Exploring Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Design Exploration) Review

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Exploring Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Design Exploration) ReviewThis product was a godsend as I needed lots of help in learning photoshop for work and thank God I fell into buying this product. I would definitely recommend this product for ease of use and content of the product.Exploring Adobe Photoshop CS5 (Design Exploration) Overview

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Photoshop CS5 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Review

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Photoshop CS5 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) ReviewThis book is a very good introductory overview of the CS5 version of Photoshop. It is a wide overview of the program, aimed at a wide audience of users who are familiar with the program (or not); users who are photographers of different levels and/or designers (professional or otherwise). With a spectrum such as this, there is little choice but to only touch the surface of each program tool, feature, menu item, filter, procedure, technique, and so on. This book does so admirably.
It touches on almost every subject you might like to get an introductory explanation about, gives you the basic guidelines for use, what to do (and not), options, applicable settings and choices, and helpful illustrations or screen shots on every single page. It is a manual, not a review. It doesn't evaluate the features, only tells you how to use them.
The book probably assumes this is the first time you use Photoshop and that CS 5 is your first version. It doesn't treat "new CS 5" features separately, it simply takes you on a thorough and detailed tour of the current incarnation of Photoshop and, where something is new or changed, a yellow "new in CS 5" icon appears on the margin of the general narrative. This icon, is in addition to the usual iconography of the "for dummies" book like "warning," "tips," etc.
As a fairly competent Photoshop user for just over ten years but a first-time owner of the "Extended" version, I found his introduction to the features and capabilities of this version to be very helpful. The book is well indexed, so I had no difficulty in locating the particular new features I wanted to learn more about. In the process, I ended up reading and learning new things about old features. I found his method of turning a photo into a line drawing much better than the one I'd been using and his sections on using tablets and his top ten tips & tricks very interesting.
There is something for everyone here, which is both a plus and a minus. Whether you want to use Photoshop to make your photos the best they can be; or you want to work with text; or create special effects; or turn your photos into art or create art from scratch; start working with HDR or shooting in RAW; or perform any of the myriad functions of which Photoshop is capable this book will help you get started. It won't go into depth into any of them. Once you know what your needs are or what you want to learn more about, you should get a book which covers your particular needs in depth and detail.
Which brings me back to the first line of my review: This book is a very good introductory overview of the CS5 version of Photoshop.Photoshop CS5 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)) Overview

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Smashing Photoshop CS5: 100 Professional Techniques (Smashing Magazine Book Series) Review

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Smashing Photoshop CS5: 100 Professional Techniques (Smashing Magazine Book Series) ReviewI looked forward to receiving this book because I just recently started using CS5. This is a major upgrade leap for me since the last version I had of Photoshop was CS2, and I never actually learned the newer tools in that upgrade. I have been using Photoshop since it first came out in the 90s, before it even had a version number. I expected in depth discussions in the book about the new capabilities of CS5.
It should be noted that my main use of Photoshop is as an illustrator. While I do create personal web sites, that is not where the focus of my day-to-day creative endeavors lie. I do have an extensive background in Graphic Design, so most of the specifics to that profession are not alien to me.
The book subtitles itself 100 Professional Techniques. I think a better subtitle would be 100 Professional Graphic Design Techniques. Sadly, if you are not creating web or graphic design, this book is next to useless in smashing the new CS5 Photoshop tools.
However, if you do create web sites and need quick how-to instructions for special effects like grunge and retro halftones, this is the workbook for you. I tried several of the lessons myself. I learned new ways to do things with tools I had never explored, but the end products themselves are nothing "new." I've done similar things years ago.
My only complaint with the book is that the instructions were vague in where to find the tools required to create the effects in question. In one instance the reader is told to use the pencil tool to erase an area in a mask. I hopped right over to the pencil too, prepared it to the suggested 1 pixel and couldn't do anything after that. It took a bit of noodling around trying to figure out what I had done wrong before I realized I needed the eraser tool selected in pencil mode set to the one pixel. After that I quickly accomplished the desired outcome. I'd like to say this was an isolated instance, but it wasn't. I encountered this roadblock in a number of lessons. A simple image call out showing the tool or location in question would have gone a long way to reduce my frustration level.
With all this in mind, I would not recommend this book for either a raw Photoshop beginner or a seasoned Graphic Design pro, but someone in an intermediate level would benefit greatly by many of the techniques showcased.
Sadly, for an illustrator like me, this book was sadly lacking in what I am looking for in Photoshop training. Maybe one will come along soon.Smashing Photoshop CS5: 100 Professional Techniques (Smashing Magazine Book Series) Overview

