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The Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop news and software updates, Photoshop tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.



First Review OF Lightroom Version 1.0
January 29, 2007

Jonathan Barkey at PopPhoto.com has written the first review of Lightroom 1.0. From the intro:

"Lucky us — we got to try Lightroom 1.0 just before its official debut. This milestone for Adobe radically rearranges key Photoshop functions within a super-streamlined virtual workspace designed for organizing and processing large groups of images. Lightroom 1.0 should be familiar to the many people who've been using the free Public Beta. The commercial version has been further augmented and refined, and it's available for both Windows and Mac OS (available for purchase February 19 for $199). The new program combines a broad range of functions — viewing, cataloguing, image editing, multimedia output and advanced printing — in a single package.

"Although it's called Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, the software diverges from Photoshop in three important respects: features, interface and image processing. For starters, Lightroom dispenses with most of Photoshop's graphic-arts features and concentrates on essential organizing, post-production, display and output tools for digital photographers. Also, unlike Photoshop's deep layers of menus and dialogs, Lightroom's simpler interface keeps most functions immediately at hand or easily accessible."

Read the full review Hands On: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 at PopPhoto.com.

For more on Lightroom, see our Lightroom Resource Center.
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Adobe Debuts Photoshop Lightroom 1.0
January 29, 2007

Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 will ship in mid-February and is available for pre-order in the US and Canada through the Adobe Store. You can find info and video tutorials at the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom site. Here's the official press release:

Over 500,000 Beta Testers Help Shape New Digital Photography Software
Adobe today announced that Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 software is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship in mid-February 2007. Photoshop Lightroom enables professional photographers to import, manage and present large volumes of digital photographs. With more than 500,000 photographers participating in the public beta program over the last 12 months, Photoshop Lightroom now includes a wealth of innovative features that streamline digital photography workflows. Recognizing the photography community for their efforts, Adobe is offering Photoshop Lightroom at a special introductory price of US $199 through April 30, 2007 at the Adobe Store. Photoshop Lightroom will later sell for an estimated street price of US $299.

“It’s an unlikely scenario that professional photographers would moonlight as software developers,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president, Creative Solutions Business Unit at Adobe. “Fortunately for us, they were willing to give it a shot. Everything, from image viewing and evaluation tools to timesaving editing features, was developed with the help of photographers. This was truly a collaborative effort and we extend our thanks to everyone who provided invaluable feedback to help us deliver a powerhouse professional photography tool.”

Lightroom Feature Advancements
Photoshop Lightroom includes new functionality added since beta 4.1, with significant changes to the Library and Develop modules complementing improvements to the Slideshow, Print and Web components. While in the Library module, new advanced keywording tools help photographers filter through large collections, and an improved import dialogue with more flexible file handling allows more choice when determining file location.

The new Key Metadata Browser provides quick access to key information tags with an improved ranking and rating system that now incorporates color labels and a pick/reject system that sorts and locates photographs faster than ever. New to the Develop module, Virtual Copies and Snapshot tools help present multiple versions of the same image, providing the most choice to clients without the confusion of saving separate physical versions.

Additional tools added include a Hue, Saturation and Luminance targeted adjustment tool for precise and intuitive image edits. Clone and Healing features provide non-destructive edits to eliminate sensor dust across one or many images.

High-Quality Raw Processing
Photoshop Lightroom leverages Adobe Camera Raw technology and supports over 150 native raw file formats, in addition to JPEG and TIFF, bringing raw conversion into a single workflow experience. The latest camera models supported include the Nikon D40 and D80 and the Pentax K10D. This support means that photographers can use Lightroom with even the newest cameras on the market, knowing that the image files will be recognized today and in the future.

Upon import, files can be converted to the Digital Negative specification (DNG) or renamed and segmented by folder or date. DNG is an industry-wide initiative to create a universal file format for solving workflow and archiving issues.

