Photoshop CS4

What’s new in Photoshop CS4 by Martin Evening

Photoshop CS3 had some mixed reviews. It didn’t have quite as many features of interest to photographers as say, previous versions of the program. I think such responses may also have been influenced by the introduction of Lightroom 1, which was definitely designed with photographers in mind. It is probably fair to say that there was a certain amount of envy among the Photoshop team to the ‘new kid on the block’. Well, Photoshop CS4 has arrived, hot on the heels of Lightroom 2 and it’s time to see how the new version of the ‘mother ship’ program shapes up.

As far as Photoshop CS4 itself goes, I think photographers will be very pleased with some the new changes here. Photoshop now has a smart dark gray interface and adopted a task-based approach to image editing and this can be seen in the way image adjustments are now accessible within their own panel. When you combine this with the ability to non-destuctively edit a layer mask, you’ll discover that the Photoshop CS4 image editing system offers the most flexible yet for pixel image editing.

My CS4 verdict
Apart from these few niggles I would say that Photoshop CS4 is an excellent upgrade, not just for the features I have listed in Photoshop Camera Raw and Bridge but for lots of other significant little changes to the program. Whatever your interest in Photoshop this is in my view, an essential upgrade.

The above examples are highlights taken from the forthcoming Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers book by Martin Evening, published by Focal Press (no release date can be given yet). This edition has been revised to provide detailed coverage of all the essentials in Photoshop plus what’s new in CS4. This edition is the biggest revision yet, with many more new image examples and provides greater detailed analysis of all the key areas of Photoshop that should be of interest to photographers.

A second book in the Photoshop for Photographers series is also planned, titled ‘The Ultimate Workshop’. This is a book co-written by Martin Evening and Jeff Schewe. It will mainly be a techniques book in which Martin and Jeff guide you through some of their favorite Photoshop techniques for intermediate to advanced users of Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers
704 pages + DVD
Publisher: Focal Press
ISBN: 9780240521251
Price $49.95 / £29.99

The Ultimate Workshop
(Page number to be confirmed) + DVD
Publisher: Focal Press
ISBN: 9780240811185
Price $49.95 / £28.99

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