesign ACE… an InDesign FaNatic?! These have to be my favorite classes of ALL time on xTrain…. please remember this is a biased opinion!!! As I’m All about some InDesign…. Building Magazine Ads, Newspaper Ads, Marketing Materials, Billboards, Product Labels, Catalogs, Software Packages, Packaging Design, Newsletters, CD Covers, T-shirts, Flyers, Postcards, Letterheads, Envelopes, Business cards, OH MY!!!

These are my passion… and soon you’ll see the exciting announcements about our latest classes and you’ll see just how cool being a designer is!

Tags: Adobe CS3 InDesign Training, business cards, catalog design, Classes, direct mail design, envelops, indesign for dummies, indesign for quark users, InDesign tutorials, labels, learn Adobe CS3, learn design, learn indesign, letterheads, magazine ad design, newsletters, newspaper ad design, shellie hall, siotha vest, tutorials, virginia brodie
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Adobe CS3 InDesign Training, Classes, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Training, InDesign, InDesign ACE, InDesign ACI, InDesign tutorials, Online Advertising Expert, Online Advertising Training, business cards, catalog design, creative training, direct mail design, envelops, indesign for dummies, indesign for quark users, labels, learn Adobe CS3, learn design, learn indesign, letterheads, magazine ad design, newsletters, newspaper ad design, shellie hall, siotha vest, tutorials, virginia brodie, xPert Training, xTrain News | 2 Comments »

Free Training & Tutorials: Graphic Design, Online Marketing, Photography, Concept Art, Adobe CS3 & more!

Written by Siotha on November 26, 2007 – 10:16 pm -

It’s time for some more free classes isn’t it? Well… Start with these… then… get ready for a new round of free classes for the holidays!

What is Graphic Design?

Have you ever considered a career in Graphic Design? Let the experience of award-winning agency owner and design author Bryan Peterson explain what Graphic Design is.

Course: Design Process Trac: Graphic Design

Attend Preview Instructor: Bryan Peterson

Drawing Fundamentals

In this informative and fun class, tools needed for drawing are introduced. xTrain expert, Ron Lemen, demonstrates everything you need to know, from how to sharpen pencils and use a sanding pad to the differ… More

Course: Drawing Fundamentals Trac: Digital Arts

Attend Preview Instructor: Ron Lemen
Other classes include: Photoshop Drawing, RPG Concept Drawing

Brushes

This class compares and contrasts the look of real media on paper to its digital counterparts in the program. Reviewed are soft media (pastels, oil pastels, charcoal – vine and compressed), and wet media… More

Course: Painter X Trac: Digital Arts

Attend Preview Instructor: Ron Lemen Learners: 1083

What is SEO

Did you know that Search Engine Optimization could increase your site traffic by 200%? Watch world renowned expert,Tony Wright, explain what SEO is!

Course: Search Engine Optimization Trac: Online Marketing

Attend Preview Instructor: Tony Wright

Exposure Modes

The exposure modes on your camera could be the difference between a good picture and a GREAT picture. Photography expert,Rick Sammon, shares his techniques in this interesting and informative class. Explore … More

Course: Digital Photography Hot Shots Trac: Digital Photography

Attend Preview Instructor: Rick Sammon

The Silhouette

Silhouettes can be as dramatic as the people in them. Attend Rick’s free class on how to make great silhouettes.

Course: Digital Photography Hot Shots Trac: Digital Photography

Attend Preview Instructor: Rick Sammon

3-D Whales Experiment

Join Dr. Brown in his Adobe Photoshop Laboratory and supercharge your 3-D skills! Discover how to import 3 dimensional vector art then adjust size, tinker with lighting effects, and manipulate tiny, unsuspec… More

Course: Photoshop Laboratory Trac: Adobe CS3

Attend Preview Instructor: Russell Brown

Animation Experiment

Discover how to quickly edit movie frames in Photoshop CS3 Extended Edition and control timelines with a wave of your hand. To complete your animated masterpiece, investigate* motion blur techniques and even… More

Course: Photoshop Laboratory Trac: Adobe CS3
Attend Preview Instructor: Russell Brown

Black and White Experiments

Don’t touch that vial! To transform your images into black and white, belly up to the workbench in Dr. Brown’s Adobe Photoshop Laboratory! Explore more than a dozen ways to convert images into handsome* blac… More

