Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques has been completely updated to cover the new features in CS4. In a friendly, easy-going style that's long on information and short on techno-babble, Photoshop Hall-of-Famer Ben Willmore and photographer Dan Ablan guide you through the concepts and features that will truly make a difference in how you use Photoshop every day. They'll take you from blindly following step-by-step instructions to an in-depth understanding of how Photoshop works, cutting through the fat to focus on what they consider to be Photoshop's essential features. This full-color book delivers the content in three easily digestible sections: Working Foundations, Production Essentials, and Creative Explorations. Streamlined for this new edition, the book will distill Photoshop's vast capabilities down to what you need to know for a full understanding of the program, while simultaneously focusing more directly on best practices for the photographer. Beginning with a quick "refresher course" on the working foundations of Photoshop, you'll move on to real-world production techniques. Finally, you'll get to fully explore Photoshop's creative potential by blending and enhancing images, creating collages, retouching photographs, colorizing, and working with filters and layer masks. By the time you finish this book, your creativity and efficiency levels will soar and you'll feel like you finally "get" Photoshop.

The most comprehensive guide to Photoshop, fully updated to cover all new features

Long established as a must-have guide for Photoshop users upgrading to the newest version, Up to Speed goes right to the heart of Photoshop CS4 what has changed, what is new, and how you can get the most out of the features as quickly as possible. Rather than sift through hundreds of pages detailing every last Photoshop feature and function (both old and new), you can go directly to the new features that interest you the most and get the explanations you desire in the classic Ben Willmore style-- intuitive, crystal clear, and in-depth. By focusing on a single topic--what's new in this version--the award-winning author provides precisely what experienced Photoshop users have been clamoring for, in exactly the depth they demand. After reading this book even if you've been using CS4 for awhile don't be surprised to hear yourself say, I didn't know CS4 did that! In addition to learning the new features in no time flat, a welcome side effect of learning from Ben is that you can expect to become a better, faster and more efficient Photoshop user, and few things are more fun than becoming better at Photoshop!

The definitive guide to creating video for the Web In Video with Adobe Flash CS4 Professional Studio Techniques, Robert Reinhardt goes beyond the entry-level coverage found in other books to bring you a comprehensive look at what you really need to know to produce, host, and distribute Flash-compatible video on the Web, including FLV and AVC/H.264 content. Real world examples and hands-on projects with sample video files provide the expert training you need with tips and insights that everyone can benefit from. You’ll learn: Basic methods, from preproduction through delivery, including capturing, processing, and compressing your video. Production essentials for sharing your footage on the Web, including setting up your Web page and server for seamless video playback and how to create your own video player. Advanced techniques, including building an index and play list, adding captions and banner ads, and designing a comprehensive video experiencefor your audience. Includes complete sample Flash files as shown throughout the book. More than 2 GB of source files are provided, including High Definition (HD) clips, which you can use to perfect your video compression skills. The source files for each chapter are found in the corresponding Lessons folder on the disc. Robert Reinhardt is a highly respected authority on Flash and Flash video. He has authored or co-authored numerous books on Flash, including the Flash Bible and the Flash ActionScript Bible, and his blog and other online articles draw a wide audience. He has developed multimedia courses for educational facilities in Canada and the United States and is an Adobe Certified Instructor for Flash courses at Portland State University. He is a former Vice President of the Multimedia Platforms Group at Schematic and now works with a wide range of clients from his base in Portland, Oregon. A frequent presenter at conferences such as Flashforward, FITC, Flashbelt, and NAB, he is also a contributor at DesignProVideo.com. Forums and updates for this book can be found at FlashSupport.com, where you can share questions and answers with Robert and other readers. All of Peachpit's eBooks contain the same content as the print edition. You will find a link in the last few pages of your eBook that directs you to the media files. Helpful tips: · If you are able to search the book, search for "Where are the lesson files?" · Go to the very last page of the book and scroll backwards. · You will need a web-enabled device or computer in order to access the media files that accompany this ebook. Entering the URL supplied into a computer with web access will allow you to get to the files. · Depending on your device, it is possible that your display settings will cut off part of the URL. To make sure this is not the case, try reducing your font size and turning your device to a landscape view. This should cause the full URL to appear.

