Photoshop Elements 4.0 Tutorial/book recommendation wanted

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Dick Snyder - 27 Nov 2007 01:52 GMT

I do simple editing with Picasa but from time to time I use Photoshop
Elements 4.0. While I can generally get the things done I want with PE 4.0,
I just know I could do a lot better with more knowledge. Can anyone
recommend a good tutorial or book that I can use to learn PE 4.0 in a more
structured way than just jumping in and hacking around?

TIA.

Dick Snyder

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Joel - 27 Nov 2007 03:27 GMT

> I do simple editing with Picasa but from time to time I use Photoshop
> Elements 4.0. While I can generally get the things done I want with PE 4.0,
> I just know I could do a lot better with more knowledge. Can anyone
> recommend a good tutorial or book that I can use to learn PE 4.0 in a more
> structured way than just jumping in and hacking around?

    I would suggest you to join few WEB photo retouching forum's where you can
POST your work to compare with other users' work to see the difference.
There you can ask for some specific quesion base on someone's work (work
flow) then you can try to follow the instruction see if you can match the
result.

    I don't know if this will work for you, but this was what I did over a
decade ago after few years doing nothing but staring at Photoshop.

- Scan few old beat-up B&W photos and try to repair and turning into color.
This will force you do spend more time on researching, and you will learn
lot more than reading some book or watching video tutorial but don't
understand and no practicing.

    IOW, you may not be able to find all the answers for the B&W to COLOR and
reparing scratches etc.. but you will find lot of other useful commands. And
it may take you few weeks or months on the first try (it took me 2-3 months
and some day I spent over 20 hrs).

- After you have learned few basic commands, then you can post the original
B&W image and the one you tried to some forum asking other for more advice,
and their workflow. By this time you should be able to follow some
workflow, be able to compare yours with theirs, and that's how you learn.

    Years ago, I used to hang around those forums and I was trying to help
others who tried to learn, and I often refused to help ones who tried to get
some free retouched to impress other.

> TIA.
>
> Dick Snyder

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Dick Snyder - 27 Nov 2007 12:43 GMT

>> I do simple editing with Picasa but from time to time I use Photoshop
>> Elements 4.0. While I can generally get the things done I want with PE
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
>>
>> Dick Snyder

Thanks for the suggestion.

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Joel - 27 Nov 2007 14:48 GMT

<snip>

> > - After you have learned few basic commands, then you can post the
> > original
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Thanks for the suggestion.

That's my very own experience with Photoshop after couple years of
Photoshop and I stared at each other doing nothing <bg>

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Dave Cohen - 27 Nov 2007 17:47 GMT

> I do simple editing with Picasa but from time to time I use Photoshop
> Elements 4.0. While I can generally get the things done I want with PE 4.0,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Dick Snyder

Your local library probably has titles for both elements and PS.
Dave Cohen

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rwalker - 27 Nov 2007 19:14 GMT

snip

Can anyone

> recommend a good tutorial or book that I can use to learn PE 4.0 in a more
> structured way than just jumping in and hacking around?

_Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual_ by Barbara Brundage is very
good.

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Dick Snyder - 27 Nov 2007 22:43 GMT

> snip
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> _Photoshop Elements 4: The Missing Manual_ by Barbara Brundage is very
> good.

Per a suggestion from an earlier reader on this thread I found a discussion
group dedicated to Adobe Photoshop Elements. On that group I was recommended
to read The Photoshop Elements Book for Digital Photographers. In looking up
user reviews on Amazon for that book I saw the Missing Manual referenced.
Reviews for both books were quite good. I have ordered both from our library
system so I can see which style of writer works best for me. Then I will buy
the book.

Thanks for your help.

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Brian - 28 Nov 2007 21:06 GMT

>> snip
>>
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>
>Thanks for your help.

As Elements 5 is now out, have you looked for remaindered copies of
Elements 4 books on Amazon marketplace sites? That's my first port of
call for that type of book.

Brian

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Joel - 28 Nov 2007 21:14 GMT

> >> snip
> >>
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>
> Brian

I don't use Photoshop Element but I read v6 (software) already out for
awhile now. And usually book and video often release about same time ( the
developer often have a copy months before they release to public).

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Brian - 28 Nov 2007 23:04 GMT

>> >> snip
>> >>
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>awhile now. And usually book and video often release about same time ( the
>developer often have a copy months before they release to public).

Even more lilely there's remaindered stuff about then.

Brian

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Dick Snyder - 29 Nov 2007 03:11 GMT

>>> snip
>>>
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>
> Brian

Thanks. I am going to check three different books out in our libarary
system. I will buy one of them once I see what would work best for me. I
often buy used books on Amazon. That is my first choice too.

Dick

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Bruce - 29 Nov 2007 11:39 GMT

I bought "The Photoshop Elements 4 Book" by Scott Kelby Published by New
Riders & found it easy to follow.

Bruce

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Dick Snyder - 29 Nov 2007 21:52 GMT

>I bought "The Photoshop Elements 4 Book" by Scott Kelby Published by New
>Riders & found it easy to follow.
>
> Bruce

Thank you very much. I have added this book to the list of books I have
requested from my library system (a total of 4 now). With 4 books I should
be able to spend a few hours with each and come up with the best book for
me.

Thanks to all in the group for your excellent help.

Dick

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