I've decided that if I want to be taken seriously I should probably start using a proper editing software... but I have NO clue where to even start.
1) Which photoshop should I use? (And if not photoshop - what other program is available?) Currently I've downloaded a trial for Photoshop Lightroom, but I'm completely useless with it. I can't even figure out basics like retrieving some of my photos, or saving them once I'm done.
That leads to my next question:
2) Are there any good books/blogs/websites you know of that would help me in my quest?
I went to school for two years and used photoshop the whole time. It takes WAY longer than that to get used to it though. I'd recommend Lynda.com if you want to learn. It is a pay site, but you can pay for one month only if you want. I know a lot of people who used it for various programs, and they all raved about it.
I use Photoshop all of the time, but I highly recommend Gimp2.6 It's free and there are tons of videos online, and websites to help you learn it. Or if you are like me, you prefer a book. Amazons has about 5 Gimp books. Why not learn the program that's free that's just as powerful as PhotoShop? :-)I am learning it...even used it some today
Hmmmm .... do not mistake 'proper editing software' for being taken seriously as a photographer. It's not the software but what you do with what you have. Many people use simple editing software and have the respect of us all. :-)
I have been using Lightroom lately and love it. It is pretty basic editing compared to photoshop but it seems to be enough for what I need to do with pictures ( exposure, contrast, clarity, saturation etc...). I have been using photoshop for work ( I am an architect) for years and it is an amazing program for photo manipulation. But, if you only need to do simple edits...Lightroom is great. I usually just learn a program by playing with it and looking at tutorials online.
I use photofiltre. a great free down loadable program from http://photofiltre.en.softonic.com/
It had a lot of photoshop elements , its user friendly and free. what more could you ask for when learning..
@mikew I totally agree, that's how I learned a lot in photoshop. Find a book by Scott kelby. Maybe you could learn some things in lightroom, then once you get comfortable, upgrade to photoshop. They are both adobe programs, so they'll have many similarities.
@dmortega@mastermek
Oh I completely agree! Let me clarify that a bit. I meant it more in manner of taking myself more seriously. I enjoy photography, and currently I use programs like picnik to edit them when needed, which works wonderfully. That just requires you to press a button then the image is altered, which is great, but I feel like I want to know the processes behind creating that effect. I want to understand photography on another level, and I feel a more complex program will challenge me in the right way. I completely agree that beautiful photography depends more on the artists' perceptions than the quality of camera & editing software.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
I find it easier to use than Lightroom
It had a lot of photoshop elements , its user friendly and free. what more could you ask for when learning..
Good luck..
Oh I completely agree! Let me clarify that a bit. I meant it more in manner of taking myself more seriously. I enjoy photography, and currently I use programs like picnik to edit them when needed, which works wonderfully. That just requires you to press a button then the image is altered, which is great, but I feel like I want to know the processes behind creating that effect. I want to understand photography on another level, and I feel a more complex program will challenge me in the right way. I completely agree that beautiful photography depends more on the artists' perceptions than the quality of camera & editing software.
Thank you all for the feedback & suggestions! :)