Book Description
Window Seat: The Art of Digital Photography and Creative Thinking is a complete view of a creative project from the artist's perspective. Julieanne Kost, a Photoshop and creative thinking expert, has taken her own experience shooting images out of commercial airplane windows to create a unique creative seminar.
The first section of the book, The Art of Creative Thinking: The Principles, outlines Julieanne's method for staying creative in an increasingly complicated world. In her personal stories, advice, and philosophies, you'll find inspiration if you're stuck or just can't get started. You may recognize some of your own less-than-productive thought processes as she describes her own struggle to let go of the everyday flotsam of life to find a quiet mental space in which she can think, dream, and create.
The second part of the book, Window Seat: The Portfolio, is a collection of images culled from over 3000 photographs Julieanne shot from commercial airplane windows over a period of five years. The photographs are accompanied by brief commentaries addressing various aspects of the process, from the original inspiration to issues of control, subject matter, image selection, and manipulation.
The Appendix contains technical information: a discussion of the equipment and media Julieanne used to shoot the photos; how she processed the photographs using Adobe Camera Raw; the Photoshop techniques she employed to correct, retouch, and manipulate the images; her personal file management system; and how she prepares her files for printing.
This book is essential reading for photographers and artists looking for ways to stay creatively awake, aware, and alive.
Customer Reviews:
Wrong book for me........2007-09-20
I love aviation and photography yet lack any professional training in either field. I had hoped this book would be at a level I could gain something from--I was wrong.
For cloud lovers only............2007-09-15
I was really disappointed by this book. It should have been entitled `Interesting Clouds'.
Out of the first 121 pages only 11 and a half contain text, the rest are pictures of rivers, cornfields and clouds. This limited text is mostly fluff, with the author wondering why passengers would rather watch the in flight movie than marvel at what's outside their windows. The only creative thinking involved is that if you have to travel for work a lot, you might as well take pictures out of the window. The most technical advice is to not sit over the wing, and be sure to get a window seat (duh!), and let's not forget to be careful in the post 9/11 world, using a camera may be a suspicious activity.
The appendix (about 25 pages) is devoted to how to improve your pictures of clouds using Photoshop. I'm sure everyone has to have knowledge of how to remove tints and glare from airplane windows.
Save your money, go outside on a cloudy day with your camera and have a ball! Personally, I'm going to burn this book and take photos of the clouds of smoke, so that I'll get at least some use out of it.
very helpful.......2007-09-13
I have learned a new consepts in showing what is important in the picture. Great book and learning tool.
I love this book!.......2007-08-28
I absolutely love this book!
I found every image, every page to be filled with breathtaking beauty.
Even the most simple photos of clouds, Julieanne Kost has managed to create images the likes I have never seen before.
She has managed to take something that I had always taken for granted, the view from a plane window, and created a whole new vision for me to enjoy. Maybe that is the best way to describe it, her work is the difference between simply seeing and true vision.
I flip through this book whenever I am in need of inspiration.
I have bought 5 copies now and given 4 as gifts.
Everyone whom I gave these to, genuinely loved them as much as I do.
I suggest you buy your 5 now ;-)
Lovely to Look At.......2007-06-23
Window Seat (The Art of Digital Photography & Creative Thinking) by Julieanne Kost
Reviewed by Diane Williams, member of the Eureka Photoshop Users Group, 6/20/07
Window Seat is 90% coffee table photo book and 10% self-help and imaging techniques work flow book.
This 147 page book is a beautiful visual memory of those sights you see when you gaze out the window of a plane. I know I have tried to capture what I see out the window of a plane and have been very disappointed by the images. I may be able to make something of them now with this work flow.
Kost shows us sample original images captured by her and we see the final image after she has applied image corrections in Photoshop. Her instructions are brief. This is not a step-by-step tutorial giving all the input numbers. It is a general overview of the work flow what may be necessary, how you get there by pointing to the tools, and what they can do for you.
The self-help part of the book lists Julieanne's 18 self help and creative thinking hints. Here they are:
Master your tools.
Listen to what your life is trying to tell you.
Be open to whatever comes your way.
Share what you know and learn from others.
Collaborate with other creative people, especially the quiet ones.
