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The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2
Written by: Richard Lynch
Editorial Reviews:
Unlock Photoshop Elements' Awesome Power with Sophisticated Techniques and Original Power Tools
Until now, Adobe's Photoshop Elements hasn't been considered powerful or full-featured enough for serious image correction. This is the book that changes that forever, revealing advanced features locked inside Photoshop Elements, ready to be turned loose.
All you need are the techniques found in this book and the author's custom Hidden Power Tools included on the CD--powerful enhancements that unlock key Photoshop features, like curves, channel separations in RGB and CMYK, and masking. Soon you'll do more with Photoshop Elements than you ever thought possible, including:
* Radically upgrade the quality of your color results using channels, custom separations, and image luminosity
* Alter reality by creating new photo-realistic objects and adding them to existing images
* Create dynamic images for the Web using animation and rollovers
* Correct and enhance image tone and color with Curves, Color Balance, and custom layer-blending tools
* Make complicated masks and advanced selections to easily target your corrections
* Create original, scalable line art for logos by harnessing the power of customized vectors
See the author's supporting web site at www.hiddenelements.com.
If you like "The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2, you might also like ...
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best book I've bought all year
Comment: The tools were why I bought the book -- having access to Curves and Color Balance alone would have been worth it, but there are a lot more -- masking tools, color separations, -- I am just starting to appreciate how powerful these tools are -- for example, before buying this book I didn't even understand why you even wanted to separate color and luminosity, but now I use that tool on every single image I process.
The book: the book is different from any other Photoshop book I've read. The most obvious difference is that it comes with neat Power Tools. A more subtle difference is that in addition to showing you how to manipulate images using Photoshop Elements (which most Photoshop books do, or should), it also aims to deepen your understanding of your images and controlling those images using manipulation-by-Elements. For example, he walks you through a somewhat complicated procedure of making masks to isolate mid-tone colors in your image-- there's a Power Tool to do it, but if you go through the entire procedure you will learn a lot more about how your image is put together. Not to mention that it was a revelation to me that you could have that much CONTROL!
Because he aims to teach you about images and how to get the best image possible, as well as a good order in which to correct images, the book is sequential. Most Photoshop books I've seen can basically be read in any order, but this builds on things he's taught in previous chapters: for example, learning about tone in the earlier chapters is essential for understanding color manipulation in the later chapters. As part of this flow, there's information not only on digital manipulation but also on printing, which is an essential part of the process, which made me very happy. Just his (elementary?) explanation of the dpi/ppi/lpi needed for various outputs and how well you can print various pixel-size images has been really useful for me to have at my fingerprints, not even to mention the calibration tool noted by another review.
On the negative side: as someone who predominately uses Elements for retouching digital photographs, I didn't find the sections on e.g. animation all that useful. I would have much preferred to see more about calculations, which I thought could definitely have been given more space, being such a complex subject. There are a fair number of typos, though it's usually pretty easy to figure out what the right thing ought to be, and I understand his website has errata. Minor issue: I had a hard time installing the tools, and had to go to the website delineated in the book to troubleshoot. (Turned out it was for some reason having a hard time with my external hard drive; once I unplugged it, it was fine.)
I would strongly recommend NOT expecting this to be your only photoshop elements book (unless you are already an image manipulation guru, maybe). I personally have Photoshop Elements 2 for Dummies from a local book sale as well, and had read the whole thing and understood how everything worked in it before tackling this one-- I would've been lost if I'd tried to do it in the other order. I still refer to Dummies above this book when I want to know quickly how to do something simple or want to know what some random special effect does, neither of which are the purposes of this book.
This book gives back to you what you put into it; the more you try to understand what is really going on, the more you will get out of it. To me, this is the hallmark of a great book; I've reread it twice already and am still learning more. To others, it may not be what you are looking for, particularly if you want quick recipes or quick fixes. If you've read my examples above and you're thinking, "Gosh, that sounds like it might be sort of dense... but worth it to really understand images and controlling images better," this book may be perfect for you, as it was for me. If you're thinking, "Nuts, I just want a couple of auto-buttons to press to get cool effects or quickly fix everything," this book is not for you.
