Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC (Paperback)

by Martin Evening (Author)
Key Phrases: camera raw, smart object, layer style, Adobe Photoshop, Unsharp Mask, Quick Mask (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Reviews of the CS2 edition:

"One of the best and most comprehensive guides available...Each section includes examples with before and after images; we found some of the ideas really inspiring...If you are a photographer using CS2, this book is a must buy." - Which Digital Camera

"This one book excellently covers all aspects of Photoshop CS2 and presents them clearly from the photographer's point of view." - Advanced Photoshop

"Still very much the daddy of all Photoshop books...the quality of illustration and production are top rate...if this book is impressive then the accompanying CD-ROM is a delight." - British Journal of Photography

"Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers by Martin Evening is like the bible...it contains everything you would want to know about the creative use of Photoshop for a Macintosh or PC...a must-have guide." - Amateur Photographer

"The book is organized in a very clear and helpful color coding scheme...I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent volume. Evening covers a lot of ground and I want more from this expert and author... Highly recommended for anyone interested in real-world imaging processes and techniques." www.kickstartnews.com

"Clearly, this book will satisfy the most demanding Photoshop junkie... Martin Evening is a professional photographer who really understands his audience. It's amazingly comprehensive, and pitched to be suitable for all levels of users, from experienced pros to people with a more basic grasp of the software... There is an excellent mix of images that add relevance and credibility to the overall professional level of this book... This book could prove to be one of the most useful books you'll ever buy." - Digital Photographer

"Covering both Mac and PC, this is a great buy for the photographer who wants to get to grips with the latest features." - Digital Creative Arts

"The book does a great job of introducing all the features that are new to CS2. The --Which Digital Camera

Review
Reviews of CS3 edition:

"If you've been wondering what's new in Adobe Photoshop CS3, why not get your information from the best? Martin Evening is a fantastic photographer and gifted teacher who makes time in his professional schedule to instruct photographers on digital imaging and Photoshop. Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers titles have become classic reference sources, written to deal directly with the needs of photographers and filled with a wealth of practical advice, hints and tips to help you achieve professional results."
Professional Photographer

"...investing in this 665-page book, diligent intermediates and advanced Photoshop users will feel reassured they've bought the definitive troubleshooting text." Photography Monthly (August 2007)

Reviews of the CS2 edition:

"One of the best and most comprehensive guides available...Each section includes examples with before and after images; we found some of the ideas really inspiring...If you are a photographer using CS2, this book is a must buy." - Which Digital Camera

"This one book excellently covers all aspects of Photoshop CS2 and presents them clearly from the photographer's point of view." - Advanced Photoshop

"Still very much the daddy of all Photoshop books...the quality of illustration and production are top rate...if this book is impressive then the accompanying CD-ROM is a delight." - British Journal of Photography

"Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers by Martin Evening is like the bible...it contains everything you would want to know about the creative use of Photoshop for a Macintosh or PC...a must-have guide." - Amateur Photographer

"The book is organized in a very clear and helpful color coding scheme...I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent volume. Evening covers a lot of ground and I want more from this expert and author... Highly recommended for anyone interested in real-world imaging processes and techniques." www.kickstartnews.com

"Clearly, this book will satisfy the most demanding Photoshop junkie... Martin Evening is a professional photographer who really understands his audience. It's amazingly comprehensive, and pitched to be suitable for all levels of users, from experienced pros to people with a more basic grasp of the software... There is an excellent mix of images that add relevance and credibility to the overall professional level of this book... This book could prove to be one of the most useful books you'll ever buy." - Digital Photographer

"Covering both Mac and PC, this is a great buy for the photographer who wants to get to grips with the latest features." - Digital Creative Arts

"The book does a great job of introducing all the features that are new to CS2. The tips on colour correction and setting up Photoshop for photographic work are invaluable. Even the most hardened Photoshop pro will find useful insights and tips here. The section on colour workflow is particularly good and one of the most lucid insights into the confounding world of reproducing accurate colour... Martin Evening's book is probably the best Photoshop manual available. Well priced and thoroughly informative." - MacFormat

"Richly illustrated with photos and screen grabs, this is an invaluable guide for anyone serious about Photoshop at a very reasonable price." - What Digital Camera

"The best just got better... For those who have the first CS version of the book, the decision to upgrade will depend on how much emphasis you place on the new features, however for others who are contemplating which book to buy, look no further - this book has it all... a must buy for every aspiring digital photographer and Photoshop user." - Timeless Digital Imaging

"Martin Evening has produced an indispensable guide to all of the new features and tricks... This is an easy to follow and well written guide." - Computer Arts

"...like the best software manual that you might expect with expensive computer programs, but actually rarely receive... (it is)beautifully illustrated. Evening's book - with its tutorial CD - manages that rare achievement, of hand-holding the fast-learning novice and old pro alike through some pretty involved procedures." - Stills Audio Motion

"This is one of the better general Photoshop books out there, with less about filters and more about using Photoshop to perfect images for fine art or adveritising." -Photo Techniques (2008)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; Pap/DVD edition (May 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240520289
• ISBN-13: 978-0240520285
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,471 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Encyclopedia of Photoshop, August 8, 2007

By	Joseph Boone (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Martin Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers series has long been one of the most helpful guides on the market. This newest edition is updated for CS3 and offers full coverage of all the new features as well as continued coverage of everything carried over from prior versions. Weighing in at 680 pages and including a DVD with sample images, this is about as complete a package as you could ask for. The author methodically runs through feature after feature and does a good job explaining how to use them.

