Suggestions on learning Photoshop CS4

stl09 · 04-21-2010, 07:02 AM

I'm wanting to learn Photoshop CS4 better than just muddling thru the software.

Can anyone make any recommendations on either on-line venue or would it be better to learn via a book. If the book is the route, title and author would be helpful. If someone has taken an on-line course any information would be greatly appreciated. I know there are a lot of on-line courses but I have no idea who is good and who is bad...

Thanks

landscaped1 · 04-21-2010, 07:57 AM

The biggest question is what are you trying to do? Photoshop has seemingly limitless possibilities. Are you simply editing images using camera RAW? want to learn HDR? or even stacking images and layer masks?

My best advice is get a feel for what all the basic tools do. When you have a specific task you are trying to perform, google it. There are many helpful articles and video tutorials online that are all free.

And don't forget about the adobe help in the top right hand corner.

stl09 · 04-21-2010, 08:07 AM

Thanks,

I'm wanting to get a good foundation in the software, not be an expert by any means.
I would like to be able to feel comfortable doing more of the basics and the tasks you mentioned. I know this is a huge program that can do a ton of stuff.
I learn easier by watching and then doing the task seems to stick better.

Any links you might have to the free online tutorials would be great....

slinco · 04-21-2010, 09:38 AM

Here's a bunch of good one's:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-processing-printing-software-darkroo...tutorials.html

stl09 · 04-21-2010, 09:47 AM

Thanks Steve,

I'll be busy clicking for the rest of the day...

slinco · 04-21-2010, 11:44 AM

Martin Evening's books "Photoshop for Photographers" are excellent.
Amazon.com: Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC (9780240521251): Martin Evening: Books

And if you want to go beyond photography, I learned a ton from "The Photoshop Wow Book". And it came with a CD loaded with Actions, Styles, and Shapes that I've gotten a lot of use out of.

landscaped1 · 04-21-2010, 12:07 PM

Photoshop Basic Tools Overview | Photoshop | Tutorial Blog

a link to a list of all the basic tool functions and there keyboard shortcuts

35 Basic Tutorials to Get You Started with Photoshop

that one is self explanatory!

raz-0 · 04-21-2010, 12:42 PM

I have some books i like. I haven't found a single thing in them that I couldn't ifnd for free on the internet these days.

Just hit up your favorite search engine with the phrase "photoshop tutorial", and start looking at stuff. Check out the ones that look interesting. If you hit something in them that you don't understand and it doesn't explain, go back to the search engine and search for a tutorial on that particular item.

My other suggestion is that once you have some practice under your belt (doesn't need to be all that much), start playing with your own images. Also, I recommend you shoot in RAW, and hold on to disappointing pictures. The ones that annoy me because they were almost good are the ones that are often the best learning experiences for fixing stuff in post processing.

graphicgr8s · 04-22-2010, 07:33 AM

Join NAPP. Online tuitorials are great. Best $99/year I spend. And if a seminar comes to a city near you, GO. $79 for a full day of PS training.

D4rknezz · 04-22-2010, 08:06 AM

I would second NAPP.
Their instructors write some of the books available on anything adobe. I would also recommend magazines, there are some of these published from UK that are amazing...cost almost like books though. Go to your barnes and nobles and they'd be in the photography magazine section. They are very visual and easy to follow. I would just drop by my second hand bookstore and look for them.

graphicgr8s · 04-22-2010, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by D4rknezz

I would second NAPP.
Their instructors write some of the books available on anything adobe. I would also recommend magazines, there are some of these published from UK that are amazing...cost almost like books though. Go to your barnes and nobles and they'd be in the photography magazine section. They are very visual and easy to follow. I would just drop by my second hand bookstore and look for them.

Yeah, forgot to mention membership gets you a one year subscription to photoshop user magazine

mel · 04-23-2010, 02:37 PM

Another thought, that I plug regularly, is to go to your local public library and see what they have. It's a great try-before-you buy option. You can check out all the Photoshop books they have and see which one(s) will be a good fit for you. Personally I'm not crazy about the Scott Kelby book (have it) but get a lot more mileage out of the Photoshop for Dummies book. Which might tell you something about me, but is actually a bit more in-depth than the Kelby book without having to wade through all the narrative.

If your library is part of a system or consortium, they can probably get books from other branches as well if they're own selection is lacking.

stl09 · 04-23-2010, 02:58 PM

Thank you to everyone for all the suggestions. I will have plenty of resources to review over the weekend.

r0ckstarr · 04-25-2010, 09:15 PM

Google and Youtube. Best training you can get. Well, not THE best, but it does the job. Just search for "photoshop tutorial". Do the ones that seem easy for you to understand and figure out, then work your way up to more advanced tutorials.

Blue · 04-26-2010, 06:53 AM

Maybe wait and learn CS5 since it is due out.

