Selections can be made on the basis of a colour/tonal range, a tool or a gradient. Often the most sophisticated way of making a selection is the quickest and simplest! The trick is knowing when to use the simple techiques and determining when you need to put in some time and effort. Masking and use of the Channels is essential to all advanced Photoshop imaging beyond the global adjustments. Once you learn to work with the flexibility of masking, you will work more freely, more visually and with less guesswork. Not to mention less elbow grease when compositing and colour correcting. I can also demonstrate the use of plugins such as Fluid Mask and Primatte..

What to use selections for
Simple selections using tools
Using keys to modify selections
Using Select>Color Range
Feathering selections
Expand/contract
Modifying selections in Quickmask
Changing Quickmask colour
Using Refine Edge
Inverting selections
Saving selections
Loading selections
Understanding Channels
The essence of a mask
Luminance masks
Making masks from scratch
Using the ‘bad’ tools in masks
Gradients with masks
Inverting masks
Quick-loading selection from masks
Selections with Type Tool
Transforming selections