Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary, but don't make a mistake thinking...
Review: ...don't make a mistake thinking that this is a Photoshop tutorial book -- it is definitely not! This is primarily a digital art book, not a technique book. While the book has some Photoshop information, Photoshop is important only for showing how Paul uses it to fulfil his artistic intent. A such, the book would be better placed under art instead of computer rubric. The book is primarily about visual aesthetics, inspiration, artistic vision, and only then about using Photoshop to translate these into images. In my own pursuit of making digital fine art images, I found that no amount of knowledge of curves, layers, levels, and masks will teach you how to create the visual magic. Yet, by getting a glimpse of how Paul creates his brand of magic, you may discoved your own way of expressing yourself visually. His book certainly gave me many avenues to explore and a promise of many more to be discovered. If you like them as I did, you might be interested in understanding some of the aspects that led to their creation. Then -- read Paul's book. Please note, that you don't have to know Photoshop to appreciate Paul's work and his book. But if you want to apply his techniques, master Photoshop fisrt by reading many other great books on the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Master class snooze book
Review: I admit that there is alot of content in the book, but i feel like i am reading someones personal journal. .... As one other review said " "Master Class" is 50% philosophy..." all that philosophy just turns me off, and makes me feel like he is talking down to me at every step. If you want to combine photography and photoshop then perhaps this books for you, but if you want to do anything else with Photoshop then select another book. If the book had not been a text book I never would have bought it, and for the first time in my life I might just sell it back at the end of the semster. There are better Photoshops books, there just has to be! ...
Rating: 
Summary: Best for someone with lots of Photoshop experience
Review: I because acquainted through this book because it is a required text for a second-level digital photography class I'm taking in college. I've read almost all of it. While there is a lot of valuable information (particularly with regard to monitor calibration), this book definitely has some issues.
Firstly, Caponigro's New Age tone is ponderous and meandering, and it's difficult to discern the necessary concrete tips hidden among the adjectives. The methods, in particular, are poorly organized. I took a Photoshop class (completing Adobe's Classroom in a Book), and I found the lack of intermediary steps to be challenging.
For this reason, my instructor--after many student complaints--dropped the requirement that we complete a number of "methods" (Caponigro's term for exercises) in this book. We are now free to choose other, clearer exercises from the multitude of Photoshop books available.
Also, while I appreciate the expertise that has gone into Caponigro's artwork, I don't care for most of the work itself, and I am not alone in my view. (Just how many bilaterally-symmetrical floating rocks does a reader really need to see?) While I'm aware that this is a personal bias, it definitely affects my overall impression of the book. If Caponigro's tone was a little less arrogant, I'd let that slide, but it's a sticking point for me.
Ultimately, I am sure there are people who would find this book to be a perfect fit. I am not one of them. I would recommend that anyone new to Photoshop stay far away until they've gathered a lot of experience and patience with the program. Perhaps at that point they'd be ready.
Rating:
Summary: Yucky New Age photography tutorial
Review: Illustrated with amazing full-color works of computer art, John Paul Caponigro's Adobe Photoshop Master Class is a truly excellent and well organized guide to getting the most out of Adobe Photoshop so as to create vivid, lifelike images and breathtaking works of art. Individual chapters address color accuracy, creating realistic shadows, tessellation, perspective, and much more. An amazing guide filled with instructions for creating outstanding images, Adobe Photoshop Master Class offers a range of astounding techniques eminently suited for the novice, while also offering much of value for the experienced Photoshop user as well.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Elegance.....
Review: is what this book is. For me personally I found it very inspiring and John Paul actually opens up a new realm of thinking when creating digital imagery. Each chapter is well thought out and easy to follow, although I don't think it's a book for beginners to learn from. That's not to say it couldn't be inspiring, but one must have a very good understanding of Photoshop to take his techniques and implement them. His approach to creating images is truly unique and particular chapters ending with a couple of techniques to create what has been talked about. i.e Color to Grayscale, Multitone image creations etc.
Rating:
Summary: More of an aesthetic treatise-NOT for beginners!
