Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers is the best instructive book I have ever read. I have numerous books on "How To" on Adobe Photoshop producrs.

For the newbie this books step by step procedures is easy to follow and extremely instructive.

I feel that when I have accomplished all the tasks in book I will be able to read and understand Adobe Photoshop procedures.

Best buy on the market.

MHF

This is great, consise guide to the photographer's photoshop needs. Doesn't include photoshop basics like layers, etc, but does show photos for each step making this great for all levels! And I don't know why people whine about Kelby's style, I'd rather have some humor in my technical guides than manual-speak with no personality.

I have never written a review of a book before and I am happy to now. Not just this book but all of Scott Kelby's books are awesome. Scott makes it easy to follow his directions no matter what your skill level is. It is like a friend just telling you straight without all the stuff you don't need. I would highly recommend this and all of Scott Kelby books!!

I really like this book. I am a newbie to Photoshop. I've only done the classroom in a book book. Although those were good for me to learn in general, I like this one because it offers specific solutions to common problems. I am taking a class right now involving photoshop and I just keep referring over and over to certain sections of this book. It is a nice quick way to find the solution without having to wade through a lot of extra info. The intro didn't thrill me though. Lots of extra info to wade through. I don't mind the little quips, but the long quips are too much to read through each time I want to find something. That is only the intro though. Otherwise the book was great!

I haven't had a chance to work through a lot of the projects, but the book is very easy to read/understand. The projects make good sense, and it will help to build skills and organize photo files. Glad I bought it.

Easy and pleasant reading, straigth forward explanations...suits the amateur very well while the pros can surely skip the first chapters and go directly to what interests them...

As I was flipping through this book at the bookstore, what originally caught my eye was the Retouching Portraits chapter. Removing love handles, reducing a double chin, doing lip enhancement, etc. Wow...I thought to myself. I could offer friends, family and clients all this with no plastic surgery involved! I had to read on.

Actually, I had never read any of Scott Kelby's previous books, and I was in for a nice surprise. Being a regular listener of the Photoshop User TV podcast and also having recently attended the 2008 Las Vegas Photoshop World conference, Scott Kelby is no stranger to me. As we all know, a good presenter must not only know the topic well, he must also know how to capture the audience's attention. And, Scott Kelby is a master presenter. While some people may not relate well to his style of humor, I appreciate it as it keeps me awake and engaged.

His book writing style is no different. Scott Kelby keeps his writing simple and fun. It starts with the book's introduction, or should I say, lack thereof. Instead of a typical introduction, he includes a humorous Q&A section which was definitely much more interesting - and I actually read it (well, not all of it, but some of it).

Scott Kelby provides a fine introduction for each chapter. He then breaks each chapter down into bite-size chunks of tasks. Each task has step-by-step, easy to read instructions, complete with a screen shot for each step. Yes, I said - each step has a screen shot. I wish all instructional books included screenshots for each step! He also includes Photoshop shortcut keys for the steps, as appropriate; I like this, since I only knew a handful of shortcuts previously. The steps to completion are anywhere from 2 steps to more complex tasks that take up to 16 steps. Throughout the book, he offers little asides and tips as an added bonus.

The book starts out with two chapters introducing Adobe Bridge, followed by a chapter discussing Camera Raw. To be honest, at first, I was surprised to see these chapters, as I assumed this was all about Photoshop CS3. Oh, I forgot who the intended target audience is - digital photographers! Ok, this makes sense. Having not used either tool more than twice, I found these chapters to be enlightening. For those unfamiliar with the tools, here is a very basic description: Bridge is a photo management tool (and more). Camera Raw is a tool available in Bridge and Photoshop CS3 to non-destructively modify photos. Point and shoot photographers should also take a peek at the Camera Raw chapter, since a limited set of Camera Raw features are available for use on not only RAW images, but also JPG and TIFF.

The book continues on with chapters describing common Photoshop CS3 challenges facing a digital photographer, such as Resizing and Cropping, Printing and Color Management, Color Correction, Black and White, Digital Image Problems, Retouching Portraits, Special Effects, and Sharpening. Scott Kelby's last two chapters offers readers insight as to how to show one's work as well as sharing his own step by step workflow.

