I am quite new to editing pictures and so far I have only used iphoto (yes, I know, close to nothing) and picnik/picmonkey.
I have always wanted to get Photoshop because of the level and merge functions but I am afraid it could be too complicated and not intuitive enough. However, as I am still a student, I could get it for 180 pounds.
Go for it! It is a bit daunting at first, but after you've worked with Photoshop a while, you will find it less and less intimidating. I suggest Googling some videos that demonstrate how to do the tasks you want to learn. I've found these tutorials extremely useful!
my advice would be to download Gimp, it is similar in its functionallity to photoshop but is completely free, If you get on with that I would then think about photoshop would hate to see you spend all that money just to find out its not for you
I have PSE - also known as not particularly user friendly - but even if you use only a few functions, I think it's worth it. You can slowly add to your body of knowledge - enjoying it from the first and even more as you go along. There are lots of good free tutorials online and some video courses that don't cost much - I've been learning skills one by one as I want to try something new. Especially at the student price - I'd say go for it.
@dejongdd@reba Thanks for your encouragement, I am really thinking about getting it if I can cope after the 30 days trial
@lorraineb Ohhh, that's a really, really good suggestion. Thanks a lot for the advice. Do you happen to know where exactly I can find the trial?
@asrai Hi Lee, I have tried gimp but couldn't cope at all (and didn't find helpful tutorials online). I have used PS twice and didn't find it as hard as gimp. Do you think their usability can be compared or is gimp maybe slightly less intuitive?
Consider Lightroom4 or Aperture. Most photographers can do all their work with those tools. You can buy plugins that will work with it too if you want to play with the effects. I would only suggest PS if you plan to do a lot of image manipulation (i.e. adding text or compositing images together). Otherwise, go with lightroom4 or aperture. It's pretty much standard in most photographer's workflow and it also deals with asset management.
@traeumerlein87 Aperture and Lightroom are image management and RAW conversion tools. These are invaluable tools. Think of them as somewhere between iPhoto and PS. Photoshop was really design for various users, including graphic designers, digital artists and photographers. LR and Aperture was design for the photographer. You get 90% of what you need from it. I advise you to start from there and if you do need pixel manipulation, you can use GIMP. But you won't...
@traeumerlein87 And if your doing the trials, play with Lightroom first. Even if you get Photoshop and assuming you shoot in RAW, you'll be going through the RAW conversion process and in the past, it's easier and faster to do it with LR. Removing the photo management part, LR is basically the RAW Converter in PS.
Do a free trial first! When I was new to editing and manipulating I could not figure out photoshop at all, I too, used iPhoto to start. So I went on a quest of editing free trials. Since then I have purchased Aperture, Pixelmator, Lightroom 3, and HDRtist Pro. I am ready for Photoshop now, and these programs helped me get there.
I use photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Picasa for my editing. I had been using Picnik until I heard they were closing it down.
I had not been using PS Elements and I am determined to learn it, one step at a time, by just clicking on things to see what happens. I've learned a lot and only realized that a few weeks ago when I had to do a quick PS edit and it just happened. I didn't need to figure it out, it just happened. YAY! So, I guess for me it's just better to force myself to learn it and that's what I am doing. There were a couple of times I opened picnik. It was loading so darn slow, I just closed it and went back to photoshop. Now I'm happy not being dependant on Picnik any longer. :-)
I use Lightroom and photoshop and would not be without them.
I would suggest the same as others and download the trial version and really commit to using them during the trial period but be prepared for lots and lots and lots of frustrating times with photoshop, however once you get over that frustration it is well worth the journey.
I'm another who uses Lightroom and Photoshop (CS4 in my case) constantly. I also have a couple of plug-ins that I like and use often, but that's for specific things. I did a trial for Aperture when my computer was in the shop and quite liked it, too. It goes about things differently than Lightroom, but they both get you to where you want to go. Adobe gives a bigger academic discount, so LIghtroom is cheaper for me, and I'll stick with it.
Don't know how long you'll be a student, but Adobe's academic discount is HUGE for Photoshop, and nice for Lightroom (though it was the same as the upgrade price. I ended up getting it for less because I subscribed/joined NAPP a long time ago and Adobe gives an extra discount. Since I already had LR3, I saved about $15).
