Adobe Photoshop CS5: A Must Have for Creativity in Media (ENGL101)

Essay #3 for English 101.... this essay had to be an evaluation of a product that we are interested in  buying. Since I couldn't find any sources in the school library for the new Canon Rebel T3i or a Nissan Juke, I went with the next best thing - Photoshop CS5.

Adobe Photoshop CS5: A Must Have for Creativity in Media

            Adobe’s newest option in the Creative Suite world is Adobe CS5, an upgraded version of their continuously running CS series.  Many of the standard options in the Suite have been updated and new options have been added, allowing for easier image manipulation and more accurate detail. Adobe’s latest offering is something every photographer, video editor, graphic and web designer should include in their collection of design programs to help them create and adjust their art to its maximum potential.  

            Adobe Photoshop, the centerpiece to the CS collection, is one of the most well-known design programs of all time; after all, everyone has heard, “That picture is totally photoshopped,” in reference to a picture that has received any kind of editing or processing. Now Photoshop is even better, with the enhancement of standard tools and addition of new ones.  One of the standout new tools available is ‘Content-Aware Fill.’ This tool allows the user to select an object in the picture, click delete, and Photoshop will fill the area in to match the background. While not always perfect, it is fairly accurate, leaving the user to only check for seams and edges, easily corrected with blending; using this tool, unwanted elements in photos can be removed quickly and easily (Fairlie). Another standout tool from CS5 is ‘Puppet Warp.’ The ‘Puppet Warp’ tool allows users to rotate and change specific objects in the picture, such as arms, legs, tails, etc... By selecting and then adding control points, these objects can be moved; used in conjunction with ‘Content-Aware Fill,’ the background area can be filled in to create a seamless, new image (Carroll). An integral part of both of these options is the ‘Selection’ tool, also improved upon to allow for easier and more accurate selection of specific elements within the picture, even with some of the most difficult objects, like hair and fur (Carroll). The improved ‘Selection’ tool is probably one of the best enhancements to Photoshop; while it may not be the most fantastic tool, it is most likely the most useful. Aimed specifically at photographers, the enhanced ‘HDR’ (High Dynamic Range) tool allows images of the same scene in different exposures to be merged into one photograph with amazing range in highlights and shadow. Even if only using one shot, the ‘HDR’ tool can mimic the effect of a merged photograph (Fairlie). With all these enhanced tools and capabilities, Photoshop requires a fast computer and available RAM to produce results in a timely manner.

            Often with design programs, users will run into speed issues concerning how fast the program takes to render changes and designs; Adobe has reduced the issues by increasing the speed capabilities of Photoshop. With the speed increase, users can fully utilize the potential of a dual or quad core computer, as well as gigabytes of RAM. Speaking of RAM, Adobe has also included a new option: the ‘Ram Slider,’ which allows the dedication of a preferred amount of RAM for Photoshop to use – from a few gigabytes to the entire amount available. If the consumer is running a 64-bit operating system, such as Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Mac OSX, tasks can be completed up to ten times faster than before (McMahon). Even with all these positives about Photoshop CS5, there are, of course, a few negative aspects.

            The negatives to be found in Adobe’s latest Photoshop option are few, but something to consider. Some of the in-depth tools require a different learning curve then users may be used to, such as with the 3D editing options; 3D editing is easier than before, allowing for more options when creating 3D, but it is still outside of the normal Photoshop flow, so many may decide not to investigate it (McMahon). Another negative aspect is the lack of ease when upgrading to CS5 from a previous version. When upgrading, installation does not allow the program to just upgrade onto the current version running on the computer – it keeps both programs on the computer, leading to unwanted and unnecessary hard drive usage. Because of this, it is also difficult to transfer preset settings from one version to the other (Carroll). However, these negatives do not overbalance the positives, even though they are important factors to keep in mind before purchasing.   

            Adobe Photoshop CS5 has designed tools that are amazing and fascinating, while at the same time often simple to use. In combination with its increased speed and RAM capabilities, CS5 offers consumers a fantastic, all-around program for design, video, and photo editing. Tom Carroll, of Game Developer, summed up it up best when he wrote, “With all the goodies in CS5… Adobe really doesn’t need to do another release.” Of course, in a world where everybody is looking for the next best thing, Adobe will never rest with what it can offer consumers now. Adobe will continue to bring cutting-edge to the design world for as long as it can, and hopefully that will be a very long time, indeed.

Works Cited

Carroll, Tom. "Adobe Creative Suite 5." Game Developer. (June 1, 2011). LexisNexis Academic. Web. 29 Jan 2012.

Fairlie, Rik. "The Magic of Adobe’s Photoshop CS5." The New York Times. (May 6, 2010). LexisNexis Academic. Web. 29 Jan 2012.

McMahon, Franklin. "Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended Review." Millimeter(Online) (2010). ProQuest Research Library. Web. 29 Jan. 2012.