Help! My photos are out of control!!!!

[Tommymac]

Hi...first trip to the lounge... :hide::hi:

Didn't know where else to ask this...Can anyone recommend a good photo editing software package? I want to alter some photos I have...combine them, add a face, make a montage, etc. (Yeah, make some more funny dog and tRicky S photos, if you must know.)

Preferably freeware, but I am willing to pay for something worthwhile...hate to spend the money to find there was something better that would do the job for less. I have read about Photoshop and Adobe...but was hoping there was a program that was as good but maybe not as expensive. I am not a photo pro or anything, don't need too many bells and whistles; ...I am very computer savvy, just a bit graphically challenged (I almost failed art in 7th grade.)

Thanks for any help!:toast:

[laura888]

1. Paint Shop Pro

Has many of the features of Photoshop, but less expensive.

[Tommymac]

4. Cool!

Do you know if it is fairly easy to use? Does it ccome with templates and such...I need all the help I can get....

[Ms. Toad]

5. Yes and no.

Yes, it is fairly easy to use. No it doesn't really have templates. The earlier versions are easier and cheaper - but you miss out on a lot of the cool features added later. If you can find around version 5.0, that is a good level to start - move up to a higher version once you are comfortable with the lower version. All your favorite features will still be there, but you may have to look a bit to find them.

(My daughter says there are free trials available - those will be the current version - the version I have is 8.0. If you're looking for easy, the current version doesn't really qualify unless you are fairly familiar with image editing tools.)

For a while they had the previous versions on the $10-$20 shelves at stores like Best Buy.

[Maestro]

2. freeware

Irfan View

Payware...Photoshop CS2 or Photoshop Elements 3 or even Ulead Photo Impact.

[Tommymac]

3. Can irfanview edit?

I know you can crop, resize, tone them and such, but I was unaware you could do things like change someones face, cut and paste form one phote ot another etc.

Thanks!

[Maestro]

7. You know...

I'm not sure. I have always used Photoshop or Ulead, but I had heard good things about it. Hopefully somebody knows or just download it. It's free so you could find out. ;)

[NV Whino]

6. PhotoShop Elements

A cheaper, leaner version of PhotoShop. Pretty easy to learn. Best if you have a friend who knows PhotoShop to walk you through it first. I did this with a friend of mine in VA and she picked it up right away. And, trust me, she comes close to being computer illiterate. If she can do it, you can do it.

[Kathleen04]

9. I second this n/t

[Bossy Monkey]

8. The Gimp is free

The version I downloaded was a little bit challenging to use. I understand that the newer versions are more PhotoShop-like, and easier. Somebody savvier may be able to provide more detail. (I've never used PS, so wouldn't know.)
Here's the Gimp; as I recall, it was a bit of an adventure to download: http://www.gimp.org/
Here's an article on retouching software: http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-bzlou4352590jul23,0,6154727.column?coll=ny-news-columnists

[Tommymac]

10. I looked at it...

but was a bit confused by the web site...maybe I'll check it out again. Ther price is right...