Course: Photoshop Laboratory Trac: Adobe CS3

Attend Preview Instructor: Russell Brown Learners: 1065

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Portrait Retouching Experiments

Learn the Good, the Bad and yes, even the Ugly of photo retouching in Photoshop CS3. This Photoshop Laboratory will show you the professional techniques to make your facial retouching amazing and realistic… More

Tags: ben willmore, bryan peterson, Classes, concept art, free training, free training & tutorials, Graphic Design, lessons, online learning, Online Marketing, Online Training, photography, Rick Sammon, Rob Sheppard, Ron Lemen, rpg art, Russell Brown, tony wright, tutorials
Posted in 3-D studio, Adobe, Adobe CS3, Animation, Art, Black and White, Classes, Computer, DSLR, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Geek, Digital Photography Training, Easy Digital Photography, Easy Photos, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Training, Illustration, LightRoom Training, Media Marketing, Online Advertising Expert, Online Advertising Training, Online Marketing, Online Marketing Expert, Online Sales Training, Online Training, Orc illustration, Painter X Illustration, Photoshop CS3 extended, Photoshop Laboratory, Photoshop Model Retouching, Professional Learning Community, RPG concept, Rick Sammon, Rob Sheppard, Ron Lemen, Russell Brown, SEO marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Skateboard Deck Design Photoshop, Social Media, Tutuorials, ben willmore, creative training, exercises, experts, free online classes, free photoshop, free training, graphic artists, online PR, painter x, photoshop, photoshop CS3, portrait retouching, skateboard, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain, xtrain geek | No Comments »

Online Training: Digital Photography, Photoshop CS3, Adobe LightRoom

Written by Siotha on November 19, 2007 – 6:07 pm -

Do you have a passion for Photography? How about Photoshop?

xTrain.com is now offering world class training for Digital Photography, Photoshop, Digital SLRs, and all the other tools that a photographer needs to know in order to enhance their craft!

Courses in this trac include:

Digital Photography Hot Shots by Rick Sammon

A comprehensive A-Z digital photography and work flow course about how to select your equipment, accessories how to plan and prep for a shoot. Along the way featured techniques and tips about how to shoot animals, people and nature are all included in this highly inspirational course. There are 6 classes in this course:

Streamlining Your Photograph Handling and Processing using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom by Rob Sheppard

Do you organize your digital photos as well as you did your traditional films? Well, in this class Rob will show you how to easily and cost effectively streamline your organization. Metafiles, Collections, Non-Destructive multi-image editing are all covered in this indepth course on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Classes in this course include:

Photoshop CS3: Simplified and Easy by Ben Willmore

Have you mastered Photoshop CS3 yet? Why not? This course is for new and experienced Photoshop CS3 users. Ben’s indepth knowledge and comprehensive explanations of the features new to Photoshop will enhance your Photoshop game!

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mastery by Ben Willmore

High Dynamic Range Similates what the eye really sees. In this course, Ben will show you how to shoot, process and artistically enhance photo – sur- realistic images. Each of these four classes will enhance your artistic photography skills..

Photoshop for Photographers: Outdoor & Nature Photography by Rob Sheppard

If you only take nature photographs, then you really need to participate in this course. Photoshop can be very intimidating and has many features a nature photographer might not otherwise use. But Rob will guide you through the steps that every digital photographer who specializes in Outdoor or Nature photography need to know in Adobe’s Photoshop software. (Presented on the PC version of Photoshop!)

Classes include:

Digital Photography & Photoshop for Baby Boomers by Rob Sheppard

Are you new to all things techy? Are you trying to remember what those buttons and gagdets are that your family has said – sure I’ll help you learn to use them… but then it didn’t quite make since what they were talking about? This course is geared for those non-techy who want to improve their digital photography experience including using Adobe’s Photoshop Cs3.

Classes in this course include:

Photoshop Laboratory Free Classes by Russell Brown

Secrets of the newest version of Photoshop are revealed by scientist, Photoshop enthusiast, Guru, Senior Creative Director of Adobe – I mean – Russell Brown! Each of these courses specialize in new features of Adobe Photoshop CS3, or Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended. Topics such as: 3-D, Black and White, Animation, and Portrait Retouching are all entertaining and valuable lessons offered for free!