Several years ago my computer was in the shop and I bought Elements for my husband's computer (there was an academic discount for it, too). I found myself able to manage quite nicely with PSE for most of what I wanted to do. Both programs go about things in a similar manner, they share many of the same tools. Definitely download the trials to see if you like photoshop - the academic discount makes it affordable.
Yes, get it and also get a book from Scott Kelby that explains how to do things for photographers. I also have Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3. I also got both with student discounts and I have never been sorry that I did. But I think the book by Scott Kelby are the best for learning how to use the software. They give you step by step instructions.
I use photoshop elements because it's a slimline version of the full product. It does what I want it to do. There are also a tonne of free tutorials, brushes, fonts, etc. online. Have fun!
@aspada@paulaag@cfitzgerald@agima@snippets Wow, thank you so much everyone for your answers. There seems to be agreement that PS is not the easiest tool but well worth some time investment.
@mtngal You are absolutely right, Adobe academic discounts are huuuge (and my student life terminates in September *bohoo*)
@morrisphotos Thanks for the advice for the book. I will definitely have a look into that. A good book is probably essential to not completely freak me out, haha.
@gareauk1 I kind of hesitate to get PS elements because it is not that much cheaper than PS with the academic discount and I might want to use all those very nice functions (in the very far future when I am not a student any more). But I think I will give the trial a go and decide which one I like better.
@dmortega They are closing picnik down but there is already a new site www.picmonkey.com which does exactly the same things (but in an even nicer layout). But you already mentioned it: I might not only have internet access or very slow connections.
@davetom To be honest, I only have a slight idea what you are talking about (but would be very, very happy to get an explanation for dummies). I'm afraid I am one of those people who just take pictures intuitively without knowing anything about the camera itself and certainly not about editing specificities. This is why I have not taken pictures in RAW format so far (because I have no idea what I would be supposed to do with it afterwards).
That's okay. Sometimes, I forget how complicated it can be as I do technology for a living. You're lucky. The technology is intuitive for me... the creativity portion is more of a challenge.
Easy explanation. JPEG is like a Kodak Instant camera. Press the shutter and the image is ready for use. RAW is like film. You still have to go process it and there are plenty of different ways to process it. RAW conversion is the process technique (like film processing). Lightroom and aperture power is in it's photo management ( tagging and organizing the photos so you can find it easily) and in it's RAW processing capabilities (although you can do the something in JPEG but the quality isn't as good... like reheating leftovers ).
The RAW processing in Lightroom is the same technology as in photoshop. It's just presented differently. What you can do in Lightroom and Aperture is pretty much similar to film.
Still sounds complicated but if you have an interest in PS, you'll have to eventually learn all this. I'm just suggesting that you should start at LR or Aperture first.
@davetom Thanks a lot, David. This explanation is really as straight forward as I needed it. Awesome :)
I think I will go with your advice and try LR and then take then next step when I feel "safe" about what I am doing.
I have been working with Photoshop in school and it is soooo fun! I love it!! Your gonna need to use Lynda.com tutorials though, since it is scarier and more complicated looking than it actually is. Good luck!!!
Go for Photoshop Elements. It has pretty much all the same features of PS, but toned down. Easier to use.
The way I learn is I look up a tutorial for something specific I want to do. It'll be a step by step thing. And the stuff I learn from that tutorial, I use in other stuff. I've been using PS for 3 years now, and I'm still learning new things.
There's a school of thought that says that you can do more or less everything you'll need to using just Lightroom. So I tried it and put the results up for discussion on another photographic website; one where we go into a lot more depth than on here, and the idea was pretty much disproved.
Every image that I finished using Lightroom looked better when someone completed the task with Photoshop.
If you're just starting, then full blown Photoshop or Lightroom is probably not for you.
Go for Photoshop Elements. It's a fraction of the price and while it's a mere shadow of the real thing, it will do as much and more, than you'll know how to, to begin with.
Alternatively, have a look at www.pixlr.com That's free and does a huge amount andt would be a great introduction.
Sadly it doesn't work on RAW files though.
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@lorraineb Ohhh, that's a really, really good suggestion. Thanks a lot for the advice. Do you happen to know where exactly I can find the trial?
@asrai Hi Lee, I have tried gimp but couldn't cope at all (and didn't find helpful tutorials online). I have used PS twice and didn't find it as hard as gimp. Do you think their usability can be compared or is gimp maybe slightly less intuitive?
