Anyone who has ever had even a casual interest in photography has probably heard the term or word “Photoshop.” In reality, Photoshop is a photo-editing program from Adobe. Usually you hear somebody say a flaw can be fixed in a photograph by “Photoshopping.” In the pre-digital camera age, your photo, negative or slide would have to be scanned and turned into a digital file so that it could be altered digitally or “doctored.” Now that we’re in the digital era, it’s much easier to work on a digital image and edit it.

Photoshop is the granddaddy of all photo-editing software and absolutely the best program you can buy. It’s also not cheap. The initial cost is about $650. Here is the catch, though -- if you plan to purchase a future upgraded version of Photoshop, you will need to have a full version of the program already on your computer, as the upgraded version will search it out before allowing you to install it. If you do not have a previous version, then you will have to pay the full amount. The nice part is that the upgraded versions only cost $170. You get a fully licensed program, but it costs a lot less. You may also want to search online for discounted pricing for your initial purchase of Photoshop to help defray that cost. You can do the same for the upgrades. But, if you purchase directly from Adobe, your product is automatically registered and you get more frequent upgrade information.

Before you run out and make that purchase, though, keep in mind that because Photoshop is a very powerful program, it is also very complex. I am a professional photographer, but I am still an amateur when it comes to Photoshop. I know enough about the basics to serve my purposes, but I would never claim to be an expert.

So where does that leave the amateur or semi-professional photographer looking to do some basic photo-editing? There are a couple of options available that are a little more user-friendly. Recognizing that many consumers don’t want to invest the time and money required to make full use of Photoshop, Adobe has introduced a program called “Photoshop Elements,” ($99) which is a stripped down, less expensive version of Photoshop. There’s also a product called “Photoshop Lightroom,” ($199) which is aimed specifically at the needs of photographers. I recently loaded Lightroom onto my computer, and it seems much more user-friendly.

Another photo-editing program I was introduced to, because it came pre-loaded on my computer a few years back, is Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo. As the advertising says, Paint Shop Pro Photo is an excellent choice for those seeking Photoshop-like powers at a Photoshop Elements price. The fully licensed version of Paint Shop Pro Photo retails for less than $100 on Corel.com, and for even less on other websites. The upgrades are usually well under $70. While I rely on Photoshop for the most complex jobs, Paint Shop Pro Photo is my choice for basic photo editing. In my experience, it’s the most user-friendly photo editing software for a photographer of any skill level.

There are plenty of other photo-editing programs available, but Adobe and Corel are the leaders

You can’t go wrong purchasing Photoshop, but you have to consider how much time you want to invest in learning it. You will have to learn Paint Shop Pro Photo as well, but you’ll probably be editing your photos a few hours after buying it.

Regardless of which program you choose, be sure to look around for the best price. I would recommend visiting both the Adobe.com and Corel.com websites to learn more about the specifications of each program.

Have fun getting rid of those flash-induced red-eyes!