Photographic Software Suggestions

**jimbo600** · 22nd August 2006, 21:25

Mate if you buy PS full version you are wasting your moolah. That is high end software for proper graphic designer/photographer types. It would be like buying a Ferrari F40 to pop to the shops for milk and bread. I am in the business and for you PS elements would be more than adequate, at a fraction of the cost.

**jazbug5** · 22nd August 2006, 21:48

Originally Posted by Big Dave

I use it for most of my layouts as well - all of these were created in Photoshop.
http://www.davidcohen.co.nz/adrenders/index.htm...

Just curious, Dave- doesn't that tend to do unpleasant things to the type?
If you have CS, that presumably would include InDesign- very easy to use, way more accessible for Photoshop heads than Quark anyway... but I'd be interested to know your opinion on it if you are still choosing to do layouts in Photoshop.

**Big Dave** · 22nd August 2006, 22:18

Originally Posted by jazbug5

Just curious, Dave- doesn't that tend to do unpleasant things to the type?
If you have CS, that presumably would include InDesign- very easy to use, way more accessible for Photoshop heads than Quark anyway... but I'd be interested to know your opinion on it if you are still choosing to do layouts in Photoshop.

Save as .eps and distill a .pdf in acrobat and type remains vector. over 16/18pt rasterised type is OK if using effects too. Some fonts are a bit flakey from psd true - the ones in the Triumph ads were a pain - changed now - but generally no dramas.

Yeah - I like indesign if it's got a lot of type now - it's all drag and drop from psd.

Conversely my stuff/style generally has lots of shadows, reflections and transparency - PSD is more reliable - and up until quite recently I was on Quark for lays.

Now I go horses for courses - I'm designing a new mag for a client from scratch now and doing it in indesign - I did a single page lay 10mins ago in psd. No rules - depends on source files, images, and the brief.

**Big Dave** · 22nd August 2006, 22:31

Originally Posted by jimbo600

Mate if you buy PS full version you are wasting your moolah. That is high end software for proper graphic designer/photographer types. It would be like buying a Ferrari F40 to pop to the shops for milk and bread. I am in the business and for you PS elements would be more than adequate, at a fraction of the cost.

Yeah - I do agree - but then as I was talking to 'the Ed' about the bike when i took the ZX14 back earlier today - he said 'you should always get the most horsepower you can afford - no telling when you'll need it'.

**Darkman** · 22nd August 2006, 23:13

I play around with both PS and paint shop pro..think paint shop pro is much easier to use .....but don't go buy either of these..2 much money

**Beemer** · 22nd August 2006, 23:22

I used the first version of Photoshop Elements for about five years but when I upgraded to a Nikon D200 and got the chance to buy Photoshop CS2 for a good price, I jumped at the chance. Right now it has far more than I need, but once I start really playing with it I'm sure it won't be a waste. But having said that, I used Elements for all my work as a photographer for years and never had any complaints. It is easy to use - I passed my copy on to a friend's son and he's only nine or 10!

One thing I have found with CS2 that I can't find any mention of in the books is regarding file naming. I take heaps of shots around our home of sunsets, plants, etc and used to name them in a date format - 1.8.6.3 = first of August 2006, shot 3, etc but if I try this in CS2 I then can't open the saved file. Instead of a thumbnail I get an icon and when I click on it I get a message saying it does not recognise the file format. So at this stage I have to call it 1aug63 etc. which is a pain. I could get around it by calling the file 0108063 but it doesn't make it easy to find a particular shot! Has anyone else come across this and is it the fullstops that create the problem?

**Pathos** · 23rd August 2006, 01:28

thoroughly try the gimp before spending money and not getting what you need.

http://www.gimp.org/ <- the original
http://www.gimpshop.com/ <- photoshop lookalike version (recommended)

Find if there is anything that it cannot do for you and then find a commercial software package that fits your needs.

Personally I recommend paintshop pro.

**Big Dave** · 23rd August 2006, 01:39

Originally Posted by Beemer

Has anyone else come across this and is it the fullstops that create the problem?

No - but the fullstops are a problem - anything after the full stop tells the os the file type.

I create an accurately named folder for each shoot on the desktop and drag the images into it off the mounted memory card - don't name images till I open them and save or delete.

**Beemer** · 23rd August 2006, 15:10

How weird that it didn't do that in Photoshop Elements - you'd think it would have a similar system for any software they produce. I'll have to think of a more apt way of naming them from now on!

**Smokin** · 23rd August 2006, 15:32

Originally Posted by far queue

I pick up a new camera later this week (Fuji Finepix S9500)

Great wee camera mate, I've had mine since christmas and get good results. I think I would like it even more if I could just learn how to drive it properly.

**phaedrus** · 23rd August 2006, 18:33

Originally Posted by Beemer

One thing I have found with CS2 that I can't find any mention of in the books is regarding file naming. I take heaps of shots around our home of sunsets, plants, etc and used to name them in a date format - 1.8.6.3 = first of August 2006, shot 3, etc but if I try this in CS2 I then can't open the saved file. Instead of a thumbnail I get an icon and when I click on it I get a message saying it does not recognise the file format. So at this stage I have to call it 1aug63 etc. which is a pain. I could get around it by calling the file 0108063 but it doesn't make it easy to find a particular shot! Has anyone else come across this and is it the fullstops that create the problem?

just make sure that after the last fullstop there the extension for the filetype eg) 1.8.6.3.jpg That should sort windows flaking out on the filetype.

personally if I want to use a date for the filename I use the format yyyymmdd (20060801) that way, due to alphabetical sorting, the files are listed in the order they were made.

lately i've taken to embedding text comments in the photos I take so i can search by what's in the photo rather than by filename.

**StoneChucker** · 24th August 2006, 00:48

Wow...

All I can say is, from the discussions in here (technical jargon regarding certain functions) I don't think I need PhotoShop CS2. I want it (one of my flaws is always wanting the best, of everything and/or anything, even when it's unnecessary), but I know it will be installed, looked at once and then used once a month.

It sounds like Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 is the way to go. I just need good editing software for manipulating photos in as many ways as possible, but not professional design features. There may be a chance I can get Photoshop CS2 at a much reduced price, and if that happens then yes, maybe. Otherwise Elements 4.

Thanks alot for the good advice, as usual. I know that whatever I get (out of a couple mentioned here), I'll have all the features I'm looking for.

Dave.

**SimJen** · 24th August 2006, 09:06

Paintshop Pro X is now only $79 USD. Damn cheap considering it is just about a match for the features in Photoshop CS.
Buy the US version cause its cheaper

**Beemer** · 24th August 2006, 14:03

Being a student right now, I got CS2 for student prices - about $500 from memory. I got Elements for $150 (also student prices) years ago and at that stage Photoshop was still about $1000 for the academic price so there was a huge difference.