Review of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6: A Visual Introduction to Digital Photography (book with CD) (Paperback)

After buying Elements 6 and finding it hard to understand (and the Help menu of little help)for a novice like me I purchased the book by Mark Galer titled Elements 6 Maximum Performance.I found the book too difficult to follow and understand although the included DVD was helpful.I then purchased "Visual Introduction ... and found it to be just what I needed to help me put new life into my digital photographs.The included CD whas somewhat disappointing but nonetheless helpful and that is the reason for 4 stars instead of 5.

The book takes you from downloading your photo's, organizing them in the Organizer, fixing and editing your photos including underexposure and overexposure. Color correction and changing, cropping, all either automatically or fully manual. Using layers and the tool box.Creating albums and scrapbooks, and fun things like photomerge and stiching, slideshows with music, etc., etc.

Excellent step-by-step instruction that is easy to read and understand will take the mystery out of the Elements 6 program.So if you are new to the Elements software like me, a novice like me, and want to know all the in's and out's of Elements 6 like me, then buy this book - like me.



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Review of Photoshop 6 for Mac Fast & Easy (Fast & Easy) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

I recently acquired Photoshop 6 and Dreamweaver with the intention of building my first commercial web site.I have done some design before, and am very experienced in music editing and other software programs.I initially bought the Classroom in a Book series by Adobe and was having trouble following their lines of thinking.This book, although not as comprehensive as the Adobe, is by far better organized and presented.Not only does it follow in a logical order for someone new to the Photoshop environment, it also gives you large pictures with pointers detailing every step of the process.I am in 2 days, far more comfortable on Photoshop than I was with 4 days and the Adobe book.This book is definitely for beginners, and I am sure you will want an additional book or two to fill in the more complex processes that are available.For the price it can't be beat.

Product Description
Unparalleled Web and business communication growth has increased the professional demand for digital imaging, whereas on the consumer side, the availability of affordable, high-quality hardware and services has driven a larger audience to try out the latest technology.With this growth, Photoshop is becoming even more popular.Photoshop X for Mac Fast & Easy walks you through the often intimidating and overwhelming feature set of Photoshop by presenting tasks in concise steps complemented by clear illustrations.It leads you through key tasks, all specific to the Mac, including creating new images, editing images from other sources such as a scanner or digital camera, adding effects, and prepping images for Web use.This book presents information in a format that's appealing for beginning users who want clear steps for Photoshop operations and also for intermediate users who want a fast introduction to the new version of the software.The visual, step-by-step approach makes the learning process appealing to users of all levels.

About the Author
Lisa A. Bucki, currently residing in Fairview, North Carolina, has spent six years as a consultant, author, technical writer developer, and trainer.She has more than twelve years of experience with computer book publishing.She has developed over 100 computer book titles and has been an author, co-author, contributor to more then 35 books and multimedia titles, including "Keynote Fast & Easy" (Premier Press, 1592001297), "Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Fast & Easy Web Development" (Premier Press, 159200119X), Adobe Photoshop Digital Darkroom(1931841926, Premier Press), Mac OS X Version 10.2 Jaguar Fast & Easy" (1592000444, Premier Press), and "Managing Microsoft Project 98" (Premier Press, 0761519866).

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Review of Photoshop 7 Complete Course for MAC Users (Paperback)

As a designer who needed to expand my capabilities,I found this to be the best book I've seen on Photoshop - by far.

I had considered plunking down a lot of cash to take a hands-on Photoshop seminar, but I'm glad I got this book instead.I saved a ton and learned more than I probably would have in a class.

The progressive tutorials are an amazingly easy way to quickly learn how all of the great Photoshop tools work.They areclear and easy to follow, and at the same time offer tons of practical information about how to use Photoshop in the real world. I especially appreciated how the illustrations move right along to help explain the steps in the tutorials. The writer gave me all the information I needed to create the projects and get a good sense of how Photoshop really works. And the tutorials focus on exactly the kind of tools I need to do my job.Jan Kabili really knows what she's talking about.

I'm not a total Photoshop novice, but I didn't realize how much there was to learn until I read this book. This is one of the most useful Photoshop books in my design library.

Product Description
* Each session explains chapter goals, materials needed, time required, a list of key concepts and features, and additional projects.
* Each page includes screenshots or photographs to accompany the text.
* CD-ROM contains all of the files and materials needed for the project.

From the Back Cover
Written by a renowned trainer and illustrated throughout in full color, this complete course shows you how to master the full range of Photoshop tools and techniques while working on a single project. Seventeen sessions and more than 100 step-by-step tutorials, accompanied by vivid color images and screen shots, walk you through the creation of a spectacular film festival brochure from start to finish. After completing the course, you'll have an impressive portfolio piece - and a thorough understanding of Photoshop fundamentals.