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Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book Review

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Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book ReviewPhotoshop CS5 For Nature Photographers - A Workshop in a Book: Ellen and Josh Anon are back with a new edition of the acclaimed Photoshop for Nature Photographers book. The new version replaces the accompanying DVD with a web site that includes the content to practice the techniques. I find this much more convenient than a DVD accompaniment. I find the new book to be a significant improvement from the already excellent older books. Not only do they cover all of the new functions in Photoshop of interest to Nature Photographers, they have also enhanced some of the older sections and have beefed up the sections for Photoshop Elements users. Photoshop CS5 no longer ships with a tutorial on the new functions as it did with previous versions, so a book like this is even more essential than before and it becomes the defacto User Manual for me when I want to look up a function that maybe I haven't used in a while, learn more about new functionality such as HDR Pro, or just brush up as I often like to do.
As with previous versions, the book follows a photo workflow by teaching you the basics of digital capture first, followed by Bridge, the first place you interact with images on your computer; then on to Adobe Camera Raw, followed by Photoshop in depth. Detailed setup instructions for the many different Preference sections in the different modules that make up Photoshop CS5 are included. Unfortunately this book was published before ACR 6.1 was released which includes lens profiles. However the book does cover the Lens Correction filter which utilizes identical technology so you can just apply your learning from that section of the book to the new ACR 6.1. The in depth Photoshop sections take you step by step through almost anything you would ever want to do. I found the section on the new Refine Edge command extremely useful since this is a very powerful new function but it is a case of a single equation in many unknowns. The Anon's guide the reader through how to best use this tool to make truly excellent selections previously not possible in older versions of Photoshop. I felt the discussion on the new Content Aware Fill to very balanced. Many things I have read make it sound almost like a panacea which, in my own experience, it is not. Ellen and Josh clearly indicate it's shortcomings and the additional work required after using the tool to make your selection perfect. I also found the section on HDR Pro extremely useful and following the steps will even allow the HDR novice, to produce some very nice HDR images. Beyond the normal adjustments one makes to images, the book also tackles the more complex subjects such as Composites, creative Black and White, Filters, Multiple Exposures, and an enjoyable section on painterly mages that gave me some new ideas to try. Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers concludes with a chapter on how to get the best output and a Tie Savers chapter which tackles some major time saver functions.
Throughout, the book, many of the images have been upgraded including many stunning new photos taken by the authors themselves. Additionally short technique articles from notable photographers including George Lepp, Joe McDonald, Arthur Morris, John Shaw and more are included.
My only complaint is that the index of the book is not as effective as it could be. As an example, I wanted to find HDR Pro when I first got the book. The index does not have an entry for this but does have one for HDR imaging. It takes you to a single page, in the middle of a very complete multi page section on HDR Pro. It doesn't even take you to the first page of that section. I found on several occasions where the index got me close but missed by a little bit. The eBook version would not have this problem since most eReaders offer content aware search.
List price or Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers is $49.99 however the paper version can be had at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $30 to $35 and the eBook version is below $30. For that, you get nearly 500 pages of jam packed with easy to understand and easy to apply information about CS5. The eBook version is already available through the Kindle store at Amazon but is not available on iBooks. I downloaded the free sample which includes all of the preliminaries and the first chapter using the Kindle App on my iPad. The formatting of some of the pages is strange when viewing in horizontal mode but it all clears up in vertical mode. This book would definitely be better in iBooks or the Barnes and Noble reader on the iPad than it is using the Kindle reader as both of those are better designed for the iPad.
One always wonders if a new version of a book that one already owns is worth the money. This book provides, in one place, all of the information to use the new tools in Photoshop CS5 as well as providing an excellent manual for all of the other functions that a Nature Photographer is likely to use. In addition to covering the new areas that were introduced into Photoshop with the release of CS5, many of the functions that were new to CS4 are now covered more thoroughly. In this case, I must conclude that it is worth purchasing the new version of Photoshop for Nature Photographers as it is a much more complete reference than it has ever been in the past.Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Demand Review

