This book contains all the technical information you require to manipulate your photographs in any way you desire. Obviously you need a computer and a photographic manipulation software tool, such as Photoshop or something similar. If reviewers have panned this book in the past I cannot understand where they are coming from. The book contains easy to follow exercises that help you to create the effect you are looking for and encourages you to use your own initiative to take things that step further. Anyone with a modicum of computer expertise can vastly improve their digital photogaphs. Not everyone wants to become involved in using filters, layers and masks, but to just be able to sharpen, adjust contrast and brightness of photographs and do some colour corrections makes owning this book well worthwhile. Believe me this book will help you to make a tremendous improvement to your photographs.