best photo software

KmH · Feb 29, 2012

Photoshop CS5 comes with 2 additional applications - Camera Raw and Bridge.

CS5's Camera Raw and Lightroom 3s' Develope module are the same thing - Adobe Camera Raw 6 (ACR 6) - a parametric Raw converter. So for editing, CS5 is all you need. Parametric means - cannot edit pixels. Edits are line commands put into a 'sidecar' text file.

Bridge is a image fille browser and for all but professional photographers is usually more than sufficient for organizing, rating, keywording, and other wise managing all your photographs.

Lightroom's main use is as a image database manager.

al7601 · Feb 29, 2012

do I want photo shop elements or CS5? thanks

mrpink · Feb 29, 2012

al7601 said:
do I want photo shop elements or CS5? thanks

You want CS5, but you may only need elements.

p!nK

KmH · Feb 29, 2012

Photoshop Elements 10 is Adobe's consumer version of Photoshop ($75) - Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 will be more than enough for most amateur photographers.

Photoshop CS5 is the professional grade ($590) - Adobe Photoshop CS5

Photoshop CS5 Extended has 3-D and Scientific functions ($940)- Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5

But Adobe offers a full featured Student/Teacher version of CS5 Extended at a huge 80% discount (ONLY $160) - Adobe Photoshop Extended CS5 Student and Teacher Edition

Lightroom 3 ($123) - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3

And Lightroom 3's Student Edition ($70) - Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Student and Teacher Edition

greybeard · Feb 29, 2012

mrpink said:
al7601 said:

do I want photo shop elements or CS5? thanks

Click to expand...

I have access to both and it just depends on your needs. I find some things easier to do with elements than with CS5. For instance, making a collage is much easier for me with elements than with CS5. Also I doubt if I will ever need many of the advanced functions of CS5. I really think PS Elements 10 will suite the needs of just about any but the most advanced photographer. Now, do you need PS or will Lightroom 3 do the trick for you. If all you need to do is crop, straighten, correct the lighting and spot correct your photos, Lightroom will more than do the job. But if you are wanting to take a photo like
xylophone jpeg by GREYBEARD12, on Flickr and make it look like
xylophone warped-painted jpeg by GREYBEARD12, on Flickr then you will need something like CS5

photo_joe · Feb 29, 2012

I'm a big fan of the Adobe products, both Photoshop and Lightroom.

mommy-medic · Feb 29, 2012

If there is a way to merge multiple files into one panoramic image in lightroom I am unfamiliar with it. I think photoshop would be necessary for that. I have both lightroom and photoshop (not elements) and lightroom is great for what others have mentioned- adjusting the color balance, the exposure and brightness, etc. There are some edits that can be done in lightroom (called "presets")- for instance you can give it a "cold" feel, make it look like it was taken on a warm bright sunny day, etc- but you can't adjust the intensity of these presets- you either apply them or don't. In photoshop, you can run "actions" that apply changes similarly, but those changes are on a layer on top of your picture and you can control how stong they are (so you can tone it down a bit if it is too much).

I haven't personally played with GIMP but it's free and I know there are a ton of online tutorials for how to use it. I do have several friends fluent in GIMP who are beyond thrilled with it and everything it offers.

Whatever you choose will be foreign at first and is best tackled by learning one "trick" at a time. google tutorials, watch youtube videos (mut take the ratings and feebdack into consideration too), and have fun with it!

photo_joe · Feb 29, 2012

mommy-medic said:
If there is a way to merge multiple files into one panoramic image in lightroom I am unfamiliar with it. I think photoshop would be necessary for that. I have both lightroom and photoshop (not elements) and lightroom is great for what others have mentioned- adjusting the color balance, the exposure and brightness, etc. There are some edits that can be done in lightroom (called "presets")- for instance you can give it a "cold" feel, make it look like it was taken on a warm bright sunny day, etc- but you can't adjust the intensity of these presets- you either apply them or don't. In photoshop, you can run "actions" that apply changes similarly, but those changes are on a layer on top of your picture and you can control how stong they are (so you can tone it down a bit if it is too much).

I haven't personally played with GIMP but it's free and I know there are a ton of online tutorials for how to use it. I do have several friends fluent in GIMP who are beyond thrilled with it and everything it offers.

Whatever you choose will be foreign at first and is best tackled by learning one "trick" at a time. google tutorials, watch youtube videos (mut take the ratings and feebdack into consideration too), and have fun with it!

Yeah you would need photoshop to do photomerge, lightroom is great for making quick changes to photos like adjusting the exposure and temperatures and stuff like that especially if the image is still in RAW format. CS5 Photoshop is a very powerful program great for very detailed work with images.