Pod Casts, Books and online photo courses

Does anyone listen to photography podcasts? If so, which ones and how would you rate them as to quality of content, target skill level of the listener and just pure ole entertainment value?

Also, I always do much better at things if I have a clearly defined objective. To tell me to go out and take as many pics as you can just doesn't work for me. I have to have a goal. I have been searching the web for some free, [move][glow=red,2,300]emphasis on free[/glow][/move], photography schools/lessons that give specific assignments. Anyone know of any? I think my linear thinking brain is showing. Is that the left side or the right side?

If you are having trouble in photoshop with selections and masking etc., I just found a book that I think is really going to help me make much better selections. The name of the book is "Photoshop Masking and Compositing" by Katrin Eisman. I am about halfway through it the first time around and am already picking up some new knowledge and techniques. I got it at Books A Million here locally but just found it on Amazon for around $30.

Any other good books out there for us novice users of photoshop? I have elements 5.0 and CS2

 

any books by scott kelby, i have this one, written in a nice clear step by step with great examples shown

the photoshop book for digital photographers

second tim about elements, i went from 3.0 to photoshop 6, it'll be quite a while before i'll need to get a later edition, still trying to get deeper into 6 via the dummies book, plus others, i have a couple dedicated jsut to wedding stuff but they are out in the camper and i'm too lazy to go get them, i'll send the titles in a later post

 

I have a couple of Scott Kelby books and they are very very good. I like his easy style to get the point across.

I have just really started using CS2 as the main program, will be a long an steep learning curve. I do miss the elements 5.0 photo album as I can't quite get the hang of bridge as far as organizing the photos.

 

Check out my lens, Great Disney World Photos, for some of my favorite resources including books, tutorials and instructional sites. I'l be adding some more updates in this next week as well.

 

Hey Barrie,

Have been going through you tips and web site. Very good stuff!! Thank you.

 

Well thanks - glad you like it!

 

i'm listening to Jeff Curto photo history lecture I found on itunes. its a art history course with the photos added into the podcast. national geographic has a podcast as well. otherwise I really haven't found a photography podcast that has much depth to it. though theres one called Lenswork (i think) that seems pretty good but i never really got into it.

 

http://www.radiantvista.com/
I subscribe to at least two of their podcasts in Itunes.. but I have to admit, I haven't watched or listened to many of them (they do both video and audio). It's just that normally when I'm listening to podcasts I'm in the mood for entertainment, not education.

Some of the stuff I've seen or heard of theirs was pretty basic, like an entire episode about the fact that the text tool in CS2 apparently doesn't like double spacing. But they have a wide variety of content, at least check it out. Especially the video tutorials, I think that's a really neat thing to do through the medium of podcasting.