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I have a student version of Photoshop and need to upgrade. Any suggestions? I’ve heard that Lightroom is really good, probably leaning more towards that. But I also want to know my options. Thanks!
Get the Adobe CC package for 9.99 a month. It includes both Lightroom and Photoshop. I recommend that you master Lightroom first before learning Photoshop and use Lightroom for the vast majority of your editing and image management, tracking, tagging, and cataloguing and key wording.
I held off getting photoshop for a year and a half until I felt very comfortable with LR. Then Adobe came out with the CC package. It’s a deal you can’t pass up.
I’ve heard that Lightroom is really good
You’ve heard correctly! 🙂 I use it for all of my photos. I think it’s “goodness” mainly extends to it’s user-friendliness though. There is free software available that is every bit as good, or better than Lightroom, but they have a much steeper learning curve, and may not include all the features that Lightroom does. If you have the money, and want something that’s easy to use, definitely go for Lightroom.
If you’re looking for the best “bang for the buck” then definitely give the free software a try first.The free alternative is RAWTherapee, and it actually looks somewhat similar to Lightroom, as far as the UI goes. It is immensely powerful, but you really have to know what you’re doing to feel it’s force. I would recommend that you try out the free 30 day trial of Lightroom, and learn the basics of Photo Editing, then when you know some of the basics, see if you can transfer those to RAWTherapee.
There’s a little discussion on it going on in the “Lonely Owl” thread…
I also just started a thread specifically on the topic of RAWTherapee vs. Lightroom, here on Lenspiration:
https://www.lenspiration.com/forums/topic/rawtherapee-vs-adobe-lightroom/
@timtam @buddingphotographer
Great,thanks for the advice! My problem now is I’m using a really old computer that wouldn’t be compatible with those..need to get a new one and I’m thinking Apple. I have a really old Lenovo that’s barely running so I haven’t been able to edit any of my pics for a while. What do you guys think about Apple compared to a PC? Do Adobe products run well on it?You’re welcome, @lystrup95!
What do you guys think about Apple compared to a PC?
Uh oh, now you’re getting into serious trouble if you ask for opinions like that. 🙂
There will be people who will say, “Get a Mac, they’re expensive, but they’re also built to last, and they’re known to be good.”
Then, on the other side, there will be people who say, “Anyone who buys Apple is
stupidnot too intelligent, Apple is just a big money making scheme, if you really want a powerful computer that you can upgrade and use to it’s fullest, get a PC.”Basically, it’s up to you. If you feel like spending a whole lot of $$$, by all means, get an iMac! But if you’re looking for more “bang for your buck”, then PC’s tend to be cheaper for machines with similar specs.
RAWTherapee just might run on an old PC like that, I would certainly give it a try! Open Source software tends to be very good about resource usage. (See this page for tips on running RAWTherapee with older hardware.)
- This reply was modified 54 years, 9 months ago by .
My problem now is I’m using a really old computer
Have you considered installing linux on it? I am using an old-ish laptop that was going really slow with Vista and has been running fairly well with Ubuntu. It doesn’t run like a new computer, but Ubuntu has kept me from buying a new computer for about 5-6 years. If your computer is running XP, try lubuntu.
I run Darktable, Raw Therapee, and Gimp and am quite happy with the price. 🙂
Having said all that, if you want to buy a mac, buying refurbished can save you a bit.
Well, @lystrup95, there’s the whole spectrum of opinions for you. 🙂
I whole-heartedly recommend Lightroom. If I went free, I’d probably try RAWTherepy out first.
The monthly Adobe Photography plan at $9.99/month is amazing if you want to learn Photoshop along with Lightroom. However, you can still buy Lightroom by itself, which is amazing if you don’t have the time or desire to climb the steep learning curve of Photoshop.
It was great seeing you Sacramento, by the way!
Thanks @buddingphotographer @davidfrazer
Awesome, Thanks!!!
I sort of solved my problem by buying the bundle pack of Lightroom and Photoshop and am currently running it on my brother’s computer. Still need to get a computer but when I can afford one I’m gonna take ya’ll’s advice and consider it.
I think once you’ve tasted LR, you’ll never want to go with anything else. 🙂
And as for PS, the learning curve is so steep that whether you want to stick with it or not depends on how much time it takes you to learn it. For me, I’ve used it long enough that I don’t think I could ever go with anything else. It’s power is just unbelievable.
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