fireboy creative inc.

Book Review - The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (Big) to Take Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite

2009-07-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (Big) to Take Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite

by Michael Port (Author), Elizabeth Marshall (Author)

Looking to get into sales or are you already in sales? If you're looking to improve client retention and take a long term view then this is the book you need to read. It's short at 157pgs but it's inexpensive and the ideas are easy to understand and easy to implement. As I read thru I could see how typical closing tactics alienate your clients compared to taking a contrarian approach. I'm looking forward to other works by these authors.

this is the book you need to read if you are in sales

Book Review - Printing with Adobe Photoshop CS4

2009-07-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Printing with Adobe Photoshop CS4
By Tim Daly
Printed by Focal Press
ISBN: 9780240811383
Pages: 304
Format: Book - Paperback
Trim: 7.44in x 9.69in
Publication Date: May 19, 2009
Price: $39.95

http://focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=5196

Many books on Photoshop just glaze over the printing process, but this is the book to get to improve your Photoshop output. Tim Daly starts the book talking about the tools to capture your images, gets into color management and profiling. Then moves into solving problems like color casts and how to eliminate them from your final output. Tim also discusses paper types, printer sizes and ink types. This is the only book you'll need if you need to learn more about printing from Photoshop.

Book Review - Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques

2009-06-22T23:22:00.001-07:00

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Studio Techniques
By Ben Willmore, Dan Ablan
Copyright 2009
Dimensions 7-3/8 X 9-1/8
Pages: 480
Edition: 1st.
ISBN-10: 0-321-61310-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-321-61310-3

I reviewed the previous version of this book when it was only Ben Willmore working on it. Dan Ablan was contracted to revise it for CS4 and I'm very pleased with his approach. He maintained Ben's easy going style while adding his own flair to the revised areas.

There are also 6 bonus videos available via download. The link is in the book. This is new material from Dan Ablan and the video's alone are worth the price of the book.

This book is a great resource for all CS4 readers. Material has always and still is presented in an organized and smartly planned manner. Dan and Ben's styles convey the information clearly and allow you to see further possiblities with the tools.

I especially liked the use of the Luxology logo on page 321. Yeah Dan, nice connection to your Luxology modo training and books.

Book Review - CINEMA 4D 10 Workshop

2009-06-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

CINEMA 4D 10 Workshop (Paperback)

by Arndt von Koenigsmarck

This was a great book to get started in 3D with. Arndt begins with an intro to 3D concepts and builds from there. I'm really impressed with the colour screen captures in a time when many tech books go cheap and are docutech printed. Focal Press did a good job on this one. While it is now out of date and has been updated for Cinema 4D 11, I have no doubt Arndt has done a fabulous job on the revised edition. So if you're using C4Dv10, order this book, but if you've already upgraded to v11 or are looking to buy into C4D now, then get the updated edition to v11.

http://focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=8858

CINEMA 4D 11 Workshop

By Arndt von Koenigsmarck

ISBN: 9780240811956

Series:

Format: Book - Paperback

Trim: 7.44in x 9.69in

Publication Date: March 25, 2009

Price: $54.95

Book Review - Digital Painting in Photoshop

2009-06-20T13:46:00.001-07:00

Digital Painting in Photoshop
By Susan Ruddick Bloom
Printed by Focal Press
ISBN: 9780240811147
Format: Book - Paperback
Trim: 9.69in x 7.44in
Publication Date: February 16, 2009
Price: $39.95

If you are a photoshop user without the benefit of a fine arts background then this is the book for you. Susan Bloom does a great job of introducing you to the fundamentals of artisitic painting in photoshop. Chapter one alone is worth full price of the book. Susan goes in detail into what all the brushes are in Photoshop and how to make more and how to apply them in your painting. Remaining chapters go thru different techniques and transforming you work into those styles.

As already mentioned, this book is great for those who didn't study fine arts because Susan gives a history of the painting techniques are eg: watercolours and oil painting.