Here are, but a few, examples of how I found the book beneficial for me.
* I really enjoyed chapter 9 of this book, that uncovers his beauty secrets, i.e., Scott's techniques for lip enhancement, skin softening, nose jobs, love handles removal etc.
* New to Camera Raw, I found his technique on fixing chromatic aberrations (colored fringe around objects in a photo) well described and very simple to follow.
* As an intermediate Photoshop user, I thought I knew quite a bit about resizing in Photoshop. But, when I turned to the chapter focusing on resizing and cropping, I learned a completely new technique to create poster prints, researched by Vincent Versace, an acclaimed photographer.
* I heard a little about the advanced LAB color correction and sharpening techniques during a Photoshop Conference, and I wanted to learn more. When I looked at the book's index, and reviewed the pages, I was pleased to see that this book provided at least some basic coverage of this more advanced technique.

As I mentioned earlier, the book is organized by tasks to get the job done. Other Photoshop books are organized by Photoshop functionality, covering Photoshop tools one at a time. I already have another beginning Photoshop book that details Photoshop tools which I rely on to detail the Photoshop tools for me. If you're like me, you never buy just one book on a large subject as Photoshop; you always buy multiple books to round out your knowledge and to get different perspectives. This is probably the fifth book I own on Photoshop, and the best one I've seen that is geared especially for digital photographers.

Summary:

This book is an excellent starter book for digital photographers just getting into Photoshop who want to jump into Photoshop quickly without learning all the details surrounding each and every Photoshop tool. It also appeals to new and intermediate Photoshop users as an secondary book, who want to learn more about digital photography and some fast Photoshop techniques to improve photos.

While it is not a comprehensive reference for all Photoshop CS3 functions, that is not the intention of the book (as noted in the Q&A section page xvi). The book does not profess to be "the be all, end all of Photoshop CS3 books" covering the hundreds (or is it thousands?) of functions of Photoshop. Instead, it provides an excellent reference for fast and reliable Photoshop CS3, Bridge, and Camera Raw techniques that digital photographers can appreciate. I definitely recommend this book to be in your arsenal of Photoshop books.

My Thoughts:

Ease of Use: Very easy and fun to read

Audience: Any level of digital photographer

Cost: Reasonable

This is a book that is readable for the learner! Its great! I'm new at this and can still follow and understand the instructions!

To me a review is most meaningful when you know a little something about the person writing the review. I have been an avid amateur photographer since the late 1970's and have been selling my work since 2004. Photography isn't my day job, but it does provide a welcome supplement. I shot with a Canon 1D Mark II Professional Digital SLR from 2003 until May of 2008. I recently switched to a Nikon D3 and while the files do have a different look directly out of the camera, in the end both systems provide wonderful images once they have been worked in post process. When I last wrote a review I was doing all most all of my post processing work in Photoshop, but my workflow has evolved significantly since the introduction of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

I am a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and make extensive use of the abundant educational materials available on the member website. I have read well over three-dozen Photoshop training guides with one overriding goal in mind; producing the best images possible.

The Photoshop CS3 book fore Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby is THE book I recommend to anyone that is new to Photoshop and feeling overwhelmed by the program. I have worked extensively in Photoshop since 2001, and I feel as though I have only scratched the surface of what the program is capable of offering. The learning curve with Photoshop is formidable. This book is the best guide I have found for getting you up and running quickly and effectively. Don't think that it is only for newbies however; there are many great tips for users of all experience levels throughout the entire book.

You won't find a great deal of Photoshop wizardry in this book, but that's not the point. This book is dedicated to explaining the basics, and helping you really master the underpinnings of Photoshop so that when you ready to take it to the next level you are doing so from a rock solid foundation. Having said that there is a tremendous amount of material covered in this book. You will learn how to handle numerous real world problems that every photographer faces at one time or another.

In a nutshell the books walks you through how to setup the program so that it works intuitively for you. Next you learn how to import and organize your images so you will be able to find them later. Once you are able to upload, store and retrieve your images then you start to learn how to correct the myriad of technical problems that are typical with digital photography. At the end there are several chapters dedicated to preparing your images for printing including numerous suggestions for ways to present your work like a pro.

