Photoshop Elements

MeercatMeercat Posts: 1,115
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I would like to learn Photoshop but seeing it is so expensive I was considering buying Photoshop elements to begin with.
Has anyone here used it? Is it worth buying as a first step to Photoshop.

Thank You

Comments

  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    I would suggest you learn the gimp or paint.net, the latter probably

    They are much more functional than elements and both free. Once you get good at that a week or so with the free demo of PS and you'll be laughing. They're very much the same.
  • MeercatMeercat Posts: 1,115
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    Thanks for the advice
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    It'd all about learning the principals.

    Myself I use paint shop pro
  • MeercatMeercat Posts: 1,115
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    Is that expensive? Thanks
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    Not especially.

    I'd still use the free one though if I were you.
  • whoever,heywhoever,hey Posts: 30,992
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    Once you've learnt about layers then its a lot easier to move onto the more complicated packages.
  • paulbrockpaulbrock Posts: 16,632
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    Elements has a lot of the features most people want - layers, level curves, cloning, etc. Unless you're planning on being a digital artist rather than a photographer, its a great starting point.

    The earlier versions of Elements are pretty weak, but each version has inherited extra features from its big brother, so its a very functional package now.
  • fenlanderfenlander Posts: 2,197
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    I've tried pretty much all the popular packages at one time or another. Paintshop Pro will set you back around £45, Photoshop Elements around £55. Elements' Edit screen is the one that most resembles full Photoshop, unsurprisingly. The one that hasn't been mentioned is Adobe Lightroom, which is probably the most popular of the 'light' (as compared with full Photoshop) packages and costs around £90. If you've got £90 to spend, it's the one I'd go for; if not, either of the others will do well.

    All the above are available on free trials - it's probably worth trying all of them, especially if your hardware is limited. For example, Lightroom can be slow unless your PC is up to date.

    GIMP could put you off photo post-processing for life. It was, and still is, most at home on Linux systems and is notorious for its quirky interface and steep learning curve. Paint.net is a lot better, but much of its power comes from add-ins and you need a lot of patience to a) find out what you can with it and b) find the right add-in to actually do it. Both GIMP and Paint.net are free, and that's their main advantage. If you must have free, I'd suggest Paint.net, but in this area of software, you pretty much get what you pay for.
  • LightningIguanaLightningIguana Posts: 21,847
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    I used to use Paint shop pro, then gimp, then Elements 9. Almost all the tutorials were for photoshop when I started and as the versions have gone by I've found Elements has become enough for what I need and most things only available on the expensive version have workarounds.

    As such, I'd go for Elements whenever possible. Gimp I found rather fiddly. Paint shop pro was great, but I don't have any experience with the newer ones.
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    I have Elements 10. It's a pretty good program and not too difficult if you take the time to learn it. I also have The GIMP, which is good but very fiddly. I paid £79 for Elements 10 and it comes with both Windows and Mac installation discs.
  • max99max99 Posts: 9,002
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    It makes sense to go for a free one first and see how you get on. If you want to continue learning, you can then decide whether or not to upgrade to a paid one.

    Either way, spend plenty of time watching tutorials on Youtube. Once you've learnt the basic techniques, everything else falls into place. Cloning/airbrushing is a fun place to start.
  • paulbrockpaulbrock Posts: 16,632
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    fenlander wrote: »
    The one that hasn't been mentioned is Adobe Lightroom, which is probably the most popular of the 'light' (as compared with full Photoshop) packages and costs around £90. If you've got £90 to spend, it's the one I'd go for; if not, either of the others will do well.
    .

    Light room is awesome, I use it more than any other editing program. It's got quite a specific use though - editing and organising lots of photos quickly. On pure editing, it's less powerful even than elements, though again, every new version gets more tools added to it.

    Light room + elements is a great combo, and what I use on a daily basis. Most photos just need a bit of light room work but anything more complicated I use elements.
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    max99 wrote: »
    It makes sense to go for a free one first and see how you get on. If you want to continue learning, you can then decide whether or not to upgrade to a paid one.

    Either way, spend plenty of time watching tutorials on Youtube. Once you've learnt the basic techniques, everything else falls into place. Cloning/airbrushing is a fun place to start.

    I agree with this.
  • MeercatMeercat Posts: 1,115
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    Thanks for all the replies guys lots of useful advice, Thanks all.
  • PPhilsterPPhilster Posts: 1,742
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    Meercat wrote: »
    I would like to learn Photoshop but seeing it is so expensive I was considering buying Photoshop elements to begin with.
    Has anyone here used it? Is it worth buying as a first step to Photoshop.

    Thank You

    You would be much better off buying Paint Shop Pro. It is far more capable than Photoshop Elements and is by far the most advanced photo editor other than Photoshop. What you learn in Paint Shop Pro could also later be used in Photoshop as photo editing tools and knowledge is similar.
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