Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:  
Summary: Good reference even if you're not much of a Kelby fan...
Comment: As a pro photographer Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is an indispensable tool I use everyday. It doesn't always preclude moving an image into Photoshop for further editing abilities that Lightroom isn't capable of, but quite often it does just that. A VERY powerful photographer's tool, it can make a hard shoot easier (mixed or unusual light sources on location? Just pick a white balance, shoot a color card, and then "fix it in the mix," to use an old audio expression, in Lightroom back at the studio) and has saved my but several times when things were a little off and a reshoot was not possible (of course if you didn't shoot it in RAW you're XXXXed!)
Anyway, I'm not much of Kelby fan. His humor can be amusing at times, but can also grind the wrong way when you're not in the mood. I'm also not much of a step-by-step-recipe guy. Truth be known, Martin Evening's Photoshop and Lightroom books are the most dog-eared references in my library. Evening's Photoshop books lifted me past a plateau (and I've used Photoshop since v2!), and elevated my work to a new level.
So all that said, this Kelby book is still a good one. In my opinion, Kelby's books are often best if you already have a good understanding of the subject matter. They are NOT for finding out how to do something NOW with a deadline looming. I read them as I might a novel or non-fiction biography/history/etc. they have been known to get me out of a comfortable chair in the late evening, put on my coat, and walk across the yard to my studio to check it out. There's actually one little tip in this one about portrait processing that I use all-the-time now. Sweet little trick - but you have to take it over to Photoshop to do it.
I was a Lightroom beta tester so when v1 was released I already had a good handle on it. I'd say that this bok, along with Martin Evening's Lightroom book all all you need for a rock-solid understanding of the image management/workflow, development, slideshow/pdf, web gallery and printing capabilities of the program.
(printing being much less technical than in Photoshop but still fairly "tweakable" for us color-control freaks)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Much better than your average Kelby book
Comment: Don't get me wrong. I love Scott Kelby and his sidebars of comedy. Sometimes, though they can seem to get a little overwhelming or repetitive. I think the NAPP Photoshop User magazine, and podcast are great, even if there is a bunch of filler stuffed in there as well.
Scott has managed to remove a lot of his sidebar commentary though with his "Lightroom for Digital Photographers" book. The result is a thorough book that is peppered with enough commentary to make it a palatable, fun, enjoyable read, that will really take your Lightroom skills up a notch.
Prior to reading the rave reviews about this book, I contemplated picking it up at the NAPP booth at PhotoPlus Expo here in NYC, but thought it would ultimately end of with the other slew of books I buy but never read, then ultimately giving it away when the next version of the software comes out. In order to have my wife agree to the purchase, I had to promise her, I'd actually read this book, and get my money's worth, rather than having it become a dust collector that she would wind up storing somewhere.
In the first day or two, I think I read the first 100 pages, but also did the exercises as well. There is some really excellent information in here, chock full of tips to really enhance anyone's workflow. That is the real benefit of not only Lightroom, but this book. I honestly felt I got my money's worth in the first few chapters, as some tips Scott mentions really can shave hours off a project's production time. A streamlined workflow, makes you more efficient and more profitable.
If you are on the fence about this book, buy it, if even for the first few chapters, as that alone will save you time and put money back in your pocket.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lightroom
Comment: I just like the way Scott writes! I now have 5 of his books and I would have to say that each one is excellent.
Customer Rating:
Summary: There is nothing worse than someone who believes is funny, and is not.....
Comment: This has to be one of the most frustrating books to read, with rambling and irrelevant excursions through every paragraph, and,the indices do not direct one to specific questions.
There is a very annoying quality when someone subjects a "captive audience" to sophomoric humor, we just ask to learn from Mr.Kelby in exchange for allowing him to make a profit off his knowledge. If he cannot adequately communicate his knowledge, then we feel cheated.
This is one book that is so bad, that I wish I could have a refund.
Customer Rating:
Summary: easy to understand
Comment: I'm not the brightest bulb in the pack when it comes to editing and when I got light room I started looking for help. I had already purchased Scott Kelby's book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers and found it easy to understand, he's funny, to the point, and he doesn't make you feel like you need a masters degree to do this. He makes you feel like he talking to you with a desire to help you and not talking down to you. So when I saw the book on Lightroom I bought it, Again this book was easy to understand, light hearted and informative. I've been able to progress in both programs faster then I had ever thought possible.
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