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Demand ReviewThis book has some excellent features to recommend it:
* Excellent organizational structure: a clean and logical grouping of common and related task tutorials in increasing order of complexity.
* An excellent table of contents, tabbed and color-coded to the book's side for quick content location and an excellent and descriptive index that helps you find what you're looking for.
* Good and descriptive section headings and introductions to give you an overview of what will be covered in that section and some idea of key concepts.
* A methodology that is consistent throughout: sequentially number-coded instructions on the left and illustrated and number coded demonstrations on the right, with frequent highlighted text boxes with additional information.
* A good and logical selection of the tasks that most people will need to perform most often.
* Aimed at all of Photoshop's constituencies: the photographer, the print media designer, and the web designer, and all the sub-categories (such as the photographer who doesn't print, just saves for monitor viewing or web).
I would assume the target audience to be current Photoshop users who want to quickly perform certain tasks or make a certain type of adjustment. Since terms are used that would baffle a new user, a certain degree of familiarity is assumed. Another target audience might be people who, like me, are migrating to the CS5 version from a previous version and want to become familiar with newer features.
However, I think that the new, entry level Photoshop user is going to find himself very attracted to the concept of a collection of task-oriented tutorials (which is, basically, what this book is). For that audience, I would say that this book teaches you Photoshop as I learned it: quickly and on a need-to-know basis.
On retrospect, however, I've come to realize that learning while performing tasks by rote is not the best way to learn a complex and multi-track program such as Photoshop. Initially, I learned how to do certain things that I needed to do but I didn't understand what was happening under the hood, why it was happening, how to do it less destructively or what techniques work best with which type of image. I followed a sequence of steps that required minimal judgment on my part. With time, I came to understand and acquired better practices but I'm still amazed at the gaps in my knowledge after 11 years of constant use. I've come to be a pretty competent Photoshopper, but I think the process would have been far more efficient if I'd laid a good groundwork of basic concepts and best practices from the beginning.
If, like me, you need to learn quickly, do get this book and do follow its instructions. However, get other books as well and learn the why's, and the when's, and the consequences of choosing one way over another. Look up any terms used in this book that you don't understand before proceeding with the instructions. (The web is also an excellent source of information). Learn the concepts, not just the steps.
And, learn from my mistakes: save the master (RAW or unprocessed jpg) of every important photo you process now until you feel you are competent. Just burn them to CD's and set them aside for a few years. I very much regret not having done that. I have a lot of over-processed and over-sharpened photos that looked great to my untrained eye back then but I now wish I could start over to get right. (Additional processing now would just further degrade them).Adobe Photoshop CS5 on Demand Overview

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Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Review

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Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques ReviewReal tips that emphasize what new features a professional would really use. I especially liked Section #13. Content-Aware Fill, Section #21. What's So Smart About Smart Objects?, Section #35. Creating Crisp Artwork for the Web, Section #41. Using the Gap Tool, Section #42. Using the Gridified Tools and Super Step-and-Repeat. Color images would have been preferred, but the book shines in its simple but clear explanations and choice of tips.Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques Overview

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Photoshop CS5 Restoration and Retouching For Digital Photographers Only (For Only) Review

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Photoshop CS5 Restoration and Retouching For Digital Photographers Only (For Only) ReviewI loved this book, which is easily the most useful and accessible guide to Photoshop that I've used. Rather than spending hundreds of pages explaining in detail how each Photoshop feature works, the author focuses on what it takes to professionally retouch an image. Because he explains each basic technique he uses (curves, masks, selections, etc.) the book works well for those without a lot of Photoshop experience; because he explains his entire professional process (eyes, skin, scan repair, etc.), longtime Photoshop users should also benefit a great detail.
The book includes a number of examples and includes three chapters that each walk through an entire workflow for an image. A companion website provides sample files for practice.
I wasn't interested in some of the photo restoration stuff, such as how to best scan images and how to repair torn and faded photos, which makes up about 25% of the book. But I already knew that would be part of the book, and I'm glad I chose to get it anyway.
This is my new on-the-desk reference for when I'm using Photoshop.Photoshop CS5 Restoration and Retouching For Digital Photographers Only (For Only) Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One Review

