software

[Jeniferdwn]

Does anyone know of a good reasonable prices or preferably free software that is really good for photo editing? I'd like to be able to combine pictures and edit them more than what windows will allow. Any suggestions?

 

[alloyd1170]

Many people like Adobe's Photoshop series. It's what I use. If you're a student, you can get the student version which is a lot cheaper (just need to prove you're a student when you register the product).

 

[Porktitioner]

I agree with Photoshop. To save some money, get the Elements version (like the one that comes on new computers). Then you can upgade to the CS version for the upgrade price. Saved me a ton of money, and now I have the full CS version.

 

[pgowder]

Try Lightroom! It is built for photographers. Even Scott Kelby, THE photoshop guys, says he spends 80% of his time in Lightroom.

You can catch it on sale for $99.

 

[Jeniferdwn]

Wow, thesse are expensive. I'll look at them and see which one I can use. To be more specific, is there one of these that are listed that you have used to move a person or item from one photo and add it to another photo? I need one that is very user friendly.

 

[Porktitioner]

You can "move" people from one photo to another in Photoshop. Not sure about Lightroom.

 

[boBQuincy]

Since you are looking for "free" I would recommend looking at GIMP. It is similar to Photoshop in some ways and may do what you want. Support is dodgy since it is free, but the users community can sometimes answer your questions.

http://www.gimp.org/

 

[SrisonS]

Since you are looking for "free" I would recommend looking at GIMP. It is similar to Photoshop in some ways and may do what you want. Support is dodgy since it is free, but the users community can sometimes answer your questions.

http://www.gimp.org/

I'd also suggest looking into GIMP. I'm not sure if it supports RAW files though, if that's what you shoot in. It could've change though. I haven't used it in over a year. But it's pretty expansive for Freeware.

 

[BillyBuff]

If combining photos and doing minor adjustments then you deinitely don't need the "pro" version of Adobe Photoshop.

Check out Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopel/

 

[Coach K]

Check this site out-you might see something that you can afford. You can download the program you want and they give you installation instructions. I purchased InDesign CS5 for $65- which was something like 90% off! You get the full version of the program; not a trial version. It's worth a look.

http://teclabs.org/

 

[kshark]

I'm pretty heavily invested in software now, but I agree the best free option is GIMP. Next up, and for a small investment, would be Lightroom. There is a new layers plugin from onOne for Lightroom that looks very interesting. The cataloging and editing power of Lightroom is very impressive for the price.

I would use Lightroom until you find there is something that you just can't get done and then invest in Photoshop Elements or CS5.

As mentioned, if you have a student in the family Adobe offers very generous discounts.

 

[GrillMouster]

Wow, thesse are expensive. I'll look at them and see which one I can use. To be more specific, is there one of these that are listed that you have used to move a person or item from one photo and add it to another photo? I need one that is very user friendly.

Like others said, GIMP is free, but finding support can be tricky, because it's not widely used. The best bang-for-the-buck in the Adobe stable of products is Adobe Photoshop Elements. Lightroom doesn't do layers or the "people swapping" that you asked specifically about. Forget about the regular version of Photoshop; it's overkill. The "Elements" version contains 99.9% of what photographers need.

You sound like you have no experience with this kind of retouching, so here's a little warning: swapping people/objects isn't as simple as you may think if you want it to be remotely believable. The selection needs to be precise and not too hard or soft-edged. Detailed areas like hair and tree branches can be especially difficult to select and separate from its background. The exposure, color cast, light direction, and level of grain and detail of the object needs to be adjusted to match that of the image it's being inserted into. You may also need to paint in believable shadows to make the inserted object feel as though it was a part of the original scene. The good news is that there are tons of tutorials out there on the web and in books.

 

[poplover777]

picasa 3 from google for basic editing. Free

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

I say start with elements, and if you like it, then upgrade to Lightroom

 

[pgowder]

I say start with elements, and if you like it, then upgrade to Lightroom

They are pretty close to the same price.

Lightroom is $68 right now at Academic Superstore:
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Adobe/Photoshop+Lightroom/1391249

PS Elements is $66.

I think, for the $, you'll get a lot more mileage out of Lightroom.

 

[Shutterbug]

I agree with the others that have suggested Elements 9. If you want to do any type of fun things with your photos(like combining photos) besides just processing them, then Elements 9 is the software to use. There are even some built in guides to help you create some neat effects.

If you dont need it right away, sign up for Newegg.com email specials I have seen Elements on sale for as low as 50.00 in the past.

 

[Shutterbug]

They are pretty close to the same price.

Lightroom is $68 right now at Academic Superstore:
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Adobe/Photoshop+Lightroom/1391249

PS Elements is $66.

I think, for the $, you'll get a lot more mileage out of Lightroom.

That is the Teacher Student edition though.

 

[GrillMouster]

They are pretty close to the same price.

Lightroom is $68 right now at Academic Superstore:
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Adobe/Photoshop+Lightroom/1391249

PS Elements is $66.

I think, for the $, you'll get a lot more mileage out of Lightroom.

I love Lightroom for global editing and batch processing, but the OP said she wanted something that she could use for compositing, and LR doesn't do that. Besides, PS Elements includes Adobe Camera Raw, so it can do all the fundamental RAW processing that LR does and more.

 

[pgowder]

I love Lightroom for global editing and batch processing, but the OP said she wanted something that she could use for compositing, and LR doesn't do that. Besides, PS Elements includes Adobe Camera Raw, so it can do all the fundamental RAW processing that LR does and more.

Yes, I understood that. But that is a one time need. I was just trying to recommend the best solution for the long run.