lightroom, photoshop...or something else?

Interesting you say that I found it the exact and extreme opposite of this

I'm not trying to stifle debate, but rather look more towards what would suit a specific individual ... maybe the OP could tell us more about what he has done so far and what he would like to be able to do with his photo editing ?

I haven't recommended any of the software that I personally now use, because there was a learning phase involved first, and that learning was necessary to form in my mind exactly what type and style of software suited me ..... and the software that I currently use would not have helped much in that learning process. Some packages are more suited to introducing the photo management work flow and fundamental adjustment techniques than others.

I feel that many of the points made here have been along the lines of 'I need this and that, and this is what does all I need, plus it can do so much more ',.... rather than looking at it from the angle of ' this is what this particular person would benefit from initially'.

Looking back at PhotoShop Elements, another point I forgot about earlier is that when in the photo editing view (the 'Editor') you have the option to enter 'Guide' mode ... this is like a series of 'wizard' dialogues, where you choose for example colour and saturation, and the program brings the relevant controls together into one panel with some basic explanations of what to do to make specific changes . It saves you having to know where to find each item in the programme menus, which you have to do with full Photoshop (or know the keyboard shortcuts). Its also helpful if you're not quite sure exactly what tools and sliders will be needed for your specific photo.

wow, 4 pages....and some great replies. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to my question, there has been some quite lengthy and detailed responses here and i really do appreciate the time and thought you have given to this.

Having read and re-read through the thread a few times it does seem the most popular choices are lightroom or photoshop (full or elements), and that the choices are personal, ie what it will be used for. In my OP i didnt really say what it would be used for, as i wasnt too sure....im still not! Im not even sure i "need" this, more of a " nice to have".

What i will say is that everyone who has posted a reply has given very good reasoning for their choice or preference, and also their recommendation. As i said in my OP, i am a complete novice when it comes to PP so all your advice has helped me make a much more informed decision.
I think Photoshop would be too much for my needs or ability, PS Elements would more suitable.
So i think its a toss up between PSE and lightroom.
Im just going to pass these two options onto my son, and see what one i get.....either one will be more than sufficient, and greatly appreciated. I think i will enjoy learning the processes involved, after all, i only do photography as a hobby and so hopefully will view PP as an extension of that.

Thanks again for all the replies and your time,

Simon.

Agree with geordie1 and mille19 has hit the nail on the head

Either would be a good choice - you cant go wrong which ever you choose, I personally use Lightroom because I find it quicker and easier to get great results.
However both programs work very well together so if you got one now you could always add the other at a later date.

Jez

Since this thread has started I decided to make one of my computers "Lightroom Only". Not really working for me. Haven't mastered the art of opening one image and then saving it. I think what I need is a "clean" computer and someone to guide me through from installation to saving the image I would like to keep. For everything else there is photoshop

You don't really save stuff in Lightroom. You process photos, non-destructively and it saves your edits in the background as you make them. All your work is recorded and you can go back to any state, at any time.
It will then process your photos for web, or print, or simply a slideshow. all without saving or comitting your edits for ever.
If you do want to save a file, you can use any number of export presets. Lightroom is all about batch processing and library organisation.
Photoshop is for individual files and deep (destructive) editing (work on a copy )

thats what I am looking for and have been for ages. Nobody seems to general courses anymore. I hate online stuff

For the Windows version of LR:
[1] Drag'n'Drop a RAW photo onto the LightRoom desktop icon.
[3] Lightroom will open and show the import dialog with your image already selected.
[4] Press the 'Import' button.
[5] Lightroom will import a copy to your Pictures folder and show the image on the film strip panel.
[6] Select the image then open the Develop module and process the image to taste.
[7] To export as JPEG, Press CTRL+SHIFT+E
[8] The export dialog will allow you to change the 'Export Location' which is about all you need to check unless you want to save it at a different size.

That's how I process and save a single image.

Thanks Steve, I'll copy and paste the instructions and follow them. I use another screen for watching help files and this looks exactly the sort of no nonsense help I need