I just read an article in Outdoor Photographer that suggests you could do very well combining Photoshop Elements with Adobe Lightroom. My sister told me that, if Elements was as powerful as it is now, she may never have purchased real Photoshop.

I’m still learning, of course, but I think I had stepped up bit by bit for about 4 years before I felt I could either do anything I want or learn how to do it by asking some questions. My on-line friends have been the most help and you know all of them.

Here are some sample articles from Outdoor Photographer, which (ironically?) has been more helpful for learning Photoshop than the "technical" magazines.
http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/how-to/photoshop-and-other-software.html
References :

http://www.jimsdigitaldiary.com/photoshop.html

But please note: It’s a very basic intro to PS for photographers.

How did I learn? Self taught for a couple of years before I took every course I could find at the local college. Then I was invited to teach it at the University – which I did for four years.

After that, continuing to learn, I began teaching to private seminars and individual students.

In other words, I’ve learned what I know by teaching … and – MOST IMPORTANT! – by doing!

I read the current literature. I discuss various processes with other photographers. And I do both photo restorations and custom imaging professionally.

I never expect to learn even half of what can be done with Photoshop. But that’s okay. I don’t need to. I only need to understand the basic premises as they apply to photography (since I have no interest in graphic design or photo manipulation), know the tools … and practice, practice, practice.
References :
http://www.jimsdigitaldiary.com
http://www.cafepress.com/jimmcdadephoto

After that, I went back and took a college course in Photoshop, and it all began to make sense. I was doing everything the hard way, and not using the right tools or keyboard shortcuts. Through the course, we were given links to many excellent tutorials. I purchased CS3 and Lightroom, and I sped up my photoshop work exponentially.

After the course, I went back and studied the notes from Jim DiVitale, Julieanne Kost, and other speakers I had heard. It all clicked, and I understood the techniques they had been teaching.

I think it took about a year of true study to get to a point that I felt like I had a good command of the program, and actually started using many of the capabilities.

I liked the textbook from my college course – Martin Evening’s book:
http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-CS3-Photographers-Professional/dp/0240520289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225394418&sr=8-1

I’m sure there is plenty more to learn, but I’m able to do pretty much anything I need to in the program quickly and efficiently.
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I learned about it in school. I can handle it to the point where I’m happy with it… it’s only difficult when you make it difficult.
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I find online tutorials difficult to follow unless I print them out. I need hardcopy stuff right in my hand that I can follow while in Photoshop. Watching someone do something in photoshop at some website just seldom works for me later when *I* am in Photoshop.

Different people learn in different ways though. There IS lots of great info out there, you just have to seek it out and pretty much teach yourself. You CAN take classes and courses, but even then, you will NEVER learn it all there, so in effect you will ALWAYS be self teaching.

steve
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