By Tony Luna

Allworth Press, www.allworth.com June 2006, $19.95, 232 pages

It isn’t unusual for a creative person to hit that proverbial wall. In his new book, How to Grow as a Photographer, creative consultant Tony Luna helps photographers to reinvent their careers. Interviews with well known photographers and artists offer insights on how they have approached their own creative challenges and gone beyond mere survival. “Change is not only a part of the creative process, it is a requirement,” says Luna.

Concentrating on what he deems the three essential elements of success—passion, planning and perseverance—Luna dissects and explores how to make these elements work for those photographers who have reached a crossroads in their careers. He shares his own personal experiences, and also comments on interviews and anecdotes by photography luminaries like Barbara Bordnick, David Fahey, Mark Edward Harris, Jay Maisel, Eric Meola, Jerry Uelsmann and Nick Ut, to name a few. They ruminate on everything a photographer should consider, from re-education and networking to financial considerations, management styles and career goals.

Photoshop Workflow Setups

By Eddie Tapp

O’Reilly, www.oreilly.com August 2006, $29.99, 207 pages

Most photographers are passionate about their work, but that doesn’t mean they’re passionate about sitting in front of a computer tweaking photographs. Although they have a powerful ally in Photoshop, some photographers struggle with a love/annoyance relationship with the application. The wealth of features and options can be confusing, distracting, and downright unproductive.

In Photoshop Workflow Setups, Eddie Tapp shows why nothing is more critical than setting up an efficient Photoshop workspace, optimized for the way you work as a photographer. The book is the first volume in the Experts’ Studio: Eddie Tap on Digital Photography series from O’Reilly. It lays out a step-by-step approach to creating an uncluttered and efficient workspace in the midst of Photoshop’s vast collection of menus, palettes, and tools. “Photoshop has so many different work areas and tools that it can become confusing or even intimidating to use in a production environment,” says Tapp. “With this book, you’ll be able to organize Photoshop into a powerful digital darkroom.”

Adobe Photoshop CS2: The Art of Photographing Women

By Kevin Ames

Wiley, www.wiley.com September 2006, $34.99, 416 pages

Capturing and enhancing images of beautiful women has been an honored tradition since the beginning of artistic expression. Swimsuits, lingerie, minis and figure studies—no matter what they are or aren’t wearing, photographs of beautiful women have wide appeal. But, no body is perfect! In the good old days of analog photography, the highest level of beauty and glamour photos could be achieved only with the help of master retouchers working on 8x10 or larger transparencies, using color dyes and the like. Fortunately, times change, and now with the power of Photoshop, photographers can do the retouching themselves, making it easier than ever to turn gorgeous women into flawless beauties.

In Adobe Photoshop CS2: The Art of Photographing Women, Kevin Ames, master digital photographer and Photoshop User magazine columnist, teaches readers how to use Photoshop to enhance beauty and fashion photos. This full-color guide reveals the secrets for sculpting bodies, smoothing wrinkles, removing blemishes, correcting skin tones and much more.

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