so, if Thomas were to through everything out and start over from scratch to design a new version, a Photoshop for Photographers (and not web, design, prepress, science nor video) what would be a core set of features?
It is a while since i felt the need for something like that. As someone that is occasionally teaching young students and photographers I often found PS too intimidating for those that want “Just” to edit their images.
You mention Actions (or automation), Lab & retouching but you would presumably want 16 bit, channels, layers, selections, masks, paths, soft proofing, printing, a full range of color and tone correction (presumably as adjustment layers), Photoshop type filters like blur/sharpening, etc. You would need things like resize/resample, cropping & rotation, right?
Pretty much so.
Could you live without type?, Video? 3D? (I assume so)
Not needed except type. Some options for styling watermarks with some text effects would still be a must I guess although not as powerful as with PS.
What about Bridge?
You either have this “editor” included and tight with LR or you need a functional browser (my preference). Personally, I think bridge didn’t evolve as it should with recent PS releases and needs a new re-thinking.
There would need to be some sort of brushing functionality, but I doubt you would be much besides simple brushes with softness/opacity and no brush effects, right?
Right … but, while there isn’t a need for all advanced options of PS, brush work should be highly functional. After all, brush is an essential tool for many image editing tasks.
Would you want the Blur gallery and Puppet warp? Liquify?
Yes – no - no
What about editable keyboard shortcuts? (which was a huge engineering effort which is also why LR doesn't have it yet).
Absolutely (I never get used to shortcuts in LR, among my biggest gripe with LR ergonomics.
While I don’t personally like the way Gimp is interacting with user, their shortcut assignment procedure seems very easy and intuitive for me.
But you would need to do color conversions, right?
Yep, essential for something that is aimed to be serious photo imaging editor.
So, what would be needed to create a Photoshop for Photographers that would be designed as a pixel editing companion to Lightroom?
For Lightroom only?
That would be a mistake IMHO but then again, I can understand possible adobe motivation.
One aspect that I would really like to see improved are selection options. For example, luminosity (or zones for those that like to think that way) based selections which some of us did with various actions.
If Thomas were to through everything out and start over from scratch”
.. so we aren’t talking about “photographer” optimized PS ?
If so, then there is a whole new possibility for a better user interface suited for photo editing but that not only is worth a new thread but probably a new subforum
.. and Adobe and even other 3rd party developers...
And here is a turn down for me personally.
Sorry for saying this, but at this point, personally I would really prefer a photo editor from a photo-centric driven company (or team) than a wall street driven one (adobe). I know it is ugly to say this but IMHO adobe has crossed a turning point and I don't see there is going back any time soon.
I have a lot of work to do to prepare new workshop lessons without adobe products; it is a huge tasks and I’m not even sure what tools will I pick for the job, replacing PS will be especially hard at this point but adobe didn’t really let us any choice; teaching for products with lifetime subscription policy just isn’t ethical in my view.
(Luckily I’m not alone since most of my colleagues I have spoken to do feel the same and preparing future workshop will be a collective task).
I have nothing but high respect for both Thomas and Eric but a happy end movie in my book is either they move from adobe or other talented people outside adobe come with something really worth supporting (may take a while but for the sake of a better future it would be the best).
My apologies if last remarks are OT (feel free to delete them) but it is just part of my personal view about a photo editor i would like to see on the market