Adobe Photoshop Master Class: John Paul Caponigro
The author (the son of Paul Caponigro, a photographer in the tradition  of Minor White and Ansel Adams) ofAdobe Photoshop Master Classis a  skilled art photographer who specializes in intriguing naturescapes that often  employ compositing and mirroring. In this book, he shares the photographic  wisdom and Photoshop methods that helped create these colorful, mysterious  images.The title is appropriate: the book is modeled after master classes with  performance artists; for example, operatic training with Maria Callas. The  readers get to see, in detail, Caponigro's techniques and read his philosophies.  This demonstration includes Photoshop basics that apply to all types of digital  imaging, including calibration, adjustment layers, variations, levels, and  curves. It also covers visual principles that are essential to photography in  general, like proportion, scale, light, and shadows (including Ansel Adams's  Zone system), and--important in the author's own work--reflection and  tessellation.The images, which are generally devoid of the human form, have an otherworldly  stillness. Their quiet intensity translates well into book form: the typography  and layout resemble a museum catalog, with widely leaded, delicate lines of  type. Readers who prefer skimming through how-to books for quick results will be  daunted by the level of in-depth attention that this book demands. On the other  hand, those who hope to use Photoshop for high-end digital imaging (not just  preparing JPEGs for the Web or 600-dpi images for print) will be rewarded by the  author's extensive experience and painstaking attention to detail.Most chapters discuss different issues (e.g., color or shadows) and use  Caponigro's images as examples. The discussion is in a narrative form, with  quotes and references to artists of all kinds, from Matisse to Goethe. It's like  gaining admission to the most competitive graduate seminar, hosted by a renowned  artist-in-residence.--Angelynn GrantTopics covered:Techniques for using Photoshop (version 5 or higher) on fine digital imaging,  including:Monitor calibrationImage resolutionApplying levels and curves to the Zone systemOutput to print or filmAnd photographic issues and Photoshop methods used in the author's work,  including:PhotomontageProportionContrastColorMultiple exposure