photoshop cs2

just getting into digital photography & photoshop. feel so overwhelmed with all the tools,

information etc - and simply dont know where to start. i have tried messing about with random

images - but it all seems so complicated. any suggestions on easy ways to get a hang of it?

i have all the most reccommended books on the topic etc.(photoshop cs2 for photographers, etc).. but

feeling so overwhelmed. Help?

give you some times...this is all you need. I am doing photoshop for the past 14 years,

sometimes i still learn new stuff.

If you haven't used PhotoShop before then starting with CS2 without help will be very daunting. I spent six years hit and miss with the early versions of PS and learnt by trial and error how to achieve even a modest understanding. I have had tuition on the the way with friends and forums like this one. I also went on a short training course which was very helpful.

 

My suggestion is if you don't have a knowledgeable friend that can 'lean over your shoulder' or if there are no local courses (in the UK there are sometimes evening classes available) then get a good book or CD. I am sure that that there will be others here that can make good recommendations. I believe that CS2 comes with a pretty good help folder so maybe this might give a good start.

 

CS2 is a mighty powerful program with many options to do almost anything with your image, I suggest you start off very simple at first with levels control, cropping, cloning and sharpening.

 

Good luck and keep persevering.

Hala,

 

I was much like you and I've never been good at wading through large books. I'm fortunate to have locally a pro who's put together a great website which is all about Photoshop for photographers. Visit http://www.radiantvista.com/ for free pdf lessons, video tutorials, etc.

thank you all for your suggestions. i have taken random basic courses - so i know the very

basics of selecting, cropping etc... but to really touch up an image and adjust to proper color

etc, and going through books has been overwhelming. will keep trying :)

Ever try to learn to play the piano by reading about it?

 

PS CS2 takes constant practice. Take ONE lesson and understand it. Practice it many times. Go to a second lesson, etc. I have been using PS since its very inception. I teach it. I also learn NEW stuff every day.

 

I also play the violin but am TERRIBLE at it because I have not done the above. You will always have different skill levels based on talent, experience, and hard work! How important is photography to you? That needs to be answered first. Good luck.

i started with ps7.0 and now changed to cs2. remember the first time i've got my PS I've also brought home many books but they made myself in a mess because i couldn't understand them. and then i gave up reading them and just simply tried all the filters which are the simplest thing on ps as i believe to learn in the beginning cuz it will let you know how different your picture is going to be... so try everything in PS, just try them, and remember what they'll help you for...that's all about getting into PS in the first stage...then after a few month or weeks you can go back to those books and you'll find them reall helpful ...

Look into Total Training, it's some of the best video training around and well worth the

money. Check ebay, you may find it cheaper. Good luck!

http://www.totaltraining.com/

I too am learning more and more every time I use Photoshop. The best resource I have found is an easy to use book simply named Photoshop CS2. The author is Robert Shufflebotham (no not kidding that is his real name). I got it at Barnes and Noble. The ISBN # is 0-7607-7862-0 if that helps you. I love this book and it has really made my use of photoshop much more effective. Hope this helps you.