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One Review§
I have enjoyed and profited from every Deke McClelland book/video package I have picked up. I think one of the primary reasons I have learned so much from them is that McClelland has mastered the tool he loves to the point where he can confidently ridicule and excoriate Adobe for the anti-user experience interface decisions they foist on us. It is profoundly reassuring and encouraging, when looking at a criminally obtuse dialog, to be told by an expert that no, you are not stupid, it is the dialog that is stupid.
If anyone is thinking I am exaggerating for dramatic effect, they can take a peek at the Bridge "Save to Hard Drive." This utility is composed of a huge, yet mostly empty, two-tabbed dialog that quite conveniently automates conversion of files to JPG format without even once communicating that it has anything to do with JPGs. (!) As the author begins "Why did they make the program vast and complicated with redundant options, misleading commands, and downright ritualistically obscure functions...?"
This is precisely why you don't want to enter the Photoshop swamp without an expert guide!
The author makes a workflow suggestion that has worked well for me:
1) Read the introduction of a chapter
2) View the video
3) Return to the book to follow the lesson (always different from the video example)
Perhaps as a cost-cutting measure, O'Reilly does not include a disc with the book. The video and lesson files must be downloaded from the companion site. This was no fun. We are talking about 1.2 gigs spread across several clumsily named (chapter number out of synch with lesson number) zip files. Given the size of the downloads, it would have been good for O'Reilly to have considered separating the Windows from the Mac files so that we ALL would not have to download both formats.
But once you get into the lessons, the initial aggravation is quickly forgotten.
§Adobe Photoshop CS5 One-on-One Overview

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Photoshop CS5: Essential Skills Review

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Photoshop CS5: Essential Skills ReviewIf you are interested in mastering digital imaging, the best way to hone your skills is not by picking up a few hints here and there on the Internet, but rather by having a book in hand and a tutorial DVD that will help you with digital basics. Before you purchase this book you'll need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be able to read the PDF content and QuickTime 7 version or later in order to watch the movie tutorials. There are links to these resources on the DVD if you haven't already updated. Most people like to know what they are getting for their money so I'll try to be as detailed as I can in explaining what you'll get on the DVD as you cannot skim that if you pick up a copy in a bookstore. If you are confident PhotoshopCS5 is what you'll need, you simply can scan this review or bypass it completely.
What is on the DVD:
FOUNDATION MODULE
Digital Basics (DVD Chapter)
Channels palette
RGB* (Red, Green, Blue)
CMY* (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow)
HSB (Hue Saturation Brightness)
Perception
Titles of movie tutorials include Refine Edge, Mixer Brush, Content Aware Fill, Puppet Warp, Merge to HDR Pro, Repousse, ACR6, 3D Images, 3D, Foundation-l a.dng, Foundation-l b dng, Foundation-l c.dng, Project-l.mov, Foundation-2.dng*, Foundation-3.dng*, Vibrance.dng*, Foundation-4.dng*, Spot-l.dng*, and Spot-2.dng*. You can test print in JPEG or TIFF and your record sheets are available in JPEG OR PSD. Instructions are given for the PC or MAC.
* Note: Raw images cannot be displayed on some browser interfaces. Some of the movies take a while to load so you will need to be patient or press on the spacebar to load if they don't play automatically.
ADVANCE SKILLS MODULE
Layers and Channels
Titles of movie tutorials include Intro.mov, layers & channels.mov, layers masks.mov, Selections1 mov, Selections2.mov, and Selections3.mov.
You will then have an opportunity to work with several layer blends (opacity, darken, multiply, screen, lighten, overlay, difference, soft light, luminosity, and saturation).
Filters
You will be able to work with several pictures and will have one movie tutorial. Vanishing-Point.psd
RETOUCHING
There are seven movie tutorials and ten digital images to work with (TIFF or PSD format)
MONTAGE
There are seven movie tutorials and fifteen digital images to work with (a mix of TIFF, PSD, Raw)
ADVANCED RETOUCHING
There are eleven movie tutorials and nineteen digital images to work with ( a mix of TIFF, PSD, Raw, JPEG)
ALIGN AND BLEND
There are six movie tutorials and twenty-one digital images to work with (a mix of TIFF, PSD, Raw)
RESOURCES
In this section we can find Author Info, Free Skies (stock skies), QuickTime, Actions, Luminance Preset (Black and White), Essentials Skills, A Digital Basics Chapter, a Digital Darkroom Chapter, Focal Press, Adobe, a Shortcuts Printout, and RMIT University (Mark Galer is affiliated with this University).
USEFUL LINKS
* Essential Skills
* RMIT Photography
* Adobe Digital Imaging
* Deke
* Adobe TV
* Russell Brown
* PhotoshopSupport.com
* Image Science (Printing services)
* digital photography review
* PhotoshopNews.com
* John Nack
* Luminous Landscape
* Digital Dog (Andrew Rodney)
* Studio Exchange (Photoshop)
* Planet Photoshop
* Adobe Evangelist
* Retouch Pro
All of the links provided are current and provide many additional tips and techniques that the reader will find to be quite useful. The book and DVD are designed so you can take advantage of some of the best information out there at no additional cost. When they mention "Extensive Support" in the book, it is no exaggeration.
The book itself provides a step-by-step visual tutorial that provides a "structured learning approach" to learning Photoshop. You will learn about Photoshop revisions, the CS5 version of Bridge, workflow, raw processing, digital printing, digital basics (DVD, chapter 1), and digital darkroom (DVD, chapter 2). For the more advanced reader there are chapters on layers and channels, selections, filters, and layer blends. There is an imaging projects module that includes retouching projects, montage projects, advanced retouching, and a section on how to align and blend projects.
Each section provides general guidelines, thorough instructions, and is extremely generous with photographic illustrations. In the back of the book is a thorough index, a glossary, a list of keyboard shortcuts, and several recommended web links to explore (tutorials, illustrators, information and blogs).
If you want to acquire a thorough grounding in Photoshop skills, this is the book to buy. You can "hone your image editing skills" without having to pay big $ for a course or spend hours trying to glean bits of information from the Internet. You will obviously need to work hard learning these skills, but I think you'll be quite satisfied with yourself as you progress. I'd say that all things considered, the thorough tutorials provided in this book and on the DVD will be well worth the monies spent with this reference/tutorial.Photoshop CS5: Essential Skills Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: The Ultimate Workshop Review

