There are plenty of great Photoshop tips and tutorials online; however, sometimes I like to have a book in front of me to help find my way. And, there are plenty of great authors out there producing thorough and well-organized resources.

1. The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby

This was the first Photoshop tutorial book that I ever read (albeit, an earlier version of the book for Photoshop CS). I kept it on my desk while figuring out how to make the proper adjustments on my photos. Since then, I’ve bought several other books by Kelby and read his blog on a regular basis.

There’s also a series for Photoshop Elements from Kelby and Matt Kloskowski for those who use it.

2. Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage

The Missing Manual series is a popular series for learning Photoshop.  This series really lives up to the “Missing Manual” name.  Elements 8 is a very powerful post-processing program, which can often leave you scratching your head as to what to do with or where to go in the vast menu system.  The Missing Manual is an exhaustive resource that can help you figure out “how to do that” in Elements 8 or other Photoshop versions, like CS4.

3. Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature by Matt Kloskowski

Do you know how to use layers in Photoshop?  Kloskowski does.  And, he knows how to teach you.  As the description says, “if you want to finally understand layers in Photoshop, this book is the one you’ve been waiting for.”

4. How to Wow: Photoshop CS3 for Photography by Jack Davis

The nice thing about the How to Wow series is the compact little tutorials that you get.  In the lessons, you’ll find a step-by-step walkthrough of some of the fundamental digital photo enhancements like softening skin, and enhancing eyes, teeth and skin.  Once you work your way through these sections a few times, you’ll have the workflow down and a better understanding of how to use these features in the future.