How do I Go About Learning About Photoshop? I already have CS2.

[aj sellarole]

I really need to learn how to use it, i have seen people do amazing things to

dull photographs. How can i do this? I would appreciate any help i can get,

whether it be personal advice, links, etc.

 

Thanks

[bosse de nage]

http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=149

 

11 hours of video tutorial.

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Several good books: Scot Kelby PSCS2 for Photogrpahers, Scott Kelbys Channels book, Bruce Fraser Real World Camera Raw (I guess not technically part of PS but important nonetheless), Martin Evening also has a large tome on PSCS2.

 

Lots of good info in this forum.

[howard_owen]

Two words: use it.

 

Get yourself a good BASIC reference book. If you don't have the Adobe User Guide, buy the Classroom in a Book, Photoshop for Dummies, Photoshop Quickstart Guide or some other beginning text. Don't overwhelm yourself. Learn where the tools are and what they do by starting with simple tasks. Correct the tonal range of a photo using levels. Do it again using curves. Color correct the photo using hue and saturation. Correct it again using levels. Correct it again using curves. Leave the bells and whistles (highlight and shadow, exposure) tools alone for the time being.

 

Once you are comfortable with basic image correction, branch out into manipulation. Compost two or more images together using layer masks. Do it again with the selection tools. Do it again with clipping paths.

 

The underlying idea here is that you will learn the software much quicker if you have a definable goal with every pic you work on. This is much better than random mucking around, spending hours playing with the filters, learning little. The other theme is that there are at least three ways to do everything in Photoshop. By learning different paths to the same result you can develop a working method that suits you. You will also learn that some methods are better suited to certain images than others. As you make progress, buy a better book or two.

 

Roll up your sleeves and get busy.

[keithdunlop]

Martin Evening's latest Photoshop CS2 book is a great reference, and I like that his book adds many real-world sample image alteration tutorials that are not found in some beginner reference materials. The book is also full of excellent visual examples which is a great aid in learning new skills.

[JeffOwen]

I have been through about 6 versions of PS over about 6 years and I have still got a lot to learn. As others have said you must get in there and use it. Read the forums for hints and download any tutorials available. I found that books are hard to follow and that tutorials are better (probably due to my poor attention span). If you can find a class; even better. I attended a class a few years ago and it doubled my knowledge. Now I am regarded as an expert by my friends, but as they say 'In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king'.

[patricklavoie]

When you come to Montreal, il show you : )

 

Seriously, use it, read about it and go to convention or better buy some DVD about it.

[william_mcfarland]

I like this site: http://www.photowalkthrough.com/ it has helped me alot. The approach is to walk through the changes required to transform an image. Because of this it is not systamatic in teaching all of Photoshop, but it does teach a lot of the basics, the first things you would need to learn to start using them on your own photos. He also provides the images he is using so that you can follow along.

 

Bill

[chuck_sackman]

Visit the Radiant Vista website.

 

http://www.radiantvista.com/index.php

[hugh_croft]

I learnt Photoshop just by playing with it and using the help file. You can figure everything out yourself without books - many of them are just a rewording of the help files anyway. Everything in Photoshop is simple - it's just that there's a lot of it.

[james_symington1]

Lots of good advice already - unfortunately the bottom line is that although they will get you started and give you some good tips it is only really years of use that will make you any good at it. Most images don't require much work and are easy - or at worst present you with a lot of things you need to do but at least you know how. But occasionally you'll come across a photograph which will tax you horribly and you will feel like a beginner again - that's when experience really counts.

[ericreagan]

Buy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPhotoshop-Digital-Photographers-Voices-Matter%2Fdp%2F0321330625%2Fsr%3D8-2%2Fqid%3D1160757740%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=cyclingshots-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">this</a> book. Scott Kelby knows his stuff and knows how to explain how to do it. It's the best book out there for Photographers. You'll use it nearly everytime you sit down with Photoshop.

[roger_kallet]

I agree with all the above book recommendations. In addition, Here is a very good starter,

"beginners" book. Check here <a href=http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/

isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780672327551&itm=3>link</a>

[roger_kallet]

Sorry, my first attempt to include "link" in my post didn't work. Here is the book I

recommended: "Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS2 In 24 Hours" by Carla Rose and

Kate Binder.

 

 

Also, one of my favorites is: "Adobe Photoshop CS2 Studio Techniques" by Ben Willmore.

[isaul_vargas]

I recommend that whatever book you get, you practice, practice, practice!

 

I have read a lot of Photoshop books, and although I've learned a lot, it's by following the tutorials and examples do I understand and get a feel for whats really going on.

[steve_utaski]

buy the adob classroom in a book. best way to go for a complete beginner