104 MacDirectory
REVIEW
PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 8 > POWER TO YOUR PICTURES
Even though it comes from one of the
Mac platform's most brilliant and prolific
developers, Photoshop Elements is a
program that never ceases to amaze.
Version 8 manages to combine
convenience, simplicity and flexibility with
a generous handful of features that are
nothing short of magical. Elements 8
inherited some of the new super-smart
features from Adobe's high-end
Photoshop CS4, yet retains the simplicity
and ease of use that make the program a
benevolent gateway into the realm of
digital photography. Elements 8 can work
with iPhoto, but with some of its new
features and access to
(your online photo album), you may find
Elements becoming your home base
for imaging.
Elements 8 includes the full version of
Adobe
Bridge
and it's one of Elements'
most useful "features." Bridge lets you sift
through, rate, organize and reject the
duds from your shoots with extraordinary
ease. (Don't be too quick with the Trash
Can trigger; in a little bit you'll see how, in
Elements, two wrongs can sometimes
make a right.) One of Bridge's best
features is that it's a library. Unlike iPhoto,
it doesn't copy your images into the
bowels of your home folder. You get to
keep your media stored where you want.
Even though it lacks
many of the "smart"
features for organizing
photos found in the
latest release of iPhoto,
it provides the freedom
to do things your way.
Bridge will let you open
your photos directly in
Elements, where you'll
discover that Elements 8
continues Adobe's
tradition of giving you as
much or as little help as
you desire. Quick Edit
mode will show you a
grid of examples of
different settings you
may not be familiar with
(color temperature, color
and exposure levels,
etc.). Guided Edit will
give you easy-to-
understand instructions
about how these changes will work, while
Full Edit mode will let you loose on all
the options.
Controlling Light and Space
PhotoMerge is a unique technology that
lets you create a virtually perfect image
from two or more rather imperfect
originals (remember the hint about not
trashing your out-takes too quickly?).
PhotoMerge essentially layers and blends
two or more similar images, letting you
use the best elements from one in
another. The effect can be truly
spectacular for group shots or when you
make use of a camera's built in
"bracketing" feature to combine several
images into one perfect exposure. You
choose what you want to do with a simple
pencil and eraser and the program does
all the really hard work. It may take a few
tries to communicate exactly what you're
looking for, but the results can be
startlingly good.
Smart Scaling is another bit of magic that
Elements can conjure. It's ideal for those
times when you have something great
going on at either edge of the frame, but
nothing but dead space in between. With
a couple of mouse-strokes, you tell
Elements what you want to keep whole
and then, when you squeeze the image,
their proportions remain the same while
the space in between amazingly shrinks.
The effect now works in both the vertical
and horizontal planes.
Sharing your images is as much fun as
creating them and for this, Elements 8 has
added several enhancements. You now
have more options to create digital
scrapbooks, create stylized frames and
borders around your pictures as well as
more options for turning a collection into
beautiful galleries and picture pages. You
can even upload your Web gallery directly
to your Web site or Photoshop.com.
Photoshop Elements 8 retains the
distinction of being one of the most
amazing bargains in the realm of retail
software. If you not only like to take
pictures, but enjoy a bit of playing around,
fine tuning and sharing your work with
your friends, and family, Photoshop
Elements is a must-have for either first-
timers or fans of its earlier versions.
WORDS BY RIC GETTER
Product Photoshop Elements 8
Made by Adobe Systems
Price $99 (retail, with significant
discounts often available)
Pros Many new features yet still
easy to use
Cons Like most new Adobe
programs, online help
requires Internet access
Rating
★★★★★
