Photoshop Elements 5 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide

Reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher

Authors: Tim Grey and Peter K. Burian SYBEX http://www.sybex.com/WileyCDA/SybexTitle/productCd-0470100869.html Released: March 2007 Pages: 286 $40 USD, $42 CND ISBN: 9780470100868   Strengths: Includes information on raw format images. An in-depth highlight of curves with the applications, which is a very difficult topic, is applied in an excellent fashion in this book. Information regarding adjustment layers well done. Keyboard shortcuts for Macintosh (not yet released software at the time of publication) and Windows. Book can be used by users of previous versions of the software.   Weaknesses: Too much verbiage which may not be suited for novice Elements or photography users. There is a need for more arrows and pointers to integrate the information laid out in the screenshots and applied to the text and tutorials. Inside introduction is missing sectioning of the Parts. The style of the book continues to be a source of problems as it does not read like a guide, it reads more like a textbook. This book may not be suitable for beginners or novice Photoshop Element users but may be better for intermediate and advanced.

 

Introduction

“Workflow” can be used with any software as a means for understanding and taking your images from the beginning to end and all the processes, tasks and management issues that are needed. Photoshop Elements 5 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide possibly can help you establish your workflow.

 

Tim Grey, is a renown Photoshop and digital photographer, is a Microsoft’s Chief ambassador to professional photographers and presents workshops on digital imaging. Peter Burian is a freelance photographer, author of photography books and is a contributor to several magazines. The authors combine their background in photography and Photoshop to create a book that is useful for understanding and using Photoshop Elements. I wanted to see what new insights these authors had.

 

The book contains 13 chapters. Part 1, covers workflow foundations, downloading and sorting and RAW conversion with Adobe Camera Raw. I like the premise laid out in the book that “quality, efficiency and consistency” are the main benefits of workflow use. Part 2, focus is on cropping, tone and color, image cleanup. I particularly like the section “ Benefits of Adjustment Layers” gives a better understanding of “why” using these layers can help provides for better understanding. Part 3, has information about working with advanced adjustments (tone, color, making selections, targeting adjustments and creative adjustments). Part 4, key processes include saving files, output processing. In this book I particularly like the information concerning tonal adjustments.

 

Within the book, screenshots and photographs highlight the points the authors are trying to demonstrate. Notes are also “peppered” throughout the chapters providing additional worthy insights related to the techniques. Many screenshots, which are large enough to understand and read, help illustrate the learning process but I would have liked to have seen more icons (like red circles or pointers) that could have served to highlight and focus what the authors focus in about in the text.

 

Conclusions

The tutorials that the authors portray using Photoshop Elements are well thought out. However the style of these texts still continues to confound me. This series of books uses too many “words” and reads more like a textbook then a guidebook. In many cases, I am looking for the ideas to stand out a little more. Not in these text books. You have to read through the paragraphs to pick out the really important points. Also the book says it covers the major new updates to Photoshop Elements, but there is no “one stop listing of these”. There should be instead of hiding them in the text. Also a book like this should be easy to find what is important. This series still continues to make it difficult to “thumb” through it. The Chapter titles are on the left side in the center and are not in bold. There are no section titles at all. The page titles are on the right hand page side but on the outside center too. For easy access, these should be on the top tabs like some other books.

 

I recognize the talents of these two authors but they make this book difficult for browsing and reading. Part of a book that instructs about workflow is making the workflow within the text more flexible and easier to read. There is good information within this book , but you have to find it by wading through many paragraphs. I won’t use this book as a tutorial, but might use it as a “spot reference book” to compare notes, information and more. Before you decide on a workflow or Photoshop Elements book, look elsewhere first before you choose this book. This one might be right for you. For me it is not.