Photoshop CS

I'm a computer professional, with some experience of SLR photography.
After many years without a camera, I recently bought a Panasonic FZ3.
I'm very pleased with it. Now I need to learn how to use Photoshop. I've
never touched image-processing software before, and Photoshop is the
same sort of bloated monster ;-) that Microsoft Word is! The difference
is that Word is a bloated monster I'm familiar with, and I can make it
do what I want. Photoshop is alien to me, and I'm not quite sure where
to start. Any tips?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

"Pattern-chaser" wrote in
message ...
I'm a computer professional, with some experience of SLR photography.
After many years without a camera, I recently bought a Panasonic FZ3.
I'm very pleased with it. Now I need to learn how to use Photoshop. I've
never touched image-processing software before, and Photoshop is the
same sort of bloated monster ;-) that Microsoft Word is! The difference
is that Word is a bloated monster I'm familiar with, and I can make it
do what I want. Photoshop is alien to me, and I'm not quite sure where
to start. Any tips?

Scott Kelby writes the best Photoshop books. You just look up what you want
to do and follow the instructions. You pick it up pretty quick. The
tutorials that you find here and there are mind numbing and don't really
tell you how to do what you want to do.

C J Campbell wrote:

Scott Kelby writes the best Photoshop books. You just look up what you want
to do and follow the instructions. You pick it up pretty quick. The
tutorials that you find here and there are mind numbing and don't really
tell you how to do what you want to do.


Kelby's book on Photoshop Elements was excellent - concentrated on
usable techniques rather than tedious wading through every menu option.
It's rare these days to find computer books that credit the reader with
some basic intelligence -- in an age of bloated tomes, Kelby's slim
Elements book was concise, informative and occasionally entertaining.

pete
--
"there's no room for enigmas in built-up areas"

Pete Fenelon wrote:
C J Campbell wrote:

Scott Kelby writes the best Photoshop books. You just look up what you want
to do and follow the instructions. You pick it up pretty quick. The
tutorials that you find here and there are mind numbing and don't really
tell you how to do what you want to do.



Kelby's book on Photoshop Elements was excellent - concentrated on
usable techniques rather than tedious wading through every menu option.
It's rare these days to find computer books that credit the reader with
some basic intelligence -- in an age of bloated tomes, Kelby's slim
Elements book was concise, informative and occasionally entertaining.

pete

Thanks, guys, I'll check out Kelby on Amazon!

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

If you've never used an image processing application before, the "for
Dummies" series is a great place to start. It covers the basics in easy to
understand language. Amazon is listing one on Elements 3 and one on
Photoshop CS. Use the search phrase "photoshop for dummies" on the Amazon
site...
I also like Deke McClelland's more detailed books on Photoshop
cheers...MTB

"Pattern-chaser" wrote in
message ...
I'm a computer professional, with some experience of SLR photography.
After many years without a camera, I recently bought a Panasonic FZ3.
I'm very pleased with it. Now I need to learn how to use Photoshop. I've
never touched image-processing software before, and Photoshop is the
same sort of bloated monster ;-) that Microsoft Word is! The difference
is that Word is a bloated monster I'm familiar with, and I can make it
do what I want. Photoshop is alien to me, and I'm not quite sure where
to start. Any tips?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

"Pete Fenelon" wrote in message
...
C J Campbell wrote:

Scott Kelby writes the best Photoshop books. You just look up what you
want
to do and follow the instructions. You pick it up pretty quick. The
tutorials that you find here and there are mind numbing and don't really
tell you how to do what you want to do.


Kelby's book on Photoshop Elements was excellent - concentrated on
usable techniques rather than tedious wading through every menu option.
It's rare these days to find computer books that credit the reader with
some basic intelligence -- in an age of bloated tomes, Kelby's slim
Elements book was concise, informative and occasionally entertaining.

And that is the real value of his book. Kelby's "Photoshop CS for
Photographers" will tell you how to get things done: everything from simple
tasks like removing red-eye, correcting exposure and color temperature to
creating images with knock-outs, touch-up, and slimming waists. You want a
book that devotes an entire chapter to how to rename a file, though, or
another chapter on how to start Photoshop from the START menu, you will have
to look elsewhere. Kelby figures that most computer users probably know how
to do that kind of stuff.