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: The Ultimate Workshop ReviewMany consider Martin Evening's Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers to be the single best and most comprehensive book available for CS5. This book is a welcome companion that further expands on that book with more detailed examples of professional workflow, retouching and advanced techniques.
The 26 movie tutorials with over 3 hours of content are worth the price of the book many times over.
Interestingly, the first chapter, entitled "Before You Shoot" is a wealth of advice from a seasoned professional on how to prepare before shooting to give yourself a better setup for using Photoshop.
The 2nd chapter is a very detailed and well explained camera raw workflow. Camera raw is a very important part of my processing and this chapter illustrates Raw workflow with beautiful progressive step-by-step images with full explanatory text. The movie tutorial covers these same pages so you have the advantage of seeing his workflow in both the text and in the video. Very well done.
The 3rd chapter you almost never find in a Photoshop book and goes over all the things a good photographer does to guarantee the maximum image IQ before Photoshop is ever opened. There are many jewels here that many photographers may never consider and have a great deal to do with that elusive snap you are looking for in your final image.
The book continues with example after example of fully explained and illustrated step-by-step "how-to's". I've found a wealth of information and technique combining the text with the movie tutorials. These are very well done.
All the example files are on the DVD so you can work alongside the text.
I don't see a list of chapters in the book description, so here they are:
1. Before you shoot
2. Camera Raw workflow
3. Raising your IQ
4. Mending and blending
5. Now you see it, now you don't
6. Retouching people
7. Masking and compositing
8. Photoshop after dark
9. Photomerges
10. Cooking with Photoshop
11. Robo Photoshop
12. Photoshop output
13. Minding your own business
If you already own Evening's Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers, don't hesitate to buy this book.Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: The Ultimate Workshop Overview

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Photoshop CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training) Review

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Photoshop CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training) ReviewI have used CS2, CS3 and now recently upgraded to CS5. There were a few changes and improvements, and I wanted some help. I ordered this book because it was the first available, but I am not disappointed in the least. I think a novice or intermediate will be happy with the walkthrough style lessons, clear and easy to understand. The new features in CS5 are well covered, as well as all the basics. Included is a DVD with all lesson files.
I have used Kelby, Deke, and Eisenman in past, I rate this as good.....Photoshop CS5 Digital Classroom, (Book and Video Training) Overview

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Photoshop CS5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide Review

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Photoshop CS5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide ReviewI've purchased Adobe 3rd party books over the years and I'm not sure if this was the intention, but the Visual Quickstart Guide for CS5 appears to me as a complete overhaul. Beautifully laid out, easy to find stuff, and even the screen captures (which are a big part of the book) are extra large.
Just wonderful. I wonder if the other upcoming Visual Quickstart Guides are overhauls too?Photoshop CS5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide Overview

