should i get photoshop?

hawk232 · Jan 15, 2011

I am very new to photography and I feel pretty confident in paint.net. Just moved up to GIMP tonight and I am totally overwhelmed by it! Cant imagine what photoshop would be like. I guess my question is; is there anything that I would be missing out on by not having it?

Reason I ask: My fiance' is in vet school, so i can get it for $200 because of student discount. She graduates in May though, so I would need to get it by then, and I doubt i would NEED it by then... just trying to look ahead (and save $500 in the process)!

Light Artisan · Jan 15, 2011

I find Gimp's user interface to be a struggle... Photoshop is much better, and laid out in a more functional way (at least in my experience).

But, you pay for it.

For $200 you can't go wrong though, lucky dog.

sobolik · Jan 15, 2011

Get PS elements 5.0 and live happy ever after.

I have seen it on eBay for ten dollars with free shipping.

It is all I need. I have the full PS but just reach for 5.0 and I'm happy. Every once in a while I'll play with the full but it don't last long. Elements is easy and enough. 5.0 has what I need. Mainly make sure whatever you get has camera/lens distortion correction. The other needed stuff is probably always included.

ZOMGVTEK · Jan 16, 2011

CS5 has been working out well for me... Some of the tools in there are quite handy.

Elements might be lacking some advanced features, but PROBABLY has enough to get by.

impulsive1 · Jan 16, 2011

If you can get it at that price go for it. Why not? There are plenty of online tutorials and books to ease the learning curve.

subscuck · Jan 16, 2011

Any PP software will have a learning curve. Photoshop has the resources available to get thru the curve faster. Go to a good book seller or Amazon and search for books on PS, and books on Gimp. Hundreds of books have been written for PS, and there are literally only a few for Gimp. Tutorials are fine, but you need to know what to look for before you look. A book will take you thru in a logical, linear progression, teaching you what you need to know as you need it, and build on what you've previously learned. Again, tutorials won't. I'd recommend spending the $200 on PS, and get Scott Kelby's book for CS5. In a matter of a couple of days you'll have a good working knowledge of PS, and then you can start scouring tutorials for more advanced techniques, or different ways of doing what you've already learned.

3bayjunkie · Jan 16, 2011

yes of course get Photoshop. I have been using it for 10 years and i love it!!!! can't go wrong with industry standard software.

KmH · Jan 16, 2011

Adobe only sells CS5 Extended as the Student Edition for $199. CS5 Extended retails for $999 so you would be saving $800, not $500.
https://store1.adobe.com/cfusion/st...d&category=/Applications/PhotoshopExtendedSTE

Once you have CS5 Extended, you only pay upgrade pricing for future new releases of either CS5 ($199 to upgrade from CS2, 3, 4) or CS5 Extended ($349 to upgrade from CS3 Ext., CS4 Ext.).

BuS_RiDeR · Jan 16, 2011

Light Artisan said:
I find Gimp's user interface to be a struggle...

Gimp has a high learning curve. However, once you learn it, its quite easy to use. I've been using it for a couple or three years now.

hawk232 · Jan 16, 2011

well at $800 savings it makes it a deal that is too good to pass up! now to figure out how to convince the fiance' that i NEED this before she graduates!! i told her i was done buying camera stuff till after the honeymoon, which is a month AFTER she graduates... oops!

Dominantly · Jan 16, 2011

Well tell her it's computer stuff, not camera stuff.

That's a hell of a deal, makes it an easy choice.
LR3 is pretty cheap though, so if CS5 doesn't work out, then give that a shot.

KmH · Jan 16, 2011

With Lightroom 3 you pay half as much, to get 1/1000th the editing capability. :lmao:

Dominantly · Jan 16, 2011

Well, I find that if you pay enough attention to your shots before you hit the shutter, you can do just fine with processing them in LR3.
By this I mean get them right before hand and avoid having to use content aware clone, heavy manipulations, etc.

LR3 does everything I need (with my Viveza 2 plug in of course) with my photos. The only time I find myself opening an image in PS from LR is when I need to do some serious correcting.

I would also say that LR is on par with PS (if not better in regards to UI) with the majority of tools most photographers will use on any given photo.