bengedlow

Thank you most kindly MEB. Persona ... a whole new experience for me. Thank you. Will look at tutorial first. Ben

Working a collection of RAW photos -- for the first time in the RAW section of Affinity. Don't see a 'burn' tool, don't see in preferences where I can set a 'burn' tool ... (I actually want to lighten). Since everything else seems so controllable in the RAW mode ... I'm wondering if I can also burn, dodge etc., and how, or where the tool might be located? All ears, B

Alfred, 'Layer Masks.' Sorry about that. Meant to. It was late. I was sleepy. Great tutorial. I have to make the step sideways from what I'm used to, working in film. The layering protocols of Affinity appear to be a lot more sophisticated, and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. Love it. Thank you kindly reminding me above ... you're absolutely right. All the best, Ben

Oops. Two tutorials later I see my question is answered. I need to learn the 'language' of Affinity. Thank you James. Ben

I can see where if I make a Quick Mask I can make a selection and then drop effects/filters IN that selection area, and affect it. I'm from the film world. If I make a mask in a shot and select a masked area (selection) then that area becomes transparent and I see the layer below it, another shot. I'm trying to figure out how to do this in AF. I have a portrait with a busy background. I can select the background, but when I add a Gaussion blur there is a haloing effect that happens where the selection hits the non-selected area. The solution I have in mind is making a duplicate of the photo, doing a complete blur of the whole photo; then on a layer ABOVE just make a mask around the busy background ... make it transparent ... thus on the top layer I have the focused face, transparent selection (background), and on the next layer down, the blurred duplicate, I have the smooth blur of the background, no haloing effect. I'm just wondering what I'm missing in the way Affinity functions. How can I create transparency in a layer, that allows me to combine the two shots. Mmmm. I'm remembering a collage effect on one of the later tutorials (when I was just scanning them). I will go and see if there is some clue there. All ears, Ben

Going through the tutorials in the right order. Brilliantly done James. I'm hooked.

Exactly!! "Ask and thou shalt receive." Thank you James, this is exactly what I was looking for. Time to play. Very much appreciated. Ben

Dear James, Is there a way I can start chronologically with tutorials, both for Photo and Designer? Basics to more complex stuff? I've been looking for a 'neophyte's' version, a 1,2,3 – to get properly oriented, but not quite finding it. I do have experience with film editing protocols/apps, and have worked with apps like Aperture, and way back, Photoshop. But I also shoot films, which takes me away from these apps for months at a time. Not like riding a bicycle. And with Affinity, it's the first time I feel like making an effort to stick, and stop looking. Which means learning it properly. All ears, Ben

James! Those are very very terrific tutorials. I love them. And yes, I do remember an annotation ... the memory came to me late last night. And Jimmy Jacks helpful hint didn't hurt my slow brain. Sometimes I'm racing too fast through things. I'm a filmmaker and grinding out the final steps for two long and complicated films I've been producing over the last year. So near the end, and suddenly there is ALL this extra stuff to do, graphics, DVD/Blu-ray covers, posters et al. Which I normally love to do. But my Photoshop skills have become so rusty ... and having been through Pages 4.3, Aperture, Pixelmator and three or four other apps looking for a replacement for Photoshop (I'm not a fan of the cloud) ...before finding Affinity, a superb app, and deciding to stop looking further. My learning curve patience has been taxed. But I am charged up now. Your tutorials are the best ... and knowing you are keeping an eye on the forum ... I'm a very happy camper. I'm looking forward to some serious time with the app in the next short while. All the best, Ben

I'm trying to do a Quick Mask. I'm watching AffinitybySerif on Vimeo. Great tutorials, only ... I click a Quick Mask. Photo turns red. I take a Paint Brush Tool to paint-my-selection. Nothing happens. It's a pretty simple instruction. I'm using version 1.4.1. Is there a later version? Has something changed? Or am I missing a qualifying key or something? If I use the 'Selection' tool instead it works, though the edges are ragged and I can't see any way to feather them ... and this isn't what the tutorial is showing. And I notice that when I try to add a layer adjustment or filter to the 'selection' nothing happens. Help! I'm about to dive into a rather challenging job. I'd love to use Affinity Photo to make my graphics ... mostly photo based. But I'm finding several times now that what the AffinitybySerif very-nicely-done tutorials are suggesting isn't actually working (for me). All ears, Ben

Thank you thank you, both. Very helpful. And MEB, you just answered a BUNCH of questions I had. I was also wondering about the resolution of an 'image' changing as I resized it. I think Photoshop now has 'smart folders' that maintain resolution. I used to be caught with that in the old Photoshop, resize smaller, re-enlarge, oops, resolution gone. I'm going to follow all your instructions today. I sincerely appreciate the very careful explanation. The video tutorials are great, but I've been watching them helter-skelter and realise that some of the detailed instructions are given once ... and then it is assumed they are already known in the next tutorial (at least on a number of occasions) ... so if one doesn't watch chronologically, one misses a lot of details. Aha! I see you are in Lisbon MEB. I love the country, lived down in Albufeira for awhile. I'm watching how Portugal is moving way ahead of the rest of the world with some very enlightened thinking. Makes me want to go back there. Thank you X 10 for the help. You've made this day much much easier. All the best, Ben

Hi MEB. I have the layer highlighted in the Layers panel – the layer of the photo. I add a New Live Filter Layer ... or even just a Filter Layer = Gaussian blur. I click the Blur tool. The Blur tool doesn't do anything. I keep looking back to the Layers ... the Blur adjustment is embedded in the Photo layer. I can't JUST click the adjustment layer, coz it's 'attached' to the photo layer. But highlighting the both ... the Blur toll ain't working. ??? I also just highlight the photo layer (no adjustment layer added) ... and try to use the tool. Nada. Nothing.

I'm a newbie. I click the layer (a photograph) I'm working on. I click the 'Blur' tool. I choose size, hardness, flow etc. And click click click ... it doesn't seem to have an effect on the layer. If I choose an adjustment layer, say Gaussian blur, then my only choice is to blur the entire image. So I'm missing something on the 'Blur' tool ... and can't seem to find an answer in all the terrific tutorials you have. A hint? A clue? All the best, Ben

Aha! Thank you kindly MEB. Much appreciated.

My first post with Affinity Photo. I am an instant fan. Brilliant app. I'm looking for a set of keyboard shortcuts, which I'm sure I'll find. But in the meanwhile, I notice that when I'm in Text mode ... and what to go quickly to the 'Arrow' mode ... the 'V' keystroke doesn't work (of course), it just makes a 'V' in my text box. Is there a way to go straight from Text mode to Arrow mode with a keystroke (perhaps with a qualifier)? All ears, Ben