Screenshots from Adobe's Photoshop Express web application.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Uploading seems to be the buggiest part of the beta. Although it will tell you in advance that selected files are too large--stated policy is 10MB or less per image--it doesn't tell you that it won't accept any image with any dimension of 4,000 pixels or larger until after it's tried and failed through an entire upload queue. Unfortunately, that size cap filters out 12-megapixel photos, which are no longer the province of just dSLRs: popular snapshot models like the Canon PowerShot SD950 IS, Kodak EasyShare V1253, and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200 will all be disqualified.
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Like many other photo-sharing sites, PSE provides a basic, page-through-it interface for browsing other users' albums.
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Adobe uses a form of its veteran Variations interface for many of its editing functions. Here, for example, you can choose which of the Auto Correct results you prefer. For some edits, such as Exposure, a slider provides the ability to fine tune the settings that would like between a pair of the thumbnail previews.
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Each gallery is comprised of albums. You can choose which photo from an album appears on the "cover," as well as select an image to replace the standard spooky silhouette that represents you. In the beta, a few Albums that were not mine (Friends, Karaoke Party, and My Dog Spot) appeared in my list. I'm not sure if that's a bug or a feature. The check mark next to an album indicates that it's public; PSE albums default to private, which I like.
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PSE provides a basic, but sufficient, set of editing tools which use the same underlying algorithms--though not the same interface--as Photoshop. The software applies edits nondestructively and nonlinearly. That means, for example, that you can undo the Exposure changes simply by deselecting it, without undoing any other changes you've made, and that you can always revert to the original version.
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PSE greets you with a friendly splash screen that offers you the option of uploading, viewing, editing and organizing your images (My Photos); viewing and sharing albums (My Gallery); or checking out other users' photos (Browse).
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There are a few different views, including an unusual (for a Web app) file list and this basic thumbnail display. The interface is quite slick, with a slider for resizing the thumbnails and click-selectable star ratings that make PSE feel much like an offline application.
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All your options appear in a drop-down menu off each photo. Though the list seems long, it's a pretty typical set of choices. Link copies the image URL to the clipboard, while Embed copies the necessary HTML code to paste an embedded photo into a Web page.
