I Bought Photoshop CS4...Now What?!?!

[Mark Elberson]

<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"]My wife was able to use her educational discountto purchase a copyof <span id="btAsinTitle"]Photoshop CS4 at a highly discounted price. The problem is that I don't know how to fully utilize it. Can anyone recommend a book to pick up that will at least give me a basic understanding of most of the tools that <span id="btAsinTitle"]Photoshop CS4 has to offer?<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"]<o:p></o:p>


<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: Arial;"]Remember in the good old days when you bought a sophisticated piece of software that it came with a comprehensive manual?!?!

[piiooo]

Please don't get offended, but "Photoshop CS4 for Dummies" is a valid option here, just go to a bookstore andcheck it out, there is a good chance you'll like it. I did [:P]


Look at Scott Kelby's books as well. I do not recommend buying a comprehensive manual (like Martin Evening's "brick")just yet.


The most importantthing here is to start simple, practice often, be patient and not to get discouraged. There is a steep learning curve to Photoshop.


One more piece of advice: color calibrate your monitor, and, if you intend to print your own photos, calibrate your printer, to avoid unnecessary surprises.


Good luck.

[alexniedra]

I'll buy it off of you! [H]


Joking. Unless you really want to sell it to me... [:D]





Photoshop is basically the tool to use for image editing. If you need something done, Photoshop has a tool or function to get it done.


There are (I'm sure) a lot of books that teach essential Photoshop skills. Go to your local book store and see if they have any.



In fact, B&amp;H carries a multitude of instructional DVD's and books. I ran a quick search for "Photoshop Training" ("http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=0&amp;shs=Photoshop+training&amp;sb=ps&amp;pn=1&amp;sq=des c&amp;InitialSearch=yes&amp;O=jsp%2FRootPage.jsp&amp;A=search&amp; Q=*&amp;bhs=t&amp;Go.x=0&amp;Go.y=0&amp;Go=submit) and they have quite a few.


I had a blast trying out the Photoshop CS4 trial. Panoramas, HDR, levels.... These were all awesome things to try out with such an advanced program. My take is to play around with it a bit. Explore the program. You'll have fun. [:)]

[Mark Elberson]

Please don't get offended, but "Photoshop CS4 for Dummies" is a valid option here, just go to a bookstore andcheck it out, there is a good chance you'll like it. I did /emoticons/emotion-4.gif
<p style="CLEAR: both"]

<p style="CLEAR: both"]None taken! I am pretty good at learning software but I need some sort of a starting point. I bet "Photoshop CS4 for Dummies" could definitely give me that starting point [:D]
<p style="CLEAR: both"]If there was some sort of a "bible" I would just order it from Amazon but I think I'll go to the local Boarders/Barnes &amp; Noble and thumb through Photoshop CS4 for Dummies or whatever else they have.
<p style="CLEAR: both"]Thanks!

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

Mark, if you don't want to read a book, there's always YouTube. Congrats on the new purchase and I'm glad you got it @ a nice price, that thing usually costs a fortune, that's why I'm still using CS2[:)]

[Bill W]

Mark;


Check out author Martin Evening.....I took a class at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and this was the the author they recommended.


The book I have is Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers....see if he's updated to CS4....I find it easy to follow and easy to find the specific tasks I need to work on my photos.


I purchased it at Borders....cost is a bit hefty, 46.95, but I think worth cost.


It looks daunting, so just jump in.....the waters fine. [:)]


Good luck


Bill

[Stratification]

Scott Kelby's books are great, and for quick tips and suggestions the Photoshop User TV ("http://www.photoshopusertv.com/) he heads up is great also.

[Mark Elberson]

Thanks everyone! I need to head over to Boarders post haste :)

[Jarhead5811]

Yup, No matter what you need to know a "For Dummies" book is never a bad place to start.


BTW...I had a....mmm....let's see...I guess we'll saya less than legit version of CS2. I'm using a fully legit copy of Elements 6 now. The onlything I miss is the history brush.

[Keith B]

Scott Kelby's books are great, and for quick tips and suggestions the Photoshop User TV ("http://www.photoshopusertv.com/) he heads up is great also.






Are Kelby's books as vague as they use to be. I remember someone brought one to class and was trying tutorials in it and all his directions were for 72 dpi so everyone that was using it couldn't understand why nothing looked like it was supposed to when they applied his settings to a 300 dpi image. It was hard to explain to them that sometimes you had to multiply them by 4+ and sometimes you didn't depending on the function or filter.

[Dann Thombs]

I was going to suggest Photoshop for Photographers, and it seems Kelby has been mentioned already. I read that cover to cover and it was great.

[asmodai]

I think the best way to learn CS4 is a task-oriented one. Pick something you want to be able to do. Go look at photos until you see a cool technique. Like the Cross-processed look, say. When google good ways to mimic that look in photoshop.





Then master it.





Then do it again with something else. Before you know it you'll have enough tools under your command to recombine and create in new and neat ways.