Excuse me for taking up space in the LR forum but this will pertain to any & all PS applications. For every task I want to perform, & I think I speak for a fair number of users, I can type in the Search box & be delivered an accurate answer. For example, I want to know how to Duplicate an image in PS. Here's the answer as it is right now in the Help section of PSCS2:
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To duplicate an image in Photoshop

You can duplicate an entire image (including all layers, layer masks, and channels) into available memory without saving to disk.

1. Open the image you want to duplicate.
2. Choose Image > Duplicate.
3. Enter a name for the duplicated image.
4. If you want to duplicate the image and merge the layers, select Duplicate Merged Layers Only. To preserve the layers, make sure this option is deselected.
5. Click OK.

To duplicate an image in Photoshop and automatically append the word “copy” to its file name, hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) when you choose Image > Duplicate.
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OK I have my answer & I can now perform the Duplication. Enough? Not for me. And I dare say not enough for all users whom are trying to learn a particular function for the first time. So what? Why is Duplicating an image important? Why do this instead of creating a Backup Copy of Background or another manner of copying the original file.

Let's stop here for a moment: I don't in this case really want to know why to Duplicate instead of doing A Background Copy (I do but not now). What I want to know is where can I find the Why of all these Help Answers, instructions, tutorials? Adobe feels that if they tell us How to accomplish such an action, we must already know Why we want to do this. I don't in many many cases.

Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful before I even receive an answer but I don't read books. I read online because I can adjust the font size. Something about my eyes. So if at all possible, help with an online source would be much appreciated. And I'll express my Thanks now.

You're right. Online help is usually function and task-specific. You often don't get the broader context and rationale.

To me the best source for what you're looking for is good old-fashioned books. Googling and other online source are time-consuming and hit-or-miss, in my experience. NAAP, for example, is a great resource, but it's not as encyclopedic as the books by the many authors who publish tutorials there.

I'd invest in a good book on your software of choice. If you're not sure which book to buy, just pick a topic like "duplicate" or "toning" or whatever, go to your local bookstore, and see which one covers that topic best for you.

John

The various on-line tutorials on the Luminous Landscape website are also excellent, as they generally cover the "why" as well as the "how" and incorporate both into a rational for a particular workflow.

And that would work Johnwolf, but I'm looking for an online source so as these tasks come up, for differeing workflow needs I'd have the ability to source out my inquiries, sort of a Wiki for Photoshop, LR, Aperture, Bridge, etc. Maybe we've hit upon the Brave New World of 'Wiki-Adobe' territory.

Thanks Eric, Perhaps I'll begin here each time. Now, though, I've thought how nice it would be if one could just link out of the Help sections within all Adobe Apps with a Bookmark function. The Bookmark function could be placed within each App's Help Section added as you work on things, then linked to, say in this case, LL or wherever so one would in effect be adding in a Wiki-sense, to the Help Sections of each App, & then these would all meld together online as information were added for each Application.

This of course would be such a huge task to facilitate, but I suppose there were once many who were skeptical of Wikipedia also.

Anyway back to what other sources are currently available. Still looking and thanks Eric. Anyone else?

Just MO, but one of the reasons I don't think you will ever find one source for what you are looking for is----there are many ways to do the same thing in PS and many reasons for choosing to do it. That's not including a 'task' source, for, as you say, duplicating an image---but for doing something (toning, dodging/burning, sharpening, masking/selecting, etc.) and the reasons why you would do that.

As a very simple example for your 'duplicate' your image. I frame my images for my gallery. I created a relatively simple action including adding a written sig. Because I don't want to inadvertently save the original image file in the smaller, framed jpeg version, I duplicate the original--or rather have the action duplicate it, resize it, etc. There are many reasons I choose to duplicate an images--this is just one.

If you read any of the books on the market or the tutes online, you will find a variety of ways to approach the same thing--a very good example is processing an image into a monotone. There are many many different methods and workflows to achieve this--and now even 2 more---the ability to do it in RAW plus being able to use split toning there--and the new adjustment layer for b/w--plus using 3rd party plugins.

Once you get deep into PS you will find the reasons 'why'---and then search for the 'hows' I suspect.

The books are a good source, online tutes including LLS, which are more than 'tutes', classes, and forums.

PS is just an ever deepening well IMO LOL--but its fun to dive in and find what's there.

Diane

In addition to tutorials here on Luminous Landscape, some tips are available from Russell Brown. Photoshop Killer Tips and Lightroom Killer Tips do provide some helpful tips. Some help can be found on Radiant Vista website.

Finally, you might want to consider a few books on Photoshop and/or Lightroom. if your looking to learn PS/LR from the start, books can be better than disparate tips/tutorials found online as they walk you through the basics and then take you to more elaborate techniques.

Rich,

I started my own little Wiki-Photoshop a few years ago. I realized I was forgetting so much as I learned post-processing. Now whenever I discover something I want to hang onto, I enter it into a web on my local drive. The web has a table of contents with links to various topics.

So now if I forget those duotoning colors I like, or PS printing parameters, or skin softening technique, it's all right there behind a shortcut on my browser toolbar.

John

The "Why" for doing things in Photoshop will probably not be found in books or online but within yourself after long experience. In my mind the why of doing specific things to an image is dependent upon the photographer's intent and also is image dependent and gained only through experience. Every article written about Photoshop and the way to do things is filtered through the writer's mindset of the proper way to do things based upon their intent and work flow. You will probably find as many reasons for doing any specific command or action as there are articles and books written about it.

Books and articles can give you a starting point on why you may want to do certain things in Photoshop but you are going to have to develop the "why" yourself based upon your intent.

A printing workshop with either Alain Briot or Charlie Cramer will give you more in a few days and speed your progress better than most articles or books. But again, this is only a starting point and you will have to decide the whys for yourself based upon the image that you are creating.

johnwolf, eric, picnic, francois & gvdavewh,

I think I am getting clearly what most all of you are saying, & it does help to hear the same message. However what I was getting at was perhaps there's manual which explains what Duplicating (et al or that includes all tasks) can offer the Photoshop user.

Well explained by all of you, I'll interpret as "The client's need creates the workflow, or the Why, if indeed a client is a part of the task. I find myself, perhaps naievly wishing there was only one way to skin a cat. Then it would all be rather simple to accomplish most things within PS. But that would dissolve so much creativity & thus variety.

I have been attempting work on a Gallery I like to call Alternatives & it's been a real slow effort, but even simple work is always a look at more than one tutorial & it can take me days to accomplish a mere gradient of just the upper half of an image, for example. I guess I am a slow learner at some of this. Then too is my ever-present poor memory.

How about a suggestion, then, on what could be, according to one's workflow preference, your favorite e-Book, or e-manual on say the Top 10 or Top whatever Professional Actions (for lack of a more appropriate PS term) that are used in PRO workflow environments? If e-choices don't come to mind, please also include a regular paper book, ughh!!!!

Maybe there's a discussion already online I could do a search for that has covered this within the confines of LL. I'll look once I've Posted this.

Many thanks to some terrific members here who have taken the time to offer help. Perhaps one day I can do the same.

Rich

Someone who is pretty creative in his approach is Ben Wilmore--I believe he has a new Studio Techniques for PSCS3 coming out in August. For a photographer, Martin Evening's books are excellent. Oh--Karin Eismann also.

Diane

For starter, Martin Evening Photoshop for Photgraphers and Lightroom books are excellent and accessible for new users.

Thanks Diane, I'll take a look at all three.

Thank you too francois.