Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible ReviewI'm a professional portrait photographer. I work both in-studio as well as on-location and I have used Photoshop intensively for 6 years and Lightroom since beta. That said, I am always open to learning new methods that can shave time off my workflow - the less time I spend at the computer, the more dollars per hour I make. This book has helped me to learn more about the programs that I use all day every day.
Now, trying to cover ALL of Lightroom and Photoshop in one (albeit full-to-the-brim) book is an impossible task. One has to choose what to cover in depth, and what to leave out. Fitzgerald has done a fantastic job of covering the critical components of the actual workflow without getting bogged down in (for instance) the minutiae of how to do eye enhancement retouching so as to bring out liquidity and presence.
All of us need to `hammer through' thousands of images, sorting, color-balancing, retouching a bit, cropping, etc.,, etc., etc., ad infinitum! And, all of us need to do this faster and smarter without dropping our guard on the finest end result we can create (which is what our clients pay for!) Fitzgerald gives you just the right amount of information so you can get up and running RIGHT NOW and start using the programs.
This book is a huge help in that. Fitzgerald covers the entire process from importing images to Lightroom through final printing out of Photoshop. As a portrait artist who specializes in enhancement retouching I have spent hundreds of hours studying and using Photoshop and Fitzgerald teaches me new stuff on darn near every page. I also simply love Lightroom (especially 2.1!) and Fitzgerald gives so many great little tips along the way I wonder how the heck he could find time to learn it all and write the book when LR2.0 was still in beta!
Caveat: this in NOT an absolutely thorough coverage of every little thing in either of the programs (for instance, color management gets a few pages here and there whereas Bruce Fraser wrote a whole book on it!), but, that said, it sure as heck will give you the groundwork that you require for getting your workflow up and running and for understanding the programs enough to really get good work done. Actually, I am very surprised at how well Fitzgerald did considering the scope of this book.
I wish the index was more thorough, but I wish that for every book (oh! for an on-line concordance for books!) And I wish there were full-tilt keyboard shortcut charts for both programs (but those can be found on-line, I suppose). The layout is a bit dense to my eye, but there is so much to cram in, I guess if it were less dense the book would be a brick.
Lastly, I have to say that I usually find that book writers do a poor job of keeping a teaching-flow going while writing, they jump around, they try and be too `cool' and get all cutesy, or they dive down long, dark rabbit holes and lose the reader. Fitzgerald is one of the best in-print teachers I have come across, and I read many books per month.
All in all: if you want to improve your bottom line by improving your workflow, buy it!Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC ReviewMartin Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers series has long been one of the most helpful guides on the market. This newest edition is updated for CS3 and offers full coverage of all the new features as well as continued coverage of everything carried over from prior versions. Weighing in at 680 pages and including a DVD with sample images, this is about as complete a package as you could ask for. The author methodically runs through feature after feature and does a good job explaining how to use them.
There are sections covering What's New, Configuring Photoshop, Camera Raw Image Processing, Selections and Masking, Darkroom Effects, Filters, Color Management, Automating Photoshop, and many others which I will not mention. This is truly comprehensive coverage. The writing style is clear and concise. This is a very effective guide that nearly always tells me what I need to know when I pull it off the shelf.
The closest thing to a negative (and it really isn't one) is that this is probably closer to an encyclopedia of Photoshop CS3 than it is to one of those guides that covers certain "how to" topics in great detail. Even with 680 pages, when you have to cover the entirety of Photoshop there is a need for brevity. So if you're interested in Masking this book will certainly cover it but you can't expect the same level of narrative as you would from an entire book on layers and masking. Since there is no book that can possibly cover everything in minute detail, my solution (and the only practical solution) is to buy several books for my various needs. I buy this volume as a general reference guide and quick how-to helper and then buy a few other guides to help walk me step-by-step through some of the trickier aspects of Photoshop. Some of my favorites include Photoshop CS3 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide (Tim Grey Guides) which is an excellent foundation for beginners and intermediate users as well as The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter).
In summary, Adobe Photoship CS3 for Photographers is an excellent and comprehensive guidebook. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for the encyclopedic style Photoshop guide and it is well worth buying even if you have the old CS2 version.Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC Overview

