Photoshop CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks – First Look
Earlier today I got on my desk a copy of Scott Kelby’s Photoshop CS4 Down and Dirty Tricks book, and that usually means that my productivity level just headed straight south as I spent some time poring over the book contents. Hey, the way I see it, it’s still productive if I get back to you guys and tell you what I think about it, right?

When you are in the market for Photoshop books, there are tons to get out there but they are generally segmented into categories. There are the Teaching/Intro books out there (Things like the Adobe Classroom in a Book). Then there are the Desk Reference books (Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniues, Lesa Snider King’s Photoshop CS4 Missing Manual). The third big segment out there is what I tend to call the Trick/Effect category- books that don’t give you a background on the tool, but just say “Want to see something cool.. check this out.” In this category i’ve always been a fan of Scott Kelby’s work (even prior to being here). True to that, I was very happy to see that Photoshop CS4 Down and Dirty Tricks isnt disappointing.

(Disclaimers and Notes: Yes.. I am an employee of Kelby Media Group.. so I technically work for Scott. However, one of the greatest parts of my job is that my sole responsibility on this blog is to build your trust, and hope you come back. Believe me.. if something wasn’t cool.. I’d tell you – or better yet, wouldn’t even bring it up at all.. the fact that you guys choose to spend some time with me means a lot.. and being employed here shouldn’t limit me from calling like it is… Also.. Although the book says that its Photoshop CS4 based, many of the things you see here are totally applicable for CS3 as well…)

One of the things that really annoys me about Tricks books sometimes is that they focus on things that I really have no use for whatsoever. There are VERY VERY few places where I can use a Create a Dragon From Scratch Breathing Fire onto a Cherry Red Ferrari tutorial. In the end, I don’t really go out and buy books like this so that I could learn something cool (though it is a nice byproduct). I go out and buy trick books so I can learn how to do things that I can MONETIZE. If you’ve known me for any amount of time, you’d know that i’m about it being cool.. but also being able to help me make some money back in the long run. Have you seen this economy? As Creatives, we all need to be out there thinking of how to add to our arsenal.

Back to the book, it’s got a great mix of practical things, type effects, photo treatments, and designs – those designs VERY EASILY applicable for a design project. Page 100 has this really cool Halftone Pattern/Type Treatment that looks like something you would see in a popular ad. Why -wouldnt- you get this book, out that trick in your bag, and go out there and personalize it in a way that you can make money?

Here’s another one: Page 50 – a tutorial on how to make a gritty/edgy look to a photo. Combine that with the tutorial on page 244. Print that, and bring that to a local high school and say “I can make your senior athlete shots look like -this-” and you may find yourself a very busy man.

These are tricks and techniques that are inspired from real live, TV, Web, and Print fields. They are also brought to a quick conclusion thanks to the very efficient SK writing style. There are times I want to sit and savor the written word (Think Within The Frame), then there are times that i just want to get in- get the trick – and get out. Scott comes up aces here.

The book is also given a an extra dose of firepower from Corey “The Lad” Barker – my cohost on Layers TV and host of the Planet Photoshop blog. Corey jumps in and gets all 3D on you in the 3D chapter (his logo tutorial there is one of my favs), and really takes the concept of 3D from a “wow.. isnt it cool” to a “Oh, I can totally use this in a project” point of view. Kudos to him on this addition.

The Photoshop CS4 Down and Dirty Tricks Tour
To that end, Scott and Corey have kicked it up a notch taking the book out on a tour! The Photoshop CS4 Down and Dirty Tricks tour shows some of the concepts of the book, in additon to a new bag of tricks guaranteed to give you more stuff to put in your pockets on the Photoshop skill set. Now, Scott and Corey are sharing the tour, Corey’s up next in Richmond Virginia on May 27. Make sure you check out the Kelby Training Live website for the latest info.

Congratulations to both Scott and Corey on this.. I think this is going to be another awesome hit.