Photo Editing software.

[I Rosputnik]

If you are looking for an alternative there is Corel Paintshop Pro X4 (Which I was pre-installed on my computer when I bought it.) which does the same role as Photoshop and has a similar interface to it.

However I think Photoshop CS5 blows it out of the water in usability. Plus Adobe Bridge CS5 is useful for working with the metadata of files and RAW's. The single major problem is with Adobe products is their price and unless you are a student, the current edition of Photoshop -CS6- will set you back £667.20, while the creative suite which has other packages such as Illustrator can range from £1,810.80 to £2,667.60. You can subscribe to the Adobe Creative suite however from £46.88.

Still, if it's only for private use Corel might better sense, it's only £60.

Word of warning though if you are using Corel, watch out if you are opening files. Before I got CS5, I had to save files as TIFF's in order to work on college projects at home I noticed it had the odd habit of flattening my layers.

Hope this helps!

[Treadbrook]

Reading through this lot makes me realise how much out on a limb I am with this! I have been using Corel Photopaint since its early versions and can't see anything you can do in Photoshop that I can't in Corel. I tried to switch to Photoshop but just found Corel more comfortable.

On the other hand, I now do most of my workflow in ACDSee Pro. It looks a lot like Lightroom, works very much the same, and doesn't seem to have any drawbacks.

[miner]

Originally Posted by andrewc

GIMP can do image processing and is free. Never tried it for photography but it can do most of what Photoshop can do.

I recently tested Gimp, but felt much more comfortable with good old Photoshop. I just didn't like the interface. Maybe it's different when you don't know PS.

[bauble]

Windows Live Photo Gallery that is a free download from Microsoft is all you will need for the level of 'expertise' you are seeking.

It can make good photo's better, and save some rubbish from being a complete waste of time.

Easy to use with just a little patience and time experimenting with the options.

'Proper Photographers' either don't need editing software or need top of the range products, you and me never need spend money on such things.

www.picasaweb.google.co.uk/rbmapics

Cheers,

Bob.

[Aysedasi]

I do very little editing, but I find my ageing copy of Photoshop does everything I need.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I do very little editing, but I find my ageing copy of Photoshop does everything I need.

Quite right, you shouldn't have to alter photos that much apart from cropping and maybe contrast, take them correctly in the first place, in this day and age with digi cameras even a trained monkey can do it !!!

[bauble]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Quite right, you shouldn't have to alter photos that much apart from cropping and maybe contrast, take them correctly in the first place, in this day and age with digi cameras even a trained monkey can do it !!!

Sadly Gordon, no one trained this monkey, I am a self taught idiot.

Cheers,

Bob.

[Aysedasi]

Me too.....

[GORDON STREETER]

Easy peasy!

[bauble]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Easy peasy!

Where was I when you took that one Gordon? You have certainly caught my better side. ie; Front not back!!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by bauble

Where was I when you took that one Gordon? You have certainly caught my better side. ie; Front not back!!