This is not a book about outputting your work or colour management. Susan focuses in on the painting only and does a great job of it.

http://focalpress.com/Book.aspx?id=5068

Book Review - slide:ology The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations By Nancy Duarte

2009-03-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

slide:ology The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations By Nancy Duarte

This is the book that should come with Keynote, Powerpoint and should be read by anyone preparing for a visual presentation. It's not a software manual but you could consider it to be a top notch visual presentation manual.

Invaluable tips that will make you appear like a true pro if you follow thru on them.

Book Review - Adobe After Effects CS4 Classroom in a Book by the Adobe Creative Team.

2009-03-05T22:28:00.001-08:00

Adobe After Effects CS4 Classroom in a Book by the Adobe Creative Team.

The CIB series has always been a good investment of time and money. This edition is no different. If you're looking to learn After Effects, this is where you need to get started.

There are 14 lessons covering all aspects of After Effects starting with workflow and including masking, keying, 3D features and other basics. I really like that they introduced the tracking features. This is not a tool for beginners but the Adobe Creative Team has made it simple.

One caveat. This book will not make you a professional After Effects user. The only thing that will do that is practice, lots of it, But this book is what you need to get started.

Book Review - Real World Adobe InDesign CS4 by Olav Martin Kvern & David Blatner.

2009-03-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Real World Adobe InDesign CS4 by Olav Martin Kvern & David Blatner.

This is the reference book to get if you're looking for just ONE book on InDesign. Actually, even if you buy more than one InDesign book, this should still be one of them. The CS3 version was a veritable cornucopia of InDesign factoids. This one is no different. This version is over 800 pages. It really is the go to book for how to do things in InDesign. You could try the Adobe InDesign User Guide, but why bother, this is the book that should've been packaged with the disks.

I had the good fortune of meeting Oli Kvern and David Blatner at a conference recently. So reading the book and hearing their voices in my head as I read the book made the book even more interesting. They are both very interesting and very smart and savvy InDesign professionals. This book reflects that savvy knowledge base and it's easy to read and locate the info you need.

Book Review - Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure: Mastering Adobe's Next-Generation Tool for Digital Photographers by Mikkel Aaland

2009-03-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure: Mastering Adobe's Next-Generation Tool for Digital Photographers by Mikkel Aaland.

This is a different style of book from what you normally find in project based books. While it has it's fair share of screen shots as you would expect, it's also beautifully illustrated with some amazing photography from a wide array of professional photographers.

The landscape of the photos is from a Tasmanian photo trek. Mikkel Aaland takes you on a fabulous journey through Lightroom as you experience not only his photographic skill but also his Lightroom workflow. This is one of the better Lightroom books available.

The beginning of the book introduces you to the 18 photographers and 5 Adobe Lightroom Developers that Mikkel on this trip. Everyday for 10 days they would shoot, then every night for those 10 days they would spend their evenings processing the days worth of shots thru Lightroom 2. The end result is this fabulous book.

Book Review - Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-On-One by Deke McClelland

2009-03-04T22:41:00.001-08:00

Photoshop CS4 Channels & Masks One-On-One by Deke McClelland.

I'm a big fan of the one-on-one series. If you need to learn about channels & masks, this is the book to get. The tutorials on masking hair and alpha channels are 2nd to none. The fact that this book also comes with 3hrs video training makes this book the obvious choice for learning about this subject. There's also no other book out there on this subject, and luckily it's Deke who's written it.

Book Review - Photoshop CS4 - The Missing Manual by Lisa Snider King

2009-03-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

Photoshop CS4 - The Missing Manual by Lisa Snider King.

The Missing Manual series is always a good investment in your time and money. This specific title covers every aspect of Photoshop and gives beginners a good intro and even provides great productivity tips for experienced users who are wanting to get up to speed with Photoshop CS4.

I read another review on the NAPP site that said this book reminded them of the original Photoshop Bible series by Deke McClelland. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. The nice thing about Lesa's book is that she doesn't drive us nuts with a crazy sense of humor like Deke did. Yeah Lesa. I should say I really like Deke too. Lesa's Photoshop CS4 Missing Manual is a great replacement book to the bible series.

