Photo editing for an extreme novice... is this not a good option?

[ChanelB]

Portrait Professional for $39? Is there somewhere better to look? I feel photoshop is wonderful from what I can see it is capable of (looks like everthing!) but I would like to get my feet wet with something a little less complicated (read: easy to use) and intuitive menus for a newbie. Any advice?

 

[KevinPutman]

I'd download GIMP,
it's like photoshop, only free.
So it'd be good for "getting your feet wet".

 

[ChanelB]

Thank you for your response! I will download GIMP now!

 

[480sparky67 66]

Keep in mind, GIMP is

1. lacking in documentation. It's hard to find Help for it. There's a steep learning curve for it. You can always try asking questions at GimpTalk.
2. is Open Source. So you can add plug-ins to it later. Click here. Some are one-click wonders, others are really goofy. Some are totally worthless to anyone except the person who wrote it.
3. If you want to really start messing with your images, the FIRST THING you do after loading an image is to press CTRL+D. This creates a duplicate image. Close your original image right away so you can't mess it up permanently. When you do this, you're free to totally screw up your image because it's a duplicate...... the original is safely stored at it's normal location.

 

[Shadowbox]

I like GIMP too, and use it for a lot of editing but sometimes I need photoshop to get the job done. I'd say GIMP is perfect to start with, it's free, and you should be able to learn a lot using tutorials and just by playing around on it.

 

[ChanelB]

Thank you so much for the advice! It is much needed!

 

[889Media]

Also...don't be afraid of trying out Photoshop. Although a highly advanced software, it is not all that hard to get the basics of it. I jumped right into PS, and used it to get my feet wet. It is actually easy to use, the menus work great and you can easily find the functions you need just from a little bit of logical thinking. It lets you start out with the basics, and as you progress you can do more and more advanced things. A bit expensive though, even with student discounts etc...