Tags: Adobe Lightroom Training, Baby Boomer DSLR Training, BAby Boomer Training, CAnon Cameras, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Training, DSLR training, grandparents photography training, HDR Training, Nature Photography Training, old people training, Olympus Cameras, Online DSLR training, Online Training, Outdoor Photography Training, People Photography Training, Photoshop CS3 Training, Photoshop for retired training, Retired Photographer training
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Animation, Art, Black and White, Classes, DSLR, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Geek, Digital Photography Training, Easy Digital Photography, Easy Photos, Graphic Design Training, LightRoom Training, Online Training, Painter X Illustration, Photoshop CS3 extended, Photoshop Laboratory, Photoshop Model Retouching, Portfolios, Professional Learning Community, Rick Sammon, Rob Sheppard, Russell Brown, Tutuorials, ben willmore, creative training, exercises, experts, free online classes, free photoshop, free training, painter x, photoshop, photoshop CS3, portrait retouching, retouching, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | 4 Comments »

Online Training: Online Marketing- Media, SEO, Social Media, Podcasting

Written by Siotha on November 15, 2007 – 8:27 am -

Do you want to learn more about:

Online Marketing?
Pay Per Click Advertising?
Social Media Advertising & Marketing?
Podcasting?
Search Engine Optimization (Not just website metatags)?
Online PR?

Then I have the solution for you! Online courses designed specifically for you to learn any of the above topics. Our courses, all facilitated by industry experts, social media guru’s, online marketing engineers are the best “secrets” of the industry! And -I have to say, that I’m proud to boast that as Director of Training @ www.xTrain.com, you’re reading my blog which I learned everything I know about blogs from Giovanni Gallucci and Justine Ezerak – our gurus!

What xTrain’s Online Marketing courses about?

SEO aka Search Engine Optimization

course by Tony Wright

For web designers, Search Engine Optimization is a required tool of the trade. Problem is, most of the time, a designer is thinking only about meta tags in the code. This course is designed to educate marketing professionals and designers on the importance of creating web sites that major search engines will crawl. Google, Ask.com, yahoo.com all have very specific needs and rules regarding how pages can be indexed – Tony covers all the insider tips. To prove it, watch a free class on SEO.

Social Media course

by social media consultant Giovanni Gallucci

Do you know what social media is? Have you harnessed the power of using the internet as a new marketing and advertising tool – viral advertising? Do you twitter? This course is designed to uncover the mystry of the buzzing online life now known to be Social Media. As a marketing expert, you will learn what are the top websites for Social Media, viral marketing, texting, blogging, video marketing, online community marketing, etc.

Secrets of Podcasting course

by social media consultant Giovanni Gallucci

Have you developed your audience yet? Why not? Get on the fast track to Podcasting expertise with this very thorough course on audio & video podcasting. Wanna learn how to develop easy processes for podcast production? This is the course for you.

Tags: blogging advertising training, blogging training, Giovanni Gallucci, google training, justine ezerak, Metatag training, Online Advertising Training, Online Marketing, Online Marketing Training, Online PR training, Online Training, Online Web Design Training, pay per click advertising training, Podcast Training, Podcasting Training, self publishing advertising training, SEO Training, social media advertising, social media training, twitter advertising training, Video Podcast, vlogging training, Web Design Training, website optimization training, yahoo training
Posted in Graphic Design Training, Media Marketing, Online Advertising Expert, Online Advertising Training, Online Marketing, Online Marketing Expert, Online Sales Training, Online Training, Pay Per Click, Podcasts, SEO marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Video Podcasts, Web Design, blogging, blogging training, copy editing, creative training, creative writing professionals, experts, google, iJustine, lifecasting, online PR, self publishing articls, vlogging, vlogging training, xPert Training, xTrain News, yahoo, youtube | 2 Comments »

Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory: Reviews are in! Online Training is enjoyable

Written by Siotha on November 6, 2007 – 8:25 pm -

Ok Guys! What do you think? Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory, a Free Online Photoshop Class with xTrain class has really started to stir up some great feedback! What do you think? Take a peek at the shows, then rate and review the classes!

Ratings & Comments on xTrain.com are easy!

Rate any of our classes on a 5 star rating scale. So far, our classes all have very good ratings! We’re proud that our community has spoken and said, bring on more Photoshop Training! Bring on More InDesign Training! Bring on More Online Marketing training!

