which editing program should i use?

[CCericola]

*Sends the Internet Police to JoeyV's house.* Adobe will backtrace you!

(Kudos to people who recognize the reference!)

 

[Ballistics]

Gimp will only confuse you, so will CS5, and maybe even PS Elements.Download Adobe LR3.Not only will this streamline your photo catalog and make everything nice and tidy, but all the editing most new folks could ever want to do is layed out for you on the right side. You just scroll down in logical order tweaking whatever your heart desires.

I disagree, Photoshop did not confuse me at all. In fact I found it easy to learn. Especially with YouTube.

 

[Buckster]

Keith's got a valid point, so I'll just answer the OP directly:

hi guys!

Hi!

im looking to start learning to edit my photo's and was wondering which program would be best?

The best image editing program is Photoshop.

is photoshop what i should be buying or is that jumping the gun?

Personally, I think that is exactly what you should be buying IF you can afford it and IF you plan to be shooting photos and editing them for a long time. It is, as I'm sure you already know, rather expensive, so if you don't think you're going to be interested in photography for very long, it's probably not wise to throw a lot of money at camera bodies, lenses, flashes, studio lights, modifiers, tripods, remote controls, bags, do-dads, gizmos, or software.

are there more basic programs to use for beginners?

That's actually two questions:

1. Are there more basic programs: Yes, there are.

2. Is that what a beginner should get? Not in my opinion. I went through a phase of trying very inexpensive software programs many years ago, trying to avoid the cost of Photoshop. I put a lot of time and effort into learning how to use those various programs, one by one, and I paid for each one of them. Each time, at some point, I wanted more abilities with my editing software, and found myself paying a little more to get a little better program. After years of that, I ended up at Photoshop anyway. Had I known then what I know now, I would have skipped all that time and effort and money, and just gotten and learned Photoshop from the outset. The time and effort and money I spent on those other programs was a waste of my resources in the end.

That said, you will find very few who are VERY experienced who have not made the jump to Photoshop at some point, as it is THE premier set of tools.

is it worth getting a more basic program to get to grips with editing?

Not in my opinion. See above.

any advice or info would be huuuuugely appreciated. thanks in advance, james.

You're very welcome.

 

[o hey tyler]

I just want to point out that there ARE ways of getting expensive programs for very cheap if not for free... Just sayin'. :meh:

So you're a proud support of illegal downloading AND copyright infringement!

You'll fit right in here. :thumbdown:

 

[Joey_Ricard]

The Kenworth/Kia analogy isn't worthless. Someone BRAND NEW to post processing doesn't NEED the capabilities of Photoshop. The same way I don't need the capabilities of an 18 wheeler and therefore drive a VW.

My 2 cents: a program like GIMP or Paint.NET will give the guy/gal a start and a cheap way to figure out if PP is something s/he would like to pursue further. You have to crawl before you can walk. And you have to walk before you can run!

At least OP has lots of opinions to take into consideration!

Agree agree

and

Since were are using analogies here -
If I had a son and he was just learning how to drive "I wouldn’t buy him a Kenworth truck", nor would I buy him a book called "learn how to drive like a NASCAR driver"

Necessity for a given level is the best way to proceed unless of course he is a photography prodigy, which in that case he wouldn't ask us anything.

Sure, photoshop is the best, I've used it for many years and I have the money and necessity to have it.
I've been driving for 29 years to and from work but have yet to find a need to get there in a Kenworth

Needs, necessities, wants, desires - we all have our own!


(lol just seeing that I told you how old I am)

 

[CCericola]

I do have one question. What in the world is a Kenworth?

 

[Joey_Ricard]

I do have one question. What in the world is a Kenworth?

In otherwords, tractor trailer big rig

 

[DiskoJoe]

If GIMP can do what the OP needs it to do, what is PhotoShop going to gain him (besides a slimmer wallet)?

EXACTLY!

I dont like to be cheap on myself and photoshop is the best.

Well in that case, why are you shooting with an A200? A Hasselblad would probably suit you better. :er:

It would. But I cant afford that but I could afford photoshop.

 

[CCericola]

I do have one question. What in the world is a Kenworth?

In otherwords, tractor trailer big rig

Ah Ok. Things make a little more sense now. I thought it was some kind of expensive English car.

 

[o hey tyler]

I do have one question. What in the world is a Kenworth?

In otherwords, tractor trailer big rig

I thought it was some kind of expensive English car.

You're not the only one...

 

[Joey_Ricard]

In otherwords, tractor trailer big rig

I thought it was some kind of expensive English car.

You're not the only one...

Probably more expensive 100K +

 

[Dominantly]

Gimp will only confuse you, so will CS5, and maybe even PS Elements.Download Adobe LR3.Not only will this streamline your photo catalog and make everything nice and tidy, but all the editing most new folks could ever want to do is layed out for you on the right side. You just scroll down in logical order tweaking whatever your heart desires.

I disagree, Photoshop did not confuse me at all. In fact I found it easy to learn. Especially with YouTube.

Kudos

 

[DiskoJoe]

Man this thread blew up!!!! i love this site. Photoshop has been good to me and I just wanted to spread the goodness. Plus if you enroll for a photography course through a college you can legally get the student discount on photoshop. Someone mentioned lightroom too. LR is a good option for a budget.

 

[Norma]

Well, I started out with Photoshop Elements way back...version 3 I think. Anyway, it's inexpensive and I hear 10 has lots of added features. I'm using CS5 now and that can be expensive.

 

[Ballistics]

These analogies of $100k trucks and cars and hassleblads and... oh my. All irrelevant and in no way carry over to this topic. We're talking about editing software here.


There are free trials for everything... there is also free editing software.

Get the best available free editing software, use it for a little while and then download free trials individually. If you like it and have the money, buy it.
If you don't, move on to the next trial and use it for the trial period. Rinse and repeat. If the free software does what you need, you're golden.

I've never used any other editing software except photoshop, and it isn't hard to learn at all.