The Memory Card:

“Photoshop CS2: Put a Trainer on Your Desk”

by David Arnold & Gail Rutman

When it comes to Photoshop, books give informational depth. But training videos give visual depth. You can actually see the images change as the trainer demonstrates particular tools, techniques, and adjustments. The following are what we consider to be the best of the newly released Photoshop CS2 training videos. In addition to the individual features we discuss, all of these packages include files for all the images you’ll see on the screen, so you can work with them as you follow the trainer.

Colin Smith, Photoshop Secrets: CS2 for Digital Photographers, www.photoshopcafe.com, 1 CD, 3½ hours, $54.99; free online demo. Unlike other programs that deal primarily with topics useful to photographers, this is the only one that’s 100 percent photography-specific. The clear interface makes it easy to jump directly to any one of the program’s 43 lessons.

Dave Cross, Photoshop CS2 for Beginners, http://shop.photoshopvideos.com/index.lasso, 1 DVD, 2½ hours, $39.99. Don’t let the title fool you: although everything is presented in ways that seem targeted to beginners, intermediate (and for some chapters advanced) Photoshop users also will learn valuable tips and techniques they didn’t know before. Sophisticated techniques presented in ways that make them easy to understand and use.

Ben Willmore, Mastering Camera Raw, http://shop.photoshopvideos.com/index.lasso, 2 DVDs, 2½ hours, $49.99. Willmore presents both the detailed step-by-step click-by-click manipulations and the overall strategies for getting the most out of your raw images. It lives up to the title’s claim: truly a master class—yet it won’t leave novices behind. Though their content is valuable and well-presented, both Cross and Willmore’s videos suffer from weak and unhelpful interfaces.

Deke McClelland, Total Training for Adobe Photoshop CS2, www.totaltraining.com, 3 DVDs, 21 hours, $299.99; free online demo. If you’re looking for the most comprehensive Photoshop CS2 video program available, this is it. An excellent resource.

Deke McClelland, Advanced Adobe Photoshop CD2, www.totaltraining.com, 1 DVD, 8 hours, $149.99; free online demo. Like all Total Training programs, this one has top-notch production qualities, an excellent interface, and clear presentation of the materials. In this one McClelland presents advanced techniques not covered in any other videos we’re aware of.

Michael Ninnes, Adobe Photoshop CS2 Essential Training, www.lynda.com, 2 CDs, 11 hours, $149.95; free online demos. This is an especially good choice if you’re brand new to Photoshop. Lots of good detail.

We find the combination of books and videos an excellent way to master Photoshop. But whether or not you put any of these programs on your “Things to buy” list, you should definitely put viewing their free online demos on your “To-do” list.

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David Arnold and Gail Rutman are Oregon-based photographers who have been writing about photography and computers since 1980. You can contact them at www.dgfotos.com.