News & Views

Product: Total Training: Digital Photography and Adobe Photoshop Workflow Guide

Company: Total Training (www.totaltraining.com.)

Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes; 1 CD Price: $49.99
Experience Level: Beginners
Minimum Requirements: QuickTime
Warranty: Money-Back Guarantee
Reviewer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Apples
Date: December, 2004
Reviewer: Maria O. Arguello

I wish I had had this training guide when I started my digital photography experience. Brian Maffitt, cofounder of Total Training, clarifies the confusing world of digital photography. He explains many kinds of digital cameras and how they work, helping you to make an intelligent and knowledgeable choice for the one that suits you best. The new user who is overwhelmed by the jargon associated with digital cameras will find this training guide an essential addition to their library.

The price of this training series is very reasonable at $49.99, especially when you think of all the hours of frustration it will save you. The one-on-one instruction at your own pace is very nice.
I am often asked, "Where can I go to learn how to use my digital camera?" I always recommend the Total Training series. Total Training has a plethora of titles for almost every conceivable Mac program, demonstrating their concern for their customers. I also like the variety of presenters offered by Total Training. The CD label contains the titles of the lessons available in the series, and The Lesson Guide inside of the CD container has the subtitles of each of the five lessons for quick reference to a topic.

The training application window is easy to navigate with a list of all the lesson topics under each chapter. There are five lessons on the CD: Digital Cameras, Introducing Adobe Photoshop CS, Adjusting Images, Using Tip Tools, and Printing and Sharing Images. The first lesson shows Brian Maffitt sitting behind a table full of cameras of all shapes and sizes. He uses this visual to compare the array of digital cameras available in the market today from point-and-shoot to professional ones.

The image adjustments are made in Photoshop CS. In a few minutes even a seasoned user of Photoshop learns hidden tools that enhance the contrast, color, depth and resolution of a photo. Total Training has selected the right man for the job, for Brian Maffit has an admirable teaching style and an impressive knowledge of digital cameras and photography. He has a well-paced tempo, which makes it easy to follow the step-by-step instructions, allowing the student to pause the video and apply the information to a working environment. As a teacher by profession, I am thrilled when I run into good instructors who know how to make complicated concepts easy to understand elegantly. If you're thinking of buying a digital camera, buy this training video first. It is very, very good.
Maria O. Arguello is a native Nicaraguan who became an American citizen in 1964. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University of New Orleans and her Master of Science degree from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Since retiring from the Philadelphia School System as a science teacher and science department head, her newfound time has allowed her to become more involved with her Mac and the User Group Community. Maria is president and vendor liaison of the Main Line Macintosh Users Group (MLMUG), where she has also served as member-at-large and as special events coordinator. She is the Apple Regional Liaison for the Northeast United States and online groups.

Attribution Information:

Copyright 2004 Maria O. Arguello. This article appeared in the MLMUG Journal in December, 2004.

This article may be reprinted by any Macintosh User Group in their newsletter or publication distributed on paper or online, with credit given to the author and original publishing user group (Maria O. Arguello, MLMUG). Commercial or other publication prohibited unless the author grants specific permission.

More articles by this author available at: http://Mlmug.org/Reviews.html.

The MLMUG Journal, in PDF format, may be downloaded from: http://Mlmug.org/past.html