Many of you already know that I have never a big fan of digital images. The images are beautiful when viewed online, but the workflow has always been discouraging for me. It was a long time before I finally decided to switch from film to digital. Since that time, and even before, I have tried to educate myself on the benefits of Photoshop. Each time I would do fine reading until the first or second chapter. Then I would find myself so bored that I couldn't continue. The only exception to this was John Shaw's first e-book on Photoshop. So I was very excited when I found that Mr. Shaw has now written a second e-book on CS3.

There is something about the down to earth way that John Shaw writes that has always held my interest. It's almost as if he is right there in the room speaking to you. His directions are easy to understand, but it really is more than that. It's the approach he takes to teaching that keeps me interested. I have loved each and every one of his books and e-books. So when my copy of Photoshop CS3 Guide arrived, I couldn't wait to begin.

CS3 e-book was written for the photographer. It isn't for those who want to do fancy things with Photoshop. The e-book isn't going to teach you how to take a bad image and make it great nor will it teach you how to alter images that weren't taken correctly in the first place. Mr. Shaw states this right up front on his website and on the CD.

The CS3 e-book is for those who want their images to look their best. Those of you who have shot with film should be able to remember the joy of getting a set of slides back from the processor and viewing them on the light box. Part of what I miss with digital is that joy of seeing my best work. Shaw's Photoshop CS3 Guide has helped me reclaim that lost joy by allowing me to learn the best work flow to make my images look their best while spending less time at the computer. The less time I spend in front of a computer means the more time I get to spend in the field doing what I would love to do, take photos! My dream has never been to set at a computer screen and edit images. That is why the CS3 e-book interested me and it has lived up to all my expectations.

As with all Shaw's books he begins with the basics and moved to the more advanced techniques that will provide results. As I worked through this e-book I began to see how my workflow was slow and even awkward at times. After some practice the new settings and tips I found in this e-book allowed me to achieve better results than I had with Photoshop previously. The time spent was decreased dramatically as well.

The topics covered in the Photoshop CS3 Guide are outlined on pages 5 and 6 which I have included as a snapshot from the guide. Also included is a really handy set of brush files that can be installed into CS3. The brush set is a nice added bonus that I find myself using quite often.

John Shaw's photography always amazes me and I love seeing it. But I really have to say that I have begun to look forward to seeing his new books and educational tools just as much as his images. When it's all said and done, John Shaw is the master of not only nature photography but also educating those who aspire to take their passion for photography to a higher level.

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