Total Training: Photoshop CS

With Deke McClelland

by Joyce J Evans

The Total Training Photoshop course is one of the finest I’ve seen to date. You can learn by doing with in-depth video instruction. Since it’s on DVD you can play it on your computer, pause and follow along. Or you can play it on your TV and follow right along without switching screens or pausing (if you are quick enough).

If you are a beginner to Photoshop, this is a great way to get hands on experience as you learn. But there is a ton of stuff even for experienced users. It’s a great way to get up to speed on all the new features some of which are Camera Raw, Photo Montage, Shadow Highlight, Layer Comps and red eye removal. I love the new Layer Comps feature; this is the best Photoshop version yet!

Included in the training is a quick reference guide that shows you each topic on the disc, including the length of each movie. You can decide ahead of time what you have time to view. The intro is nice but you aren’t forced to watch it each time you start the disc. Once you’ve watched it, it then skips to the place where you left off…nice timesaver.

A files disc is supplied which include the images used in the training so you can follow along. Also included are Deke’s custom preference settings so you can work in the same environment as Deke with the images that are supplied.

There are a total of 43 lessons on 7 DVDs which are organized very well by topics. Each DVD starts off with a course title etc. intro then moves into the disc intro using a casino theme. Deke wheels and deals you some great content. You are then presented with a menu of the topics included on that disc.

Each topic is very thorough and easy to understand. Deke meticulously walks you through each step of each task. There are a ton of insider tips and tricks to make your job easier.

The samples used in the book are creative and very nice. For instance, demonstrating how to remove redeye, this is the image used:

That’s the most unusual redeye I’ve ever seen! Not only does he show you how to use the tools, alter the color, get rid of the halo etc. but he explains why you get redeye in the first place.

If you’d like to take the training out for a spin then you can view a demo here:

In my opinion Deke McClelland is a master teacher! If you learn best by doing, then you can’t go wrong by investing in this training. It’s like having the master right there by you, guiding you through the learning process for a fraction of the cost of personalized training!

PROGRAM 1: Adobe Photoshop Fundamentals

Lesson 1: What Adobe Photoshop Can Do

Lesson 2: Launch & Prep

Lesson 3: The File Browser

Lesson 4: Workspace & Navigation

Lesson 5: Image Resolution

Lesson 6: Rotate & Crop

PROGRAM 2: Color Correction & Camera Raw

Lesson 1: Color Cast & Matching

Lesson 2: Hue Shift & Colorize

Lesson 3: Auto Corrections & Levels

Lesson 4: Curves, Shadows & Highlights

Lesson 5: Adjustment Layers & 16-Bit

Lesson 6: Camera Raw

PROGRAM 3: Select, Paint & Edit

Lesson 1: Selection Basics

Lesson 2: Smart Selections

Lesson 3: Working with Brushes

Lesson 4: Dodge, Burn, Smudge & Sponge

Lesson 5: Clone, Heal & Patch

Lesson 6: Replacing Colors

PROGRAM 4: Layers, Blends & Channels

Lesson 1: Introducing Layers

Lesson 2: Links, Sets & Comps

Lesson 3: Opacity & Blend Mode

Lesson 4: Layer Styles

Lesson 5: Masks & Channels

PROGRAM 5: Filters & Distortions

Lesson 1: Filter Basics

Lesson 2: Simulating Sharper Focus

Lesson 3: Blurring & Averaging

Lesson 4: Filters & Masks

Lesson 5: Painting with Filters

Lesson 6: Liquify

PROGRAM 6: Text, Vectors & Output

Lesson 1: Type Basics

Lesson 2: Specialty Type

Lesson 3: Editable Type Effects

Lesson 4: Vector-Based Shapes

Lesson 5: Panoramas & Slideshows

Lesson 6: Printing & Packaging

BONUS DISC

Lesson 1: Fill, Stroke & Color

Lesson 2: Using History

Lesson 3: Advanced Blending

Lesson 4: Knockouts & Dropouts

Lesson 5: Basic Color Theory

Lesson 6: Color Management

Lesson 7: Actions

Author: Deke McClellan

Price: $299