. Anyway,until I can afford to upgrade I'm having fun using the free editors around such as Picnik and Paint.Net. What is your favourite photo editor, pay for or free? (I was going to upload a few shots but cant get the insert image thing to work!!)
I do hope someone will join in the conversation! Louise 
Hi Louise
I'm a complete Photoshop addict I'm afraid, I've tried the free alternatives but just find myself getting cross when I can't find the tools etc that I need
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I think its just that I've used Photoshop for such a long time now - must be about 12 years or so - that I know where everything is without having to think about it and the idea of starting with an unknown package fills me with dread.
I would upload some of my pictures but being a new mum I'm slightly concerned that ALL my images over the past year have been of just one subject and others may find them a bit tedious lol
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Maxine (member of the Platform team)
I'm a PhotoShop addict too!
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Robyn Bateman (member of the Platform team)
Have you considered Photoshop Elements as a cheaper alternative? You may also be able to get a student price if you try companies like the one that advertise on the back of Sesame (Student Expressware or something like that I think they are called).
I am a Photoshop addict too. But Photoshop Elements is a much cheaper way to go if you find the full version too expensive or a bit too baffling. You can get legit older copies from ebay for an excellent price.
Also one of the good free ones to choose is a download called the gimp. It has a lot of good tools and is quite user friendly.
Thanks Alison, sorry for not making myself clear but it was Elements I meant. Saving up for Elements 9 to get soon! Amazon not bad on pricing.Yipee!!
Until then I have Paint.Net and just enjoy playing around on Picnik. My son has GIMP but I find Paint.Net easier and more like Elements. I do think that photographic effects can be very rewarding when created with a free editor though I must say, but yes, so far, Photoshop is my favourite. I haven't tried Corel though or Serif so I should reserve my judgement.
Photoshop Element 9.0
Student price of £45.99 from
http://www.studentexpressware.co.uk/prodshow/Photoshop_Elements_9_0_Student/65087286.html
If you are on a Mac then Aperture is a very powerful and cheap piece of software. Apple reduced the price significantly (from around £169) when they launched the Mac App Store (I'm still sore about this as I paid full whack).
Thanks Calum but for now I have to make do with humble Microsoft-but I can dream!
I use Canon's DPP software that comes with their cameras to do my initial editing of RAW images, but then I use Picnik to do the final tweaks. I'm unemployed and cannot afford Photoshop, I did use Serif PhotoPlus for a while, loads of features for a price a fraction of Photoshop - unfortunately my laptop not having enough memory had problems with it and eventually the programme crashed and I had to remove it. While it worked it was good though!
I have used PaintshopPro since about version 5 many years ago. The program has had many updates and is now owned by Corel, I have kept up to date with new versions and it's now version X3. I would recommend trying it if you haven't used it before, it's relatively cheap at the moment. Some years ago I was a member of a camera club which set up computers using Adobe Photoshop (I think full version 6); I tried it out but found it not as user-friendly for my purposes. I have Photoshop Elements 6 but don't use it very often.
As a long retired person, my main use is in dealing with vast numbers of negatives from my long-ago past and in keeping up with anything modern. Currently, I have been scanning negatives from my daughter and her husband's pre-digital photos and happily few films have deteriorated (unlike her album prints), but I am currently enhancing negatives from around 100 films, and I find that PaintshopPro is working well for me.
I have tried Serif's PhotoPlus X4, but don't get on with it. However, it allows me to make contact sheets in precisely the way I want, which PaintshopPro doesn't.
Actually, I find Serif's PagePlus an extremely useful programme (DTP) for making montages and I must admit to using it for printing many photos - it is very easy with a DTP programme to add titles and play with margins if you want to.
I am also able to Photoshop, but tend to be quicker on PaintShop pro X3, which is marketed by Corel...it's got so goodd over the years with layers and everything that Photoshop has, and X3 even has import to HDR and tonemapping which I use a lot...
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/bedoubleyou/home/photo
I use GIMP, it's a free alternative version to Photoshop (and I'd argue much better :P). One of the most powerful tools around :) http://www.gimp.org/
Hi everyone
Ever since doing T189 I have used PS Elements and am currently using version 8.
I have tried GIMP but it's too complicated
I use Photoshop (full version).
Adrianne
(new to OU)
I use Aperture on my Mac, I love the fact you can connect it to your Flickr account and upload photos straight through it. So useful!
Hi, I'm new to the OU.
Adobe Lightroom is great for organizing and editing, not as versatile as photoshop but great if you are processing your images for light/tone/contrast/saturation. It also links to your Flickr etc. I use it for general/overall adjustments then i move into photoshop for fine details and mini-adjustments.
Ben
I am reasonably new to digital photography and, as such I have enrolled on T189 to start in may 2012. The course includes Adobe Photoshop software; is this a good package or should I invest in something else. I would appreciate the views of others?