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom will ship in mid-February 2007 and is available for pre-order in the United States and Canada through the Adobe Store for a special introductory price of US $199. The $100 discount is offered to all customers through April 30, 2007 in appreciation of loyal Photoshop users, early supporters of Photoshop Lightroom and beta participants who devoted time, energy and feedback throughout the process. Photoshop Lightroom will later sell for an estimated street price of US $299.

Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4.3, 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor or Microsoft Windows XP SP2, Intel Pentium 4 Processor, and 768 MB RAM and a 1024x768 resolution screen. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a Universal Binary application that will run natively on PowerPC and new Intel-based Macintosh systems.

The announcement of Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 signifies the official conclusion of the groundbreaking Lightroom beta program. Users of Lightroom beta will have access to the program until its expiration on February 28, 2007.

For more on Lightroom, see our Lightroom Resource Center.
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January 27, 2006

Exploding light bulbs, frozen smoke, free ornate shapes, free type tips, and more pixel wisdom from Bert Monroy — your plate is full!

PixelPerfect With Bert Monroy
Episode 16 - Colorizing
Bert shows how to take drawings (like comics) and/or black and white photos and apply color where color does not exist. Amazingly simple and very cool.

creativepro.com
Sharpen Photos Smartly
What's the best time to sharpen your photos? And what's the best tool -- Camera Raw, Photoshop's Smart Sharpen, or something else? We answer these questions and more.

Better Type in Photoshop
For snappy solutions to common problems, The Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book is a great resource. We're bringing you the chapter that deals only with questions related to type.

Corey's Photoshop Blog
Cool Photographer
This photographer's name is Patrick Hoelck and his images are stunning. He shoots a lot of big-time celebrities in a way that is eerie but very cool. His use of lighting and the composition of his shots are amazing.

Scott Kelby
Fascinating Before/After Retouching Page
My buddy Jeff Revell turned me on to this Canadian site from professional photo retoucher Christiane Beaulieu, which features 30 before/after retouching examples that are really fascinating

John Nack
Blowing Smoke
Graham Jefferey has created a gallery of gorgeous smoke images.

Burning bulbs
Yesterday I happened across a rather cool photo gallery from Lightroom engineer Kevin Tieskoetter, in which he captures the moments just after shattering lightbulbs.

Interviews with Photoshop founders
The blog since1968.com features an interesting interview with Mark Hamburg, founder and engineering manager of the new Photoshop Lightroom product (not to mention a driving force behind Photoshop itself for more than a decade).

Dave Cross
Cool palette generator
A web site that lets you enter in the url of an image, and it automatically generates a color palette of the tones in that image. You have to enter the url to an image though, not a web site.

MacWorld.com
Digital Photo: Make massive prints
The next time you make a print of your favorite photo, don’t settle for a measly 8 by 10 inches. Supersize it. In the latest edition of Digital Photo, we show you how to turn a favorite snapshot into a stunning 16-by-20-inch or larger print—all for less than the cost of a generic print at the poster store.

Sue Chastain (about.com)
150 Ornate Shapes for Photoshop and Elements
These free ornate shapes by Shelby Kate Schmitz can be used in Photoshop 7 and up and Photoshop Elements 2 and up (Mac or Windows). The examples shown are just a small portion of the full set containing 150 decorative shapes.

Genuine Fractals 5 Public Beta
Genuine Fractals 5 has entered public beta testing. Users can register to become a beta tester at onOne Software Labs Web site. In addition, customers who purchased Genuine Fractals 4.1 or Genuine Fractals Print Pro 4.1 on or after December 18, 2006 will receive a free upgrade to Genuine Fractals 5.

CreativeGuy
Easily add vignettes to your Photoshop images
It's a really old technique, and looks great when done properly. But adding Vignettes for some is overly complex. One of the easiest methods I've come across is this tip at LifeClever. But I'm lazy, so I'll go even further into the “easy” method. With Photoshop CS2, Adobe added a nifty little filter that does, among other things, vignettes.

Graphics.com
Photoshop Fundamentals: Create a Sun Ray Effect
Combining two of Photoshop's filters can quickly create a range of sunlight effects.

