Alissa, I understand where you're at. I can do limited things in PS, but it's not my strong point.
I recently received 2 Photoshop books (one of which was snatched by my daughter!).
Photoshop Finishing Touches by Dave Cross requires a little knowledge of PS and then gives you some well-illustrated ideas for giving an extra touch to your shots (converting to b&w, color tints, lighting effects, frames, etc.). Haven't spent much time with this book yet, but I don't think it offers a lot for beginners as it is not too step-by-step (which he explains in the intro). The other book,
Photoshop Channels by Scott Kelby looked promising, but maybe my daughter will post a review
.
I have
PS Elements 4 by Scott Kelby and it is an easy to follow book (good for me); I assume his Elements 5 would be similar. Kelby seems tobe well-regarded in this area.
I'm sure others have some books they like.
