The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers

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Summary: excellent practical guide for digital photographers
Review: This is an excellent book which gives loads of practical advice for digital photographers. I previously purchased an 800 page Photoshop 7 book, which was very detailed but lacking in information for dealing with difficult photos. Scott Kelby's book is well-organized and very accessible, and his step-by-step guides are wonderful.

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Summary: The BEST Photoshop book I've EVER seen!!
Review: Well written, and the best part, EASY TO FOLLOW!!! I've read a lot of photoshop books (Photoshop Bible series) that are hundreds of pages long and not easy to follow. This book is amazing. Step by step, almost keystroke by keystroke, and that's what I need! I don't want to know WHY photoshop does what it does, I just want to know HOW to do it!! Great job Scott Kelby!! His Down and Dirty Tricks book is a MUST HAVE as well!!!!

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Summary: WOW
Review: This book really has it all. Great step-by-step instructions. Good for beginners. It has really inspired me to learn more.

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Summary: Scott Rocks again...and rolls out the Red Carpet 4 Retouch
Review: Being and educator and and Adobe Certified Expert probably influences my reviews with a more critical but always constructive edge. However, I gobbled up Scott Kelby's Photoshop book for Digital Photographers! Once again, Scott Kelby has impressed me with his glib down to earth writing style. With the help of his "photog" buddies, Kevin Ames and Jim DiVitale, he has produced a "must have" book that has perfectly targeted the most important and immediate needs for any "digital" photographer's appetite. This is one of the books chosen as the course text, for our Fall 2003 semester Photoshop classes for Digital Photography at Nashville State Community College. The world of Digital Imaging would not be the same without Scott's high energy, humor, talent, dedication, generosity and I remain...his Number 1 fan, as I credit him and NAPP, as the most influential factor in my Photoshop progress and career!

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Summary: Highly recommended Photoshop book
Review: The book is very good, with step-by-step instructions to fix common problems in photos and/or enhance your photos. Each technique also has suggested settings for the filters and commands used. Once you have used the technique a couple of times you can customize it to your need and get a good feeling on how each step work and what can be improved and adjusted to your particular need and likes. Overall a very good bok on Photoshop if youwant to use it on your photos. This book is not for you if you want deep and detailed explanation on each command and filter in Photoshop. If you are completely new to PS (i.e., never hav used it before and cannot understant the tools and layers) I would recommend get a basic PS book too.

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Summary: A must for digital photographers that use Photoshop
Review: Some of the ideas in this latest work by Scott Kelby are worth the price of the book itself. I wish I had known about these shortcuts to photo enhancement a long time ago. I find this collection of easy yet powerful tips to be even more useful than Photoshop 7 Down & Dirty Tricks (another Kelby book I like). Work smart, not hard with The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers.

Rating:
Summary: Worth borrowing
Review: Let me first tell you that I have never owned a digital camera before. And I've experimented with Photoshop on my own before, but never received training or read any books.

I bought this book because it was highly recommended to me by someone. The introduction is titled "Read this first, before something bad happens." I read it in the bookstore, and it really hyped me up into wanting to buy the book. Don't be mislead by this section. The techniques in this book are really simple. The back cover of the book states the target audience to be intermediate to advanced -- that's hardly the case. All of the techniques in the book can be found on the web! As I following the steps outlined in the book, I couldn't help but to yelp "DUH!" The book seems to repeat the same simple and the most basic photoshop techniques in difference contexts with slight variations over and over again. With an intelligence slightly above average and some sense of adventure, there isn't much that this book can give you that you couldn't have learned on your own.

And the most annoying thing with this book is the author's antics. He really tries hard to be funny. I usually don't mind authors trying to sprinkle some humor here and there, but the author of this book goes way too far. It came to a point where after a few chapters, I got so annoyed that I slammed the book shut and started getting ticked off at the author! I'm fairly free of psychological problems.

I'm going to return this book. It's not worth keeping. I've had it for a few days, and I was able to almost commit the entire thing to memory. Not because I have photographic memory, but because the techniques are really basic, and I've tried these techniques on my own in my own way.

If you've never had experience with any photo editing software (not even cutting and pasting), then get this book (thus the 2 stars). But if you have ever fooled with photoshop for more than an hour or so, then this book isn't for you.

Rating:
Summary: Pays for itself.
Review: Best step-by-step book I've ever seen. (I own an embarrassingly large number of computer, photo and graphic design titles)

At least browse this one at the bookstore to make sure you have this knowledge (a couple reviews said it's too basic). If you make your living from either Photoshop or photography, you will be at a significant competitive disadvantage by ignoring this one.

Most readers who use Photoshop for a living (even a little) should at least get their money back in time saved with the how-to's in this book. In the first few sections I learned enough time saving techniques that it has already paid for itself.

It's about time someone wrote a book that takes into account that we all know how to use a computer and a camera. (If you're new to computers or cameras, this book might not be for you)

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Summary: I am awed by this book
Review: I am a beginning digital photographer and I think this book is really helpful. From the beginning, I have had no trouble understanding how to correct my photos. Mr. Kelby makes the digital darkroom enjoyable and easy to uderstand.

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Summary: A Book that Covers Most of Your Editing Needs
Review: I'm a completely newbie with digital imaging, even I haven't got my digital cam yet and I'm still using the Photoshop 7 trial =)I was looking for book for Element, because it's suitable for beginner. I've read some photoshop books before but I found them really frustrating because they talk mostly about the features that photoshop is offering.

But this book is different... really really different from other books I have read. And the forewords from the author tells me why this book is different. The author aimed a book that can be used straight away without losing knowing about bits and pieces of photoshop.

To remind you again, I'm completely a beginner, so what I need is a book that can get me going straight away without confusing me with all the jargons and also I need something to tell me that editing photos are fun. This book has succeeded its mission.

The way Scott wrote the book is very casual, I never feel being lectured from some expert image editors who wants to show off their knowledge. Scott really uses the words that makes me see that photoshop is not really that difficult. He is sort of can read my mind, when after he explain about things then I'm about to press 'OK', I read the next line he wrote not to press 'OK' yet.

There are some thoughts of mine that this book doesn't cover other fancy effects that you can do with photoshop, I was about to look for books that cover almost anything about photoshop but thinking I'm only a beginner, so the book's contents are what will fit in my daily needs to enhance your photos. I found a book that is quite complete, but the representation to the readers is confusing. This book's presentation is given step by step, each picture is explained well so it's easy to follow.

Once I get the hang of the basic ideas with photoshop I will buy other books with advance techniques (probably his other books). Sounds like it means I'm going to spend more money on books. You can't gain knowledge with only one book, buying books are not a waste of money providing you use the book. From highschool to uni, how many books have you used so far? This book will be always my bible for editing my photos.

Scott also provides his website for us to download some photos used in his book for us to practice. And I like his way of humour. It also covers about using RAW plugin.

The book covers both Windows and Mac, although the pictures used Mac Photoshop, but everytime it tells us the button to press for Windows and Mac.

Bottom line, I'm sold. I can't believe editing image can give so much fun and yet challenging. Scott has succeeded recruiting another person to learn photoshop.