Updates
Latest Tweet
What's New?
Check out for latest innovation, a computer based training video collection
Like this Page
The Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book Review by Robert S. Ditommaso
Not just for help, a good source of inspiration
The Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book by Dave Cross is not entirely what you might expect from the title. It certainly provides answers when Photoshop isn't behaving they way you expect it should. For instance you have a tool selected and you keep trying execute an action, but nothing is happening. This book will provide you a detailed description of how the tool functions and why it may not be working as you expected. But the coverage of this book goes beyond trouble shooting problems. It is a handy reference manual.
It is 259 pages long and is divided into 21 chapters. The opening seven chapters address the meat and potatoes of basic problem solving. They succinctly take you through the basics of Photoshop menus and tool functionality. The next ten chapters continue to function as help/reference for a myriad of different functions but I find them very interesting to consult even when I am not experiencing a problem. They are written such that you can quickly peruse the subjects and pick up little tips and tricks on how to execute an action better and/or faster than you may otherwise be used to doing so.
The last three chapters are dedicated to personalizing Photoshop and making it work for you. Chapter nineteen does a great job of explaining how to automate operations using actions and batch processing. Chapter twenty provides guidance on making your own unique brushes and patterns and then applying them in a variety of different manners. The final chapter addresses customizing Photoshop features like picture package and contact sheet.
I would recommend this book to anyone with a foundation in Photoshop. It certainly is not intended to hold your hand and walk you through the basic functions of the program, but it will help you understand why the program works the way it does, and how to best accomplish the myriad of tasks that Photoshop is capable of performing. And if you are the type to enjoy experimentation there is plenty of opportunity to do so with this book.
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 have been shooting with a Canon Professional Digital SLR since 2003 and perform the vast majority of my post processing work in Photoshop. I began with Photoshop 7 and currently work with CS2. 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 two-dozen Photoshop training guides with one overriding goal in mind; producing the best images possible.