I read a thread today on flickr! where someone asked if anyone else loves the Magic Wand tool. Predictably, most of the replies said they used to, then they learned how to use masks, etc.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/photoshop_cs2/discuss/72157620030833268/

I'm not sure that I know what it means to say you don't use the Magic Wand tool because you learned how to use masks. ;) I'm pretty sure it was the equivalent of giggling or eye rolling. "Only a raw newbie would use the Magic Wand!"

I've got several years and thousands of hours of practical Photoshop experience and I still use the Magic Wand sometimes to make selections. I use Color Range, too, sometimes. It isn't the tool you use that demonstrates your Photoshop chops. It's what you can do with those tools. ;)

I posted two coaching sessions this week that use the Magic Wand:

http://www.thelightsright.com/CoachingSession5
http://www.thelightsright.com/CoachingSession4

Why did I use it? I could have used other methods. I'm very familiar and very comfortable with all of the stock options. I chose the Magic Wand because it could make the selection I needed with just a few clicks. Well, OK, I had to use a couple of strokes with the Brush tool to clean up the selections. The point is simple: I chose a tool that was quick and easy to apply.

That's my goal with retouching. Quick and simple. Yes, my tutorials show techniques that can be quite intricate. Still, within that complexity, I'll look for quick and simple steps.

I always want to do the job right and well. Give me two options that give me the same result, however, and I'll pick the simpler of the two.

I don't use the Dodge tool or the Burn tool. They're quicker and simpler than an Overlay fill layer and the Brush tool. And . . . they don't do the job equally well. With an Overlay fill layer, I can adjust any of the dodging and burning at any point.

You want to prove you're a Photoshop maven? Demonstrate it. Show the world examples of your work. Don't dismiss tools that can speed your work becuase a bunch of forum readers think those tools are for the uneducated.

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