John Brandon

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 caters to the entry-level crowd, but is imbued with several professional-level tools. Even when a feature is not really intended for serious photographers, there is a goldmine of functionality that could save countless hours. The app is celebrating 10 years on the market. Adobe has slowly revised the workflow, and it’s getting much better.

In this version, you’ll first see a start-up screen with two buttons, one for organizing photos and one for editing. It makes more sense to click the button to organize images first, especially if you’re not even sure which images need editing.

When you do, one of the first prompts you’ll see asks how you normally import photos. That’s handy, because even the most experienced pro has to get photos off the camera somehow. You might typically load images onto a network drive, or prefer loading directly off the camera. (An option to scan images seems woefully dated these days.) Whatever option you choose, you can always go back and select a different import default. For now, it just means, when you start Elements 10, the app will automatically look for that specific source.

If a computer is part of your photographic workflow, then you’re probably already using Adobe’s Photoshop. The program has become standard for serious pros, erstwhile amateurs, and even those who just want to add some flair to their Facebook profile.

Workflow has become an important topic in photography. I know it is for me. After a shoot, I’ll rummage through photos on a MacBook Pro trying to pick a few that are worth publishing on my Flickr page, saving several for my permanent archive, and using a small handful for Photoshop experimentation. Of course, you can browse photos on the digital camera itself right after you take a series...

Aperture 3 is an amazingly powerful workflow aid for any photographer. An improved interface that promotes a “work the way you want” aesthetic makes it easy to learn and use.