Docbungle
newbie
Reged: 16/05/2008
Posts: 4
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Being a newbie to taking photos (other than drunk ones) i was wondering which piece of software warrants me splashing the cash?
Want something that will let me do various things but dont need a manual the size of phonebook to learn how to do things
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Gordon_McGeachie
Joke Historian
Reged: 19/01/2007
Posts: 3863
Loc: East Yorkshire,
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I have both, but use Paintshop pro as it was bought for me. 
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She (Avro Vulcan XH558)Took To The Sky Like A Lovesick Angel.
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stenchbings
addict
Reged: 16/07/2007
Posts: 403
Loc: uk
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have a look at photoshop elements 6 before you splash any cash, although its photoshop based.great package for the price.
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ermintrude
Hinkypuff
Reged: 30/06/2003
Posts: 12166
Loc: London, UK
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Agree, go for Elements onstead of going all out for Photoshop. You might even get it free with buying something else.
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Further, longer, higher, older...
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spangler
enthusiast
Reged: 04/04/2008
Posts: 272
Loc: Aylesbury
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Elements 6 is great and can be bought on ebay for £30. I like Paintshop Pro but most camera magazines use Elements in their tutorials so if you're new to digital photography and likely to refer to mags then Elements is the way to go.
Andrew
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OneTen
'Two Breakfasts'
Reged: 23/06/2003
Posts: 2252
Loc: Hartland, Devon
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Another vote for Elements. I picked up version 5 on eBay for £20 and it does what I need and a whole lot more.
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Richard .......... My Website - My Flickr
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Overread
addict
Reged: 17/01/2008
Posts: 578
Loc: UK; Suffolk
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Another saying go for element - photoshop full version might be all singing and dancing, but when you start out with it you won't be using even a fraction of what you are paying for -- on the other hand you will find yourself using much of elements.
Also there are some things that elements won't do but the full version can - but there is a wide range of addons (3rd party) which can add these features to elements and they work well.
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My photography blog
http://overread.wordpress.com
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noangel
journeyman
Reged: 21/12/2007
Posts: 63
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Lightroom. 
Regards,
John.
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 NorthernNikon
Bulls Hitter
Reged: 16/12/2005
Posts: 5316
Loc: Harrogate, North Yorks
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Lightroom.
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www.BarneyAllen.com the new home of ComicShots.
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Overread
addict
Reged: 17/01/2008
Posts: 578
Loc: UK; Suffolk
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Out of interest how does lightroom compare to elements?
I know that lighroom allows for batch processing of shots, but does it offer all that elements does - and also does it have the addon support (might be slightly less at the moment as it is new)
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My photography blog
http://overread.wordpress.com
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noangel
journeyman
Reged: 21/12/2007
Posts: 63
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IMHO I think Lightroom eclipses elements and would be a very good starter for a new photographer. It`s dedicated to digital photography and the kind of workflow that entails.  It will also seemlessly talk to Elements and PS if you still want to bother with them. 
Regards,
John.
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Northerner
enthusiast
Reged: 23/01/2006
Posts: 341
Loc: Sydney, Oz (ex. Manchester)
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Lightroom is fantastic, but I use it in conjunction with photoshop CS3. The two programs are very different - lightroom was not introduced to replace photoshop.
If you can get lightroom AND photoshop (full or elements) then perfect, if you only want one I would go for elements as there's lots you can not do with lightroom (layer work etc. for one)
Cheers,
Graham
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Nic and Graham's photo site...
Edited by Northerner (20/05/2008 10:13)
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NorthernNikon
Bulls Hitter
Reged: 16/12/2005
Posts: 5316
Loc: Harrogate, North Yorks
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Quote:
If you can get lightroom AND photoshop (full or elements) then perfect, if you only want one I would go for elements as there's lots you can not do with lightroom (layer work etc. for one)
I couldn't disagree more. Since I got Lightroom I haven't touched Elements. Lightroom is designed for photogrpahers. The vast majority of adjustment tools a photographer needs are in Lightroom. Layers are, IMVHO, an advanced tool and I rarely use them.
The key advatage of Lightroom is the fact that you can upload, manage, adjust and convert all your files in one program and I would get it before any image manipulation software every time.
