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Looking for photo editing software

9 years ago

DD just had twins and the photos are flowing! DSIL has a terrific digital camera with good lenses. I'm looking for editing software to do things like smooth skin tones, blur backgrounds, change color intensity, etc.

I looked at buying Photoshop only to learn that it is now a monthly/annual fee service. I know me. I'm highly interested right now, but my interest is likely to wane. I don't want to be locked into a monthly payment.

I looked on eBay and found some Photoshop packages for sale. I'm skittish about that because I'm not sure it is legal or ethical.

Several years ago, I got fairly adept at using Picnick, only to have it shut down!

What would you recommend for a hobbyist? (sometimes the terms like "layers" baffle, although I finally learned what "Bokeh" meant, so it would be helpful if there were online tutorials)

Featured Answer

cacocobird

9 years ago

Photoshop Elements is excellent. It has most of the basic Photoshop advantages.

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Comments (7)

User
9 years ago
caco has good recommendation.

As Photoshop Element is such a popular software, you could find many users, and it is unlikely the company would be out of business in the foreseeable future.

Costco or Amazon have good price on the software.

You could also take a Photoshop Element class at your local community college through online or in person. I took one years ago, and am planning to register for the spring session to learn about updates in the current version.

The course is still very affordable, it offers structured learning, and you will have a instructor and classmates to help you with questions, tips & tricks.
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bbstx
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks all. For Christmas, I ended up buying my SIL a one year subscription to the online Adobe Photography Package. It includes Photoshop, Lightroom, and Lightroom mobile (or something like that). If he likes it and learns to use it, he can do all the editing. And, I can keep renewing his subscription every year for his Christmas present!
Elizabeth
9 years ago
Paint Shop Pro. A one time purchase and all the features of Photoshop.
bbstx thanked Elizabeth
User
9 years ago
GIMP
bbstx thanked User
groundbeef1
9 years ago
Get lightroom 6. It was the last one sold by Adobe that doesn't require a subscription. Unless your SIL is a professional photographer (in which case she should be getting the subscription for a tax writeoff) Lightroom will more than suffice.
bbstx thanked groundbeef1
bbstx
Original Author
9 years ago
gb, thanks for your thoughts. My question was from nearly a year ago. I ended up paying for a subscription to Photoshop for my son-in-law.

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