But if you have Elements 2 and are even THINKING of upgrading to full Photoshop (which I was), get this book first!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Maybe Later
Comment: After five nights of really trying so hard to get through this book...and I did try, I finally decided I was so lost it was time to quit and try some other book. I know I am not at the level I want to be in Elements, but just going through steps that make no sense with this book finally got to where it was not worth the effort. I'm putting this book on the shelf and finding one that doesn't assume I know the steps he leaves out. I'm very dissappointed because I really need to know this stuff :(((
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2
Comment: First must say all the raves you see are from professionals that have used other systems and maybe good friends of the author, as some of the reviews said, mistakes, no clear definition of way to go, confusing, believe the author once sent me an answer to a question stating he has condensed a book of 950 pages into this, Well unless your an photographic, or layout person, this book too confusing for someone starting out, I would not recommend this book to first timers
Customer Rating:
Summary: Full of info but definitely a "college level" course
Comment: When I first read this book I was overwhelmed by the information and have had to struggle through all of the technical work. There is so much to learn, and much of it is technical. That said, Mr. Lynch goes out of his way to help his readers, and includes extra tools on his website as well as a forum. The extra tools alone pay for the book - he includes Curves and demonstrates how valuable this is. He also has tools to give you great photo frames, etc, with a few quick moves. If you are willing to put in hours learning to achieve his results you will be very happy with this book. If you simply wish a basic beginning book on Elements this is NOT the book for you. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to be proficient with Elements 2. I am going to buy the Elements 3 book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Praise
Comment: I have nothing but praise for this densely-packed book. Seek and ye shall find! The information level is as comprehensive as one could wish: Beware though, very few empty words, read carefully! Providing the hidden elements for Photoshop Elements users is an invaluable attribute.Use of these tools brings us into the realm of the full-fledged Photoshop. Thanks, Richard Lynch!
Dewey Decimal Number: 006.6869
EAN: 9780782141788
ISBN: 0782141781
Label: Sybex
Manufacturer: Sybex
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 292
Publication Date: 2003-01-21
Publisher: Sybex
Studio: Sybex
 | Format: Paperback List Price: $40.00 Our Price: $36.00 Your Save: $ 4.00 ( 10% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Customer Rating: |
Editorial Reviews:
Unlock Photoshop Elements' Awesome Power with Sophisticated Techniques and Original Power Tools
Until now, Adobe's Photoshop Elements hasn't been considered powerful or full-featured enough for serious image correction. This is the book that changes that forever, revealing advanced features locked inside Photoshop Elements, ready to be turned loose.
All you need are the techniques found in this book and the author's custom Hidden Power Tools included on the CD--powerful enhancements that unlock key Photoshop features, like curves, channel separations in RGB and CMYK, and masking. Soon you'll do more with Photoshop Elements than you ever thought possible, including:
* Radically upgrade the quality of your color results using channels, custom separations, and image luminosity
* Alter reality by creating new photo-realistic objects and adding them to existing images
* Create dynamic images for the Web using animation and rollovers
* Correct and enhance image tone and color with Curves, Color Balance, and custom layer-blending tools
* Make complicated masks and advanced selections to easily target your corrections
* Create original, scalable line art for logos by harnessing the power of customized vectors
See the author's supporting web site at www.hiddenelements.com.
If you like "The Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2, you might also like ...
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: The best book I've bought all year
Comment: The tools were why I bought the book -- having access to Curves and Color Balance alone would have been worth it, but there are a lot more -- masking tools, color separations, -- I am just starting to appreciate how powerful these tools are -- for example, before buying this book I didn't even understand why you even wanted to separate color and luminosity, but now I use that tool on every single image I process.
The book: the book is different from any other Photoshop book I've read. The most obvious difference is that it comes with neat Power Tools. A more subtle difference is that in addition to showing you how to manipulate images using Photoshop Elements (which most Photoshop books do, or should), it also aims to deepen your understanding of your images and controlling those images using manipulation-by-Elements. For example, he walks you through a somewhat complicated procedure of making masks to isolate mid-tone colors in your image-- there's a Power Tool to do it, but if you go through the entire procedure you will learn a lot more about how your image is put together. Not to mention that it was a revelation to me that you could have that much CONTROL!
