Tell me about Photo Shop, PLEASE!

It's a pretty intense program and it costs a lot of $$$. About $700 and up. I took an eight-week course on it once and learned some pretty useful things, but still have a ways to go.

If you're only looking to edit photos, you might consider Photoshop Elements which is significantly cheaper and easier to use. (I think around $100). I'm sure someone else will comment though who knows more than I do about the program.

i'm curious as well!

Yes, you need to buy it seperate, it is something I felt like an infant trying to use, I did enjoy playing with it, but I need an instructor!! LOL

I prefer paintshop pro, it's VERY similar, but MUCH cheaper. That's all I use to edit with.

FYI, you can get a free trial for Photoshop Elements here from the Adobe website.

As for needing info on how to use it, it depends on how you learn best. For me, I did much better just messing around in the program and finding things myself. I took some free online tutorials, and they helped a bit, but most of it was stuff I'd already found on my own. I learn much better that way.

$700? Seriously????? Holy Moly!

Photoshop is NOT cheap, I found a copy on Ebay that I paid 300 for, and that was a bargain, if you buy a full retail package of photoshop you can expect to pay 300, its a bit difficult to learn, a class or someone to help you.
If you want to play with a digital imaging that is free but offers a lot of similar things of Adobe PhotoShop try Gimp, its free and I hear its good.

Mooch

I would also suggest Photoshop Elements. Especially to start off with.

Bridget, Yes 600 to 700 NEW, upgrade is a bit cheaper the upgrade to CS4 from CS3 is about 200.00...They charge premium because professionals and companies often do not hesitate to plunk that kind of money down for graphics programs.

I have never used it. In fact I personally do not know anyone who has dropped the cash on it.

There's a free alternative called Gimp. Pretty much any of them (PaintShop, PhotoShop, GIMP) you'll need to look up some tutorials online or play around with to figure out how to do the fun stuff with them. There's another free one that's more newbie friendly that allows you to do some effects, Picasa.

I tried it once and it was waaay too complicated for me. Not to mention too expensive.

I can't help you Bridget, but came by to see what people said. Hubby is a really good artist. Wow! $700.00 is alot of money to me.

That is something I didnt know about. I perfer to look at the real photos personally. I think it takes a lot of talent to do the photoshop really good,

I know full-fledged Photoshop is expensive and unnecessary for the average photographer or artist. If you are using it for graphic arts at work or something, it might be worth it. Photoshop Elements is much cheaper and contains a lot of the tools that the average photographer needs to create and edit a good photo. You can get it at a pretty good price if you go for older versions. I have an old version I got for free from a friend. I plan to get a newer version, soon. I think they just upgrade the filters, etc.

But, if you have a computer with good processing speed, Gimp does most of the things that full-fledge Photoshop does and it's free.

Yikes!! $700 is expensive! I think I'll just post my blah pictures au natural!

Bridget I posted several articles about photo editors just recently that are free, some that work similar/comparable to photo shop you might want to look at them.

I use photo shop elements 6 which is under $100 and I used it for a month free trial before purchasing

I had no idea it was THAT expensive! Guess I won't be buying any of that.

I had no idea it was that expensive either! For what I am looking for, there is no way I can justify spending that kind of money!

Thanks so much for all your advice and alternative suggestions! You are wonderful!

I use Photoshop, but I also do this for a living. So, definitely justified for me. If you are taking a class on it (like at a community college or something like that) you can get the education version (which is the exact same thing, just a cheaper price for students) for around $500. That sounds like a lot, BUT, you also get several other graphic design programs in the same bundle (InDesign, Illustrator, etc...) so it really is a good deal --- but not if you don't need all the programs in the bundle! In college I learned Photoshop in one of my design classes. We had a gigantic tutorial book and absolutely no instruction from our professor. It is a lot any other software --- no one can really teach you how to do it through lecturing, it is definitely a hands on process and looking up "how to ______". The funny thing is I recentely took a proficiency test in Photoshop for an online graphic design site where you can get freelance work and I FLUNKED the photoshop test. Isn't that hilarious? I have been using that program since 1990! That just goes to show you that book knowledge about the program doesn't mean squat --- the final images are what matter!

Photoshop Elements should be less than $100. I have it, but I am such a loser with it!!!

Wish I knew!

Stopping by from ~3,000 Here We Come!~