Best software for a beginner?

[myvinyl333]

I am ashamed to even state what I have used in the past, prior to my trial of Capture NX. I have heard that Photoshop may be too much for a newbie?
jorge

 

[IgsEMT]

so, what did u use?
there is no 1 best prog, they have their + and -.
personally i have 4 that i use continuously

 

[kundalini]

Gimp is a free download.

I do 95% of my editing in Lightroom.

 

[Samanax]

There is Photoshop Elements 8 if you don't want to use Photoshop CS4. But it's not really that much easier to use than Photoshop since many of the tools are the same.

Lightroom 2 would be a good choice since it was designed as a workflow solution for digital photographers and is much easier to learn than Photoshop. But you still have to learn how to use the adjustment tools correctly.

For someone who hasn't spent a lot of time editing photos I don't know if I would recommend GIMP. It's as powerful as Photoshop and just as hard to learn. The interface is very unusual and many beginners don't even know where to start.

Photoscape is a free photo editor that isn't too bad. It has a lot of features and isn't hard to use. You don't have as much control over the image like you would with Photoshop though. I use it once in awhile when I just want to do quick adjustments that I know will come out looking pretty decent.

Top 11 Free Photo Editors for Windows

 

[suki]

I started out using Picasa (Google), GIMP and then bought Photoshop Elements (it was on sale at Best Buy for about $70).

If you have alot of time on your hands (I had a newborn and was up from 11pm-4am while he stared off into space and coo'd, lol) then you can figure out GIMP and Photoshop fairly quickly. Picasa is pretty straight forward, gives you a few basic options and it's easy to learn, it is limited though.

 

[myvinyl333]

so, what did u use?
there is no 1 best prog, they have their + and -.
personally i have 4 that i use continuously

Microsoft Picture Manger and Picasa

 

[Alter_Ego]

Get Photoshop.

It made be hard at first but do a few tutorials and once you get the tools locked down you'll be ready to go. Photoshop can be used in so many different ways so there are some things you wont have to worry about. Photography in photoshop would be the least hardest thing to learn and there are plenty of online tutorials that'l get you on the right track.

Photoshop is just so flexible and every kid now is using it. Its really not that hard just comes down to creativity and time!

 

[KmH]

I agree. The sooner you start learning how to use Photoshop CS4 the sooner you'll be somewhere up on the learning curve.

Starting with Elements would be next best though there would be a transition moving up to the full suite.

 

[Samanax]

But what if the OP has no intention of moving beyond being a casual shooter (I don't know what his intentions are, just putting this out there)? Should he still get Photoshop?

 

[rallysman]

I'm just in this for the hobby and I've grown quite fond of paint shop pro. It has never let me down.

 

[myvinyl333]

But what if the OP has no intention of moving beyond being a casual shooter (I don't know what his intentions are, just putting this out there)? Should he still get Photoshop?

Concert Photography iamnotjerry.com - DSO

 

[KmH]

But what if the OP has no intention of moving beyond being a casual shooter (I don't know what his intentions are, just putting this out there)? Should he still get Photoshop?

Sure! If they want the cats ass for image editing. The OP will decide if the $$$'s are justified for them, or not.

 

[mrmacedonian]

I like pwetty pitchers.

 

[KmH]

I am very hesitant to mention it but.. guys we live in the age of torrents.

cs4 takes like 2hours on the slowest DSL.. if you end up starting to use it professionally sure go buy a serial but if you're doing this hobby-level and aren't profiting you would be hard pressed to even make much of an ethical argument.

I'll probably get torn to shreds for using the "t" word but i shudder to think of people saving "US$699," using it on software from which they're not getting a monetary gain...

Did you know TPF specifically prohibits members advocating copyright infringement? Most photography forums do.

*We do not condone the sharing of illegally acquired software, nor do we tolerate discussions regarding the distribution of same. Such posts will be removed or edited.

You may want to edit your post.

 

[Haylotx85]

I posted a question similar to this a few days ago! I am still questioning purchasing a program that will be easier and cheaper for me to use but am fearful that it would only be a month or two before I would be ready for a program that could do more such as lightroom or photoshop and then I would be out the $$ I spent on the first program, you know? If you don't mind me asking what type of software program do you think was used for the following photos (this is the type of photography that really appeals to me): 1)

2)

3)

4)