Photoshop extravaganza

After shooting a set of images ofcoffee cups for my skills for client brief module, I made my selection and started to work on them using photoshop.

Photoshop is a great tool that a lot of people within the creative industry use to enhance their images, however I have not had any training on it. I have noted this as one of my weaknesses and want to improve on this throughout the course.
On a scale of 1-5, I would probably rate my current skill level as a 1-2. I have set myself a target to increase my skill level to 3-4 and hopefully become a little more comfortable with the software.
Although there is no specific sessions of how to use Photoshop in my modules, I think that with practice and perseverance I will be able to increase my knowledge and use it effectively.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a book on how to do the basics within the software and decided to have a go to see what I could produce. I have learnt how to change curves, levels, add layers and mask selected areas of an image.
I have also been watching videos from youtube to aid my learning as there are many workshops and helpful hints from what people have posted.
I have set aside two hours a week to practice these skills. In addition to this I also work with someone who is very proficient at using photoshop and am hoping that he will be able to show me some of the tricks of the trade.