Furbugsy Loc: NJ

I want to learn how to edit photos with PS or other editing programs , but at 76 and not being the sharpest knife in the draw , I need someone to show me how to do it , or get a simple editing program that’s not difficult..
I at the moment use the simple apple editing program but I want something more. Thank you in advance for your help.
Furbugsy

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I had a difficult time learning how to edit photos. Then I bought a book by Scott Kelby and it made it seem so easy. So if you buy a program he has a book on you can't go wrong getting his book. Lightroom is much less complex than photoshop.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Many people say they need a book or a live coach. If you have a good internet connection and reasonable computer, you can watch nearly endless amounts of free video training. You need a relatively new / powerful computer to run the editing software, so such a computer will handle the video needs too.

You may not be able to ask questions like in class, but you can pause and replay any portion of the video over and over until you get the idea / technique being presented. There's more authors than you can watch. So, if you don't like someone, just find someone else. Save the author names and save the links / topics to a local digital notepad (Word doc, spreadsheet, etc) and return to those topics when you need them.

Have one window open to an image you're actively editing and the video in another window so you can follow along in your work, as well as pausing the presentation (or replaying) in another window.

If you go with the Adobe subscription, there is subscriber-only video training content on the Adobe.com website, also 'free' with your Adobe sign-on credentials. Others will add their favorite authors, try googling for "Anthony Morganti Lightroom" as an initial video trainer. Change the search to PhotoShop if you want start there.

Don't pay for anything until you've exhausted the free content.

tramsey Loc: Texas

Take a look at GIMP. First the good parts: 1. It's FREE 2. It's very close to photo shop. That's if for the good parts. Now the not so good, 1. It has a pretty steep learning curve. I still relie on tutorial on You Tube and on UHH. I use that and also FastStone Image Viewer also free. It's pretty straight forward and VERY basic, don't expect to be able to replace something but you can repair and even take things out with practice. It to is free
I'll let the others tell you about all the good ones

fergmark Loc: norwalk connecticut

If you could connect with other photographers in your area you would probable benefit from someone showing you, how to do some of the basic things and get started. Photoshop can be very intimidating, but its not that complex to perform some of the basic things. At least for me it helped me a lot when I got started, rather than trying to follow online presentations.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Anthony Morganti on You Tube has a great, free, tutorial set. I would advise you at least take a look at it

bluezzzzz Loc: Stamping Ground, KY

You might want to investigate Adobe Photoshop Elements, as an easier gateway into photo editing than full Photoshop.

https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

There is a slew of tutorials, also, and the entry-level Quick Edit is about as basic as it gets.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/tutorials.html

Good luck,

Marshall

Drip Dry McFleye

From personal experience, I would recommend Photoshop Elements and Scott Kelby's book to go with it. Elements is way more capable than a lot of people think. I think the name inclines people to think it will only handle very basic edits but that is far from reality. It also has three modes: Quick Fix, Guided and Expert and you can go from one mode to another and back again during an edit. Kelby's book is very helpful. It doesn't cover every possible question but it certainly goes far enough that you will likely use it for a good long time. It's also set up so that it's hard to screw up an image beyond recovery.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

If your using PS, Feel free to send me a message. I'll share whatever knowledge or skill i can.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The best advice I can offer is to join a local photo club. There you'll find lots of people in your situation, and others that have editing skills that they are willing to share. I much prefer this to buying a book or online course. But it all depends on your learning style. Some like books, others like online videos, others prefer show-and-tell in an interactive setting, and so on.

But the key to learning how to edit photos is learning how to look at your work critically and determine what improvements you'd like to make, then go about researching how to make the changes. With editing programs there are often multiple ways to achieve the result you are seeking - some are easy and can produce decent results, others are more complex and often can produce better results.

Additionally, I would suggest not wasting time with free programs that have little support. When Photoshop was distributed on media and you could buy it at a retail store or mail order - it used to cost $1000 and if upgrading from a previous version around $250. Today, Photoshop is available as a downloadable subscription - like a magazine, but with technical support and a user base of over 10,000,000 to draw from the collective experiences of the members of that user base. At $120/yr it's a bargain. Some will irrationally object to the monthly payment method of a subscription - and prefer to "own" a perpetual license. Unfortunately Photoshop is no long sold this way - too expensive for the end user, and to expensive to maintain from a developer's point of view. You can get a version of Photoshop - Photoshop Elements - that may serve your needs though it does fall short of the capabilities found in full Photoshop, and it cannot be upgraded. If you get a new camera or lens that is not supported on your version, you always have the option to replace it with the current version. It sells for $80.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I am 78 and I study every chance I get. Practice, practice, practice what you to study.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I'm a huge fan of PS Elements. As mentioned, one great feature IMO is the division of Quick, Guided and Expert sections. If you start with Quick, you won't feel immediately overwhelmed. Then, at your own pace, you can decided when to dip your toe into the Expert end of the pool

They have a 30-day free trial, check it out!
https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements/whats-new.html

.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"but at 76 and not being the sharpest knife in the draw , I need someone to show me how to do it ,"

I'm only a year behind you!

I learn visually meaning that books slow me down. I also seem to learn in a traditional "building block" style. First the foundation, then build up. That means an organized class or course. Lynda.com, now LinkedIn Learning and owned by Microsoft, is a vast collection of online courses, including photo processing programs. Normally you pay for it, but most public libraries will provide it.

Don't pick a simple one. At our age we NEED brain exercise. Programs like Lightroom and Photoshop are complex and provide plenty of brain exercise.

In short, take an online class that is well produced and thorough.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Kelby One offers lots of step by step classes on-line. Not sure how much it costs for memberships anymore.
Youtube is also a good source for free.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

coolhandluke,

What I dislike about YouTube is the randomness. It is excellent for looking up specific procedures. But, if trying to learn a program from scratch, the teaching and learning principles in a structured class have great value!