Want to learn more information about Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) ReviewPlenty of Photoshop CS3 books on the market update information to this latest Photoshop release, but few offer an extensive desk reference packing in the latest tools and techniques of the latest program with easy details on how to do everything from simple adjustments such as specifying size to using layering and blending modes for advanced compositions and refinement. From full color screen shots and color examples of modified photos to techniques and strategies, Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies is one of the most extensive coverages on the market - and a perfect pick for any who find detailed Photoshop coverages confusing.
Diane C. Donovan
California BookwatchPhotoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Overview

Want to learn more information about Photoshop CS3 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 ReviewThis book may be what you need, or it may actually drive you nuts, quite quickly. This depends on your skill level in photoshop, your personality, and your actual needs regarding photos (i.e., what you need them for). Since some of the reviews formerly posted here sound like something a company marketing team may write, a few clarifications may be in order before you purchase this book.
First, the somewhat misleading title: sure, SEVEN is a nice number with lots of ancient tradition (e.g., from seven deadly sins, and seven virtues to seven habits of highly successful people, etc.) Alas, there aren't just seven "points". It's more like SEVENTY.
Scott Kelby (as always very articulate and mercifully NOT trying to be too humorous this time) uses some very wide, general, and often COMPLEX concepts, and treats them as ONE "point" each. So, for example, one such point (among seven) is "use Adobe Camera RAW to make all appropriate / necessary adjustments" (I am paraphrasing here) - but that is hardly ONE point: it includes setting / adjusting white balance, exposure, white / black point, fussing with shadows, initial sharpening, clarity / vibrance, saturation, etc. Another example of such single "point" (among the seven) would be "painting with light": which sounds good and simple, but actually involves working with multiple adjustment layers, and creating numerous, often quite complex, variable density masks for localized adjustments - so much so, that some images wind up being a sandwich of more than four layers, each with its own masks, individual transparency settings, and blending modes - hardly "one simple point" again.
As a result, fixing many example photos turns out to be a LENGTHY process which often involves more than 20 steps, many of which are in turn complex, multi-step procedures that require both practice and skill (e.g., hand painting precise masks with brushes of progressively diminishing opacity, or using selection drawing tools). Needless to say, such level of precision is best implemented working with a tablet / stylus, and is going to be less-than-pleasant (and successful) using a mouse, a point which needs to be made clearly (and the book doesn't do it). If it is to be done right, it will also be time consuming.
Other issues further add to the above problem: some techniques (such as "faking" water reflections by flipping and blending the actual non-reflected image) will be seen as questionable by many serious photographers. If you ethically don't object to doing this type of "deep-pixel editing", then why not just composit-in a sky or other element taken from another, better-exposed photo altogether? Also, as one reviewer has mentioned previously, some procedures use settings that are arbitrary (7-7-7 for defining a black point when working with curves), and do not include a good explanation of the WHY of the processes involved.
Yet another issue is the fact, that such very heavy reliance on aggressive editing in ACR (especially since Kelby sometimes uses 8-bit jpg files in ACR and not 12-bit RAW) often winds up producing images that are "punchy" (or garish, depending on how you see it), but at the expense of unnatural-looking color shifts, posterization, and artefacts visible EVEN at the very small print sizes used in the book (under 2 inches?) - I encourage you to look at the example of a "before and after" on the p. 31. Would you really want your sunset/sunrise photos to look like that? Perhaps this may be acceptable for saving a one-of-a-kind, 4x6 shot for a family album, but I don't see it having much potential for anything else (e.g., 8x10 or a serious print). Yes, there definitely are many example photos that benefit greatly from the procedures outlined in the book, but that's mostly because many were GOOD (reasonably correctly exposed) photos to start with, and simply needed help to get rid of the characteristic "dull" / "flat" look so typical of baseline RAW files. Most also rely of Kelby's experience and intuition in deciding which steps (of the seven) to implement and which to skip in each case.
There is also a more serious, practical issue here: if you are going to spend several HOURS fixing one, not-very-good-quality photo, and repeat that lengthy (and eventually repetitive and boring) process with some frequency, wouldn't you be better off just spending A FEW hours ONCE to take a workshop with a good photographer, so that your BETTER photos do not need such convoluted and extensive "fixing" in post all the time?
To summarize: the book outlines some useful, if excessively complex techniques to fix (smaller) photos. Many of these techniques will not be feasible on photos meant for larger print sizes, unless a stylus, considerable time, patience for trial-and--error, and precision masking skills are used. For remedying of casual snapshots for a family album, many techniques presented here, although potentially useful, will be an overkill for most users. For professional users and serious advanced CS3 photo-amateurs, this book is too formulaic to be useful.
On the plus side, the book is well written, carefully edited, and has a generous amount of well-described screen shots and (small) "before-and-after" photos.Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 Overview