Consider Lightroom4 or Aperture. Most photographers can do all their work with those tools. You can buy plugins that will work with it too if you want to play with the effects. I would only suggest PS if you plan to do a lot of image manipulation (i.e. adding text or compositing images together). Otherwise, go with lightroom4 or aperture. It's pretty much standard in most photographer's workflow and it also deals with asset management.
And it's so much cheaper than PS.
@davetom Hi David, I thought that Aperture and Lightroom are more an administration tool? Which plugins would you suggest for those two?
As in plugins, the NIK plugins are really nice.
I had not been using PS Elements and I am determined to learn it, one step at a time, by just clicking on things to see what happens. I've learned a lot and only realized that a few weeks ago when I had to do a quick PS edit and it just happened. I didn't need to figure it out, it just happened. YAY! So, I guess for me it's just better to force myself to learn it and that's what I am doing. There were a couple of times I opened picnik. It was loading so darn slow, I just closed it and went back to photoshop. Now I'm happy not being dependant on Picnik any longer. :-)
I would suggest the same as others and download the trial version and really commit to using them during the trial period but be prepared for lots and lots and lots of frustrating times with photoshop, however once you get over that frustration it is well worth the journey.
Don't know how long you'll be a student, but Adobe's academic discount is HUGE for Photoshop, and nice for Lightroom (though it was the same as the upgrade price. I ended up getting it for less because I subscribed/joined NAPP a long time ago and Adobe gives an extra discount. Since I already had LR3, I saved about $15).
Several years ago my computer was in the shop and I bought Elements for my husband's computer (there was an academic discount for it, too). I found myself able to manage quite nicely with PSE for most of what I wanted to do. Both programs go about things in a similar manner, they share many of the same tools. Definitely download the trials to see if you like photoshop - the academic discount makes it affordable.
@mtngal You are absolutely right, Adobe academic discounts are huuuge (and my student life terminates in September *bohoo*)
@morrisphotos Thanks for the advice for the book. I will definitely have a look into that. A good book is probably essential to not completely freak me out, haha.
@gareauk1 I kind of hesitate to get PS elements because it is not that much cheaper than PS with the academic discount and I might want to use all those very nice functions (in the very far future when I am not a student any more). But I think I will give the trial a go and decide which one I like better.
@dmortega They are closing picnik down but there is already a new site www.picmonkey.com which does exactly the same things (but in an even nicer layout). But you already mentioned it: I might not only have internet access or very slow connections.
@davetom To be honest, I only have a slight idea what you are talking about (but would be very, very happy to get an explanation for dummies). I'm afraid I am one of those people who just take pictures intuitively without knowing anything about the camera itself and certainly not about editing specificities. This is why I have not taken pictures in RAW format so far (because I have no idea what I would be supposed to do with it afterwards).
That's okay. Sometimes, I forget how complicated it can be as I do technology for a living. You're lucky. The technology is intuitive for me... the creativity portion is more of a challenge.
Easy explanation. JPEG is like a Kodak Instant camera. Press the shutter and the image is ready for use. RAW is like film. You still have to go process it and there are plenty of different ways to process it. RAW conversion is the process technique (like film processing). Lightroom and aperture power is in it's photo management ( tagging and organizing the photos so you can find it easily) and in it's RAW processing capabilities (although you can do the something in JPEG but the quality isn't as good... like reheating leftovers ).
The RAW processing in Lightroom is the same technology as in photoshop. It's just presented differently. What you can do in Lightroom and Aperture is pretty much similar to film.
Still sounds complicated but if you have an interest in PS, you'll have to eventually learn all this. I'm just suggesting that you should start at LR or Aperture first.
I think I will go with your advice and try LR and then take then next step when I feel "safe" about what I am doing.
The way I learn is I look up a tutorial for something specific I want to do. It'll be a step by step thing. And the stuff I learn from that tutorial, I use in other stuff. I've been using PS for 3 years now, and I'm still learning new things.
Good luck :D
Every image that I finished using Lightroom looked better when someone completed the task with Photoshop.
If you're just starting, then full blown Photoshop or Lightroom is probably not for you.
Go for Photoshop Elements. It's a fraction of the price and while it's a mere shadow of the real thing, it will do as much and more, than you'll know how to, to begin with.
Alternatively, have a look at www.pixlr.com That's free and does a huge amount andt would be a great introduction.
Sadly it doesn't work on RAW files though.