Chapter 14, "Collage," is all about compositing or image blending. Here you will learn about Clipping Masks, Blending sliders, Layer Masks and Vector Masks and how you can use them to combine images together seamlessly. Chapter 15, "Retouching," can mean different things to different people. From removing unwanted objects to just making an image more presentable, you will learn how to work with the Patch tool, Healing brush, Spot Healing brush, Clone Stamp tool, Vanishing Point, Dodge and Burn tools as well as other techniques to improve the look of your image. Chapter 16, "Workflow," is essentially the author's step-by-step workflow that he uses everyday. In this chapter he explains why each step appears in this order and is provided as a guide that you can use to create your own workflow.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques is one of those books that I wish I had when I was first starting out with Photoshop. It covers all of the fundamental techniques that you need to become proficient with Photoshop and it shows you how to accomplish tasks by teaching.

The amazing aspect about Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques is how the author would start at one point and then all of a sudden you were advanced down the line before you realized it. It would be like if you went to him to learn how to fly using a flight simulator and 45 minutes later you look down and see you're 10,000 feet in the air and in control of the plane.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques is not just for beginners either. I have been using Photoshop since version 5 (actually played with it since version 4) and there were many books I found enlightening as well. Ben Willmore does an incredible job of Teaching with a capital T, which I define as taking an idea from his mind and implanting it into your's without the loss of any pixels.

If you are a beginner, intermediate, or even an advanced user, Adobe Photoshop CS3 Studio Techniques will explain Photoshop in a clear, concise, and understandable way that will have you saying "at last, I really understand." I very highly recommend this book.