Photoshop for a newbie?

[joyseeker]

should i dive into photoshop? its a big risk if i don't get on with it..... i could buy an imac for the price of the software licence!!!!!

or should i go for something like Apeture for half the price?.... is it half the product? i wonder.

by the end of summer i'd like to be able to produce amusing pics where people say 'that must be photoshop'..... rather then great sensitive tones of red in a sun set..... you know what i mean?

[PunkRockTuba]

I would download the photoshop demo from adobe's website to see if is really something you need. You could also check out photoshop elements, basically a slimmed down version of photoshop, and maybe more of what you would want.

They have a demo for photoshop elements:

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelmac/

[MacHeadCase]

Downloading the demo is an excellent idea.

If you find the learning curve a bit too steep, you might want to look at Adobe Elements and build on that and move on later in a couple of years to Elements big brother, Photoshop.

It depends on what your needs are. If it's just to be able to tweak your photos and images, Elements might just fit the bill. If you intend on using it in a more professional orientation, then yes by all means, think Photoshop all the way.

[joyseeker]

elements has a great price...... and yes that seems all i want to do. but can't help feel elements duplicates in storage and sharing what i get from iphoto and .mac.

(sorry for the delay in my response but subscribed to thread and didn't get email notification.)

[TenderSurrender]

I can also recommend photoshop elements being a great starting point for someone wanting to get into photoshop.

Photoshop elements has MANY of the features that the fully priced photoshop has, but doesnt have some of the high end features not really needed for those starting out.

~~ TS ~~

[MacHeadCase]

Oh? I'm surprised, because last time I looked it worked just the same as Photoshop did but with some stipped down features and Photoshop doesn't do duplicates.

And with an Intel-based Mac you would be better to go with CS3 as it runs natively on them than with the CS2 version which runs under Rosetta emulation. Same goes for Elements 4, you would have to wait for Elements 5 which I was told is just around the corner (the Windows version just came out). If the version were out, you could give it a try but it's only available for Windoze for now. Too bad.

[TenderSurrender]

Just found a customer review on the same page you linked which i think sums it up quite well.

It is designed for people who want to manipulate photos but dont need the full power of CS2. In that, it works.
If you get photography magazines, 90% of the lessons and tips work in Elements.

~~ TS ~~

[MacHeadCase]

And if I were you, joyseeker, I'd PM schweb or post in the Suggestions/Comments/Site Support forum about this "thread subscription/email notification" thing not working: you are the second member I read in M-F that noticed that doesn't work properly.

[Odin_aa]

Elements can also be had for free with software bundles that come with items such as Wacom Tablets and Monitor Calibration tools. Never hurts to look at some of those if you had plans on getting them to see if it comes along...why pay for something your going to end up getting for free anyway. Puts the price of that other item down $100.

The Wacom tablet I picked up a couple months ago came with Elements, and there was something else I purchased some time back that also came with a copy of Elements in it.

[joyseeker]

my notifications are still not working but just had to say i went to my local apple shop today and bought a copy of elements. the shop said apeture and elements are 2 different products.... the former is for workflow and storage of photos and the later for manipulating them...... which is what i want..... works with iphoto i gather...... we'll see.

learning curve now but will post something i've knocked together here.

ps: no upgrade path for elements here in europe.

[PunkRockTuba]

I think you will like elements, from what it sounds like this will be what you want/need. Let us know if you have any problems with it.

[joyseeker]

i can't say i'm happy and confident yet but here's the first clumsy go at what i wanted to be able to do.



i find the help centre and the user guide could be better.... but if this is what photoshop looks like its going to be worth the pain to get inside the logic and methords.

back now to more pain and frustration.

[iRye]

I probably use it about as well as a 6 year old uses Windows Paint.

[joyseeker]

infact whoever wrote the user manual is putting me off.

[jonnyd]

infact whoever wrote the user manual is putting me off.

What's a manual?