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Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS5 (Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech)) Review

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Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS5 (Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech)) ReviewI had looked at several books on learning CS5 and most of them seemed to be suited for people who had used previous versions of Photoshop and now wanted to learn CS5. Well, I wasn't in that boat. I had never used Photoshop at all, so I needed to learn from the ground up. If you are in the same spot I was, this is the book for you. It assumes you know nothing about the program and even goes so far as to show you how to launch it from the Programs menu, which I got a good chuckle out of, thinking "Hey! Even my dad could follow this!"
The style is very straight-forward and outside of a one or two sentence synopsis at the start of every task, it's all about doing, not reading. The steps for any given task are clear and the illustrations are helpful. This book is not going to make you a Photoshop professional but it quickly shows you how to use all of the tools. I highly recommend it for the beginner.Teach Yourself VISUALLY Photoshop CS5 (Teach Yourself VISUALLY (Tech)) Overview

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Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers Using Photoshop (Voices That Matter) Review

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Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers Using Photoshop (Voices That Matter) ReviewIf you ever find yourself sat infront of your computer screen staring at some portrait shots you've taken, Photoshop open and saying "Now what?" or quite simply you want to make your portrait shots look their very best, then I can't say it any simpler than You Need This Book!
`Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers using Photoshop' is the latest book by Photographer and Photoshop Guru Scott Kelby and in my own opinion this time he's out done himself and produced what I predict will become the Retouching Bible! Seriously...the book is that good!
With what appears to be an infinite supply of Photoshop books out there lining shelves in book stores it can be incredibly difficult knowing which ones/s to get especially when each and every one promises to `share the secrets of the pros'. The risk of possibly wasting your hard earned cash on a book that you'll glance through disappointingly and then never pick up again is real, and one that I'm sure most of us have done on more than one occasion.
However, this latest book changes things. We now have a book that not only gives us techniques that are easy to follow and apply but a book that eliminates the feeling of `What do I do now?'
This new book is full to the brim of techniques that work and work extremely well and what's more they're written and explained in a way that makes them easy to understand and then apply to your own work.
If you're familiar with Scott's Digital Photography Book series [Link] and the one page, one tip style then this is kind of written in the same way. Now obviously I don't mean that each technique takes just one page to explain but what I do mean is that the techniques don't drag on and confuse the heck out of you; Scott gets to the point and in a way that feels like he's there with you..."Do this, now do that...there you go!" Simple!
Some folks have `complained' in the past about Scott's humour in his writing but I think even `they' are going to be impressed this time. I don't know if it's an intentional decision on Scott's behalf but this latest book does seem to be written in a way that's slightly different to what we've become accustomed to, but that's definitely a good thing. Personally I like Scott's writing style...I'm a very visual person so for me to read, I need to be entertained as well as informed but this latest book will definitely appeal to all.
So what does the book cover?
The book is made up of 7 Chapters each covering a different area of retouching and on most occasions showing more than one technique to achieve the same/similar result so you can choose which fits in best with your way of working...
Chapter 1: Retouching Eyes
Increasing Contrast in the Iris
Darkening the Outer Rim of the Iris
Adding More Life to the Eyes
Enhancing and/or Creating Catch Lights
Brightening the Whites of the Eyes
Removing Eye Veins
Changing Eye Colour
Reducing Dark Circles Under Eyes
Making Eyes Larger (or Smaller)
Swapping One Eye for the Other
Enhancing Eyelashes
Creating Beautiful Eyebrows
Making Fuller Eyebrows
Darkening the Eyebrows
Sharpening Eyes to Make Them Sparkle
Chapter 2: Retouching Skin
Removing Blemishes
How to Avoid Plastic-Looking Skin
Basic "Quickie" Skin Softening
Softening Skin While Retaining Texture
Softening Skin & Adding Texture Back In
High Pass Skin Softening
Softening Skin Using Channels
Reducing or Removing Wrinkles
Removing Hot Spots
Balance Skin Tones
Reducing Stubble
Applying Digital Makeup
Creating Porcelain-Looking Skin
Sharpening Portraits
Chapter 3: Reshaping Facial Features
Reshaping the Face and Head
Making Features More Symmetrical
Sculpting the Face by Dodging & Burning
Chapter 4: Retouching Hair
Adding Highlights to Hair
Removing Stray Hair Strands
Fixing Gaps in Hair
Changing Hair Colour
Darkening a Part Line
Hiding Roots
Chapter 5: Retouching the Lips and Mouth
Making Lips Larger
Creating Glossy Lips
Applying or Tweaking Lipstick
Changing the Shade of Lip Colour
Repairing Teeth
Whitening Teeth and Reducing Yellowing
Chapter 6: Slimming and Trimming
Overall Slimming
Slimming One Person in a Group Shot
Reducing a Double Chin & Thinning the Face
Thinning Arms or Legs
Getting Great Abs
Fixing Clothes (Lumps, Bagging & Folds)
Chapter 7: My 5-, 15-, and 30 Minute Retouches
Retouching Checklist
My Five-Minute Retouch
My 15-Minute Retouch
My 30-Minute Retouch
Now this Chapter is the icing on the cake! Sure it's ok to know all these different techniques but when do you apply them, and in what order and more to the point how do you decide what needs doing anyway?
In Chapter 7 Scott goes through 3 retouches from start to finish...each more involved than the next; a 5 minute, a 15 minute and a 30 minute retouch covering techniques explained throughout the book and what's more there's an included `Check List' that you can use during your own retouching that goes through the kind of questions you should be asking yourself and that will help you to decide what to do.
Summary
As Photographers we should all aim to get the best `out of camera' images we can but it doesn't stop there! The money and time we've all invested, and continue to do so, to improve our skills still doesn't take away the fact that EVERY image requires some form of editing...even if it's adding a little more contrast and some sharpening.
Being proficient in Photoshop is all part of being a photographer just as knowing what to do in the dark room was in the days of film and this book will give you all you need to finish off your portraits and show them off at their very best.
No matter how proficient you may be in Photoshop you will DEFINITELY learn some valuable techniques amongst the books 384 pages, oh and although the book is written in such a way that you can dive into any section you want, be sure NOT to skip the introduction as there's some valuable hints and tips plus details of the book's accompanying website that includes downloads for you to use too.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!Professional Portrait Retouching Techniques for Photographers Using Photoshop (Voices That Matter) Overview

