Adobe Photoshop is an ever evolving program. With each new version it becomes more powerful and yes more complex. Adobe Photoshop CS3 is no exception, in fact now there are two versions of Adobe Photoshop CS3, what I call the standard edition and now the new extended edition which offers image analysis, 3D and video features. If you want to get the most out of Adobe Photoshop CS3 for either Photography or for some other use you need a good book that covers the programs features. One such book is Real World Adobe Photoshop CS3 by David Blatner, Conrad Chavez, and Bruce Fraser from Adobe Press.

This single book covers everything you need to know about Adobe Photoshop CS3. The only thing it doesn't cover is how to be creative, that is something you have to learn from experimentation, trial and error and experience all of which are things that everyone can do and learn.

This full color illustration and sample laden book also covers Adobe Camera Raw 4 and Adobe Bridge CS3. Of course its main focus is on Adobe Photoshop but both of the other two programs come with Adobe Photoshop CS3. Some of the material covered includes: Building a Photoshop System including how much RAM, what type of monitors, processors, etc. Understanding color management which in an of itself can be a complex often nightmarish process. Layers, masks, selections and channels the real meat and potatoes of Adobe Photoshop, without them very little could be done. Sharpening your images, which is a very important subject. All images need at the very least a small amount of sharpening, but it is important to do this right and at the right time, all of this is covered in detail as well as some different sharpening methods.

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Building a Photoshop System
Chapter 2: Image Essentials
Chapter 3: Color Essentials
Chapter 4: Color Settings
Chapter 5: Building a Digital Workflow
Chapter 6: Essential Photoshop Tips and Tricks
Chapter 7: Image Adjustment Fundamentals
Chapter 8: The Digital Darkroom
Chapter 9: Making Selections
Chapter 10: Sharpness, Detail and Noise Reduction
Chapter 11: Essential Image Techniques
Chapter 12: Image Storage and Output

As you can see from the list of chapters this books covers everything from building a Photoshop friendly system to color management, image adjustment fundamentals, right on through to output and storage. This is an excellent book for any one new to Adobe Photoshop or anyone that wants to learn to use Adobe Photoshop better. It is nicely designed, easy to read and very thorough.