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How to Cheat in Photoshop CS5: The art of creating realistic photomontages

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Photoshop is an extremely versatile tool, that allows you to enhance the quality of images to show exactly what you want to show even where the original conditions of capture were imperfect. Refining images in this way is not "cheating" - it's more a matter of "finishing" or completing the image, refining them to the point where they better reflect the reality as the photographer envisioned it when it was shot. Sometimes, though, you want to do more than just enhance what's there, and Photoshop has gotten better and better at allowing you to create things that don't exist, or to combine things that were never combined in reality. There's a word for that. It's called "photoshopping." When we say an image has been "photoshopped" we mean that someone cheated. But that's not at all a bad thing. It's a great thing, and it's the ease with which Photoshop allows you to manipulate and invent with images that makes it an indispensable tool for designers and artists. The aim of this book is to show you how to take advantage of that tool, starting with the basics, but moving quickly into some very cool stuff.

Steve Caplin's "How to Cheat with Photoshop" is easy to read and easy to follow. Rather than get bogged down in specifics, and telling you exactly how to do a specific thing, he lists the steps for how to do a certain kind of thing, but then he gives a specific example that you can follow along with (using photographs included on the dvd that comes with the book, or your own photographs) to be sure you get the concept. For the most part this works great - even though for a couple of examples I wanted him to be a bit more specific, since it took me a moment to figure out how to do what he suggested, the process of figuring it out helped me to gain a better understanding of the principles. So this is a good teaching guide, and taught me several new things, even though I'm not new to Photoshop.

One nice feature of the book is that each section is clearly marked as to who can use it. There are chapters that apply principles possible with every version of Photoshop and others that make use of features specific to CS3, CS4 or CS5, for example. This makes the book usable for those who don't have the latest version, and in principle those with the latest version should be able to make use of every feature. In practice that's not quite right, though. Even where he adds in new features, he keeps old things intact and doesn't always explain that some of things he describes are obsolete or inaccurate for CS5. For example, where he gives instructions for how to use the "Revise Edge" feature of the selection tools, he illustrates these with the "Revise Edge" panel from CS4 even where it has been changed for CS5. Occasionally, the diagrams are just wrong (for example on p. 81 he shows the black slider moved for the underlying layer, but he says to move the white slider, and that's what works). Also, sometimes the shortcuts he identifies are no longer functioning in CS5.

Still, this is a very helpful guide to manipulating images in Photoshop and creating realistic photomontages. I haven't mastered all of its exercises, but expect to have it on my desk and it's a great reference guide for a wide range of the very cool things you can do with Photoshop. Unfortunately, it gives me the impression of having been hastily revised to reflect changes in CS5, without having been thoroughly checked to be sure that all sections are up to date and accurate. Still, most of the mistakes are minor, and on the whole I learned a lot from working through this book. It should be said that this is not really an introduction to Photoshop and presupposes that its readers have a basic familiarity with how it works (with layers and masks and adjustments, etc.).

This is the sixth edition of HOW TO CHEAT IN PHOTOSHOP and it's updated for PS CS5. Technically, this is not a book for someone wishing to learn Photoshop. People in advertising, illustrators, etc., are the target audience. I'm just a left-brain photographer, but I've learned a lot about what Photoshop is capable of doing by reading this book over the years and just "playing." (Especially in the area of what the various artistic filters can do and how blend modes alter your image.)

My previous copy was the second edition, back in the days of CS2, and I plan to keep it. I learned to use the pen tool (more or less) thanks to the tutorial in this book. (The current book has a different tutorial, but it's just as good). This book is much thicker, thoroughly updated, but just as imaginative and just as much fun. This edition has revised to take advantage of all software developments to both regular and Extended Photoshop.

I call the exercises "tutorials" for lack of a better word. But that word implies a list of necessary instructions to accomplish a task. These aren't really "tasks." They are fun, creative, and imaginative projects you can create using image(s) (or parts of images) and Photoshop--no artistic ability or creative inspiration required. The resulting images are not bizarre, tasteless, or gory--they're just creative and useful. Ex: making a sign look like it's printed on fabric, or turning a day scene to a night scene, or distorting what you see behind the glass you just placed in your collage, or making a car float in a pool. Yes, it's fun--but you learn a lot in the process of doing it.

