I’ve just had CS4 installed on my Mac here in the office and what a difference it makes. I’ve made the jump from Photoshop CS2 to CS4 and I can’t believe how much of a difference there is between the two versions. The main difference is the speed. With all the image adjustments incorporated into the main interface, I think my mouse wondering what’s going on! It’s such a subtle thing but reducing the mouse movement saves so much time! It’s also mega smooth too. Magnifying image parts is so slick that I find myself doing it for the sake of it! It makes Cs2 look so juddery in comparison. It’s quite amazing to think how fast technology evolves - we were once marveling over  CS2 and who knows what we’ll be working with in 10 years time. For those who haven’t had a look yet, then check out the demo of CS4 at www.adobe.com. No doubt it will promptly be added to the top of your Christmas wish list! 

For those who haven’t got hold of issue 41 of Photoshop Creative yet, you may not know that we have a top feature on how to make a range of great gifts using Photoshop. With Christmas lurking just around the corner, it offers some great ideas on how to beat the credit crunch this Christmas and also add a personal touch to the pressies you dish out this year.This morning I received a lovely email from a reader called Jenny who has already got stuck into the Photoshop gifts and has her own novel take on the idea. She actually prints Photoshop designs onto edible icing paper which can then be applied to cakes - perfect for adding a bit of flair to the Christmas cake this year!We’d love to know any more of your fab Photoshop gift ideas - so leave a comment with yours and help out your fellow Photoshoppers!   

It might just be me, but every evening around this time of year I get the spooks! The shivers. It’s mainly when I cycle home after work, in the dark, I’m dead-scared of local kids jumping out from bushes or fences. It sounds weird, call me paranoid, but it’s Halloween. They could be holding anything, from a six-pack of Lion eggs to rolls and rolls of toilet paper - or both! Alright, I’m a grown man, but we all get scared from time-to-time, I just don’t want to get egged.

Anyway, maybe this is the time of year to explore a new style of art, focusing on the 31st October, Halloween. From Jack-O’-lanterns to ghouls and other spooky things, this is surely the time to get scary in Photoshop… and maybe haunt some local kids with my D-SLR and flashgun…

Moving on, post-up your artwork on Photoshop Creative for us all to see your Halloween creations. Also, check out www.halloween.co.uk for some inspiration.

It’s amazing how something edible could be so scary!

No matter who I talk to at the moment, the subject always turns to the credit crunch. I can be talking about absolutely anything - puppies, the Wizard of Oz, how I’m going to fulfill my dream of becoming a unicorn, and the subject always turns around to the doom of gloom of the credit crunch.Just the other day I was chatting to a Photoshop artist about their work and seminars and we trailed off onto the subject of the economic climate. The weird thing is, I think Photoshop and money are actually linked. As living costs rise, Im hearing that more and more people are choosing to stay at home and practice their hobbies. Photoshoppers are opting to spend an extra few hours refining their skills, rather than being tempted to nip down the pub and spending those all important pennies. I’m wondering whether people will be inclined to invest in CS4 in the current market? It may be a cheaper option rather than forking out for expensive days out and other hobbies. So perhaps in the gloomy climate  it may be time for an explosion of Photoshop creativity to brighten up the world! Let’s hope so… 

Just thought I’d direct you to a great video tutorial which shows you a nifty new feature in CS4 called Content Aware Scaling or ’seam carving’.

Adobe has bought this technology and jazzed it up to form a truly amazing feature. Check out this overview from Russell Brown here http://av.adobe.com/russellbrown/ContentAwareScale_SM.mov

So who’s had a gander at the new features yet? CS4 is an awesome addition to the Adobe family, with some brilliant new features that seriously make it shine.We’ve had a chance to take a look and we can say we were pleasantly surprised at the advancement it makes from CS3, let alone CS2. The performance is a whole lot more fluid thanks to amazing ‘hold and zoom’ tools which glide you in and out of your image. Plus the fantastic rotational options available on-screen for ultimate ease of use. Masking has had an amazing revamp, with its own dedicated panel on-screen, as has the adjustment layer facility too. The extended version offers some amazing 3D advancements too. Instead of me wittering on, I seriously suggest you check out the features at www.adobe.com  and see for yourself. It wont be long until it’s at the top of your wish list and you’re searching under the sofa for any spare cash you can find…Im telling you it will be worth it!  

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that I love shopping. I fully admit to having a room just for shoes and my poor boyfriend’s clothes are relegated to a single chest of drawers compared to my three, plus a wardrobe. So when I saw a story this morning about a new 3D shopping experience online, I couldn’t help but get excited (yes, yes, sad I know). Stateside retailers, Sears, are introducing an amazing new search function on their website www.sears.com  , which enables you to browse their shopping delights with the power of 3D. You get to build your very own 3d virtual model, which you can then adorn with any of the clothes that take your fancy. It cuts out the hassle of trying things on in-store and gives you the in-store shopping experience online. The 3D models can be created to represent your height, weight and build, giving you a realistic impression of what the clothes will look like.It’s a wonder it’s taken this long to come about and I reckon this will take off in a big way with online retailers. The function goes live in October and I can’t wait to try it out…in fact I may need to buy another wardrobe while Im at it too ; )  

I’ve just been reading that 60,000 devices such as mobile phones, laptops and PDA’s have been left in the back of London cabs within the last six months alone! It’s a staggering figure and just goes to show how reliant we are on our gadgets these days. I’d be gutted if I lost my laptop as it’s got all my photos, music and work on there…I think it’s time for me to back-up my stuff! I preach to everyone about backing up but Im not so quick to follow my own advice - guess what Ill be doing this evening!  

Julie, the Deputy Editor from Advanced Photoshop has just shown me a blog-site, which is saying some very nice things about us. Just what I needed on this rainy, cold day to lift my spirits! Check it out… http://www.campphotoshop.com/Top-5-Magazines-For-Creative-Inspiration

P.S Jet-lag sucks!

P.P.S Finally figured out how to post images on here - what a doofus!

Well Photoshop World is over for another six months and I must say it’s a little depressing to be home after all those bright lights of Vegas : ( !It was a fantastic event, well worth a visit if you’re ever in the States. It was so well organised that despite the huge amount of seminars, everyone seemed to make it to all their choices. For me, the highlight was meeting the Chief of Operations of the Kelby Media Group, David Moser. The Kelby Media Group are the big Photoshop players out in the US and also run the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. David had plenty of time to chat ’shop and it was great to hear his thoughts on the show.Now, unfortunately it’s back to reality! We landed this morning and Im desperately trying to stay awake a couple more hours so I can get a good night’s sleep ready for work tomorrow. I’ve been awake 26 hours and counting….and Im starting to feel a little delirious to say the least.Looking forward to Photoshop World Boston in March already! Night night : )