Customer Reviews

Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Photoshop CS5 For Nature Photographers - A Workshop in a Book: Ellen and Josh Anon are back with a new edition of the acclaimed Photoshop for Nature Photographers book. The new version replaces the accompanying DVD with a web site that includes the content to practice the techniques. I find this much more convenient than a DVD accompaniment. I find the new book to be a significant improvement from the already excellent older books. Not only do they cover all of the new functions in Photoshop of interest to Nature Photographers, they have also enhanced some of the older sections and have beefed up the sections for Photoshop Elements users. Photoshop CS5 no longer ships with a tutorial on the new functions as it did with previous versions, so a book like this is even more essential than before and it becomes the defacto User Manual for me when I want to look up a function that maybe I haven't used in a while, learn more about new functionality such as HDR Pro, or just brush up as I often like to do.

As with previous versions, the book follows a photo workflow by teaching you the basics of digital capture first, followed by Bridge, the first place you interact with images on your computer; then on to Adobe Camera Raw, followed by Photoshop in depth. Detailed setup instructions for the many different Preference sections in the different modules that make up Photoshop CS5 are included. Unfortunately this book was published before ACR 6.1 was released which includes lens profiles. However the book does cover the Lens Correction filter which utilizes identical technology so you can just apply your learning from that section of the book to the new ACR 6.1. The in depth Photoshop sections take you step by step through almost anything you would ever want to do. I found the section on the new Refine Edge command extremely useful since this is a very powerful new function but it is a case of a single equation in many unknowns. The Anon's guide the reader through how to best use this tool to make truly excellent selections previously not possible in older versions of Photoshop. I felt the discussion on the new Content Aware Fill to very balanced. Many things I have read make it sound almost like a panacea which, in my own experience, it is not. Ellen and Josh clearly indicate it's shortcomings and the additional work required after using the tool to make your selection perfect. I also found the section on HDR Pro extremely useful and following the steps will even allow the HDR novice, to produce some very nice HDR images. Beyond the normal adjustments one makes to images, the book also tackles the more complex subjects such as Composites, creative Black and White, Filters, Multiple Exposures, and an enjoyable section on painterly mages that gave me some new ideas to try. Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers concludes with a chapter on how to get the best output and a Tie Savers chapter which tackles some major time saver functions.

Throughout, the book, many of the images have been upgraded including many stunning new photos taken by the authors themselves. Additionally short technique articles from notable photographers including George Lepp, Joe McDonald, Arthur Morris, John Shaw and more are included.

My only complaint is that the index of the book is not as effective as it could be. As an example, I wanted to find HDR Pro when I first got the book. The index does not have an entry for this but does have one for HDR imaging. It takes you to a single page, in the middle of a very complete multi page section on HDR Pro. It doesn't even take you to the first page of that section. I found on several occasions where the index got me close but missed by a little bit. The eBook version would not have this problem since most eReaders offer content aware search.

List price or Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers is $49.99 however the paper version can be had at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for $30 to $35 and the eBook version is below $30. For that, you get nearly 500 pages of jam packed with easy to understand and easy to apply information about CS5. The eBook version is already available through the Kindle store at Amazon but is not available on iBooks. I downloaded the free sample which includes all of the preliminaries and the first chapter using the Kindle App on my iPad. The formatting of some of the pages is strange when viewing in horizontal mode but it all clears up in vertical mode. This book would definitely be better in iBooks or the Barnes and Noble reader on the iPad than it is using the Kindle reader as both of those are better designed for the iPad.

One always wonders if a new version of a book that one already owns is worth the money. This book provides, in one place, all of the information to use the new tools in Photoshop CS5 as well as providing an excellent manual for all of the other functions that a Nature Photographer is likely to use. In addition to covering the new areas that were introduced into Photoshop with the release of CS5, many of the functions that were new to CS4 are now covered more thoroughly. In this case, I must conclude that it is worth purchasing the new version of Photoshop for Nature Photographers as it is a much more complete reference than it has ever been in the past.

I have the CS3 version of this book, and like it very much--it's one of the better photoshop books out there. I was hoping this new version would be even better, with updated methods that utilize the new features in CS5. What I found, however, was that it was just the CS3 book very slightly updated for CS5 (and not a great job at that). Moreover, they added lots of pages describing Photoshop Elements, which only served to distract me and make the book harder to follow--they should have used the space wasted on Elements to better describe the new functions in CS5. They also no longer include a DVD of sample photos and tutorials as they did with their CS3 book.

