Adobe Systems Photoshop Elements 6

Digital Photography has seen a massive boom in the last few years and as a result people have hundreds of photos on their PCs. If they are anything like us, they tend to exist in folders upon folders and most of them never get seen again. Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 has the tools to edit and improve your photos but it also offers features to organise, keep track and share them with family and friends.

The most obvious change in version 6 is the user interface. In addition to a new grey Apple Mac look, it has also been tweaked so it can be more easily used by novices without becoming too simple for those in the know. The interface can be viewed in guided, quick or full modes which cater to the level of expertise the user has. In guided mode, the program asks you what you want to do and helps you accomplish it. There is not much room for manipulation in this mode as most of it is automated. In Quick mode, the basics of photo editing are made available with slider bars so you can fiddle with the image until you are happy with it. Full mode has the most features and is a trimmed version of the Photoshop CS3 interface. More experienced users will find this mode the most helpful.

Both Photoshop Elements 6.0 and Premiere Elements 4.0 integrate with the Adobe organiser software. This is a gallery which categorises the media on your PC whether it is images, audio or video. When used with Photoshop it can be a useful and sophisticated tool that will help you keep track of your photos. In addition, the organiser software can also create online Web galleries so you can share your photos with the world. There are a number of different templates available and to use them is as simple as dragging the desired photos into a box. We were also impressed with the way that organiser can automatically remove red-eye from photos while importing them from your camera -- it's more than just handy, it's awesome to watch.

Adobe has really made an effort to give this year's version of Photoshop Elements a complete overhaul. While it still performs many of the same functions, the way it helps a new user along the path from guided through to full edit mode is quite impressive and is sure to be popular with those who are either IT challenged or new to photo editing.

If you have always wanted to use Photoshop but could never afford it, Elements is the answer. It isn't a watered down version of Photoshop but instead is only simplified. All the same power is still available; it's just easier to understand and doesn't require a degree to use.

Photoshop Elements 6.0 is available as a stand-alone product or can be purchased in a bundle with Premiere Elements 4.0.