Adobe Lightroom 3 vs. Photoshop CS5 extended

[apush2011]

I think I'm leaning toward Photoshop Elements, simply because it's cheap, are there any major disadvantages to Elements?

[spcandrew]

I have both (LR3 and PS CS5) as well as Elements. For my work flow, I use LR3 to import and catalog my files, and also use LR3 do adjust basic adjustments of white balance, exposure, vibrance, clarity, etc. However, a lot of what I do requires working with layers so after I adjust in LR3, I'll open it up in CS5 for final editing and sharpening.

A cheap way of getting CS5 is to sign up for a photography class or something at a community college, then you can get student pricing for Photoshop CS5. I signed up for a photography class for $50, then purchased a student version on the adobe website and submitted my registration from the community college which they reviewed and then approved my license for activation.

[PhotoRebel4]

You might consider Lightroom and PSE if your budget doesn't allow. I've been using PSE for a while and am considering adding LR for my general photo editing. I'm running the free trial of LR right now and I'm really liking it so far. But I'll still keep PSE to cover the things that LR doesn't.

[apush2011]

Thanks again everyone! Quick question, does anyone have any experience with GIMP? Are there any major disadvantages to using it instead of LR, PS, or PSE?

[KristineMN]

If you have a Mac, Pixelmator is a cheaper alternative to try out a photoshop type editing program. While I've had photoshop in the past (for PC) I couldn't justify buying the Mac version when I switched computers because I didn't use it daily. I found Pixlmator to be a reasonable alternative. While I also have Lightroom, I use Aperture even more.