To those not familiar with the many hats that librarians
wear, it may come as a surprise that I use Photoshop all the time for work. To
be perfectly honest I had a small amount of knowledge concerning the program
when I started my current job two years ago. However, having been in charge of
creating displays, short videos, and creating posters for events I have found
the program indispensable.
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| Who doesn't want to create a blue tree? |
The current Photoshop CC (2014) brings many new features to
the table not included in previous
releases, including the ability to render
flames and trees. While I don’t use these two tools regularly, I do find that
Photoshop is perhaps one of the easiest and most useful photo editors to use
and learn.
I realize that I say this having years of experience using
the product but it is true. Having a basic knowledge of Photoshop will allow
someone to edit a picture, a more advance knowledge will allow someone to further
manipulate images and create original pieces of art that don’t even start with
images.
In addition, much of the layout for Photoshop is similar to
other adobe tools such as InDesign and Illustrator, although I do not claim to
be an expert at using these tools; however, I do find their interface familiar
with my limited experience.
Photoshop can be used to manipulate an image; I find that I
like to use it in creating original works of art. Just recently, I used it to
create this video covering the profession of being a librarian. I am new to
making characters, but with my knowledge of Photoshop, it makes it a bit
easier. For someone who is not good at drawing, this is actually simple and
fun.
For those who are not familiar with Photoshop, I would
highly recommend learning how to use this, Adobe offers some basic instruction
online. Also you should be able to find a class in your community on the
product.
The one negative side to Photoshop CC is the cost. For most
individuals creative cloud will cost anywhere from $119 - $359 per year
depending on the package you buy. Some employees and university students can
probably get the program at a discount through their school or employer. Also,
Adobe does give discounts on its products for students (see: https://creative.adobe.com/plans).
Besides the price, Photoshop is a tool that I would
recommend that everyone at least try using. Besides my personal use, I have
also found it helpful to know Photoshop for job security reasons. Since I am
familiar with this technology, I am able to help others learn this software and
use it to complete projects.