Want to learn more information about Scott Kelby's 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook ReviewThis book takes a different approach than other "Photoshop" books in that it addresses, fairly completely, all four Adobe products typically used by digital photographers: Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 3, camera raw and Bridge. It does this in a fully integrated progression from system configuration through work flow and printing. When more than one of these programs might be useful for a given task, all are covered so if you have both CS5 and lightroom, it will discuss how each could be used. Each page is clearly marked with the appropriate logo so you'll see which of these programs the page addresses. I don't use them all so it was easy to skip the pages that didn't apply.
It is designed as a standalone book that covers everything you need to know to get started w/ these programs. Given the breath of the coverage, it doesn't get too in-depth so it's best for beginner to intermediate users. While it covers the major new features of CS5, it doesn't cover them all - just the ones that could be part of a typical work flow. So less useful features, like "puppet warp", are skipped. It's not a "what's new in CS5" type book - it addresses the complete work flow and addresses the most used features, both old and new.
Overall, this is a very good review of these adobe products. If you have them all, it's one-stop-shopping. But even if you only use a few, you will find it easy to use and helpful.Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook Overview

Want to learn more information about Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers ReviewThe author tells us that this little volume will teach photographers what they need to know, and only what they need to know, to process pictures in Photoshop CS4, while being conveniently sized for the traveling photographer. That would be quite an achievement if it could be accomplished.
At first, the individual chapters sound like the author is on the right track. Story tells how to import images into Bridge; select, rate and keyword them in Bridge; adjust them in Adobe Camera Raw; refine them in Photoshop; and finally print them. There is even a chapter full of recipes with recommendations for how to do everything from whiten teeth to correct architectural distortion.
Photoshop is a huge piece of software with all kinds of tools, and while many of them are of little use to the photographer, others that prove useful to photographers aren't covered here such as, for example, the gradient tool and the selection tools. In other cases while a tool is mentioned, there is often no explanation of the theory behind the tool, like the nature of tones, which can be adjusted with levels and curves. I suppose one can eventually figure out how to use these tools, but it would be so much easier if one understood more about tonality. There are some functions that are mentioned, but their full capabilities are ignored, like the ability of the keywording facility in Bridge to import a keyword list, or the ability to create a layer mask to make local adjustments by using the selection tools. Moreover, if all you want to learn is the minimum to process a picture, why spend $600 for Photoshop, when you can buy Photoshop Elements for about $100. The new Photoshop user would be better served by a larger book with more information.
I'm not certain whether this will be a useful guide to a road warrior who is confused by Photoshop. I can't imagine that anyone would be so bold as to try to use Photoshop on the road, without getting the fundamentals down at home first. Then one might need a cheat sheet to remember how to subtract from a selection with the lasso tool, but not to remember the simple steps this book shows.
I suppose for someone who is a little overwhelmed by the strength and complexity of Photoshop, this book might provide a dip of the toe into deep waters. It certainly won't teach you to swim in the Photoshop Sea.The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers Overview

Want to learn more information about The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...