Showing posts with label workflow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workflow. Show all posts

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible Review

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible
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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible ReviewI'm a professional portrait photographer. I work both in-studio as well as on-location and I have used Photoshop intensively for 6 years and Lightroom since beta. That said, I am always open to learning new methods that can shave time off my workflow - the less time I spend at the computer, the more dollars per hour I make. This book has helped me to learn more about the programs that I use all day every day.
Now, trying to cover ALL of Lightroom and Photoshop in one (albeit full-to-the-brim) book is an impossible task. One has to choose what to cover in depth, and what to leave out. Fitzgerald has done a fantastic job of covering the critical components of the actual workflow without getting bogged down in (for instance) the minutiae of how to do eye enhancement retouching so as to bring out liquidity and presence.
All of us need to `hammer through' thousands of images, sorting, color-balancing, retouching a bit, cropping, etc.,, etc., etc., ad infinitum! And, all of us need to do this faster and smarter without dropping our guard on the finest end result we can create (which is what our clients pay for!) Fitzgerald gives you just the right amount of information so you can get up and running RIGHT NOW and start using the programs.
This book is a huge help in that. Fitzgerald covers the entire process from importing images to Lightroom through final printing out of Photoshop. As a portrait artist who specializes in enhancement retouching I have spent hundreds of hours studying and using Photoshop and Fitzgerald teaches me new stuff on darn near every page. I also simply love Lightroom (especially 2.1!) and Fitzgerald gives so many great little tips along the way I wonder how the heck he could find time to learn it all and write the book when LR2.0 was still in beta!
Caveat: this in NOT an absolutely thorough coverage of every little thing in either of the programs (for instance, color management gets a few pages here and there whereas Bruce Fraser wrote a whole book on it!), but, that said, it sure as heck will give you the groundwork that you require for getting your workflow up and running and for understanding the programs enough to really get good work done. Actually, I am very surprised at how well Fitzgerald did considering the scope of this book.
I wish the index was more thorough, but I wish that for every book (oh! for an on-line concordance for books!) And I wish there were full-tilt keyboard shortcut charts for both programs (but those can be found on-line, I suppose). The layout is a bit dense to my eye, but there is so much to cram in, I guess if it were less dense the book would be a brick.
Lastly, I have to say that I usually find that book writers do a poor job of keeping a teaching-flow going while writing, they jump around, they try and be too `cool' and get all cutesy, or they dive down long, dark rabbit holes and lose the reader. Fitzgerald is one of the best in-print teachers I have come across, and I read many books per month.
All in all: if you want to improve your bottom line by improving your workflow, buy it!Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Workflow Bible Overview

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Automator for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide Review

Automator for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide
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Automator for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide ReviewLike many people who make their living using a computer I perform many repetitive tasks. I've dabbled around in Applescript a bit and have managed to make a few scripts that help me but since I'm not really a programmer that is only worth the time if I'm going to use the same script often. Even then, if the sequence task requires only a few steps it doesn't seem worth the effort to struggle with the programming. Enter Automator.
With OS X.4, Apple offered a tool to make automation easier. With OS X.5 it actually is close enough to easy, or could be easy once getting past the intimidation factor. With this QuickStart guide to hold my hand I've actually gotten to the point where I start to think of Automator whenever I need to perform repetitive tasks. The writing is clear and straightforward. I love the visual cookbook format of the series and it works well here. Walde has chosen some useful examples to teach Automator and make it accessible. The learning progression - from simpler to more complex tasks is well thought out. For an introduction to Automator, this book is excellent and will take you as far as possible without having to learn to script with Applescript or a shell language.Automator for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide Overview

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Raw Workflow from Capture to Archives: A Complete Digital Photographer's Guide to Raw Imaging Review

Raw Workflow from Capture to Archives: A Complete Digital Photographer's Guide to Raw Imaging
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Raw Workflow from Capture to Archives: A Complete Digital Photographer's Guide to Raw Imaging ReviewWhen a digital camera takes a picture it saves the information in a digital file. This file may be processed by the camera for easier viewing or use. RAW is the name of the file format for unprocessed data. This RAW file is capable of more manipulation when transferred to a computer than a processed picture, like one in the JPG format. This allows a photographer to make the file look more like his or her vision.
This book offers guidance on using the raw format, starting with set up of the camera for saving a picture in RAW, through processing, to archiving the image. There are several books in print that explain how to use the popular Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) software, which is part of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, for processing RAW files. But ACR is not the only software available for processing RAW files, even if it is the most prominent. Unlike other books, this volume takes a step back and looks at the range of software available for RAW processing including independent software like Capture One, Raw Shooter and Bibble, and camera manufacturers' software like Nikon Capture. The authors also consider related software, like Adobe Bridge and Extensis Portfolio, as well as some new software that takes a different approach to handling RAW files, like Apple's Aperture and Adobe's Lightroom.
Unfortunately, this effort to take the long view has its problems. The authors look at different software packages for RAW processing, and point out the most important features of each, However there is not enough depth to allow readers to make a decision as to which package is best for them. If it is impossible to provide that much information in a book of this length, I would have liked to see the authors provide their comparative conclusions as to which software was most appropriate for photographers with different goals and bents.
The same problem exists with regard to other aspects of the long view. For example the author's note that both Extensis Portfolio and Adobe Bridge have the capability of searching archived files for keywords. But they don't make any comparison that shows the advantages and disadvantages of the two. I conducted an experiment to search one thousand files for a single keyword. With Portfolio the search took less than a second. The same search with Bridge took more than five minutes. Yet, if I were working in Bridge with a small file set, it would be more convenient to search keywords with Bridge than to start Portfolio. While I don't need to see this exact comparison, I would have liked to see a more detailed comparison than was provided.
At the other end of the scale, the authors give far more detailed instruction on the use of ACR than on any other converter. Unfortunately, it's just not quite deep enough. They show you how to manipulate the controls in ACR but leave out many of the fine points. For example, most experts recommend that you not sharpen your pictures in ACR. The authors also tell you this, although they do tell you how to adjust the sharpening slider. But it's easier to use the other controls if the picture is sharpened. ACR has a facility that allows you to view your file as sharpened, without actually applying sharpening. The authors don't mention this.
If you want to learn how to use ACR, for the beginner I recommend Mikkel Aaland's "Photoshop CS2 Raw" and for the more experienced user, Rob Sheppard's "Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only". But if you want a broad overview of the entire RAW process, with an introduction to all aspects, including software, I haven't found a book comparable to this.
Raw Workflow from Capture to Archives: A Complete Digital Photographer's Guide to Raw Imaging Overview

