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CS2 - where should I begin?

M

moggi1964

Guest
Hi,
so I have CS2 and haven't ever used it.

I want to get some pointers on what free resources there are that you would recommend to get me started.

I am slowly going through the posts here but feel much of it will make more sense once I have a bit of a grounding.

Thanks,

Mo
 

Cindy Flood

Super Moderator
There is a lot to learn, and this page points to tutorials that should keep you busy for a while. http://www.photoshopsupport.com/
There are plenty of nice people on this forum who will answer your questions, too.
I know you said "free", but a book like The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby would be a good way to learn the basics, and you could keep it as a reference.
 
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M

moggi1964

Guest
Cindy,

thanks so much. I'll begin with the online tutorials and then see if I can find a copy of hte CS2 book at the library or through abebooks.

Of course, I am sure I will be utilizing the collective knowledge of GetDPI on numerous occasions too.

Cheers!
 
M

moggi1964

Guest
Thank you Simon; one more to add to my Amazon wishlist :)
 

Robert Campbell

Well-known member
Morris,

Here's another wonderful book on CS2 specifically for photographers:

http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photosh...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225727629&sr=1-5

Cheers,
Martin Evening's book I found rather heavy going; I found the real problem with PS was in understanding what was happening. And as I never really understood the 'foreground' and 'background' and painting with 'white' or 'black' or advice such as 'to adjust brightness and contrast do NOT use the brightness and contrast controls'.

Too many books are simply lists or recipies - follow them and you will get good results, but you [or at least me] won't know what to do in other situations.

I did however find a small, simple explanatory book - but so far it's only available in german. I'll keep a lookout for it in english.
 
M

moggi1964

Guest
The fluency with which I read and/or speak German leaves much to be desired so I'll hang on in there till the English version surfaces :)

I know what you mean about the recipe approach Bertie and I am much the same. I tend to start off using the recipe to gain an understanding of an outcome and then play around with that recipe to create what I want through experimentation. At this point I am like a kid who has never seen a cooker before never mind baked his first biscuit !!

Cheers!
 
M

moggi1964

Guest
Small change of plan.

I am being offered an opportunity to work with an artist friend and he has just bought CS4 extended and Lightroom 2.1 which he says I can use.

Sooooo, what book do I buy now?

:)
 

Robert Campbell

Well-known member
Lightroom IMO is much easier than PS.
Martin Evening has a book about LR 2 which is lengthy but straightforward.
I'm sure there are other books.
 
M

moggi1964

Guest
Bertie,
I had never even heard of lightroom until I came here but if it is easier than PS then that would be a good place for me to start.

Thank you for the suggestion.
 

Robert Campbell

Well-known member
Well, I find it easier - it does almost all most people need in a fairly easily learned way - if you want to boost the contrast, use the contrast slider etc.
LR2 does allow some local control with the graduated filter and the retouching brush thing. If you get most things right in camera, then there isn't much need for PS - and btw, the raw converter is the same in LR and PS.
Adobe does some 'profiles' for LR which mimic the particular in-camera settings when you raw convert.
LR doesn't let you do the clever things that PS does - making selections in particular, but I find I hardly use it - though PS can be useful for the 3rd party filters such as Silver Efex and PT lens. PS also does panos and HDR, but there is an enfuse plug in for LR which is rather different but works well.

Give it a go - Apple's Aperture is apparently similar but mac only, so I don't have any experience of it.
 
M

moggi1964

Guest
So today, armed with my 40% off coupon, I bought Martin Evening's book on LR 2. I browsed it and a couple of others at the store and found the layout and quality of writing in this one better than the others.

I will let you know what I think once I have time to put to to good use. In the meantime I continue to experiment with LR2.
 
M

moggi1964

Guest
Thanks Bertie; I put it on my Amazon Wish List what with Christmas being just around the corner (reminds me of a "Spar" advert) :)
 
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