Save 27% Off: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1and 2, (Offered Exclusively by Amazon) (Includes The DigitalPhotography Book Volume 1, The ... Book Volume 2, and Limited SignedPrint) Review & Ratings

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2, (Offered Exclusively by Amazon) (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1, The ... Book Volume 2, and Limited Signed Print)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2, (Offered Exclusively by Amazon) (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1, The ... Book Volume 2, and Limited Signed Print). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2, (Offered Exclusively by Amazon) (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1, The ... Book Volume 2, and Limited Signed Print) Review

Scott Kelby's books are a must have for both beginner and advanced professionals. They are easy to read, very conversational, and the information is second to none. I have read both of these books several times and have learned so many fantastic tips to get to the next level in my photography career. As a beginning professional I have referenced these techniques many times over and my photographs have improved 100%.
This is a fabulous gift for the photographer on your list and will be used over and over.
Scott Kelby has a wonderful sense of humor - he really is funny. You won't be bored reading and learning from Scott like some techno bordom books out there. He makes it easy in plain english.
They probably won't be suitable for someone who is a stiff and has no personality.

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2, (Offered Exclusively by Amazon) (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1, The ... Book Volume 2, and Limited Signed Print) Overview

Want to learn more information about Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1 and 2, (Offered Exclusively by Amazon) (Includes The Digital Photography Book Volume 1, The ... Book Volume 2, and Limited Signed Print)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read more »

The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers Review & Ratings

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers Review

This book is great for those digital photographers who would like to enhance their photos without taking a class. Having used PS 7, I felt like I needed to take a class on how to remove red eye. With Elements 3, it gives you two options on ways to remove red eye. Does you flash leave you with an overexposed shot?...do A, then B, and finally C. DONE! Well written book and very simple to use.
Being a Mac user, I was a bit disappointed that the book was written for Windows--beware that PSE 3 for Windows has more features than the equivalent version for the Mac. There are some different key strokes between the Mac and Windows version, so Mac users will need to keep that in mind when following the instructions.
Otherwise the book is very helpful and easy to follow.
Update:
I"ve been going back to this book every week and still learning more and more advanced techniques--eye and teeth whitening, sharpening eyes, removing hotspots, and many others. Its almost like a cookbook with very simple directions. Picture quality in the book is great, so you can SEE the difference in the before and after. With advances in printers and cameras, one can truely print at home like a pro.

The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers Overview

Want to learn more information about The Photoshop Elements 3 Book for Digital Photographers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read more »

Save 30% Off: The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers Review & Ratings

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers Review

Adobe began shipping its new Lightroom 2.0 (LR2) software at the end of July. A week later this book was available. It made me think that Martin Evening is really a team of writers, each working on a chapter of this book, or even some smaller portion, and that the publisher, Peachpit, must have incurred huge overtime costs. (Actually, the software was available in beta form for a long time, and authors had final copies of the software before it was delivered to the public.) There are enough changes in version 2.0 that this early edition is welcome for people who want more details.
After an introduction to the software, Evening goes through each of the modules in LR2, explaining what the sliders, radio buttons and check boxes do, and occasionally discussing his preferences and techniques for using the software.
I suspect that with the large installed base of Lightroom, most of the people anxious for details will be using an upgrade, and might prefer a book equivalent to Ben Willmore's "Adobe Photoshop CS3: Up to Speed" which just dealt with the new elements in an image processing software upgrade. On the other hand, there are a lot of new features in LR2, and the software is so integrated that it may be useful for experienced users to review all of the capabilities.
Even though it's comprehensive, new users may be a bit overwhelmed by Evening's work, especially since it often is far more detailed than a beginner needs. The discussion of sharpening and noise reduction may seem like a foreign language to someone who has never used Unsharp Mask. While past performance is no indication of future performance, newbies might do better to wait for something that will probably be more accessible, like Scott Kelby's "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)" which is presently scheduled for a September release.
The book shows the pressure of early release with some typos and repetitions. On the other hand, Evening describes many of the features in more detail than the tutorials that are available on line.
I found it difficult to view the screen captures of the LR2 menus. This is no doubt due to the fact that LR2's menus are in shades of gray that are highly visible on a monitor, but less so on a printed page. I for one would have no objections if publishers would increase the contrast so that seeing the menus would be easier.
This book is about the technical use of Lightroom. It doesn't talk much about how the features can be used for more impressive pictures. For that, one should look at a few of Rob Sheppard's books like "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)" or even better "Outdoor Photographer Landscape and Nature Photography with Photoshop CS2 (Outdoor Photographers)" or (subject to the caveat about past performance) his upcoming "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 for Photographers Only", presently scheduled for October release.
If you want to get your hands on a LR2 book right now, this is the only game in town. It's dense, but comprehensive, and for the experienced user, will require some sorting out, but all the information one may need about LR2's new features are included.