There are 457 pages, most of which are written in classic Scott Kelby form. If you have never read one of Scott's books you are either in for a treat or will find yourself groaning... a lot. I happen to really enjoy his writing style, which is good because he is a prolific writer and consummate educator. If you have a thirst for Photoshop knowledge you will come across his work again and again.

I copied the next few lines directly from my review of Layers by Matt Kloskowski, because it sums up this book just as accurately. Like everything the Kelby team does, the layout appeals to the visual senses immediately. The images and examples throughout the book are well done and demonstrate real world examples of how to correct or enhance your images in Photoshop.

I'll repeat myself to make certain you come away with a clear understanding of how strongly I recommend this book. Scott Kelby far and away writes the best guides to Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom that I have ever come across. His are the first books to buy when faced with learning either program.

A great book. Well documented "How to's" and a very good index which makes it easy to find a proceedure.

Read J Boones description for an accurate take on Scotts book.
BUT the only thing I disagree with is I like the humour aspect.
I love Scotts books.
The way he writes.
I find it easy to follow.
I found I was talking aloud as I read this book.
I would say "Huh?!" and in the very next sentence Scott would write, "I bet you are saying HUH? right now"
Then he would go and clearly explain to me what it was I was having a hard time grasping.
Scott writes in a a way a teacher does who knows the thoughts of his students.
I highly recommend this as a fanastic book to all us beginners and intermediate level photographers.
I am constatnly using it for reference.

This is a great book. I have improved my photoshop skills enormously and will be purchasing more books from this author.

Everyone needs a little help with Adobe PhotoShop CS3. This book touches on many different areas. Another helpful book is Adobe PhotoShop CS Down and Dirty Tricks. Both work very well together.

This book is an essential guide for getting the most out of Photoshop CS3. Scott Kelby is well know as one of the best teachers in the digital imaging field, and this book is to his best high standard.
There are additional downloadable examples for this book, just read the quirky but fun introduction for more information.

Very easy to use as a teaching guide or just a reference for specific techniques. The book was highly recommended on the www.ausphotography.net.au forum.

This book contains a great deal of useful information. It is most helpful if you already have some familiarity with CS3. For your first book I would recommend one with a more organized, feature-by-feature approach.

Scott Kelby, in addition to being really knowledgeable about Photoshop, is just plain fun, whether it's on the page, on his blog, or on his podcast: Photoshop User TV.
I had the CS2 version of this book and got the CS3 version firstly because my cat had eaten the white balance card provided. True story. But I also wanted had heard there was a lot more in it. I haven't read it cover to cover like the CS3 one because I haven't had time, but whenever I glance at a section, I learn something new.
So if you like taking pictures and want to take them to the next level in Photoshop, get this book.

GREAT BOOK, IT HAS HELPED ME CREATE AND EDIT PHOTOS IN A WAY THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITHOUT THIS GREAT BOOK. SIMPLE AND TO THE POINT. IT'S A THUMBS UP PURCHASE.....
DEBRA

this book is everything i hoped for and then some....it is well written, humorous in spots to make it even more of a fun read and covers a wide variety of topics that i was interested in.....you'll learn some new tips, learn some better ways to accomplish tasks you thought you already knew how to handle and you'll wish the book was even longer after pouring over it.....a most excellent purchase that will be used for years.....

Scott covers an incredibly wide range of topics in The Adobe Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers. From importing and organizing images in Bridge, to removing sensor dust from hundreds of photos at once, to subtly smoothing skin, this book is full of useful tips for digital photographers. Every section has detailed instructions that let you see exactly what's going on and, even better, make it easy to make changes along the way to discover what each tool does.

The book doesn't really teach you concepts of photography or give you an idea of what your final product should be; that's left as an exercise for the reader. What it does give you is exactly what it promises: relevant methods for improving your photos.

Scott Kelby's books have done more to teach me concepts of digital photograpy than any other source I have tried. His style puts the reader at ease as he authoritatively disects the complex world of digital photography.

