Photoshop: Hello, all! I have been a beginner for sometime now. And, I was never introduced to "photoshop." I wish to learn more about and to improve the subjects I am taking. Wish to...

photo3333

Hello, all!

I have been a beginner for sometime now. And, I was never introduced to "photoshop." I wish to learn more about and to improve the subjects I am taking.
Wish to enhance photos to make them close to perfection--if possible!

Any suggestions would be most helpful to me. (Camera I'm using is a Canon Rebel 6T/1300D.)

Thanks for your assistance!

MtnMan Loc: ID

Photoshop is a very complex program. While you can do a lot with it you'd jave to invest a lot of time learning it.

Adobe's Lightroom program is much easier to learn and use.

You can get a monthly subscription to both for $9.99. I recommend you start by learning Lightroom.

photo3333

Thanks, MtnMan. Will check out your suggestion!

NJLen Loc: Freehold, NJ, USA

Adobe Photoshop Elements is Photoshop for beginners. It has many of the adjustments that you find in Photoshop, certainly the ones that most non-pros would use, and it guides you through them. Another advantage is that it's inexpensive and you buy it outright; you don't have to pay monthly which gets expensive.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Do you have good computer skills and understand your computer's file structure, where things are being stored and how? That's a must. Lightroom and Photoshop Elements use a data base to create a catalogue of where your photos are stored and you can categorize them with subject tags so you can easily find them. Elements uses a version of Lightroom's catalogue since they're both Adobe products. Photoshop doesn't have an organizer and you need its companion program Bridge for that. I suspect that some folks get by without these organizing programs but you have to be pretty learned in your computer's operating and file systems to organize all your pictures efficiently. I use Photoshop Elements for my editing. It's a stripped down version of Photoshop, costs about $80, does everything I need it to do with a simple learning curve with Quick, Guided, and Expert modes.

PhotoKurtz Loc: Carterville, IL

Purchase Ben Willmore PS tng. Priceless and easy to refer back to.

MtnMan Loc: ID

NJLen wrote:

Adobe Photoshop Elements is Photoshop for beginners. It has many of the adjustments that you find in Photoshop, certainly the ones that most non-pros would use, and it guides you through them. Another advantage is that it's inexpensive and you buy it outright; you don't have to pay monthly which gets expensive.

The new version has some easier modes. It is a reasonable starter also.

I stuggled with it till I got Scott Kelby's book. The videos are nice but since most things take multiple steps it is hard to learn by following a video.

Unlike the books that take you through each feature of the program Kelby takes you through step by step to results. He solved three months of frustration in three days.

That was with an older version of Elements. They made a major user oriented upgrade with version 12 so I hope all later versions are easier to learn. They are up to version 15 or 16. You can still get the still photography version for about $50 from time to time.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

There are a whole host of post processing programmes. Photoshop and Lightroom are probably the best known and probably have the most literature available. That said there are a lot of alternatives - some free and some to pay for.
Try Gimp for free. It is as well known as photoshop and works. The learning curve is similar too......!
google 'image post processing' and see what you can 'start with for free' just to see 'what and how much' you could do to your images. Get a flavour of the work involved and then see if you enjoy it or hate it.

Shoot Raw + Jpg, The Raw image allows greater post processing. you convert it to Jpg afterwards and add even more PP if you wish.

PS a bad image remains a bad image no matter what you do....you can spend a lot of time 'learning' this.

have fun

photo3333

Thank you one and all! You have pointed me in the right direction(s). (Appreciate each of the recommendations offered. Stay tuned. I aim to prove
my photography with the use of one of the above!)

cthahn

PS and LR are totally different. Each one compliants the other. You get both plus bridge for $10.00 a month.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

MtnMan wrote:

Photoshop is a very complex program. While you can do a lot with it you'd jave to invest a lot of time learning it.

Adobe's Lightroom program is much easier to learn and use.

You can get a monthly subscription to both for $9.99. I recommend you start by learning Lightroom.

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

photo3333 wrote:

Hello, all!

I have been a beginner for sometime now. And, I was never introduced to "photoshop." I wish to learn more about and to improve the subjects I am taking.
Wish to enhance photos to make them close to perfection--if possible!

Any suggestions would be most helpful to me. (Camera I'm using is a Canon Rebel 6T/1300D.)

Thanks for your assistance!

Lightroom is fairly easy and intuitive to me, whereas i find PS just overwhelming. 90% of what you nee to process can likely be done in LR. There are several decent instructional videos on YouTube.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

photo3333 wrote:

Hello, all!

I have been a beginner for sometime now. And, I was never introduced to "photoshop." I wish to learn more about and to improve the subjects I am taking.
Wish to enhance photos to make them close to perfection--if possible!

Any suggestions would be most helpful to me. (Camera I'm using is a Canon Rebel 6T/1300D.)

Thanks for your assistance!

You can try Affinity Photo. It works as well or better than Photoshop, only costs $50, but you can try it for 30 days for free. You own it, not just rent it. Many youtube tutorials to help you get started.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Hi,
If you have not used post processing software and have a Windows 10 computer, Photo Gallery is available to you. It may be in Accessories. It offers some easy to use editing tools and a viewer of your photos. Another beginner's FREE program is FastStone. I suggest you start with a free one, get your feet wet and then decide upon more complex and versatile programs for purchase. Elements, a baby Photoshop, offers three levels of learning. Post Processing is fun, but there is a pretty steep learning curve.
Good luck.
Mark

photo3333 wrote:

Hello, all!

I have been a beginner for sometime now. And, I was never introduced to "photoshop." I wish to learn more about and to improve the subjects I am taking.
Wish to enhance photos to make them close to perfection--if possible!

Any suggestions would be most helpful to me. (Camera I'm using is a Canon Rebel 6T/1300D.)

Thanks for your assistance!

dynaquest1 Loc: Austin, Texas

MtnMan wrote:

Photoshop is a very complex program. While you can do a lot with it you'd have to invest a lot of time learning it.

Adobe's Lightroom program is much easier to learn and use.

You can get a monthly subscription to both for $9.99. I recommend you start by learning Lightroom.

I have purchased Lightroom 4, 5 and 6....hoping each time that I would like it. I still don't because it is a confusing, complex workflow interface. I always go back to Photoshop's Adobe Camera RAW which pretty much uses the same engine in a more user friendly interface. That said, Photoshop IS complex and I would recommend Photoshop Elements as a place to start. It is way less expensive and likely will do everything you need at your level. Good Luck.