[gh patriot]

Let me preface this thread with the fact that Im a newbie.

It seems that the more I learn about photography, the more it seems that you have to be a PP guru. I feel so overwhelmed everytime I read about people creating layers, feathering, HDR and and the thousands of other things you can do post processing.

I use Picasa 3 and zoombrowser (canon software) to do basic fixes. I am starting to alter tone curves and individual RGB levels but I just feel like an idiot when everyone starts talking about photoshop.

Is it necessary to (attempt to) master photoshop or GIMP or could I focus on maybe getting really good at using Elements or some other "easier" software.

I almost feel like Ill never measure up unless I get really good at PP. It seems like my photos look like snapshots compared to the images that someone that is good with PS or the like.



Any suggestions on where to begin in learning to be proficient in PP would be a great help because right now it feels like Im trying to scale Mt. Everest


Thanks in advance, you guys rock!