Photoshop has become a very well known program that is being used by just about everyone. I once had a doctor ask me for Photoshop tips during a routine physical. I told him what he needed to know and then asked him for a 30 dollar co-pay, he laughed. I was serious…
Anyway, my point is that you no longer have to be a digital media expert to conduct some pretty interesting work. While I’ve used the professional version of Photoshop has been a part of my life for the better part of a decade, I can still remember the blank project screen looking back at me 10 years ago, while I wondered how movie posters were made. Determined to figure it out, I eventually got the hang of it. I taught myself just about everything I know, but I wonder if I would have had a more basic/introductory program like Photoshop Elements to start on, maybe I could have caught onto some things faster.
The ability to directly connect to Facebook and upload photos will fill all of your Social Networking desires.
Photoshop is a tough program to master, so the world needs a “basic” version for beginners or for people who just want to add a little spark to their photos without all the work that goes into perfecting them in the professional version. I use the term “basic” lightly, as I have learned there is nothing “basic” about Photoshop Elements. For what it is, it’s actually pretty impressive, with a much lower price tag.
But at the end of the day, you have to figure out just how much digital tinkering your project is going to need before you decide if this product is for your micro budgeted film. With that said, here is the run down so you can decide for yourself.
The People Recognition feature will make sure you never forget who is in your photos.
Ease of Use
One of the many things that has long separated Adobe from its competition is they always seem to have the layout, navigation and performance aspect of their programs down pat. I don’t care what your software claims to do, if I can’t get it to work due to a poorly designed interface then it’s no good to me. Photoshop Elements falls in line with the standards Adobe has already set for itself with its other programs. Like always, Adobe fills your monitor with the space you need to design while keeping the icons and descriptions in areas that are easy to find without cluttering the screen. I found the layout intuitive and well designed throughout.
After some long hard work, this is what Adobe says you can achive with the Spot Healing Brush. Pretty impressive results.
Depth of Options
As expected with a user friendly program, the overall feel is going to be a more click and process than the professional version. This updated release of Elements definitely heads the program in the direction of the social networking generation by making it friendlier to the crowd who wants to take a picture of themselves in the bathroom mirror, add a lens flare, and then easily upload to face book without much hassle. No one can blame Adobe for grabbing that market, as there are plenty of folks helping to make Facebook and the like what they are. Pictures are a large part of the online culture, why not make it easier for the users? There is direct connectivity to your Facebook account for quick uploads.
Importing pictures is also very easy, as it’s laid out in a way that most users will catch the hang of in no time. Customizing the names of newly created folders and pictures are about as easy as one can expect. Another element that makes the new options list is the People Recognition feature. It works similar to Apple’s “Faces” feature and seems to work very well. Although some claim to have had issues when the picture contains someone wearing sunglasses, this is because the software “recognizes” people by the distance between their facial features (eyes, nose, lips etc.), so sunglasses hinder the recognition process.
An example of the Panorama feature using photos from different perspectives to achieve a new picture with a unique look.
For the actual digital editing, Elements brings some powerful options to the table. A greatly improved spot healing tool has been added to version 9. This is a brush that has come in handy for users of Photoshop for years now, so it’s nice to see Adobe offering a more comparable one to users of Elements, as well. The new layer masking option is a welcome addition to the software, as this is something that I find very important in digital image editing with its big brother. Although I didn’t find the option as effective PS CS5 version, I must say I was still very impressed with the output for an introductory program! There are a lot of pre-set photo effects, so folks who want some “quick looks” can do so easily, trading off some of the customization of the larager program for easier accessibility.
One function that impressed me was the panorama feature (or “Stitching” as some would call it.) In the past, to get right this could be a time consuming process. Elements does a nice job combining several pictures to create one image. (Your results will vary based on your source photos, of course), and if there is some space between the combined pictures, those spaces will be filled in. (Again, depends on the source photos and amount of space between photos.) There are also some nice guided edit modes for those who want to create without much prior knowledge, again making this program more user friendly.
Over all your options are vast for software at this price point.
Performance
As I’ve come to expect from Adobe, performance is always at a high standard. Adobe is probably my favorite software creator and coming from a Mac user (where other Mac people drink only the Steve Jobs’ Kool Aid) that says a lot. I run Adobe programs when available as I find the performance of Adobe products to be excellent. Putting Elements 9 into the perspective of the goal of this type of program, I would rate the performance highly. Some have complained about the lag time when importing Raw files. Sure, that may be an issue, but if you’re planning on working in the that format, you’re probably better to move up to Lightroom which isn’t that much of a price jump from Photoshop Elements. While, the Raw format is making its way into more and more digital cameras, I feel the whole point of the format is better used in Professional software. Photoshop Elements 9 has a lot going for it, but while many of its features are comparable to Photoshop, it is not a replacement. Nonetheless, for newer users, it’s an amazingly good starting place!
The pop art effect is one of many fun filters the user may find fun to use.
Value
Let me put it this way, if I didn’t have the artistic need to create the extremely complex designs with photos that I do, Elements would be the software for me. At under 100 bucks you are getting a great bargain, especially when you take into account the newer and enhanced features added to Elements 9. I would go as far as to say that if you don’t need the professional features found in Elements bigger brother, than you have no need to go anywhere other than Elements 9. Add in the 2GB of free online storage at photoshop.com and we have a winner. (Now if you’re a newer filmmaking user that will likely want to upgrade to the pro products in the future, you can easily start with the Photoshop and Premiere Elements bundle which will save you an extra $50 and which give you a powerful basic film and graphic creation system that can actually use the plugins of the bigger programs, which you could then transition to down the road.)
Final Comments Is Photoshop Elements the ideal choice for your photo editing needs when it comes to producing a feature? Probably not. Sure there are several options Elements provides that you could use for your microbudget needs (especially if you pair it with Premiere Elements) and, of course, the price point definitely fits into the desire to keep the budget under 10 grand. But, for more advanced users, I feel a digital filmmaker is going to be better served with the professional version of Photoshop (especially with the packaging found in the Production Premium solution). With Elements 9, Adobe seems to be tapping closer and closer to the social networking aspect of digital imaging. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t be equally valuable for beginning filmmakers. And, for what it is, it does a wonderful job and deserves to be credited properly for it.
Ease
of Use
10.0
Depth
of Options
8.0
Performance
9.0
Value
vs. Cost
9.0
Overall Score
9.0
Craig McDaniel has worked in the entertainment industry for almost a decade. Serving in art department, project management, graphic design, screenwriting and directing etc. His work has carried him to the cities of Orlando, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Craig’s resume includes projects with CBS, MTV, VH1, SyFy, Turner Broadcasting, Victoria’s Secret, Coca-Cola and many more. Currently he is forming a new production company with his girlfriend Kelly Thomas which will offer quality and affordable promotional material for various businesses in the southeast. Also in the loop for Neggwerkz (a production company that was co-founded with Cinematographer Nathan Eckelbarger) is a full length feature to shoot in 2011.
Photoshop has become a very well known program that is being used by just about everyone. I once had a doctor ask me for Photoshop tips during a routine physical. I told him what he needed to know and then asked him for a 30 dollar co-pay, he laughed. I was serious…
