What software to buy?

K

Kady A

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Kathy Allen
Edit My Images
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Hi, new to the forum. Need some help on which photo editing software to buy. I am quite computer literate (well at least I should be) but totally confuddled by which to buy. PC World monkeys weren't very helpful on which was better Photoshop or Corel - couldn't explain to me whether Elements are just add ons to a bigger more expensive Photoshop package.

Any advice and guidance most gratefully received.

:) Kady A
 
Hi Kady,

I guess one of the first questions for you relates to budget. How much do you want to spend?

Adobe Photoshop is probably considered the main or most popular package to get, however it's very expensive.

Elements is a stand alone package which is a 'cut down' version of photoshop. But being cut down doesn't mean it's lacking in any way.

I use Elements 6, and it does everything i need; it incorporates a photo organiser, poweful editor and also some useful photo sharing abilities.

I can't comment on Corel as i've never used it.

Hope that helps a bit.

S

PS Welcome to the forum ...
 
Elements. Or if you're hard up for cash then the free Picasa. Actually I'd say try Picasa first (haven't tried it myself) and if it's not up to what you want then splash out on Elements.
 
Hi Kady. I'd also suggest Elements. Version 7 has been released and I'm getting that in a couple of weeks, upgrading from version 4. The only thing I find lacking that bothers me is layer masks but there are ways around it if you're determined. As you're not sure which software to get, you're probably not looking for any particular features, so I'm sure Elements will be more than adequate for now.

There are some free ones too such as the already mentioned Picasa (by Google), which I used about 2 years ago and found it simple to use for just basic stuff. Gimp 2 is also free, but not very user friendly if you're a newbie at using graphics software. Some say that it's more powerful than Elements and I know it has some features you'll only otherwise get in the full Photoshop. If you aren't up on using graphics software yet though, I'd stay away from Gimp 2.

Hope that helps,
Geoff.
 
I would suggest Lightroom - I find it by far the easiest way to manage my pictures and edit them. So much so, I very rarely fire up Photoshop these days...
 
Kady

I would suggest that Elements is probably the best place to start. Nothing against Corel, but you'll find that the majority of tutorials you'll come across will be for Elements and Photoshop. A lot of the Photoshop techniques will work in Elements as well

Download the trial version of Elements 7 when Adobe post it on their web site. It should be a 30 day trial. If you like it, look around for the best price and buy it. Usually Amazon are really competitive
 
I wouldn't buy any to start with...

You can download free 30 day trials from the Adobe website, that way you can see the difference between Elements, Photoshop and Lightroom before spending your money.

The Photoshop family does seem to be the most common editing software for photographers though...
 
If you are a student there are big savings to be had on Adobe products over their full retail price.
 
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