Advice Wanted

[matt_wright]

Hi guys.
I thought i had all things sorted, i was going to buy LR2 and CS4 (whilst i was a student to get it v cheap)
However i have only bought LR2 thus far and i am so impressed with it (both the library skills, and the image editing section) that now i am not sure if i need PCS4

The idea was to buy CS4 as although i may not use it much (for 150 it is very good price) and will potentially save me alot of money later on in my photography 'career' (i use that term losely!)

So no im thinking perhaps i should just buy elements for around £45 (student rate). For the average amateur tog (with a slight inclination that i mite go pro as a wedding tog (please no rants about equipment required and being prepared, i know what is needed) in around 3-5 years time, is it worth investing in CS4 now, or Elements now. Or is LR2 enough to suffice the editing required for a wedding?



Sorry if that is Jumbled!

Cheers

Matt

p.s. i graduate this summer so adivce or wait and see for a year wont really help me!

 

[cowasaki]

For the difference in price, being a student, I would get CS4 or at least photoshop. There a numerous little things and big things that are different and I keep coming across these whilst writing script writer or when answering peoples "how to" questions. We had one last week where someone had a web effect, or something like that, and was asking how to remove the white and replace it with transparent. Oh, the quickest way is to use "SELECT COLOUR" then erase the selection..... Woops, no select colour! There are lots of things like that that just are not included and there are web sites that have long lists, just google it. As a student you will only pay about £130 for Photoshop CS4 so whilst you can I would just do it.

Just a few of the differences:

• CMYK and LAB colour modes
• More tools and features that work with high-bit (16-bit and 32-bit) images
• Combine multiple exposures to create high dynamic range (HDR) images
• Channels Palette
• Recording custom Actions (for batch processing)
• Adjustments: Colour Balance, Match Colour
• Layer Masks, Layer Comps, and Quick Mask mode
• Smart Objects, Smart Guides
• Lens Blur Filter
• Vanishing Point Tool
• Pen tool and paths palette
• Some adjustment layers (curves, colour balance, selective colour, channel mixer)
• Editing History Log
• Text on a path, advanced text formatting
• Advanced Layer Style manipulation
• Advanced Colour Management
• Advanced Web features (rollovers, slicing)
• Customizable tool presets, keyboard shortcuts, and menus
• In the features and tools that are shared, the Photoshop version usually offers more advanced options for fine tuning and control.
• Select Colour

 

[swanseamale47]

£130 is a cracking price, on the other hand if your not going to be doing serious work for 3-5 years we'll be on CS6 or CS7 by then (assuming adobe keeps going and using the same numbering system) so you'll be looking at a newer version anyway. Elements is a slimmed down version, and doesn't have all the features, but theres not much real world stuff you can't do with it. That said I use CS4, but I make my living from photography, so it pays for itself. It's down to your budget at the end of the day. Wayne

 

[Chappers]

It really depends on what you want to do in Photoshop. I have both Lightroom and CS4, but only use Photoshop when I need to do some retouching or other manipulation that I can't do in Lightroom. I must say that I find I am using Photoshop less and less. However the ability to add multiple focus points, and the free transform option, are the main reason I still have it, plus the occasional "creative" bit.

Why not download the trial versions of both and see if you need CS4 rather than Elements.

 

[natjag]

I thought I could get away with just aperture (apples LR equivalent). When I got a copy of CS3 I realised I couldn't. I then tried to do my most frequent processing in elements and I couldn't. So moral is yes go for CS4.

 

[louise-knight]

As far as I'm aware, if you buy photoshop at student rate, you're not allowed to make profit from any work that goes through it..
Don't hold me to this, I may be completely wrong, I just remember a girl I know who bought it as a student and the terms stated so.
If that is the case, it'd just mean that if and when you do decide to go pro, you'd need to pay the extra cash to loosen the terms of use.
LR may be the same.. not sure!

 

[matt_wright]

Ok Guys i appreciate all your thoughts! I think i will buy CS4, even if there are newer versions to be launched, I'd imagine that cs4 will still be more than capable of anything i would need.