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Rating: 
Summary: Makes Photoshop a Program I can really use
Review: I am a self-taught Photoshop user. That is to say, I know just enough about PS to be REALLY dangerous! Al Ward's book, Photoshop for Right-Brainers was a JOY to read. I was able to follow what he was talking about and even reproduce the effects using my own photos rather than the ones on the included CD. Now THAT is a well written book when you can actually use the information on photos other than the ones provided for the tutorial.One of the very first pieces of information, something that I will actually use when I work with photos, is High Pass, a filter that grays out pixels so the edge details are clear. Two other items in PS that Mr. Ward talks about are Extract and Pattern Maker. Extract is just what it says - taking an object and extracting or removing it from the rest of the picture. Great way to see how you would look as a blonde! The Pattern Maker is a tool that I will use as a web designer. I am forever trying to find a suitable background for my web pages. Now, thanks to Al Ward and Photoshop for Right Brainers I don't have to look, I can make my own. Pattern Maker allows you to select part of a photo and then creates a background from the pixels selected. VERY COOL. Are you a text nut? If so, this book shows you how to create Chrome letters. In the same section, it shows you how to use Opacity and Fill on the text. Of course, this can be applied to an actual photo as well but it is a very nice technique to allow the background to show through lettering. A few of the other techniques this book walks you through are Masking, Cartooning images, Warping images to "fit" to another object and Photo Merge. This last technique gives you the collage effect that allows you to create one photo from many or to blend two photos to make a panorama. There is a CD with the book and it contains a free version of Maya 5 Personal Learning Edition, Source Files so you can follow along with the techniques being taught and Preset Tools created by Al Ward for use in the various techniques he shows. This book is packed with useful information and is one that can actually be followed and understood. Many times authors go into so much detail that you can't follow or they make it so difficult that you give up. Not this author! Al Ward has my sincere thanks for writing a book to make a program that I had only a little knowledge of into something that I can actually use in my daily work.
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Summary: Giving PhotoShop Skills Advanced Life
Review: PhotoShop for Right-Brainers is the art of photo manipulation at its finest. Al Ward clearly and explicitly takes the learner step-by-step through different techniques enabling the reader to advance his/her proficiency in huge leaps with each chapter. Each technique and tool Al explains is accompanied by a picture to elaborate his words. The knowledge and insights from Al's book will give each learners' PhotoShop skills advance life. Huge thanks to Al Ward.
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Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Wow! Al Ward has outdone himself in this one. The book is beautifully presented on really high quality paper and the layout is stunning. All the tutorials are easy to follow with wayyyy cool results. There is stuff in these pages that I have never seen in Photoshop books before and I have have read a lot of them. If you are an accountant andall you ever want to do is crunch numbers and you hate pictures - run - run away fast... as far as you can from this book. For anyone who has even a twinkling of interest in being creative, then this book is a must buy! It will open up new realms of possiblilities for you!
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