Photoshop. Where to start

[VaE39]

Hey everyone. I've been into photography for about 3 years. I'm loving it and getting better every time I shoot. However, I was just recently given Photoshop CS4 as a gift. I have NO idea where to start, how it works, what to do. I want to get good at post processing especially in glamour shots. Where do I start? Should I get a book? Online class ( lydna.com )? Help!

 

[rusty9]

start with Google and YouTube

 

[white]

The heart of photoshop is layers. When you open an image in photoshop, it puts it on a layer. Layers stack on top of each other like transparencies, and the layer on the top of the stack is the image you see. You can turn off layers, rearrange them, delete them, duplicate them, etc.

 

[katy625]

That is the beauty of google. There are thousands of tutorials that will teach u everything there is to know and believe me there is much to learn. I've been using ps for two years and I feel that I've only scratched the surface.

 

[Robin Usagani]

adobetv first... then youtube.

 

[smackitsakic]

To say that photoshop is all about layers does the amazing software a terrible unjustice.

Photoshop is good, very good. It will take lots of video browsing/studying to get good at photoshop. lynda.com is a great resource if you're willing to pay for the membership - you can likely learn the same things on the web without paying anything.

 

[white]

I never said Photoshop was entirely about one thing. I gave the OP a place to start.

 

[KmH]

The heart of photoshop is layers. When you open an image in photoshop, it puts it on a layer. Layers stack on top of each other like transparencies, and the layer on the top of the stack is the image you see. You can turn off layers, rearrange them, delete them, duplicate them, etc.

Absolutely! Layers is the heart of Photoshop!

The second key to editing with Photoshop is the selection tools..

You also need to learn how to use Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).

Bridge is an image browser and ACR is a Raw converter/editor.

ACR is the same rendering engine used by Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.