New & very inexperienced user from UK.

[ShaunUK]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to pick up one or two tips with regards to photo retouching/manipulation etc. and which software I might need.

I first became interested in this area about 5 years ago. It could be longer than that in fact..So much so that I purchased a copy of PhotoArtMaster Silver. I don't recall where I came across this particular software though?

I played around with it for a while and I got some quite interesting results as I recall. Unfortunately, I didn't really stick at it long enough to really find out, or know, what I was doing.

Whilst clearing my computer desk drawers out recently, I came across this software which I hadn't laid eyes on for a number of years. After dusting it down I decided to install it to my PC and have a play around with it.

However, the software struck me as being quite dated. Or is that me? In any case my interest in this particular software didn't last very long. I was completely and utterly lost. It did, however, re-awaken the interest I had in this area some years previous.

I seem to recall I originally had this software installed on a very old, very slow Win 95 PC. Those were the days.....! So, thinking back, I must have had this software for much longer than the originally stated 5 years.
How time flies!

I began searching for a tutorial on this particular software in the hope that this might help me get somewhere with it. I was a little dismayed and saddened, therefore, to find that the company concerned was no longer in business.

I don't see much point in continuing to persevere with this software as there appears to be no support/guidance for it any longer.

Which brings me to the present. I would very much like to return to this subject in my spare time. Obviously with more up to date software.

Looking around this excellent forum it appears that PhotoShop & Paint Shop Pro seem to be the preferred choices. If anyone can give me some pointers as to the merits of each title, and version numbers etc. I would be very grateful.

Thanks in anticipation.

Regards - Shaun

[Macint0sh]

pros use adobe cs 4 (you'll get by with cs3) and a tablet. probably on mac, but windows is alright.