Photoshop Elements 7: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals) by Barbara Brundage
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Book Reviews of Photoshop Elements 7: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals)
Book Review: missing details
Summary: 3 Stars
Though the author is extremely willing to communicate...I found this book to lack the details needed by an adobe rookie.
I ended up buying another book and putting this one aside.
Book Review: Ok text not great
Summary: 3 Stars
Ok format, not a good as other reviewers led me to believe. Example: attempt to find how to add frames to pictures not covered found on quick perusal in other test.Book Review: A little tough to get through
Summary: 3 Stars
Great book packed full of all the info you need but tough reading, very dry but I guess PSE is not the most entertaining topic to try to write about.Book Review: Photoshop Elements 7: The Missing Manual
Summary: 2 Stars
To be honest I was disappointed with this book for what I needed. I wanted a reference type manual that I could readily refer to when editing my pictures as a photographer to improve them using the many filters or techniques used from its 'big brother' Photoshop CS 4. This book did not deliver that perspective, instead it was aimed more to the person creating a digital scrap book or family albums, which is fine but not what I needed. To give you an example of what I am refering to there was only 35 pages set aside to explain 'Filters, effects, layer styles and gradients' compared to 40 pages for 'E mail & the web and online albums & slideshows'! The book does mention the filters, but only in a very basic format, lacking pictures of before and after shots plus key sliders controlling the various applications.
At the time of purchasing this manual, I also purchased a Rick Sammon's book on photographing people [Nothing to do with his digital dark room series of books]and got far more useful and easily understood instructions from this then I did with the missing manual, even though he was refering to Photoshop CS!
This book is good for those who like to create projects, albums, scrap books and the basics of what elements can do, but it does not cover more of the useful tips and techniques employed by professional photographers such as Renaissance lighting or using the blur tool to selectively soften wrinkles on faces. One could say I may be lazzy in not discovering these things for myself over time, however, the bottom line is that the Photoshop series of digital editing is so vast and complex that I purchase manuals to get me jump started straight into the operation.
Overall it depends what you want to use Photoshop Elements for as to how useful you will find this book. If looking for more of the professional photographers technique manual then I suggest looking for a different book.
Book Review: Unclear, poor writing. Many omissions and mistakes. Instead of step by step instructions, unnecessary gossiping style.
Summary: 2 Stars
The main reason for buying this book - The Missing Manual - is to obtain the step by step instructions on how to use this very complex and intricate software, not to be entertained with cute gossiping language. For example, p.154.,Figure 6-2, Understanding layers,instead of simply showing what to do, step by step, on how to change the background image of the photos, the author wrote: "You may not be able to afford to send your grandparents .... you can give them a virtual vacation." This example is one of the many annoying and unnecessary language style in this manual. I was still left searching pages of the book for this specifc editing tools. No wonder why it requires 550 pages to cover.
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Another frustrating omission by this author : page 88, Topic, The Hand Tool:" It's very easy to use, just clidk the little hand in the Toolbox ...Drag with the hand to move your photo around in the window ..." IT DOESN'T WORK !! Nothing moves ... Until after much searching, I stumble upon Window/Images/Maximize mode/Tile/Cascade ... then I found out that only Tile and Cascade modes allowed the Hand tool to work. How can you omit such a simple thing if you're writing a Manual to teach people (novice or advanced users alike) how to use the PhotoshopElement?