ClueLess !! no really I am

after doing quite a few searchs on post processing stuff here, looking at you tube videos and the like leave me with one conclusion..

I"m totally clueless. I have no idea what a mask is, or an USM, what is it. what does it do. in fact most terms i'm lost on. Someone suggested I do something to a person skin to smooth it out and I literally looked at them thinking how can I smooth their skin now, they are gone??

can anyone point me to a true beginner book??

Gaarryy wrote in post #11254763
after doing quite a few searchs on post processing stuff here, looking at you tube videos and the like leave me with one conclusion..

I"m totally clueless. I have no idea what a mask is, or an USM, what is it. what does it do. in fact most terms i'm lost on. Someone suggested I do something to a person skin to smooth it out and I literally looked at them thinking how can I smooth their skin now, they are gone??

can anyone point me to a true beginner book??

Have you tried playing around with any software? A lot of these concepts are pretty simple to grasp once you try them.

You could also be a prime candidate for Lynda.com, which is pretty much the most respected place for Photoshop video tutorials. The have a trial period and a "getting started" series that you could, if you applied yourself, work through during the trial period, but there are a lot of folks here who have bought happily into a paid subscription.

A couple recommended books for Photoshop basics are Photoshop CSx for Digital Photographers by Martin Evening and Scott Kelby's Seven Point System for Photoshop CSx. I call it CSx because these are pretty hefty, spendy books and you can get a ton of useful info by buying used copies for, say, CS4.

Gary: I am looking for the same thing. I now understand USM only, still get the terms all wrong from time to time lol. As for smoothing skin, I find that using Noiseware program to remove noise then sharpen it using USM works for me.

Not a book, but joining the National Association of Photoshop Professionals was the best 99 bucks I ever spent.

You get some great discounts on software, gear, etc. and their videos, including "basics" or "beginner" videos are top notch. The monthly magazine is not bad either.

I'm not a shill for them - I just think its a good value.

Riveredger wrote in post #11255020
Have you tried playing around with any software? A lot of these concepts are pretty simple to grasp once you try them.

yes.. actually I have.. for a little over two months now.. I've done the canon DPP video's, various you tube videos about lightroom, to name a few.

Some things I have learned, like cropping but when a video says that _____ helps you do x,y,z. if you don't know what that x,y,z is or better yet what purpose it serves it's no help. Or just looking at the photo's on here and reading someone comments on how to improve it. It makes sense hearing what should be done but the actual doing it is lost on me

when someone looks at my photo's and says that it would be better if I smoothed out the skin,or got rid of a few of the stray hairs if have no idea what commands that would be with the software.

Get a Scott Kelby "beginning photoshop" type book. If you check my sig there's a link to an FAQ thread that has a recommended books thread.

Do you know how to use layers? Control+J will "copy and paste" your picture into a new layer to practice techniques without altering the original.
Do you select the eyes on a portrait and sharpen them? I click Filter then High Pass then change the layer to Overlay.

Um, I'm sure that just went a mile over the OP's head Cassidy. Haha.

I don't consider myself advanced at Photoshop Elements though
I'm trying to think of other basic things to do that are easy to start with...all I can think of now is Clone Stamp and Levels.

SuperHuman21 wrote in post #11256548
Um, I'm sure that just went a mile over the OP's head Cassidy. Haha.

and that's a low estimate..


thanks everyone for all the replys.

ordered a couple of books yesterday, got on the NAPP site and the others mentioned

I am also new to this. I have been going through Lynda.com where they have a course called Photoshop CS5 for Photographers. It is video based and gives you a good intro how to use the various functions.

I really liked the scott Kelby Photoshop CS3 (4, or 5) for photographers book. Its not a comprehensive manual, but it teaches you how to do many if not most of the things you will want to try. As you learn those things, you begin to understand the power of the techniques you have learned. His humor is hokey, but its not as dry as some of the books.

Ashenden wrote in post #11260188
I am also new to this. I have been going through Lynda.com where they have a course called Photoshop CS5 for Photographers. It is video based and gives you a good intro how to use the various functions.

I'll second this approach. Lynda.com has excellent videos and skilled instructors if you prefer video instruction to books. A one month subscription will cost about as much as a book and you have access to an enormous amount of educational material.

The best way to understand and learn is by doing, a lot of trial and error with a butt-load perseverance and determination.

Jason C