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers Overview

Want to learn more information about The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read more »

Save 39% Off: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1,2, and 3 Review & Ratings

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 Review

In the usual Scott Kelby style he write these books as a collection of pointers to a friend photographer. Every page in all three books are written with one pointer or tip on each page. As Scott writes in the prelude:
"If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, 'Hey, how do I get this flower to be in focus, but I want the background out of focus?' I wouldn't stand there and give you a lecture about aperture, exposure, and depth of field. In real life, I'd just say, 'Get out your telephoto lens, set your f/stop to f/2.8, focus on the flower, and fire away.' You would say, 'OK,' and you'd get the shot. That's what this book is all about. A book of you and I shooting, and I answer the questions, give you advice and share the secrets I've learned just like I would with a friend, without all the technical explanations and without all the techno-photo-speak."
This being said, this also means that he doesn't dwell deeply within each tip or pointer explaining _why_ everything works as it does. This is for the reader to find out researching the topic further in other reference books.
Surprisingly to me, this works very well! I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books and I would say that I have become a much better photographer reading through all the tips.
Book one is quite general in topic, spanning from how to create really sharp photos to a description of wedding photography. This book is, according to me, a must have in every digital photographers bookshelf. This book is also clearly aimed at beginner photographers.
Coming to book 2 and 3 they differ a bit, especially of how they are written. These books also have the 'pointer and tip' layout, but more detailed information can be found here. Book 2 for example describe thoroughly which gear to use when using flash and how to set up your mini-studio and book three goes even further on how to shoot specific subjects.
This box set offer any digital photographer a helicopter view of how to use your digital camera in the best way to get 'professional' photos. Primarily these books - as all Scott Kelby books - offer small insights of what to think about when shooting digital photos. Kelby also does this with a huge amount of humor, making all his books a joy to read.

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 Overview

Want to learn more information about Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read more »

Save 34% Off: The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers Review & Ratings

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers Review

Like most of Scott's offerings he does a good job with his book "Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers". The problem is it just didn't work for me. I did learn a few things about Lightroom 2, but in the end I was disappointed with my purchase. I had been looking for something to speed my workflow through Lightroom by suggesting a logical path of steps, giving some good tips, and then getting out of my way.
I was still shopping around when I found Nathaniel Coalson's book Lightroom 2: Streamlining your Digital Photography Process. This was the book I was looking for. Nathaniel sets out to give you the tools to carry out your vision, streamline your workflow and then gets out of your way. Perfect.
Both these books provide the basics of using Lightroom 2 - there is no arguing that. What is different is how one book gives you recipes and formulas while the other gives you a strong foundation for building your workflow. Here are some key differences in the two books that I feel make Nathaniel's offering stronger than Scott's.
Nathaniel's book is laid out in classic form - text interspersed with graphic examples. Shortcuts, tips, warnings and reminders are all identified by small graphic symbols in the main body of text. Scott has put his graphic examples front and center. This forces his text to the margins of the page in smaller font which I found harder to read and, more importantly, harder to skim when looking for an answer.
Scott's book walks you through the basic Lightroom 2 commands in a step-by-step fashion. If you are fairly new to computers or have never used Lightroom you might prefer his book. On the other hand Nathaniel does a very good job explaining image capture basics, presents the logical steps you'll follow from importing your images to processing them and starts you thinking about the end goals you have for your images. If you've used computers before or have tinkered with the Lightroom 2 program Nathaniel will get you on task faster.
This brings me to one of the more important differences between the books. One of the most powerful aspects of Lightroom is its ability to help manage images, acting as both an image processor and DAM (Digital Asset Management) tool. Managing a large number of images requires a well thought out workflow - something simple yet consistent that we can shape to our particular needs. Nathaniel provides this in early on in his book and, even better, continues to refer back to it. This helps in showing you how all the pieces fit together.
Both books cover the basics of Lightroom 2 while giving you slightly different extras. Nathaniel shows how to change the default quick collection while Scott covers HDR a little more in-depth; Scott has 4 pages on split-tones while Nathaniel shows you different options for your crop screen. These books will become references for you as you discover all that Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 has to offer. The difference, in my opinion, is that Scott shows you how to use Lightroom 2 while Nathaniel teaches you - a subtle difference but, in my book, worth every penny.

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers Overview

Written in concert with Adobe's development of the Photoshop Lightroom 2 Beta, The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers - by #1 bestselling computer and technology author, Scott Kelby - is the most complete and concise Lightroom "how-to" book for digital photographers of all skill levels.In The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers, Scott walks readers through the basics of Lightroom use, leading them to a brilliantly devised and super efficient digital photography workflow that dramatically improves productivity and allows photographers to spend less time processing photos and more time shooting them. Throughout the book Scott shares his personal camera and Lightroom settings, as well as the studio-tested techniques he's developed for his own photography workflow. The book is written in his trademark step-by-step, plain English style, and because he knows what really works and what doesn't, he isn't shy to tell you flat out which tools to use, which to avoid, and why. This allows digital photographers of any skill level to jump right in using Lightroom like a pro from the very start, sidestepping a lot of the frustrations that typically haunt those unfamiliar with new applications…especially those as powerful as Lightroom.What really sets The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers apart from other Lightroom books on the market are the last two bonus chapters where Scott answers the questions, "In exactly what order am I supposed to do things in Lightoom," and "Where does Photoshop fit in to the mix?" Both chapters start with an on-location photo shoot, including full details on the equipment, camera settings, and lighting techniques. Readers then witness as he takes the photos from each shoot through the entire workflow process, to the final output of the 16"x20" prints. And, because he incorporates Photoshop seamlessly right into this workflow, you'll learn some of the latest Photoshop techniques for portrait and landscape photography as well. If you're one of those people who learns best by actually doing the projects yourself; who learns best without all the complicated technical explanations and confusing jargon, and if you really want to start using Lightroom today to unlock the productivity secrets of "The new digital photography workflow,"---there is no faster, more "straight-to-the-point" or more fun way to learn than this groundbreaking new book, and you are absolutely going to love it!

Want to learn more information about The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read more »