Customer Reviews

Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Maximum Performance: Unleash the Hidden Performance of Elements

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To be perfectly candid, the people that rated this book poorly either didn't read it or watch the videos, didn't work through the lessons, or were simply beginners who needed to start with a book more closely targeted at their knowledge level.

NOTE: The rating on the back of the book puts it in the Intermediate to Advanced category, and this is accurate.

I wanted to be able to do professional-level digital image editing in PSE5, and I found that this book filled that need perfectly. It's definitely not a book for beginners, as it assumes that you are familiar with all the basic digital imaging terminology and standard photographic concepts.

On the other hand, I'd never used Photoshop or Elements before, and I found that I was able to work through the various exercises rather easily. I didn't even notice the few typos cited by other reviewers, but then in most instances I used my own images while going through the lessons, prefering to learn the concepts and techniques, but not follow each and every direction to the letter.

One thing that I really liked about this book, is that it doesn't waste time on any of the cutesy functions available in PSE5 (like scrapbooking, etc.). A few reviewers comment as though this is one of those books that goes through every single function in the program - "the missing manual". Make no mistake, this book ONLY teaches you how to perform the kind of truly professional-level non-destructive editing functions that normally require the full photoshop program. The author does a great job at this IMO, and the way I see it, I can now perform ALL necessary and desired editing on my digital images, for about 1/10th the price of the full PS program. Yes, PSE has built in limitations, but the author makes a point of showing you techniques that sidestep, eliminate, or limit the impact of these to where they cease to be problems. For instance, PSE5 doesn't provide Curves as an adjustment layer, but the author shows you several methods for gaining at least as much control over curves as the standard toolset provides CS2 users, in a similar non-destructive manner.

In less than a week of 'playing' (learning), I was getting great real-world results with my images, and was having a blast going back to my original files and seeing just how much more quality I could coax out of them...which was considerable. And if I someday outgrow PSE (or win the lottery) and get a nutty desire to upgrade, the techniques and concepts taught in the book are directly applicable to the industry standard software tool.

The last thing I'll mention that made this an outstanding resource, were the videos on the DVD. All in QuickTime format, they cover absolutely every project in the book, and it's really an effective teaching tool to have as an adjunct to the text. Several reviewers commented that they got lost during the lessons. If you somehow get lost during the lesson, and watching and hearing it done on screen *right in front of you* doesn't fill your clue bag, then evidently you need to start with a book that targets the basics first.

I thought the book and DVD were terrific, and were a bargain at the price I paid. If you have a similar outlook, expectations, and experience level as I've described, I'm sure you'll be thrilled with this book. Cudos to the author.

The parts of the book I have looked at in detail are in most part written in a clear style with excellent examples. However, this could have been a wonderful book for potential users of varied experiences except for the periodic "glitches" where some directions are obtuse as the writer overestimates the knowledge of the reader. Moreover, there are some mistakes, all that can be very frustrating and serve as time consuming "road blocks". For example, it is impossible to follow the directions for setting-up "Maximum Performance Actions" (Page XVII) because the file is titled E5MP_Actions in the book and it should have been entitled MP5_Actions, which is on the disc. Search as one may, E5MP_Actions cannot be found. Moreover, some file names that the users are directed to are not exactly the same as in Elements 5, again making a user have to think a bit. In addition, one finds some directions to be wrong. For example, P. 20, the user is directed to use "Unsharp Mask" by going to the Filter menu and look under the "sharpen submenu". It is not there but is in the Enhancement Menu. In Photoshop CS2, it is in the Filter menu. All of the above kinds of problems detract greatly from what could have been an outstanding book. It has the appearance of having been rushed into print. I will still use the book to help me learn Elements 5, but I would not recommend it to a novice.

I recommend this book!!!!
Any serious amateur or weekend photographer looking for someone or something to show you how to get the most out of your photography should get hold of this book.
Good photography and retouching moved away from "one-click" operations a long time ago and this book appeals because it takes you beyond that and into a new realm of new techniques and applications. I have had previous versions of Photoshop Elements and now this book opens it up to really fine tune my photography.
There's so much information supplied in the book and DVD including Quicktime movies (about 5gig) showing the "elements" process in full working order. Just watch the video and pause as you go through it, whilst you work on the author's, or on your own shots. The techniques and the way they are conveyed are first class. It couldn't be easier for the reader to extend their knowledge and skills in retouching to become a "guru" without spending the massive dollars to buy Photoshop CS2. And it comes with the full resolution images also. I haven't found any other book that offers this much insight and information. Try combining the techniques too. It's brilliant, a masterpiece! Landscape and people photos take on a new appeal. I had no trouble understanding this book.
This book rocks because it shows how to get professional results out of your photography, on a program that your whole family can easily use.
If you want to transform you photos into amazing award winners without spending the big dollars and time learning the full version of Photoshop and you've learnt the basics of Elements then I suggest you buy this book!.

