Review: The Photoshop Layers Book - Johan Elzenga

Friday 22 November 2019, 16:32 by Michelle Peeters | 7,480 views | 6 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

In this article, my review of The Photoshop Layers Book by Johan W. Elzenga. Johan also taught the excellent Photoshop for Beginners course at Photofacts Academy.

Layers are Photoshop's greatest strength, so it's a shame not to use them. Johan shows you everything you need to know in the calm, clear way we've come to expect from him.

Johan previously wrote a book with the same title, which we also reviewed (in 2008). However, this book has been rewritten for Adobe Photoshop CC 2019.

That doesn't mean it's of little use if you're still using an earlier version of Photoshop. Most of this book and its examples can also be carried out with earlier versions.

Even when a newer version is released, you can be confident that there probably won't be any changes when it comes to layers.

Although Adobe Photoshop has supported layers since version 3.0, many users of the programme rarely or never use this option. That's a shame, because working with layers offers many possibilities that are difficult or impossible to achieve in other ways. Photoshop's strength lies precisely in layers!

Layers also make it possible to work in a so-called "non-destructive" way. This means that all edits can be undone independently of one another, or adjusted. Without layers, you'd probably have to start all over again.

1. What are layers?
2. Opacity and blending mode
3. Layer styles
4. Masks
5. The adjustment layer
6. Other layers
7. Advanced blending
8. Grouping layers
9. Auto-aligning
10. Image stack
11. Miscellaneous
12. Compositing images
13. A night-time rain shower
14. Snowy landscape
15. Advanced portrait retouching
16. Creating a combined mask

Read about everything you can do with layers, and a new world will open up for you! Layers are essential not just for improving photos, but especially for the fun and impressive edits you can make to them.

For example, do you want to blend two photos together? Or add things to a photo that weren't originally there? Add text to a photo to make a beautiful postcard? You can do all of that with layers.

All these possibilities, and many more, are covered in The Photoshop Layers Book. Clear examples explain what layers do and how to use them professionally.

The book is based on Photoshop CC 2019, but most examples can also be carried out with earlier and later versions of Photoshop. Apart from the examples mentioned earlier, the book covers:

- Layer styles
- Masks
- Text layers
- Advanced blending
- Grouping layers
- Auto-aligning

Johan W. Elzenga is a photographer and freelance writer for various photography and computer magazines. He also regularly teaches at the Fotoschool and Fotogram in Amsterdam.

Johan is the author of the first Dutch-language book about the RAW format of digital cameras. He has also written books about Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, HDR, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop CC for Lightroom photographers.

Johan's photos are sold worldwide through Getty Images and Alamy in London. His specialities are landscapes from around the world and wildlife in Africa. Johan also taught the Photoshop for Beginners course for Photofacts Academy!

What did I think?

In this book, Johan covers one of Photoshop's most important features, the use of layers. Once again, he explains it in an engaging and clear way.

It's so clear that even a beginner Photoshop user can easily understand it. If you're not yet familiar with terms such as masks, layer styles or adjustment layers, this book is highly recommended!

Photoshop Layers video course

The accompanying course, also taught by Johan, went live at Photofacts Academy today. The Photoshop Layers course is a perfect match for this book. It's a great combination to have both at home.

There is also a great offer when this course launches. If you become a member now, you'll receive Johan's Layers book (worth 20 euros) completely free!

» Become a member now (+ free The Photoshop Layers Book)

If you're already a member, you can also receive the book for free when renewing your membership.

Price and where to buy it

Would you rather buy the book separately instead of receiving it for free? Of course, you can do that too. The book is available from lees.nl, among others, for 20 euros.

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About the author

Michelle Peeters is fotografe en oprichter van DeuxBleus Fotografie. Michelle herkent het bijzondere in het gewone en het gewone in het bijzondere. Ze heeft zich nooit willen specialiseren en is daardoor van alle markten thuis.

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6 comments

LILI wrote on Tuesday 26 November 2019 at 11:13 | reply
Oepsie al verlengd . Spijtig van de boek dan . ☺️

This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Noor wrote on Tuesday 26 November 2019 at 13:44 | reply
Wat is het verschil met zijn eerder uitgebrachte lagenboek?
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Michelle Peeters wrote on Tuesday 26 November 2019 at 13:59 | reply
@Noor: dit boek is herschreven voor de Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 versie.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Noor wrote on Tuesday 26 November 2019 at 14:30 | reply
Dankjewel Michelle👍.
Ik heb nog CS6 dus .....gaan we daar nog even mee door.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

jrdewilt wrote on Tuesday 26 November 2019 at 18:35 | reply
Het valt me op dat ik binnen een week twee aanbiedingen langs zie komen, waarbij naast het abonnement op de cursussen een boek gratis ter beschikking wordt gesteld.
De leden van het eerste uur, zoals ik, krijgen niets. Vreemd!
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

Elja Trum wrote on Wednesday 27 November 2019 at 09:17 | reply
@Jrdewilt; Vervelend dat je je benadeelt voelt. Dat is uiteraard niet onze bedoeling.

Leden van het eerste uur betalen doorgaans veel minder dan leden die nu instappen; zelfs vergeleken met de huidige kortingsactie. Als trouw lid heb je dus altijd al voordeel.

Daarnaast kunnen ook alle bestaande leden de boeken gratis krijgen op het moment dat ze hun lidmaatschap weer met een jaar verlengen.

Waar mogelijk proberen we bestaande leden ook altijd extra voordeeltjes te geven. In het geval van boeken is dit lastiger, omdat er in Nederland een vaste boekenprijs geldt.
This comment was written in another language and has not been translated yet.

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