What program can you recommend...

[photoguru]

..for editing pics..I am not familiar with any right now..I've heard of Photoshop, never used it..and want something that is very simple to use! Thanks

[kiley9806]

i use paint shop pro 9 for most of my post-processing. it does the trick, and it didnt cost me anything. its very user-friendly, with tips on how to use each tool when selected, and that kind of stuff. i think the more professional type photographer would maybe use photoshop, or something else im not aware of, but for what i need to do, this program has helped me out tons!

[Marko]

Photoshop elements is appreciated by many for its many features and lower price than full photoshop.
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/features/

[tirediron]

In my opinion, there are four main contenders in the image-editing software field. They are:

Adobe Photoshop CS3. Industry standard, more tools and capability than any one person is likely to use in a life time. Good help files, reasonably intuitive for most basic operations, but expensive at $700 and up depending on which package you get.

PaintShop Pro X2: About 80% of the functionality of CS3, inluding built in HDR merge functionality, and levels and curves. Uses most Photoshop plug-ins. Will do everything 99.9% of amateur and semi-pro users ever need. Must more wallet-friendly at around $90-110.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 6: The "light" version of CS3, contains most of the important functions. IMHO, not as capable as PaintShop Pro, but very close. Price typically around $110.

GIMP (Download at http://www.gimp.org). Capability between that of CS3 and PSP X2, but as this program was originally developed for the Linux OS, the user interface will be a bit of a departure for Windows users; not quite as intuitative, but once you learn how to use it VERY powerful. Price? Free!

If you have $100ish dollars to spare, I recommend PSP X2, if you're budget concious, try the Gimp. PSP is also available as a free download (Ver 10 I believe, X2 = Ver 12) when you buy certain memory cards.

[tegan]

I agree with the assessment of Tired Iron but I would also suggest that a look should be taken at Viveza by Nik Software.

It is pricey but very fast and efficient to use. It is particularly good for selecting very complex shaped areas for adjustment or brightening by just one click. No layers, no masks,...instant results.

Tegan

[Travis]

I agree with the assessment of Tired Iron but I would also suggest that a look should be taken at Viveza by Nik Software.

It is pricey but very fast and efficient to use. It is particularly good for selecting very complex shaped areas for adjustment or brightening by just one click. No layers, no masks,...instant results.

Tegan

is Viveza stand alone software? or is it just plug in for other apps?

[tegan]

is Viveza stand alone software? or is it just plug in for other apps?

I use it as a plug-in to PaintShop Pro but there may be a standalone version as well.

Try the 30 day trial version and make up your own mind whether you like it or not.

Tegan

[Travis]

i was gonna try the viviza trial after my pspx2 trial ended..... but i was so happy with pspx2 I ended up buying it....

i thought the viviza was just a plug in for CS3... i didn't know it plugged into pspx2 as well... i'll download and try it for sure.....

it would seem funny buying a $250 plug in for a $79 piece of software.

[tegan]

I am sure Travis that you will be happy with PaintShop Pro X2. CS3 is a great program but rather time consuming to use, particularly when uploading large raw files. I am going for speed in postprocessing and PaintShop Pro X2 with Nik plug-ins often accomplishes that goal. Sony's Picture Motion Browser is also great at viewing large numbers of multiple photos at a fast rate while controlling preview size.

Tegan

[Travis]

I am sure Travis that you will be happy with PaintShop Pro X2. CS3 is a great program but rather time consuming to use, particularly when uploading large raw files. I am going for speed in postprocessing and PaintShop Pro X2 with Nik plug-ins often accomplishes that goal. Sony's Picture Motion Browser is also great at viewing large numbers of multiple photos at a fast rate while controlling preview size.

Tegan

Thanks for the tip about Sony's browser..... I'll give that a go....

I'm still using Google's Picasa2 for quick image viewing etc... I really can't believe the lack of thought and ease incorporated into the viewers of BOTH PSPX2 and Elements..... and Nikons software.... It just really seems like an afterthought.... I'm a fairly heavy image user... I'll take about 1200 a month and retain about 800.... I find Picasa's browser to be a rocket when scrolling through bulk images... Sometimes I'll use Picasa for quick cropping but it's adjustment tools are quite crude...