Can I be a Professional and NOT have CS4?

[inkista]

The main difference between Photoshop and Gimp are prepress color management tools. If you're the kind of pro photographer who sends in a lot of things for professional four-color press work directly to the press yourself, with CMYK color separations, then you probably want to have Photoshop CS4. If you just want to post-process for yourself and you're fine working in RGB and don't need to navigate through multiple color spaces, then you probably don't need all the bells and whistles of Photoshop CS4.

At least, that's the way I heard it.

[kencaleno]

I use Photoshop 8 (CS), but some professional friends of mine just use Photoshop Elements.

[fletch]

Photoshop Elements is more than enough for most people. If you are processing lots of portait shoots then give the trail verision of Lightroom a try. It really is the dogs danglies when it comes to that sort of thing.

CS4 will give you loads more tools and it may make your workflow easier with things like smart objects and layer masks but for basic photography there is nothing it can do that other programs can't. When it saves you $1000 woth of time then buy it but not until. In the mean time if you have elements you won't need to re-learn everything.

[rde44]

I'm using a product by Serif called PhotoPlusX2 (there is an X3 version out). I'm happy with it. I also use a Program by BenVista called PhotoZoom Pro2

I own elements - but have never used it.

[lemonjenny]

I hesitate to say "yes" because I don't think the equipment makes the photographer, (the creativity does!) but that said, Photoshop (and lightroom) greatly extends what you're able to do with your photos, and you may have more luck reaching your creative goals with them.

However, I don't think you need CS4. CS2 or CS3 are just as good.

[BlueHeronBobcat]

I'm new to these forums but find them interesting.

I used GIMP for a couple of years and found it to be a great photo editing tool. There is a bit of a learning curve with it, but I bought some excellent books about using GIMP and they really helped.

I purchased Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 recently and I am very impressed with it also. It is significantly less expensive than Photoshop, and it has adjustment layers. It also supports most of the Adobe compatible add-ons, so you can really make it robust. In fact, I have switched from GIMP to Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 for most of my photo editing because I like the user interface of Paint Shop Pro Photo a little better.

But both GIMP and Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 are excellent photo editing tools. One is free, one costs a little. Both are less expensive than Photoshop.

[bartgragg]

Originally Posted by allyanderson

At this point in my photographic "career" I can't afford to buy Photoshop CS4. I'd love to though. Can I make do with Elements in terms of editing? I need to get something....

(my career consists of a few family portrait sessions for family and friends)

I use Corel's PaintShop Pro ($99?) quite handily. Been using it for years for enhancing photos as well as graphics. As they mention above, if your photography is sound, you really don't need much.

[k9mom]

I've used Paint Shop Pro for years also and it does an excellent job at editing photos...it also reads RAW files for most of the latest dSLRs on the market. I have CS4 now but honestly, it is so user-unfriendly compared to Paint Shop Pro...and ten times the cost. When I get frustrated with CS4 I go back to my old PSP program to do the work. And there are some things PSP does better than CS4, like red eye removal (which, IMHO, CS4 is worthless). Likewise, it is so much easier to apply and manipulate text in PSP than in CS4...

In summary, PSP, at under $100, will more than suffice the editing needs of a fledgling photographer.

[Schatzi]

Originally Posted by allyanderson

At this point in my photographic "career" I can't afford to buy Photoshop CS4. I'd love to though. Can I make do with Elements in terms of editing? I need to get something....

(my career consists of a few family portrait sessions for family and friends)

I use Picasa from Google, I really like it for warming up photos and adding a nice glow to some. I also love my Microsoft Digital Image Pro. I have the 7.0 version, and i JUST bought the 10.0 version that just got shipped out today! Im excited to try it out!!

But the microsoft was only $100 so its a lot better then CS4 or most other photoshops.

Hope that helps!

[John McCosh]

Why not look at Coral Paint Shop pro, this is a very powerful program that doesn't cost an arm or a leg. I haven't found anything that I can't do in that I have seen or read that CS4 can do.

John