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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Photoshop or Plugins???
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Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
 03/19/2012 12:26:39 PM · #1
Hi all I've been studying photography for about a year now and have been using this site (and ya'll's feedback) to improve... my current workflow is import to aperture 3 and do about 90% of my edits, then every once in a while i'll use an external program (like photoshop for the 20 day trial or usually pixelmator) to get a certain effect; i do this very infrequently. recently i've been thinking about investing in photoshop cs6 when it comes out as it's the king of all programs - little can touch it and the more i use it the more i'll learn seeing as it is incredibly vast. i've also been playing around with the plug-ins for aperture such as the viveza and silver efex etc... still talking about the trial periods.

i assume (though i'm not 100% sure) that all the things one can do with the plugins for aperture are do-able also in photoshop, they probably take a lot more time and experience to achieve but one can do it all the same, so My big $25k question is this: what is better in your opinion? should a photographer learn the nitty gritty why's and how's of photoshop and how to achieve these amazing effects that are one click away with plugins? or does it not really matter, the eye of the artist is important and one should use all the tools available? NOTE that i'm not saying that if one uses plugins or effects that means they aren't capable of using photoshop, or implying that they are for babies...

honestly i'm asking the question not to incite a war of opinion but simply to figure out where to spend the $300-$600 needed to obtain these precious programs... in the future... when i have $300-$600 :-)

thanks to all
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO
 03/19/2012 12:37:04 PM · #2
I use PaintShop Pro, which was $50 for the current version, and is compatible with most of those plugins. I regularly use Nik Silver Efex, several Topaz products, and PSP even came with a full version of Nik Color Efex (last years version, but pretty darn good for a freebie!)

I think the choice of whther to use plugins or not is a personal question. Do you feel that using plugins is cheating somehow? My take is that it still takes some skill and good judgement to use such tools to good effect. It's really easy to butcher a photo with them. Believe me, I've done it.

Message edited by author 2012-03-19 12:39:50.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
 03/19/2012 12:48:38 PM · #3
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I use PaintShop Pro, which was $50 for the current version, and is compatible with most of those plugins. I regularly use Nik Silver Efex, several Topaz products, and PSP even came with a full version of Nik Color Efex (last years version, but pretty darn good for a freebie!)

I think the choice of whther to use plugins or not is a personal question. Do you feel that using plugins is cheating somehow? My take is that it still takes some skill and good judgement to use such tools to good effect. It's really easy to butcher a photo with them. Believe me, I've done it.


No no I think you're absolutely correct! and you're also right it is a personal question. I don't think it's cheating but as i'm learning photography it's almost useless to learn to dunk before learning the free-throw if i can use that analogy... i always try to learn the basics when i start something and the basics of photography are literally mind boggling... and i know you're also right in what you didn't directly say - $50 gets you all you need. I'm just astounded by the photographs on this site sometimes and i'm using the info i find here primarily to attain the level that i want in terms of quality technically and artistically.
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