amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You can no longer buy Photoshop for $500-$600.

Photoshop is now only offered by subscription. For $10 a month (actually $120 a year, prepaid... forever), you get BOTH Lightroom and Photoshop. That's good because they complement each other. Lightroom is primarily an organizer, with light editing capabilities (no layers, for example) and relatively basic, crude "tools". Photoshop is the mac daddy of all editing software, with minimal organizing capabilities. Hence, the two are designed to work as a team. HOWEVER, Photoshop, in particular, is very complex and has a steep learning curve. Figure on the equivalent of a year's worth of college level classes and books to really learn it as quickly as possible. Lightroom is easier.... one or two classes and/or books, maybe a month or two. With the subscription, you get regular updates of the software.

Fortunately, Adobe also offers Elements 2019. That's more of an "all in one" and much easier software to use. Elements has sort of "lite" versions of both organizing and editing tools. And it has built in help in the form of your choice of "beginner", "intermediate" or "expert" interfaces, which you can choose and switch between as you see fit. One or two classes and/or books can get most people up to speed with Elements in a month or two. Elements 2019 is currently selling for $100 (it occasionally goes on sale for a little less.. and there's a cheaper student version if you really are enrolled in college). Elements doesn't get updated as regularly as PS and LR. While there may be an occasional update, primarily Adobe just releases a new version each year, usually in October. However, there's no need to buy it unless you purchase a new camera that your current version doesn't support or Adobe adds a new feature you really, really want. Basically, you can buy Elements once and use it forever.

There's also Adobe Elements Premiere... which is video editing s'ware. It can be bought in bundle with Elements 2019, which is for still photos. Bought separately, they currently cost $100 each. Together, in a bundle, they're $150.

There's a lot of third party support for these Adobe products. Various "plug ins" can be free or relatively low cost enhancements, to further customize the software for your particular uses.

Don't worry about "layers" yet... you'll learn about those when you get the software and start working with it (unless you only get Lightroom, which doesn't have means of working in layers... also doesn't make much sense to only get Lightroom, since you have no choice but to pay for both LR and PS when you subscribe).

ronaldwrightdallas

another strong to just get the monthly adobe package for 10 plus tax. there use to be a student price, you should check into that if you are going to school.

charlienow Loc: Hershey, PA

I use Photoshop Elements and really like it...I upgrade every couple of releases...I just bought Elements 19 for 69 dollars from Best Buy...Elements is a great tool...it is simple to start with and can do most everything you need to edit photos...It can do RAW files and most any other photo file format...

I tried lightroom and did not like it...I know some folks on here swear by it and would use nothing else, but for me I never did well with it...

The full version of Photoshop has way more than I need...

Thats my 2 cents for what its worth

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Just by the array of software and how much they do would drive anybody crazy. I have been working on PS for years. But my ability on it is limited. I don’t have time to tech through all the options and layers etc etc I go on a case basis If I need to do something I look it up.
It is like read the manual or the book.
Their is a big learning curve to all these programs. And the design of the best of them is not very intuitive. Go PS and LS they are the gold standard in the photo and graphics industry. Good luck.

NCMtnMan Loc: N. Fork New River, Ashe Co., NC

Lots of good suggestions. As for understanding layers, think of it like taking a clear sheet and putting on top of your photo and then adding, deleting or changing parts of the photo without actually changing the original photo. You can add more sheets for different things or remove sheets or delete sheets. Each sheet is a layer.

ronaldwrightdallas

I am sorry that some people find LR intimidating. of course I have been using it for many years now (since beta release). I think you will learn that most photos should be taken in raw because it allows you so much leeway. The very basic use of lightroom is very simple and all that is necessary for beginning in photography. if you just do this to start and use the new auto editing and don't worry about keywords and catalogs someone who understands lightroom should be able to get you comfortable in about 30 minutes.

jtwind

The adobe $10 a month program gets you access to lots of programs including Lightroom and photoshop. There's a reason the majority of photographers use these programs. There is a learning curve but being able to "process" your photographs is equally as important to your end result as the original composition and exposure is. The greats have been processing their photos since photography started so don't let anyone tell you different. Ansel Adams spent hours in the darkroom to help bring out what he was trying to convey!

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Although I now use DXO PhotoLab Elite in place of Lightroom, I was a heavy use of it from version 3 to version 6.14. While for for some of us it is a somewhat intuitive tool which can be mastered without too much difficulty, it still requires a fairly steep learning curve for newbies. Understanding the import feature alone is often very daunting for new and sometimes experienced users. If one is coming from Picasa or some other light weight low end software program, or has no PP experience at all, Lightroom will not be "very simple" and they will NOT get comfortable with it in "about 30 minutes". The Martin Evening book on Lightroom from Adobe Press is over 1000 pages in length. Lightroom is a complex program with a steep learning curve and requires a personal time commitment and the extensive use of reading materials and/or online videos to understand how to use it properly

ron1012

Try Luminar 3, easy to use and inexpensive with good results

Old_Chief

Lots of good information here. Thanks

Kuzano

And on the same free download page it has a downloadable 90 page Tutorial.
Support is very good.

Faststone Image Viewer.

hogilbert

I would strongly recommend the PS/LR cloud at $10.00 month. If you start with one of the free programs you will probably switch to Lightroom at some point. If you have to experience a learning curve you may as well start with the one you will use for life. The organizational features of Lightroom alone are worth the $10/Month. I edit exclusively in Lightroom, switching to Photoshop (easy transitional in LR) for edits not available in LR, removing of unwanted items(power lines) and layers, etc. Faststone Image Viewer is good program for creating presentations (slide shows) and has some basic editing functions and is free.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

As stated by several others here you can no longer get Lightroom & Photoshop as a stand alone - it is subscription based and they are bundled together as well as some other software for $10 a month. Somehow when I switched over and signed up I got mine at $5 a month for a year as an introductory offer.
Although I do not like subscription based products this turned out to be the best solution for me, specially since I had been using LR & PS for years prior, and pretty easy on the checkbook. Other advantages are free software upgrades and tutorials.

djstaib Loc: Southwest Georgia

https://downloads.tomsguide.com/The-Gimp,0301-513.html

Rich Maher Loc: Sonoma County, CA

Another vote for Affinity. Great workbook.