Some of the "old" tutorials do reappear in this version, but only those covering those rare parts of Photoshop that haven't evolved. Even there, many (such as the turning a photograph of a person into a statue) have been redone with entirely new photographs and a different workflow that I like much better. (He then, also, did it backwards: statue to person). Some seem to be the same tutorial but, if you look closely, you realize that, although the photo examples used are the similar, the steps and explanations have been updated. In addition, A LOT of completely new material has been added. You've got to give Steve Caplin credit for giving value and not taking his public for granted.

In addition to the text, the CD has a lot of extra content. There is a huge folder called "Deleted Pages". I assume that some of these tutorials were deleted from versions between 2 and 6 to make room for newer ones, so it's like getting several books for the price of one. The photographs used to complete the effects in the tutorials are also included, as are about 3 hours-worth of video content directly related to the techniques used in the book. They are Quick Time movies and, on Windows 7, I was having a little trouble getting them to play with sound. Right clicking and choosing "open with" Quick Time player solved the problem. (Double clicking just got me "codec" and "compression" errors).

His books are excellent and I love the way he thinks. He imagines the image he wants to create; he mentally deconstructs it in his head and breaks it down into the individual components; and then he re-assembles it in Photoshop. He is an expert at Photoshop and a genius at seeing the potential in ordinary images and in finding new and different ways to use them. I highly recommend the book both as a learning experience and as sheer (but productive) entertainment.

"How to Cheat in Photoshop CS5: The art of creating realistic photomontages" is a solid guide for teaching amateur Photoshop users how to create various photo effects, content edits, and photo merges. The author provides excellent step-by-step instructions that are easy to understand and simple to follow as long as you're somewhat familiar with the various Photoshop tools.

The only issue that I have with this book is that the sample images aren't particularly "photorealistic." In other words, the sample images provided by the author look like fake images that were done in Photoshop. This might not have bothered me if the subtitle of this book wasn't "The art of creating realistic photomontages."

Every example used in this book looks like the type of image that if you showed it to any random person they would say, "This is a fake photo made in Photoshop." That does not mean the instructions in this book are bad, but if you spend a little time and effort you can use these same instructions to make a MUCH better photo.

You can argue that the sample images were chosen so that amateur Photoshop users wouldn't feel bad if their images didn't look real, but in my opinion sample images in a book about creating "realistic" images shouldn't look fake.

I would still recommend this book to anyone who needs quality step-by-step instructions for the various techniques discussed in the book, but the sample images do a horrible job of illustrating what the finished product should look like if you follow the steps outlined in each chapter.

I borrowed a previous edition of this from my local library, and was enchanted by the well organised mix of practical tips and engaging humor. I was also impressed by how easy it was to apply what I had learnt to my own digital work, whether I wanted to create realism, or deliberately distorted versions of reality. When I recently upgraded to Photoshop CS5 I decided to treat myself to the matching latest edition of Steve Caplin's excellent guide. The exercises are fun, the included DVD has all the files used in the book, several hours of video tutorials and a whole bunch of other resources. Caplin's writing style is light, amusing and very authoritative. This book is strongly recommended for those who already know their way around the basics of Photoshop, and are ready to (as it says on the back) let their creativity run wild.

This is an update of the "How to Cheat in Photoshop" series so that it now includes Photoshop CS5 commands. The book demonstrates advanced artistic techniques that are explained in a simple step by step way. This is not a beginner's guide to Photoshop. In fact, it's not the first book you should buy, probably not even the 2nd book. You need to have some experience to fully appreciate the techniques that are described. It's well written and illustrated. You could read it cover to cover but I've been jumping around reading about specific techniques (out of order) and it still makes sense.

In my opinion this book would best serve illustrators, designers, and graphic artists. Photographers may get a lot out of it but the illustrations look more like artwork than photographs. I'm not knocking that... I wish I had that talent but when editing a photo, I want a photograph to look like a photograph not an illustration. If you're a photographer, I suggest going to a brick and mortar store and browsing it to see if it meets your needs. That said, I learned a lot from this book and did enjoy reading it.

This is not a "how to cheat" book. It's a "get the look you need" book. And it's great! It's not a book for absolute beginners. You really need a basic understanding of Photoshop first. But if your day job is image composition, this book is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Combining elements from different sources brings up all sorts of problems. Frequently lighting and color differences must be addressed. Issues of perspective and proportion frequently crop up. Moving the direction in which the subject's eyes are looking can make or break the "realism" of your composition. The book has the solutions for these and more difficulties, all complete within the two open pages.

