I wanted to let the potential buyer know that this text is very comprehensive and detailed, but I found myself unable to read much of the text with the figures due to small size. The material is extremely detailed and probably better aimed at folks who are experienced and young (with really good vision, as I could not read with progressive or bifocal lens!). I returned my copy and will try a different text. I am 20/20 with my glasses and have never had this problem with any other book, ever.

Overall this is a large book which it needs to be to cover photoshop, the presentation is nice and the photos are interesting. The problem for me as a photographer and photoshop teacher is that there isn't much new in this book. It's the same old thing an enhanced photoshop manual. I have over 40 books on photoshop and like another reveiwer I found the RealWorld series of photoshop books by Bruce Fraser and David Blattner to be the most comprhensive texts on photoshop available. However, I don't think we need another enhanced manual - I would like to see some tutorials showing some really creative techniques - not another book on how to push the buttons and drag the sliders thank you. Take for example the video series "Photoshop Top Secret" - I would love to see that as a book! If you don't own any books on photoshop and you are commercial photographer then its worth buying. I also bought Martin's book on Lightroom and after spending several days with the software came to the conclusion that for anyone that uses photoshop - lightroom just isn't worth the money - put your money towards taking a photoshop class or workshop instead. Or if you don't have money - download GIMP and Picasa for free.

Bottom line if I would have been able to see this book in a store before purchasing - I wouldn't have bought it- if you are photographer and don't own any books on photoshop then I it's worth having on your shelf. To his Credit the included DVD contains some images to play with.

As someone who's been using Photoshop for over ten years, I wasn't really sure whether getting a book would really provide all that much use, but after having Evening's guide on my desk for the last six months, I don't know what I would do without it.

While not necessarily inaccessible to the novice, this book is definitely directed towards those who know their way around Photoshop and want to learn to improve their skills and harness the full power of the software. It covers every feature and function; through detailed descriptions, high-quality before/after photos, and reference notes. This isn't a tutorial book or an instruction guide, so you don't have to be sitting in front of your computer to benefit from it. It's a detailed reference for the Photoshop software, which can be read and understood on its own and then applied (and referred back to) during use.

My favorite part about Evening's writing is the no-nonsense approach he takes to explaining the complex entity that is CS4. The pages are not padded with anecdotes and attempted humor, nor is he self-referential or "clever" with his words. The writing is crisp, straightforward, and to the point. Which isn't to say that it's a dry or pedantic, quite the opposite, but if you're looking for a humorous chit-chat full of stories and parenthetical jokes, this isn't the book for you.

I've read through this book multiple times, and always keep it on my computer desk when I'm working. It's the best thing that's happened to Photoshop since smart objects, and I strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest in using CS4.

I bought this as a general reference book for cs4 and another book just for training. While doing the tutorials in the Classroom book I would get stuck on a procedure which was not well explained and I would open this book and get a better explanation and be back up to speed. Not a book you'll want to read cover-to-cover but a very handy reference to have on hand.

This is truly the most amazing book on PS CS4. I thoroughly enjoyed the first chapters on Adobe Camera Raw - ACR is brushed off by many authors as merely a tool to convert RAW images to JPG after performing very limited basic adjustments. Well, Evening showed me there is much more to it than that.

This book is a comprehensive reference as well as instructional guide lined with many clear concise examples.

Boring? No, definitely not! For MAC users only? No, not the copy I received from Amazon.

This is my first book by this author, it won't be the last - excellent!

That's it. By far the most informative, best written how-to book I've read. In depth, easy to follow, great step-by-step illustrations, clear presentation of the concepts... in a class by itself...

I have seen many books which give instruction about specific Photoshop (PS) techniques but without providing a solid foundation about the structure and components of PS. Those books leave one feeling he is in a giant maze and give no clue about where the exit is.

Martin Evening's book about CS4 has been carefully thought out from the perspective of someone who is new to PS and does give a broad enough introduction to the structure of PS and related applications which one would likely use, like Bridge, Camera Raw, Lightroom. For example, he even takes the time to identify the rationale behind specific recommended settings in PS preferences. He provides basic details about what someone needs to know if she or he is new to PS. I found useful tips on most every page! I am confident that if a serious student reads with full attention to what Martin covers in each of the almost 700 pages of this book he or she will end this study with a solid working understanding of the essentials of PS and ready for study of advanced topics. He then can move to other books which have what I call "circus tricks" as they do ilustrate some neat techniques but require a solid foundation first. Martin's book will give that foundation.

