I'm pleased to have been asked to write for O'Reilly's new Inside Lightroom blog, where I'll be contributing blog posts and articles about the newly released Adobe Lightroom. I'm thrilled to join the O'Reilly family and to be included among such luminaries as Derrick Story, Mikel Aaaland, and other big-time contributors to this professional blog. Check out my first post on some of Lightroom's organizing features, and be sure to bookmark the Inside Lightroom site and subscribe to the Inside Lightroom RSS feed in your favorite news reader.

Adobe announced today that Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 is now shipping. Head over to the Adobe site to download a 30 day trial or to purchase the program for $199. That's a special introductory price that's good until April 30, 2007. After that, Lightroom will sell for $299. While you're at the Adobe site, download a free version of the Adobe Camera Raw 3.7 plug-in for Mac or Windows, optimized for compatibility with your Lightroom adjustments.

Are you a Photoshop Elements user who is considering upgrading to Photoshop? Then check out this unusual deal at the Adobe Store. Adobe is offering $350 off Photoshop CS2 for owners of an Elements serial number. By my calculations that means Photoshop will cost you only $299. Ownership of Photoshop CS2 will give you another bonus. It makes you eligible to download the free public beta of Photoshop CS3. This offer from the Adobe Store ends February 25, 2007.

I'm just getting my land legs back after returning from a week of teaching Photoshop in the Caribbean on a Geek Cruise. I was in the good company of fellow instructors David Pogue, Deke McClelland, and Eddie Tapp, among others. It was all good -- from hanging with the Geek cruise audience to walking the boulders at the Baths on Virgin Gorda. Thanks to ebullient Geek Cruise director Neil Bauman for another terrific week on the high seas.

Photos of Pogue, McClelland, and yours truly by Randal Schwartz, an amazing guy who has been on more Geek Cruises than God.