Be flexible. Learn to negotiate.
Fix whatever you complain about most.
View every challenge as a possible discovery.
Take 15 minutes for yourself everyday.
Figure out what you need to do to reach your zero point.
Integrate work and Art; both will benefit.
Take up an interest in something you know nothing about.
Look at new stuff- and what you already know- with fresh perspective.
Keep a journal.
Visualize first, Photoshop second.
Replace your thoughts with intuition
Play! Play! Play!
Know when you're done.
This book is worth a look even if it is just to vicariously have the window seat. It will not teach anyone much about Photoshop.
Book Description
How would you like to create your own impressionist landscape, a van Gogh still life, or a surrealist Salvador Dali dream world? Or perhaps a classic Ansel Adams photograph of Yosemite or an authentic-looking 19th century Daguerrotype? You can do all of that and more with Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook.
The book tells you all you need to know to turn your original digital photographs into images that mimic the styles of great photographers and painters. From advice on how to develop an eye for appropriate subject matter to 62 detailed recipes that demonstrate exactly how to create an "original" van Gogh, Vermeer, Edward Weston, or Andy Warhol (among others), this book is an authentic guide to understanding and simulating the work of great artists-and a whole lot of fun.
- Analyzing the styles of great artists: format, composition, angles of view, color palettes, and image textures
- Shooting for digital manipulation, working non-destructively, making your own brushes and patterns
- Creating Daguerrotypes, cyanotypes, stop-motion photographs, cross-processed images, Polaroid transfers, and infrared effects
- Mimicking photographic styles from the pre-Raphaelites and the Naturalists to Jerry Uelsmann and David Hockney
- Exploring painting and printmaking techniques from Rembrandt to Warhol: Dutch portraits, 18th century landscape painting, Japanese woodblocks, Impressionism, Pointillism, Fauvism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, and Pop Art
Packed with step-by-step instructions, an inspirational selection of full-color digital imagery, and authoritative information and advice, Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook is the ultimate guide to creating convincing digital masterpieces in the styles of many of the world's greatest artists.
Customer Reviews:
Rhondda Boy.......2007-06-11
I would like to thank John Beardsworth for writing this book as it has given me much pleasure in replicating his creations and following his recipes are so easy. The quality of the printing of the book is superb.I look forward to hours of enjoyment making my own paintings.
Lots of errors.......2007-04-15
The concept is interesting & it is fun to try the different recipes, but many many errors mar the book. Also, some the instructions are less than clear.
Waste of money.......2007-04-04
There are many web sites with better information. Take a look on them.
Great recipes, easy steps, wonderful results........2006-07-09
This book puts you on the fast track to grafting the styles of famous artists into your own work through more than five dozen easy-to-follow recipes. Not surprisingly, you'll find yourself learning more than you originally expected to about Photoshop.
not-so-fast ..........2006-05-04
Earlier this year I reviewed what many will see as the companion volume to this book ("Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers"), written by the same author. Unfortunately, the newer publication is less useful. It seems to have been written on a pretext that it's clever to be able to duplicate what traditional artists can do. This seems - from my own personal viewpoint - to be greatly undervaluing the power of Photoshop (and similar software). Practitioners of digital fine art should (really, constructively) be looking to explore what the principles of prior and traditional art can mean within a new domain.
Plus, the book gets off to a definitely poor start. The second and longer of two introductory sections is titled "The Tricks of the Trade". Well it would be better if just some of the "tricks" had been explained in full and more accurately. Say, how to make a selection in Photoshop from the best available precursor (a black-and-white alpha channel). Or say again, how to make tonal corrections to the original photograph using a luminance mask. Then again, the first (and shorter) of the introductory chapters, titled "The Artist's Eye", is just a teaser. This topic - pre-visualizing what can be achieved as an output image when composing the original photographic input - could have benefited from a much more detailed explanation/argument. Indeed, it could even merit an expansive concluding chapter (but the book doesn't have one of those at all ....). This is, after all, at the very core of what the user could harness to any given artistic objective.
