Let's write a PS handbook...

*FHPhotographer* · 12-05-2008, 08:11 PM

Call me old fashioned, but I'm of those people (senior types) who learned with books and still works best with a reference book close at hand that I can mark up, tab and refer to quickly.

I've been frustrated with Photoshop (and other programs) because the online "help" menu is often overwritten; when I want to know what time it is, "help" explains how to build a watch.

What I think folks like me could use is a small, free encyclopedia of PS tips and techniques from users, compiled in a .pdf and printed out as a hard copy. I've got the writing background , and the time and enthusiasm to pull a reference handbook together... but only with your help. You folks have the hands-on experience that can help a lot of people climb the steep Adobe learning curve.

If you might want to contribute one or more concise summaries (100-500 words) on your favorite Photoshop process, tip or technique,please let me know if you'd like to participate in the next week so I can judge whether or not to go ahead with the project. I'll then post that information .

If there's interest in the project, I'll post the simple submission guideline and ask you to email me your summaries. I'll edit the items for style, combine duplications for joint submission, and email them back to you for review. After that, they get compiled and indexed and put it into a .pdf file. This handbook will belong to all of us, everybody involved gets submission credit and it will be free and available to all who want it, no strings attached..

And please remember I'm doing this becasue I believe in the old fashioned notions of each one teach one and for the fun of it. So if you don't want to participate, that's cool... but I don't need to be flamed with posts about what you think of the idea, and/or how it can't be done or doesn't need to be done, and/or why I'm an idiot for trying to do it, and/or I'm wasting bandwidth even bringing it up.

Brian (FHPhotographer)

**Damn Brit** · 12-05-2008, 08:35 PM

Scott Kelby has already written some very good books on Photoshop as well as other authors.
The problem with your idea IMO is that Photoshop is so huge and there is always more than one way to do things.
How about just identifying a few techniques and concentrating on them? Alternatively, use this thread on an 'as and when' basis. Someone asks a question on a technique and someone else answers. Over time, you could probably produce the book you've suggested from those questions and answers and it should be far more relevant because it answers real questions.

krypticide · 12-05-2008, 09:26 PM

A wiki would be great for this. While I still use mostly LR, I have been trying to compile PS tips and it's just so difficult because tutorials are just all over the net.

JCSullivan · 12-06-2008, 12:48 AM

Why go thru all the trouble when there are so many FREE tutorials and forums on the .net

MPrince · 12-06-2008, 06:37 AM

Well, I think it's a good idea.

The problem with photoshop is it was not created for use by photographers, and while it is feature-rich, in my opinion it's hard to learn, not intuitive, and with as unfriendly a user interface as I have ever seen (at least through version 7--never used any of the CS versions). Out of all it's vast features, only a relative few are useful to photographers--problem is there's no easy way I know of to identify, then figure out how to use, those features.

I'll be happy to contribute a black&white conversion technique, a sharpening technique that does not use unsharp masking, and an action that is useful for touching up portraits. None of which I authored.

**Ole** · 12-06-2008, 07:43 AM

If you go ahead with the project I'd be glad to help.

*FHPhotographer* · 12-06-2008, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

Scott Kelby has already written some very good books on Photoshop as well as other authors.
The problem with your idea IMO is that Photoshop is so huge and there is always more than one way to do things.
How about just identifying a few techniques and concentrating on them? Alternatively, use this thread on an 'as and when' basis. Someone asks a question on a technique and someone else answers. Over time, you could probably produce the book you've suggested from those questions and answers and it should be far more relevant because it answers real questions.

I missed all this. Thanks for the input, it is certainly helpful,
Brian

*FHPhotographer* · 12-06-2008, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by JCSullivan

Why go thru all the trouble when there are so many FREE tutorials and forums on the .net

Oh, I don't know, maybe posts like yours are just too much fun to read to pass up.

Thanks for the constructive input,
Brian

*FHPhotographer* · 12-06-2008, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by MPrince

Well, I think it's a good idea.

The problem with photoshop is it was not created for use by photographers, and while it is feature-rich, in my opinion it's hard to learn, not intuitive, and with as unfriendly a user interface as I have ever seen (at least through version 7--never used any of the CS versions). Out of all it's vast features, only a relative few are useful to photographers--problem is there's no easy way I know of to identify, then figure out how to use, those features.

I'll be happy to contribute a black&white conversion technique, a sharpening technique that does not use unsharp masking, and an action that is useful for touching up portraits. None of which I authored.

Thank you, I appreciate the help... now let's see how many want to participate,
Brian

*FHPhotographer* · 12-06-2008, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by krypticide

A wiki would be great for this. While I still use mostly LR, I have been trying to compile PS tips and it's just so difficult because tutorials are just all over the net.

Sorry, I don't know what a "wiki" is? But I think you want to participate... or looking at your post below, you're startring a parallel project?
Brian

krypticide · 12-06-2008, 12:40 PM

Just started a wiki, please contribute!

photoshopforphotographers / FrontPage

*FHPhotographer* · 12-06-2008, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Ole

If you go ahead with the project I'd be glad to help.

Thanks, Ole, let's see how it goes,
Brian

*reeftool* · 12-06-2008, 01:20 PM

I was looking for a photoshop book and found several in our local Barne and Noble. I haven't purchased one yet ( kind of let the rest of the family know the one I want so maybe i'll get it for Christmas instead of another @#$##$@ flannel shirt). Having a tutorial that is user written and updated is what a wiki is. While a book will cover a certain edition of Photoshop it kind of becomes obsolete when the next version comes out so a wiki can be much better as it can be constantly updated and cover many versions. Its going to take up lots space eventually on somebodys server. To be usefull it will also need lots of pictures, screenshots, and examples. Having pointers on using layers are usless to a digital user who doesn't even know what a layer is. It sounds like a worthy project but I hope you know what you're getting into. I'm one of the "senior" types who has only been digital for a year and probably wouldn't be able to contribute much but when I figure what layers are and what to do with them I'll be happy to put my 2 cents worth in.

krypticide · 12-06-2008, 01:41 PM

These PBwiki's are easy to set up, and should be more than enough storage space provided that images are hosted on another server. I would suggest either Flickr or Photobucket. I'll make a note on the front page.

*FHPhotographer* · 12-06-2008, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by krypticide

These PBwiki's are easy to set up, and should be more than enough storage space provided that images are hosted on another server. I would suggest either Flickr or Photobucket. I'll make a note on the front page.

My original idea was a hard-copy handbook for the digitally challenged. This seems another computer-mediate digital resource; that's good, and I'll help in any way I can to make it work, but I still would like to pull together a "book" for use by geezers like me out there. Let's look at some way to blend them so we can do both?
Brian