Has anyone used more than one photoshop product? I don't know which one would be best to get. I'm looking at the possibilities of Lightroom, Elements or the full CS5 edition... so any suggestions or thoughts on which to get?!
Get GIMP! It's free and there are tutorials. I use PS at work and at home but think it's a better deal to use the free product that can do the same things. So I am learning Gimp, which is more difficult to use after getting used to PS...everything works differently including the shortcut commands, but it's worth it to switch. Several people on 365 use it too. Unless you need to know PS for a job or something, try Gimp. I sound like an ad, I know...LOL
I tried GIMP, didn't get on with it at all...in fact I completely hated it... Obviously just not for me! I've been using Photoscape and I get on okay with that, but for layers it's rubbish!
Budget plays a huge consideration, unless you're opting for a Special Extended Trial Edition, wink wink.
Secondary to this, Lightroom gives a more photographer-friendly workflow and interface, but is hampered in terms of editing by lack of "layers" and cutting/pasting, but then full on CS5 is very expensive, but does give you all this, albeit (probably) lacking in some of the RAW processing features.
I'm just learning to use Elements but I'm convinced that unless you're going pro, it is sufficient. There's SO much there. Wish I'd heard of Lightroom though and may lay out the $ for that at some point as I'm beginning to understand how fun and useful it can be.
I do a great deal of my tweaking in Lightroom. Only if I really need to do manipulation do I take the photo into photoshop. Lightroom now has a plug-in available that will let you do layers. I have not tried it yet, but anxiously waiting. My vote would be for photoshop, because you can do everything there. Lightroom is a close second.
I use Lightroom 3 and CS5 quite extensively and vouch for them, but it all mostly depends on what you want to be able to do.
For most people, Lightroom is enough. If you simply want to add finishing touches to your shots, and polish them up nicely, it will do everything you need. But if you want to go further, with adjustment layers and so on, you will need Elements or CS5. CS5 does a lot more than Elements, but I don't think it is essential unless you are selling your work or displaying in galleries, and you need all that powerful, fine control. Elements does so, so much, and so much cheaper.
If you like the idea of Lightroom, but want layers like in Elements and CS5, there is the plugin Cindy mentioned. It is called Perfect Layers and is made by OnOne Software. I have it and, though I have no need for it myself, can attest that it works a treat. It is ideal for the occasional use of layers, but if you plan to use that type of functionality constantly, then Elements or CS5 would be better for you. That said, if I used it more I might find it just as fast - it really is so simple to use, and a very powerful plugin.
I agree with @jinximages and @eyebrows about the Elements vs. CS5 thing. I have used Elements and it is very close to the full CS5 version. I don't know the merits of one versus the other though. I now use CS5 from a friend of a friend or friend who knows somebody who's father in law's niece knows somebody who got a copy from their boss. wink wink..Anyway, if you don't need to go all out, Elements works wonders. I just decided that I wanted to push my boundaries... I'm sure I am scraping snowballs off of the iceberg, but is nice to know i have the ability once I figure out that I can do it!
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Secondary to this, Lightroom gives a more photographer-friendly workflow and interface, but is hampered in terms of editing by lack of "layers" and cutting/pasting, but then full on CS5 is very expensive, but does give you all this, albeit (probably) lacking in some of the RAW processing features.
For most people, Lightroom is enough. If you simply want to add finishing touches to your shots, and polish them up nicely, it will do everything you need. But if you want to go further, with adjustment layers and so on, you will need Elements or CS5. CS5 does a lot more than Elements, but I don't think it is essential unless you are selling your work or displaying in galleries, and you need all that powerful, fine control. Elements does so, so much, and so much cheaper.
If you like the idea of Lightroom, but want layers like in Elements and CS5, there is the plugin Cindy mentioned. It is called Perfect Layers and is made by OnOne Software. I have it and, though I have no need for it myself, can attest that it works a treat. It is ideal for the occasional use of layers, but if you plan to use that type of functionality constantly, then Elements or CS5 would be better for you. That said, if I used it more I might find it just as fast - it really is so simple to use, and a very powerful plugin.