OK. Photoshop Elements 6 finally did something that impressed me. I thought it only fair I tell you about it.

PE 6 has what they call a Panorama Photomerge. Using it, you select a bunch of photos with which to create a panorama, and it will do so with as much or as little interaction as you personally desire. I, of course, let it do the first one all by itself to see how well it would do. I stepped out on my front porch, snapped 8 photos (sans tripod — just my legs and waist and arms), created a new file using Panorama Photomerge (completely automated), and ended up with what I will tell you is the most hassle-free and best panorama I have ever put together … and I barely had to do any work myself other than take and load the photos.

Here’s a very small version, but you can click it to see a somewhat larger version, which I suggest you do … not because the view from my front porch is so awesome, but because Photoshop Elements did this all by itself with no input from me.

The original working file is humongous, and it has slowed PE 6 down by a good bit, but not horribly so. Also, I carefully examined the full-sized file, and no seams to be found anywhere. It really is an excellent bit of photographic hodge-podgery.

So, I am impressed with at least one thing PE 6 can do. Not that I need to have instant panoramas every day, but maybe I’ll do more of them in the future, since it’s so easy. In fact, I want to go do another one right now. I think I will!