The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're like me, when you sit down to process photos you don't really have the time to explore options and try out new techniques. You just have time to do the work. Though my byline above IDs me as a book author, I also do color correction for the photos in my books, and have done commercial photo retouching since those dark days in darkrooms. I learned Photoshop on version 1.0 (we upgraded from Digital Darkroom, anyone else remember that?), and since that time haven't kept up much with all the new improvements. I just get photos in and need to get them out. Quickly.
Anyway, I haven't bought a Photoshop book in years. I saw the other good reviews this book is getting and thought I'd give it a try.
And boy am I glad I did!
There are four chapters here I'm going to use a lot:
CHAPTER 6 is filled with shortcuts, tips and tricks. Many other books are too, yes, but this one has a straightforward presentation filled with doses of humor. (Whereas many software guides are about as interesting as a dead fish, this one is filled with a lively, witty writing style that nevertheless gets its points across cleanly.)
CHAPTER 7 is all about color correction, which is my main concern. A section called "The trick pros use to make color correction simple" is nice to know. It suggests using black, gray and white cards in your photo, and the Curves adjustment in Photoshop to almost automatically correct the color.
CHAPTER 10 focuses (sorry, bad pun) on problematic photos. Included are:
a. Fixing color in indoor shots
b. When your subject is in the shadows
c. 15-second fix for under- or overexposed photos
d. Dodging and burning in CS4
e. Instant red-eye removal
f. Fixing reflections in glasses
g. The CS4 secret to fixing group shots
h. Having Photoshop extend your depth of field
i. The fastest way to resize brushes ever (plus you can change their hardness, too)
CHAPTER 13 finally explained the configuration of color space to me in a way I, after all these years, now understand. There is also both the lame way and the correct way to calibrate your monitor.
Also covered thoroughly: Bridge, Camera Raw, black and white photography, HDR, special effects and sharpening.
With crisp text, clear descriptions, a pleasing layout and great organization, this is a book I'll be using every day. What a resource!
The author has written two other books, both of which our company uses often:
The Digital Photography Book
The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2

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ARE YOU READY FOR AN AMAZING NEW VERSION OF THE PHOTOSHOP BOOK THAT BREAKS ALL THE RULES?Scott Kelby, the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today, once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers the latest, most important, and most exciting new Adobe Photoshop CS4 techniques for digital photographers. This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that's never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step-by-step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That's why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guide in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world.LEARN HOW THE PROS DO ITEach year Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges—and that's exactly what he covers in this book. You'll learn:• The sharpening techniques the pros really use.• The pros' tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast!• The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen.• A whole chapter on how to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images.• How to master new CS4 interface and workflow features.• How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat.• How to process RAW digital camera images (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS4!).• How to add real automation to your work.• How to show your work like a pro!• A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick "insider" tricks to send your productivity through the roof!Plus, Scott included a special bonus chapter with his own CS4 workflow, from start to finish. If you're a digital photographer, and you're ready to learn the "tricks of the trade"—the same ones that today's leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work—then you're holding the book that will do just that.

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Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision Review

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(More customer reviews)I've bought and read dozens of how-to photography books over the years. I enjoyed Peterson, Freeman and many others. In the digital age we have a glut of books on digital photography and post-processing by well-known self-promoters churning out the product. Until now, the only two remaining on my shelf were Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography and Bob Krist's Spirit of Place.
Within the Frame will join them. When millions of photos are snapped by cameras and phones or produced via software, David eloquently reminds us that vision, creativity, sensitivity and thought are (and always have been) at the core of making (not just taking) meaningful images. This book is a must-read, and one which you'll return to again and again for inspiration and insight. Deserves to be in hardcover, and easily earns the right to be called a classic.

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Within the Frame is a book about finding and expressing your photographic vision, specifically where people, places, and cultures are concerned. A personal book full of real-world wisdom and incredible images, author David duChemin (of pixelatedimage.com) shows you both the how and the why of finding, chasing, and expressing your vision with a camera to your eye. Vision leads to passion, and passion is a cornerstone of great photography. With it, photographs draw the eye in and create an emotional experience. Without it, a photograph is often not worth—and can't capture—a viewer's attention.Both instructional and inspirational, Within the Frame helps you on your photographic journey to make better images of the places and people you love, whether they are around the world or in your own backyard. duChemin covers how to tell stories, and the technology and tools we have at our disposal in order to tell those narratives. Most importantly, he stresses the crucial theme of vision when it comes to photographing people, places, and cultures—and he helps you cultivate and find your own vision, and then fit it within the frame.

