Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One (Paperback)

by Deke McClelland (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Reading this book is a very immersive learning experience, because the engaging style of language ensures you're involved in each of the tutorials. It really is as if you have your own personal tutor sat by your side, revealing tips and techniques, and even checking your progress with knowledge tests that reinforce what you've learnt in each section." - Photoshop Creative, Issue 11

Product Description
If you work with Adobe Photoshop, you've already tasted how powerful a graphics tool it can be. Universally recognized as the standard for image editing and production, Photoshop is used by close to 20 million people worldwide. But how many can say they've fully tapped its vast functionality?

Whether you're a first-timer looking to learn Photoshop, or a seasoned Photoshopper interested in the cool new features of CS2, Deke McClelland's Adobe Photoshop CS2 One on One will have you completing rewarding projects in no time at all. A Photoshop expert, sought-after computer graphics and design lecturer and author of over 70 books, Deke brings his passion and easy, conversational style to the new edition of his bestselling Photoshop tutorial, updated for CS2.

A straightforward, step-by-step guide to the features and functions of Photoshop-with plenty of real-world projects and insider tips applied along the way-Adobe Photoshop CS2 One on One also covers the new features of CS2 in depth, including Adobe Bridge, the new file browser that makes it possible to process multiple images at once. Learn how to use new workflow and file handling features, how to batch process digital camera raw files, search metadata, quickly review images in Slideshow mode, and much more.

If that sounds like Greek to you, don't worry. Deke uses highly effective One-on-One teaching methods and creates a classroom environment that combines written instruction with more than two hours of video training (provided on DVD). As host of the "Best of Photoshop" disk that ships with every Photoshop order, he's uniquely qualified to present the material in this dynamic, interactive format. Whatever your skill level, Adobe Photoshop CS2 One on One will soon have you speaking fluent Photoshop CS2.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc. (July 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596100965
• ISBN-13: 978-0596100964
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,657 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

262 of 265 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunningly beautiful and useful book..., May 1, 2004

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Adobe Photoshop CS One-on-One (Paperback)

To say I am "graphically challenged" would be an understatement. For whatever reason, I just have a hard time envisioning what I can do with images and colors. To help solve that issue, I got a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS one-on-one by Deke McClelland. In short, this book is packed.

The book is organized into the following 12 lessons: Open and Organize; Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows; Correcting Color Balance; Making Selections; Crop, Straighten, and Size; Paint, Edit, and Heal; Creating and Applying Masks; Adjusting Focus; Building Layered Compositions; Text and Shapes; Layer Styles and Adjustments; and Printing and Output.

Each lesson starts out with an "About This Lesson" page, which gives you an idea of what you're going to cover. It ends with a "What Did You Learn?" exercise where you match the concept with the description. And in between is the excellent material on how to do what it is that's being covered. Interspersed throughout the text are "Pearls Of Wisdom" which are short 5 to 10 line sidebars that explain a concept or a slant on the material that you may not have realized. And McClelland doesn't just explain how to do things, either. He goes into the concepts behind how graphics and color work, such as how to read a histogram or the difference between 8 vs. 16 bits per channel. So when you get done with the book, you should have a greater understanding and appreciation for the art of graphical manipulation.

But you're not done yet. The book comes with a CD that includes video lessons that follow along with the book, as well as the files you'll need to do the exercises. Unlike most CDs that are included in a book, this is one that actually enhances the value of the material instead of just allowing the publisher or author to charge more for stuff you may never look at.

On the aesthetic side of things, the book is really stunning. High-quality paper and beautiful colors on the examples. The only flaw I can mention is that my copy must have gotten a bad batch of paper at the printers. A small number of pages are flawed (ingrained folds) and a couple of the graphic screen shots are blurred to the point of not being able to read the text. Even with that, there is nothing that takes away from the usefulness and quality of this effort.

If you use Photoshop and want to learn how to utilize it to the fullest, you owe it to yourself to check out this book.

143 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent..., June 16, 2004

By	E. Wuehler (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Adobe Photoshop CS One-on-One (Paperback)

I'm not sure if I can add much to the positive reviews so far. This is an excellent text - do yourself a favor and read all the reviews.

For me, I really appreciated the sidebars and "Pearls of Wisdom" scattered throughout the text. In these, the author gives quick insights like; why one tool works better than another or a keystroke reminder or a technical definition.

This book does much more than just tell you how to do something, it also explains why your image changes when using the various tools. In other words, it goes beyond just getting you from A to B. There are a million different ways to get from A to B in Photoshop, so it's nice to learn a few new ones to add to my current Photoshop knowledge.

I use Photoshop basically for two things. Fixing up photos I've taken with my digital camera or scanned in from the family archives and creating images for my personal web site. I found the chapters about highlights, midtones, and shadows and color correction invaluable, especially when trying to fix up some old color pictures of the family from '70s. =)

Excellent book, visually pleasing, highly recommend.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best guide to Photoshop on the market, May 10, 2004

By	Alex Singleton (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Photoshop CS One-on-One (Paperback)

O'Reilly has a knack of publishing really excellent computer books, and this knack is continued with Adobe Photoshop CS one-on-one. The book is published with colour examples throughout, and the author, Deke McCelland, also presents an included CD of video tutorials. These complement the book superbly.

The author covers the major features in Photoshop, but usefully also explains when you should you a specific feature rather than another one. For example, he usefully suggests that the 'Brightness/Contrast...' option can result in pretty awful results, and explains how to change brightness and contrast in a more satisfactory way. The result is that anyone with this book will quickly move from being an amateur user of Photoshop who just gets by, to being an expert who knows how to get the very best results.

The book is very practical, and not a dry run-through of the toolbox. McClelland uses examples - like removing scratches from a scanned image or improving the focus of a photograph - that may well make the reader load up their own pictures half way through a chapter to experiment. The text is very readable, and broken up well with headings.

This is quite possibily the best guide to Photoshop on the market. Highly recommended.