Amazon.com (ISBN 0789723182, Paperback)

It's disappointing when a photo of a loved one is marred by "red eye" or the wrong exposure, or when a cherished picture from long ago cracks and fades. Luckily, Katrin Eismann seems to know every trick available in Photoshop for making photographs--film or digital--look just how you want them to, whether that means restoring what has been lost, fixing incorrect exposures, erasing dust and scratches, or even recreating reality. (Who wouldn't want to lose a few wrinkles?) Eismann has the artistic eye to appreciate good photography, the technical savvy to be able to offer numerous solutions to any given problem, and the writing and teaching skills to walk readers clearly through these solutions.

The book assumes readers have a working knowledge of Photoshop. It does not go through the basics or cover complex selections or masking, although it does quickly explain essentials like shortcuts, context-sensitive menus, quick image-navigation tricks, the varieties of layers, and smart file management--all issues that expedite workflow and distinguish regular and power users. The book even outlines what it takes to set up shop as a professional retoucher, discussing equipment, studio arrangement, and working with clients and contracts.

The author strongly advises reading the book from start to finish, and she's structured the projects so that they build upon each other. The book is divided into three sections: correcting tone, exposure, and color; restoration, repairing, and rebuilding; and portrait and glamour retouching. Each page is filled with plenty of before-and-after images, along with screen shots of palettes and dialog boxes.

This book makes tackling each of your photo's flaws look easy--it seems like even the worst photo can be saved. Also, by the end, readers will have an appreciation for those who do retouching for a living--it takes planning, a good eye, consistency, and a lot of organization, or you're just flailing away with adjustment layers. You can get a look at a sample tutorial and chapter on the companion Web site, digitalretouch.org, which also includes all project images and other resources. --Angelynn Grant