If you have CS3 and don't have this book, its like having a Twinkie w/o the cream in the middle, or like Fred w/o Wilma! An absolute MUST HAVE. I've worked with plenty of photoshop editions now and still learned a lot from this book. Thanks Scott:)

Book is fine; the same one used in a college course by my son. Pictures are very clear. Humor is heavy handed and juvenile, but the information makes the book worthwhile.

I really like this textbook. It gives exact directions on how to do stuff with your pics on photoshop. Many other texts are pretty vague, but this one is great for anyone unfamiliar or unsure.. step-by-step help.

This book (and pretty-much anything Scott Kelby writes) is amazing! I read it straight through the first day I got it, and now I use it as a reference. If you're new or sortof new to Photoshop, this is the book for you. Easy, step-by-step instructions with good pictures. I highly recommend this book as your first Photoshop book.

Also, Kelby's "The Digital Photography Book" and "The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 2" are must-haves.

I was little hesitant about buying this book given its cookbook step-by-step style but I was surprised how useful it is. The book covers most of the practically important functions and if you ignore or skip the "funny" parts, you will find yourself with one of the most useful books on CS3.

My main complaint is that the book puts too much attention on the Camera Raw. My second issue is the question of color space. The book essentially tells the reader to use Adobe RGB without much discussion of pros and cons. To make it even more clear where the author stands, he points out that the pros refer to sRGB as the "stupid RGB". Now, who would want to use something stupid, right? Since this book is clearly not aimed at pros but rather at casual photographers, it should provide a more balanced view of the color space issue. Most people will view their pictures on computer monitor, post them online, and print them at regular photoprinting services like Kodakgallery, Shutterly, Snapfish and such (their printers all assume that your picture is in sRGB). For all these applications, sRGB is a better choice than aRGB and readers will be disappointed with picture quality if they follow the author's advice.

Scott Kelby never ceases to amaze me with his ability to explain all the lessons in such a way that even the ordinary person with very little computer knowledge can understand and apply. This book has helped me to take my good photo's and really make them great. The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)

A quick and handy reference book for photoshop users. You want to do something: just look it up and there on only one or two pages is the answer. No trolling through pages of dense text . Scott Kelby condenses the theory into a practical explanation which can immediately be applied. It looks at photoshop as a photographers tool and not a graphics designer. It is not a bible containing everything and some techniques are not covered but for every day work it is all there. I would not be without it.

I loved this book. It left me sad that it was publically available as the instructions in this book are accessible for anyone to use, and basically everyone can have their pictures look professional, a threatening proposition for a professional.

I've wasted hundreds of dollars on reference guides to help me learn CS3, and Photography in general. Scott's book is by far the best I have come across. Not a page is wasted in this outstanding compilation of how-to steps for numerous CS3 activities that every photographer needs to know.

I rarely write reviews, but am happy to sound in here!

You pick the parts you need and ignore the parts you don't. This book doesn't build on the knowledge chapter by chapter, which is great for a person who hops around a book looking for the bits that interest them. Love the way Scott Kelby writes - he had me laughing out loud several times. And so happy to find out that I'm not the only one who is a lazy photographer at times (if I can get the shot out of a car window, by golly, I will).

This book has re-inspired me as a photographer. I have been a semi-pro photographer for about 10 years now. I dodged the digital revolution for more years than I should have. I only got into it in 2005. Before that I wouldn't even look at going digital. Until now I only used Photoshop for basic photo editing because other books I had bought just made the subject complicated. This book changed all of that. Those "complicated" techniques are illustrated beautifully in this book and the author makes it easy to duplicate the techniques outlined in the book. His approach is fantastic. He takes a photo, decides what is wrong, or right with it, and takes the reader through ALL of the steps needed to correct the photo. Then he shows you what the final product should look like.

I use this book nearly every day as a reference. If I have a photo that is underexposed, I simply turn to the section on exposure, follow the steps and I always come out with a better photo. Because of this book I am now going through all of my old photos and seeing what I can do to them to make them POP a little more and I can tell you that this book has saved some photos I thought were horrible, losses.

