Adobe Photoshop CS2 Fundamental Techniques by Julieanne Kost

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Adobe Photoshop CS2
Fundamental Techniques
by Julieanne Kost

January 20, 2007

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Fundamental Techniques • Adobe Advanced CS2 Fundamental Techniques

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Fundamental Techniques
by Julieanne Kost
Sessions: 30
Tutorial Time: Over 12.5 Hours
MSRP: $159.00 | Click For Best Price

Software Cinema's latest Photoshop CS2 titles include a few DVDs narrated by Julieanne Kost, a highly talented graphics artist and currently serving as Photoshop Evangelist for Adobe Systems. In this review, we're taking a look at Julieanne's introduction to Photoshop CS2, which is part of a comprehensive guide to using Adobe's very popular Photoshop CS2 applications for not only graphics and web designers, but digital camera users as well. Software Cinema offers three ways to obtain knowledge about applications: Training Camps, Workshops-On-Demand, and Products-On-Disc. Whatever your particular need, Software Cinema assures to accommodate you in as many ways as possible.

Putting In The Disc

As with other Software Cinema DVD titles, diving into Adobe Photoshop CS2 and beginning to learn something took only a few minutes. The layout of the DVD is very simple and there are no complicated menus. Simply click on the numbered sessions on the left of the tutorial and the learning begins. Adobe Photoshop CS2: Fundamental Techniques contains 30 sessions, which in total pack a whopping twelve and a half hours of video content (12.5 hours!). The DVD is packed with knowledge.

What Is Covered

The following is an index of topics featured in Adobe PS CS2 Fundamental Techniques:

Session 01: Application Overview 27:09
Session 02: Color Management Basics 10:33
Session 03: Opening Images with Adobe Bridge 23:27
Session 04: Organizing and Managing Images 33:47
Session 05: Navigation 12:55
Session 06: Crop and Straighten 20:56
Session 07: Automated Image Adjustments 18:19
Session 08: Bit Depth, Modes and Channels 21:20
Session 09: Image Size 18:36
Session 10: Basic Layers 46:36
Session 11: Transforming Images 33:37
Session 12: Total Correction with Adjustment Layers 41:40
Session 13: Basic Selections 50:32
Session 14: Painting 33:14
Session 15: Patterns and Gradients 30:44
Session 16: Removing Imperfections 22:39
Session 17: Camera Raw Basics 41:03
Session 18: Masking 23:20
Session 19: Dodging and Burning 21:33
Session 20: Sharpening 11:29
Session 21: Blurring 23:57
Session 22: Artistic Filters 13:12
Session 23: Adding Edges 20:03
Session 24: The History Palette and Art History Brush 26:29
Session 25: Liquify 17:26
Session 26: Typography 37:53
Session 27: Saving 17:20
Session 28: Printing 15:45
Session 29: Automating Tasks 23:59
Session 30: Sharing Images 13:40

In-Depth For More Image Control

While the Photoshop Elements DVDs are certainly a great addition to anyone's understanding of Elements, Adobe PS CS2 Fundamental Techniques introduces the user to Photoshop CS2, providing much more content and versatility for digital images and graphic design. For those who are wanting to take their images to another level, the introduction to Photoshop CS2 by Julieanne Kost is definitely a wise choice. If you began your image editing with the Elements DVDs, this series is recommended to take your image editing to the next level.

One of the many aspects covered in this DVD is color profiling. Photoshop provides many advantages, and one of them is having an elaborate selection of creating and saving various color profiles to make sure your images are consistent from the creation process, to the final output. Julieanne Kost does a great job in explaining how to create profiles which are accurate from pre-editing to post-editing.

Another favorite session of mine is Session #26 - Typography. In this session, Julieanne demonstrates the dynamics of using text with illustrations. Creating a professional image is one part of the photography process, but what if you want to add text to the image? Julieanne shows you how to elegantly add text to images, providing a wide variety of different options to suit your particular style.

Session #17 is at the top of my list. Here, Julieanne explains Camera Raw basics. If you're a serious photographer, you're probably shooting in RAW. If not, your images are losing a considerable amount of dynamic range, as the camera compresses the images, which means you're losing valuable image information which cannot be obtained ever again. Some special techniques for cropping, color profiling, tone curves, and many other little additions when dealing with RAW files, which are pretty basic but most Photoshop users have probably overlooked them. This session is definitely a session you will want to watch many times over.

Pros

Simple layout

Julieanne has a pleasant voice and does not rush any of the tutorial lessons so you can easily grasp the concept she is currently working on

Color profiling is especially well-narrated by Julieanne

Easy access to all DVD sessions

Graphic interface is professionally designed and elegant

There are some rather large sessions (one is around 47mins) but just grab a sandwich and relax in your favorite chair

One of the better PS CS2 introductory DVDs I've used

Cons

Might be considered a little pricey, but the content is almost 13 hours, which averages out to about $12.20 an hour. Think you can hire a graphics pro who knows Photoshop inside and out for the same hourly wage? I didn't think so.

Observations

Appears to not play in modern "home multimedia" DVD players--only PC-based DVD players

Adobe Photoshop CS2 Fundamental Techniques is one of the first tutorials on DVD you should buy when you purchase Adobe PS CS2. While purchasing a book is helpful, actually watching someone use Photoshop and giving important comments about what they are doing while you watch, is many times more beneficial, and will catapult your learning curve.

It's quite amazing this DVD has over 12.5 hours of video content, and this is just the "fundamental" DVD! There are hours of basic techniques anyone can learn very quickly and the best part is, you can play the particular sessions over and over.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLUS

One of the key successes of making a tutorial on a highly complex application such as Photoshop CS2, is to present the material in palatable sections, with the narrator having the talents of demonstrating techniques in a manner which makes the viewer comfortable. Because let's face it, you have to be comfortable to learn. Software Cinema once again does an excellent job at having Julieanne Kost narrate this DVD.