funfotos Loc: NY but now in Fl

NEW Dell Picture Studio Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 4 is an old program but great & simple. Cannot do as much as the new Photoshop but it's easy to use. You can find it on Ebay for about $7.00
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=dell+photo+shop+&_sacat=0&_odkw=dell+photo+shop+5&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

GIMP is FREE

mwoods222 Loc: Newburg N.Y,

for the life of me I don't understand why change what I see to something other then what I see
Pacasa does a nice gob to enhance what I see but it is still what i see

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

If you are a Mac user, I recommend Aperture. I use both Aperture and CS5; both have their strengths. I would say Aperture is easier to use. I also use NIX filter plug-ins to make the work a little easier. None of these are cheep.

Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine

Ansel Adams: "Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships"

Because the eye scans a scene, changing aperture as it does, and because the brain then processes that information, you don't "see" what the cameras "sees". At its most basic, PP exists to narrow the gap between your eye and the camera.

Cheers,

R.

GRECOS

yes picture window pro. from digital light &color.www.dl-c.com

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Capability requires complexity. There's no getting around it. You simply must hang in there during the long learning curve. Then later you will wonder why you thought PhotoShop was hard to use. If there is something better than PhotoShop that is easier than PhotoShop, do you think PhotoShop would still be on the market? The only thing easier than PhotoShop is a newer version of PhotoShop which has been altered by adding features users want and features other competitors are having success with that an earlier version of PhotoShop didn't have.

Your question is actually a paradox. The concept of "better than PhotoShop" and "easy" are two unresolvable phrases that cannot coexist.

I started with PaintShop Pro version 6 and it took me forever to battle it with a big 250-page manual until I became fairly efficient. That software is similar in some ways to PhotoShop. Then Corel bought PaintShop Pro, started changing it, and altering the user interface. I hated them doing that to me and I again had to fight a learning curve, although it was a much lesser one, each time they changed the program. Now PaintShop Pro is fairly matured and so am I as a user of it. Thus their version to version changes don't throw me a big curve ball now.

I've also used PhotoShop and my PaintShop Pro knowledge transferred over quite well although I also bought a "PhotoShop CS5.1 for Dummies" book to help out. I hope to have a good reason occupationally in the future to spend PhotoShop CS5.1 level money to switch over permanently but it's not time for that yet.

I personally know for a fact that there's nothing better than PhotoShop and you certainly won't find anything better that is easier. Now if you are looking for something easier, as an amateur who doesn't need PhotoShop power and capability, there's plenty of those available (even from Adobe themselves), but don't hope for them to be as good or better than PhotoShop for professionals because that's just not going to happen.

Stef C Loc: Conshohocken (near philly) PA

Yes. Lightroom.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

The two most common are Photoshop Elements, (I think they're around version 9 or 10 now), and Lightroom, (now going to version 4.)

Since you already have Photoshop, why not go to You Tube and look for whatever you are attempting to do. You Tube has a bunch of things and I'm sure there's one for you.

Please note the Photoshop is a full editing program. You may not ever in your life use many of the things it will do and those are the things that will confuse the heck out you!

PS Elements is geared for the common photo correcting things and sounds like what you should be using.

Gimp is pretty good also, and as mentioned earlier, it's free!
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For me I like Capture One 6. I'm using their "lessor" version but still like it. (Couldn't afford the full version.)

It does just about everything common. It is slider controlled so you can see the changes very quickly as you move the slider. In my book, that makes it very easy.

http://www.phaseone.com/tutorials-pro-6
(As do many other editing programs, C1 also offers a free 30 day trial.)

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

As powerful as Photoshop? No. Free? GIMP but just as difficult.

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

pick something simple like picasa and use the hell out of it.then look for something else that expands with your needs.many of us like to keep it simple,and don't use more than 25% of the editors capabilities.

Horseart Loc: Alabama

I have Elements 6, Elements 9, Irfanview, Corel and Microsoft Digital Image, Suite 9. Digital Image is so easy. It's my favorite. It shows you what everything is as you use it, sells really cheap on Ebay, even USED will last til whatever you are running on your computer is obselete! It does almost everything you could possibly want.
There are a few advanced add-ons for Elements that I am learning and I know I will use, but DI is so easy and handy...no learning to it. I have some just because they have different effects.

chirschfield

paintshop pro is easier and does almost as much for less money.
acdsee pro is also good and I use it most of the time when I just need a few contrast/brightness tweaks and croppping.

tinosa Loc: Grand Rapids Michigan

This one is free, small, quick, and intuitive.
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

you want something better the photoshop yet easier ...... sort of like wanting something as good as a Mercedes Benz only cheap......