Book Review - Real World Compositing with Adobe Photoshop CS4 by Dan Moughamian & Scott Valentine

2009-03-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Real World Compositing with Adobe Photoshop CS4 by Dan Moughamian & Scott Valentine.

This book is an affordably priced solution for those amateur retouchers/digital photographers looking to transition to the pro level. This is not a book for learning how to use Photoshop. It's a book for those intermediate level users who need help to develop planning and workflow skills.

The beginning of the book talks about pre-viz and planning. The authors clearly have a great deal of experience and share some great insights for you to be taking into account when planning your composites.

While I found the chapter on lighting to be rather light, the authors made some good recommendations for some other reading sources for further study. One of the best chapters is about the new 3D modeling and rendering features now available in CS4 Extended. The authors gave a good introduction to this new feature as well as a good intro to Cinema 4D as a complementary app.

Book Review - The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers by Derrick Story

2009-01-11T21:09:00.001-08:00

This is a great little book for the price. It's got everything in it that you would expect; download, processing and printing. It's all there. What you'll discover is that after reading the book, you'll find it easier to just leave by your keyboard. It's small enough that it doesn't get in the way.

This is by no means a complete Photoshop book. It is targeted for a specific task and it's priced that way too. Far too often Photoshop books are crammed with everything and weigh in at a few pounds. For many that's a necessity, but that's not what this book is about. In fact, if you're a shooter that is mobile and processes on site, you'll probably end up throwing this book in your bag as a quick reference.

Book Review - Adobe Photoshop CS4 One-On-One by Deke McClelland

2009-01-10T16:16:00.001-08:00

Adobe Photoshop CS4 One-On-One by Deke McClelland has been revised for CS4 and is an amazing training resource for the new user and still contains info that the experienced user will benefit from.

Written for the new user, it starts with the basics of the PS CS4 user interface and using Adobe Bridge to access your photo files. He moves on to the basics of colour correction before getting into retouching and photo compositioins

"Pearl of Wisdom" are insightful little bits of info found throughout the book, that are like pull out quotes, but are Deke's thoughts about some unique experience that he thinks you should know about to make the project go smoother. He also has similar items called "Further Investigation" which refers you to some online resources to learn more about a specific topic. Kind of like reading the books listed in the footnotes!

The book comes with over 2 hrs of video training that is unique to this book (not extracted from his hundreds of hours of training on lynda.com). It's advised that you watch each video before or after reading the accompanying chapter in the book. The process of Read, Watch, and Do, is one of the most effective ways of learning Photoshop and is unique to Deke's one-on-one series.

This book is complete in that Deke chooses to teach you everything you need to know to get the basics done in Photoshop and do them well. However, features found in Photoshop Extended like 3D and video functions are NOT explored. The book would be too big to carry around if he did.

I recommend this book for all beginning users. Experienced users would still learn some good tips from this book, as I did.

Book Review - Adobe Indesign CS4 One-On-One by Deke McClelland

2009-01-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

Adobe Indesign CS4 One-On-One by Deke McClelland has been revised for CS4 and is a tremendous resource for the new and experienced InDesign user. Written for the new user, it starts with the basics of the ID CS4 user interface and starting your first document. As you progress thru the project based material you are exposed to invaluable tips and tricks that will make you an ID pro in no time.

"Pearl of Wisdom" are insightful little bits of info found throughout the book, that are like pull out quotes, but are Deke's thoughts about some unique experience that he thinks you should know about to make the project go smoother.

The book comes with nearly 4 hrs of video training that is unique to this book (not extracted from his hundreds of hours of training on lynda.com). It's advised that you watch each video before or after reading the accompanying chapter in the book. The process of Read, Watch, and Do, is one of the most effective ways of learning InDesign. As well, Deke's humorous writing style makes you think he's right next to you.