Additionally, Martin writes from the perspective a working photographer who obviously uses PS, LR, and other products every day in his commercial work. This perspective provides a valuable extra edge to the book.

This book is a major contribution to the field of PS education.

It is a great book for photographers that are looking to enhance their photoshop skills

This book is simply very cool. From the foundation to being an expert, this books explains in a very thorough way. Highly recommendable.

Martin Evening will not disappoint you if you decide to purchase this book. It has excellent photos and specific step-by-step instructions on using the tool and much more. I refer this to book every day. I highly recommend it.

10 years ago I always bought several "bibles" about each major software product I used. Now I usually buy 0 or perhaps 1. The web (via Google and other search engines) has made owning a large library unnecessary: the answer I need is almost always just a search away. However, every question I looked up about Photoshop came first to this book on Google books. And the answers given were always clear, concise, helpful and correct.

I bought Martin Evening's book both to reward the author for maing it available for searching, and to learn more. I wanted to learn about what I hadn't even thought of about photoshop. I have been greatly rewarded. There are 650+ pages of well-written and well-illustrated detailed information. The images he uses are "real world" and extremely professional. The text is well-written, tight, and just "human" enough to be fun to read - no sophomoric jokes, but not dry as dust either.

When the index in this book fails, I still use Google to find answers. But now I generally flip to the book page and easily (and guilt-free) read related pages as well. In the evening, I'll take Mr. Evening to the sofa and skim a whole chapter. The next day I've got a fist-full of new solutions ready to go.

If you are interested in really learning to use Photoshop CS4, and you are serious about using its features, I recommend that you GET THIS BOOK. You'll know more about everything Photoshop - from Camera Raw to HDR to Layer Blending to ... well, you get the picture.

This book definitely tells all about CS4 and it doesn't leave anything out. The 650 plus pages take you through the setups and the how tos of Photoshop. There are other books out there that are shorter and just show the "good" stuff but this one will take you where ever you want to go.

Thanks for getting the book to me in a timely manner. It has been very beneficial to my learning process of CS4 Photoshop. I plan to use the book more and more as the need arises.

The book is excellent (along with Ben Wilmmores's, which this book complements very well).

Martin Evening was one of the first to explain Photoshop from the photographer's viewpoint. Too many other books are written by graphic artists and others who understand design, retouching, etc., but really don't understand photography. Evening does. This latest update is a worthy addition that anyone who is serious about photography will appreciate. It speaks our language in detailing exactly how to use each Photoshop feature to improve our images. I recommend this book.

Martin Evening's " Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers" is great! It's very comprehensive, and clear. It's beautifully illustrated with many examples of how images are effected by the various tools and procedures. Martin Evening is a working photographer, Photoshop master, and very good teacher.

this is a must have book for professional photographers and graphics design artist. this is the number one book to buy to guide you through the photoshop cs4 program.

This is a fantastic book full of really useful information for anyone wanting to expand their skills and knowledge of photoshop, specifically for photographers. Easy to read and use, highly detailed and comprehensive. I got this product at a great price also. Highly recommended!

Photoshop CS4 for Photographers is an absolutely essential guide for the photographer using the increasingly powerful new versions of Photoshop.
The books title gives some indication of the target audience: A professional image editors guide indeed, any long time photoshop users would be well served picking up a copy of this book, and although not a guide for a complete novice, any level of photoshop user would benefit from using this as a comprehensive reference guide.
Not only are the new features practically explained, but more importantly the author gives best practice advice throughout, his recommended workflow for sharpening for example has changed even from Cs3.
All the bases are covered here, the interface and features tour is enough to cover the new features and fundamentals, which brings the reader quickly up to speed with the CS4 mindset. Adjustment Layers are dealt with particularly well, and the image adjustment techniques and explanations built very well on top of this new feature, and explained in depth with plenty of examples.
The book although huge is well laid out and absolutely packed with information, the author gets his point across succinctly and yet always takes time to explain the reasoning behind the various techniques.
There is very comprehensive coverage of file formats, especially the coverage of RAW and DNG. Comprehensive information on color profiling, and printing and other forms of output.
Camera Raw and Bridge are covered in depth, and where there is overlap between Raw, Photoshop or Lightroom, the various techniques are compared allowing the digital photographer to make well informed decisions on how to proceed confidently. Lightroom is mentioned here only in passing but 95% of the material on Camera Raw is easily adapted.
A competent Photoshop user can be confident of getting the best results, the most effective workflow, and a supremely useful reference book.
Very highly recommended for anyone wanting to master Photoshop CS4.