As an example of why this book is actually worse than the CS3 book, in the CS3 book they described how to use the "extract" command that was built into CS3 to separate an element of a photo from its background. In this book, they correctly note that this command is no longer available in CS5, but fail to tell the reader that there are better ways to perform the same function (look on youtube and you will see what I mean).

All in all, a disappointing effort from my perspective, though the book still has very useful and easy to follow information in it.

10 years ago, Photoshop (PS) software included a booklet of almost 200 pages. Even so, getting comfortable with PS meant that one still had to read two or three books about the software. Over 10 years the software has increased in complexity and the tools available. Today the newest version of the software includes no instruction book, although there is on-line help that can be called up to learn the details of using a particular tool or panel if one understands what it can do. A new user still requires supplementary assistance, although today that includes on-line instruction and live classes as well as books.

"Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers" aims at introducing nature photographers to the buttons and sliders in the CS5 version of PS that are necessary and useful for processing their images. The book introduces the reader to Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), which are two components of PS and then goes on to processing images in the main PS software. This includes adjustments to tonality and color, targeting adjustments to specific areas of the image, and a few of the special effects available in PS that will help the nature photographer. There is also a chapter on printing and creating facilities for handling repetitive tasks. The workshop portion of the book consists of images that may be downloaded from the web, usually the ones used in the authors' examples, that one may modify as instructed in the preceding section.

Most of the instruction is a simple explanation of the procedures for using a tool but that is just fine for a beginner. What is not included are tutorials that take a single image and follow it step by step through application of several PS tools. Nor is there much explanation of exactly how an individual should apply which tools to create a better image (although occasionally this kind of instruction appears, and many readers will be able to infer from reading when a tool is called for.) Thankfully, the book does not detail those features of PS which are appealing to graphic designers but not photographers.

Given the improvements in usefulness of ACR for global adjustments over the years (and in Lightroom, which uses the same engine in its develop module with a slightly easier-to-use interface), I was surprised that more emphasis wasn't placed on the use of ACR. Again the similarity of some of the main PS tools may mitigate this treatment. More striking was the treatment given to some other features, like printing, where no mention is made of the method for downloading profiles from paper manufacturers, or saving images for transmission over the web as, say, e-mail attachments.

Experienced users will also be disappointed that there is no section that deals with just the new features of PS CS5, especially since the publisher's parent company has apparently not elected to provide an "Up to Speed" book, detailing the new functions, as it has in the past.

Still for the nature photographer new to PS, this book will serve as an excellent introduction. Readers should be aware, however, that this is just the beginning of their PS learning experience.

As with many other reviewers, I found this an excellent CS5 guide for the outdoor photographer. Clear, concise, to the point. Having recently upgraded from CS2, this book made the transition easy and painless. I especially appreciate the authors' recommendations for the many Photoshop settings and preferences. Great coverage for new program features, Camera Raw, HDR, B&W conversion, Smart Objects, and "thinking digitally" for efficient workflow and optimal results. Absolutely no regrets in purchasing this book, worthwhile cover to cover.

The authors call it "A Workshop in a Book" and they're right. You'll learn just as if the authors were in the room, helping you over the "rough spots" of CS5. From time to time they add "notes" in shaded text as if they're responding to questions from others or just had a thought and wanted to share it with you.
Yes, there are "blue notes"--specifically addressing Photoshop Elements--and the Anons make it clear to skip over them if you're not running PSE. I found them interesting to read, as a way to compare styles and workflows in PSE.
I found Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book to be well-designed, with clear illustrations, text and photographs. The Table of Contents is nicely done, too. I'll admit that I used the Amazon feature to look at the TOC online and my specific "need-to-know" workflow, "Replacing a Sky or Other Background" was right there (page 333)--and that sold me!
If you already have a PS CS5 text such as Martin Evening's excellent Adobe Photoshop for Photographers, you may wonder if buying Photoshop CS5 for Nature Photographers: A Workshop in a Book is an unnecessary duplication. My answer is no; that both books have their places, and the Anons have written a book that nicely completes my CS5 library.
This is a fun read at times, even given the sometimes-detailed instructions that must be given.
I highly recommend this book to learners at all levels.
Oh...and the best part is, you don't have to drive to the workshop and endure stale breakfast pastries!

