The Adobe Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, 2nd Edition

A Practical, Photographer-Focused Approach

Scott Kelby has spent decades teaching digital photographers how to make the most of Adobe Photoshop, and this updated second edition delivers that experience in a direct, recipe-style format. Rather than walking through every tool and menu, the book focuses on the techniques photographers actually use day to day—from raw processing to targeted adjustments and masking.

Early chapters establish a smooth Camera Raw workflow for getting tonal range, color, and detail right before an image ever opens in Photoshop. From there, the material moves into more advanced raw controls, including work with curves, sharpening, spot removal, haze reduction, and noise management. The masking chapters then show practical ways to edit selectively: enhancing skies, painting with light, and creating localized corrections without unnatural edges.

Learn by Doing, Not by Wading Through Theory

The book is written as a series of standalone projects. Each lesson names a specific problem or goal, explains why it matters for real photographs, and then walks through the steps to achieve the result. This structure makes it easy to use as both a cover-to-cover course and a just-in-time reference when a particular editing challenge appears.

Photographers who already feel comfortable with camera settings but want more control in post-production will find the explanations clear and well paced. The material is especially relevant for anyone working with raw files, natural light, landscapes, portraits, or travel photography, though the techniques apply broadly to any Photoshop-based photo editing.

Updated for Today’s Workflow

This second edition reflects contemporary Photoshop and Camera Raw tools, including expanded masking capabilities and updated processing controls. The inclusion of Kelby’s editing cheat sheet in the opening chapter gives readers a quick reference for core adjustments, while later chapters build the confidence to combine those adjustments creatively.

Readers revisiting the book after the first edition, as well as those starting fresh, will find the step-by-step format keeps the focus on making better photographs.