There are sections covering What's New, Configuring Photoshop, Camera Raw Image Processing, Selections and Masking, Darkroom Effects, Filters, Color Management, Automating Photoshop, and many others which I will not mention. This is truly comprehensive coverage. The writing style is clear and concise. This is a very effective guide that nearly always tells me what I need to know when I pull it off the shelf.

The closest thing to a negative (and it really isn't one) is that this is probably closer to an encyclopedia of Photoshop CS3 than it is to one of those guides that covers certain "how to" topics in great detail. Even with 680 pages, when you have to cover the entirety of Photoshop there is a need for brevity. So if you're interested in Masking this book will certainly cover it but you can't expect the same level of narrative as you would from an entire book on layers and masking. Since there is no book that can possibly cover everything in minute detail, my solution (and the only practical solution) is to buy several books for my various needs. I buy this volume as a general reference guide and quick how-to helper and then buy a few other guides to help walk me step-by-step through some of the trickier aspects of Photoshop. Some of my favorites include Photoshop CS3 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide (Tim Grey Guides) which is an excellent foundation for beginners and intermediate users as well as The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter).

In summary, Adobe Photoship CS3 for Photographers is an excellent and comprehensive guidebook. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for the encyclopedic style Photoshop guide and it is well worth buying even if you have the old CS2 version.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still the definitive Photoshop Reference bible for digital photography!, June 17, 2007

By	H. W. Pierson IV "Space Station Star-1" (in Earth Orbit) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just recently acquired this updated volume of Mr. Evening's successful Photoshop guide with a yearning to upgrade from my CS2 version of his book. Those of you who are waiting to add the CS3 volume to your series or replace your CS2 edition, you won't be disappointed!

Martin Evening combines his digital photography expertise with his working knowledge of Photoshop to a level that encourages even the novice of PS users. He breaks down Photoshop's basic and advance features to help you comprehend and understand how and why it works without having to delve too deeply into the technical aspects.

I still consider myself an amateur photographer, still wet behind the ears with my Nikon D50. Having owned the CS2 edition, I appreciate how this series has helped me with insight into enhancing my work and getting more out of Adobe Photoshop. IMHO it is still the best Photoshop bible around! I've always enjoyed this series for its heavy stock paper, full color imagery and superb layout! Even when I'm not working in Photoshop I've always found this book to be a fascinating and fun read when I need to geek out on my various Photoshop/Corel Painter books and periodicals from the UK! (On a sidetrack note, I highly recommend Photoshop Creative and ImagineFX magazines for all you fellow PS geeks out there, both outstanding publications from the UK loaded with tutorials and tips!!)

Thank you, Mr. Evening for updating your outstanding book for CS3!!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Comprehensive Reference, September 7, 2007

By	Charles A. Brackett (Traverse City, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is interesting to read the existing reviews of Martin Evening's CS3 book and note the wide disparity in opinion. There can be several reasons for this, including a wide disparity in the needs and level of the readers.

I bought this book because I was looking for additional breadth on the Sharpening book by Bruce Fraser (which I recommend highly also), but what I found was a breadth and depth that I had not expected on virtually every topic in PS CS3 that I have examined. I know of no other book that lays out the whole (almost) picture of the new Photoshop, and does it in such detail and technical depth. There are three authors that I trust to bring me the technical depth I need: Eismann, Fraser, and now Evening.

There are high spots and low spots in the coverage. In some areas the coverage is just that, coverage. But in many, the depth is incredible, perhaps due to his own level of experiences.

Another aspect of the book that is highly valuable is the presentation of the author's opinions and methods. This is incredibly useful information because it overcomes the smooth bland formal treatments available elsewhere and gives you techniques used by (more than one) working professionals. This is exactly what I like about Eismann and Fraser as well.

Another aspect that rings true is that Evening refers to other subjects and authors that I have found very useful, such as for example The DAM Book by Peter Krogh and the issues related to Digital Asset Management.

It is not, however, an introductory book for most people. It goes fast and it goes deep. Other books would probably serve many who are looking for beginning books.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting an in depth treatment of Photoshop CS3 at an advanced level and who is willing to work to obtain it.