What Photoshop Book

[Chickenhawk]

I've had Photoshop installed for a few months now and am mostly learning how to use it through various web sites that offer free tutorials and tips. I would much prefer to have a book beside the computer in which to learn from.

Can any of you experts out there recommend a good book that is easy to read and not too technical.

 

[fmw]

I wish I had a good answer. The problem is that Photoshop is so complex it is almost impossible to cover everything well. The manual that accompanies PS was worthless for me. It explained how to complete a function but not why. I bought a book called "Photoshop CS2 for Dummies" and learned a lot from it. It was better at explaining the whys for each edit. However, when I want to do something to an image I look first at the PS help screen. If it doesn't find anything, I look in the Dummies book. I usually don't find it in the index either even though it might be covered to some extent somewhere in the book.

The good news is that there are all kinds of PS books in the book store. Each of them is around $40-$50 so I'm not going to own them all. Dummies is better than the manual but I'll bet there is a better one than Dummies out there somewhere. Perhaps the answer is to check a few out of the library to find one you like. Then you can buy a copy at the book store.

 

[Orgnoi1]

Hands down best book...

Photoshop CS2 for the Digital Photographer by Kelby... if you havent read one of his books then you havent held one of the best photography books (and processing books) around...

 

[el_shorty]

Like Orgnoi 1, I think that the best PS book is [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Digital-Photographers-Voices-Matter/dp/0321330625/ref=tag_tdp_dp/102-7130465-9086552"]The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby[/ame], another I like is [ame="http://www.amazon.com/How-Wow-Photoshop-Photography-2nd/dp/tags-on-product/0321357507"]How to Wow: Photoshop for Photography (second edition) by Jack Davis and Ben Willmore[/ame].

 

[Big Mike]

I haven't read too many books on the subject...most look too simplified but someone gave me this book; [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photographers-Handbook-Third/dp/0756623553/sr=1-2/qid=1171303796/ref=sr_1_2/105-8221508-2946828?ie=UTF8&s=bookshttp://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photographers-Handbook-Third/dp/0756623553/sr=1-2/qid=1171303796/ref=sr_1_2/105-8221508-2946828?ie=UTF8&s=books"]Digital Photographer's Handbook[/ame]. It's not Photoshop specific but it's got plenty of good info.

 

[droyz2000]

A lot of the books that have been suggested before are good books. It is most important to just play because Photoshop is such a vast program, no book is going to show you how to use the program to its full potential.

 

[loves_guitar]

I would HIGHLY recommend Photoshop One-on-One by Deke McClelland.
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-CS-Photoshop-One-One/dp/1600330169/sr=8-8/qid=1171641577/ref=sr_1_8/104-2905794-2868709?ie=UTF8&s=books[/ame]

He walks you through step by step everything from how to open a picture to extracting a person to explaining a lot of tools and more! It comes with a CD of all the sample pics and basically as you follow along with the instructions, what he says in the book is what is happening on the screen. By far the best Photoshop book out there. Check it out!

 

[250Gimp]

I will agree with Orgnoi1 & el shorty in that Photoshop CS2 for the Digital Photographer by Kelby is a great book. It is my first go at Photoshop and I find his style very easy to read and understand.

 

[pazzy]

I think some of the tutorials on the photoshop CS2 book by Kelby are good,
but some stuff he doesn't explain well, just follow these steps and its done..
ID prefer to understand what im doing.
For example (maybe someone who also has the book can explain this to me)

On page 181 (chapter 6) under COLOR CORRECTION ONE PROBLEM AREA FAST
he says under step 3 (after setting the Color Balance) "press the letter X to set your Foreground color to black" .. okay .. why ??? "Then press option delete to fill your adjustments layer mask with black, which hides the blue layer " ???

Step 4
Now you'll reveal parts of the blue layer using the brush tool .. (fair enough but why did I need to need to fill the mask with black ?? ....

Then he expects us to paint the sky blue ??
I found a much easier way, using the magic wand, you can select easily the sky and then fill them with different shades of blue...

But what annoys me is his lack of explanation, i mean i can follow the
steps and it works, but i dont understand how "blackening " the adjustment layer helps, if so surely when you use the brush it should be black if the adjustment layer was just Blackened??

 

[Chickenhawk]

Thanks everyone for all the recommendations - I will now visit the bookshop and look at all the ones mentioned and choose one that I find easiest to read.
I use the help files a lot in CS2 but I like using books as I can learn while away from the computer. Thanks again :thumbup:

 

[pazzy]

On studying some tutorials on the net i have found the answers that kelby's book didn't have!!!
My advice is don't spend money on a book when all you need is on the net for free!!!

If you don't like learning things from a screen like me, just print em!!

 

[YellowBay]

I've got two of Scott's books. CS2 for Digital Photographers and the Digital Photography Book. I love them both. I find them clear and easy to follow.
One of the best points about them is that you can get straight to the section you need without wading through stuff theat you don't.

 

[vandecarr]

Here is a link for a book I highly, Highly, HIGHLY reccomend. The link is to another thread on this site.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80699