And oh, by the way, forgot to include this helpful article explaining the differences between Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. It’s pro Elements, but makes a great point for Lightroom:
“If you are just starting out, we always recommend to start with Lightroom or Elements first, before even thinking about Photoshop. If you only have a few hundred images that you need to edit and store, Elements is plenty enough. But if you have thousands of images, Elements cannot stand a chance against the robust photo organizing / cataloging capabilities of Lightroom. So for most people that enjoy taking many pictures and have years of photos to sort through, Lightroom would make a lot of sense over Elements. For those situations, Lightroom should be the first choice. Once you are ready to explore the world of “destructive” advanced editing, give both Elements and Photoshop a try – both can be used as trial software for 30 days, which should be enough time for you to decide what you truly need.”
Read more: http://photographylife.com/photoshop-vs-photoshop-elements#ixzz3IP3UxbC6