Layer blending modes have been part of Photoshop for years, but because they're not easy to understand at first glance, this immensely useful feature tends to get overlooked. Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers is the only recipe-format book that covers blending modes specifically for digital photographers.

The book covers:

• Changing hue, saturation, luminosity, and color

• Correcting basic color shifts

• Repairing highlights

• Sharpening or softening focus

• Adjusting lighting for subtle or dramatic effects

• Controlling contrast

• Creating surface effects and textures

• Adding interest to landscapes and urban scenes

• Enhancing portraits of children and adults

• Simulating graphics arts techiques

Unlike Photoshop's built-in filters, blending modes don't change the actual pixels that make up an image, so their effects are completely reversible. There are over 20 blending modes in Photoshop CS2, which range from those which darken and lighten images (such as Darken, Multiply, Lighten, and Screen) to modes that increase contrast (such as Overlay and Hard Light) and adjust color (such as Hue, Color. Luminosity, and Saturation).

In addition to covering each blending mode in detail, John Beardsworth, a London-based photographer and author, takes the reader through a whole collection of recipes that demonstrate how to use blending modes alone or in combination to fix problem photos, add subtle effects, and create dramatic images that are truly unique.

With clear, step-by-step instructions, real-world projects, an easy-to-follow format, and hundreds of full-color examples, Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers is shows you how to use blending modes to achieve a wide range of image adjustments and special effects-without having to first learn everything there is to know about Photoshop.

and much more.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 19 Ratings

Dubious Examples - 2009-11-02
Reviewer Rating:
I think O'Reilly books are, in general, splendid. I have many of them for Microsoft Office products and Photoshop training.

This book, in my opinion, suffers from poor examples. Often the results of an exercise look worse than the original photo. More often than not, I find the original more appealing than the modified one. The position of the original and modified versions are randomly positioned with the label "original image" often confusingly close to either image.

It's a good book, but could be a lot better with more meaningful image improvements.

You'll Need a Magnifying Glass - 2009-03-16
Reviewer Rating:
I was looking forward to reading this book but unfortunately the publishers of the book decided to use extremely thin typeface (or font or whatever you call it) on a beige background. So, you actually cannot read it without a magnifying glass.

So rather than reading and being able to comprehend some complex techniques, I find myself going back to the beginning of a paragraph time and time again just to verify what the words are.

Frustrating because I haven't made it through the first chapter yet and I flipped through the book and the type is the same throughout.

Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook - 2008-06-21
Reviewer Rating:
Outstanding contant the best of it's type. Easy to read and follow. A major contribution.

Blending modes cook book - 2008-01-01
Reviewer Rating:
More for the advanced beginner, I have learned a lot about blending modes from this but I learned my Scott Kelby basics first.

Fair for the price - 2007-09-12
Reviewer Rating:
This is not a book for beginners. Shows blending techniques and effects in a very focused way. Should only be considered by those who are indeed interested in these fields.

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