It goes without saying that Ellen Anon is an excellent photographer with a sound grasp of digital techniques. A few years ago, I bought her book for nature photographers on CS3. As a widely published nature photographer, I thought then that her book was excellent. The CS5 book is even better. I am not a digital geek. What Ellen Anon does is make it possible by those of us who spend time outdoors able to spend less time in front of a computer because she translates the technology into clear language. CS5 clearly is the best version of Photoshop ever. But it has some interesting additions and wrinkles. This book eliminates the head scratching. And the guest contributions are awesome. Every wildlife photographer should read the section by Arthur Morris on adding highlights to birds' eyes. This is THE book that I want at my elbow when I am working with images in CS5.

it would've been a 5 star rating! The book is wonderful to read through to see what this software can do. Within a couple of hours, I cheated and skipped to the part about HDR and created a VERY basic rendition of a landscape using the instructions within the book. Granted, it was chintzy looking with none of the special layers added that you learn IF you follow along with the book from the very beginning...but, it was STILL fun to do and dynamic in the creation!

What is bad about the binder? Well, yours truly pushed down on the book to lay it flat and promptly broke the glue backing which immediately cause some pages to want to become "loose-leaf". To cut that problem off at the pass, I cut the pages out of the glue and itty bitty thread binding, popped holes in them and placed them in a sturdy binder. My suggestion for both the authors AND the publishers is to go to a spiral form of binding which allows the book to lay flat so that eager minds and wannabe artists can follow the action with their fingers and minds without literally breaking the book!

If you have CS5, and are an avid nature photographer... GET THIS BOOK! You won't be sorry, and you'll be surprised, (and hopefully pleased), at how your pictures turn out.

There's some decent information in this book. It covers all of the typical topics. But there's one thing that really bugs me. They'll go through step by step, detailed instructions on how to do a particular process to an image. But they don't give you the image that they are working on in the book so that you can follow along! Instead, once they're done giving you this whole set of instructions where you could have kept pace with them they add a little box saying "Try It!", with a pointer to their website where you can go get some *other* photo and do it on your own.

Why? What's the point here? It can't be that the author is afraid you'll steal her work. Even on the photos you download from the web she's got a watermark on them. This is absurd and aggravating. I want to follow along. Sure, I'd be happy to also try it on some other photo too, but I'd really like to see it done in MY CS5 instead of just reading about it. It helps me learn.

I wish I could get my money back because this book is too maddening to bother reading if I can't follow along.

I ordered this thinking it was just for nature photographers. Must to my pleasant surprise it is loaded from cover to cover
with great information for everyone. Easy to read. No great "in depth" discussion, just do what you need to do. It starts
with the best I have seen on Bridge and cataloging, keywording, and controlling images. This book is a must for anyone just
jumping into CS5. It incorporates in each chapter sections on Elements also. If you are looking for one book to get going
or for reference, this was the one for me.

This book is a solid introduction to the use of Photoshop CS5 for nature photographers. Covers a lot of material to the point where the user will be able to get adjustments done properly. There is an emphasis on non-destructive adjustments... very important!

Couple of additional points: Many, if not all, of the errors and omissions in previous editions have been fixed. So the book is generally much better than previous editions. If you have used or read a previous edition of this book for earlier versions of Photoshop, you will not get much additional material here.

After completing this book, and gaining some additional hands-on practice, the reader will find more advanced coverage of Bridge and Camera Raw in Jeff Schewe's book in Peachpit's 'Real World' series. Camera Raw incorporates virtually all of the RAW processing power of Lightroom, and learning to use these capabilities well is worth the investment of time. Camera Raw with Smart Objects really excels at non-destructive editing.

I ordered this book because of inclusion of material on Photoshop Elements. Frankly, the book is weak in this area, but I would have to say that in general this is due to the limitations of Elements. I started digital editing with Elements 6 and found it to be frustratingly limited. Photoshop does so much so well, I would encourage serious nature photographers to go directy to Photoshop and not to consider Elements at all. And in fact, virtually all magazines, journal and on-line resources for nature photographers are going to deal with how to get things done in Photoshop, not Elements. If you have Elements now, the book will benefit you, but think about moving up.

If you are beginning to use CS5, this is a great start.