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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
About Process, September 4, 2008
This review is from: Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop (Paperback)
Workflow, for digital photography, is the sequence of tasks from preparing one's camera, through capturing, downloading, processing, outputting, cataloging and archiving images. Workflow is concerned with an effective sequence of steps rather then the techniques, like moving sliders for particular effects. Like most photography books, this book starts with a description of the equipment involved in the process, including cameras and computers. The second part deals with the workflow through Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 ("LR2"). The third part looks with more particularity at the Develop module of LR2 and the fourth part with the integration of LR2 and Photoshop. In all cases, the book deals with the second iteration of Lightroom, including the new tools found in LR2. The author writes clearly and the illustrations are good, although as usual for most books, the screen saves are a little small for those with poor eyesight. Using the book to review my own LR2 workflow I found that there were several tools available in the now feature-rich software that could ease my use. One of the major problems of writing about workflow is drawing the boundaries between workflow and technique. I suspect that a volume devoted to just workflow would be about 20 pages long. This is particularly true in the case of LR2, where, with the exception of the new Local Adjustments toolbar, the entire software is laid out in a linear workflow fashion. Inevitably authors slip into technique. Courvoisier does this with the regard to the new Development Module, and to a certain extent with regard to Photoshop integration, although as to the latter, he delves into the matter further and more usefully then any other author I've read to date. Unfortunately, his technique descriptions are not only outside of the idea of workflow, but also lack the details necessary to make really effective use of LR2. For that I would recommend the reader look at " The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers" by Martin Evening, or one of the other LR2 books which are scheduled for release. Occasionally tools important to the workflow concept are not even discussed. For example, there is no mention of parent-child keywords, the use of which can significantly effect workflow. When it comes to the Photoshop section, Courvoisier serves a highly useful function in calling attention to the many aspects of Photoshop that can be initiated from within LR2. Similarly his pointing out the uses of multiple catalogs is innovative, even though he only suggests methods that create different catalogs for different subjects. His concept of round-tripping could be expanded even further. For example, I do my raw processing in one catalog, but keep another for managing my finished TIFF pictures, and still another just to test that files that I save to DVD are indeed intact. (Call me compulsive, or read " The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers (O'Reilly Digital Studio)"!) This is probably not a book for beginners to learn about LR2, although they may benefit from it after reading an LR2 primer. Intermediate and advanced LR2 users will find it useful to use to review their own workflow and improve their efficiency.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb reference for photographers and teachers, December 10, 2008
This review is from: Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop (Paperback)
As a workshop teacher, I'm always on the lookout for a good reference for students to use once they've gone back home. This slim and remarkably complete volume fills the bill perfectly both for experienced photographers making the transition to digital work and for those who are stepping up from a point-and-shoot camera and want to control and improve their work from start to finish. As a long-time but not totally converted Lightroom user, this book also led me to explore additional ways LR2 could help me with my own workflow. The central concept of a workflow, which puts tasks in a particular order is especially useful. This is the way to achieve consistent results in adjusting images. A workflow also serves as a framework for organizing and adding to knowledge and skills, and this way of working is immensely more useful to most photographers than the "1001 tips and tricks - gee whiz, see everything this software can do" approach. Courvoisier has been thoughtfully selective about how to achieve good results in the most straightforward way. Courvoisier's workflow beings with getting the best image you can when shooting, a point that needs to be emphasized; working digitally doesn't mean the photographer can make a bad image into an fine one, contrary to a common misperception. He covers the camera essentials clearly and efficiently. His description of how to use Lightroom both as an organizing tool and to develop (or adjust) images covers the essentials and tells the readers how to learn more if they really want to (from Martin Evening's book), as well as advising them why they might not need to get mired in the mechanics of more organizing than is useful to them. He describes the local adjustment tools new to LR2 and how to use them (although I personally find them rather clunky, and still prefer Photoshop for these). The one difficulty I have with this section of the book is that the dark background of the LR2 workspace makes it hard to read screen shots. The way to get around this is to use this book while also having LR2 open on the computer or after a computer-based introduction to LR2. The transition (in the workflow) from LR2 to Photoshop is described clearly, and Courvoisier parsimoniously selects what he considers to be the most useful aspects of Photoshop for photographers to use in further developing (or adjusting) their images. While experienced photographers may prefer a slightly different group of techniques (I personally use the History Brush far more than Layer Masks), the explanations and the rationales for various techniques are clear. The appendices (Resources, and Jerry's favorite keyboard shortcuts) have useful goodies, and the index works well. This book has an important place in any digital photographer's studio, and it goes along in my (trimmed-down) luggage wherever I teach.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Lightroom to Photoshop workflow, December 11, 2008
This review is from: Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop (Paperback)
Jerry Courvoisier's Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop is the state-of-the-art general photography workflow. The thing that impresses me most is that he got it all into such a small space. The workflow is covered by the chapter headings and each tool in the process is explained thoroughly. Only a truly experienced photographer can write such a book because he intentionally leaves out much of Lightroom and Photoshop that many would say makes the book incomplete. However, the secret of the great workflow in this book is its simplicity and ability to do everything that is needed in the shortest amount of time to produce excellent quality. He accomplishes this better than any other book on general photographic workflow than I've read. A beginning digital photographer can read this book and be up and running with all the tools they need quickly and efficiently. One of the most important aspects of the book shows us the unique transition from Lightroom to Photoshop. While many photographers are using to Lightroom for most of their work, we still need Photoshop for some more advanced broad and local manipulations. Courvoisier shows this transition without complication and fuss and, being the expert that he is on the subject, enables competency in a photographer quickly. While I might differ with him in some small areas as to my own workflow, I find that he has struck an excellent compromise rather than trying to show everything. Books on tips and tricks and "Bibles" teach us nothing but confusion, and Courvoisier's Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop leads us way beyond theses types of books to learning what we need to learn about digital photography and its workflow. My highest marks. George DeWolfe
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