Hey you,
Thanks for being in my corner!
Are you using Photoshop for the"after effects"?
If so, there's a book series by Tim Shelbourne (mostly), O'Reilly Press called Photoshop Cookbooks.
I have them, and although not all of the techniques are to my liking, all are intriguing. They might make for further inspiration.
Photoshop Digital Studio Cookbooks From O'Reilly
Photoshop is the digital artist and photographer's premier choice for editing and manipulating digital photos. And with the mounting interest in digital photography, the demand for practical guidance, expert techniques, tips and solutions — recipes for success if you will — continues to grow. It's exactly all of this and more that O'Reilly delivers in its beautifully designed and visually stunning new series, the "Photoshop Digital Studio Cookbooks."
Packed with hundreds of full color images, inspiring digital imagery, and authoritative information and advice, the books provide everything the reader needs to retouch, create effects, use blending modes, and filter effects, with professional results. With the books in this collection, the digital artist or photographer doesn't need to be a Photoshop expert to succeed. The "Photoshop Digital Studio Cookbook Series" includes the following:
Photoshop Retouching Cookbook for Digital Photographers (Amazon.com - save 34%)
Photoshop Photo Effects Cookbook (Amazon.com - save 34%)
Photoshop Filter Effects Encyclopedia Cookbook (Amazon.com - save 34%)
Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook (Amazon.com - save 34%)
Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook (Amazon.com - save 34%)