Which PhotoShop?

[doubleoh7]

I am looking in to PS and was wondering which PS I should get. I am a hobby photographer, but would like to be able to do basic touch up and techniques. PS Elements, 100 dollars for my Mac?? Will that work?

 

[stroker]

Adobe photoshop does all basic stuff you need and then some. for really basic you can use http://www.picnik.com/

 

[Peano]

I am a hobby photographer, but would like to be able to do basic touch up and techniques. PS Elements, 100 dollars for my Mac?? Will that work?

Yes.

 

[MisplacedAngler]

I am looking in to PS and was wondering which PS I should get. I am a hobby photographer, but would like to be able to do basic touch up and techniques. PS Elements, 100 dollars for my Mac?? Will that work?

Find a student to buy the full blown version for you. $200

 

[KenC]

It all depends on what you mean by "basic touch up and techniques." Have you done darkroom work or digital work with any processing software? What techniques did you use or would you like to use? The answers to these and a little research will tell you what to get. If you want to do more than cropping or simple color balance and contrast adjustments to the whole image, then my impression is that Elements may not be enough, but I've never used it, having gone directly to PS some time ago, so don't take my word for what it can and can't do.

 

[Peano]

If you want to do more than cropping or simple color balance and contrast adjustments to the whole image, then my impression is that Elements may not be enough, but I've never used it, ...

I've used it. I started with Elements 3.0 at a time when either 4.0 or 5.0 was the current version of
Elements. I got the free layer-mask add-on for Elements, and that's all I needed. Pretty soon,
people who had Photoshop CS (which was the current version of PS at the time) were asking me
how in the world I was getting my results. They couldn't keep up with me, and I was only using Elements 3.0.

In short, with Elements you can go far beyond the basics. But you do need to get that
free utility that gives you layer mask capability (beyond the masks that appear automatically
on adjustment layers).

 

[ann]

elements 9 has just been released,

download some free trials of various software and give it a try

 

[KmH]

Find a student to buy the full blown version for you. $200

If the student isn't in your immediate family that would be dishonest, and no different than stealing $800 from Adobe. :thumbdown:

 

[Studio7Four]

I'd say start with the latest Elements, get your feet wet with that and run it into the ground (until you find things you want to do that Elements just can't). My first experience with Photoshop was with the full-blown version at the time...I think it was version 5.5 (yeah, it was a while ago). Some years and a few computers later, when my 5.5 was too old to load, I grabbed Elements and it at least seemed to be more powerful than the old full version I had (and was much more user friendly). So even if the full version is in your budget now, I suspect Elements is plenty powerful for you for now (and you can put the difference towards good glass!).