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www.BarneyAllen.com the new home of ComicShots.
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ermintrude
Hinkypuff
Reged: 30/06/2003
Posts: 12166
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
Quote:
If you can get lightroom AND photoshop (full or elements) then perfect, if you only want one I would go for elements as there's lots you can not do with lightroom (layer work etc. for one)
I couldn't disagree more. Since I got Lightroom I haven't touched Elements. Lightroom is designed for photogrpahers. The vast majority of adjustment tools a photographer needs are in Lightroom. Layers are, IMVHO, an advanced tool and I rarely use them.
The key advatage of Lightroom is the fact that you can upload, manage, adjust and convert all your files in one program and I would get it before any image manipulation software every time.
Hmmmm, gotta disagree on the Layers, I use them all the time. Mmm maybe the better you are at photography the less you need them, but for me they are a godsend!
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Further, longer, higher, older...
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Fen
BAD WOLF
Reged: 12/03/2002
Posts: 19571
Loc: Currently Unknown!
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Barney/Graham,
I think it's really "horses for courses".
I use Lightroom and CS2 together all the time.
Lightroom does all the cataloguing, keywording and RAW conversion and then any adjustments/edits are done in CS2.
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Fen.
- Fen's Flickr Fotos -
"One good photograph does not a photographer make."
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NorthernNikon
Bulls Hitter
Reged: 16/12/2005
Posts: 5316
Loc: Harrogate, North Yorks
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Agreed Fen but to quote the OP "being a newbie" I would recommend Lightroom as a first software purchase over Elements/Photoshop. Once a beginner has mastered the basics of adjustments and feels they want to be more creative then they should look at Elements or Photoshop.
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www.BarneyAllen.com the new home of ComicShots.
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Fen
BAD WOLF
Reged: 12/03/2002
Posts: 19571
Loc: Currently Unknown!
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I'd go the other way. Getting Elements first would allow them to get used to editing the photos. Also the latest version (6) has the improved 'Bridge' that'd allow them to catalogue/sort the photos.
It's also cheaper than lightroom 
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Fen.
- Fen's Flickr Fotos -
"One good photograph does not a photographer make."
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Northerner
enthusiast
Reged: 23/01/2006
Posts: 341
Loc: Sydney, Oz (ex. Manchester)
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Yes I'm with Fen - definitely photoshop over lightroom if you can only have one.
Lightroom is absolutely fantastic - but I would not have it without PS.
Graham
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Nic and Graham's photo site...
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Monobod
'Phantom' of the forum!
Reged: 03/04/2003
Posts: 5672
Loc: Just West of Norwich, Norfolk
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I have ben using PS for a number of years now and have upgraded along the way to CS3. It is all I need, but it is damned expensive to buy outright.
Elements 6, on my other computer, looks a bit 'basic' after CS3, but probably does a good job. I haven't bothered to use it much though.
I got a copy of Adobe Photoshop Album Strater Edition 3.2 free somewhere along the way, which is a catalogue tool and downloader. I do not use this perhaps as much as I should. I have never heard it mentioned here, does anyone else have this?
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David.
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Photos hosted by Flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/monobod/
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I see the world thro' a viewfinder, but the world watches me via CCTV!
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NorthernNikon
Bulls Hitter
Reged: 16/12/2005
Posts: 5316
Loc: Harrogate, North Yorks
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Quote:
I'd go the other way. Getting Elements first would allow them to get used to editing the photos. Also the latest version (6) has the improved 'Bridge' that'd allow them to catalogue/sort the photos.
It's also cheaper than lightroom
We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one.
Granted Elements is cheaper than Lightroom, but it is an image manipulation tool while Lightroom is a photographer's tool. For a beginner, I would say that the ability to uplaod and convert your photos in one step, catalgue them all, add key words and manage your files and then also do minor adjustments and then print them out is all you need. Lightroom does it all. Elements and CS3 are both hugely powerful tools but I would argue that in fact they offer too much of the wrong thing for a beginner in Photography. Starting out with Lightroom will allow any beginner to learn how to adjust their photos to get the most out of them.
After that you're in the realms of image manipulation which many photographers never even want to venture into. Certainly, I could list on one hand the number of times I've used layers.
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www.BarneyAllen.com the new home of ComicShots.
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