• Extract objects and restore the background image.
• Use blending sliders to adjust brightness and create composites.
• Filter selected areas and control filter intensity.

CD-ROM Contents

• Adobe Photoshop tryout
• Tutorial files with materials needed to complete all the sessions in the book
• Iteration files that show what the project should look like at the end of each session

System Requirements: PC running Windows 98 or later; Power Macintosh running System 8.6 or later. See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

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Review of Adobe Photoshop 7 Fast & Easy [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

I agree with the other reviewer about all of the photos being in black and white makes it very hard to tell the difference between the before and after photos. The book seems to go over many ways in which you can use photoshop which might be of interest to someone who has some experience with the program. However it doesn't seem to be good for a beginner. I tried using it and became frustrated soon after that.

Product Description
Get all the basics of Adobe Photoshop with the Premier Press fast & easy series. Learn key tasks including creating new images, editing images from other sources such as a scanner or digital camera, adding effects, prepping images for Web use, and much more. Concise steps complemented by clear illustrations will walk you bravely through the sometimes intimidating and overwhelming feature set of Photoshop. This cross-platform edition presents information in a format that's appealing for beginning users who want clear steps for Photoshop operations and for more intermediate users who want a fast introduction to the new version of the software.

About the Author
An author and consultant, Lisa A. Bucki has been involved in computer training and writing for more than 12 years. She also wrote Managing with Microsoft Project 2002 and Mac OS X Fast & Easy, and revised Adobe Photoshop 7 Digital Darkroom, all for Prima Tech. Overall, she has written or contributed to more than 40 books and multimedia products for Premier Press (formerly Prima Tech) and other publishers. She also was the project manager for more than 100 computer and trade titles during her association with Macmillan. Bucki currently also serves as a consultant and trainer in western North Carolina.

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Review of Adobe Photoshop 6 Digital Darkroom (Paperback)

Lisa Lee writes in a down-to-the-point-way. The book is en excellent INTRODUCTION to the digital darkroom. However: this is no specific introduction to using Photoshop 6, as one might believe.
I've not yet had the time to dig reeeally deep into this book, but a few hours of looking through it tells me that the experienced (I'm an ACE in Photoshop) user might feel that this book doesn't contain what one might expect.
Lisa Lee writes about different cameras, going deeper under the surface at one of them. I think that is a good idea, because most of the digital cameras have many options in common.
She also tips the reader on HOW to take pictures, in the short-and-to-the-point-way one needs. (Time is not what we have most of, is it?) I do recommend this book - especially for beginners to intermediate users :)

Product Description
Photoshop 6 is Adobe's well-received, highly acclaimed update to its most popular product. Adobe Photoshop 6 Digital Darkroom is a full-color tutorial-based book that shows you how to work step by step with digital pictures. Learn how to use the newest features in Photoshop, as well as more traditional tasks such as correcting colors, applying effects, and working with layers, channels, and masks. This is a cross-platform guide that shows you how to use Photoshop to create great-looking digital pictures for your Web site. Intermediate to advanced Photoshop users will benefit most from this book.ItemID: 0761531637

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Review of 1001 Photoshop Tips (Mac/Graphics) (Paperback)

This is not only the biggest book on my shelf, it has become the one I use the most often.

I like the tip format -- when I need a solution, I can turn right to the steps I need to perform.

Anderson's graphic arts skills shine -- he shows how to do cool things with simple operations and graphics (and photo images) anyone can create.

Anyone who uses Photoshop should own this book.

Product Description
Photoshop is a program that allows designers to manipulate photographic images for use in print or Web designs.1001 Photoshop Tips is the ultimate reference to guide you in doing just that.This is the only book on the market that is structured with a series of tips for small and manageable learning segments.You can begin with Tip 1 and work through the book, adding to your knowledge of Photoshop until you become an expert.Or, you can simply look up the tip that you need at the moment to get the most out of Photoshop as you use the program.This book grows with your skills, which makes it the perfect book for every Photoshop user's reference shelf!

