Hey guys as a newbie photog, I was wondering, for all you successful photogs out there (especially the guys that do model photography)that uses post processing in Photoshop, Did you guys play around with it? or did you learn some from books and tutorials?

Learning on your own is good, but a book can speed up the process, well for me anyways, then i can use the techniques I've learned and get creative.

But even then School and Books are one thing, but there is a level beyond that, and it is experience from others, Do you guys know of anymore resources and research i can do? Point me to a website that teaches Photoshop for photography, or a book that you might recommend. (Other then Photography on the net.)

Anything to help me step it up a notch since i feel I'm kind of slacking.

I know most photog don't really give much info and some do, I thought I would try asking here.

I have so many questions I could not possibly ask them all here about Special FX and (Don't want to annoy anyone) about HDR, USM, High Pass, Editing Raw Images, High Contrast, Color Balance, Editing out High ISO Noise etc etc

Thanks in advance

there are alot of good photogs on here. im not sure about everyone else, but i just started messing around with things and thats how i started. but then again, im not that great at it.

www.radiantvista.com

This is where I learned most of my PS skills.

They have a rolling 2 week cycle where you can download photoshop video tutorials and photo critiques. After 2 weeks you can't download old videos unless you buy them.

Also for photography in general get this book
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

And lastly, practice a lot.

I'd recommend using tutorials as a foundation, then build on that foundation by playing around. Combine what you learn from one tutorial with another so you learn more about what each step of the process actually does to an image.

Don't limit yourself to only studying portrait tutorials. You'd be surprised what you could learch by doing automotive or landscape tutorials that could be applied to model photography.

I'd recommend using tutorials as a foundation, then build on that foundation by playing around. Combine what you learn from one tutorial with another so you learn more about what each step of the process actually does to an image.

Don't limit yourself to only studying portrait tutorials. You'd be surprised what you could learch by doing automotive or landscape tutorials that could be applied to model photography.
Yeah, I always love the idea of mix and match thanks!

Ive been promoting these on here for years. I dont think many people ever watched them, but they are really good.

http://www.workshopsondemand.com/workshops/htw_01/index.html

Besides these videos, takin trips to the bookstore and spending a few hours flipping through books in the computer section or mags from the newstand is where I learned the most. Actually scratch that, I probably learned the most from the years of tinkering around with photoshop teaching myself the tools, but the books def. helped. It's all about how much effort you put into it.

Definately a learning process with PS...I try to tinker around with it everyday..seems to be the only real way I learn things anymore..haha