Another book I like is "How to Wow Photoshop for Photography" by Jack Davis
and Ben Willmore. It contains a disk that automates many useful tasks, and
again does not devote a single line to renaming files, clicking on window
expansion boxes, or starting Photoshop.

Neither of these books try to teach you anything about photography, either,
at least at the level of "this is a camera; the thing on the front is called
a lens." The only thing they do is free your creative energy. Guess these
guys figure you got an instruction manual with your camera.

There *is* one book written for rank beginners in photography that I believe
can be profitably read by advanced photographers: "How to Photograph Your
Life" by Nick Kelsh. The man is on a crusade to rid the world of bad
photography. If you already know the stuff in his book (and most of us here
do -- but you might be surprised), the book is extremely valuable in
demonstrating his teaching techniques and in clearly explaining through
examples why one picture is better than another. This book will show you how
to make other people better photographers so you don't have to look at their
terrible pictures any more. It ought to be mandatory reading before you buy
a camera.

C J Campbell wrote:
"Pete Fenelon" wrote in message
Kelby's book on Photoshop Elements was excellent - concentrated on
usable techniques rather than tedious wading through every menu option.
It's rare these days to find computer books that credit the reader with
some basic intelligence -- in an age of bloated tomes, Kelby's slim
Elements book was concise, informative and occasionally entertaining.

And that is the real value of his book. Kelby's "Photoshop CS for
Photographers" will tell you how to get things done: everything from simple
tasks like removing red-eye, correcting exposure and color temperature to
creating images with knock-outs, touch-up, and slimming waists. You want a
book that devotes an entire chapter to how to rename a file, though, or
another chapter on how to start Photoshop from the START menu, you will have
to look elsewhere. Kelby figures that most computer users probably know how
to do that kind of stuff.


Exactly. Kelby assumes you've got the savvy and patience to operate
your camera and your computer well and want help getting the most out of
the combination. Some of the ways he suggests of doing things aren't
necessarily the quickest or easiest, but if you're capable of taking a
well-composed and technically reasonable picture, the techniques he
shows can help turn it into a truly memorable image. It's nice to be
treated as an intelligent, capable adult by an author of a computer manual!

pete
--
"there's no room for enigmas in built-up areas"

"Pattern-chaser"
wrote in message ...
I'm a computer professional, with some experience of SLR
photography. After many years without a camera, I recently
bought a Panasonic FZ3. I'm very pleased with it. Now I
need to learn how to use Photoshop. I've never touched
image-processing software before, and Photoshop is the
same sort of bloated monster ;-) that Microsoft Word is!
The difference is that Word is a bloated monster I'm
familiar with, and I can make it do what I want. Photoshop
is alien to me, and I'm not quite sure where to start. Any
tips?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

You're right that Photoshop is a bear to learn. Do you have
the option to use a less complex program? There are a
number of packages that are much less expensive and easier
to use then Photoshop, but nevertheless very capable.

Swingman wrote:
You're right that Photoshop is a bear to learn. Do you have
the option to use a less complex program? There are a
number of packages that are much less expensive and easier
to use then Photoshop, but nevertheless very capable.

Thanks for the thought, Swingman! I have a copy of Photoshop CS already.
I got it because the magazines, when they give their clever how-to tips,
give them in terms of Photoshop CS, not Paintshop Pro or whatever. Si I
got CS for the same reason I use Windows XP: it's the one most people
have (or refer to), so it's the easiest to get help with! :-)

I have the Kelby book on order from Amazon; hopefully, it'll get me started.

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

Pattern-chaser wrote in
:

Thanks for the thought, Swingman! I have a copy of Photoshop CS already.


There are two Photoshop groups on usenet. Just lurk there and follow
threads that are interesting. There are also websites with tutorials on all
sorts of PS things. They get referenced from time to time on said groups.

Bob

--
Delete the inverse SPAM to reply