A Quick Run Down on some of the Most Popular Programs

Which program do you use to edit your photos?


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ChristopherGrant

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Heya all,

I noticed that no one else has posted this type of topic and since I've tried quite a few graphics programs this past month I figured I'd share what I found for those who are interested.

Here are the programs I'm currently using:
Adobe PhotoShop 7
Adobe Elements 2
Jasc PaintShopPro 8
Ulead PhotoImpact 8
GIMP 1.3

Adobe PhotoShop 7
Let's just say this. If you can afford this program (cough) then get it. I still find this to be your best choice for editing of any kind and the ability to add plug ins and find additional information and how-to info makes this the top choice IF YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY.

Adobe Elements 2
This to me, is basically a scaled down version of PhotoShop. It has most of the basic effects you might like to play with but when it comes to any serious editing you'll need it's big brother. Elements does come with a stitching program though which makes panoramics a possibility.

Jasc PaintShopPro 8
If you're using a previous version of PaintShop... upgrade! This version has really helped in narrowing the gap between itself and PhotoShop. While there still is no real comparison in overall power, Jasc goes for MUCH cheaper and has plenty of add-ons for most people. It also has all the basic editing tools most photographers would use including color corrections, maskings, layers, etc. The desktop is also now much more customizable than previous additions. Two thumbs up!

Ulead PhotoImpact
This is not so much a photographers tool as it is a play thing. I wouldn't suggest it for serious editing but rather for someone who really doesn't want to mess with the techy stuff but wants decent results all the same. PhotoImpact is about the same price as PaintShop but is simpler in appearance and design thus easier to use and less powerful. Still a good program if you just want to play with effects and make minor adjustments to images.

GIMP 1.3
I've only used this program for a couple of hours but here's the low down from what I could see: It's free and open sourced which means you pay nothing but 'may' have a few issues depending on what kind of machine you run. I'm running a toshiba laptop with windows xp and found no problems whatsoever. GIMP boasts itself as being as powerful as PaintShop or PhotoShop though I didn't see this initially (mind you, only 2 hours on it!). I would recommend it to someone who has either ZERO money or likes to mess with open sourced programs. Worth a check either way!

Hope this helps and if anyone would like to add here or offer other opinions please feel free!
 

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