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Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3
by clarkjames
Lightroom is possibly the most useful piece of software you can buy as a photographer. Lightroom can do many things, but it's main 2 functions are a RAW developer, and a library (you can also print, export to web, make slideshows, and more). When you shoot a lot of images you have no easy way to store and manage them, and unlike film you ... can't stash them in shoeboxes under your bed, so they just get lost on your computer and you can never find the file you're looking for. Lightroom's catalogue function lets you import your photos and rate them between 1 and 5 stars, give your photos keywords, build collections (holidays, macro, family snaps etc), and put them into folders to make finding the image you need quick and easy. You can then easily export to flickr, or just export small email sized images to send out the friends and family- it is the perfect tool for photo cataloguing, and not just for amateurs, it's incredibly useful for professionals who need to archive 1000's of images and quickly find the image they need when there's a tight deadline.
As well as a library tool it is also a RAW developer- which means that when you import photos you can adjust the exposure, white balance, and play with an image to make it look how you want to- basically it's a stripped down, streamlined version of photoshop with all the 'dark room' techniques you would use. With the right processing Lightroom can make your images look amazing, but be careful not to go overboard.
I highly recommend lightroom, it is affordable and is essential for photographers to get the most out of their images
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PhotoDirector 4 (PC/Mac)
by boredindunoon
Cyberlink PhotoDirector 4 Ultra for PC and Mac alike, is a photo editing software suite that's a "comprehensive, powerful, and intuitive solution " to your photographic needs.
An obvious contender to Adobe Photoshop Elements and at a similar price bracket, I was curious to see what features were on offer and how they ... compared. For the most part PhotoDirector is feature packed and offers face recognition software, HDR effects, 16-bit RAW file support, a watermark tool for adding copyright to photos, a stylistic effects pallet (for adding effects such as black and white or sepia) as well as a range of tools such as a 'Wrinkle Remover' and other photo improvement options to help you makes your images standout. Taking into account the raise of Social Media, the software also offers the user the choice of publishing photos directly online via Facebook, Flickr or in the case of slideshows - YouTube (all of which work well.)
One tool that I found very useful is the option to remove your subject from its' background (and verse versa) for composite images. PhotoDirector's ability to do this is easier than in Adobe software as well as being much quicker. Just as useful is the range of portrait tools which can really enhance a photo with minimum effort. The ability to batch process images (apply the same options to a group of photos) is a time safer, but to be honest is a bit hit and miss so you still have to give each image your attention to make sure it's as good as it can be.
Installation of the software was easy but not as quick as I was expecting, as you are asked to register (optional) as well as download the latest version, patches and updates (not the smallest file). At the time of installing you are also giving the choice of installing other trial editions of software. Once installed however it is very fast at loading and even faster to get to grips with (a very "modular" design with clear cut tabs such as "edit" and "printing." It's worth noting that the software reads the RAW files straight from my camera (Canon 600D) with easy while Adobe Photoshop doesn't.
In terms of value it is more expensive than it's closest rival Photoshop Elements, do you get more for your money? Sadly not really, while there is a lot on offer at the same time PhotoDirector can't do everything Elements can do (and only a few things are quicker and or easier) I would like to see the price come down so the pair are at least level in this aspect.
Nevertheless this is still an excellent photo suite for those wanting to take there images to the next level, or simply tidy them up. A great entry point to the world of photo editing that's easy to get to grips with and that's suitable for all levels of users.
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows 7, 8, Vista and XP (Service Pack 3 is required)
3.0Ghz CPU or higher
2Gb RAM minimum (DDR3 recommended)
128MB Graphics Card (or higher)
1GB Hard Disk Drive Space for installation
(I'm a reviewer on Amazon, and some my reviews are copied from there to dooyoo. Please feel free to check out my Amazon profile under my real name of Mr Andrew M Kerr.)
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Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended Student and Teacher Edition
by mattconnect
I have been using Photoshop since CS4 and with the latest release, CS6 has transformed the graphics of its interface in a stylish new dark look, which may be slightly odd for those used to the light backdrop (it took me a while to get used to it)!
~~~BASICS~~~
Adobe Photoshop is a photo-editing software, for drawing and ... also minor animating. It contains a diverse range of features from the basic cropping to dynamic image altering options. With loads of filters and effects, you can almost do anything with this software to your photos and images.
~~~MAIN NEW FEATURES~~~
-saves in the background
-updated blur tools
-updated content aware tools
~~~PERSONAL USE AND OPINION~~~
I have to first say that I don't know all there is to know about Photoshop and might only be using about 10% of the program's potential, but I definitely won't know how I could live without it!
It is easy to pick up once you know a few basic features. The tabs and menus are self explanatory and after a bit of exploring, anyone can do some basic editing to their photos- colour balance, brightness etc.
The more advanced options are also easily accessible and can be explored and tried- given the history bar, you can just undo it if it isn't what you want! Everything can be previewed, so you can see what it would look like before you apply!
The program accepts a wide range of file extensions and I have never had a problem opening them. Saving is also extremely easy and you can choose what you'd like to save it as.
With CS6, I have found the cursors, cropping, selecting and painting tools to be much more precise and it has definitely saved time when using those tools.
~~~PRICE~~~
I bought this as part of an Adobe student package for £200, which includes Photoshop CS6, Illustrator CS6, Indesign CS6 and some other programs.
~~~OVERALL~~~
If you're in any creative industry or a keen photographer, Photoshop is just as important as the camera gear! For post-editing work, this is THE program to use and nothing else out there is as versatile or diverse. It will transform your imagery from average to stunning!
I would strongly recommend this program to everyone and if you're wondering if you should get it, download the free trial and have a go before you buy!
I've just given a brief overview of the benefits and my use of Photoshop, if you have any specific questions about the software, please feel free to message me!
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