About the Author
Andy Anderson combiners a rare blend of technical and communications skills, seldom seen in a university professor. Formerly director a four-state college school system, he designed, wrote, and implemented curriculum dealing with compute science, graphics arts, and the Internet. He has authored over 17 major titles in creative design (including one science-fiction novel, and a cookbook), written numerous articles for magazines and newspapers, appeared on NBC news as a computer consultant, and produced over 50 training CD's and DVD's. Andy uses his unique talents to work with and train designers fromFortune 500 companies to Hollywood studios. He is the owner of One-of-a-Kind Productions, Inc, a company specializing in speeches, advertising, animation, and multi-media marketing and advertising. He holds several degrees including: science, education, and history. While considered one of the top designer/trainers in the United States, his creative drive does not stop there... his talents range into the culinary arts, where he honed his skills in Europe. His latest cookbook: Cooking with a Plan, Volume I: Back to the Kitchen, will be on bookshelves in the Summer of 2008. When he's not touring the planet sharing his knowledge with other like-minded creative people, he enjoys staying at home in Wichita, Kansas, with his wonderful wife, Bonnie, and their two dogs: Herb Tarlic Jr. and Lovejoy. In the Spring and Summer months you can find him working on his next book or project, out by Koi pond, and staring at the fish, or teaching a creative cooking class. One of his favorite mottos is: Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.

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Review of Adobe Photoshop CS3 Photographers Guide (Paperback)

OK, you've purchased a DSLR and either Photoshop CS3 or Elements. Now you want to know how you can best use your new camera to capture the best images you can, so that when you get them into Photoshop you'll be able to process them to their fullest potential and really get some impressive images, much better than the point n shoot crowd. You can spend 3 years and read nearly 20 books like I did, but who really has time for that? Isn't there one book out there that gives someone a good taste of all of the components of photography and Photoshop? Yep, this is the one! I've read it through, and comparing it to several other all-in-one guides to both photography and Photoshop, this is one of the best choices. There are many good soup-to-nuts Photoshop books out there, but not many of them teach how to optimize your photography skills to ensure the best possible image BEFORE firing up Photoshop. How do you get a great image out of Photoshop? Start with a great image. This book tells you how, and it's not just for beginners.

Pick this one up, even if you own a different version of Photoshop. It's a winner.

Product Description
Photography and Photoshop go hand in hand. Whether you're using a digital pixel-grabber or hanging onto a film camera, Adobe's revamped flagship image editor, Photoshop CS3, has the tools you need to fine-tune your photos and correct errors in exposure, lighting, and color balance. This full-color book is packed with effective examples, simple-to follow techniques, and tricks that serve as a jumping-off point to spark your own creativity into action. You don't need to be an ace photographer or Photoshop expert to create eye-catching effects through both traditional and leading-edge photographic techniques.Use easy-to-master Photoshop tools to: * Match colors between shots taken under wildly different lighting conditions. * Duplicate colorful "cross processing" darkroom effects. * Morph images to blend or distort them. * Add zoom lens blur effects without using a zoom lens. * Preserve all the key tonal values and separation between subjects in your monochrome images with new black-and-white conversion techniques.

About the Author
With more than a million books in print, David D. Busch is a best-selling author of books on digital photography and imaging technology, and the originator of popular series like "David Busch's Pro Secrets" and "David Busch's Quick Snap Guides." He has written six hugely successful guidebooks for Nikon digital SLR models, and the most comprehensive manuals for dSLRs from Canon, Sony, and other vendors.His many other books devoted to digital photography include "David Busch's Digital Infrared Pro Secrets" and "Mastering Digital SLR Photography."As a roving photojournalist for more than 20 years, he has illustrated his books, magazine articles, and newspaper reports with award-winning images. Busch has operated his own commercial studio, suffocated in formal dress while shooting weddings-for-hire, and shot sports for a daily newspaper and upstate New York college.His photographs and articles have been published in magazines as diverse as "PhotoGraphic," "Popular Photograph & Imaging," "The Rangefinder," and hundreds of other publications.He's also reviewed digital cameras for CNet Networks and Computer Shopper.

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Review of 50 Fast Photoshop 7 Techniques (Paperback)

Intended user: Beginning to Advanced

I knew just by thumbing through this book that I was going to enjoy the time I spent reviewing it. And then when I read these words on page two of the introduction - "If I had to make a single recommendation about how to quickly learn to successfully use Photoshop, it would be to learn all about those few features that you need to use to get your work done - and ignore the rest." - I said where was this book 5+ years ago? Oh sure there has always been instructional books similiar to this, but most are bible length epics and just as cryptic as the bible itself.

The book comes with a CD-ROM that not only includes:

*50 sets of "before" and "after" images
*A Photoshop tryout version: 6.0, but hey - beats having to download.
*An ebook.pdf of the book that you can keep on your computer.
*A slide show of all 50 techniques
*A companion webpage: called www.reallyusefulpage.com, and
*You can even email the author himself - right from the CD.

The first six chapters are set up as a Photoshop bootcamp, to help you become successful with the last 44 techniques. Even if you are an experienced user o f Photoshop, I recommend - as does the author - that you complete all six techniques in Chapter 1 before trying any of the other techniques. Then you will have the required knowledge to try any of the other techniques in any order that you want .

