Home > Consumer Reviews > Adobe Photoshop CS [OLD VERSION]

I totally agree that Photoshop is an excellent software to use in editing images and making original art from scratch. This version of Photoshop, CS, brought with it many new improvements and enhancements that have already been taken up by previous reviewers. What I don't agree with is that most people say it is difficult to learn when in fact, it isn't! Those of you who wanted to own Photoshop and not afraid of experimenting, this is the perfect time to buy Photoshop and be counted as one image editing savvy person!

For newcomers and prospective buyers, don't let the "steep learning curve" routine preached by other folks discourage you. Photoshop is no more difficult to learn than any other software like Paintshop or PhotoImpact. I have tried all three and settled on Photoshop as THE EASIEST! All you need to have to learn it is a desire to improve your digital images, the knack to experiment, and a good book to guide you along (if you're learning on your own, like myself.)

Open Photoshop and you will see an almost unremarkable, unassuming interface which belies its true power. But this is a good thing because Photoshop functions can be simple or sophisticated as you like. It has a much neater interface compared to the above other softwares which means you can open functions only when you need them.

Get a good book that starts with simple concepts and go one step at a time. The beauty of going from simple tasks first (like how adjustment layers work) to more complicated ones (like layer mask compositing) is that you gradually develop your confidence. Pretty soon you will begin to discover on your own! Practice with you own photos and see the results immediately! Who said you have to be a professional to use a professional caliber software?

I agree on the saying that Photoshop is difficult to learn BUT only on the concept of making art. Not everybody have that eye. If you want to create works of art, then it only follows that you invest time in learning how, steep learning curve or otherwise. But this applies not only to Photoshop but to other softwares you might be using!

Now if most of your editing consists of uploading your digital images from camera to PC, enhancing exposure, cropping, framing, optimizing for email, boosting resolution to uncover detail for printing, how difficult can Photoshop be? It's easy! It's specifically designed for these tasks! Of course, other software can do this too at a much lesser price but I am assuming you want the top gun. With Photoshop, you can totally, CLEARLY do loads of other things. Because when you're ready to do more elaborate compositions, Photoshop will be there with even more specialized tools at your disposal.

If you like all the good things that you've heard about Photoshop, if you want a totally flexible, CLEAR tool to use in editing your images where all the non-destructive adjustments are right there at your fingertips CLEARLY laid out for you to turn on or off or adjust so you can instantly see how they affect your image, then do yourself a favor and buy a copy.

Just about the only reason I would recommend Paintshop or PhotoImpact (respectfully capable softwares, too) over Photoshop is the high price of Photoshop. On the other hand I understand you can take Photoshop classes and get BIG student discounts on Photoshop saving you hundreds of dollars. Read the reviews on beginning books on Photoshop and select one you believe will suit your taste. I strongly suggest one with practice images on CD and color pictures in the book itself.

Good luck and have fun!

Do not buy this? But I just said it was a great program. Superpowerful why not buy this version? If you buy the standalone of Adobe Photoshop CS. You're basically blowing money. The price tag of this is almost $600. As with many of adobe standalone products individually, they cost a fortune. But you can buy the creative suite for less than a thousand, and with that, you get Adobe Acrobat. You'd adobe illustrator, PageMaker, etc.

Search for Amazon item number: B0006J2PTO for the premium edition.

Or search Amazon item number:B0000DBNHV for the Standard Edition.

And you'll see what I mean by the savings. As far as what this program can do, it can do anything when it comes to manipulating photographs adjusting color. This thing can take a bad photo one actually save it. You might also be interested in just getting adobe Photoshop elements 3.0. It has most of the features of Adobe Photoshop CS, but at a fraction of the cost less than a hundred.

Free photoshop tutorials
/www.80four.co.uk/tutorials/photoshop.html

Hope this review helped.

Have some fun and get it done

First of all I gave this program 5 out of 5 because it is incredibly powerful, well organized, and nicely intuitive.

Now what you may or may not want to hear.

My Background:
I have been in digital photography since 1999. I started out with your typical point and shoot camera. Since then I have had two others of the same caliber. This year I upgraded and picked up a digital SLR (Single-Lens Reflexive) camera. I have since gotten really into photography and digital imaging. I have used different versions of photoshop in the past and have always appreciated it's power, but now...

