Newbie Software Advice?

[train_ga]

Just got back from Roatan and am I dying to screw around with all my new pics from my first photography experience. I have a Canon G-10 and am looking for some software reccomendations for a beginner like myself that is not only user friendly but also something I can grow into. I dont foresee me being anything but a recreational photographer a couple times a year. Ive heard found some reviews re Adobe but I wasnt sure which version fit me best or if there were other options that better fit my needs?

Any reccomendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thx

GA

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

A popular first software that might end up as all you want/need is Photoshop Elements. This usually costs $50-100 (New). The next level up is Adobe Lightroom or Apple Aperture @ $200-300, but they are more organizers and are limited in some editing functions.

There are also some programs that are free-$50 (New). I recently bought Photoshop Elements 4 (mac) off eBay and couldn't be happier.

 

[diversteve]

Adobe offers free downloadable trials of most of their s/w so you can find out what works best for you. Links to the trials are found on these pages:

photo-editing program | Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
3D graphic design software, 3D graphics software | Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended
Adobe - Photo Management Software - Photoshop Lightroom

There are a few underwater color correction filters/processes available for Photoshop. I don't know if they work in Elements also.

Picasa from Google is another free photo editor/organizer. I don't feel it offers enough correction options for u/w use though.

 

[bvanant]

Before you spend money, download Lightroom and Photoshop for free and spend a month playing. If you are a mac guy/gal download Aperture. You probably don't realize it yet but in addition to an editing program you need some workflow and some organization help as well. I don't know what halemano wants lightroom to do that it doesn't but most UW photographers that I know are using it for their primary editing functions. It is very simple to learn and very powerful and best of all totally non-destructive to any raw file you edit. It costs $200 I think but worth every penny but try it out and see if it works for you. One good idea to improve your photography is to take a class at your local community college and if you do you can get many of the popular programs for reduced student pricing. Here in LA you can sign up and take a class and get photoshop more cheaply than just getting photoshop without the class.

Bill

 

[gndpdr]

you could also try corel they have some trial software as well

 

[train_ga]

What are the differences between Adobe Elements and Lightroom? On the Adobe site they had Adobe Lightroom 2 for $300 and Elements 7 for $130.

Are these just the lastes/greatest versions?

Regardless I will use the trial per your reccomendations but am curious about any differences/limitations.

Thx

 

[bvanant]

What are the differences between Adobe Elements and Lightroom? On the Adobe site they had Adobe Lightroom 2 for $300 and Elements 7 for $130.

Are these just the lastes/greatest versions?

Regardless I will use the trial per your reccomendations but am curious about any differences/limitations.

Lightroom is a software tool aimed ONLY at photographers and is primarily focused on storing, editing, printing and publishing (web, slideshow etc) of photos. It has tools for exposure control, color control, dust removal and almost anything you could do in a wet darkroom. Photoshop in both CS4 and Elements versions is a tool that can deal with photos but in a much wider context. It is primarily (Nowdays) aimed at folks creating composite output that has photos in it. The tools allow for much more ability to combine photos into collages, change backgrounds and is much better at handling text. On the photo side the main advantage (IMHO) is that you can clone out pieces much more easily. I believe that most folks who have both (at least in the UW community) spend more effort on lightroom and less on PS. THe differences between CS4 and Elements are unknown to me, I use CS4 but only very sporadically and haven't used elements in 10 years.

Bill

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I don't know what halemano wants lightroom to do that it doesn't but most UW photographers that I know are using it for their primary editing functions.

With regards to printing, I'd like to be able to resize/resample. When I make print files I resize them so a Costco employee can't mess them up.

Whether the image is heavily cropped or not it must be cropped to print in the standard sizes. If you don't crop it the photo printing lab will crop it for you, possibly not where you would have. Once I crop I want to resize; for 4x6's I am looking to create an image file that is 4 inches by 6 inches with 300 dots per inch. For my 8x10's(or12's) I want to create an image file that is 8 inches by 10 or 12 inches with 240 dots per inch. For 12x18's it would be 12 inches by 18 inches with 180 dots per inch.

Since I was not able to find this function in Lightroom (or Aperture) I never got to the point of looking for the Unsharp Mask (or similar in Aperture). Is there Unsharp Mask in Lightroom?

I also like to have control of sizes for web use. My usual sizes are 500, 600 or 800 pixels on the long side with 72 ppi. I use Unsharp Mask here as well, but with different adjustment numbers from print files.

PSE 4 (mac) was $20.50 shipped off eBay. The lowest price I've seen for Lightroom (non-intel) is maybe $249.99.

 

[ScubaDocER]

Very interesting thread. As a newbie U/W photographer I too am looking for good software. Adobe has a package where they offer both CS4 and Lightroom for 30% off each. Is there a real benefit to having both or should you choose one or the other?

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Very interesting thread. As a newbie U/W photographer I too am looking for good software. Adobe has a package where they offer both CS4 and Lightroom for 30% off each. Is there a real benefit to having both or should you choose one or the other?

The deal is just 30% off Lightroom 2 (list $299) with either Photoshop CS4 (list $699) or CS4 Extended (list $999).

So you save ~$90 making it either $910 or $1,210.

Not many divers I know can afford that chunk o' change on software!