Learning Photoshop CS4

TM
Posted By
top_monkey
Oct 12, 2008
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690
Replies
30
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Closed
I’ve just emptied my bank account and bought CS4 (omg!) and I’m a completely new user to Photoshop (apart from using the trial versions) so I wondered if anyone had any advice on a book to buy to help me learn Photoshop?

I know there’s tons of tutorials on the web but I really prefer a hard copy on my desk to refer to.

What books have you read on PS that you would recommend?

Thanks
TM

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JJ
John Joslin
Oct 12, 2008
Classroom in a book – ideal for beginners who want hands-on exercises to learn by.
TM
top_monkey
Oct 12, 2008
Thanks John – I’ll check that one out – looking at the synopsis on Amazon, it looks like the sort of thing I’m after.
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 12, 2008
And you can follow up with video tutorials from Lynda.com – there are samples on the DVD that comes with Photoshop.
TM
top_monkey
Oct 12, 2008
Not sure I could afford video tutorials as well. I also notice lynda.com’s prices are in dollars and I’m based in the UK.
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 12, 2008
Don’t worry they just convert the $$$s. I did InDesign. I just signed for a month and crammed in all I could for the money.
BL
Bob Levine
Oct 12, 2008
So, when will we see you visiting the InDesign forum, John? <g>

Bob
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 12, 2008
That’ll be the day. 🙂

(I lurk there of course.)
B
Buko
Oct 12, 2008
You may need to wait until the CS4 books are actually published.
TM
top_monkey
Oct 13, 2008
Most of the CS4 books are already available for preorder 🙂
JF
Jim_Farmer
Oct 13, 2008
I found "Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers" by Martin Evening a very complete text with very good tutorials. If you are going to work in RAW try out Mikkel Aaland’s book "Photoshop CS3 RAW". If you don’t want to buy them or if you want to see what is in them you can get them from any good library.

Even though they are for CS3 the techniques would be close for CS4. There probably won’t be many good texts for CS4 available immediately.

As with everything, reading is one thing, practicing and doing it well is quite another.

Have fun,
Jim
B
Buko
Oct 14, 2008
Most of the CS4 books are already available for preorder

That’s because they are not published yet.
B
bob733
Oct 14, 2008
I believe you get some free Lynda.com time when you purchase an Adobe product.
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 14, 2008
I think that is one of the registration "rewards".
TM
top_monkey
Oct 14, 2008
Thanks Jim – some good suggestions there – I could do with help on RAW editing.

Buko – stating the obvious there.

bob733 / John – how much Lynda.com time do you get? I didn’t notice the offer when I purchused PS.
P
Phosphor
Oct 14, 2008
If you can stand his voice and delivery for more than 30 seconds (I can’t) there’s always a bunch of stuff available on the Russell Brown website.

Too bad he’s such a clown; he offers good material.
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 14, 2008
I got a free month. The other rewards were a book or an Adobe font but I already had the font.
B
Buko
Oct 14, 2008
He’s like Marmite.

Mmmmmm Marmite!
P
Phosphor
Oct 14, 2008
I respect Brown, but I hate his delivery.

I’m not saying I want to hear a dead-dry monotone, but excepting the subject matter, his presentation style is better suited for a G.D. kiddie birthday party.

But, as with many issues of style, I’m probably in the minority with my opinion.

I think American Idol is one of the worst things that ever happened to the mainstream music biz, too, but apparently there’s a never-ending procession of bargeloads of people who love it.

No accounting for taste, is there?
MP
Martijn_Pleines
Oct 15, 2008
Count me in with your ‘minority’…

Unfortunately this childish style of presentation is becoming all too common these days…it’s not just dr. Brown, it’s also the ‘Photoshop Guys’ (Kelby, Kloskowsky and Cross)…all forced smiles, bad jokes, stupid puns and corny banter.

OK, -end of rant- give me Julieanne Kost any time-she’s clear and to-the-point.

Martijn
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Oct 15, 2008
I think the Photoshop Guys are worse than Brown.
LH
Lawrence_Hudetz
Oct 15, 2008
Agreed on both counts, Phos.
TM
top_monkey
Oct 15, 2008
Thanks for the names

I see they have a few tutorials on Adobe TV – I didn’t even realise that existed!

….I’ll crawl back under my stone shall I?

Why does the expression ‘digital imaging evangelist’ give me the creeps?
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 15, 2008
Why does the expression ‘digital imaging evangelist’ give me the creeps?

Because it’s pretentious gobbledegook?
TM
top_monkey
Oct 15, 2008
I’ll go with that
BC
Bart_Cross
Oct 15, 2008
….evangelist’ it’s an American thing.
TM
top_monkey
Oct 15, 2008
Well I didn’t like to say
BC
Bart_Cross
Oct 15, 2008
Oh, sure you did!
JA
John_Ashburn
Oct 15, 2008
There are 2 excellent books on CS4 available now. One is by Martin Evening and the other by Scott Kelby. You can get either book at photoshopuser.com.

Kelby also has a training site (kelbytraining.com) where Matt Klowskowski has an excellent video training program for CS4 users. You can get a 1 month subscription with unlimited access for $19.95. I believe Kelby’s book on CS4 is also available from this site.

Hope this helps.
MP
Martijn_Pleines
Oct 15, 2008
I’d like to comment at this point on my earlier rant on the Photoshop Guys-I was talking of them as a group-their interaction in the photoshop user TV format.

From what I’ve seen, they’re much better on their own, in their own training videos-so please do try them and do not judge them only on their performance in those photoshop user TV videos.

Martijn
TM
top_monkey
Oct 16, 2008
I couldn’t find any books on photoshopuser.com – the membership looks quite good though – anyone here a member?

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