When I fi rst started using Photoshop, it was a much simpler program to get to grips with compared with what we see today. Since then Adobe Photoshop CS5 has evolved to supply photographers with all the tools they need. My aim is to provide you with a working photographer’s perspective of what Photoshop CS5 can do and how to make the most effective use of the program.

One of the biggest problems writing a book about Photoshop is that while new features are always being added, Adobe rarely removes anything from the program. Hence, Photoshop has got bigger and more complex over the 14 years or so I have been writing this series of books. When it has come to updating each edition this has begged the question, ‘what should I add and what should I take out?’ This edition of the book is actually slightly bigger than previous versions, but is completely focused on the essential information you need to know when working with Photoshop, Camera Raw and Bridge, plus all that’s new in Photoshop CS5 for photographers. Consequently, you’ll fi nd a lot of the content goes into greater detail than before on subjects such as Camera Raw editing and high dynamic range imaging.

I work mostly as a professional studio photographer, running a busy photographic business close to the heart of London. On the days when I am not shooting or working on production, I use that time to study Photoshop, present seminars and write my books. This is one of the reasons why this series of Photoshop books has become so successful, because I am a working photographer fi rst and an author second. Although I have had the benefi t of a close involvement with the people who make the Adobe Photoshop program, I make no grandiose claims to have written the best book ever on the subject. Like you, I too have had to learn all this stuff from scratch. I simply write from personal experience and aim to offer a detailed book on the subject of digital photography and Photoshop.