Book Reviews

The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers contains a wealth of information about Photoshop CS4 geared toward photographers.  The book covers a great deal of photo editing techniques in photoshop, and more importantly, a lot of information on using Camera RAW.  As a photographer, I appreciate the attention to detail in covering Camera RAW, as it is one of the most important tools in photoshop for any photographer to learn.  The book covers everything from getting the photos from your camera onto your computer to the final printing process, a lot of information indeed.  And while professional photographers and photoshop gurus may not get their fill from this book, it is a wonderful resource for amateurs and intermediate users, containing techniques and information that should not be missed!

When I first picked up this book I thought it was going to be a typical book on editing photographs. I really wish the title gave a better clue as to what it's about, which is one thing: Digital Workflow. And for that subject it gives a very good introduction for anyone who is trying to figure out how Adobe's Bridge, Photoshop, Lightroom and Camera Raw products fit together smoothly.

The first section, Setup, leads the reader through the fundamentals of digital images, principles of color and color management. Also discussed is the basics computer and work environment configuration to have the best editing experience. Finally each of the tools is given a general introduction.

Taking an interesting approach to writing a reference book for CSS and HTML, Michael Bowers writes a highly technical book where he breaks down CSS and HTML into predictable patterns and writes the book following a systematic approach in covering those discovered patterns.  

Anyone with basic computer knowledge and Adobe Illustrator CS4 software can use The Professioal Portfolio to create professional looking portfolio projects. Included at the back of the book is a resource CD of files, which simulate information provided by clients, to be used in the project. Each of the 8 projects has a real world feeling induced by including client comments, art director comments, and project objectives.

Hands on, step by step, easy to follow instructions are easily read and presented in a large spiral binding. The layout and fonts are inviting and provide a pleasant experience. I am a graphic design student who has taken a semester with Illustrator. I was able to learn new ways to use Illustrator and take what I had learned to the next level.

Although this book focuses on landscape photography, it is written as a general photography course and would be very informative for beginner to relatively experienced photographers of any subject.

Besides the usual treatment of landscape specific topics, of which there are many, there are plenty of little valuable nuggets to be found buried in the text to be applied to any style of photography. For example, when discussing lens selection, the authors point out the various tradeoffs in using anti-shake technologies, including specific scenarios when you should or should not use it, or even if you should spend the extra money to get those lens features in the first place.

Go to the source!

Mordy Golding is an Adobe Community Expert and was the product mangaer for two Adobe Illustrator releases. This puts him in a unique position to provide quality instruction for the product.

He outlines the three fold purpose of the book in the introduction: teach NEW users how to take advantage of the technologgy, to help experienced users learn about features that have changed and to give power useres the understanding they need to push themselves and produce reliable files.

This book has some very good, practical lessons for bringing the novice up to speed as well as the seasoned pro to the latest new features. I’d give it an A+. Being able to follow along on the enclosed DVD (which, of course, you can stop at will to practice a certain step repeatedly) as well as review with the text is an excellent way to “sharpen the saw” and keep up to date with current design/production demands.

As a Graphic Artist I am naturally a visual creature. I can read instructions and actually enjoy doing so when necessary. But, if you're like me, punching the HELP button on any given application does not always provide the guidance you are looking for. Instructions in most HELP guides provide only a text explanation with no visuals. For me, the degree of explanation clarity is often in question.

This is an inviting, entertaining, well written, well designed and easy to follow book. The authors say they have written this book for professional photographers, commercial illustrators and artists of all levels.  Having a working knowledge of Photoshop and Painter is definitely advisable for working with the exercises. The authors have written the book for Photoshop CS2 thru CS4 users and Painter 9-11 users. 

The Adobe Illustrator CS3 WOW! Book truly is a worthy of wow!  You can open this book to almost any page and find useful, practical information on the many tools and creative possibilities of Illustrator.  For anyone seeking to capitalize on the many facets of this software program, this book is a must-have. From typography to objects to masks and opacity, and brushes, washes, tracing, and slicing, this compilation walks users through easy steps to create compelling design