[Cuey]

I've just got a copy of CS3 Extended, all whistle and bells version. I've used Elements 5 a bit and this seemed like a really good idea. Its awsomely powerful but to be honest theres so much going on that i don't know if i'll ever understand it. What do i absolutely have to know and will i ever use it to its full potential?

How many Amatuers on here use it, or is it moving into the domain of the proffesional?

[maniclee]

I use photoshop at work every day and there is so much I don't know. Most of my skills are in colour balance and general cleaning up of images - pretty simple stuff. I've just started to make an effort to learn new skills doing graphics and stuff. I've just done my first GIF animation.
If you enjoy PS and have the desire to learn, you'll have no trouble. Just learn what you think you need. There are loads of websites offering tips and tricks, as well as the guys on here. Check out planetphotoshop.

[ImpInaBox]

Still on CS2 here - which I use for both website graphics and photographs - but the same applies - it's hard to know where to start! I'd have a look at some of the books on Photoshop - Scott Kelby's Photoshop for Digital Photographers is one that sticks in my mind - tho I the copy I saw was written with CS2 in mind the same principles apply and there are some cracking tips and tricks for improving your photos. Trying to learn what Photoshop is capable of would probably take for ever but if you start from 'what would make this picture better?' and find out how to do that in Photoshop you'll be off to a good start.

[PopT]

Cuey
My advice is to buy a book, I know this seems a glib remark but when you have the book you will how easy it is to learn the programme.

You can dip into any aspect of the programme and it is easy to follow the pictures and instructions unlike other manuals that are horrendous to follow.

The beauty of the book is you do not have to read it from front to back, just take out the parts you need to use.

There is a good one on Abe Books.com entitled, 'Teach Yourself Visually Adobe Photoshop CS3' by Mike & Linda Wooldridge. Published by Wiley Publishing,Inc.

You will find it is a cheap buy, a lot less than the bookshops even if you could find a copy in the UK.

Good Luck

Happy Days!

[jezzyjj]

Photoshop [CS3] for Photographers by Martin Evening is the book I always recommend. It's one of the few 'computer' books that's actually written by someone who can actually use the programme well enough to make money from it. Most are written by people who are crap at photography/design etc, so write a book about it instead.
I've used PS since 1995 and I wish there'd been something as good as this when I started. It would have saved me an awful lot of time. I even bought a copy of the current version, to make sure I didn't miss any interesting bits of CS3.

Having said that PS is complete overkill for 95% of photographers, most of whom would be bettter off with something like Lightroom/Aperture/CaptureOne. LR probably being the best of those programmes. I use PS a lot, but I'm finding do most of the work LR/Bridge and ACR [Adobe Camera RAW-which is the back end of LR] before I even get into PS these days. And PS extended is not even aimed at photographers, it's features are for video, 3D or medical imaging.

[Silence]

I have CS3
It is impossible to learn everything because it depends on your fntasy and imagination
Photoshop is my hobby I learnt it myself

[rob-s]

I have to agree with jezzyjj on this - the book he recommends is excellent. I use CS3 Extended for most of my work and it's virtually infinite! I doubt that anyone really knows all of it, and I doubt very much that anybody uses more than about 10% of it!

The danger with Photoshop has always been that you can do so much, it's hard to know when to stop. My advice to anyone would be to open a picture, look at it and ask yourself - what would make it look better? Don't ask yourself "How far could I go with this?"

The best thing is to learn a few things (colour balance, sharpening, how to convert to black and white (there are dozens of ways to do this!!), cropping, resizing etc,) and learn how to do them well. Then move on to layers and masking - these are invaluable and improve your editing techniques by a very long way.

Most of all, be patient - everything comes to he who waits.

[GrinderBloke]

I've got an older edition of Photoshop for photographers and would recommend it.

Using Phoshop from a photographic perspective is far removed from someone using it for web design etc.

[Squiggs]

I use it for both web and for print and in answer to your actual question, No, you will never ever "learn it".

Simply because there is so much to it, someone will always discover new ways of using the tools to certain effect.

And what you want to do, determines the paths you take, whether it be photo manipulation, retouching, product photography/enhancement/cropping, or creating anew (though Illustrator or CorelDRAW are better for creating "illustrations")

I've been using it "hobby" for about 5-6 years and professionally at work for about 3 and there is SO much that I don't know (much much more I don't know about it than what I DO know about it in fact)

So no it is not a quick process but that's the great thing - you can do something you are really proud of and months later look at your new work, look at the old work and think "was I really proud of THAT? Wow, I'm so much better now". And repeat, possibly ad infinitum

So keep it up and have fun doing so!