I want to teach myself Photoshop

As the thread title says, skirted around the issue of not really knowing what to do with it. Ive done a few basic things with it, but really want to learn how to use it properly.

Can anyone recommend any good books/tutorials to teach myself with?

Anyone a whizz at it?

I did try and learn with a book once and spent hours trying to learn about features I never needed to use or just didn't understand.

There are literally hundreds of options and controls within photoshop but most users I know (including pro and semi pro photograhers) do 80-90% of thier work using the same four or five features.
These would be things like:

CROPPING
HOW TO MAKE SELECTIONS (with feathering etc)
LEVELS
HUE & SATURATION
SHARPENING
HEALING OR CLONE STAMP

I dont know of any particular books but if you search the web for the tools above you will ge a good start and then moving on to other fuctions becomes a case of trial and error.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62743698@N00/

I guess it depends how you learn best n all that - but I'd start off by simply running through the tutorials that are a part of Photoshop itself...

... then just play about by thinking "I want to do this... now how can I get it to work for me."

Hell - it worked for me and I was a successful graphic designer for 10 years - self taught.

The software has grown so much over the years that it has now started to be really hard for newcomers to learn. Well I suggest you visit youtube and go through the tutorials. But first get acquanted only with the toolbar and see what these tools do. start from the top and see what each tools does. Try to understand how each tool there works. Don't go to the other stuff before you do this as you'll start wandering all over the place and learn nothing.
The real power of photshop is when you start to use layers and masks. You'll really enjoy it then. Persevere. It's very much worth it. I earn 30% of my living thanks to this program.

Its the layers & Mask stuff I just dont follow. I have been able to use the effects very basically in some of my shots

Rob, i've been using Scott Kelby's book for a while now . It's got a range of things in it , ie effects, sharpening techniques , B+W , colour changing etc. The premise is that you decide what to do and follow his step by step instructions and try to remember it for next time.

Like this:-http://www.amazon.co.uk/Photoshop-Digital-Photographers-Voices-Matter/dp/0321330625/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214454267&sr=1-11

HTH Joe

[lukemillar]

I've been using photoshop since version 3 and constantly in my job, so don't mind giving any tips if anyone gets stuck with anything

I can also help if you need any tips i just learnt by doing tutorial after tutorial finding them on You Tube and the internet. If you google "photoshop tutorials" there are loads of sites and then you just adapt the tutorials to suit what you want to do

I can show you some of my work if you want to see it mine is more for photo editing but occasionally i get ideas in my head and create something in photoshop

Sammy

Please if anyone wishes to showcase their efforts, then do so. I am always interested in seeing what people are creating..

Thanks for the tips, I have Scott Kelbys photography book and its fairly straightforward to follow so I might get his photoshop book and alongside the youtube tutorials, see if I can learn it.

Photo Manipulations