My subscription with Picmonkey has expired and I am debating getting something else, like Photoshop. I am a beginner and challenged, let's say. :) So is Photoshop something that is easy to learn by yourself?
I have had photoshop elements 11 just over a year Meg and it is very good but I am also technically challenged in these areas!! I have literally just scratched the surface and could do with a 6 months sabbatical to start to get to grips with it! There are loads of tutorials online for it, I just haven't had time to watch them.
I just bought Lightroom 5 after having photoshop elements 9. Bit of a learning curve... I will be at it for many months and still not know it all... But the basics that I know already are better than PS elements.
Kim's classes are great, I've done several of them http://www.kimklassencafe.com/photoshopecourses/ I really don't think I would have learned half of what I know now if I had just looked at tutorials on Youtube.
Photoshop, even Lightroom, has a significant learning curve if you want to get the most out of them. The full Photoshop, for instance, is a huge program. I am still discovering things every day. But you can do way more than Picmonkey can even think of. Try the free 30 day trial from Adobe, and see how far you can get in that time. Adobe have a $10 a month photography combo of Photoshop CC and Lightroom, a bargain based on original prices. You have the advantage of getting upgrades immediately they are available, and that can be a big deal, now that upgrades and new features are appearing less than 12 months apart right now.
@bront I agree. I would vote for Lightroom over Elements any day. A much more modern and intuitive User Interface especially in the Develop module. Which is, actually, Camera Raw of Photoshop.
I vote for Picasa from Google. It is much smaller and simpler than Photoshop and gives a good introduction for photo manipulation. I have used for about two years and I still find new processes to explore. It does what I want and it is free.
Meg, why don't you try FastStone - it's free - you will just be asked for a modest donation when you download it. Then if you like it you can spend ££s on something like Photoshop?
I'm an absolute beginner at photo finishing, so I'm using free, user-friendly sites for now and am getting done what I need to. I learned about BeFunky and Pecasa from this site and have used both. But again, I'm a complete novice so until I really get going on this photography thing, those are treating me just fine. I absolutely LOVE the effect that I just did on my cemetery photo I just uploaded.
Thank you everyone! I am a novice and don't follow directions too well. I love the watercolor effects I have seen used which picmonkey doesn't have. I like DNR (I think it's called) but whenever I try it on Picmonkey it looks harsh. I use the clone all the time and erase wrinkle too. Sounds like a few good ideas here I'm going to check into. Thanks again!
Darn... I thought this thread was one of those "Photoshop is evil" discussions. Guess I'll save this popcorn for a movie or something.
I use LR4, but probably only about 20% efficiently. I do have Photoshop, but I'm too intimidated. As soon as I get to "x layer on top of y layer and brush and..." I can't get the hell out of it fast enough! Just thinking about it makes me panic a little... O.o
Hey Meg, I have LR5 now and I have always had PSE 10, but I am fully immersed in Lightroom. I am going to start learning Photoshop Elements after I get LR under my belt. I went from the Windows Live thing, to Picasa, to LR. I use Picmonkey here and there still. IF you go PS or LR, please, please, please learn from my mistake: read HOW TO IMPORT properly and STORE photos for use and cataloguing. I jumped in without reading or watching some important "getting started" videos.
Soooo, if you do a 30-day trial, which I highly recommend, make sure you take a few days to get it set up correctly. I think the trial is where I messed up. I figured I'm just messing around with it. Well I created a mess, but if you start right, you will absolute love either one and will be surprised at what you can do with your images!!!
@frankhymus Hello Frank, Is there a trial version for Lightroom? If yes, then please let me know the link I can download from. I am new to this, but heard a lot from the professional photographers about Lightroom being the best software. plz suggest .. Thanks
I like using GIMP the "poor man's photoshop" I can pretty much find a video tutorial on youtube of anything I want to do with that program, and it's FREE. http://www.gimp.org/
Photoshop CS2 is currently available as a free download if you register with Adobe. This version is 10 years old, and Adobe is no longer offering tech support with this, hence the give away. CS2 is a great version to learn with, I went back to this version after becoming frustrated with later releases ! Google CS2 free, there's a few blogs on how to find the download on the Adobe site.
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Meg, why don't you try FastStone - it's free - you will just be asked for a modest donation when you download it. Then if you like it you can spend ££s on something like Photoshop?
Lots of resources on the net for help etc.
No need for expensive Photoshop suits
http://www.gimp.org/
I use LR4, but probably only about 20% efficiently. I do have Photoshop, but I'm too intimidated. As soon as I get to "x layer on top of y layer and brush and..." I can't get the hell out of it fast enough! Just thinking about it makes me panic a little... O.o
Soooo, if you do a 30-day trial, which I highly recommend, make sure you take a few days to get it set up correctly. I think the trial is where I messed up. I figured I'm just messing around with it. Well I created a mess, but if you start right, you will absolute love either one and will be surprised at what you can do with your images!!!
Good luck!
I'm learning how to use the clone tool.
http://www.gimp.org/