Help With Ps Trial

I really enjoy Photoshop. When I did a break for a year I didn't have any of my proper editing software with me and got along with GIMP ok, as far as I remember they are incredibly similar in their basic functions, (though anything more than basic functions were difficult), you should transition to PS just fine.
If you're looking for fun plug-ins, AlienSkin does some fantastic promotions on their companion software that is another powerful tool, especially for photographers. There are also HDR plugins and the like that some like to play with or use for tonemapping, lots of those available for photographers into HDR.

I'm with you, Abbie. I have been using PSElements forever. Just signed up for the cloud Photoshop/Lightroom package. Never used PS before, so I'm a little anxious hoping that I'm not going to be totally lost. Thanks for the tips on AlienSkin, Andrea. Will have to check that out when I get the other installed.

Photoshop Week starts Feb 23 on CreativeLive.com

^ Edward is absolutely right, creativelive's photoshop weeks are a phenomenal resource as well, with lots of great discounts attached to it for plug ins, etc.!

I will definitely look forward to those programs, Edward. Thanks for the heads up.

Abbie,

Don't know nuttin about the Cloud, but I've got the CS6 version and I can help with that. Just go grab a RAW file and then open it up in Photoshop and it will automatically open Adobe Camera RAW. Just play with the sliders and things and get a feel for what can be done. More than happy to get on Skype again with you and walk you through a few steps. I've done it with a few others here and the best thing is to send me the same file as the one you'd like to play with and then I can show you the adjustments and some tools, on the same image at the same time.

What do you want to do,by the way?

Rich

Oh thank you so much everyone:) I will definitely play with the plugin then as I used them all on Jasc Paint Shop Pro when I used to teach that. I am thinking this will be much the same as Gimp but perhaps more refined?

Thanks Rich! Time restraints may not allow that but if I do get pare time I am up for that

Perhaps I will have better luck than last time if I decided to record it Grrrrr

I want to do some more work like I used to...... I made digital backgrounds etc and splice them with photos

Also my photos of my oils are not always brilliant and I tweak them

you will find some helpful video tutorials direct from adobe here....

http://tv.adobe.com/product/photoshop/

bob

Lynda.com is also a great resource for professional tutorials on photoshop and programs similar.

Abbie, how was Gimp "playing up"?

I am still putting off the transition to LR as I don't know whether the learning curve will be worth it...

I am a GIMPer too. I just got a computer with a bigger memory and faster processer, and it flies compared to what it used to on the dinosaur that I once used.

8 Gigs of RAM and 1Tb of memory with an Intel third generation processor does wonders.

Sorry, I can't help with PS trial, .. just suggesting that the power of your machine will make it better.

Photoshop CC, doesn't actually operate from the cloud, you download it to your computer, it does have a cloud service you can use for storing photos as I understand it, I don't use that, anyway with Photoshop CC as I said you download it to your computer, you get automatic updates, that you can download when they become available, so it operates just like earlier versions of PS, but with more tools, and some are better.
I found the learning curve with PS to be much easier than Gimp, but that might just have been me.

Terry
tlmair.com

Richard LR is easy once you get used to it, it will do a lot of things, whats nice with it is everything you do to a raw file is non distructive, so you can change it anytime, way easier than PS to use, I love it.

Terry
tlmair.com

I guess that you all know about pixlr.com, which is a handy little in-browser photo editor that needs no downloading, and it does a fairly good job of basic edits on images up to the website's size limit, which is 4000 x 4000 pixels, as long as you do not need to do anything too fancy.

Gimp just kept crashing when I opened it. I do have a fast and great laptop with lots of memory etc. (Have to to keep up with you lot lol)

I do already use PIXLR and Love it. But it is not anywhere near string enough for what I need :)

If you don't NEED Photoshop, then Elements is the way to go.

I do not WANT any of them. I am not sure what I need at the moment. I was looking forward to using the background remover on PS I had heard great things about it? However, I am on my day off and still had no time to play yet

There is no magic on removing backgrounds. You will always see tutorials on ease it is, but the backgrounds are always very simple or even a green screen. Real world examples are much tougher, but not impossible. The tools available in Elements for background removal [ actually called masking ] are the same as Photoshop's.


Check out the short tutorials are Dekes techniques.... deke.com there are many real world examples of masking.