Photoshop TV
Episode 65 (January 22, 2007)
Matt shows you how to create funky 3D text effects using simple strokes and the Warp tool, and Dave demonstrates some of the functions in Photoshop you may never have used before - Apply Image. Matt and Dave also answer some questions received from viewers: "How do you make your own custom color gradient?" and "How do you unlink the Layers Mask?"

As always, a special Batgirl thank you to James Jean
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Photoshop Co-creator John Knoll Nominated For An Oscar
January 25, 2007

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January 24, 2006

A revised beta build of Bridge CS3, some tips on the new Camera Importer in Bridge CS3, some neat Photoshop tricks from Bert Monroy, and the most amazing touch screen ever. Enjoy! Check I Cover The Waterfront, January 24th, 2007 edition.

As always, a special Batgirl thank you to James Jean
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Color Management In Digital Photography
January 23, 2007

Buy Color Management In Digital Photography at Amazon.com (31% off)

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Canon PowerShot A550 & PowerShot A460 Digital Cameras
January 23, 2007

Canon has announced two new entry-level PowerShot A-Series models, the 7.1 megapixel PowerShot A550 digital camera and the 5.0 megapixel PowerShot A460 digital cameras. Both cameras will be available in stores mid-February and will carry estimated selling prices of $199.99 and $149.99, respectively.

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January's Free Photoshop Brush Sets From Janita
January 20, 2007

For more brushes, see our Photoshop Brushes Page.

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CGJobs Helps Solve Computer Graphics and Games Industry Demand For Staff
January 20, 2007

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Adobe Lightroom Books Roundup - 7 Lightroom Books Now Available For Pre-Order
January 19, 2007

I imagine Adobe Lightroom version 1 will be released soon as the Lightroom books are starting to appear. So far I've found 7. Here are short blurbs and links to Amazon where you can pre-order — and then wait patiently for that doorbell to ring. By the way, you don't have to worry over potential price changes, as Amazon thought of this and is offering a Pre-Order Price Guarantee. It's simple — if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and release date, they promise you'll receive the lowest price.

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book by Martin Evening looks like a real winner, and has the best cover!

For more on Lightroom, see our Lightroom Resource Center.
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New Photoshop Brush Set 'Safety Signs' From Kirsty
January 18, 2007

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Updated Fisheye-Hemi Released - Photoshop Fish-eye Lens Plugin
January 18, 2007

For more plugins, see our Photoshop Plugins Page.
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Photoshop Plugin Reviews From Jay Nelson
January 17, 2007

Here are the latest Photoshop Plugin Reviews by Jay Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Design Tools Monthly.

For more plugins, see our Photoshop Plugins Page.
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Photoshop How-To: Divide and Conquer
January 16, 2007

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Adobe Flash Lite 2.1 - Creating Mobile Applications
January 15, 2007

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ModBook - First Ever Mac Tablet Computer Solution
January 15, 2007

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Introducing Design-Feed - A Devoted RSS Feed Service
January 12, 2007

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New CS3 Book - Photoshop CS3 Beta First Look By Ben Long
January 12, 2007

For more Photoshop CS3 news, see our Photoshop CS3 Page.
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Selecting & Extracting Hair - Photoshop Elements Masking Tutorial
January 10, 2007

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January 09, 2006

The Creative Suite Podcast shows how to use CS3 Beta to apply some super looking black and white effects to your photos. (BTW - thanks to Amit Agarwal for the thank you!) Check I Cover The Waterfront, January 9th, 2007 edition.

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Hard Drive Recovery & Prevention Tips From DriveSavers
January 09, 2006

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January 08, 2007

A free week at lynda.com? Sounds good to me! Check I Cover The Waterfront, January 8th, 2006 edition.

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NAPP Launches "Darkroom" - New Lightroom Magazine
January 5, 2007

For more on Lightroom, see our Lightroom Resource Center.
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onOne To Upgrade Tools For Photoshop CS3
January 4, 2007

onOne Software will offer free updates to its Photoshop plug-ins PhotoFrame Pro 3, Intellihance Pro 4 and Mask Pro 4 adding compatibility with the forthcoming CS3 release shortly after it ships, it has announced.