Comments can be left for any of our Faculty, Learners and Guru Reviewers. This is a great way to give feedback and let us know how you think we are doing! This is not the place for technical support issues, if you have questions or problems that relate to our site our customer service department is here to answer your questions.

Photoshop Training Classes Reviews:

I thought I would share some of the cool comments our professional learning community has said about the Laboratory…

3-D Animation Experiment:

*Note: No sea creatures were harmed in the making of this production.
We tried – they’re just too fast… and slippery.

Posted by petercui on Nov 05, 2007
A very entertaining show…

Posted by Rancher5 on Oct 16, 2007
Show worked great and the lesson as Dr Brown norm was very thorough and easy to follow…

Posted by x_ray4 on Oct 16, 2007
VERY entertaining show. All the fun stuff may seem
unecessary 4 some people but it just makes it THAT
much more enjoyable, despite the length. Crazyness
rules . I’ll definately continue watchin’ this .

Posted by Pixelcrazee on Sep 25, 2007
Nutty as a fruitcake…..love it!

Posted by douglasco on Sep 23, 2007
Dr Brown is crazy but brilliant

Animation Experiments:

*Caution: Please obtain the proper license for your municipality before investigating the Photoshop unknown.

Posted by jessicaj77 on Sep 27, 2007
Great lesson! When is the next show? Dr Brown u r far from being cool!

Posted by nkhat on Sep 27, 2007
dr brown you are wooow
thank you so much
we waiting next show

Posted by nicos on Sep 26, 2007
Thanks a lot! i was experimenting video capabilities of CS3, but your inside knowledge is so helpful! waiting for the final bridge between After Effects and Photoshop ! bring the best of the two worlds together without the hassle! thanks again

Posted by marizmendi on Sep 13, 2007
Hey, great..! I love Dr brown’s style, please don’t stop doing this.

Tags: Adobe CS3 Extended Training, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Training, CS3 Training, CS3 Training Laboratory, CS3 Training Photoshop, Dr. Brown's Photoshop Laboratory, Online CS3 Training, Online Training, Online Training Review, photoshop CS3, photoshop training, Photoshop Workshop, Video CS3 Training
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Animation, Art, Classes, Digital Photography Training, Easy Digital Photography, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Training, Photoshop CS3 extended, Photoshop Laboratory, Professional Learning Community, Tutuorials, Video Podcasts, creative training, creative writing professionals, experts, photoshop, photoshop CS3, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | 1 Comment »

GeekBrief.TV #251 Podcast, powered by xTrain Today!

Written by Siotha on November 1, 2007 – 3:22 pm -

Wow! What a great day! Hostess Cali Lewis of GeekBrief.TV joined us in the studio on our live set @ xTrain. It’s a state of the Art Virtual set and to take it to the next level we used the power of Skype video to create 2 cool podcasts! This is a behind the virtual scenes of our state-of-the-art $5.5 Million Dollar Virtual studio and how to use every day accessible software (Skype is FREE!) to create COOL podcasts and stunning video! I like this GeekBrief soo much, I think it’s one of my favorite “behind the scenes with xTrain” it might have to go on my permanent blogroll…

Here’s a couple of awesome pics (courtesy of Giovanni Gallucci):

This picture is of one of our Control Room Monitors. When Cali is on set, she’s on a blue screen.

And for a pic of our Technical Directors….

Have you checked out xTrain.com today?

We specialize in awesome digital photography, graphic design, and digital arts training. But if you really want to see the behind the scenes of what makes studio magic happen you gotta check out Cali’s GeekBrief #251!

Tags: cali lewis, geek TV, geekbrief.tv, Giovanni Gallucci, Lab with Leo, Leo Laport, online celebrity, online geek TV, online superstar, Online Training, podcast, podcaster, podcasting, powered by xTrain, Skype Remote Access, Skype story, skype technology, Skype Video, Skype Video Cast, Studio, Technology podcasting, xTrain.com
Posted in 3-D studio, Blogroll, Camera Ham, Online Training, State of the Art Control Room, cali lewis, creative training, experts, geekbrief.tv, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | 1 Comment »

Online Training: Online Learning Community Active!

Written by Siotha on October 19, 2007 – 2:46 am -

Hi Guys,

So recently we’ve been promoting the Active learners with the Online Community. Some folks have been puzzled by the automated emails for friendship requests. So I just wanted to take a second and explain what the friendship requests are.

