Combining Images with Photoshop Elements: Selecting, Layering, Masking, and Compositing [Paperback]

Ted LoCascio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0471918636 | ISBN-13: 978-0471918639

If you thought Photoshop Elements was just for correcting and organizing photographs, this book will turn your head around. It opens up a whole new set of creative possibilities to explore as you learn how to combine images using this versatile program."
—Jan Kabili, author and trainer

Create your own visual composite masterpieces

Combine your digital photos with an artist's flair and create dazzling composites, thanks to Photoshop Elements and this comprehensive guide from an industry expert. Using great photography and expert design sense, author Ted LoCascio clearly shows how it's done, from simple tasks such as swapping an image background, to more advanced ones such as creating an abstract photomontage.

Loaded with fresh ideas, the book mixes clear and helpful narrative instruction, step-by-step tutorials, and hands-on video demonstrations providing the coverage you need to create sophisticated, even gallery-ready compositions.

Inside you'll find:

• In-depth coverage of how to swap, combine, replace, and mix pictureelements to get the most stunning digital images possible
• Over 150 full-color printed photos and more than two hours of video training on the companion CD, so you can see exactly how it's done

Discover how to:

• Use layers effectively, including adding effects, adjusting opacity and blend, and combining layers
• Make use of filters, styles, and textures for added pizzazz
• Apply masks, including using neutral layer masks, combining multiple exposures, and masking with Camera RAW files
• Build a keepsake wedding montage and an abstract photo collage

www.sybex.com

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Clear...easy-to-follow...you...gain a greater knowledge of what makes a good composition...improve your understanding of the app’s tools." (Photoshop Creative, September 2006)

From the Back Cover

If you thought Photoshop Elements was just for correcting and organizing photographs, this book will turn your head around. It opens up a whole new set of creative possibilities to explore as you learn how to combine images using this versatile program."
—Jan Kabili, author and trainer

Create your own visual composite masterpieces

Combine your digital photos with an artist's flair and create dazzling composites, thanks to Photoshop Elements and this comprehensive guide from an industry expert. Using great photography and expert design sense, author Ted LoCascio clearly shows how it's done, from simple tasks such as swapping an image background, to more advanced ones such as creating an abstract photomontage.

Loaded with fresh ideas, the book mixes clear and helpful narrative instruction, step-by-step tutorials, and hands-on video demonstrations providing the coverage you need to create sophisticated, even gallery-ready compositions.

Inside you'll find:

• In-depth coverage of how to swap, combine, replace, and mix pictureelements to get the most stunning digital images possible
• Over 150 full-color printed photos and more than two hours of video training on the companion CD, so you can see exactly how it's done

Discover how to:

• Use layers effectively, including adding effects, adjusting opacity and blend, and combining layers
• Make use of filters, styles, and textures for added pizzazz
• Apply masks, including using neutral layer masks, combining multiple exposures, and masking with Camera RAW files
• Build a keepsake wedding montage and an abstract photo collage

www.sybex.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Sybex (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471918636
• ISBN-13: 978-0471918639
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ted LoCascio is a professional graphic designer and an expert in Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, InDesign, Illustrator, and QuarkXPress. He served as senior designer at KW Media and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) for several years, and has created layouts and designs for many successful software training books, videos, and magazines. He is the author of InDesign CS2 at Your Fingertips, The InDesign Effects Book, and Combining Images with Photoshop Elements. He has contributed articles to Photoshop User magazine and InDesign magazine, and has taught at PhotoshopWorld. Ted is also the video author of InDesign CS2 Essential Training, and Creative Suite 2 Integration: Print Project Workflow, both available at www.lynda.com. He also teaches a Digital Graphics course at St. Petersburg College, in Seminole FL.

A graphic designer for more than ten years, Ted's designs and illustrations have been featured in several national newsstand and trade magazines, such as Photoshop User, Mac Design, Nikon's Capture User, Great Output, AAA Going Places, and Florida Trend. As a professional designer, he has used Adobe software to create layouts for magazines, books, and various advertising and marketing materials, including brochures, product packaging, posters and signs, and interactive PDFs.

