From Photo to DVD - Preserving those Precious Memories

“From Photo to DVD – Preserving Those Precious Memories” covers three primary topics.  First, we’ll explore some techniques and strategies for taking better digital photos.  We’ll take a moderately deep dive into portrait and landscape photography and an overview look at sports, low-light and underwater photography.  Next, we’ll explore the editing of photos using Adobe’s Photoshop Elements.  We begin simply with things like cropping, light and color adjustments.  By the time we’re finished we’ll have explored photo merges, panoramas, special effects and even creating your own images from scratch.  We conclude the course with a look at creating high quality videos and DVDs with Adobe’s Premiere Elements.  Again we start simply with things like single-threaded timelines, music, narration and transitions.  By the time we conclude you will be creating photo montages, utilizing multiple, simultaneous timelines and creating your own menus.  It should all be great fun.

The course is best suited for individuals familiar with digital photography, but seeking to improve their skills.  No prior knowledge of photo or video editing is required.  Similarly, Adobe’s Photoshop and Premiere Elements are not required.  The download and installation of the free trial versions of each of these products is described within the course.

Rick Phillips, Ph.D., the instructor for this course, describes himself as “someone who doesn’t always color within the lines.”  He is energetic and entertaining, but will likely challenge you within every section to expand your understanding and explore the world around you.  As Rick is known to say, “have some fun out there, but Keep On Learning!”

--- **Global Course Rating:** 3.90 **Course Review:** **Overview:** Dr. Rick Phillips' course on preserving and enhancing memories through photography and video editing is a comprehensive guide, tailored to cater to both novices and those looking to refine their skills. The course focuses on the use of Adobe Premiere Elements Version 14, providing step-by-step instructions and utilizing wizards to simplify the process. **Pros:** - **Comprehensive Guide for Beginners:** The course offers a thorough explanation of the basics, making it an excellent starting point for those new to digital photography and video editing. - **Clear and Concise Information:** The information presented is clear and concise, allowing learners to understand complex concepts with ease. - **Well-Laid Out Process:** Rick Phillips' approach to teaching the editing process is structured and easy to follow, which is particularly helpful for those who are just starting out. - **Practical Examples:** The course includes practical examples that help learners visualize the concepts in action. - **Helpful Tips:** Reviewers found the course full of helpful tips and strategies for preserving family memories and creating compelling stories. - **Supportive Resources:** Completed videos provided within the course serve as a valuable visual reference for learners. **Cons:** - **Sound Quality Concerns:** One reviewer noted that the sound quality in the main parts of the videos could be improved, which may affect the learning experience. - **Dated Content:** The course content seems to be outdated, particularly with references to DVD movies and FullHD/4K recording, which are no longer standard practices. - **Limited Advanced Features:** The instructor's recent foray into digital processing is evident, as the course does not delve into more advanced features such as layers in Photoshop or color depth beyond JPG format. - **Lack of Certain Techniques:** Important aspects like white balance correction and video editing are not covered, which could be a setback for learners looking to expand their skillset beyond basic photo editing. - **Basic Knowledge Only:** The course is more suited to absolute beginners, as those with prior experience in photography or video editing may find the content too rudimentary. --- **Conclusion:** Overall, Dr. Rick Phillips' course on preserving memories through digital editing is a solid foundation for beginners and serves as a good refresher for intermediate users who wish to revisit the basics. Despite some limitations in content that may not appeal to more experienced editors, the course remains highly rated by recent reviewers due to its clear explanations and practical approach. It is particularly valuable for individuals looking to create videos that tell the stories of their family moments, with a special mention for those preparing for significant milestones like anniversaries.