There is a free alternative to Photoshop, GIMP. It does a lot of what Photoshop does and may be just what you need.
No, I don't use GIMP, although I have tried it.
I still prefer Photoshop, even with their 18 month upgrade schedule and their silly activation scheme, and their blocking of valid images (try scanning and opening an image of a dollar bill), and their .... on and on.
Its just still the best.
boB