Image editor for mom

[paulr]

Ok, a little off-topic, but I'll bet someone has a great answer ...

My mom just asked if it was within her earthly abilities to learn Photoshop. She's interested in compositing images, for making funny cards for people, and whimsical illustrations for books for her grandkids.

I'm wondering if something simpler might be a better idea. My mom is smart, but has about as much computer aptitude as ... well, your mom.

The only image editor I know anything about is Photoshop, so one of the junior versions of that might be best in terms of me to helping her. But I'm open to suggestions.

Thoughts?

[BrianShaw]

My mom is smart, but has about as much computer aptitude as ... well, your mom.

If that is true, then abandon all hope now. I've been having a tough time teaching my Mom how to dial a cell phone... and I sincerely believe that my Mom is, like your Mom, smart.

I know next-to-nothing about digital cameras and their associated software but I seem to recall my wife's Canon digi-P&S came with software that did some functions, like red-eye correction, color/contrast corrections, and maybe more with single click commands. I seem to recall a "fix this crappy snapshot" button. Maybe something like that is more what our Moms could easily use.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think my mom could probably figure out whatever image editing software comes with the Nikon S1 I got for my parents a while back, but first they would have to figure out how directories are organized in Windows and how to get pictures from the camera onto their hard drive. I've shown them, and they seem to have transferred some photos, but I'm not sure they know how it happened.

[BrianShaw]

I often let my 10-year-old kid do that kind of stuff for Mom (his Grandma) - anything related to computers or displays with buttons or options. It gets done faster, more correctly, and makes her think I'm raising a genius.

[Walter Calahan]

Apple's iPhoto

That's all she needs.

If she uses a non-Apple PC, then it is also time to get her a real computer - an Apple MacBook is perfect.

[paul stimac]

She can learn photoshop. It all depends on how much she wants to learn it. She might surprise you. I know an older computer phobic lady who is doing quite well with it. I suggest Katrin Eismann's book and Photoshop classroom in a book.

[paul stimac]

If you are comfortable using Photoshop, Elements is awkward. She'll learn more by you helping her directly in Photoshop. Show her one task at a time. Just my two cents (posts).

[Witold Grabiec]

Common guys,
Elements 6.0 has some nifty easy features for fun editing. It's all there, including a nice organizer etc. And let's not start that "real" computer night stories, please. We can have another thread on that.

[Kuzano]

I teach computers, Windows, File management, Digital Photography, eBay, and a number of other courses. Community College primarily and one of my venues is our local Senior Center.

I would never point any Senior in the direction of Photoshop OR Elements unless they picked the class and had a serious photography bent. Most of them are intimidated by their computers and iMacs only make it marginally better.

The program that I cannot tear middle aged and seniors away from, if they started using it is Picasa by Google. A reasonable level of photo editing, in fact more than many people will ever use.

If she wants to do greeting cards and some limited image editing, then Print Shop Pro is a fantastic card program.

One thing I have learned in doing community ed for over 15 years. My job is to help teach the students what they want to learn and what avenues and software will help them. I do that, rather than boggle their mind and turn them off with ideas of what I think they should learn about their computers. If they can master the things they want to do without learning about folders and directories, using a program that has cataloguing and album capabilities, more power to them.

I will say at this point that I see a lot of people very happy with the picture management and editing features of Picasa. Photoshop is overkill and a major deterrent to people who don't want to live in front of their computers. I am actually beginning to think that Photoshop Elements is becoming burdensome in the same way. Elements was a great Mom/Pop photo management/editing program at Elements 3.0. At 6.0, it's as scary for many people as Photoshop is.

Take a look at Picasa, or an early version of Elements for the folks. That way, mom will still have time to roast a Turkey for the Holidays. Merry Whatever Everyone!!!

[Daniel_Buck]

Apple's iPhoto

That's all she needs.

If she uses a non-Apple PC, then it is also time to get her a real computer

yea, most of the film and commercials industry runs on windows and Linux... no real computers there