There are many books available to teach one how to use the various tools in Photoshop. While this is a very important first step towards creating images in Photoshop, the real power is harnessed only when you learn how to combine the various tools to create photorealism.

John Lund is one the most successful creators of digitally manipulated images. In this book, John showcases a few of his creations and explains in great detail how the images were made. Starting with the search for "raw materials" in the form of pre-visualized images and backgrounds, John then assembles the pieces together and describes how various Photoshop tools are used for such assembly. It is the sequenced usage of tools, together with a step-by-step look at how the image gradually comes into being, that makes this book most valuable. Each chapter starts and ends with the final image and captures the reader's attention throughout.

For first-time users of Adobe's Photoshop product, here is a book that will get you off to a running start in very little time. The only pre-requisite is that you must already know how to use a computer. The primary focus of this book is to describe many of the available features in this product and covers the various tool palettes and menu options. Since this product is frequently used for photo retouching, the relevant ares are covered in sufficient detail. The final chapter covers three real-world examples demonstrating how various image transformations can be used in conjunction with each other to achive the desired final effect.