When you get the email from friends@xTain.com, stating that someone has requested to be your friend, ADD them! They want to be your learning buddy! They want to review and comment and share their learning experiences through the community.

This is not spam, it’s really someone who is becoming active in the community and making friends by adding you. Think of it as a MySpace feature – you’re networking with creative professionals, newbies, and hey maybe potential clients. Allow them to be your friend. Allow them to experience xTrain with you. Add them now before they get too cool for you.

In the mean time, add me as a learning buddy! I can’t wait to meet you!

You know – I recently saw iJustine adding friends to her list… Are you one of her buddies?
If not – add her to your list. Enjoy!

Tags: Creative Networking, Learning Buddy, Online Learning Community, Online Training Community, Porfolio Sharing, Professional Learning Community
Posted in Digital Photography, Graphic Design, Online Training, Professional Learning Community, Web Design, creative training, experts, iJustine, work, xPert, xTrain News, xTrain Spokeswoman, xtrain | No Comments »

xTrain.com Learner’s Submissions

Written by Siotha on October 12, 2007 – 6:48 pm -

Today we want to showcase some really cool works by our learners at xTrain.com.

Just so you know – Anyone (with an account at xTrain) is able to submit an exercise (a hands on activity with our classes) or their portfolio pieces for review and commenting by peers and gurus!

Here are some of my fav’s today:

HDR Exercise by William Palank
Exercise File by William Palank for the Enhancement class of HDR Mastery by Ben Willmore

—–

Exercise File by Laurie - Identity System
Exercise File by Laurie Gardner for the Identity Systems class by Chuck Groth

—-

portfolio submission © by Scott Slattery

Portfolio submission by: Scott Slattery @2007 Scott

Tags: ben willmore, chuck groth, comments, digital photgrapher, enhancement, exercise, Graphic Design, graphic designer, HDR, High Dynamic Range photography, identity system, laurie gardner, learner profile, Learning buddies, porfolio, questions, ratings, reviews, Scott Slattery Portfolio, william palank, xtrain, xTrain.com
Posted in Art, Classes, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Training, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Training, Online Training, Portfolios, Professional Learning Community, Web Design, creative training, creative writing professionals, exercises, experts, work, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | No Comments »

iJustine: Training with xTrain.com on her Skateboard

Written by Siotha on October 5, 2007 – 3:43 pm -

HI Guys!

This blog is live from the xTrain control room!
Justine is doing training from atop of her skateboard!

Here’s a recent pose just for fun:

Check out our Tour page for more great iJustine videos!

And just in case you haven’t heard. If you’d like to learn more about skateboard deck design, Ron Lemen does a great class with xTrain for creating skateboard decks in Photoshop!

Tags: ijustine skateboarding, internet skateboard, Photoshop skateboarding, Ron Lemen, RPG Photoshop, skateboard, Skateboard Deck Photoshop, video skateboarding
Posted in Art, Classes, Illustration, Photoshop CS3 extended, Ron Lemen, Skateboard Deck Design Photoshop, Tutuorials, creative training, iJustine, ijustine skateboarding, internet skateboard, photoshop, photoshop CS3, skateboard, video skateboarding, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xTrain Spokeswoman, xtrain | 1 Comment »

Meet Me in NYC: PhotoPlus, Digital Photography Conference

Written by Siotha on October 3, 2007 – 11:33 am -

Ok. So We’re going to The Photoplus Conference for Digital Photographers. Wanna meet someone cooler than me? How about our spokeswoman and some of our Creative Gurus?! Yes, I’ll be there, but please forgive me as I will be up to my eyeballs in giving out our famous Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory. And I’m not nearly as much fun to meet at iJustine!

Our booth, once again will be packed full of Trainings, Digital Photographers, Photoshop Enthusuasts, iJustine Fans and xTrain staff answering everything you could ever want to know about xTrain, Digital Photography, Graphic Design, Digital Arts and Online Marketing…

Psst.. and you know what my favorite part of this is? I get to meet all of our fans!!! Ok – so here’s the thing – I want to hear your comments, your feedback and what you want to learn. My favorite part of going to conferences is coming home and going – wow – we’re going to do more classes on XYZ because that’s what everyone is asking about. So as you see our team giving out the Dr. Brown DVDs and free classes for xTrain don’t hesitate to let us know what you want to see from xTrain and let us know what your favorite courses are!