A very extensive intro and review into the workings of Photoshop CS4. If you are an absolute beginner in this program may I also suggest the many tutorial videos offered on the web, the reviews on other Photoshop CS4 books on Amazon.com's web site and lastly an on hands thumb through of CS4 books in the stores and your local library.

The program "Adobe Photoshop CS4" is massive, detailed, and a monster to learn. And at over 650 pages, Martin Evening's "Adobe Photoshop for Photographers" covers a lot of this ground.
I highly recommend this book-but not as your sole source of information.

My photography instructor recommended I get this book for class...Excellent resource! Easy to read, different color sections for different subjects. Answers every question I have had so far. I have taken almost 160 hours on Photoshop and there is still so much to learn. This book will get me through the things I happen to miss. Great value on Amazon, as well. Don't hesitate to make this your only instruction manual on Photoshop CS4!

Maybe i'm just reading this book wrong, but it is the most dry, boring, snooze fest I have ever read on CS4!

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers

Let me preface this review; I'm a devotee of Bruce Fraser. I've read his Real World series on Adobe Camera Raw on CS2 and CS3. I've also read both his Photoshop books for CS2 and CS3. I recently began Lightroom 2 - to accompany LR2, I purchased Scott Kelby's Lightroom 2 book for digital photographers.
Between the Develop module of Lightroom 2 and a description of some of the localized adjustment brushes (adjustment brush, graduated filter, and targeted adjustment tool), I was fascinated for the accuracy, utility, and workflow speed these CS4 brushes could add to my workflow. So, I cast about for some CS4 books as extensions of Fraser which could to inform me on a high plane. In other words, I simply wanted to quickly extend my workflow patterns by adding CS4 to the repertoire.

Martin Evening's book arrived last Thursday afternoon. I quickly went to the Table of Contents, searching for enhancements for my workflow and clear depictions of how CS4 treats these tools. As I have a problem which needs some Targeted Adjustment Tool application, that's where I began. Fairly quickly, it became apparent - though I could struggle through the ToC, I could not easily find a description of how the TAT tool works. Bummer...
By Sunday afternoon I was burned out; yes, I had carefully evaluated Chapter 5 - Image Editing Essentials. There were a number of tricks I've found helpful. I also investigated the new Adjustments and Masks panels. Naturally, this is the section where considerable power and workflow speed lies.
Unfortunately, rather than being led through the ToC to these important aspects, I found myself forced to read lengthy chapters to get the concepts in mind. Again, Bummer...

In anticipation of the Schewe - Evening Ultimate Workshop, which came out about two weeks ago, I had been thinking of it as a natural extension to enhance my workflow. Then, I read its early reviews. In essence, one reviewer said, "What I expected was a book for professionals that was truly inspired by combining Photoshop techniques with photographic vision and walk-throughs that show how to take mundane shots and craft something extraordinary. That's not what you get with Ultimate Workshop."
I guess I come away from Evenings book in agreement with this sentiment. At this point, if I can't see a copy of Ultimate Workshop before purchase, I'll probably be a bit more hesitant about its applicability.

This the 1st book by the author I have bought. It will not be the last.
The book was clear, concise and well constructed. It flowed with clarity through the sections. I am the better for it. Thank you Martin.

This is a very complete and thorough text on PS CS4. In fact it is too complete and too ponderous for me. I tried to go through the entire book and found myself feeling overwhelmed. I gave up about half way through. Perhaps it should be used as a reference text for PS CS4? Or perhaps I am just not capable of understanding all of it. Yes, it could be my problem. Maybe my grade should be 5 stars for completeness and 2 stars for being user friendly.

I purchased this book and then found that it was written for Macintosh users with PC users being a second thought. If you are new to Photoshop I highly reccomend Adobe's "Classroom in a Book or Scott Kelby's "The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers". This book should have been titled "Adobe Photoshop CS4 for EXPERIENCED Photoshop Users".

I've used the Adobe books over the years, taken Adobe-certified instruction and have read the Kelby books. None of those sources are on the same level as this book by Martin Evening. This is a big book and it's not casual reading but if you want to learn what's new in CS4 and you also want to learn to do some of the older version tricks you might have missed, this is the item for you. Evening's writing style is straightforward but is detailed when the material merits it and brief when that's all that's needed. I've used Photoshop professionally since the beginning and this is the best how-to I've ever read.