An excellent book. The author knows his stuff and has the ability to communicate. The techniques used are definitely at the advanced end of the scale but are presented in such a way that anyone with a basic understanding of Photoshop Elements should be able to follow.

The book comes with a DVD that has a Quicktime movie demonstrating each featured project. Every conceivable photo editing situation from the RAW image to the final print is covered. If you don't like reading then just watch the videos ... all 5 hours of them ... a picture is worth a thousand words. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout which makes it an excellent reference.

Prior to reading this book I thought I knew it all ... I was wrong. Highly recommended.

I agree with previous reviewers that there were some errors in instructions and file names, etc., but for me it was more than balanced out by the useful information in the text. I have been playing with PSE5 for months and had no idea about much of its capacity for editing photos, creating composites, etc.
I very much enjoyed watching the included videos and trying the projects. If you enjoyed this book you would probably also enjoy the podcast Photoshop Elements Killer Tips from Photoshop Users Newsletter.

I like it.

I'm a beginner to Photoshop, and could not afford the full blown CS3 version and settled for Element 5.

The work-around and tips are very useful. It gets around the perceived limitations of Photoshop Element as compared to the big brother CS3. The work-around and templates that are discussed in the book are given in the DVD that came with the book.

The publisher should however check some of the instructions pertaining to the DVD, the folder and file names did not match on 1 occasion. Experianced users should not have a problem locating the files however, but it is a pain when you are excited to get started, but hit a hurdle.

Otherwise I would have given this a 5* rating.

This book provides great examples of some common to sophisticated methods to modify and enhance your digital photos. The methods are well thought out, taught completely enough to satisfy all levels of users, and show some artistic talent. If you can learn by example, this is a worthwhile purchase.

This latest book by Mark Galer "Photoshop Elements 5 Maximum Performance" is a real cracker. It is aimed at those who, having learnt the basics, want to go on and harness the full power of the software. Using the techniques that Mark Galer describes, this book will show you that you don't need the full version of Photoshop to achieve professional looking results - Elements has all the capability required. It certainly lives up to its title, with lots of clever workarounds, tips and tricks to satisfy the most demanding user. Mark has an easy to read, informative and friendly style, with a light sprinkling of humour now and then to relieve the technicalities. The book is divided into 3 parts: Optimise, Enhance and Montage, each with 8 projects. In the Optimise section the projects are: Crop and Correct, Levels, RAW files, Target Zones, Contrast, Hue and Saturation, Sharpening, and Printing. These projects provide the reader with an in-depth knowledge of a typical digital workflow. In the Enhance section the author goes on to various techniques such as Depth of field, Black and White, Low Key, Shafts of Light, Toning, Motion Blur, Glamour Portrait and Character Portrait. In the final section, Montage, there are projects covering: Replacing a Sky, Creative Montage, High Dynamic Range, Creative Text, Panoramas, Hair Transplant, Preserving Shadows and Displacement. All the projects are easy to follow, even though they are sometimes extremely involved. The accompanying DVD, which contains video tutorials for each of the projects, all the images used in the book and other resources is most useful. It's great to see a publisher like Focal Press producing consistently high quality photographic books that are not only attractively presented but also exceptional value. Full colour screenshots are used throughout the book as well as clear step-by-step instructions. In summary, anyone wanting to extract the maximum performance from Photoshop Elements should place this book on their shortlist

I agree with previous reviewer - there are many errors in this book. I have used Elements 2 and 3 & 4 for several years and consider myself above average when it comes to using the program, but this book leads me into places I cannot figure out. Right now I am to frustrated with it. I will probably give it another shot, but for now, it is not in the trash can, but it is near it.

At first glance I did not think much of this book but after reading it and following the projects I learn so much from it. I had been using Elements for over a year and was very comfortable with it but after reading this book I learned so many new techniques and ideas that makes it more enjoyable and easier to work with Elements. The instructions are clear and easy to follow (you have to know the basics of Elements though. Would not recommend it for a total beginner). The book comes with a CD with all the project images as well as some royalty-free images you can use in your own projects. I highly recommend this book for those who have been using Elements for a while but want to take their skills to the next level.