Rating: 
Summary: In-Depth Look at Photoshop 7 for Photographers
Review: There are several things that set this book apart from other Photoshop 7 books that are aimed at photographers. First, it's all in color, which is far superior to books that try to illustrate color techniques in black and white. Second, the CD of the actual images used in the book make it possible to work right along with the lessons. Finally, the author encourages readers to contact him at the e-mail address listed in the book, and to visit his Web page. He has been most helpful when I've had questions or ran into a problem.Anyone who has actually read this book would realize that it's an all-new first edition written specifically for Photoshop 7 and NOT updated from a previous book. I'm told that virtually all the images in this book, other than some faded or old photos used to illustrate restoration techniques, were taken between 2000 and 2002. I liked the illustrations and techniques covered here. They're not something you'll see in any other book. Someone who has never used Photoshop before will find this book fairly challenging, as it assumes you already can use most of the tools, and covers some things in a bit of depth. For example, I'd never before seen such a thorough explanation of why converting a color photo to black and white yields such poor results in many cases. The author provides examples of photos that differ widely in color saturation or hue, but still look the same in grayscale. Then, he shows some tricks for producing an accurate black-and-white conversion. I really learned from this chapter. The photography angle is first-rate, too. Anyone who has a love of photography and wants to learn Photoshop from a photographer's perspective will love this book!
Rating:
Summary: In-Depth Look at Photoshop 7 for Photographers
Review: This book is for beginners only. There is no room for growth. Only the basics are covered and they are the basics that you should already know from just looking around the internet; i.e. color curves, sharpening, clone tool, etc. This book has been updated for photoshop 7 from a previous book and it looks as though the example photographs were taken in the '60s and '70s with a lomo. Ok, not that bad and it does not directly effect the photoshop information, but it is nice to see something pleasant along with some good info for [the money].
Rating: 
Summary: Not enough info for the money
Review: This book is for beginners only. There is no room for growth. Only the basics are covered and they are the basics that you should already know from just looking around the internet; i.e. color curves, sharpening, clone tool, etc. This book has been updated for photoshop 7 from a previous book and it looks as though the example photographs were taken in the '60s and '70s with a lomo. Ok, not that bad and it does not directly effect the photoshop information, but it is nice to see something pleasant along with some good info for [the money].
Rating:
Summary: Perfect mix of material!
Review: This book was a perfect mix of the kind of material I was looking for. There were some simple things to get me started, and a lot of more advanced techniques that really encouraged me to work my Photoshop muscles! Although not a beginner book, the author starts out with enough basics that the reader never gets lost, and enough challenging material to keep you interested. The photography angle was a great blend, too. I've recently become a photo hobbyist, and found that the photography discussions were right at my level. Even so, all the terms and jargon are explained clearly, so I was able to add some unfamiliar concepts to my repertoire. This book taught me a lot. I recommend this book for anyone who is serious about photography, whether they are a grizzled veteran or an ambitious newcomer like me. Photoshop is an essential tool for any photographer, and this book really helped flatten the steep learning curve. Thanks!
Rating:
Summary: Perfect mix of material!
Review: While this book isn't for the absolute beginner, it really helped me learn about Photoshop as it applies to digital photography. I learned lots of cool tricks for manipulating my images. The step-by-step tutorials showed me how to correct colors, retouch images, and combine several photographs into one great picture. The book is well-organized into sections that build on each other, so as I worked through the chapters I became more confident and ready to try more challenging things. I think this book has helped me improve my Photoshop skills, and it sure has made me a better photographer. Although I have never worked in a darkroom, I enjoyed the chapter on duplicating darkroom effects such as solarization and cross processing. I don't really miss not using a darkroom, but I'm glad I didn't miss out on these special effects! I also really liked the chapter on the Andromeda filters for Photoshop. I had never heard of them before, and am glad they were brought to my attention. These seem to be the only software filters that faithfully reproduce the effects of some photographic filters, and I loved using the try-out versions included on the CD-ROM. Also useful were the working files on the CD, which let me use the exact photos the author worked with. Once I tried out the steps using the original pictures, I was more confident in trying the same techniques on my own photos. As a crazy cat person, I loved the photos of the adorable kitten, too!
Rating:
Summary: Have not found a better book on Photoshop for photographers!
Review: While this book isn't for the absolute beginner, it really helped me learn about Photoshop as it applies to digital photography. I learned lots of cool tricks for manipulating my images. The step-by-step tutorials showed me how to correct colors, retouch images, and combine several photographs into one great picture. The book is well-organized into sections that build on each other, so as I worked through the chapters I became more confident and ready to try more challenging things. I think this book has helped me improve my Photoshop skills, and it sure has made me a better photographer. Although I have never worked in a darkroom, I enjoyed the chapter on duplicating darkroom effects such as solarization and cross processing. I don't really miss not using a darkroom, but I'm glad I didn't miss out on these special effects! I also really liked the chapter on the Andromeda filters for Photoshop. I had never heard of them before, and am glad they were brought to my attention. These seem to be the only software filters that faithfully reproduce the effects of some photographic filters, and I loved using the try-out versions included on the CD-ROM. Also useful were the working files on the CD, which let me use the exact photos the author worked with. Once I tried out the steps using the original pictures, I was more confident in trying the same techniques on my own photos. As a crazy cat person, I loved the photos of the adorable kitten, too!
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