EXACTLY which version of GIMP might you be using?

I have been having pretty good luck with GIMP 2.8.14 in Windows 8.1 operating system. The developers are always trying to fix bugs, of course, so I was just thinking that you might have a slightly earlier version more prone to crashing in certain situations.

And what operating system does your laptop use?

I have CS6 and without it I would have not have my art licensing business. I love how intuitive it is. My advise to anyone, google any question you have, there are so so so many people out in the big wide web willing to show you how to do it. Hope you love working with Photo shop

Windows 8.1 and the latest Gimp

It may be one of the plugins.

I have this trial for a while and will play with it. I thought they had this majorly magic background remover now bt its the same as Gimps?

Sounds like a plugin issue to me. I never got to the stage where I tried to incorporate plug ins. Hate to admit it, but I really have not bothered to understand what they even are. Can you give me a dummy lesson here? Thanks.

No plug ins = no (or fewer) crashes, probably.

Abbie, I have Photoshop CS6.
There are many plugins that I use. Topaz is one of them. I have only read the above messages quickly, but if you want to add a plugin to Photoshop......

GO TO: Edit > Preferences > Plugins.

It then allows you to choose an Additional Plugin Folder from your computer. You just need to know where to find it when you saved it.

Then to access the Plugin in PS, go to Filter and you should see in down the bottom on the drop menu. You may need to restart PS to get it to work.

Plugins.... Like the ability to print contact sheets....

I cannot get the hang of this ps

It took me 5 mins to get the stupid bucket to show... I was clicking and clicking and the little menu on the icon would not open. I could see where to click and ended up clicking everywhere else then it finally opened when I clicked something I had clicked on 100 times already... The same thing happened with the background eraser

Everything is twice as hard in ps

If I could get things to move when I paste them in gimp I think would stick with that

So frustrated right now

Abbie, just curious, why did you move away from Paintshop Pro, I much prefer that to Photoshop or Elements although I have both

Abbie... click and hold for the tools to pop out...

Abbie, if you can afford it look at onOne Photosuite - it has texturing, refining, absolutely everything and integrates with Photoshop CC totally. IMO Topaz and onOne plugins are superb for any type of artist.

But - I wouldn't go putting all the plugins in until you decide whether you want PS or not. Seriously I couldn't live without PS!

Paul, back when PSP was owned by Jasc (9 was the last one) it was easy to use and did absolutely everything I wanted. I created really good digital images and was even shown in an exhibition in California. Then 10 (x) came out when Corel bought it and it was completely different

I have not been able to pick up a copy of PSP 9 since and I am not sure if it would work on Windows 8 :(

Thanks Bob, I will try again

There's a very steep learning curve but I can't imagine my photographic life without Photoshop (CS6). I use and love Topaz with it.

I've been using Photoshop Elements 4 for a long time. It's an antique now. :D But it can still do things my Xara program can't, so I use both in combination. I WAS going to get an updated version of Photoshop, but now you can only subscribe for it, which means that if you do, you'll never stop paying for it. Forget that!

As for Windows, my version is so old it's labeled with Roman numerals. :D. But seriously, Abbie, Photoshop is a great program and you can do lots of things with it. It's invaluable for cleaning up scanned art and making it viable for printing, and that's just the beginning. I use it mostly for coloring my comics.

PSE 11 and 12 &13 are the only versions for Windows 8

Jessica... add PSE 13 to the list ;O)

:( well tonight I have been laying and opened Gimp in the end... did the same thing I have been trying to get PS to do in half the time.

HOWEVER, I am determined lol It will not break me

Until you're used to its workflow Abbie.

Multiple programs are fine - I do it myself - but with practice on a single image I usually learn that having just one program to do everything is heaven. And can then do a batch with ease.

Say in PhotoFiltre there's a filter that does exactly what I want it to. Well, that's only because I'm familiar with what it does and how it does it. And what it does it does well, but if I can set up a series of filters or action to do the same (or even closer to my needs) then why should I break my workflow to open another program?

A: No need at all

I do use simpler programs for quick edits - because I can.avoid the distractions of PS's numerous other functions, very easy to get lost exploring in PS

It's a little like learning an instrument, easy steps at first, but you'll soon conquer it, and make it know who's master