How to Cheat… er, um, Edit in Photoshop - Adobe Photoshop Editing of Digital Photos

lunch with the editor of Punch one day, showed him what I'd been toying with, and he commissioned first a one-off illustration, then a photomontage cartoon series. Then The Guardian newspaper phoned up and asked for a similar cartoon... and it all took off from there.

2. What platform do you use for your work, and why?

A Mac, of course. It's still the best machine for graphics, and I loathe everything about windows - the way it looks, the way it works, the patronizing approach it takes.

3. Do you still beta test for Adobe?

Yes, but just Photoshop these days.

4. In your opinion, what is the biggest improvement of Photoshop 7 over 6, and would it be worth it for the average hobby photographer to upgrade?

I should say the new Brush engine, but I rarely make use of it. So I'd have to go for the File Browser and the amazing Healing Brush as being must-have features. And yes, the Healing Brush is worth the upgrade price on its own - it has to be seen to be believed.

5. What are you thoughts on programs such as Photoshop Elements 2 or Jasc Paint Shop Pro?

Don't know Paint Shop Pro, since I use a Mac. Elements is a great program, but it's been deliberately crippled: no CMYK support, no Pen tool. Good for learning, but you need Photoshop if you're serious.

6. What was your motivation for writing How to Cheat in Photoshop?

Students I taught kept asking me why I hadn't written a book yet. Plus I thought it would be fun to write - and it was.

7. Where do you get the images you use for editing and manipulation? From stock agencies, freelance photographers, or your own stock?

I get mug shots for illustrations directly from the newspaper or magazine who commissions the pics, if relevant. Everything else comes either from my digital camera, or from royalty free image libraries. At the moment I get most of my new images from ablestock.com, which has a yearly subscription that allows you to download as many images as you like.

8. Are there certain images you find more challenging to work with than others? (Such as chaotic backgrounds, layout of original photos, etc.)

When people phone and ask for what they describe as a 'simple job', I know I'm in trouble. They're always, without exception, the most difficult. But I guess the hardest are the 'cast

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