I don't use Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0, I use Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended. However, I can really see the need and the great value of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0. First it is very affordable, second there is a very large market for a powerful but affordable image editor that is appropriate for novice and intermediate photographers. Finally, by choosing Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 you gain access to a large selection of third party support options from plug-ins, to books, to online tutorials, to extras like brushes, styles and the like.

In the realm of third party books my top choice is Scott Kelby's and Matt Kloskowski's The Photoshop Elements 6 Book for Digital Photographers. There are several things that I like about this book, I like its layout, it is clean, unconfused and focused on techniques that all digital photographers need to have in their post processing arsenal. The techniques are laid out in a step-by-step structure with ample screen shots and sample shots.

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Managing Photos Using the Organizer
Chapter 2: Processing Your Images Using Camera Raw
Chapter 3: Resizing and Cropping Your Images
Chapter 4: Color Correction for Photographers
Chapter 5: Digital Camera Image Problems
Chapter 6: Selection Techniques
Chapter 7: Retouch Portraits
Chapter 8: Removing Unwanted Objects
Chapter 9: Special Effects for Photographers
Chapter 10: Sharpening Techniques
Chapter 11: How to Show Your Work
Chapter 12: How to Make Presentations with Your Photos
Chapter 13: Step-by-Step Printing and Color Management

As you can see the book covers all aspects of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 that a digital photographer needs to know. My favorite chapter is Chapter 9, some of the "special effects" are just really cool, things like Trendy High Contrast Portrait Effect, Converting to Black and White, Panoramas Made Crazy Easy, Creating Drama with a Soft Spotlight, Burned-In Edge Effect (Vignetting), Using Color for Emphasis, Soft Focus Effect, Replacing the Sky, Neutral Density Gradient Filter, and Taming Your Light.

Another chapter that I really like is Chapter 11 which covers how to show your work, but what I like is that it contains different, unique and attractive ways to show your work. Things like creating a fine art poster, simple three-photo balanced layout, multi-photo look from just one photo and more.

This is an incredible book, that is well designed, well thought out and one of the most useful and practical books available on Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. If you can only have one book this is the one you want.