Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great learning tool
Comment: I have searched through many possible books, etc to learn more about using this program. I am thrilled with this one. I have been learning quite a bit. The lessons that let you practice while you learn really help a lot. It is easier to learn while doing instead of just reading about things.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 Complete Course
Comment: If you want to learn Elements this is the book for you. Step by step instructions, exercises, tips & hints with book in color & CD. Spend the effort to go through the entire book first & you'll be zipping along in Elements in no time. It's a MUST & you'll go back to it often. The best get started Photoshop book that I have (replaced the Dummies handbook). Outstanding!
Customer Rating:
Summary: 5 stars to the author, not the publisher.
Comment: The other reviews here on the author's style are so well done, that I'll just say I agree that this is a book worth going through cover to cover.
I found it quite humorous that session 5 on "Making Selections" made its own selection. Selections are those parts of photos you choose to incorporate as a layer. It's basically a visual "cut and paste." Those pages which instruct on how to do this (at least in my copy of the book), selected themselves to be removed from the binding. Enjoy being creative in all aspects. Don't be annoyed by this if this happens to you. Be thankful for such a well thought out book even if the binding doesn't do its job. Why? When I taped the pages of that selection back together again, that session slightly layers itself out from the book when it's closed. That makes it a built in bookmark for a quick back reference to where the book seems to really begin digging into the more powerful aspects of the program.
It appears as if once the book has developed its weak area, the other pages of the book will remain intact. If you're going to use Photoshop Elements 2 (which comes with the better scanners), this book will make the most use out of that program.
The Tutorial about "Combining Images with a Layer Mask," is missing a vital peice of information in step 4 on page 205. Unless you hold down the Alt button (Windows OS) or Option button (Mac OS), the double circle icon to group your two layers together is never going to appear.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Superb Instruction
Comment: So often computer instruction books are re-hashes of the User guide. This one is a very well designed course. The author uses real world tasks to introduce all the most important features in a format which is entertaining. Its modular structure permits the learner to pick and choose his lessons. Its the first computer instruction book I've ever used which was fun.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Glad I bought it
Comment: It was difficult choosing a book as there is so much out there but I finally bought Jan's because of the overwhelming positive response. Well, I have to agree and am can only say that learning PSE2 through Jans course is a discovery! If you are in any way serious about Digital Photography and want to master the best tool out there than this book takes you through it with great intelligence.
Summary: Great learning tool
Comment: I have searched through many possible books, etc to learn more about using this program. I am thrilled with this one. I have been learning quite a bit. The lessons that let you practice while you learn really help a lot. It is easier to learn while doing instead of just reading about things.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 Complete Course
Comment: If you want to learn Elements this is the book for you. Step by step instructions, exercises, tips & hints with book in color & CD. Spend the effort to go through the entire book first & you'll be zipping along in Elements in no time. It's a MUST & you'll go back to it often. The best get started Photoshop book that I have (replaced the Dummies handbook). Outstanding!
Customer Rating:
Summary: 5 stars to the author, not the publisher.
Comment: The other reviews here on the author's style are so well done, that I'll just say I agree that this is a book worth going through cover to cover.
I found it quite humorous that session 5 on "Making Selections" made its own selection. Selections are those parts of photos you choose to incorporate as a layer. It's basically a visual "cut and paste." Those pages which instruct on how to do this (at least in my copy of the book), selected themselves to be removed from the binding. Enjoy being creative in all aspects. Don't be annoyed by this if this happens to you. Be thankful for such a well thought out book even if the binding doesn't do its job. Why? When I taped the pages of that selection back together again, that session slightly layers itself out from the book when it's closed. That makes it a built in bookmark for a quick back reference to where the book seems to really begin digging into the more powerful aspects of the program.
It appears as if once the book has developed its weak area, the other pages of the book will remain intact. If you're going to use Photoshop Elements 2 (which comes with the better scanners), this book will make the most use out of that program.
The Tutorial about "Combining Images with a Layer Mask," is missing a vital peice of information in step 4 on page 205. Unless you hold down the Alt button (Windows OS) or Option button (Mac OS), the double circle icon to group your two layers together is never going to appear.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Superb Instruction
Comment: So often computer instruction books are re-hashes of the User guide. This one is a very well designed course. The author uses real world tasks to introduce all the most important features in a format which is entertaining. Its modular structure permits the learner to pick and choose his lessons. Its the first computer instruction book I've ever used which was fun.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Glad I bought it
Comment: It was difficult choosing a book as there is so much out there but I finally bought Jan's because of the overwhelming positive response. Well, I have to agree and am can only say that learning PSE2 through Jans course is a discovery! If you are in any way serious about Digital Photography and want to master the best tool out there than this book takes you through it with great intelligence.