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FIRST EXPOSUREJACK AND SUE DRAFAHLOVER THE YEARS we have developed what we thought was a good formula for reviewing software programs.We would describe the intended use ofthe program or new version, show howit works with images, and highlightsome of its newest features. That approach seemed to work well until now.With the introduction of Adobe Photoshop Creative Suite 2, we had to totally change the way we approach software reviews. We have closely followedAdobe's 15-year growth as we havebeen Beta testing Photoshop versionsfrom 2.5 though CS2. Although eachnew version featured innovativechanges worth the price of upgrading,none has offered improvements withsuch impact as this one.The truth is that after Beta testing CS2that with CS, if your computer crashed,and you restored it with Windows Restore or a third-party program, you hadto re-register Photoshop with Adobe.This was a big problem if you were onlocation with limited Internet access.The new CS2 uses a better system thatkeeps the registration key on your computer even if it crashes. It even has a system where you can transfer the registration from one computer to anotherwhen you upgrade computers. This feature alone is worth an upgrade if youtravel with Photoshop.When you first start CS2, you will notice that Photoshop uses a new type ofexternal file manager called Bridge thatcan interface with all new Adobe CS2programs like Illustrator, GoLive, InDesign and Image Ready. This new BridgePhotoshop CS2for three months, we found so many reasonsfor the upgrade that it was hard to pick justone. As we prepared for this article, we compared our list with Adobe's and compiledmore than 30 reasons to upgrade.With the introduction of CS, Adobe wentto a similar registration process as used byMiaosoft, where you must log onto the Internet and register with Adobe, or your program will not function. The problem wasJ UntcMtd Slock Adobe Bndqc File PropertiesFtenameDocument KindAppkationDate CreatedKC*AiaOOG 030222 061. JPGJPEG fieDate He CreatedDate Fie Modfied3/3/2005, 12:12:35 PMFie SizeDvncnstonsAdobe Photoshop 7.03/25/2003, 11:22:58 AM2/25/2003, 11:23:01 AM6.31MB2944x1826Resolution8* Depth4000dpiColor ModeCotorProHeRGB Color8Mkon sRGB 4.0.0.3000The new CS2 Bridge program works with all new CS2 products and reads a wide variety of file formats fromeach. The bridge program can be loaded by itself or accessed from inside each CS2 program. Folder directories, upper left; expanded view in left middle; EXIF info in lower left, and thumbnail index at right.RANCEFINDERMAY 2005program can be used to open the correct editing program or you can just drag the filesto the appropriate program icons. Bridge is avery powerful program that allows you tobatch process RAW files, scale thumbnailpreviews, view images in slide shows, viewall CS2 file formats, search the Web forAdobe Stock photos, and flag or label imagesfor easy image searches.A new very sophisticated image manipulation tool called Vanishing Point (see articleon page 8) can be found under the Filterpull-down menu. This feature allows you toselect sections of an image, and then pastethem onto defined planes in the image toprovide perspective. You can create new siding for a house, re-pave your driveway, addlabels to the side of a 3D box, and move selected objects to provide perspective.Under the Edit Transform pull-downmenu you will find the new Warp command. When you select Warp, a grid will appear on the surface of the area you want towarp. You can select just a section or the entire image use node points or a Bezier-typehandle to tweak your adjustment. There isalso a set of preset warps and numerical datafields that can help you warp selected imagesaround a variety of 3D objects.

Above left: The clone tool, healing brush, and spot healing brush was used to remove background images, while the highlight/shadow filter was used to correctexposure, contrast, and gamma.Above right: The spot healing brush was used to manicure the grass. Notice that the tool matches the surrounding texture and shading.Smart objects allows you to reduce and expand withthe transformation command without losing imagequality. Original object at top was reduced in sizewith transformation command. Vase in lower rightwas enlarged from a smart object version, while thevase in the lower left was enlarged from a normallayer version.Same layer was reduced and enlarged using thetransformation command. The layer in the upperleft was converted to a smart object first, while theobject in the lower right was not.RANGEFINDERMAY 2005The lens correction command can be used to straighten building that appears to be falling over. The grid is used to help align straight lines alongthe edge of the building.Whether you shoot filmor digital, you will reallylike the new Reduce Noisefound in Edit Noise Reduce. When this menuopens, you have the optionof working on all channelsor individual channels toreduce digital noise or filmgrain structure. There is alsoa box at the bottom thatwill reduce the level of JPEGartifacts in the image. Additional sliders allow you toadjust the sharpness of theimage and maintain different levels of fine image detail.When Elements 3 wasfirst introduced, the spothealing brush was added tothe toolbox, and it is nowincluded in PhotoshopCS2. This tool only requiresthat you click once on thesmall artifact you want toremove, and then Photoshop will replace the areawith new data carefullymatching lighting and texture. This is a great tool fordigital SLR shooters whoend up with small blackparticles due to dust gathering on the camera sensor.Just set the brush size toslightly larger than the particles, and they will bequickly retouched away.

