Advanced Photoshop Elements 7 for Digital Photographers

Philip Andrews

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN:
  9781136099175
• Topic: Mezzi di comunicazione e arti performative
• Subtopic: Media digitali

This essential guide for intermediate/advanced photographers has now been fully updated for Elements 7. Bestselling author and Elements guru Philip Andrews turns his expansive knowledge to this powerful application, delivering, once again, a practical approach in a crystal-clear writing style. For the advanced Elements user, this book offers a standalone guide to advancing knowledge of the software. For those with a little less experience, it works seamlessly in conjunction with Philip's other Elements guide: "Adobe Photoshop Elements 7: A visual introduction to digital photography". Philip expands on the solid foundation delivered by that title to deliver a master-guide that shows you just how powerful this deceptively simple software package can be. Throughout the book, Philip takes a pro's approach, emphasising a streamlined, non-destructive workflow. Diverse chapters cover the entire spectrum of photographic potential offered by the software, including key areas such as: darkroom techniques, advanced selection techniques, professional retouching, photo restoration, panoramas, collages, RAW processing and printing. Additionally, the content is supplemented by extra great learning tools available on a brand new website including; downloadable resources, and Elements vodcasts. Essential reading for all photographers using Elements 7.

1 The Next Level

DOI: 10.4324/9780080951218-1

There is no doubt that when Adobe decided to release Photoshop Elements photographers the world over rejoiced. Not content with their offerings for entry and intermediate users in the past and ever conscious of the growing digital camera user base, the Adobe boffins created the new package with you, the digital photographer, firmly in their mind. Despite the rumors spread by the ‘Photoshop Snobs’that the product was just a cut down version of Adobe’s professional package and that any serious editing will need to be completed in Photoshop, users the world over are realizing just how well Photoshop Elements fits their needs.

A true photographer’s tool

Adobe had finally heard the cries of the mortals and produced an image manipulation package that has the strength of Photoshop with the price tag more equal to most budgets. Elements gives desktop image-makers top quality image editing and management tools that can be easily used for preparing pictures for printing or sharing via the web or CD. Features like the panoramic stitching option, called Photomerge, and the Photo Browser are firm favorites and were featured in this package before they ever appeared in Photoshop. The color management and vector text and shape tools are the same robust technology that drives Photoshop itself, but Adobe has cleverly simplified the learning process by providing an easier-to-use interface and options like step-by-step interactive recipes for common image manipulation tasks. These, coupled with features like the Smart Brush and Quick Selection tools, Adjust Color Curves and the Convert to Black and White features, make the package a digital photographer’s delight.

Beyond the companion introduction title ≫ This book is the result of many requests to provide a ‘next step’that will take Elements users beyond the basic concepts and skills outlined in the introductory text, Adobe Photoshop Elements - A visual introduction to digital imaging. (a) Edition 1. (b) Edition 2. (c) Edition 3. (d) Edition 4. (e) Edition 5. (f) Edition 6.

As a photographer, teacher and author I was captivated by the simplicity and strength that Adobe has crammed into the package and knew that this was just the sort of image editing program that would satisfy the demands of the digital camera users I met every day. So to accompany Elements, I released a new book which was an introduction to the package and digital imaging in general. Titled Adobe Photoshop Elements - A visual introduction to digital imagingit quickly became a best-seller and was followed up with a series of new and revised editions to accompany ongoing versions of the program.

As Elements users became more familiar with the concepts and tools used in the program it wasn’t long before I started to receive requests for more advanced techniques than those presented in this introductory text. These were quickly followed by queries about how to position Elements as the key ‘image editing component’ in a high quality photographic workflow that encompassed capture, management, manipulation and output activities.

Elements is central ≫ Photoshop Elements is the pivot point for all editing and enhancement tasks involved in the production of quality photographic images. The digital production process involves four distinct steps -(a) capture, (b) manipulation, (c) management and (d) output.

