Review: Adobe Photoshop Elements 7

Author

Eric Cooper

Submitted: 04.29.09

You have a million photos taking up space on your hard drive, various CDs, and, heaven forbid, floppies. And, yes, you look through them – but what are you going to do with them? Like me, you will do nothing in particular with them other than keep them where they are and trot them out every so often to take a peek by yourself or with others.

Then I received a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements. And, like all laypeople, I was terrified, because frankly, I’m adept at using a computer, but Photoshopping pictures seemed way out of my league.

Needless to say, I tried the program…and used it and used it and used it. I’ve used it now for a few months; I really wanted to get a feel for the program before I wrote my review. And after I felt comfortable enough, I sat down and made a list of what I liked about it and what I didn’t.

Pros:

• User-Friendliness – navigation and functionality is simple and intuitive.
• A guided editor for new users – this made using the program much less intimidating
• Ability to create Photo Books – these cost a fortune elsewhere and is one of my favorite features
• Drag and Drop Photos – Organizing has never been easier for photographs!
• 3 Ways to Edit – Guided, Quick, and Full – something for absolutely everyone.

Cons:

• Quick to learn, but sometimes hard to figure out exactly what can be done with the picture
• The Organizer was a little slow to load (an inconvenience, but not too bad)
• Until you learn how to use the guided editor, frustration may be an issue if you’re new to Photoshop

All in all, a great program that I’ve had a lot of fun with. If you’re looking for a photo organizer or editor, I think this one is a good bet – even for the beginner. I might not yet belong to the leagues of people who can Photoshop as fast as the speed of light, but I’m confident that I can edit my photos with excellent results.