Hi
Im an amature photographer trying my handout with photo editing and making my photographs standout I use a Nikon D300 and I use a dell laptop I was wondering what programs you all would recommend i should get

At the top of the forum there's a thread entitled Photography Talk: Rules, Resources and FAQ. In that thread, there are links to key MM threads. One of those is lll's Photo Software List - Resources, which lists a dozen or so alternatives to Photoshop (the standard), ranging from GIMP (powerful and free), through Photoshop Elements (stripped down Photoshop for $100), and many others.

For most photographers, Photoshop Elements is an excellent starting choice. The GIMP is more powerful, less expensive, but isn't as easily learned.

Another option, if you don't need pixel-level retouching, is Adobe's Lightroom ($200). It's designed for photographers, includes a basic DAM (Digital Asset Manager), and permits a lot of control over general tonality, color, and cropping.

Even easier are web-based solutions. Not deep, but easy to access, and most are free. There’s a Feb 2009 review of 15 different web-based image editors here.


Photoshop for retouching, lightroom for editing

Don't forget an external monitor (IPS or PVA) calibrated. I am not a fan of laptop monitors - don't calibrate well either.

//Ooops a little late it seems ....


The industry standard is Photoshop. Current version is CS4. Its about $800 or so. There is a budget version callad Elements that is much cheaper, about $100

Then there is the free GIMP, that can do alot of things that Photoshop can do.

Online editors like www.pixlr.com is convenient as it loads in the browser, so it can be used on any computer, not just your own.

PhotoImpact....Ulead..by Nova Industries

Photoshop CS4 = the best