Please help (to stop me banging my head against a wall!!!)

chad

chad

Suspended / Banned
Messages
391
Edit My Images
No
Hi

Ok I’m just getting back into photography:):)

I was into B/W and processing my own films so know a bit about cameras and hardware ECT.

But now getting back into it film has completely been killed off, so going digital myself: thinking::thinking:

I have chosen and know what camera I want ect to fill my budget.
(That was kind of easy)

Problem is software :bang::bang::bang:

As I know nothing about this :bonk: :bonk:

There are three one I am down to -

Cs5, Elements 9, lightroom 3..............

Now as I have never used a computer to edit photos what do I get??

I want to be able to catalogue my photos to be able to search for and find easily i.e. type B/W it picks and shows all black and white photos, trees, water ect.

I all so want to be able to edit them fully.

Now I understand Cs5 seems to be the most popular and the best (by majority not everybody!!). Now I expect this to be the most complicated one :shrug:

So do I get more basic software to learn on or do I just get the best one and tough it out, jump into the deep end and force myself to learn it??

How hard are these to learn I will go on a course if necessary?

But what do I get??? :help: :help:

Thanks for all you time.
 
Not sure what to advise but you will want to add keywords to enable you to sort as well as to be able to edit your images. I'd use CS5 and Bridge but I'm sure you can do this in lightroom. You could try Google picassa to store and organise your images.
 
You can tag images with windows explorer, at the bottom in a box alongside the EXIF data. As for which one have you downloaded the 30 day trials? If you register with Adobe you can try all 3 for 30 days before you part with any money.

FWIW Elements is enough for most people, but CS5 does have some great features which make things a bit easier like content aware fill. There are loads of free tutorials both on here and on t'internet that should make getting a handle on it less painful.
 
If you are starting from the ground up, there are a number of inexpensive programs on the market. However I would suggest you start with Elements. It has a lot of the features that Photoshop CS5 has and will enable you to learn quickly. If you do decide at some stage to go to CS5 ( or whatever version it is by then ) then the skill you pick up with Elements will hold you in good stead with CS5.

Lightroom is probably better if you want to catalogue your photo's. It is a very powerful cataloguing application and has a excellent image processing module. However it's not designed for retouching. So if you want to remove an annoying pillar box, it wont let you do that, you need elements or CS5.

Now you could look at something like Picassa. It's free and can help catalogue images. Not as powerful as Lightroom but may be a good starting point.

Now I believe there is an Organiser in Elements which may do the cataloging for you. I can't be much help as I use Lightroom.The good news is that you can download trials of Adobe software from there web site. You have 30 days free period, after that you need to buy a full copy or simply a licence. I'd suggest you start with Elements. See how you get on then have a look at Lightroom

. However if you are fairly new to image processing Lightroom may be a bit OTT initially.
Again try a demo version, but I would download some tutorials first so that you understand how Lightroom functions and works. This way you'll get the most out of your 30 day trial.

As far as Photoshop CS5 is concerned, by all means try it, but you may find that Elements has all you need. I reckon I use about 10% of the features in Photoshop, and If I didn't have it already may be happy with the features in Elements.
 
Hi there

I use elements 8 and it has an organiser built in that you can catalogue images by water trains landscapes etc etc etc.
If you are just starting out then my option would be the elements one as its reletively cheap to get you started.

Like said down load the 30 day triel and see what you like best.

spike
 
Thanks realy good advice I will start with elements but if version 8 has a organiser surly 9 has as well yes? And dose any one know what bridge means
 
Bridge is an offshoot program that works with other Photoshop applications. It comes with CS5 and I believe it is also supplied with Elements9. Don't know about Lightroom as I have never used it.

If you want to have a look at any of these programs before committing yourself, they are available as a trial download from Adobe's website. The trial versions are fully functioning, but are limited ot 30 days use.
 
I recommend Adobe Lightroom 3 + Adobe Photoshop CS5.

These two pieces of software will do pretty much anything you want. With Lightroom you can import directly from your camera (if you want), add tags, labels, ratings and edit images with a vast range of settings. You can also retouch photos to a certain extent like spot removal. Photoshop is there for the images that need more editing from basic tasks to intense photo editing.

They are very easy to learn and there are more tutorials then you will ever need scattered all over the web. You can even buy training from Adobe, or places like Lynda.com which is a fantastic resource for many applications.

As someone else mentioned, you can do a 30 day trial of the software so give it a try before you buy and that should help you decide.
 