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The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) Review

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The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) ReviewI'm not new to photography, but I'm fairly new to Photoshop...CS5 in particular. In the interest of quickly getting up-to-speed, I signed up a few weeks ago with an Adobe Certified Instructor to provide personal Photoshop mentoring to me on a once-a-week basis. To supplement these sessions, I also joined NAPP and have watched dozens of their video tutorials; Adobe TV, etc. At the same time, I also picked up another highly respected author's book on CS5 (lets call it the "me" book) to try and put things together. The videos have helped, but I must candidly say that I quickly got lost in complexities of the writing in the "me" book and found it quite frustrating to say the least! Thats not to say that the "me" book isn't well done, but it is clearly written for someone that has had a fair amount of Photoshop experience in the past. IMHO, it's just way too detailed for the neophite user.
Then WOW...fast forward to Scott's new book which arrived at my home earlier this week. What an amazing book this is indeed. BANG...just open up to any Chapter and there you have a very straightforward, concise, step-by-step tutorial to guide and fast-track even the most inexperienced user through the process of getting the very best results out of his or her images. Photoshop frustration has been replaced with Photoshop fun. Trust me, using this book is like having Scott looking over you shoulder as you go through his easy-to-follow methodology. Even the complete novice can process some amazing images the very first time through.
Without reservation, I highly recommend you BUY THIS BOOK!!! Thanks, Scott, I'm having an absolute blast.The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book Review

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book ReviewThere are things I really liked about this book and things I really didn't like.
The primary thing I didn't like was the approach they took to the exercises. For instance in the section on adjusting color in Camera Raw, they tell you specifically (by number) where to move the temperature, tint, exposure, blacks, contrast, clarity, vibrance, and saturation sliders, but there is no discussion as to why these amounts for this image work. This problem goes on throughout the book. I'd say that's a pretty huge weakness.
On page 118 there is a pull out box with the headline "About layer-comps" that has 3 paragraphs talking about how great layer comps are. (It's a way to look at different versions of complicated multi-layer PS file.) But it doesn't tell you how to create one, or even mention that there is a complete discussion of the subject that begins on page 242.
But the things I did like make this book worth purchasing. At the end of each section are review questions and answers. The answers are wonderful, brief and to the point. And there are other golden nuggets of information sprinkled throughout the chapters and book. For instance in the section on Working with channels it says, "To avoid confusing channels and layers, think of channels as containing an image's color and selection information; think of layers as containing painting and effects." While I knew that intuitively from working with them so much, I could never have explained it so simply.
The section on creating paths using the pen tool that starts on page 202 is the best description I have read. I've used the pen tool a lot, and I've been putting too many points in because I didn't really understand it. I dog-eared this section so I can find it quickly. I ended up adding 9 such dog-ears throughout the book.
The section on the mixer brush was also very well done, and another area I was not up to speed on. I had been going over to Corel Painter for most of my painting issues, and it looks as though that may not be necessary.
So while this book has examples that I didn't find useful, it is worth reading every word because you never know when there will be some wonderful explanation that you hadn't heard. I mean it was written by the people who created Photoshop 'Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book Overview

