Photoshop? Lightroom? errrrrrrrrr...

Azure

Azure

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Hey there

OK, so I don't have photoshop or lightroom <whatever that is> and I don't have £££££££££££ to spend on software when I already have so many plans for the few £££ I have :cool:

so... what to do? I see some folk talking about CS2, 3, 4, 5 etc and there are free downloads for the earlier versions - is that any good????

At the moment I use Picasa3 and actually, that's just a doddle for what I've been using it for up until now and has pretty much covered my bases

I downloaded CorelPaintshop Photo Pro X3 trial version ... but gosh, that's so long winded - and I think Photoshop is quite similar and may be long winded too, but ya know... (anything is gonna be longwinded when you shoot as many pics as I do) :cuckoo:

Anyhoooo... I've been really playing today with the trial version of photomatix - oh my - I LOVE THIS PIECE OF SOFTWARE!!!!!!!! Been having a lot of fun with that. However, before I purchase that (today or tomorrow *** I'm impatient like that :bonk:), looking at the specs between photomatic light or pro - it does the comparisons of the two and what plug ins are included etc (not that I really know what to do with the plug in, but I'll figure that out, ergo, I'm not sure what to go for!

So... what to do? :gag:

Any advice on what Photoshop CS2, 3 etc are like please

Any advice on whether I should get the Photomatix light or pro please

Thank you kindly! :)
 
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Can i suggest another option?

Instead of Photomatix (which is mainly panoramic, HDR and other blending / stacking, isn't it?), try Hugin first. It's open source, available for all platforms, and produces great panoramas (with manual control if you need it), and can also do HDR, focus stacking, etc.

Which would then leave you with more money for Photoshop, and then i'd recommend Lightroom (or Aperture if you have a Mac) which can't do as much in terms of creativity (messing around with layers, etc) but i find it much much easier to work with than Photoshop or anything similar - can manage your whole library, and never messes with your original images, just uses metadata to describe the changes you've made.

Hope the extra option doesn't just confuse your decision more ;)

David
 
scuby said:
Can i suggest another option?

Instead of Photomatix (which is mainly panoramic, HDR and other blending / stacking, isn't it?), try Hugin first. It's open source, available for all platforms, and produces great panoramas (with manual control if you need it), and can also do HDR, focus stacking, etc.

Which would then leave you with more money for Photoshop, and then i'd recommend Lightroom (or Aperture if you have a Mac) which can't do as much in terms of creativity (messing around with layers, etc) but i find it much much easier to work with than Photoshop or anything similar - can manage your whole library, and never messes with your original images, just uses metadata to describe the changes you've made.

Hope the extra option doesn't just confuse your decision more ;)

David
Click to expand...

Ahhhhhhhhhh... OK... oh noooo... more decisions! Hahahaha - well, I just read up on Hugin (lovin' that name) - and that does look good! I haven't worked with layers (yep, I know, slap my wrist by the photo pros) - I just want something real easy to use because right now - photos are for me - it's not like I'm intending on setting up a business or selling them or anything - tho ha, if I could, I would!!!!!!!!!!

So, I just looked up Lightroom too - so that's a buy it one... seems to be prices ranging from £60 to £150 ... hmmmmmmmm :thinking: Not sure which would be right! I LOVE the HDR look, just love it so that would be real important

so.... :thinking:


Thank you David, thanks heaps for the advice, appreciate it :)
 
Gimp is awful, i know it's free but honestly i wasted a whole year using it and it's UFraw plug in, i have Photoshop Elements 8 £40 ebay and happy as a bunny surrounded by easter eggs !
 
Have a llok at Photoshop elements the latest version is avialable for about £50 great value i think have a google for oloneo free download for hdr worth a play (seeming it's free)
Once you get your head around elements what you can do is imense if I can do it anyone can excuse my spelling I've had a few
 
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For Photoshop either look at the slimmed-down Elements, or go for an older version of the full program such as CS2/3 - have seen CS2 go for peanuts on fleabay and it's still a very powerful programme, although how long it will remain supported on future OSs is something to consider, especially in the Intel macs.

I've got CS2 and 3 (although I use Lightroom for general image management) and both versions are more powerful enough for photo editing.
 
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i do have CS which was given to me as a prezzie, i have recently used Elements on some one eles computer, i must admit if i had to pay for it i would stick with Elements at my level of expertise :$ and save my money
 
Graham00 said:
Gimp is awful, i know it's free but honestly i wasted a whole year using it and it's UFraw plug in, i have Photoshop Elements 8 £40 ebay and happy as a bunny surrounded by easter eggs !
Click to expand...

Ok, kicking that one into touch then ;)

billybob99 said:
Have a llok at Photoshop elements the latest version is avialable for about £50 great value i think have a google for oloneo free download for hdr worth a play (seeming it's free)
Once you get your head around elements what you can do is imense if I can do it anyone can excuse my spelling I've had a few
Click to expand...

