Photoshop Elements 3: The Missing Manual

Chapter 8. Elements for Digital Photographers

If you're a fairly serious digital photographer, you'll be delighted to know that in this version of Elements, Adobe hasn't just included new features to make the program easier for beginners. Your needs are provided for, too, thanks to some new advanced tools pulled straight from Photoshop CS.

Number one on the list is the famous Adobe Camera RAW Converter, which takes RAW files—a format some cameras use to give you maximum editing control—and lets you convert and edit them in Elements. In this chapter, you'll learn lots more about what RAW is, and why you might or might not want to use it in your own photography.

You'll also get to know the Photo Filter command, which helps adjust image colors by replicating the old-school effect of placing filters over a camera's lens. And last but not least, Elements now includes some truly useful batch processing tools, including features to help rename files, perform format conversions, and even apply basic retouching to multiple photos. Read on for more about the Elements tools and tricks that are most important for sophisticated digital photographers.

The RAW Converter

Probably the most popular thing Adobe has done for photography buffs in this version is including the celebrated Adobe Camera RAW Converter. For many people, this feature alone is well worth the price of the program, since you just can't beat the convenience of being able to perform conversions in the same program you use for ...