Photoshop

[yorkie100]

I have an old but legal version of Photoshop (Elements 7) and I find even this ancient version challenging.

Is there anyone on the island expert with Photoshop with some time on their hands willing to get me and anyone else interested started with this program?

I have the book, but prefer hands-on or practical help easier to understand and remember.

[robsamui]

To my mind Photoshop is the least intuitive and most heavyhanded of all the graphic editors. Its continued and universal popularity is that it knits seamlessly with the other Abobe products that are universally used in pro graphic design studios.

So the first question is in two parts. What sort of graphic image manipulation are you wanting to learn how to do?

And second, why do you need Photoshop? Why use the most difficult and elaborate image manipulator in the world, when as a beginner, there are other programs that are far easier to use and do an almost identical job - apart from such things as the choice of metric or Imperial kerning or colour-correction matching between monitor and printer and the final output format to the print shop ...

I've been using a different image editor for almost 20 years and everyone simply assumes I created my designwork and images in Photoshop - I let them continue in this belief ...

Your request is something like a yearning to learn to drive in a Formula 1 car so that you will then later be able to go shopping in your Honda Civic. If you are planning to later prepare your own manipulated artwork as CYMK colour separations for output via offset-litho then perhaps you may need to spend a year or two becoming proficient with Photoshop. Anything less than that then it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

(Simple graphics here created with a much much easier program.)

R

Edited March 7, 2011 by robsamui

[BangrakBob]

To my mind Photoshop is the least intuitive and most heavyhanded of all the graphic editors. Its continued and universal popularity is that it knits seamlessly with the other Abobe products that are universally used in pro graphic design studios.

Rob what would you recommend for editing photos instead of Photoshop. The photos we are editing are from a canon 50D, for publishing on our website.

I'm not a camera person myself it's the other half who is the photographer and is banging on about getting photoshop. After seeing the price I'd like a good alternative!

Edited March 8, 2011 by astral
No need to quote the entire post. Just pick out the relevant points, please - Astral

[H2oDunc]

I have been recommended GIMP by a few people now. It is free and evidently much easier to use than photoshop. Free is always good

Link to it here

http://www.gimp.org/

Have a play about and let us know what you think ?

[robsamui]

Better take this to PM!

R

Edited March 8, 2011 by astral
Removing long quote

[Rooo]

I know the OP specifically asked for help on Samui. But since different alternatives are available, moving to dedicated forum, for broader discussion. Link still in Samui forum.

[yorkie100]

To my mind Photoshop is the least intuitive and most heavyhanded of all the graphic editors. Its continued and universal popularity is that it knits seamlessly with the other Abobe products that are universally used in pro graphic design studios.

So the first question is in two parts. What sort of graphic image manipulation are you wanting to learn how to do?

And second, why do you need Photoshop? Why use the most difficult and elaborate image manipulator in the world, when as a beginner, there are other programs that are far easier to use and do an almost identical job - apart from such things as the choice of metric or Imperial kerning or colour-correction matching between monitor and printer and the final output format to the print shop ...

I've been using a different image editor for almost 20 years and everyone simply assumes I created my designwork and images in Photoshop - I let them continue in this belief ...

Your request is something like a yearning to learn to drive in a Formula 1 car so that you will then later be able to go shopping in your Honda Civic. If you are planning to later prepare your own manipulated artwork as CYMK colour separations for output via offset-litho then perhaps you may need to spend a year or two becoming proficient with Photoshop. Anything less than that then it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Thank you for your response.

To answer your first question, I am not really sure other than correcting simple problems like exposure, red eye etc. which I can do, I was just hoping someone could show me what these programs are capable of, I am a virtual beginner. Hence my opening the thread

Answer to second question is simple. My laptop (bought in the UK) came with Photoshop Elements 7 legally bundled as part of the software package.

Your last paragraph of explanation may as well have been written in Thai for all I understand it.

Back home, there are evening classes where you can go to learn such things as I am asking using Photoshop, I was just hoping there was someone around who could spare me (and maybe others) a few hours learning the application, purely as a hobby.

Although Photoshop may have amazing advanced applications to where I do not want to go, surely then it encompasses and does the simpler tasks that the free programs do?

Anyhow, thank you everyone for your responses, I will 'go it alone' for now.

[hughden]

Adobe Lightroom may be worth a look. Much easier than Photoshop and if all you want to do is to tidy up photos; then it will likely do 95-100% of what you need. I process hundreds of photos a month and cannot recall the last time I needed Photoshop.

[inmysights]

To answer your first question, I am not really sure other than correcting simple problems like exposure, red eye etc. which I can do, I was just hoping someone could show me what these programs are capable of, I am a virtual beginner. Hence my opening the thread

Answer to second question is simple. My laptop (bought in the UK) came with Photoshop Elements 7 legally bundled as part of the software package.