Yep, I used elements once upon a long time ago - about 2 or 3 laptops ago I reckon - I know a lllllot of folk use elements - cool - thanks, will go look up oloneo! The photomatix is just $39 (bucks) - the free version has a watermark on it. Have a drink on me BB :p

specialman said:
For Photoshop either look at the slimmed-down Elements, or go for an older version of the full program such as CS2/3 - have seen CS2 go for peanuts on fleabay and it's still a very powerful programme, although how long it will remain supported on future OSs is something to consider, especially in the Intel macs
Click to expand...

Thanks - I have Vista on two separate laptops (ha, neither of them are too reliable) - and I hear ya about older versions being supported. Thankeeeee. :)
 
RKC said:
i do have CS which was given to me as a prezzie, i have recently used Elements on some one eles computer, i must admit if i had to pay for it i would stick with Elements at my level of expertise :$ and save my money
Click to expand...


Yep... Ima hearing you, Bob. I was looking at some of the photoshop prices and there like £600 :gag:

<cough>

Elements is a sound idea methinks :thumbs:
 
N

Dependent on your software skills, and the real need for any of the CS programmes.... Elements will be as good as you would proabably really need. Whats more it has a good deal of the basic photo editing bits you would really need that the CS programmes have. A Photoshop CS programme takes the whole field so so much more further, and unless you wanted a programme that does a whole lot more than photo editing I would save your money.

If you want to go one stage further than Elements, then Lightroom maybe the next step up the ladder.

This is only my opinion, and no doubt loads of peeps on here would disagree.

Plus the money you save by not buying a CS programme, you can then afford the Photomatix

I used the X3 programme, and personally prefer the adobe product.

P
 
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Hey there P - yep, I reckon Elements will work - if I were going to be using my pics for any other reason than my pleasure, then maybe the CS would be apt - but being that they are really for my use only (oh, well, I sell cards at the local Posties but ya know, that's it!), I don't think I'm going to spend dosh on a super whizzy program.

I just saw Hunter used a program for changing the background to a blur, which was FAB! I really need something to do that for me because a lot of my shots don't have the right aperture settings (ha, I'm still unsure about all of that now but I've been practising in the garden!!!!!)

The HDR on photomatix is just brill - I'm playing here at the moment on some pics I took last year at a Chateaux in Versailles - oh lawdy - just amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Love it!

I need to try the Oloneo one too - but right now, I'm having way too much fun playing :D
 
N

There is a feature within Elements called GASSIAN BLUR which should blur anything in the image you select..... the degree of the blur can also be adjusted. (often the background).

Photomatix is one of the most popular HDR programmes

P
 
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Thanks P, yep, that was the blur - gonna be asking questions about that no doubt after I get it

... you wouldn't believe how much fun I'm having here (oh gosh, that's a bit sad a? :cuckoo: ) hahahha - photomatix can take a really rubbish photo of mine that has a terribly boring sky ...and make it look brilliant - so laughing - it's great! I love the way it lights it from a different angle :thumbs: Love the painterly button... that's been clicked a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Dayum, I have soooooooo much to learn! ;)


I had never even heard of HDR before 'til I came on here!
 
Just bite the bullet, get lightroom 3 learn it from scratch with all the excellent tutorials that are available on the net and get your collections organised with easy to find photos from yonks ago, also with the benefit of tweaking your pics. whichever package your going to use you are still going to have to learn how to use it so why not go for the best.
 
hmmmmmmmm.... :thinking:

will re-read thread, keep playing for a while - my priority is getting a new macro lens which I'm thinking is gonna be a few hundred£

possibly a new camera too

who knows, mebbe when I get that, the store may give me something like the above - ya never know

<pigs might fly too... but hey, we'll see>



thanks y'all for the advice - do keep it coming if you think of anything else - gosh, there seems to be so much out there, it's just deciding WHICH to get.... my oh my!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Another option if you can find it is Tescos own photo editing software, now I have only seen it once and fairly briefly but it looked near as makes no difference a copy of photoshop 7.0 (not elements 7) and cost a tenner I think. Don't know if it's still available though.
 
Elements 9 is probably all you'll need until you're ready to spend big bucks on Lightroom and Photoshop (I'd MUCH rather have elements than just either PS or Lightroom). There are times you need the features of both program types - having just one will probably make you frustrated quite quickly...
 
Thanks y'all :)



trying self-restraint at the moment trying not to order anything before I've got the new lens ... and camera ... wanting a trigger, filters etc... so ;)


tried to download the oloneo - it no do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



still playing tho, do really like HDR!
 
Nope :'(

I work in a sandbox (techie geeky me) thru firefox - so went out of the sandbox into IE and nope... if you click on the download button it just does nada!

:shrug:





<did you get snow... we didn't - schniff>
 
ok... restarted - think it may have downloaded - gonna go and have a play :D




oh, a sandbox allows you to run your browser so that it is isolated from the rest of your computer. Any changes to the program, or any add-ons that get installed, are automatically removed when you close the program. Kinda works like a shadow on your hard drive...

http://www.sandboxie.com/
 
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