Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One (Paperback)

by Deke McClelland (Author), Galen Fott (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One marks a landmark in computer publishing. In addition to offering 12 lessons of project-based tutorials with all sample files included, each lesson starts with a video introduction, hosted by the author himself, Deke McClelland. And these are no ordinary videos. Produced by Adobe's official video training partner, Total Training, each video measures 960 by 540 pixels and plays at 30 frames per second, with no interlacing. That's a play rate of 15.5 million pixels per second, making this the first computer publication to include high-definition video, playable on any modern PC with a DVD-ROM drive. The picture is so crystal clear, it's like watching the world-reknowned expert work right along with you.

In addition to the video -- all new recordings created exclusively for this title -- the book has been completely revamped for Photoshop Elements 4. Inside the full-color pages are new exercises devoted to color-correcting skin tones, auto-tagging images with faces, isolating foreground subjects, extracting people and objects from their backgrounds, creating custom slide shows, correcting red-eye, and sharing images online. Every bit as wildly ambitious and brass-tacks practical as the best-selling image editor itself, Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One will have you gasping with amazement at your own creations. Deke puts the magic of digital imaging squarely where it belongs -- in your hands.

About the Author
Electronic publishing pioneer Deke McClelland is a popular lecturer on Adobe Photoshop and the larger realm of computer graphics and design. He has hosted the interactive "Video Workshop" CD that shipped with Photoshop Versions 7, CS, and CS2, as well as hundreds of hours of tutorial-style video training for industry leaders lynda.com and Total Training. In addition to his video work, Deke has written 84 books translated into 24 languages, with more than 4 million copies in print. One of the most award-winning writers in the technology market, Deke received the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Computer Book in 1989. Since then, he has garnered more than 20 honors, including seven independent citations from the Computer Press Association. In 2002, he was inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame. In 2004 Deke created the One-on-One™ book series, which uses video, step-by-step exercises, and hundreds of full-color illustrations to provide readers with the closest thing possible to private instruction from a recognized expert. These ambitious, self-paced guides include the bestselling Adobe Photoshop CS2 One-on-One and Adobe InDesign CS2 One-on-One. Late in 2006 Deke teamed up with vanguard online training company lynda.com to bring the One-on-One training strategy to a line of video products, beginning with Photoshop CS3 Beta One-on-One Preview, the first series available for the public beta of Photoshop CS3. In addition to the full 20-plus hour Photoshop CS3 One-on-One, his plans include Illustrator One-on-One and InDesign One-on-One. Among Deke's current lynda.com videos are Photoshop Elements 5 Essentials and the #1 ranked Photoshop CS2 Channels and Masks (available for immediate viewing at www.lynda.com/deke). Deke is an Adobe Certified Expert, a member of the PhotoshopWorld Instructor Dream Team, and a regular speaker for the Photoshop Fling cruise seminars. Deke lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two super-powered boys.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Deke Press; Photoshop Elements 5 One-On-On edition (November 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596100981
• ISBN-13: 978-0596100988
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #490,073 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

130 of 134 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced, but deeply informative, December 8, 2005

By	Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

O'Reilly is a quality publishing company. You really can't go wrong with them. And this book holds that tradition. The text is tight. The example images are great. The design is innovative. The topics are covered thoroughly. And it shares that with the other O'Reilly book on the topic; Photoshop Elements 4 The Missing Manual.

What stands out with this book is the depth in the description of how each feature works. Filters in Photoshop are complex, and understanding how they work will help you use them more effectively. This book does a better job explaining the function of the filters.

That being said, this book is faster paced than the Missing Manual book. If you understand the basics and are looking for some deeper material, I would pick this book. If you are looking for an introduction I would pick the Missing Manual.

64 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book By A Photoshop Guru, December 22, 2005

By	Daniel McKinnon (Tewksbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

'Photoshop Elements 4 one-on-one' by Deke McClelland is simply an outstanding book cover to cover. O'Reilly has some really fantastic Photoshop references out there on the market and I highly recommend adding this gem to your shelf if you use Photoshop on a daily basis. Chock full of hundreds of color photos on high quality pages, this book is a fantastic bargain whether you are a Photoshop ELements newbie or an experienced pro. You can just sense the experience dripping out of this book as you follow along the examples that Deke has put together for you; it's as if you are in the classroom and you are the student right there, ready to soak up all the information that he is giving you!!

It's no secret that Photoshop is one of the most important pieces of software ever made, and it's also one of the most confusing to use and learn. With more math contained within than the 2005 class at MIT, Photshop can be a daunting program for many to use but the author makes the process of learning smooth and fun at the same time. A must-read book for any Photoshop user!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SMILE! YOU'RE ON PHOTOSHOP!, July 7, 2006

By	John R. Vacca "Tech Write Independent Reviewer" (Pomeroy, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you a student or an instructor working in a classroom or vocational setting? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Deke McClelland and Galen Fott, have done an outstanding job of writing a practical manual that walks you through Photoshop Elements 4, just as if the authors were teaching you in a classroom environment.

McClelland and Fott, begin by explaining how to import and organize image files. Then, the authors examine the Quick Fix mode, which lets you correct the colors in an image by clicking buttons and adjusting slider bars. They also introduce you to the program's most capable color adjustment commands. Next, the authors examine ways to select a region of an image and edit it independently of other regions using the various selection tools along with a few menu commands. Then, they continue by exploring ways to crop, straighten, and resize digital photographs using a small but essential collection of tools and commands. The authors also explain how to use Photoshop Elements' paint, edit, and healing tools to brush color and effects into an image. Next, they explain how to modify the perceived focus of a photograph, apply effects filters, and apply free-form distortions. Then, the authors explore the many facets of building a layered composition in Photoshop Elements, from creation to navigation, from stroking to stacking order, from free-form transformations to four-point distortions, and, from applying blend modes to erasing backgrounds. They continue by showing you how to use Photoshop Elements text and shape tools, as well as ways to edit text and shapes by applying formatting attributes and transformations. Next, the authors explore the worlds of layer styles and adjustment layers, both of which enable you to modify an image composition without harming a single pixel in the original photographs. Then, they explain ways to share your images with other people, whether by printing or distributing the electronic files online. Finally, the authors show you how to use both the Organizer and Editor workspaces to assemble each of five kinds of creations.

In this most excellent book, the author has included over two hours of video instruction on the accompanying DVD. More importantly, every work file you need is provided on the DVD, so you can benefit from a true hands-on experience.