From the basics to the advanced...

[SolidBrowser]

What thing should you know for the basics of photoshop?
What things should you know to be an ammeter at photoshop?
What things should you know if you are a professional photoshoper? (is there a name for that {photo shopper} I think i know the basics and need to know what tutorials to do now... (and later) for photoshop..
is it knowing what you can do with the basics and extent upon them? where do you start? where do you end?
Should i just go online and select a topic (ex; old photo retouching) and learn bits by bits and try to put the pieces together and become good??? How does someone become good at photoshop either education online or t school... and do you learn more in school or online... (does it depend on your motivation and responsibility)
I know a lot of people have done above average at things and they dropped out of high school and heard storys the other way as well....

 

[Tracy Mapes]

Layers Palette and Selection Tools

 

[Steve]

You asked a lot of questions there.
I doubt there are many people that have a 100% grasp of all the tools that PS offers.
You learn the tools that are useful for the work you like to do.

Like Tracy said, layers and selection tools along with masks, and adjustment layers are tools that everyone needs.
How serious you are and the method of learning that works best for you can determine how you can study PS.
There are plenty of books available on the subject or videos if that works better for you.
Adobe has plenty of free tutorials here.

For $25 a month you can try Linda.com or Kelby Traininghttp://tv.adobe.com/product/photoshop/.

 

[smoke]

Practice, research, experiment! Try to fake/copy some simple manips of different types. all experience coming with tons of hours of practice using new/different techniques, experimenting with tools you not comfort with and so on. I hate pen tool but using it constantly to tamable it's wide capabilities..
ME self is far away from pro, but I keep trying LoL

 

[Tom Mann]

"What things should you know if you are a professional photoshoper?"

All the things a truly advanced amateur knows PLUS a huge amount of business acumen, ie, how to turn your technical knowledge into a dependable income that you can live on. In other words, things like selling yourself in the right circles (aka, marketing), keeping books, doing your taxes, having a business plan, insurance, etc.

Tom M

 

[Tom Mann]

...and don't forget social and psychological skills such as working alone most of the time, working equally well in a team or under direction (when that is required), and finding an appropriate balance between your work and the rest of your life, your family and friends. The latter can be quite difficult for pro photoshoppers who not only "take their work home with them", but they practically sleep next to their computers.

etc. etc. etc.

T

 

[bgoodman4]

I believe there is a certification process, for more info you might try the Adobe Photoshop website.

 

[Tom Mann]

Not to be a hard-a$$, and please don't take this the wrong way, but if you want to be a professional in ANY field, you need to always project a professional image.

Even if you are god's gift to the universe in photoshop, if there are any spelling or grammar errors in a document that you send out to a client, or for public consumption, your hard-won professional image goes right through the floor. It doesn't matter if there were typos because you composed it on a tiny cell phone while riding on the back of a drunk camel, the readers don't know that and you'll come across as a guy who couldn't get through high school English.

Examples:

ammeter = http://product-image.tradeindia.com/00221479/b/0/Moving-Iron-SR-80-A-C-Acrylic-Ammeter.jpg

"and heard storys (sic) the other way, as well..."

Tom M