Is PS Elements a good choice for photo archiving?

[John in OH]

New member here so please bear with me if this is a well-worn question ... I haven't found or mastered searching this site yet.

I'm not a photo guy, but I have inherited MANY old family photos from about 1890 through 1990. Many are faded, cracked, scratched or otherwise damaged or slightly messed up. I plan to scan these photos and would like to perform a few minor digital restorations as I do so. Nothing fancy, just improve contrast, lighten or darken as necessary, patch over small cracks, blend out scratches, smudges, sharpen images (if possible), restore correct color or adjust color, etc.

To accomplish this, I presume that I will need a basic, but decent, photo editing software package. Thinking that Photoshop Elements would meet my needs, but don't want to spend the $100 and buy the wrong software. Is PS Elements a good choice for my intended use? Any other better software package in the $100-150 range that would suit better? Again, not interested in artistic photo work, just trying to restore old photos for my grandkids and future generations.

 

[KmH]

Lightroom is better for that than Elements, because LR is designed specifically for managing a photo database.
Lightroom's Develop module is for editing but Elements has a truncated version of LR's Develop module called Camera Raw.

Actually Camera Raw came before LR did and LR Develop module is Camera Raw.
However, LR is pro grade software while Elements is consumer grade, which is why Elements Camera Raw only has about 1/2 of the tools, capabilities, and features LR Develop module has.

Actually I would recommend you have both.
Elements to do the patching, cloning, and selection work, and LR to catalog your image database.

 

[Buckster]

He wants to REPAIR the old cracked, scratched, faded, torn photos using "DIGITAL RESTORATION" techniques. That's not a job for Lightroom. It's a job for Photoshop.

Here's the problem, from my point of view: His question indicates that he has no experience with photo restoration. You don't just get a copy of Photoshop and successfully start doing photo restoration, as anyone who's got any experience with it can tell you.

I have ZERO experience repairing antique cars. To me, this is the equivalent of me popping into an antique car forum and saying, "I've inherited a large car park full of antique vehicles that don't run anymore and are in need of a lot of repair. Since I don't know anything about it, but want to do it myself, what kind of wrenches should I buy?"

 

[jtyson]

Agree with the antique car statement to an extent. Some folks learn on their own though. I've never been to a class in my life beyond high school, yet I've learned how to restore antique cars, build motors, build websites, and now I'm attempting photography and editing. All self taught with hands on. Nobody is born a professional. I couldn't have taught myself how to do any of these things without the tools to actually complete the jobs though!

I'd like to bump the post because I too would be interested in learning a bit more about what is best for photo restoration.

 

[KmH]

He wants to REPAIR the old cracked, scratched, faded, torn photos using "DIGITAL RESTORATION" techniques. That's not a job for Lightroom. It's a job for Photoshop.

Thank you for re-stating in a different way pretty much exactly what I said.
Use LR for the "photo archiving" and Elements selection, clone, patching and other tools for the photo restoration editing.

 

[Buckster]

He wants to REPAIR the old cracked, scratched, faded, torn photos using "DIGITAL RESTORATION" techniques. That's not a job for Lightroom. It's a job for Photoshop.

Thank you for re-stating in a different way pretty much exactly what I said.
Use LR for the "photo archiving" and Elements selection, clone, patching and other tools for the photo restoration editing.

Reading his opening post, it's clear that his primary goal is not cataloging the photos, but restoring them.

The opening line in your answer, "Lightroom is better for that than Elements", is just plain wrong in that context, and terribly misleading.

 

[Derrel]

For restoring old images, CLONING is going to be a huge part of the necessary tool set....and Lightroom's cloning and patching tools, are not that good. Photoshop works better than Lightroom for cloning of anything above a sensor dust spot.

I would sign up for Adobe's Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 at the $9.95 per month rate, and get started. Photoshop Elements is really kind of a kludgy program, based on my experience with it. I downloaded the demo of Elements two years ago, and was horrified by what a PITA it was to use. I really disliked the way Elements was set up.

 

[bribrius]

I have elements. Barely know how to use it. Have yet to have it actually do what i wanted with a photo the times i have. It definitely isn't a pro level program imo. It has screwed up more photos the times i have used it than fixed any of them.