Photoshop Needed

<p>Can anyone help me acquire photoshop? I can't justify spending that amout of money and my free trial has expired. I am a beginning photographer and don't really have the income to support that kind of purchase right now.</p>

<p>Any help is greatly appreciated!</p>

Have you tried gimp, paint.net, or any of the other no-cost options?

<p>I think you might find yourself in trouble if Adobe ever got wind of you using their product without a licence. Bit like the thread you commented on regarding stealing other peoples work. Surely you could at least afford the latest version of Elements which is quite comprehensive, especially if you are taking on pro work like the wedding you also were interested in doing?</p>

<p>You're essentially asking people to "find" you a license, which 99% sure is not going to be legal, or to support you in paying for expensive software... which sounds a bit like an odd business proposition to me.</p>

<p>I'd start by asking whether you really do need Photoshop. Personally, I find it a weird persistent internet myth that Photoshop is a must-have tool. For most photographers, the RAW editors (Lightroom, CaptureOne, AfterShot, DPP, CaptureNX 2) do everything needed, at a better price and typically with a better workflow. Did you look into any of these programs? They might accidentally fit your needs much better and all of them are cheaper than Photoshop too.<br>

If you really need the pixel-pushing abilities of photoshop, at a budget, there is Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, or the already mentioned GIMP or Paint.NET.</p>

<p>Yeah - sure - I'll get you a free copy - oh - wait a second... That would be software piracy and illegal not to mention you posted it on a public, searchable forum. The fine would be far more than the price of the legal copy of Photoshop Elements.<br>

On second thought - No thanks - I'm not up to paying a large fine right now (or at any time).<br>

Elements gives you 95% of the control that PS does - you have to learn different ways to do things, but the functionality is there - and it is less than 100.00.<br>

Google Picaso is a freeware editing tool that a few people use. Pretty good for the price.</p>

<p>Another thought - look at the local goodwill or thrift store - many of them now sell software at $10 and under. Last time I was scoping out the local one - I saw 10 brand new copies of an older editing tool for $10.00 each - not state of the art, but brand new in shrink wrap. And better than getting the software police after you and whomever is dumb enough to provide you with a copy.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Wow. Ok. Thanks for the advice. I had no idea I would get so many respsonses like that. I was actually looking more for discounts or suggestions.</p>

<p>Are you a student? There are substantial educational discounts available. But the comments above are correct: just get PS Elements to get yourself started. Or look at the very reasonably priced, and powerful alternatives from Corel.</p>

<p>All the advice above is good. PS Elements is very useful, but there are some features that are missing; if you don't need them then it's a great deal.</p>

<p>Nobody mentioned Lightroom. That's another alternative if you're not doing a lot of detailed manipulation, and especially if you are working with Raw files.</p>

<p>Just a note on all the "don't ask for help pirating software" posts - a couple of years ago I posted a "Wanted to buy" item (on another well-known photo forum) for an older version of PS to use with a discounted upgrade I'd bought in a bundle with LR. I was very clear that I was only interested in legitimate license transfers and that I was willing to pay. I got a response from a very nice person who had a license for the version I needed that they weren't using anymore. For some reason (probably because they were simply very nice), they just gave me the license...</p>

<p>If you are a student or educator, or related to one, that's your best bet.</p>

<p>That, or the alternatives mentioned.</p>

<p>Lightroom is a far better choice for many, and Element is a super side kick.. regular for both is less than 250$... i can imagine that as a student you can get a even more better deal. Stop wasting your time with free software, and get what people use normally, as a personal or professional tool...just a suggestion of course ; )</p>

<p>Lightroom is a far better choice for many, and Element is a super side kick.. regular for both is less than 250$... i can imagine that as a student you can get a even more better deal. Stop wasting your time with free software, and get what people use normally, as a personal or professional tool...just a suggestion of course ; )</p>

<p>I note that PSE 11 is available at eBay from a dealer with very high positive feedback. (Not me or anyone I know). It seems to be a legal version, originally packaged for Costco.</p>

<p>Granted full Photoshop is expensive, but Photoshop Elements is currently only $149 and it does everything most people need on a daily basis, actually more than full Photoshop did just a few versions back. You might also try Nikon View NX 2. It works a lot like Lightroom (not as extensive, but lets you do cropping, straightening, exposure and white balance changes, sharpening, etc.) and is free on the Nikon web site.</p>

<p>If you are a student you can get legal copies of either Elements of PS through several student websites - the cost much less than what you would pay as a non-student. Try: <a href="http://www.academicsuperstore.com/">http://www.academicsuperstore.com/</a><br>

Or, do a Google search for legal student discounts on the software. Trying to obtain an illegal copy of the software is not only illegal, it's stupid. There are free softwares that may be helpful, but if you plan to be serious about your work, then the Adobe line is the only way to go and the only practical way to go is legally.</p>

<p>I bought my Elements 10 at CostCo for $49.00 earlier this year. Works good. </p>

<p>If you are not quick enough to get the Elements then there is Corel's Paint Shop Pro x15 just released although recently I bought x13 or PSP Print x3 for US$15 plus P&P on Amazon a month or two ago and found it was pretty much was I had with x14 purchased last year for my desktop. [ I wanted a programme for my notebook while I was in the States. I have been using PSP for nearly a decade now.<br>

As a beginner and even quite a experienced worker I doubt you will not be able to do things with PSP that you are doing with PS. They are programmes doing very similar things in different ways .. like GIMP which is apparently similar to Photoshop. </p>