Photoshop Channel Chops

Rating:
Summary: If you're already elbow-deep in digital imagery equipment...
Review: 'Chops' (a contraction of 'channel operations') is largely about utilizing channels and paths - along with masks, these are the most powerful and least understood functions Photoshop has to offer. This limited focus is 'Chops' strong point - it's very concise and does a wonderful job of helping you to 'think' in Photoshop - one chapter for example is titled, 'The Zen of Alpha Channels'. Photoshop is an unbelievably 'deep' and complex graphics program, and 99% of it's users utilize less than 5% of it's capabilities. You tend to get lost and frustrated - it's not very intuitive. 'Chops' takes you by the hand and teaches you the vocabulary you'll need to master Photoshop channel operations.

A word of caution to the digitally curious but uninitiated - if you are not already elbow-deep in digital imaging equipment and software do NOT buy this book as it can be hazardous to your wealth! Digital image processing is highly addictive and should only be attempted by those with _way_ too much time on their hands, a very fast processor, and at least 256MB RAM and a 17" monitor (these are bare minimums). This engagingly written and physically beautiful book was singularly responsible for my spending a considerable amount of money.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, educational book by the Photoshop gurus.
Review: David Biedny and Bert Monroy are a couple of Photoshop gurus, and in this book, they team up with Nathan Moody to bring you the definitive book on using the venerable program's channel operations. An entertaining and educational introduction by Biedny discusses pre-digital compositing technology, a history of Photoshop, and sections entitled Why Are You Reading This? and Monkeys Push Buttons, Humans Push Their Brains. The chapters proper cover channels, alpha channels, layers, calculations (Biedny hates what Adobe did to calculations in version 4, so uses a hypothetical Calculations box for part of the chapter), paths and blue screen/green screen. At 226 pages, it doesn't seem very long, but it's got more good stuff than many books twice as long, including lots of groovy color illustrations.

Rating:
Summary: Best computer graphic book ever!!
Review: Even though this book was written for Photoshop 4, nearly all of it's content still can be applied to the newest version of Photoshop. I suspect in 200 years this book will be just as valuable. What it teaches are extremely advanced technigues that are and always will be at the core of photoshop. This book definately changed the way I use photoshop and even the way I look at an image when I first import it in. In brief it covers channels, calculations, transfer modes, and selections/paths.

I've read 7 different photoshop books, and some 30 other computer software books and this is by far the best computer book I've found. If you want to know about plug-ins, filters, and the new liquidify feature, then this isn't the book, nor would it be a good book for an beginner. For someone who wants to UNDERSTAND photoshop, this is the book.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, I didn't like it
Review: Forget the outdated version. Almost everything in this book is still valid. In my opinion, this is the best book on photoshop ever written.

If you are the type of designer that wants to understand a program well enough to create your own effects (rather than being spoonfed techniques to memorize the steps) this is the book for you!

Rating:
Summary: No wizardry
Review: I hate the books that only talk about particular special effects and how to achieve them, without telling you why it should be done that way. With Photoshop, you want to be in control. This book allows to be in control. It will explain exactly what's going on behind the scenes. After reading this book, I felt like being a Photoshop guru. It was nice.

Rating:
Summary: A Book Worth Having
Review: I'd like to mention a book that came across my desk a couple weeks ago, Photoshop Channel Chops by David Biedny, Bert Monroy, and Nathan Moody.

I see a lot of Photoshop "how to do this and that" books, and usually it's beyond me why anyone bothered to write and publish them, since Photoshop comes with a perfectly good manual. This book caught my eye though, because it seems like I never know everything I think I should about complex channel operations, masking layers, compositing, and the like.

The book has a lot of good discussion of basic concepts of color and image density and how they relate to combining image elements with matting, keying, and mathematics. The book derives its authority from the fact that the writers are real world power users of the product, and so their attention is focused on operations that really matter, rather than a bunch of cutesy effects.

The book is written around Photoshop 4, but it's pretty much all applicable to version 5. If t! hey update it, I hope they'll use a slightly larger type font to go with the full color illustrations; I had to squint a bit to read it. But that's a small quibble. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A must have book on channel operations
Review: I'm a student learning Photoshop and I must say this is one of the best Photoshop books I have ever come across. The authors explain every aspect in a detailed and engaging way. In other books, I may read a chapter and understand how to do something but I often ask why it's done that way. Photoshop Channel Chops gives thorough explanations on many different channel operation methods that makes sense and leaves me wanting to read

Rating:
Summary: Unbeatable Photoshop theory
Review: If you aspire to be a hardcore Photoshop user, this book is probably the one you want above all others. It's not a step-by-step tutorial, a mere reference book, or a book that leads you through the tools and various functions of the software. Instead it discusses the fundamental concepts you need to know to use Photoshop to its fullest. Some statements in the book are outdated, but fortunately, they are usually statements of opinion and occur only in a few places. Most of the book is still applicable since Photoshop today still has channels, alpha channels, paths, layers, and calculations. This book hasn't been updated since it was written in 1998, but it really doesn't need to be. It's not about how to use particular tools and new features. It's about how to think with Photoshop. And it's deep enough to read over and over for reference. I would encourage even beginner Photoshop users to read this book if they are really committed, especially if they want to learn about compositing. By the end of this book, you'll be able to understand how Photoshop does what it does, and why it is such a powerful program.

Rating:
Summary: A must read if you're serious about Photoshop
Review: Wow! The authors really know their stuff! There is so much information in this book it's scary. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes Photoshop seriously. Sure, it was written years ago when Photoshop was at version 4, and sure the writing gets a bit corny at times, but it is still a "killer app" among Photoshop books.

Rating:
Summary: A must read if you're serious about Photoshop
Review: Wow! The authors really know their stuff! There is so much information in this book it's scary. This book is a must-read for anyone who takes Photoshop seriously. Sure, it was written years ago when Photoshop was at version 4, and sure the writing gets a bit corny at times, but it is still a "killer app" among Photoshop books.