67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful and Improved, May 20, 2006
This review is from: The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 4 (Paperback)
I started using Richard Lynch's Hidden Power book for Elements 3.0 in January of 2005. I've recently purchased PSE 4.0 as well as Richard's new book The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 4.0. In fact, the only reason I bought PSE 4 was because of the book. So Adobe can send their thanks to Richard for making a sale for them :)
This book is a great improvement over the last one (HPE 3.0). Two words came to mind when I began the HPE 4.0 book....Focus and Simplicity. The book has been reorganized to make it a little easier to follow along as one progresses through the excercises. Also, some of what was previously in the book has been removed such as animations, etc. I view this as a huge improvement because this book and HPE community tend to be more focused on image editing; the basics of editing. Do not misunderstand when I use the word "basic." I don't think most Photoshop users have mastered the basics that one can learn in Richard's book. By "basic", I mean, understaning the relationship of color and tone, and, the building blocks of images: spot color, luminosity, tone, contrast, color, c, m, y, k, r, g, b, etc...and how these combine to create the images that we see. At a time when many users are rushing to purchase the latest plug-in, this book shows one how to improve image editing with fuctionality that already exists in Elements.
One of the changes I really liked in this new book release was the use of Gradient Maps. I had given up on gradients, but, this has renewed my interest in learning more about them and how they can influence color and contrast. Gradients are native to Elements and probably one of the most underused tools of the program. This book explains how to color correct and fix contrast using Gradients, but, not only that, as is the case with most of what one will learn from the Hidden Power books, it opens the door for many more ideas. This is the real hidden power of the Hidden Power books: it's not the tools that are included that make this book worth the money, it's the ideas that are conveyed in the pages. If you purchase this book, please take the time to actually read it. That is where the real magic of this program comes to life. The author has packed over 10 years of image editing experience into less than 350 pages. At $20, this is a true bargain. This book could easily retail for $60 or better.
The new Hidden Power book also seems to have less typographical errors than its predecessor which makes it much easier to comprehend. It's packed with 100 tools, about 40 of them are new. The author has also included some hands-on image editing where he shows the reader how to go through the process of image editing from step 1 with a RAW image. This is something I would like to see more of as it really helps in understanding the whole process. Although I've been at this for over a year now, I think I only really understand about 30-40% of the material. During that time, however, I've seen a consistent improvement in my images as well as continued growth in understanding of image editing process. This is not a book that you will work through and never revisit. My HP book stays open on my computer desk as a reference at all times. There are no quick fixes presented in the pages; there is, however, a push to get the reader to think and understand the process.
One unexpected gain I've made from this book (and the HPE 3 book) has not only been on the computer but also when I'm out actually doing photography. Understanding the relationship of tone, color, contrast, etc, has helped me SEE before I shoot. This has translated into much better images before they are actually downloaded on my computer.
Lastly, the author has taken the time to answer many emails from me (no matter how silly they may have seemed)as well as many other readers. This is yet another bonus as many other authors will not take the time to back up their work; Richard tends to be open to feedback and helping people improve their image editing skills.
In sum, I would highly recommend purchasing this book if you are serious about your images and image editing. All the tools you need are there, you just have to unlock the power and make them work for you. This book will help you do that and much more.
Best of luck!
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top of the bill !!, July 14, 2006
This review is from: The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 4 (Paperback)
As a "collectionner" of the best Photoshop books on the market I must recommend this excellent book from Richard Lynch to all the digital photographers among us.Other reviewers explained the content of the book in detail so I won't do the same,I can only agree their comments!
This book is not for beginners(try some others like Donna Bakers'unofficial guide to PHEL4 or the books from Philip Andrews-see my listmania list)
But if you want to understand how "digital photography" sees the real world and how a camera or a scanner tranlate all what you see in the digital format then this book is for you.
Lynch is a real PRO and takes the patience to explain ALL the hidden secrets behind this tremendous Adobe's software.
This is a cheap investment for YEARS believe me;you'll learn on your own pace the multiple facets of "seeing images" like a photographer and by following the exercises and explanations of the 11 chapters (take your time to re-read from time to time and practice,practice...)you NEVER take photos the same way you did before!
The greatest bonus is the companion cd with all the hidden tools(above 100 and the images used in the book).
Richard Lynch has given us an enormous homework to do but it's worth more than any training course that costs you a hundred of bucks!
Terrific,awesome,well explained,I can't find words enough to recommend this book.
Before you run to your local store learn the basics and then...hurry up to acquire this book before it's sold out.
If you won't take the necessary time to read it to understand the magic of tones,luminosity,colors,levels,gradients,masks and other effects or you'll satisfied with the "automatated corrections "in the software don't waste your time and be happy with your actual knowledge.Great job Richard and ...thanks!!!!
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lives up to its title, July 17, 2006
This review is from: The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 4 (Paperback)
It's easy to come up with seductive titles for image editing books, purporting to help you "Master" the topic or offer a "missing" manual. But when you get right down to it, most of the books just offer the same old basic information.
This is one title that lives up to its title. It's an advanced book that does provide you with information about hidden features, undocumented capabilities, and things you never thought of doing with Photoshop Elements 4. As the program itself is based on Photoshop CS, there are lots of things to reveal, and Lynch does a good job of presenting them in a clear and concise way.
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