adobe photoshop: whats best for a beginner?

Question

i recently got adobe photoshop cs2, and its all greek to me!
lately i've taken up photography and photo editing as a hobby, and i want to make it a more serious interest for me.
i think i started out too advanced w/ cs2 w/o really knowing the basics of abode or photo editing.

so my question is what software/ free downloads (of adobe or anykind) would be ideal to give me a good basics foundation.
i jumped right into the hard stuff w/o learning teh beginners level yet.
so, what can i use???

thx,
brionna

Answer 1

Adobe "Elements" is like a Photoshop light, has similar interface and tools... you can usually get this free with a Scanner type purchase.

BUT

seeing as you already have the best possible photo editinig tool lin your arsenal I suggest you jump in feet first and learn CS 2


pick up a "Visual Quickstart" book or "Photoshop Bible" (the later being more advanced, but also more comprehensive..

stick to it - once you get the hang of it you'll be gald you did!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I agree that you should just stick with CS2. If you are serious about image editing you'll end up needing to know photoshop. You can find tons of tutorials from the most basic to some that can make you head spin.

Here are links that may help: http://www.tutorialpark.com and
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials.htm

It has a lot of free tutorials that include many for photoshop. I wish you the best of luck....photoshop can be a bit confusing but it becomes second nature after a bit. (Until they do a version upgrade and move the tools around.)

Answer 4

All professional photoshop users are trown into the problem head first in college or what not. The program is made to where you can learn it without having prior knowledge of photo-editing programs. If you see yourself getting serious about it I would't downgrade to a consumer program because it will be more expensive and more confusing over time. the best place to start is either to take a class or read a book. One of the best starter books is the "classroom in a book" series. I know that colorado state, the art institute of colorado and a few other colorado colleges use it as their starter text, and for good reason, its beginner friendly.

Answer 5

I agree with some of the others here. If you have Photoshop you should stick with it. Eventually you will want to learn it anyway. It is a bit overwhelming at first, but learn the basics and then as specific things come up that you want to do, look for tutorials on-line. You can find so much for free. Search for "Beginner Photoshop tutorials" and I'm sure you will find lots to get you started.

Learn how to use LAYERS and CHANNELS you will be well on your way.

Answer 6

Painter is, in my opinion, superior to Photoshop when it comes to illustration and painting, certainly there are a number of tutorials which apply to Photoshop but few of them are exclusive, with a little understanding of the differences between Painter and Photoshop you should be able to use the gist of the tutorials in Painter. You might choose to download the trial version of Photoshop, which lasts for 30 days. Also look at the slightly older versions CS, CS2 and CS3 there are differences but they are not so huge that tutorials will not apply, what you have to be wary of though are the system requirements.

Answer 7

Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 or 4
they are great for begginers
trust me!

Answer 8

Adobe is giving FREE ondemand seminars explaining the new features of Adobe Photoshop CS2. They explain how does it work and you can also ask questions in the support site.

Answer 9

Try Picasa, which is 100% free, easy to use.

A free software download from Google.
Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organised by date with folder names you will recognise. You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels to create new groups. Picasa makes sure your pictures are always organised.


Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips. And Picasa makes it a snap to share your pictures – you can email, print photos home, make gift CDs, and even post pictures on your own blog.

Here To Download for free:http://info.sitesled.com/

Answer 10

I learned on photoshop 5.5 and 6... But belive me - photoshop cs2 is a great thing too...

for real noobs - i'll suggest Macromedia Fireworks MX 2005... INCREDIBLE TOOL!