Best User-Friendly Post-Production Software

Greetings,

Best post-production software? Probably PS ... PhotoShop CS ... right? It's what the pros use after all. But ... user-friendly and easy to learn?

And what about those who don't really need ALL the bells and whistles offered by PS? I've been getting by with Ulead Photo Explorer ... a smaller scale ... really simplied program that does the bare essentials for those with limited $ means. Fine ... as far as it goes.

Now I want to upgrade to something that offers more ... without going all out with PhotoShop CS. So what about PhotoShop Elements?

Do any of you use this program? How do you like it? Does it satisfy the needs of the serious aviation photographer?

User experiences ... pros and cons ... specific comments and suggestions ... are most welcomed. Thanks.

Mike (shamrock838)

I've used Elements...

There is no other editing program that gets anywhere near the power that Photoshop CS series packs. My advice? Get a copy of CS2 and use some tutorials to learn about it. There is really nothing else that compares.

When I got my 300D, it came with Elements v2.0. I used that for over a year before upgrading to the full version of PhotoShop. Elements should give you just about everything you need for basic photo processing. If I remember, one function that Elements lacks (at least in the earlier version I used) was Curves (You can adjust exposure using Levels - and even with the full PS, I still use Levels).

Elements is a good (and inexpensive) way to learn PhotoShop - most of the menus and commands are common between programs, and it will do a good job of post-processing your photos.

I have used Corel Paint Shop Pro for a cheap alternative. It has come closer and closer to photoshop in the last few years.

I just got Adobe Lightroom but haven't had a chance to really work with it.

If you are looking for hardware/software there are two computer fairs that roam the New York Area:

http://www.tri-statefairs.com/

http://www.marketpro.com/