Get it!

This is a very interesting and useful book. Good value as there are so many easy tips that are shown with easy to follow descriptions. I'd recomend this book to anyone who uses digital photography. Actually I have recomended this book to others, just as Matt did to me. Thanks mate, and thank you Scott Kelby (author) and Amazon. Oh, and delivery was a fortnight earlier than promised too!

I am a fan of Scott Kelby's work, and this text is very useful to those who want to "hit the ground running" with PS CS3. The layout of the book itself could use some tweaking (there's no step 1... step 2... step 3..., just conversational dialogue and pictures), and Scott's priorities may not be yours, so break free from the need to go "front to back" and just skip to the sections you need, especially if you're already familiar with Photoshop. He does provide some useful tricks and tips and his sense of humor is, as ever, firmly intact. It's a little jarring at first when you're expecting your standard dry textbook, but once you get used to it, Scott's humor helps you actually remember what he's teaching you.

Kelby is the best. If you want all the mind-numbing explanation of what makes something work in PS, go elsewhere. But if you just want a guy to walk you step by step through how to get results fast without a lot of hassle, buy everything you can by Kelby.

Thanks, Scott, for a fun book that takes all the technical outta manuals! Your quick-wit draws attention and I often found myself answering the questions you were posing to yourself! Some of my favorite techniques you teach in this book are about the high-contrast b/w editing and the color with b/w. My brides are happy, their mothers are happy and that means my pets can eat for another week! Now, if you can only teach me how to dance to "Soulja Boy" for all these receptions as easily I'll buy ya a cocktail!:-)

I'm enjoying this book very much. The steps are laid out in a way that is easy to follow and understand. Still learning and working with this.

This is a MUST-BUY book for annyone who has upgraded to Adobe CS3. Scott Kelby, the author, is THE #1 expert when it comes to Photoshop and digital photography. I swear buy his books... get them all!

Although Scott Kelby teaches a few cool things in this book, there is nothing out of this world about it, the reviews are *way* overrated here.

My biggest complain is about his cheesy, dumb humor. It really gets in the way. I think 1/3 of this book pages are dedicated to his silly jokes and remarks. I mean, poor guy, he seems to be a nice person, but give me a break. I had paid for this book to learn about PHOTOSHOP! I have nothing against a few *good* jokes to lighten things up, but here they get really distracting, and I actually don't feel like reaching for this book anymore.

Another reviewer wrote: "This book reminds me of the old proverb, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' This book just throws some fish at you." In my honest opinion, he had hit the nail on the head. You learn a few tricks in here, and that`s about it. No explanation about what lies beyond. You get a "recipe" to do something, but you don't learn the basics of how to make your own recipes.

But if you want a book to learn some tricks to apply to your personal candids, then I think this book is acceptable.

I did my homework and now I have just purchased Real World Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Real World) and Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Real World) The first one is supposed to be THE photoshop source. I heard about this author when I saw some videos about adobe camera RAW by Michael Reichmann and Jeff Schewe at the Luminous Landscape site. Jeff Schewe is the co-author of Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Real World). I'm enjoying his videos so much that I decided to buy his book. Really in-depth valuable information, plus he is one of the guys who actually helped to design the adobe camera raw software, and a stellar photographer. So do yourself a favor and go straight to the good stuff!

Although Scott Kelby does teach a few cool things with this book, there is nothing out of this world about it. But my biggest complain is about his cheesy, dumb humor. It really gets in the way here. I think 1/3 of this book pages are dedicated to his silly jokes and remarks. I mean, poor guy, he seems to be a nice person, but give me a break. I got this book to learn about PHOTOSHOP! I have nothing against a few *good* jokes to lighten things up, but here they get really distracting, and I actually don't feel like reaching for this book anymore. I did my homework and now I have just purchased Real World Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Real World) and Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Real World) The first one is supposed to be THE photoshop bible. I heard about this author when I saw some videos about adobe camera RAW by Michael Reichmann and Jeff Schewe at the Luminous Landscape site. The later is the co-author of Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Real World). I'm enjoying his videos so much that I decided to buy his book. Really in-depth valuable information, plus he is one of the guys who actually helped to design the adobe camera raw software, and a stellar photographer. So do yourself a favor and go straight to the good stuff!

well written but sometimes it fails to include basics like using the patch tool to remove objects.