EXPAND YOUR IMAGINATION Smashing Photoshop CS5 is loaded with 100 creative and innovative techniques to help jump-start your creativity and inspire you to do more with your designs and photographs. This book is aimed at designers, artists and photographers who want to become proficient in Photoshop CS5, getting you quickly up to speed with many of the fantastic new tools and features. Author Sue Jenkins is a photographer and web and graphic designer, author, software instructor and Adobe Certified Expert. Using her knowledge and years of expertise in the field she provides 100 hints, special effects, and techniques that will enable you to extend your existing skills and to develop and execute new ideas and trends. Smashing Photoshop CS5 is the ideal guide to help you to get the best out of Photoshop CS5. This book will teach you how to perform specific tasks using a variety of tools, filters, styles, adjustment layers, and more. With Smashing Photoshop CS5 you will learn how to: • MAKE 3D TEXT WITH REPOUSSÉ • CREATE ENGRAVED TYPE • DESIGN A BLOG HEADER • STIMULATE HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES • MAKE RETRO HALFTONES • WORK WITH CUSTOM BRUSHES • USE CONTENT-AWARE SCALING • TRANSFORM WITH PUPPET WARP • TRACE PHOTOS • MAKE SCALE MODELS • MIMIC CROSS-PROCESSING (XPRO) • EDIT WITH LAYER MASKS • CORRECT IMAGE DISTORTION • RETOUCH AND RESTORE IMAGES • EDIT WITH THE VANISHING POINT • CREATE PANORAMAS Key Topics Covered: Part I: Web Layout And Optimization Part II: Photoshop CS4 And CS5 Techniques Part III: Text Effects Part IV: Studio And Commercial Effects Part V: Special Effects Part VI: Image Distressing Part VII: Image Retouching And Restoration Smashing Photoshop CS5 is the perfect springboard for sparking new ideas and gaining inspiration for all your projects. Smashing Magazine (smashingmagazine.com) is one of the world's most popular web design sites. True to the Smashing mission, the Smashing Magazine book series delivers useful and innovative information to Web designers and developers.

A classic guide to creative nature photography, now updated for the digital world. Amateur and experienced photographers interested in taking more compelling, personal images will love this new edition of Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, now updated to address the exciting possibilities (and challenges) of digital image-making. Author Brenda Tharp’s inspiring approach has garnered fans all over the world, as she teaches that magical skill no camera can do for you: learn how to “see.” Readers expand their photographic vision and discover deep wellsprings of creativity as they learn to use light, balance, color, design, pattern, texture, composition, and many simple techniques to take a photo from ordinary to high-impact. Featuring more than 150 stunning, all-new images, Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, Revised Edition is for anyone who understands the basic technical side to photography but wants to wake up their creative vision.

This is the only book in the After Effects market to focus exclusively on the creation of visual effects, and is a one-stop resource for anyone who wants in-depth explanations that demystify the realm of visual effects and how they were created, thanks to veteran author Mark Christiansen's friendly and accessible style. A thoroughly packed, informative read, this masterful guide focuses on explaining the essential concepts, features, and techniques that are key to creating seamless movie-quality visual effects. Users who are comfortable with After Effects will find a helpful review of After Effects fundamentals—managing footage, viewing and editing layers, animating type, and more—so they can learn how to work smarter and more efficiently. Readers of all levels will learn core techniques for effects compositing including color matching, keying, rotoscoping, motion tracking, emulating the camera, and concluding with using expressions in After Effects, written by contributor and expert Dan Ebberts. The final section of the book delves into creative explorations, demonstrating professional effects that readers might want to re-create. Readers will also find comprehensive coverage of all that's new and makes this version of Adobe’s effects program such a boon to video pros of all stripes: searchable timelines and projects, Photoshop 3D layers import, the Cartoon effect, Imagineer Systems’ Mocha for Adobe After Effects, improved workflow for mobile devices, and more. All of Peachpit's eBooks contain the same content as the print edition. You will find a link in the last few pages of your eBook that directs you to the media files. Helpful tips: · If you are able to search the book, search for "Where are the lesson files?" · Go to the very last page of the book and scroll backwards. · You will need a web-enabled device or computer in order to access the media files that accompany this ebook. Entering the URL supplied into a computer with web access will allow you to get to the files. · Depending on your device, it is possible that your display settings will cut off part of the URL. To make sure this is not the case, try reducing your font size and turning your device to a landscape view. This should cause the full URL to appear. Throughout the book, beautiful full-color examples demonstrate what's possible, while the companion DVD offers demos of After Effects CS4, sample footage, and software plug-ins.