Tags: Adobe CS3, digital dark room, Digital Photography, digital photography arts, Digital Photography Conference, digital photography design, Dr. Brown's Photoshop Laboratory, free classes at photoplus, Free dvds, NYC free digital photography classes, NYC free photoshop classes, photography classes, PhotoPlus Conference, photoshop CS3
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Art, Classes, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Training, Easy Digital Photography, Easy Photos, Online Training, Photoshop CS3 extended, Photoshop Laboratory, Photoshop Model Retouching, creative training, iJustine, photoshop CS3, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xTrain Spokeswoman, xtrain | 1 Comment »

Photoshop CS3: Simplified & Easy by Ben Willmore – FREE Class today!

Written by Siotha on October 1, 2007 – 10:35 pm -

Hi guys!

Just wanted to drop you a personal note and let you know Ben Willmore’s Free class has been uploaded to xTrain.com.

It is new and all about the Quick Selection Tool in CS3. I personally don’t know how we ever lived without this tool. No more magic wand guessing what areas or color shades, or color values, simply click and drag over the area you want to select and it “thinks” for you! I love it! So now you need to check out what makes this tool so great, by attending a free xTrain class by Ben Willmore!

Do you think we should put this class on youtube?

Tags: Creating cool pics in Photoshop, Digital Photography, free Ben Willmore, free class, Free tutorial, photoshop, Photoshop made easy, Photoshop Simplified and Easy, Selections in Photoshop, xTrain.com, you tube
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Classes, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Training, Easy Digital Photography, Easy Photos, Photoshop CS3 extended, Photoshop Model Retouching, Tutuorials, ben willmore, creative training, exercises, photoshop, photoshop CS3, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | 2 Comments »

HDR Mastery Course – AMAZING Photographs

Written by Siotha on September 25, 2007 – 10:14 pm -

Have you seen Ben Willmore’s HDR Mastery course yet?

I found 2 awesome exercises that our learners submitted through xTrain. I am very excited to show them off, I hope they don’t mind. They’re Beautiful!

HDR exercise submitted by xTrain Learner
Copyright Brent Williams, member online community of xTrain.com

xTrain exercise submitted by xTrain learner
Copyright April Andrews, xTrain.com community member

I just want to add, that Ben Willmore did a great job with the High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mastery course. We look forward to his upcoming courses, hint hint…

- PS – These are real photographs processed with HDR techniques! If you want to learn this technique from one of the world’s foremost photographers please check out: www.xTrain.com

Tags: ben willmore, cool hdr photographs, HDR images, HDR Mastery, hdr mastery ben willmore, HDR photorealism, HDR processing, High dynamic range mastery, photomatix
Posted in Adobe, Adobe CS3, Art, Classes, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Training, Easy Digital Photography, Easy Photos, Portfolios, Professional Learning Community, Tutuorials, ben willmore, creative training, exercises, experts, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | 2 Comments »

Online PR… The good, the bad… and Did I miss the point?

Written by Siotha on September 22, 2007 – 5:00 pm -

Let’s talk PR.

I’m very thankful for the PR’s and the buzz about our company and our spokeswoman, but I went to an article today about iJustine and found that the article was not about the headline. I felt disappointed and yet confused.

I read the headline here, wich says “Personal safety a problem in ‘lifecasting’ – iJustine interview” – TGdaily.com Then I thought – oh my there must be something I hadn’t heard about. Is Justine ok? Has she had any problems? Oh my – I want details – she’s spilling it to a reporter and I’m so nosey I want to know now.

I read the article. And felt like one qoute and an article about being a lifecaster for 3 months was not the “scoop” the headline promised.

So here is my Online Marketing Rant, Rave and PR/Journalism spill…

Make your headlines interesting and realistic! I can think of about four more headlines that would have been just as eye catching, while allowing the reader to walk away… feeling…. informed.. satisfied after reading about 2 paragraphs of the actual article.

This is online publishing: put the real info in the first paragraph not some fluff. Or you will lose your reader in 2.2 seconds. As we only have 4 seconds for an online user to actually absorb a page in this online world.

