Difficulty level: 
Meaning of colors: menu path, keyboard shortcut
Eye-catching 3D text
Used graphic application:
Adobe Photoshop 7.0 (eng.)
When moving the cursor above the image on the left - the image before the processing appears.
1. Open the Photoshop program.
2. Create the new document.
Choose File » New from menu, or press Ctrl + N keys.
In the appearing window set properties of the new document. In this particular case you can use the same which I used - preview.
3. OK, you've got clean "sheet" with earlier set dimensions, with white background.
It's time to type something.
Choose the Horizontal Type Tool 
(T) from toolbox
In its properties menu - set following parameters:
Font family: Impact (or any other thick one like Arial Black)
Font Size: 140 pt
Anti-aliasing: Smooth
Color: Black
Click at the left side of the document and write something. After writing you can still center it using the: Move Tool 
(V). You can also help yourself with keyboard arrows (after choosing the Move Tool - in other case it won't move).
4. Now he have to rasterize the text that means turn it into graphic. Click the right mouse button on the layer with the text in the layer panel and choose: Rasterize layer
Then choose the picture that was text a while ago. As on the layer there is nothing else than itself (background is on the lower layer) - press the Ctrl key and click with the left mouse button on the layer with the caption in the layer panel.
As you can see, program selects all the text.
5. Now create a new empty layer. We'll place the caption outline on it. For that purpose click the small Create a new layer icon in the lower part of the layer panel (the second from the right) - preview
The program creates the new layer and activates it (it is blue). Very good.
Now we'll make the outline. From the program menu choose: Edit » Stroke.
In the appearing window set following parameters:
Width: 5px
Color: grey
Location: Center
Mode: Normal
As you can see around the caption appears grey outline. Now we can cancel the selection - press Ctrl + D keys.
6. We still work on the layer with outline (the highest). Let's pimp it - we'll play with Blending Options. To get access to them - double click on the icon of the outline layer (or click the right mouse button on the layer behind the icon and from the Blending Options menu that appears then).
The Layer Style window appears, and in it, at the left - Blending Options menu.
We'll make outline looks like a relief - by giving it the third dimension. Click on the Bevel and Emboss bookmark and set parameters like in the picture above.
And then we'll add shadow to the outline, it'll make it looks like it is convex. Click on the Drop Shadow and eneter the settings below:
We can also shade it. So let's apply gradient. The Gradient Overlay bookmark:
If you want to use another type of gradient - click on the gradient bar and choose one of the available ones or create a new one (sliders on the bottom of the gradient choose field).
Click OK.
After these three operations we receive something like that:
7. Now it's time to take up the filling, that means the caption that stays on the second (middle) layer. Click on that layer - it will be marked with blue (that means we are working on it currently - it is active).
What to do with the caption? Let's give it a nice blue colour. We won't be playing with the brush. We'll use the technique that we learned a while ago, so choose the Blending Options for that layer too.
Now select the Color Overlay bookmark. Click on the little rectangle with colour (red default) and in the appearing window choose an interesting colour. Now it's only OK left. OK.
8. That's the effect:
I recommend to do some experiments with Blending options bookmarks parameters settings. Try to change different parameters and properties and observe current results of your activity. Effects can be very interesting. Here're some examples:
1.
2. Wooden text
On the layer with the filling the Pattern Overlay option was used. Other effects inactive (or they would cover).
On the outline layer in the Bevel and Emboss option - Style property: Inner Bevel
3. Metalic text
As above.
4. Marble text
As above too :) And the Pattern Overlay applied to the outline too.
The end.
other techniques
Black and white photo from a colourful one
photo retouch
Extending and thickening of lashes
photomontage
Replacing the photo background