[mel]

awesome! i get a tad touchy. we take a lot of crap from people calling us antiquated dinosaurs in one breath then asking for assistance with a complex bit of research in the next.

okay sorry everyone. back to the photoshop books.

I still have my original paper library card from when I first moved to tampa in 83. Guess I should get one for where I live now. 1 county up. Funny thing is the library now is about 500 yards up the dirt road. By car it's over a mile. (I live on a dead end)

Question: Would it be safe to assume from your avatar Mel is short for something like Melonie?

[mel]

I still have my original paper library card from when I first moved to tampa in 83. Guess I should get one for where I live now. 1 county up. Funny thing is the library now is about 500 yards up the dirt road. By car it's over a mile. (I live on a dead end)

Question: Would it be safe to assume from your avatar Mel is short for something like Melonie?

MelAnie. close. but it's too many syllables on the soccer field.

we need to get back on topic now. lol

[kcmadr]

Two books:

First - Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS4 by Bruce Fraser and Jeff Schewe from the Real World series.

Second - Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers by Conrad Chavez and David Blatner also from the Real World series.

That is if you're using CS4, otherwise get their publications applicable to the version of PS you have.

[Canada_Rockies]

awesome! i get a tad touchy. we take a lot of crap from people calling us antiquated dinosaurs in one breath then asking for assistance with a complex bit of research in the next.

okay sorry everyone. back to the photoshop books.

At this very moment, I am really happy that my son-in-law has just obtained his masters in Library Information Science. My sister in law is a librarian in the Hawaiian library service, having obtained here Masters about three years ago. A few months ago, we feted our librarian here in Sparwood for his 25th anniversary as our librarian. Don't knock librarians around me!

[Ira]

Whatever you do, DON'T get Adobe's Classroom in a Book series.

They might have gotten better, but I doubt it.

Developing great software doesn't necessarily translate into developing great documentation. Plus, NO sense of humor.

[mel]

Whatever you do, DON'T get Adobe's Classroom in a Book series.

They might have gotten better, but I doubt it.

Developing great software doesn't necessarily translate into developing great documentation. Plus, NO sense of humor.

But that being said, although the style isn't for me, there are a few nuggets and tidbits that I've picked up from that book that are better explained than any of the others I have on my shelf. I like to learn from multiple sources. I originally got it because it was recommended to me by a friend who is a Photoshop artist for an ad agency in Manhattan and used to teach Photoshop at the Art Institute in San Francisco. I figured if anyone knew what they were talking about it would be him.

[Kerrowdown]

I can recommend the Martin Evening, I bought Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers, if I had bought this first I wouldn't have a shelf full of other rubbish.

[Ira]

But that being said, although the style isn't for me, there are a few nuggets and tidbits that I've picked up from that book that are better explained than any of the others I have on my shelf. I like to learn from multiple sources. I originally got it because it was recommended to me by a friend who is a Photoshop artist for an ad agency in Manhattan and used to teach Photoshop at the Art Institute in San Francisco. I figured if anyone knew what they were talking about it would be him.

Their books SUCK for someone trying to first learn their programs. And they may know what they're talking about, but the problem is, they sound like retards when it comes to their books.

Worthless.

What ad agency in New York? That's my background.

[jem]

I have a different view on the “Adobe Photoshop 'X.X' Classroom in a Book”. While it doesn’t seem to appeal to you and I find that the tutorial style is a bit simplistic – I speak and read fluent engineer much to my own annoyance – the book does have an audience. My wife is not an advanced computer user. She prefers doing graphics design the ‘old-fashioned’ way – pen, pencil and brush. But she does like to learn new tools so I loaded up an old version of Photoshop on her laptop. She was struggling to learn the software which has a fair sized learning curve – particularly for a computer novice. I struggled to simplify my instructions on how to perform various operations. Online tutorials would confuse her because they miss steps, assume knowledge or simply be for a different version of Photoshop. So I picked up several books from Amazon for that version of Photoshop. The Adobe Classroom book has been her favorite. She loves the simple step-by-step tutorial style of the book. Now I have a happy wife learning Photoshop – and of course a happy wife makes for a happy husband.

Best,
John

By the way, I personally like the Kelby books. They amuse me and they are peppered with gems of information.

[TomK]

Sorry for the OT.

But - looking at kerrowdown signature it says:
"Darkroom no more, I use CS3 in the light"
And the thought came to me "Oh no! Someone from Loc Ness
Scotland who is an expert in Photoshop. Just what the world needs!"
Jusk kidding, kerrowdow, just kidding!

-TomK - from the home of "The Jersey Devil" (US) -

[mel]

Their books SUCK for someone trying to first learn their programs. And they may know what they're talking about, but the problem is, they sound like retards when it comes to their books.

Worthless.

What ad agency in New York? That's my background.

I probably shouldn't say which agency without his permission since he is the digital image department. and the work of his that i've seen is amazing in my opinion and has appeared in places like all over the walls of Penn Station (as well as in publications).

i don't care if the tone of the book sounds like a retard. as long as it gets me to where i need to be i'm fine with it. if i want to be entertained by a book i'll pick up a novel. i'm usually not reading these cover to cover anyway. they're references. i want my info and move on to the next thing. i don't want witty prose. tell me how to do a-b-c and be done with it.

but that's me. others i know do things differently. and that's good. we all learn in different ways.

[Canada_Rockies]

I probably shouldn't say which agency without his permission since he is the digital image department. and the work of his that i've seen is amazing in my opinion and has appeared in places like all over the walls of Penn Station (as well as in publications).

i don't care if the tone of the book sounds like a retard. as long as it gets me to where i need to be i'm fine with it. if i want to be entertained by a book i'll pick up a novel. i'm usually not reading these cover to cover anyway. they're references. i want my info and move on to the next thing. i don't want witty prose. tell me how to do a-b-c and be done with it.

but that's me. others i know do things differently. and that's good. we all learn in different ways.

I tend to read the book once straight through, and then use it for reference the same way you do. Sometimes, I will pick up a book because it lhas a reference that I need at the time, but I will read it all the way through later.

I seldom throw away a book. I have a couple of dozen photo technique books on my shelves, all but three of them being from film days. The three that are "digital" are Photoshop Elements 6 for Dummies, Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book, and his Lightroom v1 book. They sit there until I need them.