04-21-2010, 07:02 AM	#1
stl09 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Gallery Posts: 487	Suggestions on learning Photoshop CS4 I'm wanting to learn Photoshop CS4 better than just muddling thru the software. Can anyone make any recommendations on either on-line venue or would it be better to learn via a book. If the book is the route, title and author would be helpful. If someone has taken an on-line course any information would be greatly appreciated. I know there are a lot of on-line courses but I have no idea who is good and who is bad... Thanks

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04-21-2010, 07:57 AM	#2
landscaped1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Louisiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 153	The biggest question is what are you trying to do? Photoshop has seemingly limitless possibilities. Are you simply editing images using camera RAW? want to learn HDR? or even stacking images and layer masks? My best advice is get a feel for what all the basic tools do. When you have a specific task you are trying to perform, google it. There are many helpful articles and video tutorials online that are all free. And don't forget about the adobe help in the top right hand corner.

04-21-2010, 08:07 AM	#3
stl09 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Gallery Posts: 487 Original Poster	Thanks, I'm wanting to get a good foundation in the software, not be an expert by any means. I would like to be able to feel comfortable doing more of the basics and the tasks you mentioned. I know this is a huge program that can do a ton of stuff. I learn easier by watching and then doing the task seems to stick better. Any links you might have to the free online tutorials would be great....

04-21-2010, 09:38 AM	#4
slinco Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 203	Here's a bunch of good one's: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-processing-printing-software-darkroo...tutorials.html

04-21-2010, 09:47 AM	#5
stl09 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Gallery Posts: 487 Original Poster	Thanks Steve, I'll be busy clicking for the rest of the day...

04-21-2010, 11:44 AM	#6
slinco Inactive Account Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 203	Martin Evening's books "Photoshop for Photographers" are excellent. Amazon.com: Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC (9780240521251): Martin Evening: Books And if you want to go beyond photography, I learned a ton from "The Photoshop Wow Book". And it came with a CD loaded with Actions, Styles, and Shapes that I've gotten a lot of use out of.

04-21-2010, 12:07 PM	#7
landscaped1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Louisiana Photos: Gallery Posts: 153	Photoshop Basic Tools Overview \| Photoshop \| Tutorial Blog a link to a list of all the basic tool functions and there keyboard shortcuts 35 Basic Tutorials to Get You Started with Photoshop that one is self explanatory!

04-21-2010, 12:42 PM	#8
raz-0 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central NJ Posts: 470	I have some books i like. I haven't found a single thing in them that I couldn't ifnd for free on the internet these days. Just hit up your favorite search engine with the phrase "photoshop tutorial", and start looking at stuff. Check out the ones that look interesting. If you hit something in them that you don't understand and it doesn't explain, go back to the search engine and search for a tutorial on that particular item. My other suggestion is that once you have some practice under your belt (doesn't need to be all that much), start playing with your own images. Also, I recommend you shoot in RAW, and hold on to disappointing pictures. The ones that annoy me because they were almost good are the ones that are often the best learning experiences for fixing stuff in post processing.

04-22-2010, 07:33 AM	#9
graphicgr8s Guest	Join NAPP. Online tuitorials are great. Best $99/year I spend. And if a seminar comes to a city near you, GO. $79 for a full day of PS training.

04-22-2010, 08:06 AM	#10
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	I would second NAPP. Their instructors write some of the books available on anything adobe. I would also recommend magazines, there are some of these published from UK that are amazing...cost almost like books though. Go to your barnes and nobles and they'd be in the photography magazine section. They are very visual and easy to follow. I would just drop by my second hand bookstore and look for them.

04-22-2010, 09:22 AM	#11
graphicgr8s Guest	Originally posted by D4rknezz I would second NAPP. Their instructors write some of the books available on anything adobe. I would also recommend magazines, there are some of these published from UK that are amazing...cost almost like books though. Go to your barnes and nobles and they'd be in the photography magazine section. They are very visual and easy to follow. I would just drop by my second hand bookstore and look for them. Yeah, forgot to mention membership gets you a one year subscription to photoshop user magazine

04-26-2010, 06:53 AM	#15
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Maybe wait and learn CS5 since it is due out.

04-23-2010, 02:37 PM	#12
mel Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Virginia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,531	Another thought, that I plug regularly, is to go to your local public library and see what they have. It's a great try-before-you buy option. You can check out all the Photoshop books they have and see which one(s) will be a good fit for you. Personally I'm not crazy about the Scott Kelby book (have it) but get a lot more mileage out of the Photoshop for Dummies book. Which might tell you something about me, but is actually a bit more in-depth than the Kelby book without having to wade through all the narrative. If your library is part of a system or consortium, they can probably get books from other branches as well if they're own selection is lacking.

04-23-2010, 02:58 PM	#13
stl09 Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: St. Louis, MO Photos: Gallery Posts: 487 Original Poster	Thank you to everyone for all the suggestions. I will have plenty of resources to review over the weekend.

04-25-2010, 09:15 PM	#14
r0ckstarr Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,507	Google and Youtube. Best training you can get. Well, not THE best, but it does the job. Just search for "photoshop tutorial". Do the ones that seem easy for you to understand and figure out, then work your way up to more advanced tutorials.