This is superb, detailed book on Photoshop CS4. This book has changed my work flow philosophy for color editing. I have used Photoshop for 15 years. Prior to reading the book I had bias to do all color editing in Photoshop largely with levels, curves and vibrancy adjustment layers. Martin makes a convincing case that a Lightroom (Camera Raw) > Photoshop > Lightroom (Camera Raw)color editing work flow is better. Chapter 3 Camera Raw image processing, alone, is worth the price of the book

The book is comprehensive and is rich in new in sites that will benefit the intermediate or advanced Photoshop users. The chapters on extending dynamic range, sharpening and noise reduction and layers, selections and masking are prime examples.

I also strongly recommend Martin Evenin's book on Lightroom 2. The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers .

Martin Evening is not only a well known and successful photographer, he has a gift in his ability to write a concise, logical, and deeply thorough presentation. CS4 is a remarkably deep and complex software program and I am a complete novice to this amazing application. Having read Deke McClelland's book on the subject had me wondering if I would ever come to master Adobe CS4. My second book on CS4, Classroom in a Book, did little more to instill confidence in my struggle to obtain a basic understanding of selections, masking, pixel masks, vector masks, alpha channels, paths, layers, adjustment layers and all of the other the tools and panels one has at his disposal within photoshop. After having read these first two books on the subject of CS4, I was feeling like a sailor hopelessly lost at sea. Alas, I spotted an island , and this island is Martin Evening's book, Adobe PHotoshop CS4 for Photographers! Finally, some firm footing under my sea-weary legs from which I began to grasp what CS4 is all about thanks to the author's innate ability to provide comprehensive instruction in a straight forward manner.

Martin Evening starts out with Photoshop fundamentals in chapter one and right away I am able to appreciate not only is the author a master Photoshop user, he is indeed a photographer! After configuring Photoshop in chapter 2, I was off to a great start with Camera Raw image processing in Chapter 3. A wonderful bonus in Chapter 3 is the straight forward explanation how one can go about customizing the Camera Raw output to produce a custom calibration of each individual camera! In other books I have read on the subject of color calibrating one's camera, the authors wrote off such a task as "beyond the scope of this book". Yet Martin Evening had my camera profiled within a mere four pages within his book of over 650!

You heard me correctly, this book has over 650 pages of logical, color-coded chapters taking on the task of explaining to the likes of a beginner like myself sharpening and noise reduction, image editing essentials, black and white, extending dynamic range, image retouching, and then onto what makes photoshop the leader of the pack... layers, selections, and masking. I have just finished Chapter 10 on essential filters in photo editing and I could not wait any longer to write this review.

I should add, in my conclusion to this review, if one is a beginner, this is the book to read if one is serious about learning what photoshop has to offer to a photographer. However, I am confident that for those who already have a basic understanding of Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers will improve one's basic understanding immensely. Martin Evening hit a home run.

I found this book to be a very thorough, well written, learning tool for learning Adobe Photoshop CS4. The author's explanations go way beyond the "traditional" and provide the reader with a much better understanding of the topic. He even provides an id-depth comparison of the functions of Photoshop/Bridge and Lightroom. The book was well worth the price.

I love Scott Kelby's instructional texts. He is funny and brilliant. I have learned so much from his books. He keeps his readers informed with new techniques - illustrations are wonderful and easy to understand. I highly recommend this text book for greater understanding of Photoshop CS4.

very detailed, it covers entry evel as well as intermediate and expert levels. good advises all through the book. it covers in detail RAW file handling which is not common to find in a generic product book. excellent attention to details and very good CD with all you need to carry out exercises. sections are structured well and covering pretty much the entire spectrum of the tool. a "must have" book if you own CS4...

Mr. Evening explains every facet of CS4 with unrelenting thoroughness. Often it is not an easy read but every question is answered cogently and completely. It is the ultimate reference and should be at your hand, even if you are an amateur user of CS4. The CD is good but one can wish for more video demonstrations.

Blame it on Adobe. Each version of Photoshop (PS) gets more and more capabilities, and, as a result, each time Martin Evening writes a book about PS it gets longer. In fact not only has this book reached over 650 pages, but Evening tells us that he's writing a second book to tell us how to use the software because this book just tells us what the sliders and button do.

Evening starts with a general introduction to PS CS4 and tells the reader how to configure the software. He then discusses every aspect of the latest PS version from the use of Camera Raw to printing. The chapters are organized along conceptual lines. For example, there is a chapter on sharpening and noise reduction, right after the discussion of Camera Raw, because of the input sharpening facility in Camera Raw. Even though the sharpening filters are part of the filter menu the author doesn't mention them when he talks about filters, but he then returns to output sharpening in the chapter on printing.

