Photoshop CS3 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book (Tim Grey Guides) (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author), Art Wolfe (Foreword)
Key Phrases: clipping preview, mirror montages, possible tonal values, Ellen Anon, Magic Wand, Smart Filter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the new edition of this practical guide, master photographer Ellen Anon and digital-imaging expert Tim Grey show you how to capture the beauty of nature by shooting the best possible photos from the start—and then getting the most out of your images at your desktop. You’ll find eye-opening techniques, workflow ideas, and terrific Photoshop tools, plus a host of valuable tips and stunning examples from some of the most esteemed professional nature photographers working today.

From the Back Cover

Capture the beauty—and beautify your captures

In the new edition of this practical guide, master photographer Ellen Anon and digital-imaging expert Tim Grey show you how to capture the beauty of nature by shooting the best possible photos from the start—and then getting the most out of your images at your desktop. You'll find eye-opening techniques, workflow ideas, and terrific Photoshop tools, plus a host of valuable tips and stunning examples from some of the most esteemed professional nature photographers working today, including Michael Reichmann, John Shaw, Darrel Gulin, and Joe McDonald.

• Capture clouds, moons, and other elements to composite later
• Wield new Photoshop CS3 tools such as Smart Filters, Quick Selection, and Refine Edges
• Master the revamped Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw
• Adjust color and exposure to fine-tune detail and capture mood
• Build montages, multiple exposures, and composites
• Prepare and sharpen your images for print on the Web

About the Series

Sybex's Tim Grey Guides series lead digital photographers to new levels of excellence with professional, full-color books on the topics they need to know most. Covering topics from color management to workflow to nature photography, Tim Grey Guides are your path to better images.

Valuable CD-ROM with Video Training
The CD includes more than 60 minutes of video training that focuses on new features in CS3 and also draws from Ellen Anon's years of seminar teaching experience. You'll also find simple images so you can practice the techniques in the book.

• Speed your work with Adobe Bridge's powerful new interface
• Sharpen images the right way, at the right time
• Creativety customize the new Black & White adjustment layer

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sybex (May 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470119896
• ISBN-13: 978-0470119891
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,835 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am an italian amateur, August 30, 2007

By	Console Mario (Italy) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have added this very nice book to my already rich collection of Photoshop books because I was mainly attracted
by the concept of Nature that was missing in my arsenal, and because I wished learning more about the new
features of Photoshop CS3 ( that I've recently bought), such as Adobe Camera Raw, Smart Objects, Quick Selection Tool,
and the new Panorama tool.
Under its very appealing graphic appearance I found all the responses I've expected, every topic being
exposed in a natural and direct way.
I also found very useful the tutorials and the examples on the accompanying CD, as well
as the contents of the Authors' Web Sites.
I recommend this book to everybody willing go deeper into the art if photographic imaging, to the experts as well as the novices
on Photoshop CS3.
Mario Console

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as it gets, February 23, 2008

By	Michael McKee "mystic cowboy" (Port Townsend, WA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As a web designer I've been using Photoshop professionally for years. I've also worked on lots of photographs, both my own and those I've gotten from clients. I don't need a how to book on layers, cropping and levels. I've got a good understanding of the basic Photoshop tools, and have benefitted from Scott Kelby's Photoshop CS for Photographers. But Kelby's book is a recipe book both useful and well presented, but I want more.

What I want to do now is take my own photography to another level. Past a certain point, improving becomes less a matter of collecting tricks and recipes and more a matter of learning the entire workflow from experts. For that a basic how-to cookbook is no longer of much use to me. I could probably spend a lot of time working out a good workflow and set of procedures through trial and error, but why not take advantage of the experience of those who have already taken the art of nature photography editing to a high place?

Enter Photoshop CS3 for Nature Photographers. As one reviewer has stated, much of the introductory Photoshop material is covered in other books, but not in quite the same way. Photoshop has many tools, each of which has many settings and options. It's perfectly possible to be familiar with one tool or filter in one context and not realize that it can be used in combination with another tool to achieve a completely different result. I once read that when Einstein proposed his theory of relativity maybe three people in the world understood it. I wonder if more than three people in the world completely understand all of what can be done with Photoshop. What I was looking for and found here is an expansion of my Photoshop horizons, a deeper exploration of the art and science of nature photography and photo editing.

Anon and Grey offer an excellent look over the shoulder of experts in both practice of nature photography and in the use of Photoshop as a digital darkroom. I can't emphasize strongly enough how helpful that approach is for someone who has some Photoshop chops or who has used the program for another end and who wants to get great results with nature photos. Their workflow is time tested and produces excellent results

And nature photograph editing benefits from following a slightly different approach from that of product photography, with which I have some experience, portraiture, photojournalism and so on. Again, I'm struck with how specific and helpful the presented workflow, and the mindset that using such a workflow creates is. And placing editing in context with a specific photographic goal informs my picture taking too.

I recommend this book to anybody interested in nature photography who has at least some experience with Photoshop, though a dedicate beginner could work through the introductory phases with this volume. For someone who has used Photoshop in another context and wants to expand into the nature photography realm this book is brilliant.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding - stops you second guessing, November 1, 2007

By	Iain Williams "Iain D. Williams (www.anaspide... (Hobart, Tasmania Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My skill level is intermediate.

I found the book very informative and helpful. The small add in clips from professional photographers is very worthwhile. Although many of the CS3 skills outlined in the text I was knowledgeable about, the book explained some of the reasons why we use such a method over another, and laid out the methodology in an easy to follow format. This has streamlined my workflow and stopped me second guessing - there are many ways to achieve the same thing in CS3. The last point is very important - if you are like me, you probably are getting good results already, but you are always wondering if this is the correct or best way to achieve something in CS3. This book will STOP second guessing.

The early chapters regarding histograms, shooting to the right, and how light photons are captured were also helpful and acted as a very good revision.

I would not hesitate to purchase this book if you intermediate or below.

Although the book is targeted at wildlife photographers, all the skills can equally be applied to landscape work.

A quick note regarding greenhorns; if I had this book when I started out on the digital highway it would have saved me hundreds of hours of wasted time searching the Internet, forums, and playing with CS, CS1 and CS2. I would recommend this book.