Photoshop CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks [Paperback]

Scott Kelby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0321563174 | ISBN-13: 978-0321563170 | Edition: 1

UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE HOTTEST TRICKS, AND MOST REQUESTED PHOTOSHOP EFFECTS IN ONE AMAZING BOOK!

Scott Kelby, co-host of Photoshop User TV and the world’s #1 bestselling Photoshop author, is back to unlock the secrets of an amazing new collection of the latest eye-popping, jaw-dropping, Photoshop special effects—the same kind that made Scott’s previous editions of this book one of the top selling Photoshop books in history.

You’ll learn some of the most closely guarded Photoshop CS4 special effects—the same ones you see on TV, in magazines, and on the Web. Using Scott’s simple step-by-step method, with hundreds of full-color images, you’ll see exactly how it’s all done. The book is written so clearly, and it is so easy to follow, you’ll immediately be able to create all of these effects yourself. You’ll learn:

    • The latest photographic special effects
    • How to fake studio shots (you’ll be amazed at how it’s done)
    • The latest cutting-edge type effects
    • The most popular effects used by big movie studios
    • The most-requested advertising effects
    • Commercial effects that clients go crazy over!
    • The most asked-for current Web effects
    • Amazing 3D effects using Photoshop Extended
    • Plus loads of effects that look hard, but are easy once you know the secrets

And not only that, but the whole book is packed with creative ideas, layouts, and design techniques that will help you unleash your own creativity. It’s all here, in the only Photoshop book of its kind. You're gonna love it!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Scott Kelby is president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), the trade organization for Adobe Photoshop users, which has 70,000 members worldwide. Scott is also Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine. He's the co-host of the highly acclaimed Photoshop User TV, and teaches photography and imaging workshops around the world. Scott serves as training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour and is the technical chair of the largest Photoshop gathering, Photoshop World. 

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (May 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321563174
• ISBN-13: 978-0321563170
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.8 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Photographer, author of "The Digital Photography Book" series & longtime Photoshop book author. Editor/Publisher of Photoshop User magazine, President of the National Assn. of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) co-host of the live weekly photography talk show "The Grid." Co-host of "Photoshop User TV" and Conference Technical Chair of the Photoshop World Conference & Expo. Sleep is over-rated. ;-)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning cool effects was never so easy! May 20, 2009

By Jean Walters

Format:Paperback

I have a couple of Scott's books (and love his style) but my Down & Dirty Tricks book just arrived and it's quickly becoming my favorite. He's just nailed all these cool effects that I've sat there and wondered "How'd they do that?". I'm already playing around with some, and having a ton of fun learning.

I'm about a 5 on a scale of 1-10 in Photoshop and I found the steps very easy to follow. The real beauty is that the book has given me techniques and ideas that I can put to work right now - I didn't have to read the whole book to use it. You can dive in anywhere and learn techniques you can apply to your own projects. I haven't looked at it yet but there's a companion web download page too. Just my opinion, but I think even a more experienced Photoshop user can get a lot out of this book (it's perfect for beginners or intermediate users, so if you think you could teach your own class, maybe review it in the book shop first).

Sometimes I see a look I want to replicate, but it's hard to know where to start, I like how Scott breaks it down. There's even a cool chapter on 3D, which I have been afraid to even play with so far (of course it looks easy when it's step-by-step). These techniques will seriously make me look like a Photoshop guru and that will put money in my pocket (which I really need right now).

42 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Some reviewers should just watch TV instead May 29, 2009

By Stephen Kalman VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I usually don't trash other reviewers, but this time some of them wrote reviews that really annoy me.

If you bought a wrench and used it to fix a nail sticking out of a dresser, but found it didn't work, would you blame the wrench? Would you write a review saying what a lousy wrench it is? Or, would you quietly return it and get a hammer instead? It seems to me that several "reviewers" here are blaming the wrench!

As another example, if you like mysteries and buy a romance book by the same author, it isn't fair to say that the romance title is a bad mystery.

When the covers of a book clearly describe what it is about and who it is for, and the editorial review on this page says the same thing but someone buys it withoug reading any of that, hoping for totally different content, it isn't fair to blame the author. Giving a 1-star review says more about the incompetence of the reviewer that it will ever say about the book. Unfortunately (and unfairly) it kills the book's average review. This book deserves a 5-star average. It meets and exceeds the needs of its audience. If you're not in that audience that's OK; it means the book isn't for you, not that it is a bad book.

The covers say that this book is about special effects. Want to learn how to make type appear on fire, look here. Want to figure out how to make a special layout or design, then this book will show you how to do it in photoshop. Kelby has been teaching this stuff for years, both in books, on tours and online. Naturally, that's all written in Kelby's humorous, self-deprecating style and it makes learning fun. It is yet another great book from one of the industry's best authors....

The fact that this author has also written many best-selling books about camera raw, workflow and sharpening, and has built a loyal following for such content is great. If that's what you need, then run to get one of those titles.

However, if you've bought several of his "better pictures" books and liked them but bought this one without reading the editorial material and were then disappointed that is wasn't for you, just return it quietly and tell the bookseller "my mistake". Don't make an online fool of yourself by telling everyone you can't tell the difference between a wrench and a hammer. Read more ›

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Stars are all lined up again May 20, 2009

By Hollywood

Format:Paperback

I just received my book and it is awesome, I will be applying the "Gritty High" effect on images on my new website just as soon as I'm done writing this review. The "Tricks" are all cutting edge and are very applicable to Little League Images of my kids to professional jobs that I get paid for.
I have been working in Photoshop since version 3.0 and Scott's books are always so amazing and his writing style is, well lets just say its Scott. One last thing, in his acknowledgments the part about "Most importantly" is why Scott is so amazing. HE's HUMBLE, and that is why he is so BLESSED with such a great gift of writing.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes Learning Fun May 29, 2009

By Kelly

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I think this book does a great job with the purpose for which it was written, special effects. If you're looking another Camera Raw/Sharpening/Color Correction book, this is not your book.

I would consider myself an advanced beginner with photoshop. So many of the reference books I have show "how" to do something without every really explaining why you would want to do that. By putting it in the context of projects, Kelby does both. You can learn how an effect was done while at the same time getting an idea of when and why you might want to do the same thing with your own images.

It's written at a level that someone new to photoshop can handle w/out being tedious for those who already know some of the shortcuts.

Personally, I love Scott Kelby's sense of humor. I actually enjoy reading his books --not just flipping through them like a I would most manuals.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book in the series May 29, 2009

By Mark Allen

Format:Paperback

As with other Scott Kelby books, I pre-purchased it. I've come to expect the best from Scott and this book is no exception. I'm one of those people who need a step-by-step guide when using a piece of software like Photoshop. I've got countless examples in my office of marketing pieces that were designed using one or more of Scott's Down & Dirty Tricks. And they work! I already plan to use some of the tricks in this book in some projects in the next few weeks. This book IS NOT a photography book. Scott has some great books (which I also recommend) on that subject, but this is not one of them. This is about how to take full advantage of some of the amazing things you can do with Photoshop.