Photoshop CS:
This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to work with a DNG (digital negative) otherwise known as a Camera Raw file. Being able to adjust your exposure after you have taken the picture is mind altering. Pictures taken on the fly where the exposure is off or the white balance just isn't right or the camera was set for altogether different conditions and everything is messed up, can be FIXED! It is like going back in time and putting in the right settings before you took the picture. If you are shooting RAW files and you are not using this software you should get your head checked!!! You can even change certain lens properties: vignetting for example is a great tool to really focus the viewer's eye where you want it.

If you shoot JPEGs:
Buy this if-
1. You are a perfectionist and you want uncompromising quality and accuracy out of your shots.
2. You are intensly creative and never want to be limited because a program just can't do what you want it to.
3. You are an elitist and you just have to have it for no other reason than the fact that it is the best. (Its ok, but max out a Roth before buying this)

If you just want something to get rid of pimples or red-eye and manage your pictures this is not worth it. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a great program and very cheap. Matter of fact I believe version 3.0 even supports Camera Raw files if you are a purist and don't like to mess with things very much. Although it is still a pretty powerful program for all besides the most demanding.

If you do buy this you may want to consider getting it as part of the entire "Creative Suite" if you can make any use of the other programs.

Also, BUY A BOOK! It will take you a year if you try and learn this program just by messing around with it.

It's hard to believe that Adobe keeps finding ways to make the new version of Photoshop better than the last, but they've gone and done it again. If you use and like Photoshop 7, you're gonna love Photoshop CS. As with any other version of Photoshop, all the same stuff is there that's in version 7, along with some new and improved things. I got this the day it hit the shelves and was immediately able to work with it and catch on to the the new features as well. As the hype suggests, the browser is much better than the one in version 7, and one other new tool that I really like is the color replacement tool. This little number is right out of Photoshop Elements version 2. In Elements, it poses as the red-eye tool. In fact, in Photoshop CS, even though Adobe calls it a "color replacement tool", the icon in the tool bar is the same red-eye icon that's in Elements. This is a Godsend. I used the hell out of this tool in Elements and I was thrilled to see it in Photoshop CS. Now replacing color in anything is a breeze. Without getting long-winded here, everything about this new version is a plus. There's more layer options, also the ability to match color between images, and a whole lot more that space doesn't really allow going into. You'll have to trust me on this. I do photography for a living and use Photoshop every day, and believe it or not, with this new version, Photoshop just got easier to use.

You can't go wrong with this one. Definitely worth the cost of upgrading.

Okay here is the lowdown on why you should get this product and why you should not get this product.

You should get this product if:
- You want to learn the #1 photo/paint package that is an industry standard.
- You do not mind the massive learning curve.
- If you do not want something that you pop out of the box and use right away without spending weeks learning it.
- If you want total control over every aspect of paint/photo manipulation.
- If you do not mind it being a bit slow on anything less than a cutting edge computer.
- If you do not mind it taking up a lot of hard disk space.

You should not get this product if:
- You do not need to learn an industry standard package.
- If you want to use something right away out of the box.
- If you do not need total control over every aspect of paint/photo manipulation.
- If you want a fast package.
- If you want to conserve hard drive space.

If you are looking for a paint/photo package that you can use out of the box and has lots of features then use Paint Shop Pro. If you are looking to learn the industry standard with the most features then learn and use Photoshop.

However I would like to finish this off by saying that I have worked for various multimedia groups that have demanded experience with this package and yet when it came to working for them they used 10% of this package and should have been using Paint Shop Pro instead. If you mention Paint Shop Pro in an interview then the interviewer will look at you sideways. What a load of mumbo-jumbo. They simply use this package because it is the "industry standard" instead of actually looking at a package that suites their needs. If you are an interviewer and someone says they also use Paint Shop Pro then you should actually listen to them for not toeing the official line. You might learn something there that will save you time, money and wasted space. Why bother training people for a couple of months to learn this package when they can do your intermediate tasks on a package they can use out of the box? That is the bottom line.