Adobe Photoshop CS3 Beta First Look with Adobe Bridge and Camera Raw

This was really the only book I could buy now to get somewhat up to speed with the newest version of Photoshop. This is good for those already familiar with previous versions who want to get a better idea what to expect. Even when CS3 and other instructional manuals come out, this is very straightforward and quick to read covering the most important info. This is not for someone new to Photoshop.

Here's a book that will prove useful for a limited time. That's because Adobe Systems Incorporated seems to have adopted a policy of making a free, public beta release of its new software before coming out with a final version. It did that with Lightroom, and now, with Photoshop CS3. Unfortunately the help facility that comes with the Beta version is practically non-existent, although one can learn a little about PS CS3 by searching around the internet for various spots discussing the new software. Ben Long's very brief volume is aimed at filling the need for some kind of guidance for users until a final version of PS CS3 comes out, and then several weeks later, lots of books come out. (Lightroom came out in late February, and at least a half-dozen Lightroom books are scheduled for publication before summer.) Long's book only deals with the new features of PS CS3, and then only tells how they work. There is no advice on the application of the software. Don't buy this volume if you don't know how to use PS CS2, because there is no discussion of tools and practices that haven't changed. Yet I commend the publisher for producing this volume so quickly, because there was a real need for it. You may well ask yourself why you even need to try the Beta version of PS CS3. Well for some people, there are tools available that will make it worthwhile making the Beta their main image processing software. For example, many PS users objected to using the old Bridge facility for the initial culling of pictures because although you could see an image almost full screen, you couldn't bring it up to 100% of the pixels, which is often necessary to make an accurate judgment about the quality of an image. The new Bridge allows 100% viewing. Long covers this feature, although, probably because there was an earlier iteration of Bridge when he wrote this, there are a few aspects of its use that he misses. Others who have despaired over the fact that application of filters was often destructive of the basic image, or not subsequently adjustable, or required the use of difficult keyboard commands to preserve the image, will appreciate the introduction of smart filters. Some of the better features of Lightroom have also been introduced into the Beta like an improved Adobe Camera Raw interface, and Long describes these features nicely. There are some things that PS CS3 Beta won't do, like embed EXIF data in a JPEG, that Long doesn't mention. That's why any serious user of PS CS3 will want to keep in touch with the CS3 discussion group on the Adobe web site. On the other hand, if you are getting started with the Beta version, this book will be of great help, at least for a while. As a side note, there is no comparison between PS CS3 and Lightroom here. Although some of the interfaces are similar, they do handle files differently, and each user will have to decide which software to use, especially since use of the one software may actually lose you some f