Where is a good online resource for learning Photoshop?

[leeblackman]

My friend spent about 5 minutes retouching a models skin and

changing the colors on a photo I took. It brought my image from

looking like a dull image to a clear smooth image. Literally made

all the difference in the world. I didn't really see exactly what

he did. I know he broke it down into layers, and erased sections on

different layers, used various blurs, then adjusted colors on

different layers and flattened the image. Obviously he has done it

quite abit and is very proficient. I would like to learn how to do

so myself.

 

Does anyone have any techniques, or know of any online resources

that will be helpful?

[KenPapai]

This may sounds like a broken, skipping record, but avail yourself of the several excellent books out there on Photoshop. Bruce Fraser's and David Blatner's newest one is now shipping. It's all there. You need at least one book on RAW processing and another on the rest of the workflow. Two books is a bare minimum for your library. Martin Evening also writes relevant and excellent PS books. You cannot do any better.

[rich815]

I agree with Ken. While a Google search will give you loads of online PS resources of tips, tricks, etc. it will get overwhelming fast. Nothing like a good book to sit with and try out ideas with in a more relaxed atmosphere than the snippets found online. The Blatner and Fraser Real World Photoshop books are awesome.

[leeblackman]

Yea, I did kinda notice when I ran a search on google, that there is really alot of useless information to weed thru. I mean it may not be useless to someone, but not really what I'm looking for. I figured I might hit the book store and check out some stuff. I was actually trying to look for maybe an online coarse, or coorespondance class thru a college that I could take.

[emre]

Try the "Total Training" series.

[john_demott]

Lee, You don't indicate whether you are starting as an absolute beginner in Photoshop or if you have some basic Photoshop knowledge and now want to learn the more advanced skills to do what your friend did. Photoshop is a really complex program and people devote a lot of time to improving their skills. If you're just beginning, I would recommend investigating something like a community college course or the Total Training videos--it really helps to have someone talk you through the basic concepts. After you have some basic skills, then there are a number of fine books that address more advanced color correction, tonal adjustments, and retouching, such as the Fraser and Blatner book.

 

When I first started with Photoshop, I took a community college course and then bought a book by Deke McClelland, Photoshop Bible, and worked my way through all the chapters and exercises so I had a good grasp of the program. Then, after working with what I had learned, I started buying more advanced books. Questions about Photoshop books seem to get asked on a regular basis here on photo.net and if you do a search you will see that some of the same books are recommended by a lot of people.

[paul -]

Having learned PS via <a href="http://www.totaltraining.com/prod/adobe/photoshopcs2.asp?mscsid=">Total Training videos</a>, books by the previously mentioned authors <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240519841/102-8059639-8737709?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance">(Martin Evening is particularly good - his book is used by the local college), </a> and community college, I'll recommend them in the order just given.

[RobertChura]

Scott Kelby also has great books with explicit instructions for what you are asking for, but it's not web based. Old fashioned books still work wonders.

[KenPapai]

These are some of the books I bought this year when and after I installed PS CS2 (my previous version was PS 5.5 from June 2000!)

<br>

<img src="http://www.kenpapai.com/images/books3303PN.jpg" border="1">

<br>

I have a few other books for the digital darkroom but they are not PS specific. -Ken

[kahheng]

del.icio.us/tag/photoshop

[steve_c9]

I agree with all the above - I tried to learn it through magazines and on-line articles, but you end up totally confused because they all go at it differently and don't have room to explain why they're doing it or how not to mess it up. Plus, a lot of it isn't edited, and some of it is just plain wrong.

 

Everything changed when I put down the bucks for Blatner/Fraser, as well as Katrin Eismann's Restoration book.

 

That said, if you're curious about a certain tool or technique, here's a comprehensive list.

 

http://www.popphoto.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=7840

[clay_prescott]

Nice list...thanks Steve and thanks to Mr. Jalapeno

[david_marshall2]

There are some good easy to follow tips at http://members.aol.com/crhfoto/knowhowlist.htm

[ralph_jensen]

Another strong vote for the Total Training videos. Spend 21 hours with Cousin Deke (not on the same day!) and you'll know far more than the typical PS book buyer bothers to learn (and have a lot more fun doing it). To save money, buy on eBay (100%-rated seller, of course), and after you're done you can sell it there for a minimal loss.

[iambaxter]

Try here.

http://www.dwblog.net/?p=312

[rich_desmond]

Lee,

 

I'm also a PS newbie, just a bit further along the learning curve then you from the sound of it. Like some of the other people I found the Blatner/Fraser book very useful, although there's a lot of non-photo applicable stuff to wade through. Over on the Luminous Landscape site they have a Tutorials section where I found this:

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/instant_photoshop.shtml

 

very, very helpful for getting started.

 

PS is just time-consuming to learn though, no getting around that.

[peter_f]

if you're like me and can't learn from books (ahh, uni was fun...) and need someone to

show you exactly how to do it - www.lynda.com - there's oodles on there re: photoshop

(as well as illustrator, dreamweaver, and all things graphic). I had it recommended by a uni

lecturer.

 

It's basically video clips of the dudes screen whilst he shows you how to do things, right

from the most basic, up to the most advanced. And they're organised into 'Chapters' and

further into snippets around 1-5mins long. Hence, if you alreayd know how to Create A

New Layer, but want to learn about Adjustment Layers instead, you can skip through stuff

at will.

 

Putting up with the guy's super-geek voice and little jokes is another matter....

 

All the best,