Your last paragraph of explanation may as well have been written in Thai for all I understand it.

Back home, there are evening classes where you can go to learn such things as I am asking using Photoshop, I was just hoping there was someone around who could spare me (and maybe others) a few hours learning the application, purely as a hobby.

Although Photoshop may have amazing advanced applications to where I do not want to go, surely then it encompasses and does the simpler tasks that the free programs do?

Anyhow, thank you everyone for your responses, I will 'go it alone' for now.

There hundreds (if not thousands) of vid tuts on Youtube. There's also photoshopcafe.com.

Edited March 8, 2011 by astral
No need to quote the entire post. Just pick out the relevant points, please - Astral

[yorkie100]

Yes thanks inmysights definitely worth a longer look.

[bkksw]

Not to knock anyones favorite image program, but there are reasons certain software is either best selling and/or used by more professionals. Sometimes the reasons won't apply to you, but often they will. It's good to know what those reasons are.

The time you spend on the learning curve will almost always be your biggest investment in both time and money. It would make sense to jump on the curve which will be around the longest and is best supported. I talk more about this here.

[astral]

I use a programme called PhotoStudio 5 from ArcSoft.

I think it came free with a magazine.

Good for basics like cropping, exposure adjustment etc.

I also have Silkypix which has some very nice tools for correcting

image distortion, especially falling verticals and sloping horizons,

two of my pet hates.

[yorkie100]

Thank you all for your helpful replies.

The point is I already have Photoshop Elements 7.0 bundled with my computer and don't see a reason to buy (probably pirated)or download free another program.

Elements 7 may have capabilities way beyond my needs but surely it handles the simpler tasks jusy like all other photo manipulation software as well.

As you will see from my OP I was asking for a hands on tutorial from someone who lived nearby in Samui but the thread was moved to this forum by the mod.

Back home I know people who attended night classes for just such help and are now very proficient in its use.

I have been checking out You Tube which does have some useful videos.

[perkie173]

I live on Samui and tbh Elements is one of the poorest programs out there when it comes to photo manipulation. The things that you can do on this program are basically all pre-sets and you will find that to do most things you will need the full version of photoshop - hence probably why Elements is free with most laptops.

As others have said, Photoshop is incredibly difficult to use. I have been working with it for over two years now and maybe know about 1% of everything there is to know about the program. I really like Adobe Illustrator but I don't think this will be much use to you either. When editing dive photographs in batches I tend to use lightroom - this is likely the easiest program for you to learn and although basic it is better than photoshop Elements. I have a few friends who are thinking about setting up a photography club in Lamai - if you are interested in joining them let me know and I will pass your number on.

Laura

[BangkokImages]

As others have said, Photoshop is incredibly difficult to use.

This is a bit of a misnomer. Photoshop IS incredibly difficult to know and master all it's capable of doing. Especially since you can approach almost any task from 5-6 different directions and then some.

Yet, it should be understood Photoshop serves more than Photographers. It has functions for video, still photography, graphic artists, and much much more. Very few people have the need to learn all of Photoshop.

The way Photoshop is normally taught, is first to learn the placement of the tools and features on the user interface.. something which can be learned in a few hours. Next, you learn the functions necessary to process your image/work with specific tasks. Levels, cropping, image sizing, etc, etc.. If you learn one task at a time, or as needed, then you can easily learn Photoshop in blocks of 1-2 hours. And learn it well. There are many book and video tutorials out there.

The mistake many make is sitting down with an image in front of them.. and then thinking they need to learn everything possible Photoshop can do to an image. In real life this isn't necessary. Maybe the image in front of you only need the levels adjusted, sharpening applied, tagged with a color space, resized, cropped.. Or maybe it needs 2-3 of these things. With proper instruction this is only a few hours to learn.

Now.. if you want to learn layers, masking, toning, or some more complex tasks.. sure, you'll spend some time mastering these tasks.

Look at Photoshop as a building block type program. You learn the basics (UI and feature placement), then a few more basics (levels, sharpening, color saturation, etc), then maybe a few intermediate functions (gradients, transform, using plug-ins), and as you get so far into your ability to manipulate images.. you learn more.. Block by block.

The advantage to Photoshop is that it's the most supported program out there in every way, from tutorials, reference books, software plug-ins, help on the internet, forum groups.. the list is long. And because it's the industry standard the time you spend learning will never be left behind as you need to move up from one level of program to the other.. because there is no moving up from Photoshop.

And as you recommended, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (which IS geared only towards photographers) is also a great place to start. And most of what you learn in LR can be transfered to Photoshop. A great way to get started.