Hey you Loc: Tampa Florida

I bought Elements 10 thinking it would help me edit pics. I bought a book with a tutorial CD as well.... I am absolutely frustrated... Doesn't seem like it should be so complicated. Any suggestions to a program I might start with to help me get the main understandings of editing .... before I try something that professionals master? Thanks

arphot Loc: Massachusetts

Try the free and easy ones. But as always, easy is a subjective. Picasa from Google is a great start. Some here have also touted Photoscape. Paint.net is another. There are many between free and inexpensive such as http://www.smartphotoeditor.com/ . . . hope this starts you out ok.

Hey you Loc: Tampa Florida

Thanks for suggestions.

Jacquie

Hi Hey You, don't get upset and stop using your program. If you have a book store close, go buy you the magazine called "Practical Photoshop", it comes with a DVD and has lots of things you can do with a step by step method. I'll post a picture of a Wedding that I done for a friend. The second one is my Granddaughter, this one I learned from the magazine I told you about. I call it "Nana's Little Sprout", the first picture I combined three pictures, really it's easier than you think, just don't give up. Tell me what your working on and let me see if I can help you.

Hey you Loc: Tampa Florida

Thanks for the encouragement ... I love the pictures too.

notnoBuddha

Seems to me many get a little to a lot irked because they try way to much at once. There are numerous books such as the "For Dummies" book series. I would suggest that you may want to narrow your focus some - what do you want to learn first, what aspect would be most helpful to you. Few master or even use all of the options in either Elements or the full version routinely, but develop and broaden their skills over time. Yes, this is mostly what others have told be as I'm stumbling around with my own problems, and photography is just a small piece of the whole.

Ronny Loc: Netherlands

I saw at Barn & Nobles a book that tells you page by page and step by step to do editing, and so on.

swimbob Loc: Columbia, S.C.

I too have elements 10 and am overwelmed by it. I bought a book that so far hasn't been much help. It turns out that elements is a very complicated program.

BUT I started going to youtube and typed in "photoshop elements 10 totorials" and watched a couple of the videos there. Some are way too complex, others just go over things too quickly so you have to look around and find what you want to do then find a video that shows you how it's done. I also recomend you take notes.

It seems like a lot of trouble to go through but it's probably the best training tool out there because you can narrow down just what effects you're trying to learn to do and focus on them.

Hope this helps.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

You Tube is a great resource. You can search any 'element' of Elements and probably find a tutorial video.
If you are considering switching, look for free 30 day trial of any program and test drive first.

LindaChaplin Loc: South Dakota

I have been using Elements 10 for a few months, as well. I recently purchased Scott Kelby's book from Amazon and I would definitely recommend it as a great resource as you learn how to use a Elements. Don't give up. Part of the fun is just trying different things. Linda

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Adobe has a large number of short instructional videos available online. I think it must be the best kept secret on the web.

Go to http://tv.adobe.com/search/?q=elements+10 and work on one video at a time. This is a very easy way to get to learn how to do different operations in Elements.

The videos are from the company that makes the software, and they are very well-done.

hairnet1948 Loc: Eighty Four, PA (South of PGH)

The book that I use in my classroom teaching Photoshop Elements at the local community college: "Photoshop Elements the Easy Way" by Peggy Krall

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/photoshop-elements-6-the-easy-way/4996513?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/4

This book covers many of the basic tools used in Elements. It is a simple step-by-step instruction manual with tutorial exercises. The book was written for Elements 6 but works well with any newer version. After completing the exercises in this book, the student should have a solid knowledge of the use of many tools used in basic editing.

Fran Loc: Northeast, United States

I'm taking an elements course on
Lynda.com. So far it's easy to follow. It's $25 per month; but for me it's worth it. There's a lot of other info on this site as well. Like a good book; I can't put it down.

notnoBuddha

I agree this is a good site as is the Adobe site that others have cited. For information - the Adobe site is free and it does include some, but not all videos from the Lynda site in addition to other sources. I also have a slower connection and the videos seem to play better from the Adobe site.

Tea8 Loc: Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.

^^^ I agree with this statement. I recieved Elements 8 free with my laptop when I purchased it a year and a half ago. Talk about frustrated. I had only been using the Kodak program that had come with my p&s camera. I knew of things I wanted to do but I could never find out how to do them. (I hadn't really edited my pics before either) I took some bad shots that I had around on my computer and started playing with them. I started using all the different tools to get accquainted with them and then branched out from there. I learned a lot on my own but not nearly anything when compared to what was in the program. I also bought Scott Kelby's photoshop book for my version and it is so simple and easy to understand I wish I had gotten it when I first got the program.

Don't give up on Elements just use all these different resources everyone has given you. They are all great ideas. (I just prefer books to videos because sometimes it takes more than one go of it for me to learn. I like having the book to go right back to rather than having to find a video and wait on it to load and watching it, then trying to do it myself.)