Posted in Blogroll, Journalism, News writing, Online Marketing, advertorial writing, copy editing, creative training, creative writing professionals, headline writing, iJustine, lifecasting, online PR, self publishing articls, xPert, xTrain Spokeswoman, xtrain | No Comments »

Silhouette Class by Rick Sammon

Written by Siotha on September 22, 2007 – 2:56 am -

Today we posted a new free class at xTrain.com. It is one of my favorites. Wait.. Most everything on xTrain is a favorite. Anyway!

I just wanted to share with you access to Rick Sammons quick and easy Silhouettes class.

It really captures the magic of the production we have at xTrain.com. There are 4 main reasons this class is an exemplary class for xTrain.

1. Talent.

Who else has top photographers, trainers, gurus, masters, and rising start trainers?

2. Easy Learning.

Who else can take a topic with such elegance as ART and make the topic, an awesome quality video, and create a learning atmosphere for people across the world?

3. Top Production Value.

Let’s face it. Training is and can be expensive. Time to Learn, and Time to Participate and not to mention all the development and delivery of a course at any level (college, after market, high school, online) cost time and money. With xTrain we’ve got the best technology combined with a seasoned staff to create and deploy effective, productive and comprehensive training. Price? For you, it’s cheap. Trust me – This is the best of the best training. Even College instructors are xTrain learners. (hint hint)

4. Passion.

Our training is designed by creative experts exclusively for creatives.

Was that a glorified ad you just read? Yes. and No. My background is in Media Marketing and Managment, Graphic Design, Advertising, and Pre-Press. I really am this passionate about xTrain and online learning.

Posted in Art, Classes, Digital Photography, Digital Photography Training, Online Training, Professional Learning Community, Rick Sammon, Tutuorials, creative training, experts, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | No Comments »

What is Edutainment?

Written by Siotha on September 19, 2007 – 4:50 pm -

Edutainment (Ed-u-tain-ment)

Looks funny doesn’t it?

Well. Today we declared 3 of our shows… Edutainment….

Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory! Starring, Dr. Brown of Course!

What defines this show as Educational?

Well – Dr. Brown teaches us many Photoshop CS3 & Photoshop CS3 Extended techniques by experimenting with many popular photo enhancing techniques.

How is it Entertainment?

Well, we have interaction with Elvis, and an intermission within our show as well. Did I mention the fun Laboratory?

What do you think?

I’d love to hear from you – is Dr. Brown’s show entertainment or education?
Watch Dr. Brown’s Photoshop Laboratory at xTrain.com for free.

Posted in Adobe, Animation, Black and White, Digital Photography, Photoshop CS3 extended, Photoshop Laboratory, Russell Brown, creative training, photoshop CS3, retouching, work, xPert Training, xTrain News | No Comments »

WoW! iJustine did a great behind the scenes video!

Written by Siotha on September 18, 2007 – 3:06 am -

Hiya! You gotta check out Justine’s video about being behind the scenes with xTrain! This was done months ago, and I didn’t even know it! It’s great for faculty and newbies who want to know more about our FABULOUS studio…

(when i figure out embedding this will have to do)

Did I mention the following people have paid a nice visit to our studio?

Rick Sammon
Ron Lemen
Rob Sheppard
Wendy Willard
Ben Willmore
Jack Davis
Chuck Groth
Jason Cranford Teague
Corel
Russell Brown, of Adobe Systems
Dozens More!

and… of course my rising superstar friends.. you know who you are:

Tabitha
Alyssa
Virginia
Jennifer
Tina
Kathy

Posted in 3-D studio, Digital Photography, Jack Davis, Online Training, Rick Sammon, Rob Sheppard, State of the Art Control Room, ben willmore, creative training, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News, xtrain | No Comments »

Who is an xPert with xTrain.com?

Written by Siotha on September 17, 2007 – 3:02 pm -

We have over 20 faculty members and a waiting list of people for me to review their demo’s. And for every great one we find, we find triple the demos that are not xTrain quality.

So here’s a list of things that make our Faculty stand out:

Industry Leaders. Solid backgrounds in the field they are training.
Proven learning strategies. Our people are great at taking complex concepts and making them easy for those who want to learn to understand.
Awesome Careers. Our faculty have made a career out of what they do, and now they are xPert enough to train up and coming stars!
Prepared. Our courses take months and months to prepare. Our Faculty take time to create the best classes and the best examples, exercises and resources for those classes.
Adaptable. It takes a lot to talk all day long and work in our state of the Art studio… I even feel it’s harder than being in front of people. Cameras don’t give hugs.
Presentation skills. You know what? You can be a great trainer, but our videos may last a life time and we want them pretty! Note: You don’t have to be pretty or a super model to teach.