I PEG reduction command was used to reduce jpeg artifacts from this high compression image.If you are constantly finding yourself removing redeye, it just got a lot easier thanksto the new redeye tool. No more selecting orsetting colors. Just click on the eye, and in acouple of seconds the red area is gone. If youfind some of the red still showing, just clickon the second area and the red will be gonefor good.Another great reason to upgrade is thenew Filter Distort Lens Correction menu.This is the Swiss army knife of lens corrections tools. When you first open the menu,a grid will be placed over your image so youcan correct barrel distortion, pincushion,and perspective distortion. If you also findthat your image has vignetting due to theuse of long or wide lenses, this menu canhelp smooth out the image from edge toedge. If your camera lens exhibits chromaticaberration, there are a couple of sliders totake care of that too.One of the more difficult tools to use andunderstand is the unsharp mask. If you arehaving problems using it, you should tryyour hand at the new Filter Sharpen Smart Sharpen pull-down menu. When itopens, you are presented with sliders to adjust the amount and radius of the imagesharpness. The advantage of this tool overthe unsharp mask is that you have additional controls to independently adjust both thehighlight and shadow sharpness. You canalso remove different types of blur—whetherfrom camera motion, lens blur or Gaussianblurring problems.If you are an advanced image editor andare competent using layers, then you aregoing to love the new Layers Smart Objectscommand. Previously, when you used thetransform selection command to size downa selection or layer, your selection was scaledBrag TagsCover StarsCalendarsAll StarsButtonsMagnetsStar CardsOffer these exciting personalized productsat your sport and group events!Increase participation and sales by offering personalized' products through the Shooting Stars program.Parents will love the enhanced offerings when theyfeature their child, name and year - each one will beunique!Log on to www.HJShootingStars.comto request more information or callHerff Jones at 800.533.8030 ext. 4283today for more on this exciting sportsand groups program!The Shooting Stars program offers a complete lineof products for photographers specializing in sportsphotography. Use Herff Jones' data collection software,Shutter-wore Suite, to customize products andsubmit your orders quickly and efficiently to the lab.HERFF JONESPHOTOGRAPHY DIVISION800.533.8030 ext. 4283For request more information see pages 128 and 129RANCEFINDERMAY 2005-www.HJShootingStars.com

down to match the new size. Now with CS2,if you convert your selection to a smart object, Photoshop keeps the object's originalsize, even though you scaled it down. If youdecided to scale it back up later, the full resolution of that object is still available.Another nice feature with layers is the useof the smart guides. If you have several layers you want to align, just bring them nextto one of these smart guides, and the objectwill jump right next to it. It seems to anticipate your every movement.Digital camera shooters who use RAW filesare in for a real treat with the new RAW Fileinterface. It can do just about everythingwith a digital camera RAW file that you canimagine. and maybe even a few more. Thehistogram is at the top, and just below thatyou have a setting that includes custom,RAW file defaults and previous conversions.You then have your choice of all the whitebalance settings, color temperatures, tints,exposures, highlights, shadows, contrastand saturation controls. Additional tabsallow you to tweak sharpness, color noise,color fringing, vignetting, curve adjustmentand full color calibration.-- - - 6144 by 41111530 by 10242128 by 14243024 by 20244256by28485120 bv 3426- (25.3 MP)(1.6MP) (3.0 MP) (6. IMP)(12.1 MP) *(17.5 MP) -fThe RAW file menu gives you full control over your image. With this menu you can alter most of thesettings used to take the image. Image size, color mode, contrast, exposure, gamma, white balance,sharpness and lens attributes are just a few of the controls possible in this very powerful RAW fileeditor.One interesting feature is the size box.With this pull-down you can take your 3to 17-megapixel image and scale it up ashigh as a 25 megapixels. Many of these fea-tures were available in CS, but in CS2 youcan open multiple RAW file images andapply the same settings to all the images.You can also save your settings and use.with PocketWizard,Mark Vaughn. Hangtographer:U You're at 6.000 feet and sinking fast due to unusualaerial maneuvers to get the shot. Evening light isfalling as fast as you are. You have 10 minutes ofshooting air time to grab the shot before you switchfrom photographer back to being a pilot for a landing.Under these conditions the camera must be working perfectly and triggering wirelessly every time. WithPocketWizard. I fire frame after frame with totalconfidence. My precious air time is spent composing,not worry ing. For me PocketWizard is Digital WirelCSS Freed Dm. 55OlttIPockeII .8 Westchester Plaza. Elmsford. NY 10523 Phone:914-347-3300 Fax:914-347-3309 www.p ard.com E-mail: mfo@pocketwizard.com