Take a Peek at All the Information Packed In This Book:

Chapter 1 - Photoshop 7 Fundamentals - Techniques 1-6:

Configuring Photoshop, Controlling Image Window, Automamating Tasks, Creative Experimentation, Calibrating Your Monitor, and Configuring Basic Color Management.

Chapter 2 - Correcting, Enhancing, and Restoring Digital Photos -Techniques 7-13:

Quick Image Correction, Advanced Image Correction, Increasing Color Saturation, Restoring an Old Image-(my personal favorite), Removing Noise or Grain, Sharpening Digital Photos, and Adding Information to a Digital Photo.

Chapter 3 - Working In Black and White -Techniques 14-19:

(2)Converting a Photo to B&W, Burning and Dodging with Masks, Using Scaling Masks to Speed Edits, Isolating and Extracting Detail using Values, and Selective Focusing.

Chapter 4 - Creative Experimentation - Techniques 20-25:

Hand-Painting a Black and White Image, Creating a Pseudolsolarization, Adding a Traditional Darkroom Texture Screen Effect, Fixing Images with a Digital Graduated Neutral Density Filter, Simulating an Infrared Film Effect, and Creating a Toned Image.

Chapter 5 - Combining Photos in Montages, Collages, and Composites -Techniques 26-29:

Creating Photo Objects, Making a PhotoMontage, Combining Bracketed Photos, and Using a Mask to Create a Collage

Chapter 6 - Fine Art Techniques - Techniques 30-35:

Total Color Transformation, Using Filters to Create Fine Art Prints, Coloring a Digital Sketch, Creating a Pen Ink Sketch Using a Watercolor Wash, Creating a Digital Painting, Creative Use of Filters and Commands.

Chapter 7 - Using Plug-Ins to Add Impact to Your Photos - Techniques 36-41:

Using Image Correction Plug-Ins, Using Grain Surgery to Remove Digital Noise, Convering Color to B&W Using Convert to B&W Pro, Creating Artwork with Buzz.Pro 2.0, Using a Pen Tablet and Pen Palette 1.0, and Using Special Effects Plug-Ins.

Chapter 8 - Making Photographic Prints - Techniques 42-47:

Using Print Preview (Picture Package and Contact), Increasing Image Size to Make Large Prints, Using an ICC Profile When Printing with an Epson 880/1280 Printer, Getting Fuji Frontier Prints Made, Using Shutterfly's Online Printing Service, Getting Lightjet 5000 Prints from Calypso Inc.

Chapter 9 - Creating An Online Gallery - Techniques 48-50:

Creating an Online Gallery, Creating Animations Using Digital Photos, and Creating an Image Map.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone from beginners to professionals who work with Photoshop everyday. Not only is it loaded with detailed, reference information - (and CD) - it's also a [great price]BR>MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5

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Trixie McGuire ...

Product Description
50 Fast Photoshop "X" Techniques for is an immensely useful book for anyone wanting to take advantage of the very latest release of the world's top digital imaging tool, Adobe Photoshop.
The techniques are valuable to both pros and hobbyists alike - they enable everyone to enjoy successful creation of fine art images and prints! The step-by-step and richly illustrated collection of awesome techniques are easily accessible and understandable to users on every level.
This is a new kind of Photoshop book-one that can help both casual users through professional users save time while creating professional quality images and effects!
ABOUT THE CD-ROM
CD-ROM is packed with low-res versions of all images from the book, allowing readers to follow along with the techniques. Tryouts and valuable utilities are also included.

From the Back Cover
Praise for the author's 50 Fast Digital Photo Techniques

"Provides 50 quick and easy tips on how to produce amazing images… Georges expertly teaches you how to duplicate each effect… Well worth adding to your library."
-Shutterbug magazine

If you're a graphic artist, a professional photographer, or a serious hobbyist, Photoshop is the clear choice for image-editing and special effects. Using striking before-and-after images and clear step-by-step instructions, Gregory Georges walks through 50 of today's coolest, fastest, most useful Photoshop tricks, from advanced image retouching and traditional photographic enhancements to striking Þne arts effects and archival print-making techniques.

Your Easy Guide to Professional Photoshop Tricks and Techniques

• Enhance photos by selectively correcting exposure or increasing color saturation
• Produce artistic B&W effects by dodging and burning or adding grain
• Embellish images with a hand-colored look or selective focusing
• Create photomontages and double exposures and replace backgrounds
• Transform photos into digital paintings or sketches
• Harness plug-ins to take retouching and artistic effects to the next level
• Output archival prints using a range of printers and techniques
• Set up an online art gallery to house your images

CD-ROM includes before-and-after images from the book and a tryout version of Adobe Photoshop

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