Category: graphics

Review: The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers

by Web Teacher
get this book at Amazon.com

The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers

★★★★ The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers by Derrick Story is from O’Reilly (2008). It’s a small reference book that concentrates on the workflow for photographers using Photoshop CS4. It explains basic adjustments such as cropping, color balance, and tonal adjustments. It also details more advanced techniques such as adjustment layers and batch processing. It contains “recipes” for things like retouching, color swapping, and correcting lens distortion.

Chapter by chapter, the contents are:

  • a quick start chapter
  • an importing images chapter
  • a chapter on rating and keywording images
  • an editing in RAW chapter
  • an advanced RAW camera chapter
  • a refining in Photoshop chapter
  • a lengthy chapter of recipes with specific techniques such as brightening eyes and retrieving a blown-out sky
  • a bit about printing

Of course, there’s a bit of information about equipment photographers may need, and about the excellent photographs Story included in the book. However, most of the book heads straight into how to take photos and work with them in Photoshop CS4. If you are overwhelmed by the complexity and breadth of Photoshop, this book will help you narrow the focus and show you just what you need to know to work with your digital photos.

Summary: A handy resource

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Useful links: GIMP 2.6, CSS backgrounds, Google for Webmasters, and Kathy Sierra

GIMP 2.6 Alive and Well on the Mac at Burningbird may just set you free from Photoshop.

How to: CSS Large Background at Web Designer Wall provides some good tips.

Video Tutorial: Google for Webmasters at the Google blog talks about how Google discovers, crawls, indexes, and  displays search results.

Vitamin Training: How to Grow and Nurture Your Community. This is a video of Kathy Sierra’s talk at At Future of Web Apps Expo 2008. It will be the best 30 minutes you ever spent in front of a video. Go learn something.

Women in Tech: Shelley Powers

This is the first of several interviews with women in technology. Today you’ll learn about Shelley Powers. Shelley is perhaps best known as a writer. Her most recent books are Learning JavaScript and Painting the Web. She’s also a programmer and web developer, and she applies a powerful and logical mind to everything she does.

Q: I looked you up on Amazon and found a list of books you’ve written that includes Learning JavaScript, Painting the Web, Adding Ajax, Learning JavaScript: Add Sparkle and Life to Your Web Pages, Unix Power Tools, Practical RDF, Powerbuilder 5 How-To, Developing Asp Components, Dynamic HTML, Dynamic Web Publishing Unleashed, Javascript How-To: The Definitive Javascript Problem-Solver, and Using Perl For Web Programming.

Wow!

How did you get started on a career as a writer? What was your education and background?

A: I’m a late bloomer educationally. I quit high school when I was 15 and joined a religious cult, Children of God. When I came to my senses and left the group, I went from the frying pan to the fire by marrying, at 16, a man who had learning disabilities and resented the fact that I liked to read. We lived in a house in the country and if it weren’t for the fact that the local library would send books out, and allow you to return them in pre-paid envelopes, I would have had very little to read for two years.

. . . Read the full post at BlogHer.

Summary of eHow articles for October

Hot Air Balloons

Ah, October, that sweet time of year when the mornings are cool and the afternoons are warm, when the New Mexico skies are filled with bobbing color and the mass ascension at the Balloon Fiesta is more than enough reason to rise at 4:30 AM. But not before writing something for eHow:

Useful Links: Photo Rights, Internet Lexicon, hCard, CollegeDegree

Understanding Online Photo Rights This article is excellent. A must-read for students.

The Internet Lexicon appeared in honor of OneWebDay and will stay editable for 2 months. Before you try adding a spoof of your favorite Internet personality, read the rules for participation.

Getting Semantic with Microformats, Part 3: hCard A Blog Not Limited is writing the book on microformats. Part 3 contains links to the first two parts, and a promise of what’s to come. Everything you could ever want to know about hCard in this one.

CollegeDegree.com is a valuable reference site. The site specializes in collections of linked resources such as this article: 100 Extensive University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access

Cool stuff to do in Albuquerque

  • Particles in 3D Animation and Motion Graphics
    Join 3D animator Aaron Barreras as he gives us a look at particle emitters by showing a variety of examples using Maya and After Effects.
    This session takes place Tuesday, August 19 from 7:00-8:30 pm at UNM ARTS Lab, 131 Pine Street NE
  • Adobe AIR and Social Networks
    Two of the biggest buzzwords in the industry these days: Adobe AIR and social networks.
    In this session you will explore how to build a social network aggregator using standard web development skills such as HTML, Javascript, ActionScript, and CSS.
    This session takes place, Thursday, September 18, from noon-1:15pm at UNM Continuing Education in the South Building, and will be taught by AdobeQuerque Community Expert, Jason Nakai.
  • motion08 :: Special Offer for New Mexico Residents
    NM residents: attend motion08 for the student rate of $499!
    The regular rate is $1099 ($899 early bird). As a NM resident you can attend for the student rate of $499*. Don’t worry students, we haven’t forgotten about you. Students can attend for $299** (regularly $499).
    motion is a unique event, focusing on the art of animation, broadcast design, title design, VFX and motion graphics. The event includes one full day of motion{u} extreme training plus two days of keynotes, panels, and sessions by some of the biggest talents in the industry.
    October 12-15, 2008
    Hyatt Regency Downtown ABQ

Related Posts: An Interview with New Mexico’s Dynamic Duo