Because he aims to teach you about images and how to get the best image possible, as well as a good order in which to correct images, the book is sequential. Most Photoshop books I've seen can basically be read in any order, but this builds on things he's taught in previous chapters: for example, learning about tone in the earlier chapters is essential for understanding color manipulation in the later chapters. As part of this flow, there's information not only on digital manipulation but also on printing, which is an essential part of the process, which made me very happy. Just his (elementary?) explanation of the dpi/ppi/lpi needed for various outputs and how well you can print various pixel-size images has been really useful for me to have at my fingerprints, not even to mention the calibration tool noted by another review.
On the negative side: as someone who predominately uses Elements for retouching digital photographs, I didn't find the sections on e.g. animation all that useful. I would have much preferred to see more about calculations, which I thought could definitely have been given more space, being such a complex subject. There are a fair number of typos, though it's usually pretty easy to figure out what the right thing ought to be, and I understand his website has errata. Minor issue: I had a hard time installing the tools, and had to go to the website delineated in the book to troubleshoot. (Turned out it was for some reason having a hard time with my external hard drive; once I unplugged it, it was fine.)
I would strongly recommend NOT expecting this to be your only photoshop elements book (unless you are already an image manipulation guru, maybe). I personally have Photoshop Elements 2 for Dummies from a local book sale as well, and had read the whole thing and understood how everything worked in it before tackling this one-- I would've been lost if I'd tried to do it in the other order. I still refer to Dummies above this book when I want to know quickly how to do something simple or want to know what some random special effect does, neither of which are the purposes of this book.
This book gives back to you what you put into it; the more you try to understand what is really going on, the more you will get out of it. To me, this is the hallmark of a great book; I've reread it twice already and am still learning more. To others, it may not be what you are looking for, particularly if you want quick recipes or quick fixes. If you've read my examples above and you're thinking, "Gosh, that sounds like it might be sort of dense... but worth it to really understand images and controlling images better," this book may be perfect for you, as it was for me. If you're thinking, "Nuts, I just want a couple of auto-buttons to press to get cool effects or quickly fix everything," this book is not for you.
But if you have Elements 2 and are even THINKING of upgrading to full Photoshop (which I was), get this book first!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Maybe Later
Comment: After five nights of really trying so hard to get through this book...and I did try, I finally decided I was so lost it was time to quit and try some other book. I know I am not at the level I want to be in Elements, but just going through steps that make no sense with this book finally got to where it was not worth the effort. I'm putting this book on the shelf and finding one that doesn't assume I know the steps he leaves out. I'm very dissappointed because I really need to know this stuff :(((
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hidden Power of Photoshop Elements 2
Comment: First must say all the raves you see are from professionals that have used other systems and maybe good friends of the author, as some of the reviews said, mistakes, no clear definition of way to go, confusing, believe the author once sent me an answer to a question stating he has condensed a book of 950 pages into this, Well unless your an photographic, or layout person, this book too confusing for someone starting out, I would not recommend this book to first timers
Customer Rating:
Summary: Full of info but definitely a "college level" course
Comment: When I first read this book I was overwhelmed by the information and have had to struggle through all of the technical work. There is so much to learn, and much of it is technical. That said, Mr. Lynch goes out of his way to help his readers, and includes extra tools on his website as well as a forum. The extra tools alone pay for the book - he includes Curves and demonstrates how valuable this is. He also has tools to give you great photo frames, etc, with a few quick moves. If you are willing to put in hours learning to achieve his results you will be very happy with this book. If you simply wish a basic beginning book on Elements this is NOT the book for you. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to be proficient with Elements 2. I am going to buy the Elements 3 book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Praise
Comment: I have nothing but praise for this densely-packed book. Seek and ye shall find! The information level is as comprehensive as one could wish: Beware though, very few empty words, read carefully! Providing the hidden elements for Photoshop Elements users is an invaluable attribute.Use of these tools brings us into the realm of the full-fledged Photoshop. Thanks, Richard Lynch!
Technical Details
Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 006.6869
EAN: 9780782141788
ISBN: 0782141781
Label: Sybex
Manufacturer: Sybex
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 292
Publication Date: 2003-01-21
Publisher: Sybex
Studio: Sybex