A Chicago native (born a hopeless Cubs fan) and Columbia College alumnus, Ted relocated to the Tampa Bay area in 1994. He currently resides in Tarpon Springs, Florida with his wife Jill and their son Enzo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Photoshop Elements on steroids!, November 14, 2006

By 

M. Markland (MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Combining Images with Photoshop Elements: Selecting, Layering, Masking, and Compositing (Paperback)

As an avid user of PE and having seen a variety of lessons and partial tutorials on the use of layers in PE, I was grateful to find Ted's book where everything is in one place. It is well organized and detailed, allowing me to follow along with ease. I expect it would be a boon for a newer user also, especially the included CD-ROM with several important lessons given as video tutorials. The price of the book is worth it for this alone. Overall a great buy. My only beef is that the images used in the examples were not (as is often typical)on the CD.I personally enjoy duplicating the lessons with the actual pictures used. This is a minor point, however, and overall I would highly recommend this book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Professional graphic designer digs deeper in the secrets of PHE4, August 14, 2006

By 

Pierre Willemsens (Antwerp Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Combining Images with Photoshop Elements: Selecting, Layering, Masking, and Compositing (Paperback)

In fact Ted LoCascio is a graphic designer and a Photoshop World instructor and author of Indesign CS2 books.
Thanks to his great craftmanship he gives us fresh new ideas how to combine images with techniques as selecting,layering,masking and compositing.
He starts his first chapter with "All starts with an idea"and this is a good approach for any of us before starting the process of going further with the program.Tell your story he says,get inspired and stay inspired!!! If you'r not interested in compositing this book is not for you because there's a logical build-up of gathering images,the power of observation and image resources(a lot of good ideas in this first chapter page 1-20)
Of course he teaches us the tecniques to understand resolution a pixel logic&color modes and making good selections(chapter two page 23-55)He proceeds with modifiyng selections in chapter 3(page 59-73) and Mastering layers in chapter 4(page 77-108).As so far you'll know all about layers but then there's a chapter 5 on The Power of Opacity & Blending that's really great(he takes the same example and show you an interactive tour of blending modes;great!
Compositing with masks is a tremendous chapter 6(page 139-181)brings you to a higher level of your achievements.For those having cameras with camera RAW files there's a whole chapter 7(page 189-218) and finally the book ends with chapter 8 Ading Filters,Styles&Effects(page 225-252)where all this features are well explained in tutorials and illustrated with beautiful images.
It's a easy to follow book with good examples and more than 150 colour photos.You can follow the techniques on the companion cd a wonderful bonus with 16 easy to follow Quick-Time training movies about selections,feathering,mastering layers,applied blending,compositing with masks(gradients,painting in masks ,type masks),shadows & higlights and the filter gallery.
More than two hours of visual training is the greatest bonus and worth the price of this original,well explained & beautifully illustrated book.
Like Jan Kabili,author and trainer says on the cover back "If you tought PHEL4 was just for correcting and organizing photographs this book will turn your head around.It opens up a whole new set of creative possibilities to explore as you learn how to combine images using those versatile program".
Good job Ted,what's next????

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a title dedicated to layers and masks, July 26, 2006

By 

ethep (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Combining Images with Photoshop Elements: Selecting, Layering, Masking, and Compositing (Paperback)

There are any number of books and CDs available that focus on the basics of Photoshop Elements (PSE), I own half a dozen. Ted LoCascio's Combining Images with PSE is for the intermediate or power user who wants to advance beyond improving individual photos. There are chapters dedicated to layers and blending modes which go into each topic in clear detail. The patient user will learn how to "read" a layer pallete and understand how each layer impacts the other. There are several demonstrations on clipping masks and how they impact a photo. This is a crucial skill that must be mastered to get beyond the basics. In the chapter on blending modes he provides full color examples of the effect of each blending mode on the same photo. He also details what each blending mode does and how they interact with the layer(s) below. Ted also covers gradients an important tool for combining images seamlessly. His demonstration on photo composites is very clear and easy to adopt using your own photos. The companion CD is also outstanding and worth the price of the book by itself. If you are interested in improving your basic understanding of PSE this excellent resource is the one to get.