Bridge is the viewer where you sort your photos into different folders, add tags etc, photoshop is the area where you do your editing. Once edited you save and it will be saved along with the original or you can choose to save where ever you wish. Elements is like a condensed version.

As suggested download trial version or google and your find lots of you tube tutorials.


john
 
Elements is a slimmed down version of photoshop, it's still a very usefull photo editing software and is aimed and the beginner/amateur.
CS5 is the full version aimed really at professional photographers and graphic artists. Lightroom is aimed at photographers.
Elements is probably easier to use than photoshop, but you may eventually "outgrow" it and find you need the more features and control of the full CS5 (debatable as elements is pretty good)
You won't outgrow the full CS5 but it is harder to learn (not that difficult really though)
Lightroom is a different sort of program in some ways, it has a more limited editing side than CS5 or Elements but is also intended as an image cataloging and managing software, with print/web/and slidshow modules.
As others have said the best combination would be either CS5 or elements with Lightroom, this gives you the best of both worlds and they are designed to compliment each other.
 
If you are truly new to image editing, and have no pre-conceptions, you may which to give GIMP a try,
When I am on linux, I use GIMP, when I am on windows I use Photoshop CS.
GIMP is meant to be a very good image editor (It is open source, and has windows and linux versions, the reason I use it on linux is that it can be accessed from most distributions, whereas photoshop cannot).
The difficulty is that I have found, that I started off using photoshop, so the way in which GIMP does things is slightly counter-intuitive in comparison.
The advantage of CS possibly is that a lot of people on here really know the program inside out, and there is a lot more knowledge here than GIMP. (Wayne above has helped me several times with it [many thanks!]).
Disadvantage to CS, is it really costs a bomb!

I haven't used lightroom, but my understanding is that it is capable for performing the type of edits which you would have previously done in your film processing, contrast, saturation, brightness. It is capable of performing this to batches of photos, or to specific areas.
However, if you want to get to swapping the head of one person in a photo with another, then you are better off with photoshop or GIMP
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the good advice ill try the trial versions now I know I'm on the right track thank you
 
LR3 is the only thing you'll ever need! Highly recommended. Download a trial.
 
awp said:
LR3 is the only thing you'll ever need! Highly recommended. Download a trial.
Click to expand...

:thumbs: It's perfectly possible, if you're used to getting things right in the camera and not needing to re-touch stuff, that you'll never need anything more than lightroom. Try it first, and if you need more editing capability, add Photoshop.
 
Well now got some photos to try I have downloaded elements 9 trial....

Spent all day on it.

I have mastered the organiser And tags and folders and got a very rough understanding for what the tools and how the layers work on editing.

But I think there is going to be a lot of time spent on this learning this lol but its a good bit of software but I think a few headaches are on its way lol
 
chad said:
Well now got some photos to try I have downloaded elements 9 trial....

Spent all day on it.

I have mastered the organiser And tags and folders and got a very rough understanding for what the tools and how the layers work on editing.

But I think there is going to be a lot of time spent on this learning this lol but its a good bit of software but I think a few headaches are on its way lol
Click to expand...

Chad...not sure how you learn best...but there are tutorials here on TP and on YouTube that can help with specific things in Elements, etc. I also have found Scott Kelby's book (several actually) on Elements to be fantastically easy to read and use. (He's published a "how to" book on using Elements for each version. Just buy the one that matches up to your version...9 I think you said. (I believe he's also published similar guides to using the full version of Photoshop...I've just never really looked that direction, figuring Elements is about all I'll ever be able to master until I retire. LOL

Since you were once in the darkroom, you'll understand me when I say that I LOVE the power that a computer and some software provides me as a photographer. It's magical.
 
Last edited:
awp said:
LR3 is the only thing you'll ever need! Highly recommended. Download a trial.
Click to expand...

RicherSea said:
:thumbs: It's perfectly possible, if you're used to getting things right in the camera and not needing to re-touch stuff, that you'll never need anything more than lightroom. Try it first, and if you need more editing capability, add Photoshop.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with the two comments above, If you are competent at getting it right in camera with only minor tweeks required, then with the great catalogue facillity that LR3 has, you wont go far wrong with this.
 
Yea I just keep choosing a task I.e cloning research it and have a go and play

I'm on layers at the moment and It's the hardest one yet to understand but I am getting there

but will get elements 9 as its every thing I want
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top