For experienced users, Deke successfully explains complex subjects such as XML tags. As well, even thru the basics chapters, experienced users can pick up productivity tips and hidden features that only Deke can find.

I recommend this book for all users.

Book Review - InDesign Type: Professional Typography with Adobe InDesign CS2

2009-01-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

InDesign Type: Professional Typography with Adobe InDesign CS2 (Paperback)
by Nigel French.

This book is so packed with information, don't expect to read it in one sitting. More than likely, you'll read it a few pages at a time. This isn't a book that you read once and toss when a new version of InDesign comes out, this book applies whether you use CS1 thru CS4.

Nigel runs thru everything typographic in InDesign (as the title suggests). Chapter headlines like "Don't Fear the Hyphen" and "Text Wraps: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", should give you an idea of the kind of fun and educational writing style Nigel has. My favorite fun chapter was the last one called "Type Effects", Nigel presented some great real world production tips that I've referenced a handful of times.

Book Review - Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques (Paperback)

2008-09-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques (Paperback)

by Ben Willmore (Author)

This is Ben's 3rd installment of Studio Techniques that I've read. I would agree with others that if you are going to buy only one Photoshop book then this should be it. Ben does a great job of running thru every aspect of the application and how to use it.

Towards the beginning of the book he introduces the selection tools and explains them very well. But like the previous two books, he leaves out the pen tool and doesn't introduce it until the chapter on "Advanced Masking". I believe this is a disservice to the reader and may set them up to think that only experienced users should learn the pen tool. I disagree with this. The pen tool is a basic skill to learn for anyone using any of the creative apps like Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. This said, when Ben does get around to introducing it, he explains it well and gives a good example of how to use it. So even though he gets to it later than I would like, the reader will still learn from it.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to all Photoshop users both beginner to intermediate. I would encourage the reader to review every section and not think that "Advanced" means they have to be an Advanced user to try out the tool. Just as Ben shows off some fun features in his "Creative Explorations" section the reader needs to have fun playing too with those features if they really want to learn Photoshop.

Book Review - Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide (Hardcover)

2008-08-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide (Hardcover) by Amy Shuen (Author) delivers on its promise of providing effective strategies and a new way of thinking when it comes to using Web 2.0 tools to improve your business.

The book seems to be targeting marketing managers and business owners who rely on outside sources or other departments to research and implement these services. Amy Shuen provides a clear understanding of these concepts to those needing it.

One of the best resources of the book is the end-notes. The references that Amy cites gives the reader a great starting point to find more in depth material about specific topics.

Book Review - A Designer's Guide to Adobe InDesign and XML: Harness the Power of XML to Automate your Print and Web Workflows

2008-08-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

A Designer's Guide to Adobe InDesign and XML: Harness the Power of XML to Automate your Print and Web Workflows (Paperback) by James J. Maivald (Author) & Cathy Palmer (Author) is a tremendous technical resource for those who need or want to learn XML and improve their efficiency within InDesign. You don't have to be a programmer or coder to make your way thru this. It's written for the graphic designer or production artist who already have intermediate experience with InDesign.

The book is project based and each chapter/project builds on the skills learned in the previous one. The book layout is well designed and easy to follow. James and Cathy have picked some real world projects for you to work on and project files are available from the peachpit website. Though you are required to register online with Peachpit to download these files. Not necessarlly a bad thing since Peachpit has a lot of great resources that are available and free.

This book is absolutely indispensable for the freelance production designer or small studio. By adding functional XML knowledge to your toolset you'll be able to take on more complicated and profitable projects.

Book Review - Adobe InDesign CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques

2008-08-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Adobe InDesign CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques (Paperback) by John Cruise (Author) & Kelly Kordes Anton (Author) is a handy book to have around for beginners and near intermediate users. The book serves its purpose in presenting specific techniques in 2 - 4 pages. As such, you learn quickly and get your work done. As an advanced user, I found about half of the book to be info I already learned from other resources, but given how inexpensive this book is, it's certainly worth having on your shelf as a quick reference.

