Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook [Paperback]

Stephen Laskevitch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2010

Adobe Photoshop is central to almost all photography workflows today. Each new version fo the software is a milestone in the development of this imaging behemoth, and 2010's release of CS5 is no exception.

Photographers often feel overwhelmed when starting with Photoshop; the sheer number of tools and options make it difficult for the novice. There is no shortage of instructional books, yet very few direct the user to the most significant aspects of the program in a way that reflects a real workflow for the photographer.

Adobe Certified Instructor Steve Laskevitch has leveraged his experience as a teacher and practitioner to create a step-by-step guide that provides a clear and effective workflow for editing photographs in the latest version of Photoshop and its companions Bridge, Camera Raw, and Lightroom. Focusing on the critical elements of the workflow rather than covering every arcane feature, the Handbook is designed to get you working quickly in these applications.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Laskevitch, founder of Luminous Works and a teacher for two decades, has designed digital workflows for hundreds of photographers and companies. An Adobe Certified Instructor, he trains creative individuals and firms and has regularly helped Adobe Systems prepare Photoshop Certified Expert exams. Steve has always enjoyed creating photographs-in the field, studio or lab; on film or digitally-as well as working with computer graphics. Students of all levels have appreciated Steve's friendly and approachable style in Luminous Works' classroom and the colleges, universities, and conferences where he has taught.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Rocky Nook; 1 edition (August 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933952679
• ISBN-13: 978-1933952673
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Algorithms > Digital Image Processing
  • #84 in Books > Computers & Technology > Digital Photography & Video > Adobe Photoshop

More About the Author

Steve Laskevitch, founder of Luminous Works and a teacher for two decades, has designed digital workflows for hundreds of photographers and companies. An Adobe Certified Instructor, he trains creative individuals and firms and has regularly helped Adobe Systems prepare Photoshop Certified Expert exams. Steve has always enjoyed creating photographs-in the field, studio or lab; on film or digitally-as well as working with computer graphics. Students of all levels have appreciated Steve's friendly and approachable style in Luminous Works' classroom and the colleges, universities, and conferences where he has taught.

Steve has a degree in physics, but a passion for the arts. With his wife, Carla, "travel" usually means wonderfully long visits to art galleries and museums. Home is Seattle where he teaches and enjoys the company of his friends and family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete guide to several Adobe photography products, August 13, 2010

By 

Thomas Crouse (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook (Paperback)

This book takes a different approach than other "Photoshop" books in that it addresses, fairly completely, all four Adobe products typically used by digital photographers: Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 3, camera raw and Bridge. It does this in a fully integrated progression from system configuration through work flow and printing. When more than one of these programs might be useful for a given task, all are covered so if you have both CS5 and lightroom, it will discuss how each could be used. Each page is clearly marked with the appropriate logo so you'll see which of these programs the page addresses. I don't use them all so it was easy to skip the pages that didn't apply.

It is designed as a standalone book that covers everything you need to know to get started w/ these programs. Given the breath of the coverage, it doesn't get too in-depth so it's best for beginner to intermediate users. While it covers the major new features of CS5, it doesn't cover them all - just the ones that could be part of a typical work flow. So less useful features, like "puppet warp", are skipped. It's not a "what's new in CS5" type book - it addresses the complete work flow and addresses the most used features, both old and new.

Overall, this is a very good review of these adobe products. If you have them all, it's one-stop-shopping. But even if you only use a few, you will find it easy to use and helpful.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CS5 & LR3: A Photographer's Handbook, August 23, 2010

By 

Dave Johanson (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook (Paperback)

If you are planing on purchasing only one book this year for guidance on CS5 & LR3, make this book your choice! Starting out with one of the BEST basic technical sections I've read in any book, and I have literally dozens of books on digital photography/editing, through to the integration of Lightroom with Photoshop, Steve leads the reader with the recognizable skill of a polished instructor. Moreover, the book's pages are icon (Ps, acr, Br, and Lr) tabbed allowing for rapid location of information pertaining to the area of immediate interest. The information is easy to understand, flows smoothly, and is fully complemented with hundreds of illustrations and screen shots with full explanations of how, when, and why you would employ the features being discussed. Unlike many tomes currently in vogue, this is not a cookbook designed to show you how you would get a specific photo to look a certain way, but rather a guide that will provide you with the knowledge needed to work on any image to improve it. In the process, Steve fully describes his workflow approach to creating the final output with a minimum of effort. Without a doubt, this is one of the very best books ever published for working with digital images.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like 3 great books in one!, August 22, 2010

By 

Andrew Kavanagh "Drew K" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook (Paperback)

Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3: A Photographer's Handbook by Stephen Lakevitch is an excellent book!
Very well organized & easy to read.
This book generously shows how a similar procedure can be done in either Photoshop CS5, Camera Raw 6, or Lightroom 3,
and uses visual anchors/icons of the application being presented on the side of each page to remind you which application is being focused on.
Technical jargon is simplified so anyone at any level can understand, and keyboard shortcuts are introduced step-by-step
in a practical way as you learn more, and not as an intimidating list that you feel forced to memorize.
Stephen Lakevitch is an Adobe Certified Instructor, and has consulted with Adobe to prepare the Photoshop Certified Expert exams.
Stephen shows his expertise by taking you through his time tested workflow, and by sharing various photography tips such as creating panoramas and High Dynamic Range images.
Like getting 3 books in one without the superfluous explanations, this book will get you up to speed in no time creating great images!