He discusses every one of the sliders and buttons that a photographer might want to use but because there are now so many of them in Photoshop, the explanations come out fast and furious, crisply and succinctly without being overdrawn. The details came so quickly in the first chapter about the basic interface, introducing capabilities that I had not know existed, that at first I despaired of learning anything at such a pace. Fortunately, the pace slowed down a bit in subsequent chapters and the excellent illustrations helped make the vast quantity of information manageable.

The book is more lecture than practical exercise, although the accompanying DVD contains most of the images that Evening uses to demonstrate his points, so that one could follow along with the image in PS if he or she were so inclined. On the other hand, this is not a book of tutorials, and I would not recommend it for the beginner who is just learning PS. Instead the book is aimed at users who have some knowledge of what the tools, menus and panels do, but want to learn how to use all of the options. There were discussions of ways of configuring and applying tools whose capabilities had been in PS for the last few versions that I had just never learned to fully utilize.

The accompanying DVD contained images from the book so that one could follow along with the text. There were Quick Time movies that repeated a few of the lessons from the book, as well as supporting PDF extracts from the book. There were also several PDF files of material not included in the book. In addition, the DVD includes a PS help file that one can transfer to one's hard drive and open in a browser, which shows each of the tools, menus and panels. When an item is clicked, help was provided for that item. It's too bad that that file is not accessible from the PS help menu.

There is not much here about the art to be created using PS. Presumably that will be in the second book.

Since there is so much information in this book, it is almost impossible to just read front to back in a continuous fashion. Instead I read several of the chapters on general subjects and then returned to specific chapters that dealt with areas where I knew I was having problems or thought there had to be better procedures than the ones I was using, and sure enough, found detailed explanations and ways of doing things that I hadn't known existed. I skimmed the remaining chapters so that I knew where I could return when I encountered problems. This is one of those books that I expect to keep on the small bookshelf of reference works next to my computer.

Full of information! Not quite in line with the "for Dummies" series but excellent reference source! If you prefer a lighter tone, select Kelby's Photoshop CS4 book; I own that one as well.

Martin Evening's CS4 is excellent. Just as in his CS3 book, his new book is written in a clear and understandable style that makes complex topics seem easy to understand and apply. The book is logically organized and is a great teaching aid in learning Photoshop CS4 for the beginner or the advanced photographer.

Martin Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers series has long been one of the most helpful guides on the market. This newest edition is updated for CS4 and offers full coverage of all the new features as well as continued coverage of everything carried over from prior versions. Weighing in at 704 pages and including a DVD with sample images, this is about as complete a package as you could ask for. The author methodically runs through feature after feature and does a good job explaining how to use them.

There are sections covering What's New, Configuring Photoshop, Camera Raw Image Processing, Selections and Masking, Darkroom Effects, Filters, Color Management, Automating Photoshop, and many others which I will not mention. This is truly comprehensive coverage. The writing style is clear and concise. This is a very effective guide that nearly always tells me what I need to know when I pull it off the shelf.

The closest thing to a negative (and it really isn't one) is that this is probably closer to an encyclopedia of Photoshop CS4 than it is to one of those guides that covers certain "how to" topics in great detail. Even with 704 pages, when you have to cover the entirety of Photoshop there is a need for brevity. So if you're interested in Masking this book will certainly cover it but you can't expect the same level of narrative as you would from an entire book on layers and masking. Since there is no book that can possibly cover everything in minute detail, my solution (and the only practical solution) is to buy several books for my various needs. I buy this volume as a general reference guide and quick how-to helper and then buy a few other guides to help walk me step-by-step through some of the trickier aspects of Photoshop. Some of my favorites include Photoshop CS4 Workflow: The Digital Photographer's Guide which is an excellent foundation for beginners and intermediate users as well as The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter).

In summary, Adobe Photoship CS4 for Photographers is an excellent and comprehensive guidebook. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for the encyclopedic style Photoshop guide and it is probably worth buying even if you have the old CS3 version.

I agree with absolutely everything that has already been written by J. Wallace in his (her?) lengthy review.

Evening's book came out after I had already purchased Mark Galer's book, Photoshop CS4 Essentials. While I have given Galer's book five stars in my review, I have to agree that Evening's book is a real stand out. I would've bought Evening's book if both had been available to me a month ago.

