I wanna get better at PP (PS)

[Alter_Ego]

Hey guys i need to learn more on editing my photos when I'm done loading them up.
I have Photoshop cs5 and I've been using photoshop for a few years now so i am familiar with the tools but want to learn more.

Here is an i shot and edited on photoshop although i used an action but i would rather know how to edit it myself in the future.



At the moment I'm going through deviant art.com looking for tutorials but if anyone could recommend a website where i can find more photography based tutorials please let me know.

 

[unpopular]

My quick advice to anyone learning post processing, learn color theory, truly understand how additive theory works, and how it relates with subtractive theory and the various theoretical spaces (LAB, HSL, etc). Then get a good handle on what each of the layer mixing modes do. Don't approach photo editing from a trial and error standpoint, try to truly know what is happening.

 

[Alter_Ego]

Would you recommend any good books or websites i can learn these things?

 

[LucyZ]

Try Lynda.com and Kelby training. I have used both and have learned quite a bit.

 

[unpopular]

Yes. I always recommend Photoshop for Photographers, and anything else from Focal Press. There was a book called Photoshop Channel Chops, but I don't know if it has been updated. For general color theory, "The Interaction of Color" by Josef Albers as well as "Through the Language Glass" by Guy Deutscher is an interesting read on color psychology.

At first these recommendations may seem esoteric, but in particular Albers will make sense once it "clicks" in your head of how it's all connected.

 

[KmH]

Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: A professional image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC
Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS5
Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop, Camera Raw, and Lightroom (2nd Edition)

 

[Alter_Ego]

Thanks ill start with the Kelby and work my way down.

 

[KmH]

Kelby's books are more like a collection of short tutorials that leave a lot of the details out that you really need to know.

The Camera Raw and Sharpening book were written by the guys (Pixel Genius, LLC) that wrote the sharpening software Adobe uses in ACR (Camera Raw/Lightroom).

Martin Evening is an associate of the Pixel Genius guys. In other worlds, I consider all those guys a level above Scott Kelby.

But, it's your money.

 

[dylanstraub]

I'm not really good with this type of book and I'm certainly no pro but I would recommend spending some time playing with the settings and observing what each does to your photo. Move the slider from one end to the other and try different combinations to get a better feel for what each thing does. It's definitely not a technical way to learn and you won't learn a damn bit of theory but I've been able to use that method to achieve the results I want for my pictures that way. Google search helps in a pinch too. Good luck, keep shooting.