I am an advanced hobbyist with a background in 35mm shooting and B&W printing. I was waiting for a reasnoably priced DSLR to come out that could make a sharp poster sized print. I just took the plunge. I had minimal experience in photoshop. I could crop, remove a blemish, etc. This book was the perfect tool for someone of my level. Even if you don't know about white balance, chromatic aberrations, geometric distortion, etc., the author introduces you to these problems in an easy to read manner.
This book took is great as it is broken down into easy to find chapters on particular subject matters. It acts as a quick reference and an education. It talks you through a good workflow and gives you a great set of quick and easy ways to fix common problems.
Now I can at least sound like I know what I'm talking about when I am hanging out with my pro-photographer friends!

It is hard enough to sort through the instructions as they are obviously written for Mac users, but you to have to deal with the grammerical errors such as: "Under Edit, click Save As". When using the index, subject matter points to pages that contain absolutely none of the relevant information. I do believe you could learn on your own faster rather than trying to locate the information you need in this book.

For me as a new user of photoshop this book gives an excellent outline of what really matters for post processing. Especially in combination with Lightroom.

I learned a lot stuff from the book. The book is to people who work with the Photoshop already. You have to know about tools, options you have available in the toolbar. The best part for me is the 'retouching charter'.
Very nice an powerful book high recommended.

Well, I am an expert. On Photoshop. I know it since it exists. I teach a non-destructive work approach. I use layers all the time. I know about channels. I preach adjustment layers and layer masks. But this guy made me faint more than once. This trick on page 223 -finding the neutrals in photos that don't really have them - no,no,no,NO ! It can't be that easy ! Scott, one more of these, and I'm gonna marry you ! (Oops, er...) I really love all those black&white techniques (ok, I knew most of them); they are explained very well just like everything else in the book, and b&w is my first love in photography and ever will be. A great book for, well, maybe not complete beginners, and people like me. Yes, I learned some new stuff. And, in some cases, a different approach, and that's great ! Everything in this book WORKS, and the results are great. There's only one thing (sorry, Scott), in my workshops there's alway an imaginary poster on the wall saying "NEVER touch your background layer". But that's just me.
Great work !
Karsten Franke, Hamburg, Germany

I wanted a Photoshop CS3 book that would give me the steps to remove blemishes from faces in photographs. This book gives you that and much more. For example, it includes the steps to get rid of a double-chin and many other facial problems in digital photos. Also the book uses large color photos to show the before and after effects of the changes you make so you can clearly see what the photos are supposed to look like after you go through the steps. I recommend it.

Some useful information, but a bit fluffy and repetitious. As many others have noted, the attempt at humor is off-putting. Also, you have to get past the vomit-making section on page v of the Acknowledgments where Kelby thanks Jesus for personally introducing him to his beautiful wife. Seriously.

I upgraded to CS3 and bought this book, having had the CS2 version of this same book. Both are very much worth it. I'm finding that some of it is new, and some of it the same - only how to do it in CS3.

I wish I had kept the CS2 version of this same book, however. There were some techniques that were there that are not in the new one, and now I can't reference them.

If you get CS3, you definitely want this book. Just hold on to the CS2 book version in case you need to get back to it.

This is the best book of its kind that I've seen. Kelby's writing style adds interest to the content, and the content is concise, organized, clear, to the point, and well illustrated. It would help if you already knew a little about Photoshop, since this books admittedly does not spend time on the basics. I've learned many new things that have helped me liven up my digital pics, including some good touch-up, color correction, and black-and-white conversion techniques. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a digital camera. Just get this book.

I have several books written by Scott Kelby on my bookshelf. I like his writing style, and enjoy his humor. Most important is the way he approaches the subject of CS3. We all know there's a learning curve with a new version of software. Scott has assembled a book that helps ease the frustration, and allows you to gain understandingThe Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) and get up to speed quickly.