Adobe Photoshop CS5 New Feature Highlights for Photographers Part I
Adobe Photoshop CS5 is out now and many of our readers would like to know which features of the new version are going to be useful for photographers. I’ve been messing with the beta version for a few months now but still feel like I have barely scratched the surface of all that’s new and improved. Top’s on my list of highlights though has got to be the new processing algorithms in Adobe Camera Raw 6.
With the new code inside of Camera Raw, and soon in Lightroom 3, my images look better than they ever have before. The new code is just amazing especially when you see the same image using the new code and the old process version side-by-side. Thanks to the new raw processing routines, my images look cleaner and sharper yet I am still working with the speed and flexibility of a raw file.
On top of these improvements we can now fix problems like chromatic aberration and geometric distortion without ever leaving Lightroom or Camera Raw through the new lens correction feature. This is going to be a huge timesaver for photographers. This new tool is going to vastly improve the quality of my photographs particularly those shot with wide-angle lenses where the geometric distortion is most noticeable.
Next on my list of favorite new features has got to be the revamped “Refine Edge” / “Refine Mask” toolset. I’ve been teaching Photoshop and Lightroom for eight years and yet there are still times when I still struggle to create the perfect mask! There are certain subjects, like hair or feathers, that are traditional a beast to mask. Traditionally masking things that are soft, irregular shaped, and partially translucent is a nightmare. Making the perfect selection around a blonde haired child against a colorful background would have taken hours in CS4 but now this sort of work is going to be much easier.
Would you like to see these features and more in action? If so then please play these videos tutorials.
Bryan O’Neil Hughes video on the new Lens Correction features
Terry White’s favorite new features for photographers and designers
Russell Brown’s five favorite new features for all types of creative visual artists
Ready to learn more about these new features? Check out the Adobe Photoshop CS5 learning center from NAPP and consider joining this awesome educational organization.
P.S. Adobe is currently offering free shipping for Photoshop CS5 orders placed through their online store. This free shipping offer expires on May 31, 2010 so don’t wait too long.
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About the Author: David Marx is a digital photography instructor whose engaging teaching style inspires photographers of all skill levels. David is an Adobe Certified Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom Expert. David has led Adobe Photoshop / Photoshop Lightroom seminars and digital photography field workshops for The Rocky Mountain School of Photography, FirstLight Workshops, The American Society of Media Photographers, and the world-renowned Blackberry Farm Resort. To learn more about David's software seminars and field photography workshops, please visit 
Jay Kinghorn, co-author of the excellent book Perfect Digital Photography, has just started a month long series of daily tips on what’s new in Adobe Creative Suite CS5. I follow his blog everyday and so far I have learned a lot about the new painting features in Photoshop CS5.
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David
Thank you David. Good contrasts and explanations. Hope we can get more of your own personal insights, once you’ve had more time to spend with it. Will Lightroom 3 be out soon?