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The Photoshop Elements 8 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a big fan of Scott Kelby's / Matt Kloskowski's books and their style of "here how to get there, step by step, with vivid illustrations and (often) funny narrative". If this is your first Elements for Digital Photographers book - go out and get it! $31 is a very fair price for tonnes and tonnes of useful tips and how-tos. Put it this way - if you had to pay someone to train you, how much he or she would charge you.. per hour?
However, if you already own one of their Elements for Digital Photographers (either 6 or 7), there is very few (if any at all!) new pieces of information here. In fact, this book is missing a chapter called "Create or Die - How to Make Presentations with your Photos" which is found in Elements for Digital Photographers 7 version. Was that a particularly useful chapter? Not really. Will you miss it? I doubt.
I am, however, disappointed not to find a new chapter that, for example, shows me cool new tips and tricks, or a chapter with "case studies" - "here is the original photo, here is where you can download it online so let's sit down and fix it together, step-by-step."
Bottom line: if you already own Elements for Digital Photographers books 6 or 7, no need to buy this one, even if you upgraded your APE to v.8. If you don't, go and get one now!

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This book (for Windows and Mac) breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure things out on your own. Instead, it does something that virtually no other Elements book has ever done—it tells you flat-out which settings to use, when to use them, and why. If you're looking for one of those "tell-me-everything-about-the-Unsharp-Maskfilter" books, this isn't it. You can grab any other Elements book on the shelf, because they all do that. Instead, this book gives you the inside tips and tricks of the trade for organizing, correcting, editing, sharpening, retouching, and presenting your photos like a pro. You'll be absolutely amazed at how easy and effective these techniques are—once you know the secrets. You'll learn:
The real secrets of how the pros retouch portraits
How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat (you'll be amazed at how they do it!)
How to use Camera Raw for processing not only RAW photos, but JPEGs and TIFFs, too! (And you'll learn why so many pros like it best— because it's faster and easier)
The sharpening techniques the pros really use (there's an entire chapter just on this!)
How to deal with common digital camera image problems, including removing noise and avoiding halos
The most requested photographic special effects, and much more!
The Book's Secret WeaponAlthough Elements 8 offers some digital photography features that Photoshop CS4 doesn't offer, there are plenty of features that Photoshop CS4 has that Elements 8 still doesn't have (things like paths, Channel Mixer, etc.). But in this book, you'll learn some slick workarounds, cheats, and some fairly ingenious ways to replicate many of those Photoshop features from right within Elements. Plus, since this book is designed for photographers, it doesn't waste your time talking about how to frame a shot, setting your exposure, etc., and there's no talk about which camera or printer to buy. It's all Elements, step-by-step, cover-to-cover, in the only book of its kind!

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

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(More customer reviews)I'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.

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Are you ready for an amazing new version of The Photoshop Book that breaks all the rules? Scott Kelby, Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine—and the best-selling Photoshop author in the world today—once again takes this book to a whole new level as he uncovers more of the latest, most important, and most useful new Adobe Photoshop CS5 techniques for digital photographers. This major update to his award-winning, record-breaking book does something for digital photographers that's never been done before—it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, Scott shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers, and best of all, he shows you flat-out exactly which settings to use, when to use them, and why. That's why the previous editions of this book are widely used as the official study guide in photography courses at colleges and universities around the world. Learn how the pros do it Each year, Scott trains thousands of professional photographers how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges—and that's exactly what he covers in this book. You'll learn:
The sharpening techniques the pros really use.
The pros' tricks for fixing the most common digital photo problems fast!
The step-by-step setup for getting what comes out of your printer to match exactly what you see onscreen.
A whole chapter on how to process HDR (High Dynamic Range) images using CS5's new Merge to HDR Pro.
How to master CS5's new Content-Aware Fill.
How to color correct any photo without breaking a sweat.
How to process RAW images like a pro (plus how to take advantage of all the new Camera Raw features in CS5!).
How to use the included gray card to make color correction just a matter of three clicks.
How to show your work like a pro!
A host of shortcuts, workarounds, and slick "insider" tricks to send your productivity through the roof!
Plus, Scott includes a special bonus chapter with his own CS5 workflow, from start to finish, and each chapter ends with a Photoshop Killer Tips section, packed with time-saving, job-saving tips that make all the difference. If you're a digital photographer, and if you're ready to learn all the "tricks of the trade"—the same ones that today's leading pros use to correct, edit, sharpen, retouch, and present their work—then you're holding the book that will do just that.

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