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Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop Review

Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop
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Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop ReviewWorkflow, for digital photography, is the sequence of tasks from preparing one's camera, through capturing, downloading, processing, outputting, cataloging and archiving images. Workflow is concerned with an effective sequence of steps rather then the techniques, like moving sliders for particular effects.
Like most photography books, this book starts with a description of the equipment involved in the process, including cameras and computers. The second part deals with the workflow through Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 ("LR2"). The third part looks with more particularity at the Develop module of LR2 and the fourth part with the integration of LR2 and Photoshop. In all cases, the book deals with the second iteration of Lightroom, including the new tools found in LR2.
The author writes clearly and the illustrations are good, although as usual for most books, the screen saves are a little small for those with poor eyesight. Using the book to review my own LR2 workflow I found that there were several tools available in the now feature-rich software that could ease my use.
One of the major problems of writing about workflow is drawing the boundaries between workflow and technique. I suspect that a volume devoted to just workflow would be about 20 pages long. This is particularly true in the case of LR2, where, with the exception of the new Local Adjustments toolbar, the entire software is laid out in a linear workflow fashion. Inevitably authors slip into technique. Courvoisier does this with the regard to the new Development Module, and to a certain extent with regard to Photoshop integration, although as to the latter, he delves into the matter further and more usefully then any other author I've read to date.
Unfortunately, his technique descriptions are not only outside of the idea of workflow, but also lack the details necessary to make really effective use of LR2. For that I would recommend the reader look at "The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers" by Martin Evening, or one of the other LR2 books which are scheduled for release. Occasionally tools important to the workflow concept are not even discussed. For example, there is no mention of parent-child keywords, the use of which can significantly effect workflow.
When it comes to the Photoshop section, Courvoisier serves a highly useful function in calling attention to the many aspects of Photoshop that can be initiated from within LR2. Similarly his pointing out the uses of multiple catalogs is innovative, even though he only suggests methods that create different catalogs for different subjects. His concept of round-tripping could be expanded even further. For example, I do my raw processing in one catalog, but keep another for managing my finished TIFF pictures, and still another just to test that files that I save to DVD are indeed intact. (Call me compulsive, or read "The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers (O'Reilly Digital Studio)"!)
This is probably not a book for beginners to learn about LR2, although they may benefit from it after reading an LR2 primer. Intermediate and advanced LR2 users will find it useful to use to review their own workflow and improve their efficiency.Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop Overview

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The Complete Raw Workflow Guide: How to get the most from your raw images in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, Photoshop, and Elements Review

The Complete Raw Workflow Guide: How to get the most from your raw images in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, Photoshop, and Elements
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The Complete Raw Workflow Guide: How to get the most from your raw images in Adobe Camera Raw, Lightroom, Photoshop, and Elements ReviewI my humble opinion, this is the best book on understanding Camera Raw processing and gaining the hands on experience in a user friendly way.
Why? The book is written in plain straight forward English, with plenty of screen shots pertaining to the application interfaces. The layout of the book is very user friendly. Unlike many other instructional books, the pictures here are large enough to easily see all the details. The book is divided logically into independent chapters regarding both the hands on process and the more in detail background information. You can focus on those chapters you are interested in, or just read the book from A to Z.
I checked and bought several books on this subject and The Complete Raw Workflow Guide is clearly the winner!
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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Classroom in a Book Review

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Classroom in a Book
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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Classroom in a Book Review"Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Classroom in a Book" is Adobe's "official" training for Lightroom 2. That doesn't make it necessarily better or more enjoyable a course presentation, but it does give you some assurance that the contents are accurate. Actually, I'm not entirely sure whether Adobe publishes this book, or PeachPit publishes it using Adobe's imprimatur (I think the latter). In any event, you can get a feel for the writing and the instructional flow from the samples on PeachPit's web site for this title (look on the "extras" tab), which is helpful as Amazon doesn't have a "Look Inside" for this title.
The contents of the book include:
Getting Started
1. A Quick Tour of Photoshop Lightroom
2. Introducing the Workspace
3. Importing
4. Reviewing
5. Organizing and Selecting
6. Developing and Editing
7. Creating Slideshows
8. Printing Images
9. Publishing your Photos on the Web
10. Creating Backups and Exporting Photos
Index
Personally, I think the material is a little dry, though I wouldn't over-emphasize that. You can contrast that against some of the comments concerning Scott Kelby's Lightroom book and his sense of humor. ... And then make your choice - or buy both! There's no doubt that Kelby's books are highly regarded! Kelby's book may be found here: The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
What the Adobe book does very effectively is walk you completely through the software in a highly structured way, in essence teaching you not just the software, but workflow too. Amazon's price for this title is excellent.Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Classroom in a Book Overview

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