Additionally, I think that it's strange that a book such as this simply makes no reference at all to what could be printed from the recipes it contains. Some of the finished (output) images might look quite intriguing as 3 by 5 inch reproductions in the book - but does the methodology hold up if you're targeting a 20 by 36 inch output (say) on a large format printer? And what to do if that's not the case? Finally, and in common with the earlier companion volume, this book suffers from strange and inconsistent layouts of screenshots and text, plus all sorts of technical and editing omissions/errors (which include, for example, having the wrong screenshot in the wrong recipe - see p.108).
Book Description
Digital technology has transformed the entire photographic workflow—and Adobe™ Lightroom, the latest application from the creators of Photoshop®, is at the forefront of the revolution. With this in-depth guide, photographers can make the most of the cutting-edge software and understand the entire image-making process. It’s filled with expert tips and techniques, and comprehensively covers both professional essentials (setting up photo libraries, white balance) and advanced topics like studio branding. You’ll learn how to have a photo shoot, whittle it down to the best shots, and fine-tune their tone, balance, and exposure. Zoom in, zoom out, crop, and undo, all without altering the original. Put the file on CD or the web for clients or friends, then make picture-perfect prints, in color, mono, or sepia. The possibilities are amazing!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent thought process for Lightroom.......2007-08-04
While it is true that this book does not cover LR 1-1 release due to it reaching circulation at the same time (July 2007) the thought process behind Lightroom is covered very well and much of it, and the details, is easily applied to LR 1-1.
If you are a visual learner (like me) then this book is for you.
The overall format is some printed thought process (two paragraphs or so), with 4-7 steps worth of screen captures. This got me 99% of the way there for nearly every major function of LR
The author is a big time believer of Presets and batch processing (as am I) and it was great to see the workflow laid out nice and simple.
The steps described are very simple to adapt to the current version so don't be held back by that, after all who knows when the 1-1ish book version will be out.
I did look thru Kelbys books, others, and this one (all at B&N) and found the other ones far too wordy but again that is simply because of my learning style.
I only gave this four stars due to the unfortunate publication date coinciding with the release of 1-1 LOL, but I will also buy the next version from this author :)
Alas, by now it's obsolete..........2007-07-31
This was a very basic, barely OK book to start with. Based on the screen captures used to illustrate many points, much of it was being written based not even on the released version 1.0, but on an earlier beta (see sliders on the adjustment panels, and light-gray panels: all these were gone even in version 1.0).
And now that Adobe released version 1.1 of LR, this really is to far from what the current software looks like (and how it works) to be of much use. For those looking for a current book that covers Lightroom 1.1, Photoshop Lightroom Adventure: Mastering Adobe's next-generation tool for digital photographers may be it. I haven't seen it, but I read online excerpts, and it does cover ver. 1.1.
Lightweight Lightroom.......2007-07-03
Now that Lightroom has been on the market for a little while, it may be time for books to appear that tell users not just what the effect of each of the sliders and buttons is, but how to use the software to process pictures in a better way than its more expensive big brother, Photoshop. John Beardsworth, a perceptive and thoughtful photographer and writer promises that this book "is not a feature list...but does assume... [the reader]... doesn't need too much low-level guidance...."
The book is nicely laid out with each set of facing pages dealing with a single subject with several screen captures keyed to a numbered workflow that deals with that subject. Throughout the book Beardsworth emphasizes that Lightroom's strong point is to allow the photographer to process large numbers of images quickly. There are subjects like "Adding structure > Collections", "Recovery and the white point" and "Black and white > time savers". In a section called "Advanced topics", the author includes topics like "The Polarized Image" (get the effect by using the Color Adjustments saturation and luminance sliders), "Creative vignetting" and "Photoshop workflow > Blended exposures". Each of these subjects is easy to understand, given the author's accessible writing style.
Yet what the book contains is mostly a less than complete feature list. The reader who is past the low-level guidance stage will not find much new here. Moreover, Beardsworth may be wrong in his assumption that Lightroom's main benefit is a better way to process large numbers of images. My own feeling is that Lightroom generally offers a better front end for image processing than Photoshop's Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw which are part of Photoshop, not because of its ability to process large numbers of pictures (the late Bruce Frazer often showed us how to do that with Photoshop), but because the entire process, including asset management, is so completely integrated.