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Photoshop CS5: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks (Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks) Review

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Photoshop CS5: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks (Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks) ReviewI have been using Photoshop since version 3 and CS5 (version 12) has a few new bells and whistles and this book is excellent at revealing them to experienced Photoshop users. There are always the 3 inch thick PS "bibles" that get published that provide broad coverage of everything in Photoshop but as a whole they are a lot less useful than the more focused guides such as this one.
I much prefer to use a book for learning about Photoshop features and how to best use them. That way I can refer to the book while working on an actual image on the computer. Many of the books on Photoshop are so deficient in clear illustrations as to make this process useless. Not so with this book where the steps are clearly illustrated with screen captures which include the dialog boxes as well. Basic stuff you might think, but something that is absent from 90% of the books on Photoshop.
Probably about a third is pretty basic and will be of little use to experienced Photoshop users but the remaining two-thirds is well worth the cost of this book. I looked around quite a while at different books on CS5 and this was the best I could find at providing an introduction into the use of the new capabilities of this latest edition from Adobe.
This book is clearly enough written and illustrated for even a novice to use and benefit and at the same time it is a very fast way for an experienced Photoshop user to get up to speed quickly and for general use as a reference when you cannot remember how to exactly do something with Photoshop.
What anyone who has slogged through the Kirby books will appreciate is that the authors put their egos aside and provide only relevant information in a very concise manner. This is a real time saver and I know in the future that if I do get other books on CS5 this book will be the one I probably go to first for a quick answer. This book was put together by instructional pros and not by people who know Photoshop but are not very effective at transferring that knowledge to others.Photoshop CS5: Top 100 Simplified Tips and Tricks (Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks) Overview

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Revealed Review

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Revealed ReviewAdobe Photoshop CS5 Revealed is the required textbook for a class I am currently enrolled in. The book is newly released and wasn't available at the college book store. This is where Amazon pre-order comes in handy.
The good: Step by step instructions that someone with NO prior experience with Adobe can follow and actually comprehend! Graphics and screen shots are appropriate, seem to be accurate, and are interesting. Contents are in a layout that is simple and makes for an easy reference guide. PS Lingo is in bold and colored type.
I like the sidebars and the design projects. Revealed is set up in a manner that pretty much assures student success. That's good! This is a solid and thoughtful textbook that I'm glad I bought.
I also have AQUENT Digital Classroom Photoshop CS4. To compare the two - Revealed CS5 has a sequential format that makes sense to the novice. Revealed also includes content on the new mini bridge and extended content with painting techniques. The size and "cut" of Revealed allow it to lay open on the desk, where Aquent is bulky and hard to manage. A spiral ring binding would be even better. Step by Step instructions in Revealed are on colored side bands with bold headings - Step by Steps are somewhat buried in white space in the Aquent.
The bad: Revealed PS CS5 may be too simple for someone with PS experience. I don't see a lot of WOW in here, but the lessons seem strong in the basics with enough fun to keep it interesting. I'm pretty confident I will be able to produce something on my own once I'm through with the lessons and projects. (I've been going through the lessons using my own photos - see below)
The ugly: The content CD was broken. The content CD in the replacement was broken. Hopefully 3rd time is a charm. Amazon has one-day shipped the replacements and customer service was a breeze, but really...this is unacceptable. As to the ADVENT CS4 book, THAT CD was also broken and I had to go through the publisher for a replacement.
Hey Amazon - figure out how to "tag" these books with content cd's, so the warehouse knows how pack it properly for shipping!Adobe Photoshop CS5 Revealed Overview

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