PhotoShop cs5

[b.baer]

Okay, I have never been very good with PhotoShop period! It's all so confusing. I may just need to play around with it more but I get so frustrated with it.

If anyone has any good advice they could give me. Tips or tricks to it that would be awesome!

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[Buckster]

There are tips and tricks tutorials all over the internet, and Youtube is very popular for that. The thing is, it's like learning from a shotgun blast to the face: Lots of little pellets, but not easy to really make sense of.

I prefer a more guided approach that teaches the basics first, then builds on those principles to teach the intermediate stuff, then builds again on those to teach the more advanced stuff. This is the way you would learn a subject in college or trade school, with a laid out curriculum that takes you through, step by step, in a guided approach that makes sense, answers your questions and needs in a logical, linear manner, and leaves you at the end with a full, working knowledge of the subject.

For that, I used the training at Lynda.com and, in particular, the Photoshop classes by Deke McClelland. It worked perfectly for me.

[Forkie]

You should also definitely look into getting the official Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book. I bought the CS4 version for myself when I bought CS4 and it gave me all the knowledge I have now. It's excellent - I still refer back to it from time to time. It contains a CDROM with sample images and sets you mini projects using all the tools that Photoshop includes and guides you through each project and tool step by step.

It's a good investment for anyone starting up in Photoshop.

[KmH]

There are no camel caps, because it is one word - Photoshop

Learning how to use Photoshop can take forever if you don't have some kind of structure on which to build. Hiting online tutorials is a hit and miss way to learn how to use the program. For instance, if you don't know the Color Range feature or grouping layers exists, how would you know to look for info on how to use it.

Books provide the logical structure that really speeds up learning.

Okay, I have never been very good with PhotoShop period! It's all so confusing.

Your negative self-speak short circuits your ability to learn how to use the software. Photoshop CS5 is complex because it is professional grade software. Learning how to use it requires a professional approach.

Classroom in a book is designed for more for publication editors than for photographers, but it does give some direction on how to do edits and manipulate things. I have it in my personal image editing reference book library.

For me a better book is Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: A professional image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC

To suppliment that book I also rely on Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS5
and
Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom (2nd Edition)

I also use CS5's Help > Photoshop Help that connects directly to Adobe Community Help and all the reference and support links there.

Visit http://tv.adobe.com/ and consider joining the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) so you get every issue of Photoshop User magazine, have access to their Photoshop forums, tutorials, and other photoshop learning aids. http://www.photoshopuser.com/?aid=luhgxq

Photoshop gets used in ways it's designers never considered. In other words, no one knows all there is to know about how Photoshop can be used.

[b.baer]

Thanks to everyone for the help!

Excuse my camel caps. I know it is all one word thank you for that. I am on mobile phone.

Thanks for all the positive feed!

I have been doing some research and this is a hobby to me. So, yes I am kind of an rocky and I am well aware it is a professional software. Just because it is professional doesn't mean that I can't use it. I want the best software even if I'm not a professional. Also just because I am not a professional doesn't mean I am stupid. Thank you for your help

Thank you all though this comes in very helpful.

[IByte]

You should also definitely look into getting the official Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book. I bought the CS4 version for myself when I bought CS4 and it gave me all the knowledge I have now. It's excellent - I still refer back to it from time to time. It contains a CDROM with sample images and sets you mini projects using all the tools that Photoshop includes and guides you through each project and tool step by step.

It's a good investment for anyone starting up in Photoshop.

Great book I have it

[ewick]

lynda.com That is all.

[shootermcgavin]

youtube.com it's a great source. I just started using topaz with it, you will never stop learning...

[Alex_B]

Maybe my way of learning PS could be efficient for you too.

1. Think about or find out what you want to achieve in a particular digital image.

2. If you do not like trial and error, google for "Photoshop" and whatever phrase describes the particular task you want to achieve

3. Read and try.

Reading a book, learning and trying the things I just learned was never the right way for me, since I need the direct application to my images as a motivation to learn.