Advanced photographers will be highly interested in moving images back and forth between Lightroom and Photoshop to do things like selective adjustment and sharpening where version 1.0 of Lightroom is lightweight. Unfortunately, this aspect of image processing was mentioned too briefly in this book. (Version 1.1 of Lightroom, which is available for free download by Lightroom owners, offers much improved sharpening features, although this book was published at a time when the features were not available for the author to consider.)
Photographers who are interested in covering all of the features list would be better served by reading Scott Kelby's "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers" Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter). Meanwhile there is still room for a comprehensive book aimed at advanced Lightroom users.
Book Description
Experience the highly visual format of the Art of Photoshop: Digital Photography Workshop and learn how to take good source photos and transform them into display-quality digital works of art with visual effects used in Adobe Photoshop. Using the beauty of the Tuscan region of Italy as a backdrop, author and artist/photographer
Daniel Giordan, will take you through the steps of how to capture good source materials, how to explore the artistic effect of those images, and how to turn those explorations into richly layered and visually complex artwork using the tools available in Photoshop. This is your chance to look over the author's shoulder as he guides you through a process of creative exploration through which he creates 10 artistic montages.
Customer Reviews:
I was waiting more PhotoShop.......2007-03-09
55% of the book is about how to take a good digital photography. And the rest is about PhotoShop, is not enough. I'm disappointed
Shows photographers how to be better artists.......2006-08-08
This book is dedicated to the purpose of taking raw digital photographs and turning them into art and using Photoshop to help with this task. The book is broken down into three parts. In the first part, the author has dedicated his instruction to basic photographic principles, as well as the specific, actionable techniques for taking better digital photos. The chapters cover the basics of exposure, composition, depth of field, and general technical skills that will enhance the quality of your images. The final chapter in this section, on composition, just might be the most important chapter in this book. The fact is, if you don't have solid composition skills, you have little chance of making artistic images that have impact. Exposure and focus are important technical skills, but composition frames reality and structures the viewing experience. Without effective composition, you're left with a detached and soulless view of the world, even if it is clearly exposed and presented.
The second part of the book is about how to use Photoshop on your photographs once you have them. The author laments that although digital photography is notorious for generating tons of raw material, that most people never move past the "My Photos" folders that act like digital shoeboxes, crammed full of snapshots that are stored out of sight. The chapters in this part provide ample ammunition for what to do next. Chapter 5, "Photo Explorations," considers ways to manipulate photos while maintaining a final result that still looks like a photo. Darkroom and optimization explorations maintain a look that is still photographic while adding a more expressive element. Chapter 6, "Artistic Explorations," gets even more expressive as it delves into drawing and painting. You'll need a digital tablet for many of these effects, but the results are well worth the effort it may take to get one.
Part 3 of the book, "Gallery", represents the author's own personal explorations, based on his Tuscan experiences and photographs. He uses some of the same techniques described in Part 2, "Photoshop Explorations," and full image-capture information is provided for all source photos. Each image includes a brief introduction and a complete description of how it was created. Screen shots of Photoshop are shown as they are needed in showing how each image was created.
I highly recommend this book to those photographers who want to learn more about the artistic side of their craft starting with their skills as photographers and including inspiration, vision, and the technical knowledge of Photoshop needed to put it all together. Plus, the author has put together a truly stunning collection of photographs from Tuscany. The table of contents is as follows:
Part: 1 DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES
Chapter 1. Digital Camera Basics
Digital Photography Pros and Cons
Five Habits to Optimize Image Quality
Previewing Tips: Critical Evaluation
Preview Exposure with Histograms and Clipping
Capturing the Elusive Shot
Elements of Photographic Quality
File Format Pros and Cons
Using a Flash Effectively
Chapter 2. Digital Exposure
Exposure = Amount of Light and Speed of Shutter
The Tones and the Zones
Adjusting Exposure
Metering Light
Overcoming TTL Meter Limitations
Non-manual Exposure Settings
Using a Handheld Meter
Measuring Tonal Range with Histograms
Chapter 3. Focus and Depth of Field
Types of Autofocus
Focus and Camera Stability
What Is Depth of Field?
