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I taught myself to use Photoshop when I was doing catalog and trade show display work. It is a very powerful, very complicated program IMHO. If you don't have a photography/graphics art background it is a steep learning curve.
Even though I used it every day for several years, there were many techniques I never mastered. For example, I became VERY adept at using the pen tool because I couldn't get the hang of layers. If there had been something between Elements and PS, that may have fit the bill for me.
I think if you are overwhelmed already and don't really NEED the functionality of PS, you may find more happiness and a greater sense of satisfaction sticking with Elements.
Just my $.02-
DM
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Jim and Don, it seems that getting PS Elements 5 would be an easy decision considering I just saw it offered for $32 on a site called clickcooldeals.com/ http://www.clickcooldeals.com/show_categ...egory_id=9&gclid=CO3xgKbI-owCFQZmYQod9QkT-g
Don, as far as using Elements 2, I think it's pretty antiquated by now, and again the cost for the latest version seems too low for that to be an issue.
I still don't know about the color profile thingee, but I usually saved my edits as TIFFs because I read somewhere that this was the "best" format to save in.
I guess it would be helpful for both of us if someone could explain the proper strategy for saving edited files to keep them iPhoto compatible,
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I'm not sure if this is the best way, but it is probably the easiest way to edit photos in PS Elements or PS and save them to iPhoto.
Under iPhoto> preferences> general> edit photo:
specify the app. you would like to edit your photos in and when you double click on them in iPhoto they will open up in that app., when you are done, it will save the changes to your photo in iPhoto.
If you don't want to edit the original you will need to make a copy of it prior to editing.j
jesse
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[quote jesse]I'm not sure if this is the best way, but it is probably the easiest way to edit photos in PS Elements or PS and save them to iPhoto.
Under iPhoto> preferences> general> edit photo:
specify the app. you would like to edit your photos in and when you double click on them in iPhoto they will open up in that app., when you are done, it will save the changes to your photo in iPhoto.
If you don't want to edit the original you will need to make a copy of it prior to editing.j
jesse
First, if I edit the original in PS Elements or CS2, will iPhoto keep the original safe and sound as it normally would if I did the editing in iPhoto?
Otherwise, what method should I use to create the copy? If I remember correctly there's both a "make copy" and "duplicate?"
When I'm finished will the duplicated file that was edited overwrite the original or will it just be stored along with the original?
One way or another, It looks as if I'm homing in on my best solution.
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I tried editing a photo through iPhoto using PS and yes it does edit a copy of the photo keeping the original safe, so basically it works the same, you are just editing your photo in PS or Elements rather than iPhoto.
jesse
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Your local community college or adult ed may well have a class about using Photoshop that could be really handy. It worked well that way for me and banished the mystery.
Photoshop IS a giant swiss army knife of tools; you don't have to use them all at once...
=wr=
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Yo! Gene! Please don't buy that PSE 5.0 until you've read this and done more investigating!
The version of PSE 2.0 that you've been using could be loaded on either a Mac or a Windows machine. That PSE 5.0 you saw is most likely Windows only. I think the split of platforms started with PSE 3.0.
The last I heard from the rumor mill, a PSE 5.0 for the Mac doesn't seem to be happening; PSE 4.0 for the Mac is the most current version. It does have a lot more features than your PSE 2.0, but, as long as you have PS CS2, I suggest you invest a little more time in it. It can be used stripped down to basics. Just because you have all that horsepower doesn't mean you have to use it. A good book or some tutorials on using layers will be needed whether you update Elements or continue to use PS. You can dumb down Photoshop, but you can't make Elements much smarter than it already is. (I say "much", because there are some addons, but those only make it more like full PS, which you have.)
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Hey, I use Photoshop every day, but you have my permission to downgrade to Elements if you like it. A lot of people are lugging around more software than they need in my opinion.
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[quote jesse]I tried editing a photo through iPhoto using PS and yes it does edit a copy of the photo keeping the original safe, so basically it works the same, you are just editing your photo in PS or Elements rather than iPhoto.
jesse
Jesse, this sounds like a big step forward for me. I just checked and I see that I'll have to reinstall CS2 on this hard drive, since it was wiped when I did a recent erase and clean install. Anyone familiar with my "story" knows I did that to eliminate any software related reasons for the spinning color wheels that I had been experiencing. Happily, I did get my problems fixed 
Should I select the other seemingly related Advanced preferences, "Save edited RAW files as 16 bit TIFFs" and "use RAW files with external editor?" Is it necessary to check these preferences?
wave rider, I appreciate your input, but it's almost impossible for me to concentrate on learning anything like this in a school situation or by doing extensive reading. My health prevents me from getting a decent night's sleep, so most of the time I feel exhausted even when I wake up in the morning. Not much of a chance to concentrate on learning such a complicated subject.
I will get CS2 up and running, since AlphaDog indicated that there is no PS Elements 5 for Mac. It's worth giving CS2 a shot, using it as in a bare bones mode that shouldn't require too much experience beyond what I already know. How do I get CS2 to open without also opening Bridge, which I won't need if I'm using iPhoto to organize my pictures?
Learning that I can use CS2 directly from iPhoto without losing the original is a big, big plus for me and I'm very grateful to have learned of this.
GeneL
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As someone who has spoken with Gene extensively, I think his instincts are spot-on.
I would advise him to wait until an Intel-native version of PS Elements becomes available (can't be much longer now) and then sell the CS2 Photoshop he has. It is WAY overkill for what he most likely wants to do -- heck, most of the tools you need for basic cropping and enhancement are actually IN IPHOTO already! PS Elements will add a few nice tools in an easy environment (which Gene already knows) for that "little extra" some photos might need.
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