LATEST ADDITIONS

My great-grandparents homesteaded in the northern part of the Black Hills around the turn of the 20th century, but found the environment too inhospitable for traditional farming and moved to eastern South Dakota. But that bond to the Black Hills continues to be passed down through my family, and I’ve visited the area on a regular basis since I was a little boy. My earliest travels with a camera were to the Black Hills during my early teens on family vacations, with resulting photos that failed to show how the area made me feel. As my photographic skills improved I’ve returned many times, but have only yet begun to scratch the surface of the numerous natural wonders located in the Black Hills.

Mention digital image editing and it’s likely that the first word you’ll hear is Photoshop. It’s become a general term, like Xerox. For many, the full-blown version of Photoshop (currently at CS5) is either overkill, with features that you’ll never need or use, or just too expensive. Adobe realizes this and has produced a more streamlined version for years. This “entry-level” version of Photoshop, named Elements, is priced like a basic editing program, but filled with features you’d expect to pay quite a bit more for. The latest version, Elements 9 has added several new features that photographers have been requesting for years, making this release an even more attractive option, and further blurring the line between CS and Elements features.

What’s New
There are normally a couple of new features in each release that make upgrading an attractive option for current users, and in this regard Elements 9 adds some interesting items in the sharing area, and a major feature that has been requested for years. Let’s take a look at what is new in Version 9.

I’m spending the next few days working with Tim Fiedler (www.dracophoto.com) on the latest incarnation of my how-to blog (www.joefaraceblogs.com). This new version features a WordPress (http://wordpress.org) structure and theme. WordPress originally started as a free blogging system but soon evolved into a full content management system, including access to thousands of plug-ins, widgets, and themes. In January, my blog was restructured to feature a different topic for each day and since this issue’s theme is Travel & Location Photography be sure to check in on Tuesday. There are subjects for the rest of the week, too, including Macro Monday, Landscape Wednesday, Automobile Thursday, and Portrait & Glamour Friday.

If you’re a sucker for forested mountains, fjords, alpine lakes, crystalline streams, seaside villages, and very cosmopolitan cities, well, one anyway, I’d like to introduce you to a special place. In addition, if you’re in North America anyway, it’s easy to get to. This enchanted land is…drum roll…Vancouver Island.