Artistic Application
Chapter 4. Composition
Compositional Building Blocks
Documenting a Moment
Controlling Compositions with Multiple Exposures
Part: 2 PHOTOSHOP EXPLORATIONS
Chapter 5. Photo Explorations
Dramatic Shadows
Custom Black and White Conversions
Shift Depth of Field
Image Panoramas
Daguerreotype Effects
Infrared Effects
Simulate Twilight
Hand Coloring
Cyanotypes
Chapter 6. Artistic Explorations
Printmaking Effects
Painterly Illustration
Line Engraving
Painted Canvas
Conté Crayon Drawing
Graphic Effects With Blending Modes
Part: 3 GALLERY
Chapter 7. Abbazia: Finding Transcendent Spirit
Source Images
Building the Image
Abbazia Image Design Log
Chapter 8. Passagio Scuro: Revealing Shadowed Vitality
Source Images
Building the Image
Passagio Scuro Image Design Log
Chapter 9. Punto: Exploring Relative Fundamentalism
Source Photos
Building the Image
Variations on Punto
Punto Image Design Log
Chapter 10. Santissima Addolorata: Experiencing Blind Faith
Source Photos
Building the Image
Santissima Addolorata Image Design Log
Chapter 11. Porta Rossa: Discovering Evocative Doorways
Source Photo
Building the Image
Porta Rossa Image Design Log
Chapter 12. Molecola Sogni: Toward a Weightless History
Source Photos
Building the Image
Molecola Sogni Image Design Log
Chapter 13. Una Passione Perfetta: Creating Dynamic Precision
Source Photos
Building the Image
Una Passione Perfetta Image Design Log
Chapter 14. Parte Interna: Building Visual Tension
Source Photos
Building the Image
Parte Interna Image Design Log
Split Personality.......2006-06-13
I was really excited when I first looked at this book. I regularly complain that many ostensible photography manuals are really picture books that have had some language added to make them look like photography instruction books. Here was a book that had plenty of beautiful pictures of Tuscany that were really used as a framework for instruction. Then I discovered the book's split personality.
The first part of the book is aimed at beginning to intermediate serious photographers. Using the author's own digital pictures, Giordan explained the basics of photography, including exposure, focus and composition. The pictures were not only lovely, but they were tied to the text so that they illuminated the teaching points. Giordan has a tendency to photograph details rather than the big picture, but perhaps that's also a useful lesson to learn. He also seems willing to tolerate over-exposed skies to get shadow details. But he passed my litmus test for any book maintaining it's about digital photography by explaining the use of the histogram, blinkies and even the zone system.
Unfortunately, he also put out some wrong information. For example, he states that digital cameras achieve exposure compensation by adjusting ISO ratings and so one should shoot in manual mode if one expected to compensate exposure. But that's certainly not true of the Nikon D2H, which Giordan used for the pictures in this book, or any other digital camera I know. Most digital cameras compensate with the aperture when you are in shutter mode and the shutter speed when you are in aperture mode. Moreover, while the author acknowledges that an important role of lenses of different focal lengths is to adjust perspective, he also preserves the old myth that depth of field is a function of focal length.
Still, even with inaccuracies like that, this book looked like a four-star book. Then the second section came along. It deals with the use of Photoshop and is aimed at very experienced users of the software rather than the beginning to intermediate audience of the first section. Here was an ideal opportunity to use the photographs of Tuscany to show how to control exposure, lighting and color with the basics of Photoshop. Instead he chose to use some very advanced techniques to create pictures that were far removed from the basics of digital processing. For example, in a chapter telling how to use Photoshop while preserving the photographic nature of the image, he shows how to simulate twilight or do the equivalent of hand coloring of photographs.
In the following chapter he explains how to modify images so they look like paintings or drawings. He finishes up with detailed descriptions of how he manipulated certain photographs to make them look like they weren't photographs.
I tried to put aside the philosophy that one should capitalize on the nature of photography when using Photoshop. I downloaded images from the companion website and tried to follow along with the author's description of how he was manipulating the pictures. I consider myself an experienced Photoshop user, but often the instructions were too sketchy or ambiguous for me to follow on a first try, and sometimes after several tries, I still couldn't follow Giordan's instructions.
