Because you're holding this book, you most likely share one of my passions — photography. No matter whether your passion is lifelong or recently discovered, if you're ready to take your photography to a new level, you've picked up the right book. I've taught countless photographers to use Photoshop Elements and Photoshop, and in doing so I've learned to show them the things they need to know without distracting them with software features that they'll rarely use.
Years ago when I was a supervisor for a very large photolab, I often got the delightful job of escorting visitors and dignitaries through the massive complex, which occupied most of a city block. Whenever I led one of those tours, I always took the visitors through the lab as though they themselves were rolls of film being processed and printed. We started at the intake and sorting area and finished at the custom enlargement packaging area. When they saw all of the different pieces in the context of an overall workflow, they got a clear vision of what we were doing at the lab.
When I teach someone how to use any kind of photo-editing software, I use the same method. I take them through a process from start to finish so they see how all of the pieces fit together. This is the same process I take you through in this book. You begin with fundamental concepts to understand the editing environment. Then you move on to the important principles regarding importing, organizing, and archiving photos. Then, after you learn to make your photos look great, you learn several different ways to share them with the world.
This book is intended for people who are serious about their photography and are unwilling to settle for a snapshot when they can have a stunning image. They understand that in today's digital world almost every photo can be made to look better using a few simple digital darkroom tools. However, they don't want to spend half their lives sitting at a computer learning complicated software techniques. They want to quickly get up to speed so they can focus on enjoying their photos.
To get the most from this book, start at the beginning and go through it sequentially. Doing so allows you to experience the learning process in the way I envision it. In many cases, ideas in one chapter build on information introduced in previous chapters. This amplification process won't make as much sense if experienced out of order. Also, take the time to read each chapter, even if you already understand its subject. You never know when you'll turn up a nugget that completely changes the way you work with your photos.
Note
This book was written using Photoshop Elements (PSE) 8. However, almost all of the information contained in it applies to earlier versions of PSE, such as 6 and 7.
Download the practice files from the Web site, www.wiley.com/go/pse8aftertheshoot. After you go through a hands-on process with the book's files, take the time to explore those new processes with some of your own photos. I know from experience that working with personal files makes a big difference in the learning process. This is where you'll find the time to go as deep as you need to go while exploring the content of this book.
Like all of Adobe's creative software, PSE 8 comes in two versions — one for Windows and one for Mac. These two platform-specific versions have a major difference in PSE 8. The Mac version does not come with the Organizer program, which is central to importing and organizing photos. Instead, a version of Adobe Bridge, the organizational program used in the full version of Photoshop, is included. Though both of these programs are used to accomplish the same things, it isn't possible to cover both of them in this book without removing other important material that applies to both sets of users.
Note
The Editor portion of PSE 8, which is central to editing and printing photos, is nearly identical in the Windows and Mac versions.
If you have the Mac version of PSE 8 you can learn about Adobe Bridge and how to use it in my other book, Adobe Photoshop CS4 After the Shoot. If you are a Mac user who hasn't purchased PSE 8, there is another option: You can load Windows onto your system and use it to run the Windows version of PSE 8. Believe it or not, even though all of the screenshots in this book were made from the Windows XP version of Photoshop Elements 8, the program was actually running on a Mac. That's right. This book was written on a Mac running Windows and OS X.
I tried very hard to make sure everything in this book is 100 percent accurate. If you notice any errors or omissions, please let me know by emailing me at [email protected]. That way, I can fix them in future editions.
