how to learn photoshop

[jason_goodlad]

Could anyone reccomend a book or dvd ,i could use to learn photoshop cs2. Im not very good with

computers and finding photoshop hard to learn. What would be a good way to learn .

I understand the camera and photography its just photoshop i need to master.

[sara_peterson1]

jason...I found this book really helpful...it's by Scott Kelby and it's called The Photoshop cs

book for digital photographers...I think he has written it for every version, but not positive on

that one...check him out at your local book store...some people like his style and some

don't...

good luck

sara peterson

[henryp]

Scott Kelby is probably the author you want. He's got several books out, but in general, he's the man. You might also want to check out the NAPP - http://www.photoshopuser.com/.

- Henry P

[errolyoung]

Photoshop is big. Huge. A lot of it you will never use.

I used website tutorials to answer my questions.

Start by looking at Levels then move on to curves.

Most digital files need some sharpening.

Then there is colour balance.

 

I have been using layer masks lately.

 

errol

[ronald_moravec1]

Photoshop CS or CS2 for Dummies, $20 at Amazon. This gets you through the mechanics.

 

Scotts book or Martin Evenings for more detail.

[nickwhite]

'Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers' by Martin Evening (Focal Press) - includes an excellent tutorial DVD.

[robert goldstein]

I was so intimidated by Photoshop that I put off entering the digital realm for several years

before taking the plunge, first with scanned film and more recently with digital cameras.

What I found most helpful to overcome my anxieties was to begin working on my own

photos with a basic book at my side. Reading manuals in isolation of actual image files is

nearly worthless if you have no concept of the programs's structure and capabilities.

Photoshop is a massive program with many features that are of little value to the average

photographer. Learn the fundamentals first--levels, curves, layers, masks, selection tools,

etc. If you can master these skills, you will be able to produce very pleasing images. I still

have a long way to go myself, yet some of my work is pleasnatly above average. As with

most things in life, it's easy once you know how.

 

Rob

[fanta]

25 USD for one month of Lynda.com

Unbeatable!

Probably "Photoshop CS Essential Training" or "Photoshop CS2 Essential Training" are the right entry level.

[diane_madura]

Jason, I also was very intimdated by Photoshop. I took a Photoshop class at a community college. I would suggest a class that is geared for photographers, although the one I took was more for graphic artists. But I got really comfortable with Photoshop, and I learned things I didn't even know I should learn. For example, the class helped me with layers, layer masks, the use of filters, and the use of text layers.

 

If that's not an option for you, I also recommend Scott Kelby's book. He breaks a single idea down into usually one or two pages, keeping the reader from getting bored with too much explanation and details. He makes it easy to sit at your computer and follow the steps.

 

Also, sign up for Planet Photoshop's Photoshop Tip of the Day which they will email to you daily. http://www.planetphotoshop.com/

[dakotah_jackson]

If the new CS3 comes with it, do the tutorial. One the earlier versions 4 and up that I have worked with, there was a totorial. Almost all the problems friends have run into were answered in the tutorial that came with the product. The totorial they never used. Would have saved them a ton of time and frustration if they had take an hour a day for a couple weeks and just done it.