This book had the potential to be really effective by taking a different approach to photography instruction. Unfortunately, the first part is filled with a few landmines and the second part is only for the most experienced Photoshop users for whom the first part might prove too simplistic.
An inspiring and beautiful book.......2006-05-27
This book includes how-to, but it is so much more than that. This is a lovely book to turn to again and again, just for inspiration. I agree with the other reviewers - do the exercises. This one I will keep because it is not tied to a particular camera though it does focus on photoshop CS and later. If you are struggling with making your photography interesting, or if you are just looking for inspiration, this is one you should pick up.
Most beautiful Photoshop book ever!.......2005-11-20
This is the most beautiful Photoshop book I have ever seen.
Daniel Giordan has always been my favorite Photoshop author for his clarity and organization, and with this book he brings together his Photoshop expertise, his skills as a digital photographer, his art school training in traditional media, and his love of the land of his ancestors, Italy. He traveled through Tuscany taking photos.
He then created a book to instruct and inspire the digital photographer and he also shares with the reader the pleasures of traveling through Tuscany.
This book taught me new techniques to use in Photoshop and reminded me of things I had been neglecting that will optimize my digital photography, such as having my camera display histograms and using an off-camera shutter release when I am using a tripod to eliminate the camera movement from pressing a shutter button.
The design team is to be praised for creating a book design that is in itself an aesthetic pleasure. Daniel Giordan designed the cover and a David Giordan is listed as a designer of the interior.
This book makes the perfect gift for a photographer who uses Photoshop. A really great gift would include a holiday in Italy because after reading this book and looking at the marvelous variety of beautiful subjects, you will certainly want to take your own trip through Tuscany.
Book Description
In the new edition of this practical guide, master photographer Ellen Anon and digital-imaging expert Tim Grey show you how to capture the beauty of nature by shooting the best possible photos from the start—and then getting the most out of your images at your desktop. You’ll find eye-opening techniques, workflow ideas, and terrific Photoshop tools, plus a host of valuable tips and stunning examples from some of the most esteemed professional nature photographers working today.
Customer Reviews:
Nature Photographers Photoshop CS3 - A Very Good Book.......2007-09-23
PRO: I generally agree with the previous favorable reviews of the book and therefore, rate the book with four stars - not perfect but covering most of the important subjects for nature photography. I'm glad I purchased the book. The TRY IT work lessens in each chapter are helpful because you learn by practice, but it may take a little time to locate where your told to go if your not already familiar with photoshop. This is my first and only book on photoshop and I don't believe I will need another book on this subject for a long time.
CON:The books author makes some assumptions about the readers photoshop knowledge that may not always be correct. This is unavoidable. As mentioned earlier in one of the responses, the book binding is not very strong, so if you scan pages try not to lay the opposite page flat on the scanner, the pages will come loose from the string binding.
I am an italian amateur.......2007-08-30
I have added this very nice book to my already rich collection of Photoshop books because I was mainly attracted
by the concept of Nature that was missing in my arsenal, and because I wished learning more about the new
features of Photoshop CS3 ( that I've recently bought), such as Adobe Camera Raw, Smart Objects, Quick Selection Tool,
and the new Panorama tool.
Under its very appealing graphic appearance I found all the responses I've expected, every topic being
exposed in a natural and direct way.
I also found very useful the tutorials and the examples on the accompanying CD, as well
as the contents of the Authors' Web Sites.
I recommend this book to everybody willing go deeper into the art if photographic imaging, to the experts as well as the novices
on Photoshop CS3.
Mario Console
Essential Book for Serious Nature Photographers.......2007-07-27
Whether you are new to nature shooting or experienced, Ellen Anon and Tim Grey's book is sure to provide techniques, insights, and tips that you can put to use immediately and with excellent results. The authors take time to thoroughly explain complex concepts and techniques in easy-to-understand language and with excellent background that deepens your understanding of both the art and the science.
One of the primary advantages of this book is that it takes you step-by-step from exposing images in the field, through exposure and color adjustments in the digital darkroom, and finally to getting the best output on the printer. And as a bonus, this book includes great techniques for creative effects and for saving time during the workflow.
This is a must-have book for serious nature photographers--and for anyone who wants a complete guide to shooting, processing, and printing great digital images.
