Reccomendations for image software?

[C Webb]

Just wondering, what the most popular image editing software is being used by Photo Camel Members. I became intrested in this forum since members range from beginner to master. I have been involved with professional photography for more than fifty years,
but am fairly new to digital. The system I have been using is Ulead Photo Impact. It has done everything I have asked it to do very well, but my images do not always compare favorably with those posted here.

I like most folks am on a limited budget, so I need to spend my
"photo dollar" where it will do me the most good. What am I missing by not using a particular brand of soft wear. I am aso worried by the huge learning curve that I am told that the Adobe Photo Shop products have. Heck, I am an old man that dosen't
have much time left on earth so I don't want to spend it trying to learn a new system.

Any comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Charles Webb

[heartseye]

I have around 45 years experience and I have found Corel PaintShopPro to be the best program around....cheers...Bob

[R. House]

Depends greatly on how much control you need in your editing tools. As far as budget, Raw Therapee goes online for $5 and picasa is free. Photoshop Elements can be bought at Sams Club for about $79 and is easy to learn the basics. There are also some free filter downloads here at Photo Camel that you can check if you haven't already. Now then about this "old" stuff...I'm an old man too, but when I open my editing programs or print and frame my photos, I'm like a kid! I consider Photoshop to be my "Electric crayollas", and I have alot of fun learning new stuff. You don't need to know all the workings of a program, just the tools that allow you do what you want. Best regards, Ray

[Chickenhawk]

I use Photoshop CS2 but in hindsight should have bought Elements as I don't use Photoshop to it's full potential and would probably have been happy with Elements and saved myself a bundle.

[Goofup]

I'd say that the "Big Three" that most people use here are the full Photoshop (CS2 or CS3), PSPX2, or Elements 6.0. IF you were going to get a new program, those would be the only three I'd recommend, and you're right, PS costs 6 times as much as the others and will take many, many months to learn instead of a few weeks like the others.

However, there's nothing wrong with Ulead's PI. It's a very nice program in it's own right. Since you already got it, it sounds like you just need to learn how to use it better instead of starting over with another program from scratch.

What do you mean when you say "my images do not always compare favorably with those posted here"? Could you give us a little more info or examples?

[brian.austin]

Things to consider:

1. Budget
2. Capabilities
3. Help system
4. Third party support

While PSP, Picasa, and some of the other less popular editing apps can do the job, the best available support with a decent bang for the buck is going to be Photoshop Elements. There are countless books written on the application, along with dedicated help sites on the Internet, special columns in magazines that cover it, and lots of experienced users on places like PhotoCamel.

If I was just starting out, that would be my primary criteria for selection.

[jfrancho]

The Image Editing forum here is the best place for this type of info. I use Canon's DPP and Photoshop CS2 for most of my work. For HDR, I use Photomatix, though I've been evaluating Dynamic Photo HDR. For actions, I usually create my own, but I do use some from The Light's Right and The Russel Brown Show. Dr. Brown's 1-2-3 Processing script is a very useful tool for me.

[Tom Swaman]

PLEASE READ THE IMAGE EDTING POSTS TODAY ON Elements!!!!!! It looks like Adobe just pulled the carpet out from under all of their customers and Scott Kelby's book on PSE 6, as Larry posted, will notbe published until late December....or maybe you can wait in anticipation for more disappointment from Adobe.

Just think maybe Adobe is spending more money on overhead issues, including advertising, than on their products' qualities!!!!!

Can you believe it??
Tom

[FocusingOnFlorida]

I use DPP, PhotoImpact, and Photoshop. I've used PhotoImpact since version 6 so can do many things quicker in there. It also allows me to save layers in a PSD and open them again in PhotoShop for the few things I like better in there. I can do most anything with PI though. I love the Extract Object tool. Much easier than masking at times.

[jfrancho]

Just think maybe Adobe is spending more money on overhead issues, including advertising, than on their products' qualities!!!!!

Can you believe it??
Tom

I've never relied on support form any of their forums for their support, so I guess I just don't need or appreciate the value in them. Therefore, not as much a loss to me.

[Tom Swaman]

John, I own and used PSE3, 4 and 5. I also bought a slew of the support books and fully admit that Scott Kelby's are the best of these. Whenever I ran into a newbie issue or a sophisticated issue, I posted of the Elements Forum and received prompt, thorough and overall accurate support. The knowledge base and experience base participating on this now business decision-compromised forum was incredibly excellent and in-depth. Adobe just created a loss for the industry and for themselves, particularly when the amateur camera market is still booming.

Adieu Adobe!!!!!

Tom

[trentchau]

I've used photoshop full time since version 4 and haven't looked back.

Alternative? Paint Shop Pro and Gimp tends to be suggested...no idea though. Photoshop is on my quick launch, desktop, and ..... "Start Up"

I had a sign at my desk that said . This computer cannot be running unless it has photoshop running...got a little lax on the rule though.

[jfrancho]

Hence the "for me" clause in my statement above.

[Tom Swaman]

John,

How fortunate you are, and smart, of course. I was weaned on the abacus and learning Photoshop from scratch in my 60s was and is not an easy task. i have now been caught. I suffer, as implied and even stated from the Adobe, I Gotcha Ague!!!!!

Tom

[jfrancho]

There is a ton of information out there. I just use Google, and find useful tidbits here and there, rather than rely on a single source. Then I reconstitute that info and post it here.

[Tom Swaman]

John,

I do the same, but this works better when you have a solid knowledge base and you are polishing this rather than when you are trying to acquire a solid knowledge base. The Elements Forum worked in a rather personalized way that is rather impersonal or foreign on Google.

Tom

[Paul Shields]

Photoshop is the juggernaut as far as image editing goes, but is very expensive unless you opt for the Elements addition. Despite Tom's warnings (which are fair enough) there is so much ad-hoc and free support on the Internet and in book form for the Adobe products that it makes up for any relatively higher price you may initially pay. I couldn't use any other product myself as I'm so used to it, but there are certainly other options out there - e.g. Paint Shop Pro or even the GIMP if you're feeling slightly more adventurous. As you get more serious about image editing though you'll probably find the adoption of Adobe products is almost a requirement.

[Tom Swaman]

Friends,

If you were starting from scratch today and you are not computer savvy or you strictly use a computer as a tool to enable you to create top quality, printed photographs with your software performing your color management and:
.....1) You want a first class RAW Editor,
.....2) You want a first class, easy-to-use spot healing system,
.....3) You want a first class masking/layering system,
.....4) You want a top-notch sharpening system with positive controls,
.....5) and finally you want and need a workable, top quality levels control system,

a) WHAT SOFTWARE FITS THESE CRITERIA IF YOU USE WINDOWS XP

b) WHAT SOFTWARE FITS THESE CRITERIA IF YOU USE MAC OS 9 or above

c) WHAT SOFTWARE FITS THESE CRITERIA IF YOU USE WINDOWS Vista

Any comments that you care to share in addition are most appreciative. I think and hope that what I have phrased truly compose the critical question being asked in this thread. After all, many photographers only use the computer to process their images just like they used to use developer, stob bath and fixer. They need not be computer scientists and do not care to be such with digital photography any more than they wanted to be chemists with film photography.

Much appreciation,
Tom

[FocusingOnFlorida]

Well, see my post above. I use XP and Vista. I can't speak for Mac.

[jfrancho]

a. Photoshop
b. Photoshop
c. Photoshop