I've spent more than an hour examining this book at a brick and mortar store, and I have to disagree with Paul Cassel's comments about this book being too complex or omitting steps. Photoshop CS4 is a bona fide commercial program, not a consumer or "prosumer" product. (Definition of prosumer: a bumbling amateur who buys a too-complex camera for the bling.) Of course it's complex. PS Elements is a very competent program and an excellent choice for those who prefer a less steep learning curve. Evening's book is already thick enough without trying to anticipate every minor explanation that a newbie might want. That's what online forums are for.

This book is one of the first wave of PSCS4 books available which, in my opinion penalizes it a half star. This due to several tech edit errors none of which are fatal. At worst, they cause some hesitation and a minute of thought before the reader understands that the error is caused by either a true error or the author using a pre-production release of the program which was a bit different from the version one buys retail today.

The author is plain that this is a book for intermediate to advanced Photoshop users. Take that advice seriously. The author spends no pages with elementary topics of either photography or Photoshop. Instead, it's right into the soup and a deep bowl of soup it is indeed. A beginner or a slight intermediate will, for sure, benefit from the book but probably not be able to follow a good deal of it. Thus he'll become quite adept at certain aspects of PSCS4 (those he understands) but utterly ignorant of other aspects (those he was forced to skip over).

Take one of many examples: the author describes when to and how to either create channel clipping or avoid the same. He uses clear examples going into this topic in fine detail written quite clearly. However, in no place does he define what channels are or how they are clipped or what clipping is. That's fine for the solid intermediate or beyond reader but it will surely leave the weak intermediate or beginner reduced to tears trying to discern what exactly is going on.

In many places the author gives tips and tricks clearly he's learned from long experience or, in some cases, from others (who he credits). Here's tremendous value. While this book is hardly inexpensive, to a serious amateur or professional, any one of these tricks will be easily worth the price of the book.

There is no filler at all in this book. It is all valuable content and also clearly the result of a huge effort on the part of the author and publisher. I would knock it down a half star due to the few tech errors but give it back an additional whole star (at least) for the superb DVD replete with valuable extra content including some videos narrated by the author.

Everything from the DVD to the quality of the example photos to the solid content demonstrate that this book offers unusual value for the more advanced PSCS4 student.

Well, I decided to take a little trip to a local book store and look at the various PS CS4 books that are available. I grabbed a few that I have heard about and/or stood out, and I wanted to comment a bit about each of them and why I picked Martin Evening's book.

Martin's book is a true reference book. It's huge, about 675 pages or so, and it's a very thorough book. I like the smaller things about the format as well, from how he makes references to various pictures on the page like Figure 5.55 (Fifth chapter, fifty fifth image, always on the same page), to how each chapter as a color assigned that can be easily flipped to as the colors are on the top of the pages and can be easily seen and accessed when the book is closed.

I appreciate how he presents the information. It's broken down and again very detailed. What I appreciate is that he does not use any humor in the book. Humor has it's place and time, and a reference book should really not have it, in my opinion. He sticks with a good description of what the topic is all about, and explains how to use and where to find it.

I thought I saw the number somewhere, but there are roughly about 2000 images in this book. You can see by example what he is referring to. May I also say that the publisher is a very good one and the actual quality of the book is excellent.

I'll eventually write a review of the books that I am going to mention, so I'll be concise with the review:

Richard Harrington's Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS4: I like the way he presents it very well. I was going to get this book. But the book is about 3/4" thick and I didn't feel that it was worth it as it retails for $50.

Scott Kelby's The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers: Since his CS4 book wasn't available, I grabbed his CS3 book. Again, it's about 3/4" thick, which wasn't great. But this is the prime example of a person trying to use too much humor. I'm not going to get a reference book to get a laugh - I'm trying to understand how the program works. Plus he uses a "Step 1 - Do this, Step 2 - Do this" approach with what he's talking about throughout the book. I don't like that format. Again, for $50, I didn't feel it was worth it at all, respectively.

Adobe's Adobe Photoshop CS4 Classroom in a Book: In some respects, you can't go wrong with getting the manual for how to use a program directly from the maker's of it. It presented the information well. But again, the book was the same size as the last two, and this book retailed for $55. I would like a certain value and content for what I am paying.

All of the books mentioned above included a DVD for extra information, included images that were in the book. Since I haven't accessed every DVD, I will say that Martin's DVD included many good things in them (nearly 2GB of information!), including images, video tutorials, bonus PDF chapters, PS shortcut lists as PDF, and more.

I highly recommend this book. I didn't know a thing about Martin Evening until I picked up his book and did some research about him. I am very happy that I purchased Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers.