What program do most of you use

[yabba dabba do]

I've had my camera for awhile now, but have never really gotten into editing any of them. Just wondering what program you guys would recommend for a newbie. Thanks

[CyberDyneSystems]

What Camera?

The entry level DSLRs come with Adobe Elements.. which is a great place to start...

But in the end,. all roads lead to photoshop.... :)

[yabba dabba do]

G3

[CyberDyneSystems]

Nice,.. :)

If you haven't yet,. give a long hard look at Adobe Elements,. it really is a great deal at $99.00 retail.. but I've seen it for $50.00 on special...

The experience you get in Elements translates well to it's big brother,. Photoshop.
Should you ever decide to take the plunge,. you will allready be in tune with the interface.

[Vegas Poboy]

I have to agree with CDS, PE2 is a great way to start and if you don't ever plan on doing restorations that may be all you'll ever need. I also suggest going to the bookstore or BUY.COM and order a digital editng book to help you along the way. Scott Kelby authors a couple of great books on this subject.

[Jesper]

I shoot RAW with my 10D and use CaptureOne LE (http://www.c1dslr.com) to adjust and convert my images to TIFF. After that, I use Photoshop Elements 2.0 that came with the camera for most things. The full version of Photoshop is way too expensive here for me - I can do (almost) everything I want to do with PS Elements. If I want to do something special that's not possible with PS Elements (like 16-bit editing or converting between color spaces), I use Picture Window Pro 3.5 (http://www.dl-c.com) which I've already had for a long time.

[yabba dabba do]

thanks for all of your suggestions. I'm gonna give elements a try this weekend.

[Belmondo]

If you stay with this as a serious hobby, you will eventually want to get into the full version of Photoshop. It is the de facto standard for image editing, and has no peers. For the time being, PS Elements is an excellect way to get started. If you really get into the nuts and bolts of it, there will be less to learn when you make the leap to the full verson of PS.

In the meantime, if you do shoot RAW, Capture One LE is an excellent program (as others have already said).

Personal opinion:
The G3 is arguably the best, most versatile 4MP P&S camera that's ever been offered by anyone. Now that the P&S resolution explosion has leap-frogged up to 8mp, you will find that the images produced by your G3 still hold up very favorably.

[Bytes U]

I personally use Photoshop 7 but many novices find it has a very steep learning curve. I have read great reviews from people who try Jasc's PaintShopPro $79US (http://www.jasc.com/products/paintshoppro/) as their first image editing program. They have a (60 day?) shareware version you can download and try out first.

[aberdeen]

Hi!

If you are new to digital, I would go with Photoshop Elements and the book on Photoshop Elements by Scott Kelby. There is a lot to learn with this program, but after you get the hang of it, you will not use anything else but Photoshop.

I'm personally using Photoshop CS and I love it. It's a powerful program and allows me the flexibility I need.

Cheers!

Aberdeen

[TeraGram93013]

I've had my camera for awhile now, but have never really gotten into editing any of them. Just wondering what program you guys would recommend for a newbie. Thanks

Here's what I recommend for a newbie:

Go take a class!

(Aside: I really do wish folks would at least mention what State (if in the US) or Country (if outside) they're from so one can make more solid suggestions.)

Books are fine and all that, but if you take a class from someone who is knowledgeable you'll learn so much quicker and be corrected on your errors more effectively.

In many places there are "Adult Ed" classes which are sometimes one night a week for 4 or 5 weeks or sometimes just a 5 hour seminar on a Saturday or Sunday. Here in CA they're so cheap that I swear you'll spend more on LUNCH than the class.


It is so easy to develop bad habits with Photoshop, habits that can have bad results for your images.

So, check around. See what kind of classes are available in your area.

[JZaun]

I am from Virginia and I wish taking a class was an option. the closest one is In wasinngton DC,, 120 miles, 3 days, you have to bring your own computer and PS software.. Nominal cost of $500 plus room and board,,ha. I guess I will just keep pluging along with books and the prog.

This may be an opportunity for someone to start a business traveling and teaching!!!

JZaun

[TeraGram93013]

I am from Virginia and I wish taking a class was an option. the closest one is In wasinngton DC,, 120 miles, 3 days, you have to bring your own computer and PS software.. Nominal cost of $500 plus room and board,,ha. I guess I will just keep pluging along with books and the prog.

You didn't search very hard!

Photoshop Level I (http://www.ccwa.vccs.edu/srchResults.cfm?term=PhotoShop Level 1&crsCat=yes)

Meets from 9am to 4pm, two Fridays in a row, once in March and again in May (two different sections). You've got lots of time to request "personal days" from your employer. Cost? $359. Not as cheap as California, but a damn sight better than what you quoted above.

You seem to have a variety-rich Community College system out there in Virginia! The class I quote above is part of the Community College Workforce Alliance. Check it out!