The Photoshop Elements 6 Book for Digital Photographers

[southcoastsounds]

I've got the Elements 5 version of this book, and found it pretty helpful.

Can anyone tell me please if the new version 6 book contains new material, or is it just the old content updated for Version 6?

Many thanks,

Tom

[Edmund]

Tom, welcome to the forum. I have the same two books for PSE 3 and PSE-4. I was sincerely disappointed that the content of both books were very similiar even some of the pictures used for illustration. I personally would buy a new one for PSE-6 by a different author. Martin Evening does a great job also Mark Galer, Philip Andrews and Barbera Brundage, etc. are just a few. I usually go to Borders book store and browse thru all the ones and pick out the one I want.
Eddie:)

[southcoastsounds]

Thanks for that Eddie - I have a collection of books for PSE going back to Version 3. I rate the Brundage books highly, but may not bother with the v6 edition.

I recently bought Teach Yourself Elements 6 Visually by the Wooldridges, from Amazon (without seeing it first) and was very disappointed. No doubt its ok for beginners, but it contained almost nothing new for me. I'll resell it I think!

all the best, Tom

[epaul6]

This book does not come out until mid February so I don't know if the content repeats. I have v4 and V5 and there is some overlap, but he uses new pictures as examples.

I also have v4 and just purchased v6 of the Missing Manual by Brundage. The content is fine but I don't like the production values meaning the paper used seems to be of lower quality (than other elements books) and the binding is not the greatest. I bought this at Borders ($40 full retail -- ouch) and had my choice of 6 copies-all had poor bindings and 1 had missed cuts and pages out of align. As elements is such a "visual" program good color printing and good paper is important. I am going to have the book spiral bound so the pages stay opened.

That said the content, meaning text and organization, is as previous, excellent. I was having an issue opening multiple RAW images. Adobe tech support said "that is just the way the program works"-Barbara's program had step by step instructions that showed me how to do it.

If you don't already know, the help files in v6 are either missing or incomplete. You need to download a pdf file if you want to get a complete copy (or access over the net at Adobe LivDocs).

[RossAWaddell]

I'm a total noob with PE6 so I bought this book to jump start my digital photo manipulation skills. One of the things that sold me on this book was this blurb from a Amazon.com review:

"It even tells you the setting that you need to use as defaults on Elements."

This would really help, but I can't find it in the book anywhere (I started searching for a textbook after I spent 25 minutes hunting around for the Brush tool - I didn't know it was under the Pencil toolbar).

Am I missing something? Is this info to be found on the website where you can download the sample files?

[Simenon]

Hi Ross -The file download site for the tutorial photos is given at the bottom of page XV in the PSE 6 edition of this book. See the Q "So where are the photos so we can download?".

Not sure about the default settings part of your question. Suggested settings are offered for most of the tutorial photos and chapter 10 on Basic Sharpening offers many suggested settings for sharpening different kinds of photos based upon content.

~ Simenon

[RossAWaddell]

I've got the photos but no sign on that sign regarding default settings. I think it would really help a newbie like me to see how someone who knows what they're doing sets up their workspace, colour profile settings, other preferences, etc.

[Simenon]

Hi Ross - there are no default settings offered for those photos at the web page. The suggested settings are given (where applicable) in the various steps of the tutorials. If you are using your own photos instead of the tutorial photos those settings may be quite different. If you want to get right into the photo editing go to Chapter 2 if you are working with RAW files. If working with .jpegs or other file types skip to Chapter 3 for the moment and begin there. You can always go back to Chapters 1 (Organizer) & 2 (RAW) when you are ready for them. Not everyone uses the Organizer (I don't). Go to your starting chapter 2 or 3 and begin with the first tutorial and follow the instructions step by step. Note: not all exercises have a companion photo in the download set though most do. In some cases you will have to supply your own. As you proceed, settings will often be suggested in various steps, but as I say these can vary greatly from photo to photo.

As a companion volume get the Missing Manual by Brundage for your version of Elements. It will help you to quickly locate where the various tools, effects, filters, etc. are to be found. The book by Kelby and Kloskowski presumes some prior familiarity with the mechanics of Elements. See the Q in the middle of page XV - "So what's not in this book?".

~ Simenon

[RossAWaddell]

Hi Simenon - I guess I meant more about how to arrange the toolbar, what views should be opened, etc., in order to make the workflow easier.

[Simenon]

Hi Ross - If you mean workflow in the broad sense see the final pages of the book beginning at page 470 - "My Elements 6 Workflow From Start to Finish".

If you are looking for more specific workflow info you can find all kinds of free tutorials on the Internet. Do a google on something like "portrait retouch workflow" for example. You will get a lot of hits.

Below is the link to one helpful instructional video for a start to finish edit on portraits.

http://www.nobsphotosuccess.com/tutorial/introtutwmv/introtutwmv.html

As an admitted noob you may be putting the cart before the horse however to focus too much on workflow at this stage. It is important to simply get in there and start working on photo edits. Over time you will develop a workflow that is comfortable for you and then decide where you want to place your pallets and which work aid windows you want to have open and so forth.

~ Simenon