Review: John Paul has written a truly beautiful book. His images are outstanding, and this book has a very special niche. I consider myself in the advanced beginner category, I can do basic things in photoshop, do some adjustment layers, color balance, etc, and, from that perspective, feel that this book is definitely for people who are professionals or advanced amateurs and have a very solid grasp of Photoshop. John Paul explains things, but there are limited examples, and he speaks as if you know what he is talking about in terms of tools. I read and reread sections of the book and could not get my arms around many of the concepts. Also, just a minor point, and this irks me in many books, every concept is in terms of Macintosh computers, nowhere does he say what the equivalent of the 'option' key or 'command' key is in Windows. In light of this, I returned this book for a refund. P.S. I picked up Sybex's 'Photoshop 6 Complete' for [amt] at a local bookstore. This book is not in color, it is in newsprint, but is very easy to go through and does take you from basic concepts to advanced concepts in a clear and easy to apply manner. Well written, good examples. For me, a very good value.
Rating: 
Summary: Good intent but poorly written, too long, few clear examples
Review: Mr. Caponigro may have started with the best of intentions but his writing is so bad, you have to strain to get through the material. He takes too long getting to the point and provides so little clear direction or examples, that I'm left only with his sense of self-importance, not information about Photoshop. If the he had let an editor shorten the book by half and provided more clear steps/information about using Photoshop, I would have indulged him more, but as it is, this book is of very little use for someone wanting to expand their Photoshop skills. Its the author being spiritual and groovy way past the point of usefullness.
Rating:
Summary: A Thinking Book
Review: Ok, I agree with the others on here, it's not a "techniques" book per say but rather a "thinking" book, giving a person additional ways in which to think about working in PS w/ images. That said there are alot of techniques but just not of the Step 1-2-3 variety but rather technique ideas (maybe this is why some call it a "philosophy" book, but to be honest there isn't a word on new agey concepts anywhere here so don't let that scare you away). This is a "Master" book, one which gives the reader a higher-level view of PS and imaging... you need to have done your work to appreciate this level.
Rating: 
Summary: Some great techical information!
Review: The book is divided into 2 sections. The 1st part is the technical part which familarizes you with the techniques the author uses most. The 2nd section focuses on his art,his vision, and the technical details of how his images are accomplished. The Technical section was superb;in the other 4 or 5 photoshop books I've read, I've never had Curves explained to me so thoroughly. His larger and more 'artistic' section is very interesting also, although at times he feels and sounds like a crazy artist, his superb techical skills make the book informative and worthwhile regardless of whether you connect with his work. This book isn't for beginners. Like Bert Monroy's Photorealistic Techniques book, the author shares with the reader his hobby, passion, and years of experience. Those working with photos as their chief source material, especially those combining photographs, will benefit the most from John Caponigro's expertise.
Rating:
Summary: This is a "why" book
Review: The shelves are packed with books teaching you how to create an effect in photoshop. How many units of this, and what filter to combine with this, yadda yadda.
This book is the complete opposite. Just the first few chapters blew my mind away! When the author talked about cuves and levels, I went crazy because I never knew there was so much to understand about them. Now I feel like I really know what I'm doing rather than simply bend the curves and hope for the best. I'm reading this book after reading Photoshop CS Bible (Pro Edition) and this is far far far more in-depth. Let me make one thing clear. If it werent for the bible, I have a feeling I'd be lost in this book. You definitely need to know your photoshop well to really understand this book. It takes you from undertandint photoshop, to understanding other things related to it such as printing and color calibration. It is in my opinion very advanced level and sometimes even I am lost in the author's words.
This book is a "why" book and teaches you the reasoning behind a lot of things related to photoshop. Its like the saying, give a man a fish and feed him for one day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. In the same way, you can learn 100 different cool effects from any other photoshop book, but when it comes time to make that 101th effect, your lost and can only randomly make choices in photohop. This book explains the theory behind a lot of these things and thus when you see an ideea in your head, you know how to realize it..
This book took me a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to get through because its content is so heavy but otherwise, I have both my thumbs up!
|
