The Digital Photographer's Guide to Photoshop Elements: Improve Your Photographs & Create Fantastic Special Effects (A Lark Photography Book)

Barry has crafted an elegant primer on Photoshop Elements replete with lush, color-soaked photos that serve as irresistable examples for my own experiments... icons, as it were, for my own creativity. As an experienced Elements user, I have already read several how-to books that explain every button and menu in rote detail; Barry's approach is much, much simpler. I lingered long over his gorgeous examples and much more quickly returned to my own photographs with envious results. To be fair, this is a perfect book to SHOW whereas Deke's Photoshop Elements for Dummies (bland black and white!) is positioned to TELL. If you are completely new to Elements and demand excruciating detail, then a companion book might be in order. Otherwise, be inspired and get on with more quickly and easily taking your pictures to confident new levels.

Enjoy!


Next to useless because there are no sample files.   March 22, 2004
2 out of 14 found this review helpful

This book is attractively designed, well-written, and nicely edited. There is a great deal of practical and clearly explained information. The problem? Mr. Beckham or Lark Books decided to not include samples of the photographs he uses to illustrate his tutorials. There is no CD and there is no website from where the pictures can be downloaded. This is unforgiveable in a book that presents itself as a learning text. Curiously, Mr. Beckham's website references a resource center for the book and refers the reader to a URL on page 4 of the book. There may be URL in the British version of the book (Mr. Beckham lives in England) but there isn't in the U.S. version being sold Amazon. This would be a five star book if the images were available to practice on. As it is, it gets one star for just being a pretty publication.


Pictures show what is possible with Photoshop   February 11, 2007
Carlo Canona (Minneapolis, MN)
I would agree with both reviewers comments above: the book shows what you can do with Photoshop, but doesn't walk you through what menus to use to accomplish it. I think that is great! No more worrying about looking for moved menus or changed tools as new versions of Photoshop are released. I learned a ton from this book and am having a great time using these techniques to enhance the photos I've taken.