This book is my answer to these requests. With well over 150 new techniques it provides professional tips aimed at advancing your Elements skills beyond the basics. It is presented in a series of highly illustrated step-by-step color tutorials that show you what can be achieved. The techniques are discussed in the greater context of professional quality workflows that cover camera and scanner capture, raw processing, picture management, panorama production and quality print and web production. There is even a new section that looks at how to use Elements as a linked editor for Lightroom providing an even more comprehensive and professional workflow for experienced Elements users.

Each technique is cross-referenced with related skills and ideas in the book and there are on-line resources and video tutorials at the book’s website -

www.photoshopelements.net

Here you can download and practise with many of the example images, video tutorials and resources used in the production of the book. Key settings for important dialog boxes are presented along with the illustrated steps needed for you to complete each technique. By working side by side with this text, your favorite image editing program and the associated web resources, you will quickly build both your Elements skills and your general understanding of the processes involved in creating quality photographic images.

Step-by-step ≫ The techniques in the book are presented in a highly illustrated step-by-step fashion that will progressively build your Elements skills. (a) Cross-referenced techniques. (b) Step-by-step illustrations.

The comprehensive Photoshop Elements workflow

Over the past few versions of the program Adobe has made massive changes to the way that users work in Elements. These changes have converted Photoshop Elements from simply being a photo editing program into a complete digital photography system.

Now in its seventh revision, Elements provides a total workflow solution from the moment you download your files from camera, phone, scanner or the net, through organization, archiving and manipulation phases and then onto printing or outputting the pictures electronically (online albums, email attachments) or as print. Understanding how the various components in the system fit together will help you make the most of the software and its powerful features.

Import The Adobe Photo Downloader feature and Get Photos command allow you to preview, select and download files from a variety of different sources.

Organize The Organizer component (a) of Elements works like a ‘super’ file browser allowing you to import and organize pictures straight from your camera, scanner, the net or your hard drive.

You can view the photographs via the Photo Browser or Date View options. Pictures can be grouped into Albums (previously called Collections) and you can find specific images via the unique ҫeyword tags’that you attach to the files.

In Date View (b) images are grouped and displayed based on the date they were taken.

The Map View (c) displays photos according to their location on a map with options to share the referenced map with others.

Edit & Enhance The Full Edit workspace contains all the familiar editing and enhancement tools that Elements users have come to expect. It is here that you can take full control over the manipulation and fine-tuning of your pictures. You can also add text, play with layers, create multi-picture composites and combine all manner of special effects with your original photo.

Quick Edits The Quick Fix editor provides a series x of one-click or semiautomatic fixes for common problems with lighting, contrast, color and sharpness. All the controls are contained in the one screen for speed and you can configure the display to show before and after versions of the photo.

Guided Edits The Guided Edit mode combines step-by-step instructions with controls and tools embedded into the instructions. This is a good place to learn new techniques or get up to speed on how to use new tools and features.

Print The Print options in Elements 6.0 and 7.0 are a little different from earlier versions of the program. You can choose to print individual photos or multiple pictures on a single sheet of paper. You can also preview and print individual pages of the multi-page .PSE document. As an added bonus, when printing from the Organizer workspace, decorative frames can be added to the images right from the Print Multiple Photos dialog box.

Create Share In versions 6 and 7, the photo projects options are split into two different categories. You can select the various project options from either the Create or Share panels on the right of the Organizer...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• 1 The Next Level
• 2 Scanner and Camera Techniques
• 3 Processing Raw Files
• 4 Photo Organization and Management
• 5 Pathways to Editing in Elements
• 6 Image Changes – Beyond the Basics
• 7 Darkroom Techniques on the Desktop
• 8 Professional Retouching
• 9 Photo Restoration
• 10 Making Better Panoramas
• 11 Extending Your Web Abilities
• 12 Free Form Photo Collages
• 13 FINELY CRAFTED OUTPUT
• 14 Extending the Power of Elements
• Appendices
• Index