Which software for an ancient beginner

[Vandrake]

Hi - my first post - hope I've got the right forum.

I need to "improve" some very ordinary travel photos for viewing by family and friends. I would also like to be able to repair photos of past generations of the family. Which relatively simple ( and it goes without saying - inexpensive) program would you suggest to address both these needs (for an old man who's brain doesn't function as well as it used to!).

Many thanks to whoever takes the time to reply.

Vandrake

[aartist]

I recommend Paint Shop Pro Photo.
Very reasonably priced on Amazon.
Normally around 40 to 60 bucks.
They do run sales on it every so often.
Corel Paint Shop Pro Ultimate LINK
Easy to learn & use.

Compare with:
Gimp is free but clumsy to use.
Photo Shop is the most popular and cost
is normally at least couple hundred dollars.
Has the most features but not as easy to learn.

All the above is my opinion based on my personal experience.

[Hanginon]

I would suggest LightBox Image Editor. There are a few YouTube videos of people using it that show how simple yet powerful it is. There is a free version available.

The downside is that the person who developed it seemingly has abandoned it - no Forum activity on his site nor any answers to PM's or emails.

[Nasturtium]

Here's a 2nd vote for PaintShop pro. You can try it free for 30 days to see what you think. It's a really slick program, easy to use and the results are great

[palms1]

and not forgetting photoshop elements, again there is a trial version and reasonably priced

Palms

[TommyO]

Vandrake,
Another few thoughts....

Most everyone on RetouchPro will be using either an Adobe or Corel product. These are the two major players in advanced photo editing software. Adobe makes Photoshop CSx, Photoshop Elements and even has an on-line editor that's free for minor edits. Corel makes the Paintshop Pro and Paintshop Photo Express products. There are literally hundreds of others on the market.

If you've ever bought a printer, it most certainly came with a photo editing product. So do most scanners, and of course PC's. Make sure you don't already have something that is usable.

For some additional opinions, here is a site that reviews software and rates them. They tend to have a good list of feature comparisons. I can't say they are unbiased, as I'm sure they are paid to review some of these. However, the feature comparison listing is very nice. (Top Ten Reviews)

If you're just starting out, and want to go on the cheap, I'd recommend using whatever you've got. If you're ready to step up a notch, then stick with either of the introductory packages from Corel or Adobe. With these, you'll find tons of support on their sites as well as others like RetouchPro.

[Swampy]

My choice would be Photoshop Elements. It has many of the tools you will need to edit photos and most of the basic editing tools of Photoshop CS. Available for both Mac and PC. If you later choose to step up to the full blown version of Photoshop, your brushes, textures etc will port over. Although the position of the tools might be different between PSE and PSCS, the terminology is the same so your learning curve might be lower.

[Vandrake]

Many thanks. I really appreciate the input I received.

Based on what you provided, together with the research I did on this site and the associated links, I decided to download a trial version of Photoshop Elements (had to download 8 - would have preferred 7 based on all the information flow on this site on Version 7). I'm now wading through the online tutorial - seems reasonable so far.

Unless I encounter significant difficulties in my use of the program, I hope to buy a Version 7 copy on eBay (disk only for approx $40 Cdn).

BTW - I'm impressed with both the quality and tone of the postings on this site.

Vandrake

[Richard_Lynch]

I would suggest Elements. You can take a few years to get up to a speed where you will have any difference between it and Photoshop.

Richard

[secretagents]

Serif Photoplus is another option and I would think it is more powerful and cheaper than Paint Shop Pro.