Suggestions on SC5 tutorials

Jon in SC · 10-12-2010, 08:10 AM

Recently purchased SC5 (upgrading from Elements) and I am trying to get up to speed on how to use the tool most effectively. I am very interested in suggestions from people on regarding the following:

1. Suggestion regarding the best print manual to buy. I have purchased several manuals in the past (Missing Manual, For Dummies, ...) most of them to be honest aren't worth the money I spent. I am fairly literate with computers and have used Elements for years. What suggestions would you make to use the SC5 for photos (more than just the basics).

2. Does anybody have a link to any free online video tutorials that are available and good for CS5. I have Googled this topic and find some on line tutorials but most of them aren't great, they either cover simple stuff like how to open a file (which I already know) or they charge an arm and a leg for the useful tutorials.

I would greatly appreciate the input.

Thanks

wjax · 10-12-2010, 08:24 AM

I looked far and wide and could not find any good comprehensive online tutorials. I ended up paying $25/mo. for access to the incredibly comprehensive lynda.com library of high-quality tutorials. If you want to learn CS5 in a fast, efficient way then do like I did and join for a few months and do a few hundred of the tutorials. I went from a total PS noob to being fairly advanced in about 4 months for a $100 investment. Best investment I have made in photography by far.

Jon in SC · 10-13-2010, 11:52 AM

Wjax
Thanks for you input. I had considered Lynda.com and may end up doing it. Its hard to imagine there aren't any good free tutorials.

johngs · 10-13-2010, 12:03 PM

There are brilliant free Photoshop and Lightroom tutorial videos at "thedigitalphotographyconnection.com"

These are the best I've seen and all free!

raz-0 · 10-13-2010, 02:16 PM

Quite honestly, I don't know if anything is worth it for cs5.

I have a safari bookshelf subscription for work related stuff, but also get access to a ton of photoshop books as well.

For any given subject there are free online tutorials every bit as good as the stuff you pay for. The real problem is combing through them to find the good stuff. So far, the commercial books aren't much better at condensing truly useful stuff than the various tutorial websites.

At least for CS5.

For a total Photoshop noob, the outlook is probably a lot better.

I've also found pretty much NO tutorials on the forensic tools.

KxBlaze · 10-13-2010, 02:32 PM

I personally like this book. I think it covers all aspects of CS5 (haven't read the whole thing yet) that I use. It is easy to follow and you can go to it anytime you need compared to an on-line tutorial where you have to be on-line.

Amazon.com: The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) (9780321703569): Scott Kelby: Books

Jon in SC · 10-18-2010, 11:04 AM

Thanks everybody, especially KxBlaze and Johngs for the help. I tend to agree with what others have said here for some reason the resourses for Photoshop just aren't very good. I have gone to the bookstore and read several of them trying to decide. Some books assume that a person has never operated a computer before and are way to simple for my needs. Others assume the reader is a PhD Engineer who is fluint in COBALT and can write UNIX code for grins.
I know that PS5 like any other complex program takes time to get used to, I hope the suggestions here will help me start to bridge the gap between knowledge of Elements and the options in PS5.

10-12-2010, 08:10 AM	#1
Jon in SC Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: South Carolina Photos: Albums Posts: 54	Suggestions on SC5 tutorials Recently purchased SC5 (upgrading from Elements) and I am trying to get up to speed on how to use the tool most effectively. I am very interested in suggestions from people on regarding the following: 1. Suggestion regarding the best print manual to buy. I have purchased several manuals in the past (Missing Manual, For Dummies, ...) most of them to be honest aren't worth the money I spent. I am fairly literate with computers and have used Elements for years. What suggestions would you make to use the SC5 for photos (more than just the basics). 2. Does anybody have a link to any free online video tutorials that are available and good for CS5. I have Googled this topic and find some on line tutorials but most of them aren't great, they either cover simple stuff like how to open a file (which I already know) or they charge an arm and a leg for the useful tutorials. I would greatly appreciate the input. Thanks

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10-12-2010, 08:24 AM	#2
wjax Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 51	I looked far and wide and could not find any good comprehensive online tutorials. I ended up paying $25/mo. for access to the incredibly comprehensive lynda.com library of high-quality tutorials. If you want to learn CS5 in a fast, efficient way then do like I did and join for a few months and do a few hundred of the tutorials. I went from a total PS noob to being fairly advanced in about 4 months for a $100 investment. Best investment I have made in photography by far.

10-13-2010, 11:52 AM	#3
Jon in SC Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: South Carolina Photos: Albums Posts: 54 Original Poster	Wjax Thanks for you input. I had considered Lynda.com and may end up doing it. Its hard to imagine there aren't any good free tutorials.

10-13-2010, 12:03 PM	#4
johngs Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Posts: 229	There are brilliant free Photoshop and Lightroom tutorial videos at "thedigitalphotographyconnection.com" These are the best I've seen and all free!

10-13-2010, 02:16 PM	#5
raz-0 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central NJ Posts: 470	Quite honestly, I don't know if anything is worth it for cs5. I have a safari bookshelf subscription for work related stuff, but also get access to a ton of photoshop books as well. For any given subject there are free online tutorials every bit as good as the stuff you pay for. The real problem is combing through them to find the good stuff. So far, the commercial books aren't much better at condensing truly useful stuff than the various tutorial websites. At least for CS5. For a total Photoshop noob, the outlook is probably a lot better. I've also found pretty much NO tutorials on the forensic tools.

10-13-2010, 02:32 PM	#6
KxBlaze Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,602	I personally like this book. I think it covers all aspects of CS5 (haven't read the whole thing yet) that I use. It is easy to follow and you can go to it anytime you need compared to an on-line tutorial where you have to be on-line. Amazon.com: The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) (9780321703569): Scott Kelby: Books

10-18-2010, 11:04 AM	#7
Jon in SC Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: South Carolina Photos: Albums Posts: 54 Original Poster	Thanks everybody, especially KxBlaze and Johngs for the help. I tend to agree with what others have said here for some reason the resourses for Photoshop just aren't very good. I have gone to the bookstore and read several of them trying to decide. Some books assume that a person has never operated a computer before and are way to simple for my needs. Others assume the reader is a PhD Engineer who is fluint in COBALT and can write UNIX code for grins. I know that PS5 like any other complex program takes time to get used to, I hope the suggestions here will help me start to bridge the gap between knowledge of Elements and the options in PS5.