Drop Dead Books

[NMarti]

I was looking around on Amazon today and came across these two books in the Drop Dead series:

Drop Dead Fantasy Techniques
http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Elements-Fantasy-Techniques-Photography/dp/1579907997/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b/102-2376838-1028138

Drop Dead Lighting Techniques
http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Elements-Lighting-Techniques-Photography/dp/1579909744/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a/102-2376838-1028138

Does anyone have either of these and what do you think of them? The Lighting appears to be new but the Fantasy was released in April.

[mom to 4]

Oh, geee, thanks nancy....more books to buy!!!!:eek:

Well dare I say: christmas is coming????? Being I already installed v5, I will need to get something else for hubby to give me!!!!:D

[Shari]

Nancy - I cannot look at any more books until I have learned something from the ones I have now. I have Down & Dirty tricks coming from the library this week - so more reading. Colleen - I love your posts - you really make me laugh. There is so much out there to select for yourself for Christmas but at the rate things are changing better wait until at least December and probably December 24th so you don't open and use your gift before Christmas Day!!!
Shari

[Pauline]

Nancy I have the one for lighting but for full version PS and it's excellent. It's by the same person, so I would guess it would be quite similar.

On the other hand the fantasy one I quickly thumbed through in Chapters and was not impressed with it at all. Found it rather cheesy and given the quality of your work, I don't think you would like that one at all. If you are going to buy one I would go for the lighting as it helped me a lot.

[NMarti]

Thanks Pauline. I wondered if anyone had seen the contents of the Fantasy book. I read some reviews on Amazon that didn't seem to like the full version lighting book but there's always someone who thinks they know everything so I don't usually give those much thought. Since the majority found it to be a good book I suspected it was probably a good one. That's probably the one I'll go with for the lighting since I want to transition to full CS2.

[Tom K]

Hi Nancy;

I don't know if its been mentioned before, but there is a site that has
altogether too many photo books. I have bought books from them, and
am pleased with the service... http://www.bookpool.com/ss/L?su=psh
Tom :)

[NMarti]

Boy you're not kidding Tom - they have a lot of books. Thanks for the link. I can get my Christmas list together from there.

[OFD678]

I have looked through the fantasy book at barnes and noble and wasn't very impressed with it at all. Primarily tutorials on really wiered stuff that doesn't seem to have a very wide application.

But then again, I am still reading dick and jane books (see dick run...see jane run) and curious george...so what would I know <g>

thanks

brent

[pixlbandit]

I browsed both of these last week at B&N. I thought the fantasy one was good, but I was looking beyond the specific projects in the book to what I thought might be useful techniques. I may get it but through Amazon with discount rather than pay full retail. I also looked at the lighting one but opted for the PS version by the same author, same as Pauline. I found the PS version first--the PSE version shelved on another aisle. Some of the techniques are the same, but photos are different. At a quick gander, rather than a prolonged comparison, I got the PS version. No chance yet to try out, but have started reading and finding where things are in PSE.
Vicki

[NMarti]

Brent
:D I actually still have a Dick and Jane reader from 4th grade - Fun With Dick and Jane. It's still in pretty good shape too! Wow - I'm dating myself aren't I? :rolleyes:

[Pauline]

Nancy make sure you get the lighting book for cs2 then rather than elements.

[IndyDan]

I am just getting started using PSE 4. I've looked at the Drop Dead Lighting book & it seems good. I have a question, though: Does the publisher or author have a web site with the images used in the book?

Those books that supply the images so that the reader can work along make it much easier for me to follow the example.

[Wendy]

hi ...

... and welcome to the forum :)

Hopefully Pauline will pick up on this thread and will be able to answer your question ...

Wendy

[Pauline]

Hi Indydan. I believe you would have to check on the publisher's site. I believe the one for the lighting did. They are low res. pictures and I can't remember off hand but I think they are also watermarked.

Really these books are to show you what you can do with your own pictures and teach you how the tools work. I used the lighting one as a resource rather than doing step by step tutorials.