Photoshop Alternatives

[Justinr]

I apologize and will attempt to clarify my own position: I do object to incivility on the part of any posters to LuLa, and I will further state for the record that IMHO Justin is not the worst offender.

Eric

Nor you Eric, and I must admit that I was rather dismayed to see your intervention as I was under the impression that we had somehow come to respect each others viewpoint. Let us hope that is indeed the case.

[dmerger]

I apologize and will attempt to clarify my own position: I do object to incivility on the part of any posters to LuLa, and I will further state for the record that IMHO Justin is not the worst offender.

Eric

 “Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in.”  (Michael Corleone)

Well Eric, I’d about lost all hope, and then you have to go and be all mature, reasonable and rational.   

[Justinr]

There ya go. Photoshop it is. Time to upgrade, too. You'll be very impressed with the new tool set.

That would appear the logical conclusion so it might yet happen although I doubt that I will be able to convince Adobe of my student status. Microsoft on the other hand will let you have there software at the discounted rate if you swear on the latest copy of the Beano that you once sat on the same bus seat as someone who looked as if they might be going to school. Anything to boost market share I guess.

J.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Well Eric, I’d about lost all hope, and then you have to go and be all mature, reasonable and rational.   

I don't think anybody ever called me any of those things before.

Eric

[Farmer]

Now that leaves us with Farmer and Schewe who as I have already pointed out kicked off with the disdainful remarks.

I've certainly flamed people in my time (and had my arse handed to me as well).  In 20 years on the net, it's not hard to find examples of poor judgement or loss of temper!

In this case, I gave you an honest response and I'm sure you understood that it was not directed exclusively at you.  I don't believe there was anything disdainful in my opening post, or subsequent.

You seemed to take offence at my interpretation of professional and my complaint about people complaining about price.  That's fine - we all have different experiences and if that was your reading of my post then so be it.  My point was simply that anyone who finds the price of PS to be other than incidental is isn't someone making a living from photography and as such it's unreasonable to complain about paying a professional level price for a professional level product.  There was no personal attack intended.  I am an amateur photographer.  I'm an "industry professional" but if I had to make a living from photography, I'd starve!  To the extent that you were offended, I apologise sincerely because at that point, it was not my intent to do so.

It did, after your next reply, seem to me like you were having a whinge and my mistake was continuing the discussion.  I'll take responsibility for that.  Further escalation is something for which we can both share the blame, though I'll tell you that I'm not offended or upset by anything that you said.  Indeed, some of it was amusing (and I mean that genuinely, not in a "I laugh at you" sense).

I hope that you do take the time to download the trial versions of all the products discussed.

[Chris_Brown]

That would appear the logical conclusion so it might yet happen although I doubt that I will be able to convince Adobe of my student status.

There are other choices:

• Outsource all your retouching. However, if you ever wanted to evaluate your retoucher's work (check alpha channels, sharpening, etc.), then you'd need GIMP or a recent release of PS.
• Download or acquire an illegal copy of the program (and everyone here will vilify you).
• Buy the program outright.

I use PS daily and it's as integral to my workflow as my lights, cameras and lenses. It's rather difficult for me to imagine a professional photographer, or a student wishing to excel in photography, not using Photoshop on a daily basis. Even if you outsourced your work, you'd need some method for critical image evaluation prior to, and after, sending files out.

In addition, if you want to reach your full potential without outsourcing, you will need to master Photoshop (which is an ongoing life experience). And this point, I think, is what grinds at your nut.

[Schewe]

Now that leaves us with Farmer and Schewe who as I have already pointed out kicked off with the disdainful remarks.

Well, don't know about Famer but I just took the time to reread the thread and I'm really just not sure where anything in my posts to you were in the least bit rude or impolite...my fist post was actually rather mild by my standards. My second post asked if whether or not you being outside of the CS5 upgrade window pissed you off?

My 3rd post said: "But still stuck using Photoshop CS...so who is the winner/loser? And the odds are real good, you won't find a competitive replacement for Photoshop...just a less expensive knockoff which will end up being less optimal."

Then you said: "May I recommend that at some time you take a step back, look real hard this posting of yours  and perhaps consider the notion that you have put on such a truculent display of petty minded stupidity that I for one am left to wonder just how such an obviously intelligent man could pride himself in appearing such a bollix (as they say hear in Ireland)."

Wow...you think I've put on a truculent display of petty minded stupidity?

Really?

You sure have a hair trigger...and on odd sense of civility.

[Gemmtech]

Everything is relative, but I find Photoshop to be a very inexpensive piece of software, especially for what it does.  As Schewe stated, it works out to around $10/month, as a business expense that's NOTHING.  How would you like to spend $3,000.00 per month?  It is what it is.  Why is it so important that other companies produce a competing product?  I'm sure if some company thought it were prudent to create a photo editing software on par with PS they would.  Try LR and Elements first and they don't get it done for you what is a couple hundred $$?  It just seems you are bitching just to bitch when there's nothing to bitch about.  Even if you bought a full version of PS every year that's not going to break the bank for a semi successful business.  

[Jeremy Roussak]

Jeremy and Eric, I understand your point, but permit me to suggest that your posts may tend to inflame the incivility, not dampen it.  Perhaps it would be more productive to express displeasure with everyone’s incivility, rather than to focus just on Justin.

I have considered what I wrote and I'm afraid I must stand by it. Jeff certainly doesn't need me to defend him and we know (and love?) him for what he is, which in my view is an invaluable source of useful information and experience wrapped up in a shell which can make a cactus look cuddly. However, in this particular thread, he was wholly outgunned in discourtesy and I really can't see anything wrong in pointing that out.

However, as ever, I would be sad to find that I had accidentally offended anybody.

Jeremy

[Justinr]

Oh luv'a'duck, what a beastly beastly boy that Justin is. Let's all huddle up and whisper and prate about him whilst gently fondling each other's genitals. Yep, how's that for incivility? Pretty good eh!

Over to you Geoff, you old cactus you!

BTW, if anybody should construe this as total contempt for the level of debate that this thread has descended to and suspect that I'm laughing my little cotton socks off over here they are of course quite correct.

Let the bitchiness commence!

[michael]

OK everyone, back to your respective corners. Let's just chill.

Michael