[Pete Hillier]

hi im pretty new to the whole photography thing and at the moment im just using the software which came with my camera to do basic editing like turning pics black and white cropping etc. i also have a program called portrait proffesional which i like and use with some of my headshots. the question is should i be using photoshop or would it be too complicated for me? from what i can gather its pretty expensive aswell but most threads on editing and stuff all seem to talk about photoshop. is there an alternative? what can photoshop do? can someone explain what its all about? sorry for all the questions. cheers Pete.

[Chilliman]

Photoshop can be expensive but if you can get as student version I believe you need someone from college to get it for you then its a whole lot cheaper.
A lot of folk swear by Gimp Click Here, good thing is it's free. I've never used it but believe it does a lot of the what photoshop can do. Not sure about Raw files though but the software you got with your camera should handle that.

HTH

[Dabhand16]

Photoshop elements is a cut-down version that does a lot of what most people need for around £60.

Paint Shop Pro is around the same price and perhaps offers a little more, but I found it not as intuitive as Photoshop

The Gimp is a very powerful application but the interface is a bit quirky, however it is FREE!

The student licence for Photoshop is really cheap, about £120 i think, but I don't think you can update it from the version you buy, so when/if they bring out any improvements you can't download them.

[silkstone]

Give the GIMP (now on version 2.6) a good workout before you spend on Photoshop. GIMP is good.

As for RAW processing, I'm a fan of Bibble Pro, but you can use the DCRAW plugin for the GIMP. DCRAW is used as the RAW converter engine for many third-party converters. It is also free.

Another nice thing about all these applications is that they will run on any platform - Windows, Mac or Linux - so you're not restricted in your choice of OS.

[Steve]

Compared to what you are using now all of them will open up a whole new world of post processing options.

Don't forget that pretty much all of the above mentioned commercial applications are available as 30 day FREE trials. The best advice is to download them and give each a good try and then compare their features and use against their cost and you should then end up with the best for you, not what everyone else thinks you should have

[_MB_]

XnView is another good free image editing program.

[Summerleft]

I used to use the Gimp its very good deffinately worth the download

[Pete Hillier]

thanks guys. have just downloaded gimp so ill give it a go.

[the_frog]

When you get stuck with the gimp, there are loads of tutorials out there. GIMPguru.org: Image Editing Tutorials for Photographers is a good starting point and doesn't assume you're an expert already.

[Stefano_TT]

The ability of Photoshop, like other freeware software like GIMP etc., is to accurately and selectively correct all aspects of a picture:- light, contrast, colour tones, sharpening where the software which generally comes with cameras generally apply broad changes to the whole image.
Photoshop and other free alternatives also include a number of "filters" that help creative work.
In general, I would suggest to excersize and get the best "in camera" pictures, correcting cropping and exposure - if needed - as your camera software may surely do and give the GIMP a look if you are truly unsatisfied of your pictures.
But be ready and spend a lot of time in front of your PC rather than out taking pix's.

[Photoestudios]

i started using adobe photoshop in 98 and i've gotten to the point that i cant use basic programs anymore, their too simple and it's like i dont understand the simple things anymore... it does take time to understand it, but there's so many nice people that have made tutorials on you tube that help alot!

[Steve]

There are some great Photoshop tutorials in our Tutorial section too

[samnooshka]

I used to use photoshop all the time, but then i learnt photoshop before i got my first proper camera. I am now doing things in photoshop i never thought i would be able to do.

No one needs photoshop, but it is a nice program to use and can create fun results. I have got CS2 and although i have found some limitations now that i know it really well i wouldn't say i need to upgrade to the new CS4 yet.

If you don't have it, then i guess you strive to take better photos in the first place which is what i try and do now so i am not so reliant on photoshop.

[j sotelo]

I think it's the greatest thing ever, I use it not only for images but for websites, anything can be done with Photoshop.

[wicks]

All you need is water, food, shelter, clothes and a camera....however you will WANT photoshop!!

[Rob Barron]

Photoshop is not designed for people who don't know if they need Photoshop! It is a highly complex package of tools designed for professionals and which has now become the prog of choice for serious amateurs as well. However, photographers use probably 25%-30% max of its full potential. The same is true of graphics designers except they use a different 25-30%!

If you don't think you need Photoshop then you don't. If you haven't got yourself started on editing, I would hate to send you straight into Photoshop CS3/4 as you'll be banging your head against the wall in frustration very quickly. The learning curve on it is very steep. However, once you get into its inner machinations, you'll swear by it and threaten to do very nasty things to anyone who tries to take it from you!

Not going to compare Photoshop to any of the other packages out there, freebies or otherwise, because Photoshop IS far and away better than any of the others. However, that doesn't mean you need it, not by a long stretch of the imagination. If you are going to adjust the contrast, saturation and do a bit of sharpening then stick to something like Elements or one of the myriad of other progs out there. You simply don't need the advanced capabilities of Photoshop. I would get used to the basics first and then see if you want to go further in the future in which case buy a copy of Photoshop CS(1) which you'll pick up cheaply from someone who has upgraded. That will take you into the deeper world of layer masks, adjustment layers and all that stuff. If you then want to get the all-singing bells and whistles, upgrade to CS4 and sail away on the winds of genius that you will have at your disposal

Nobody needs Photoshop but anyone who tries taking my CS3 away had better have a certificate from their psychiatrist explaining that they are not responsible for their actions.... or I won't be responsible for mine

Cheers,
Rob

[wicks]

I've gone 24 hours without eating as I discovered what Photoshop has to offer.
There are many tutorials on the web, it is very easy to learn.
I highly suggest buying the program. The possibilities are endless.

[Topbloke]

I started of with the "freebies" out there and considered them to be doing a great job. But then after making noises about Photshop someone was very kind enough to buy me CS3.
Wow!!............ I'm still very much in the lower reaches of the learning curve but what a major difference this bundle of software can make to your photos.
As everyone before has said- you don't NEED it - but you'll probably WANT it!