Adobe today announced a new release of its Elements family of software packed with new tools that will enhance existing photo and video workflows and make previously complex editing features more accessible. Elements has always offered easier photo and video organization, editing, and sharing than its pro-level counterparts, but for the 2018 release, Adobe has streamlined the applications and built the software around a more modern digital lifestyle.
Most individuals shoot all of their photos and videos with smartphones, and Adobe realizes this. The convenience of having a camera with you at all times has made it easy to be inundated with content. Without conscious effort, photos and videos get lost in the shuffle, never to be viewed again.
It’s more important than ever before to be able to quickly make creations from your media and share them with friends and family who care. New in Elements Organizer 2018 are tools specifically designed around this goal.
- Auto-Curate– Elements Organizer will use facial recognition and image analysis to select your best photos for you.
- Slideshows– Curated photos and videos can be turned into customizable slideshows with just one click.
- Guided Edits– Adobe has automated 8 more formerly complex workflows such as replacing backgrounds, creating double exposures, and artistic effects. These edits are presented with step by step instructions. Also new is a “bounce-back” effect that can selectively loop a segment of video back and forth. This effect has become increasingly popular thanks to iOS 11’s new live photo options and Instagram’s Boomerang app.
- Animated Social Posts– Fans of Apple’s Clips app will appreciate the ability to make short visuals stories from their videos right on the Mac. Videos can be embellished with static or animated text.
The new features in Elements Organizer along with Photoshop Elements 2018 draw inspiration from Adobe’s popular mobile apps, like Photoshop Express, Fix, and Mix, helping you with frustrating editing operations:
- Automatic Selection– Precise selections can be time consuming and challenging to pull off even for professionals, so Adobe has introduced a click and drag tool in Photoshop Elements to simplify the process.
- Fix Closed Eyes– If you’ve taken a series of group photos and someone’s eyes are closed, Elements will intelligently copy the open eyes from one photo and blend them into another.
Premiere Elements 2018 has also introduced some time-saving tools that were previously tedious, manual processes:
- Candid Moments– Automatic extraction of great still frames from your raw video footage. If you’ve ever missed a perfect photo because you were shooting a video, this feature will be a welcome addition.
- Smart Trim– Premiere Elements will automatically trim out the bad scenes from your videos and stitch together the best moments for you based on the style of video. Like Adobe’s other automated features, this can be customized.
Adobe has posted additional resources on its tutorials websites where you can learn more about how to use these and more new features. Photoshop and Premiere Elements are available for $99.99 each or $79.99 as upgrades from the previous version. You can purchase both as a bundle deal for $149.99 or $119.99 as an upgrade.