For more plugins, see our Photoshop Plugins Page.
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3 Free Clips From Total Training For Photoshop Elements 5
January 03, 2007

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Adobe Photoshop Unmasked: The Art and Science of Selections, Layers, and Paths
January 02, 2007

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Working With Shadows In Photoshop - Photoshop Tutorial
January 01, 2007

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SEE PREVIOUS POSTS FROM THE DECEMBER 2006 BLOG...

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Photoshop CS3 Upgrade Options And Bundles From The Adobe Store

Photoshop CS3 Extended is ideal for film, video, and multimedia pros and for graphic and web designers using 3D and motion. Get the full version for US $999, or upgrade for US $349. The standard version of Photoshop CS3 is available for US $649, or as an upgrade for US $199. See all upgrade options at the Adobe Store. See our CS3 Resource Center for free Photoshop CS3 tutorials.

Photoshop Extended is also available as part of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which combines all-new CS3 versions of Photoshop, Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 8 Pro. Upgrade options for customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can be found at the Adobe International Store.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available At The Adobe Store

There are tons of new features in Adobe Lightroom 1.0 that you won't find in the beta version. From Clone and Healing functionality to metadata browsing, you'll be able to free-up post-processing time like never before. Get it now at the Adobe Store. Customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can find special pricing and offers at the Adobe International Store. For free Lightroom tutorials see our Lightroom tutorials page.



Special Offer - Fluid Mask - Photoshop Masking Plugin

Fluid Mask is based on breakthrough segmentation technology inspired by the way the eye, optic nerve and brain perform visual processing. When an image is loaded, Fluid Mask's segmentation engine analyses the distribution of colors, finding the natural groups within the image. Together with information calculated about edges, gradients and textures, a model is constructed which divides the images into objects.

Vertus Software is offering Fluid Mask at the special 'friends and partner' discounted rate. This is an exclusive offer to visitors of PhotoshopSupport.com. To qualify, visit the Fluid Mask Discount Price page. Find out more about Fluid Mask on our special Fluid Mask Page.

SiteGrinder Photoshop Plugin - Create Websites Instantly

There often seems to be a strict division of labor within the world of web design and development. Creative professionals tend to stick to the Photoshop domain, while those well-versed in scripting are left to the task of implementing their work. Indeed, the two realms are quite different from each other, to which any of us even vaguely familiar with either can easily attest.

Essentially, Photoshop is a no-holds-barred design studio, offering the artist a seemingly endless array of creative options. On the other hand, HTML, CSS, Java and the like follow strict rules of engagement, requiring the developer to take any number of esoteric concerns into consideration in order to ensure that designs are properly displayed on the web.

Turn Photoshop Into A Complete Web Design Tool
SiteGrinder seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, this program turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder, designers will now have the freedom to totally let their creativity loose and then, without skipping a beat, transfer their designs to the web. Bringing esthetic concerns together with more practical considerations, this program is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks.

Generate Your Web Pages Directly From Photoshop
By generating web pages directly from Photoshop, you'll be able to spend much more time on the creative end of the spectrum, since you'll know right off the bat how well particular designs will translate to the web. No more going back to the Photoshop drawing board after getting a phone call from your development team, telling you that what you had envisioned doesn't have a chance of being displayed on the web. You can immediately visually and interactively test your designs, which permits you to then make changes to either esthetics or functions while it's still relatively early on in the design process.

Pricing and Availability
Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download. SiteGrinder can be ordered from Media Lab's online store.

Photoshop CS3 Book - CS3 Essential Skills - By Mark Galer And Philip Andrews

Brimming with beautiful pictures, Photoshop CS3 Essential Skills guides you through a project-based, progressive curriculum so that you can build all the essential skills to enhance photographs creatively and professionally with Photoshop CS3. If you are an aspiring professional, enthusiastic amateur photographer, or a student learning photography, digital imaging, art and design, or design graphics, you'll be amazed at the stunning results you can achieve. A DVD is included free.