Photo gadget of the decade

[Stephen]

The Gadget Show on Ch5 announced their Gadgets of the Decade last night. Interestingly the Photo gadget award was given to Adobe Photoshop Elements. Are there any members here that use it?

[Ian]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

The Gadget Show on Ch5 announced their Gadgets of the Decade last night. Interestingly the Photo gadget award was given to Adobe Photoshop Elements. Are there any members here that use it?

Photoshop Elements has evolved into quite a powerful package. Not only does it include much of the essential power of the full version of Photoshop; layers based editing, RAW conversion, full colour managed, but you also get a very capable image management application. I'd certainly recommend it.

Ian

[Autumn]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

I'd certainly recommend it.

Ian

As well as Photoshop and Lightroom, or if you don't have them?

[pewidane]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

I have always use photoshop elements,for the time elements 8,have tried many others,but elements is the best for me

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

I'm still using Elements 4. It does everything I want, and more. I have CS3 on another machine, but hardly ever use any of the features beyond those of PSE4.

I'd really like to know which PSE version is considered to be the best

[Stephen]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

I'm still using Elements 4. It does everything I want, and more. I have CS3 on another machine, but hardly ever use any of the features beyond those of PSE4.

I'd really like to know which PSE version is considered to be the best

I'm not sure of the answer to that one Graham. I have to admit though that with photo software that I use regularly, I have to have the latest version. It's sad I know but when Lightroom 3 is released I'll be buying the upgrade, and similarly with CS4. Its the same with my Mac OS I'll simply have to buy the next big release. Having said that I have XP running on an emulator.

I'm interested to know though why you haven't felt the need to upgrade, isn't the lure of the latest whistles and bells just too much

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

<snip>I'm interested to know though why you haven't felt the need to upgrade, isn't the lure of the latest whistles and bells just too much

Years of chasing and driving cutting edge technology at work, taught me some very valuable lessons, fortunatly at their expense

Familiarity for me equates to ease of use, and I can often do something quicker using several manual steps. I hardly ever use the same "process" and realised that I can even do most things in Picasa 3, as I try hard to get it right in camera, to maintain a mindset for shooting slides.

I will admit, I do upgrade the cameras, but that tends to be lenses rather than bodies, as they seem to have more and more features that I don't use or want.

My personal photo gadget of the decade, would have to be my Olympus mju 1030SW. It's always with me and really is as tough as they now call them.

[Stephen]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

Years of chasing and driving cutting edge technology at work, taught me some very valuable lessons, fortunatly at their expense

Familiarity for me equates to ease of use, and I can often do something quicker using several manual steps. I hardly ever use the same "process" and realised that I can even do most things in Picasa 3, as I try hard to get it right in camera, to maintain a mindset for shooting slides.

I will admit, I do upgrade the cameras, but that tends to be lenses rather than bodies, as they seem to have more and more features that I don't use or want.

My personal photo gadget of the decade, would have to be my Olympus mju 1030SW. It's always with me and really is as tough as they now call them.

[Ian]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

I can remember when Lightroom was first launched and you had perfected your workflow using PS and Bridge

I think it took us all a long time to really work out just how powerfulf Lightroom could be!

Ian

[Stephen]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

I can remember when Lightroom was first launched and you had perfected your workflow using PS and Bridge

I think it took us all a long time to really work out just how powerfulf Lightroom could be!

Ian

Indeed, and Bridge has improved no end since that time. However its no replacement for LR2. When LR "clicked" for me I realised I needed to change my workflow to adapt to it and not try to make it adapt to my workflow (if that makes sense) It was all a revelation to me

[Autumn]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

When LR "clicked" for me I realised I needed to change my workflow to adapt to it and not try to make it adapt to my workflow (if that makes sense) It was all a revelation to me

So did you follow any particular advice on workflow Stephen ie Matt Kloskowski's or Scott Kelby's?

[Stephen]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

So did you follow any particular advice on workflow Stephen ie Matt Kloskowski's or Scott Kelby's?

Whilst I have picked up tips from them, its my feeling that the basic workflow in Lightroom is pretty much set out for you by the way it works. The modules help you but essentially you have to start in the Library and Import your files, in Develop you choose and adjust the files you want, then back in Library you Export. (though this can also be done in Develop.) What you do with your photos along the way is up to you, and this is where it can become a powerful Digital Asset Management (DAM) program. The other modules help you do other important tasks, all without ever having to convert to jpeg before hand. For me LR comes into its own with Raw files.

[Ian]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

If I remember, Stephen, it took a while to get you convinced that LR was even worth considering

Ian

[Ian]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

As well as Photoshop and Lightroom, or if you don't have them?

If you shoot RAW, then Lightroom is very highly recommended. Photoshop Elements is very good if you use the organisational tools as well as the editing tools, and you only shoot JPEG. Most people won't need the full Creative Suite version Photosop over Elements.

Ian

[Stephen]

Re: Photo gadget of the decade

If I remember, Stephen, it took a while to get you convinced that LR was even worth considering

Ian

Yep, that may have been true, but it was during the Beta version. Version 1 was released at the end of Jan 2007 and I bought my copy on the 5th March