Everything here is task-oriented. The driving force behind this book is "how to create realistic photo-montages." So - if you add a pair of sunglasses to a scene, how do you create and orient their shadow? Need a light source? Add a lamp to the scene. Then darken the area except where the lamp's light is being directed. Make sure the light is more intense inside the lamp. Is there a surface from which it's being reflected? Add that in, and the scene is now much more realistic.

There are fifteen sections, and each one is essentially a mini-workshop in that particular subject.

Each section is color-coded, the divisions visible even with the book closed. Each example is complete on a two-page spread, which makes it easy to see both before and after, as well as the interim steps.

The first skill to master is the art of selections, which is precisely why Photoshop has so many selection tools. Putting two images together is easy. Making them look as though they started out together is what separates the novice from the pro. Accurate selections are the first step, so the first chapter concentrates on selection tools.

The subjects are "Natural selection," how to capture the area you want and no more or less; "Transformation and distortion," making elements of your composition belong together; "Hiding and showing," working with layers and masks; "Image adjustment," or making skin tones (and other colors) match.

"Composing the scene" and "Getting into perspective," placing subjects appropriately in relationship to each other and the background; "Light and Shade" deals with realistically shadowing and lighting your composition; "Heads and bodies" looks at everything from body position to fly-away hair, including matching one person's head to another's body.

"Shiny surfaces" also deals with light on both reflective and transparent surfaces, and how it adds depth and realism to your composition; "Metal, wood and stone," on the other hand, have hard, reflective surfaces and depth to deal with; "Paper and fabric" can move, bend and flutter using the shading techniques taught here.

"The third dimension" can be achieved with perspective, the vanishing point and a little Repoussé; "Hyperrealism" in this book isn't photographic realism, it's added effects such as blurring for speed or flying glass with explosions. The next-to-last section, "Advanced techniques," covers important tips and techniques (Bridge, ACR, natural media brushes) not directly involved in photocompositon; and the last section, "Working for print and the web" deals with output.

The DVD included with the book has 74 movies (over three hours total) in QuickTime format. Most of them are less than two minutes w/ descriptive names so it's easy to find what you want. But that's only the beginning. There's an image file for almost every example given in the book, as well as 41 PDF's, mostly 1-2 pages, were deleted from the printed book. True, some of these are from earlier versions of the book (this is its sixth edition), but that doesn't make the information less valid.

There are many more images included than those needed for the lessons. A lot of bonus content is on the DVD for the reader's use, some from earlier readers, some from the author's own website. One folder named "Test yourself files" has 23 images for you to work with, each labeled as to what technique it's for. The author even includes a cheat sheet with hints on how to use the indicated technique for each image.

This book is a joy to work through. It also makes a great reference when you absolutely have to get something done NOW! The two-page format is a great way to present information and an easy way to learn it. It makes a great asset for any Photoshop user working with compositions.

I am not a professional artist but a do enjoy dabbling in computer graphics and flash animation. Because of my lack of a formal art education, I try to pick up at least one reference book on Corel or Abode "tips of cheats" a month. Now, my collection of reference guides warren their own bookcase. This is not the first book by Steve Caplin on my shelf (and he does include some previously published material in it) but in my opinon it is the best. So, if your in the market for a reference guide to CS5, pick this one up.

Good book for visual design tricks. We use this as kind of textbook on class. Although my professor sometimes simplify some steps, the description is clear and detailed.

I was expecting a long and dry book about Photoshop tips and tricks. From the introduction onward this book is a breath of fresh air. I think I would have to say that in the 40 years that I've been buying books, this one is the best value ever. The DVD alone is worth ten times the book! With over 3 hours of dvd tutorials it simply rocks. The author's writing style is bang on!

I will look for more books by this guy.

For a Photoshop n00b, this book is priceless. I've always wanted to use Photoshop but never really got into it because there's just so much to it that I never really wanted to take the time to learn all it had to offer. This book makes learning the program very simple and clearly outlines certain aspects of photo editing that appealed to me. All the guess work is gone and I can do just what I want to do by flipping to a certain section and following the steps. The enclosed disc is also a nice touch but the book itself is more than adequate. This may not teach anything new to the experienced user but if you're new to the program like I was and want to learn all it has to offer, this book is incredibly valuable.