Elements Books

[bayhli]

Good afternoon,

I've finally ordered Brundage's Missing Manual PSE3 and Kelby's PSE3 for Digital Photographers. I got them both for 70.00 CDN & free shipping from Chapters which I think is pretty good. :D

My grown kids are always looking for Xmas gift ideas and more books is at the top of my list .... from info on the forum it looks like Kelby's Down & Dirty Tricks would be the next one to get ..... recommendations?

I also need one for digital photography that focuses back on picture-taking itself (light / lighting, exposure, focal length, resolution etc.) I can run the camera fine but I don't fully understand the theory behind it, so something that thoroughly explains the why's and has comparison examples perhaps, written in plain english - really basic, to get a better grasp on these concepts. (I'm using a Canon PowerShot G5 altho I'm looking for a more general book).

Another desire is a good book on Macro Photography ...

Hope it's ok to ask about cameras on here - but good pictures are the foundation for PSE editing and I've seen the calibre of pictures you are taking so I figure there is lots of good advice in this area too!

Thanks!

[Pauline]

Pat, today was book day for me too!! I just received, "creative photoshop lighting techniques". Looks good, but I'm just started it. The other book I got was recommended by Grant. "Photography for the Joy of it" by Freeman Patterson (a Canadian). It's the first of a series he has out. I can't tell you what I think because obviously I haven't had a chance to even look at it yet (one book at a time) but Grant highly recommended it and has taken a seminar with the author.

Now, it's back to the couch with my two new books!! (hard to concentrate when that yucky music is playing from my daughter's room!!)

[Jodi Frye]

Freeman Patterson is also known as a digital basher. He's a film guy tho he is a clever one. :wink:

[bayhli]

Hi Pauline,

Oh Lucky You !! I'm sure I'm going to have to wait 7-10 days for mine since I live in the "boomies". Hope they don't take too, too long.

Thanks for the suggestions; I get so frustrated because to learn anything I really need the theory and the "whys" answered for it to click with me. The mind operates in too much of a logical mode. Imagine how hard creativity is for me at this point ... :?

Enjoy your new books !

[Pauline]

Pat I ordered my books Sunday night from Amazon and was surprised how quickly they arrived.

I know what you mean about needing to know the 'whys'. Scott's books don't really tell you that, but I have both and reference them often when I'm trying to do something. I don't have the missing manual book but to me it looked too much like a manual! :lol: I was attracted to Scott's books because they were quick to read with lots of pictures and generally I will remember what the picture looked like when I'm looking for a particular technique. It all gets easier!

Jodi, Grant did tell me that Patterson was into film, but he said it would be beneficial for digital too and I believe the web site also said so. I hope that's right because I only had a crappy film camera and there is no way I'm going back to film!!!

[bayhli]

Good morning Pauline ....

How are you finding your new books? I looked at the review on "Photography for the Joy of it" by Freeman Patterson and it looks wrthwhile so thank you. I had a list of the top ones but when I changed computers a few months ago it went astray.

I was looking through what I have and up popped his other book "The Art of Seeing" - I picked it up at a flea market this summer and didn't even realize what I had.

Was that you who won the Mask Contest? I just found the results. If so congratulations - I loved that when I saw it! Talented girl you are ...

[Pauline]

Thanks Pat, and yes it was me who won the mask contest!! I have a tablet, so I'm giving the one I won to my kids which is terrific since all three are talented. Problem is, it arrived yesterday with my new books and they are itching to get going. Their computer is old and maintenance is needed first because the first install attempt didn't work well. Between that and other interuptions my productive day is turning out to be very unproductive!! I love the "Creative Photoshop lighting techiques" book though from what I looked at last night. There is lots to learn from it and even though I can't do everything in elements, I have enough basic understanding and with the help of some great people here I'm learning some work arounds.

I should have had lunch an hour ago and a depressed friend wants me to go out to dinner and the show with her tonight, so I guess I'll just have to consider this a lost day!! It just isn't working out!

[Pauline]

Grant had recommended 3 of Freeman's books and The Art of Seeing was one of them. I figured I would check them out one at a time to make sure they are want I want. I might put that on my Christmas list. It's something my Mother could afford!

[Wendy]

Pauline ...

That Christmas list is growing ... :) :)


Wendy

[bayhli]

Pauline - my books are here already! 4 days from Chapters in Brampton ON is super service so I'll be doing that again.

I'm in the same dilemma you were though, with lots of other stuff going on and all I want to do is sit on Elements with the books. They look super and it'll be nice to have something in front of me. These will keep me going for awhile and I can begin adding the other favorites from this forum.

I've also finished up the Workflow online course here and found that to be very worthwhile. So - nothing to do now but do something!

[Pauline]

Enjoy your books Pat! Where exactly do you live? I'm in Beaverton (across the lake from Barrie - 1/2 hour south of Orillia)

[bayhli]

Hi Pauline,

Small world, my daughter lives in Barrie and we love visiting down your way .... in fact, both my husband and I are lucky enough to be early retired and think seriously about moving to one of the little towns around there. We're getting kind of tired of the white stuff which has arrived to stay already.

We are about a 5 hr drive away from Thunder Bay ON but a touch more north. We're also close to the Manitoba border on the other side and about equal distance from Winnipeg in that direction. Needless to say they are our serious shopping centres.

We usually fly down to Barrie but we did one drive once which took about 21 hrs over two days. We're north but not Eskimo country by any means! No polar bears here.

Beaverton sounds very familiar to me and I wouldn't doubt that we were through there ...

[Pauline]

Pat I have 3 uncles your way. One in Fort Francis and two in Winnipeg, as well as plenty of cousins. Even lived in Winnipeg for a year when I was a teen. I prefer it here!!

No snow yet, but I can feel it's coming.

[GaryK]

Pauline

Smelled like snow yesterday morn. :lol: :lol:

Bayhli

I shop at that Chapters all the time :D

[Pauline]

Not today though Gary!! Another nice one. How much longer can this fabulous weather last? The trees are all bare though after that fabulous wind on Sunday!

[GaryK]

I know ..friggin' amazing wind.

Now all the southerners are saying how the heck can ya smell snow :lol: :lol:

[virgo1]

Pauline and Gary,

That wind was amazing here Saturday night. As for snow, it's coming cause I feel it and smell it. WI isn't that far south. :lol:

Eva :wink:

[bayhli]

I sure can relate to feeling and smell'n snow ... we had the wind up here today too but it had snow with it! Ah well it has to come sometime and that's usually Halloween night so I suppose we've had a break.

Oh I love Georgetown Gary; my granddaughter was born there so I got to know it a bit before they moved to Barrie. I had forgotten that Brampton was close by. Now that I've explored that neck of the woods a little at a time I need to get out a map and see again how they all relate.

This is my first Canadian forum and it sure is pleasant !! Thank you!

[Pauline]

Pat, this isn't a Canadian forum, there just seems to be quite a few of us chatty Canadians. :lol: We are a friendly group. But I know what you mean. I've been on other lists and there might be a couple other Canadians and that's it. Nice to have a few more of us active. We seem to outnumber in the Sat. night chat too. GO CANADA!! And I have to say a big kiss goes out to Dave for promoting and being proud of being Canadian and wearing that Canada shirt for photoshop tv.