Posted in creative training, xPert, xPert Training, xTrain News | No Comments »

What is Online Training? (part 1)

Written by Siotha on September 15, 2007 – 10:38 pm -

Lately my post popular questions are:

What is Online Training?
Is it as effective as In Person Training, is it possibly as good as College?
What is “After Market Training”?
Who is an xPert with xTrain?

Well today I want to start with my philosophy of online training. There are many professors, many xPerts many reports on the subject and all of wich are great… but… can be a bit over informative. So let’s get started. I like the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid.

What is Online Training, with xTrain.com?

Easy. The best thing about online training with xTrain, is that there are 3 basic steps:

Enroll

Attend + Participate (Learning isn’t one with out the other)

Take the quiz for our Certificate

Learn at your pace. We’ve hand selected Xperts to teach you. Now, with the internet you can learn at home, at work, on the road, in your pajamas and at YOUR pace. Each of our classes are broken down in to small segments, small enough to complete a concept, but large enough to keep you interested.
Show off your talent. With the age of interactive media upon us, we have set a high standard of participation.
- Profiles announce who you are, and what you are doing with xTrain.
- Exercises are custom designed for your interactivity with the class. We want to see what your work is!
- Peers, Faculty & Guru Reviews of exercises are a vital part of our community. This not only facilitates the feedback process but also opens up dialogs between users across the room, state, country, and world!
- Portfolios are for your polished work. We know how important it is to show off your talents – whether for personal respect, job changes, or project bids. Use our portfolio section for peer, guru and faculty reviews, revisions and respect! Oh – and I have a secret…. Portfolios are SOOOO important to our creatives we’re going to be vamping & setting a cutting edge pace for portfolios in the near future!
- Oh – and may I please ask a favor? As tempting as it may be to be harsh to your fellow learner because you are not face to face – please don’t use the commenting features to be mean! We love you guys, and want our community to be fun and friendly!
Read more »

Posted in Online Training, Portfolios, creative training, exercises, xPert, xPert Training, xtrain | No Comments »

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Do you have a passion for Photography? How about Photoshop?

Courses in this trac include:

Digital Photography Hot Shots by Rick Sammon

Streamlining Your Photograph Handling and Processing using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom by Rob Sheppard

Photoshop CS3: Simplified and Easy by Ben Willmore

Photoshop for Photographers: Outdoor & Nature Photography by Rob Sheppard

Digital Photography & Photoshop for Baby Boomers by Rob Sheppard

Photoshop Laboratory Free Classes by Russell Brown

Do you want to learn more about:

Online Marketing?

Pay Per Click Advertising?

Social Media Advertising & Marketing?

Podcasting?

Search Engine Optimization (Not just website metatags)?

Online PR?

What xTrain’s Online Marketing courses about?

SEO aka Search Engine Optimization

course by Tony Wright

Social Media course

by social media consultant Giovanni Gallucci

Secrets of Podcasting course

by social media consultant Giovanni Gallucci

Ratings & Comments on xTrain.com are easy!

Photoshop Training Classes Reviews:

Here’s a couple of awesome pics (courtesy of Giovanni Gallucci):

Have you checked out xTrain.com today?

Today we want to showcase some really cool works by our learners at xTrain.com.

Here are some of my fav’s today:

Let’s talk PR.

So here is my Online Marketing Rant, Rave and PR/Journalism spill…

1. Talent.

2. Easy Learning.

3. Top Production Value.

4. Passion.

Was that a glorified ad you just read? Yes. and No. My background is in Media Marketing and Managment, Graphic Design, Advertising, and Pre-Press. I really am this passionate about xTrain and online learning.

Edutainment (Ed-u-tain-ment)

Looks funny doesn’t it?

What defines this show as Educational?

How is it Entertainment?

What do you think?

What is Online Training? Is it as effective as In Person Training, is it possibly as good as College? What is “After Market Training”? Who is an xPert with xTrain?

What is Online Training, with xTrain.com?

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What is Online Training?
Is it as effective as In Person Training, is it possibly as good as College?
What is “After Market Training”?
Who is an xPert with xTrain?