software articles/advice

[praline3001]

I currently use Corel paint shop pro photo. I am *guessing* I am going to want something more updated and have more features on it than I currently have.

At the same time I don't want to buy a million software programs before finding the one I want.

I have tried looking up articles on here for edit programs and the features of each but I might be more doofus than anything but I can't seem to find any? Could someone point me in the right direction if there are articles explaining software programs and which are the best to use and why?

What do you find most helpful?

[inkista]

What is it that you want to do that PaintShopPro Photo isn't letting you? I'm not familiar with it, but looking over the feature list on the website, it's got most of the basics covered, including curves and layers. What is it that's making you guess you need something more?

The most common answer you're likely to get is Photoshop--it's kind of an industry standard for photo manipulation at a pixel level. But a full commercial license is around $500. So if you need free software, the open source Gimp is probably the next program you'd get pointed to.

Also a lot of folks use packages in concert together. The two big photography workflow tools for editing, organizing, and processing are LightRoom and Aperture (OSX only). For example, someone might dump a card's contents into LightRoom, organize, keyword tag, and do basic photography adjustments/editing there, but then edit the file in Photoshop for compositing or more advanced manipulation. I do that, but I also use three or four more pieces of software for panorama stitching and presentation in concert with the Adobe packages.

[praline3001]

The issue very well might be between the monitor and the computer chair

I am not sure what curves are? I do basic crop/resize/ will fiddle with the colors and light... sometimes use the filters that come with the program but that is the extent of what I know how to do.

Where is a good place to start reading on how to use my edit program(s) to their full extent? I don't have an owners manual to them as they were internet downloads.

[praline3001]

I guess I should add that after viewing all of the GREAT post production edit jobs here ... ohhhh I got the bug and I want to play too!
I just don't know HOW

[SusanH1970]

Praline, there are tons of tutorials on the internet. Google "how do I (fill in the blank) with (whatever software)?

I use Elements 7 (which is a much less pricey, but not as powerful, version of Photoshop) and have learned how to do so much just by finding tutorials like that.

[Jim Bryant]

In photo shop you open up an image in photoshop, go to image-adjustments - curves.You can finely adjust highlights, middle tones and dark areas of a photograph. Instead of going into levels or auto levels.

Abode's photo elements would work for you until you get the urge to make the jump. I think it's only about $60.00 instead of CS4, which is about $500.00. Adobe photoshop is for serious users who want to bring out the best in your digital images and transform them into anything you can imagine.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by praline3001

... I am not sure what curves are?

Ah. Try this tutorial. It's probably the best one I've seen on level/curve adjustments anywhere. Curves is like levels but with a lot more control. Levels is being able to try and shape your histogram towards something more ideal. If you don't know what histograms are, don't worry. The tutorial will lay it all out for you; it's Photoshop-based, but should still be useful. There are a lot of "mouse-over" examples, where you can see the levels/curve and the results on the image.

[praline3001]

Originally Posted by inkista

Ah. Try this tutorial. It's probably the best one I've seen on level/curve adjustments anywhere. Curves is like levels but with a lot more control. Levels is being able to try and shape your histogram towards something more ideal. If you don't know what histograms are, don't worry. The tutorial will lay it all out for you; it's Photoshop-based, but should still be useful. There are a lot of "mouse-over" examples, where you can see the levels/curve and the results on the image.

That's what I need! Thanks SOOO much!!!!!!! I am trying to learn this stuff and have no idea of what 50% of what is being said
I have always just used the very basic touch ups for my photos... family snapshots. I have never tried to *go manual mode* on my software ~ you have opened my eyes to way more fiddling than should be allowed by law

[oldwolf]

I use Paint Shop Pro X2 and have used it since its early days. The program can do just about anything that Photoshop can do. It's a matter of learning how to use the program.

This might help you a bit converting PS terms to PSP terms:

Photoshop to Paint Shop Pro dictionary

[praline3001]

Originally Posted by oldwolf

I use Paint Shop Pro X2 and have used it since its early days. The program can do just about anything that Photoshop can do. It's a matter of learning how to use the program.

This might help you a bit converting PS terms to PSP terms:

Photoshop to Paint Shop Pro dictionary

I did some reading last night... I did some fiddling around with what I learned and got some (I think) great results. I need to do a lot more reading but you guys opened my eyes to tons of new features for post production!!!! I thought I was good because I knew what burn and dodge meant boy the more I read the more I realize I know NOTHING about photography LOL