Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 29
 Makes Learning Fun May 29, 2009
Kelly E (Buford, GA USA)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
I think this book does a great job with the purpose for which it was written, special effects. If you're looking another Camera Raw/Sharpening/Color Correction book, this is not your book.
I would consider myself an advanced beginner with photoshop. So many of the reference books I have show "how" to do something without every really explaining why you would want to do that. By putting it in the context of projects, Kelby does both. You can learn how an effect was done while at the same time getting an idea of when and why you might want to do the same thing with your own images.
It's written at a level that someone new to photoshop can handle w/out being tedious for those who already know some of the shortcuts.
Personally, I love Scott Kelby's sense of humor. I actually enjoy reading his books --not just flipping through them like a I would most manuals.
Another great book in the series May 29, 2009
Mark Allen (Memphis, TN)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
As with other Scott Kelby books, I pre-purchased it. I've come to expect the best from Scott and this book is no exception. I'm one of those people who need a step-by-step guide when using a piece of software like Photoshop. I've got countless examples in my office of marketing pieces that were designed using one or more of Scott's Down & Dirty Tricks. And they work! I already plan to use some of the tricks in this book in some projects in the next few weeks. This book IS NOT a photography book. Scott has some great books (which I also recommend) on that subject, but this is not one of them. This is about how to take full advantage of some of the amazing things you can do with Photoshop.
Some reviewers should just watch TV instead May 29, 2009
Stephen Kalman (Hawley, Pa USA)
31 out of 39 found this review helpful
I usually don't trash other reviewers, but this time some of them wrote reviews that really annoy me.
If you bought a wrench and used it to fix a nail sticking out of a dresser, but found it didn't work, would you blame the wrench? Would you write a review saying what a lousy wrench it is? Or, would you quietly return it and get a hammer instead? It seems to me that several "reviewers" here are blaming the wrench!
As another example, if you like mysteries and buy a romance book by the same author, it isn't fair to say that the romance title is a bad mystery.
When the covers of a book clearly describe what it is about and who it is for, and the editorial review on this page says the same thing but someone buys it withoug reading any of that, hoping for totally different content, it isn't fair to blame the author. Giving a 1-star review says more about the incompetence of the reviewer that it will ever say about the book. Unfortunately (and unfairly) it kills the book's average review. This book deserves a 5-star average. It meets and exceeds the needs of its audience. If you're not in that audience that's OK; it means the book isn't for you, not that it is a bad book.
The covers say that this book is about special effects. Want to learn how to make type appear on fire, look here. Want to figure out how to make a special layout or design, then this book will show you how to do it in photoshop. Kelby has been teaching this stuff for years, both in books, on tours and online. Naturally, that's all written in Kelby's humorous, self-deprecating style and it makes learning fun. It is yet another great book from one of the industry's best authors.
The fact that this author has also written many best-selling books about camera raw, workflow and sharpening, and has built a loyal following for such content is great. If that's what you need, then run to get one of those titles.
However, if you've bought several of his "better pictures" books and liked them but bought this one without reading the editorial material and were then disappointed that is wasn't for you, just return it quietly and tell the bookseller "my mistake". Don't make an online fool of yourself by telling everyone you can't tell the difference between a wrench and a hammer.
CampPhotoshop Review of PS CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks May 28, 2009
Roger Ridpath (Kansas City, MO)
14 out of 19 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1S974FOTTMBMU Howdy Campers!
I'm your camp counselor, Roger Ridpath. I'm here to help you with all your Photoshop needs. Whether it's getting grips on pixel-pushing basics or more in-depth, advanced image manipulation skills, I'm ready to help you learn.
I'm an experienced graphic designer, with more than two decades of advertising & communications experience. In fact my professional career almost exactly mirrors Photoshop's history, in terms of time. For the past ten years, I've run my own firm, Ridpath Creative Partners, an award winning group that I continue to draw inspiration and energy from. (Not to mention a paycheck!)
 Good, not great. May 27, 2009
Elissa Flores (CA, USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I expected a little more from this book. I am an intermediate (probably pushing advanced) Photoshop user, and there was only a few things I learned in this book. If you watch Scott's show Photoshop User TV, you'll learn a lot of these tricks for free. I recognize that if I wasn't at the level I am at, this book would be very useful. I would recommend this book to people who are beginners at Photoshop, but I would suggest checking it out at a bookstore before buying if you have been using Photoshop for a couple years. I personally am very glad that I only paid $30 instead of the listed $45, but I would tell anybody who is new to Photoshop to buy this book!
Showing reviews 21-25 of 29
|