Book Review - Real World Adobe InDesign CS3

2008-08-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Real World Adobe InDesign CS3 (Paperback) by Olav Martin Kvern (Author)and David Blatner (Author) is one of best InDesign reference materials to have on your shelf. It's certainly not a cover to cover read thru resource (it's 900 pages long). But those 900 pages contain the info you need to become a very proficient InDesign user. While Adobe's included documentation is very useful, RWAICS3 goes beyond that and shows you techniques that you are going to be able to use in your day to day work.

Book Review - Subject To Change: Creating Great Products & Services for an Uncertain World

2008-06-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Subject To Change: Creating Great Products & Services for an Uncertain World
-Adaptive Path on Design

By Peter Merholz, Todd Wilkens, Brandon Schauer, David Verba
Book Price: $24.99 USD

http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596516833/

Personal Rating: A MUST READ!

As a individual working within the design and advertising industry, I can say that I have a pretty good idea about the truth in the design process for this particular industry - it's all about the creative, winning awards and getting results for our clients. However, after reading "Subject to Change", I'd like to think that I've seen the light about how to better develop solutions not just for my clients, but for their clients; the end user, the person who will ultimately be influenced by the product or service I have been hired to create.

Adaptive Path successfully shows that it is the experience of the end user that determines the success or failure of a product or service. By encouraging a process of design that takes into consideration the experience of using the product or service, Adaptive Path have proven that their recommended processes can be adopted by any development team and be used to create a successful product or service.

I would encourage that any professional who works or participates in any sort of design cycle that creates, they should read this book. It will lead to a change in they way they think about what sort of outcomes they are trying to achieve.

Book Review - Adobe Indesign CS3 One-On-One

2008-04-28T23:25:00.001-07:00

Adobe Indesign CS3 One-On-One by Deke McClelland is a tremendous resource for the new and experienced InDesign user. Written for the new user, it starts with the basics of the ID CS3 user interface and starting your first document. As you progress thru the project based material you are exposed to invaluable tips and tricks that will make you an ID pro in no time.

"Pearl of Wisdom" are insightful little bits of info found throughout the book, that are like pull out quotes, but are Deke's thoughts about some unique experience that he thinks you should know about to make the project go smoother.

The book comes with nearly 3 hrs of video training that is unique to this book (not extracted from his nearly 150hrs of training on lynda.com). It's advised that you watch each video before or after reading the accompanying chapter in the book. The process of Read, Watch, Do is one of the most effective ways of learning InDesign. As well, Deke's humorous writing style makes you think he's right next to you.

For experienced users, Deke successfully explains complex subjects such as XML tags. As well, even thru the basics chapters, experienced users can pick up productivity tips and hidden features that only Deke can find.

I recommend this book for all users.

Vancouver InDesign User Group

2008-04-28T22:36:00.001-07:00

The inaugural meeting of the new Vancouver InDesign User Group was held last Wednesday April 23rd, 2008. Nearly 60 InDesigners joined Sebastian Distefano and Jeff Kew to discover what was new in the world of InDesign CS3 and what worldly learning resources were available to those wanting to master ID CS3.

Please use the link in the sidebar to access the InDesign User Group website.

Book Review - Professional Design Techniques with Adobe Creative Suite 3

2008-04-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Scott Citron brings it all together.

Too many computer books today just tell you how the tools work. Professional Design Techniques with Adobe Creative Suite 3 by Scott Citron does more than that. Far more!

Scott brings design and production techniques together in a process that is much more reflective of what happens in a day to day design studio. As well, Scott's writing style reminds me of being in a conversation with a mentor. Information is quickly assimilated, easily understood and efficiently implemented.

In the beginning chapters Scott reviews basic and necessary design principals for laying out a page and proper use of typography rules for kerning and leading. The project chapters and production techniques are invaluable. I can see many designers and print production artists having "a-ha" moments during their reading of this book.

I would recommend that every design and production studio invest in a copy or two of this book.