Charlotte Lowrie,
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D Digital Field Guide,
Canon EOS 30D Digital Field Guide, & Canon Eos Digital Rebel Digital Field Guide
Tremendous Book! Essential information!.......2007-07-19
For any serious amateur to pro level photographer, this is a "no-brainer" book to own.
Ellen and Tim do a great job breaking down the software barriers to make our digital work easier
to conceive and to perform.
There is a wealth of information here.
After years of trying (unsuccessfully) to get through software manuals and books, this is the first book that we actually keep on our coffee table and take with us on the road. Even a perfunctory paging through will yield invaluable information in a concise, lucid prose.
Highly recommended!
A must have book........2007-07-14
This book is for the advanced hobbyist photographer. It shows great technics and work flows. If you are serious about your photography, you will learn a great deal from this great book.
Book Description
This guide to the Adobe Photoshop plug-ins most useful to photographers documents for both amateurs and professionals the makers of these plug-ins, where the physical files are installed, how to access files from outside Photoshop, and which of the available plug-ins are compatible with Photoshop. How to employ these plug-ins to make meaningful, natural-looking enhancements in photographs is then examined. Photographers can study techniques for color and gamma correction, grain reduction, dust and scratch removal, perspective control, and black-and-white conversion. Also investigated is how various plug-ins offer sophisticated ways to create artistic effects such as posterization and solarization, text effects, simulated photo edges and frames, and other eye-catching effects that will help to create stand-apart images clients will love.
Customer Reviews:
important book.......2007-06-27
This book covers information you can find yourself through a good research on the Net, but for what it cost I would get the book and save myself hours of research.
For the lazy type of person this book is a must ;-)
Good Book Covering the Topic Well.......2006-03-17
This is a very good book covering the subject of Adobe Photoshop plug-ins. There were numerous plug-ins that I was not familiar with that I have since acquired because of this book. The authors explain the good and bad aspects of each of the plug-ins included throughout. I couldn't expect anything more from a book on this topic.
OK book on the subject of Photoshop plug-ins.......2006-02-10
This is a very light and readable book on Photoshop plug-ins. The authors investigated over 5000 plug-ins to Adobe Photoshop using several different computers since apparently Photoshop crashes if you install more than 1000 plug-ins into it on a single computer. This is a limit I guess few of us will ever be able to verify.
The authors will show you how to find the right plug-ins for your system and install them as well as explain what they are and how they work. They will also show you how to manage your plug-ins or even make some of your own. This book is a good resource written especially for the digital photographer, and has plenty of color images demonstrating what various plug-ins can do to a photograph. In the back of the book there are listings of web resources for finding the various plugins. Several of the links are now broken, but there is still a lot of good information there.
Besides going over the set of plug-ins that deal with image correction such as lens distortion and correcting for JPEG compression effects, there are sections on adding "the elements" to your images and also for surface effects. The element plug-ins include lightening, trees, fog, smoke, and fire. The surface effect plug-ins include fur, jigsaw puzzle, tape, and wood. The section on creating your own plug-ins mainly refers you to on-line resources, which is good since there are many good tutorials already out there on making your own Photoshop plug-in. There is even a chapter on plug-ins for hardware devices such as digital cameras, graphics tablets, and scanners.
The release of Photoshop CS2 has made some of this book obsolete, but it is still a good resource of creative ways to use Photoshop in digital photography that is a cut above most books on the subject out there since it deals with more than mere image correction. Also, the web resources and listing of plug-ins are still useful. For under $20 it is still a good value, especially since it is hard to find books on the subject of Photoshop plug-ins.
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- History: Fiction or Science
- 1998 Miller Gaas Guide: A Comprehensive Restatement of Standards for Auditing, Attestation, Compilat
- Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion
- Cost Accounting
- Herb Gardening in Five Seasons
- Case Studies Of Process Plant Disasters
- Financial Accounting UK Standards, Fourth Edition: For May and November 2004 Exams
- Applied Time Series Modelling and Forecasting
- Burning Sins to Ashes
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Welcome to Oz: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with Photoshop (VOICES)
George DeWolfe's Digital Photography Fine Print Workshop
Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography
Real World Image Sharpening with Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Real World)
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers
