Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual

by Barbara Brundage

The popularity of digital cameras continues to grow exponentially. They are now more powerful, feature rich, and affordable--turning digital photography into a mainstream interest. And with Photoshop Elements, Adobe has created the most popular photo-editing program on the planet. Learning how to work Photoshop Elements and manage digital photos can be a challenge for anyone just getting started--from the hobbyist to the pro photographer. With the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596101589
• ISBN13: 9780596101589
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 510 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Do you need to edit and organize your photos? If you do, then this book is for you. Author Barbara Brundage, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that is intended to make learning Elements easier by avoiding technical jargon as much as possible, and explaining why and when you'll want to use certain features in the program. Brundage, begins by showing you how to navigate Elements' slightly confusing layout and mishmash of programs within programs. Then, the author covers how to get photos into Elements, the basics of organizing them, and how to open files and create new images from scratch; as well as, how to save and back up your images. Next, She explains how to rotate and crop your photos, and includes a primer on that most important digital imaging concept--resolution. The author then shows you how to use the Quick Fix window to dramatically improve your photos. She continues by covering two key concepts that you'll use throughout the book. Then, the author shows you how to make basic corrections, such as exposure, color adjustments, sharpening , and removing dust and scratches. Next, she covers topics unique to people who use digital cameras, like RAW conversion and batch processing your photos. The author then moves on to some more sophisticated fixes, like changing the light, using the clone stamp to make repairs, making your photos more lively with hue/saturation and changing the colors in an image. She continues by covering how to convert your photos to black and white, and tinting and recoloring black and white photos. Then, she shows you how to use the Elements' Photomerge feature to create multiphoto panoramas and to make perspective corrections to your images. Next, the author covers how to paint your photos and draw shapes, use filters and effects to create a more artistic look and add type to your images. Then she shows you how to get the most out of your printer, how to create images for the Web and email, how to make slideshows and Web Galleries with your photos, and all the fun projects you can create with Elements 5. Finally, she looks at information about using a .graphics tablet in Elements and some resources for after you've finished this book. You'll also find tutorials throughout this most excellent book that refer to files you can download from the missing manual web site, so you can practice the techniques you're reading about. More importantly, this book assumes you know how to perform basic activities on your computer, like clicking and double-clicking your mouse and dragging objects onscreen.

"A PHOTOGRAPH IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS!!"

Do you want to improve your photos, keep them organized, and make top-notch prints and truly nifty creative projects? Well, you're in luck! Author Barbara Brundage, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that will help you (no matter whether you are a professional or amateur photographer) rejuvenate old prints, slides and even digital photos, to eliminate the wear and tear of all of those years. Brundage, begins by showing you how to navigate Elements' slightly confusing layout and mishmash of programs within programs. Then, she covers how to get photos into Elements, the basics of organizing them, and how to open files and create new images from scratch. The author continues by looking at how to save and back up your images, and explains the concept of resolution. She also shows you how to use the Quick Fix window to dramatically improve your photos. She continues by covering two key concepts (making selections and layers) that you'll use throughout the book. In addition, the author next shows you how to make basic corrections, such as exposure, color adjustments, sharpening, and removing dust and scratches. Then, she'll show you how to make some more sophisticated fixes, like changing the light, using the clone stamp to make repairs, making your photos more lively with hue/saturation, and changing the colors in an image. The author continues by covering topics unique for people who use digital cameras, like RAW conversion and batch processing your photos. She also shows you how to use the Elements' Photomerge feature to create multi-photo panoramas, and to make perspective corrections to your images. The author also covers painting on your photos and drawing shapes; using filters and effects to create a more artistic look; an, adding type to your images. She continues by showing you how to get the most out of your printer, how to create images for the Web and email; how to make slide shows and Web Galleries with your photos; and, all the fun projects in the Create section of the program. Finally, she looks at how to use a graphics tablet in Elements and some resources for after you've finished this book. This excellent book is intended by the author to make learning Elements easier by avoiding technical jargon as much as possible, and explaining why and when you'll want to use certain features in the program. Thus, in keeping the preceding in mind, this book is useful to people who are advanced photographers, as it is to those who are just getting started with their first digital camera.

Exceptional Photoshop Elements 4 Guide

Another outstanding book in the "Missing Manual" line. Barbara Brundage makes Photoshop Elements 4 not only easy to use, but also a whole lot of fun!! Adobe has many applications that are downright intimidating to many users out there, and it's very refreshing that "Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual" was created. From covering the basics of how to get around the Elements application, the author starts of with the basics of getting your images onto your computer, and the most simple of effects like rotation and cropping. From there, she discusses the all-important topic of layers and basic image retouching so you can take your digital images and make them go from good to GREAT!!! Continuing on with a look at filters and how to get your images printed so they look beautiful and/or posting them to the web or emailing them, this guide is perfect for all new Photoshop Elements users who want to get their feet web on the way to becoming an Elements super user. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. While it's a little bit more expensive than other books in the "Missing Manual" line, the price should NOT be a factor in your decision making. If you are looking for a book that will assist in your knowledge of learning how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 you have come to the right place. If you want to learn more about what is included in the newest release of this outstanding application, look no further. If just want to read an entertaining book and expand your knowledge of how to work with digital imagery so you can make your images look better than ever, again you will NOT be disappointed. This is the way all books should be written: clearly, simply, and enjoyable. ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

One of the best Elements feature walkthroughs

There are two things you want in a Photoshop book, a walkthrough of the features, and insight into how to use those features to solve real photo problems. This book does a great job covering the features of the product. The explanations of often difficult Photoshop topics are easy to follow. And the example images are great. The practical advice is good, but it's not the primary focus of the book. I certainly appreciate the brevity of the book. And I really like the full color and the production value. Definitely worth the money.