Software advice please

Since getting into this DSLR malarkey I've been using LR3 as my one-stop image management and PP solution - and very nifty it's been. But I think I now need to explore some other PP options, in particular (1) producing panoramas/stitching together multiple images for landscapes, and (2) combining images (i.e. when you take different exposures for sky and land).

Any advice on good software to start me up on this? Is Elements a good bet??

For panoramas try Microsoft ICE simple to use, just drop the images you want onto it and away it goes, and more importantly ..... it's free.
Try it here

I use Elements 9 for panoramas (I only have PSE9 and so use it for everything). I am very happy with it. I haven't tried ICE but have heard nothing but good about it.

Thanks Steve&Gwyn

Just downloaded ICE and tested it on some snaps of my bookshelves, and it's ridiculously easy to use. So perfect for me

I assume Elements handles combining images well?

Elements 9 can be had for less than £60. Elements is good.

You can have my original Elements 6 for £10 donation to my favourite charity.
Not sure if it does panos though.
PM if interested.

PM sent

GIMP is free and I've found it more powerful than elements. I tend to use it more than anything else and is capable of layers and mixing exposures (and a lot more). It doesn't do panos though (at least not that I'm aware of).

But GIMP id not as intuitive as Elements.

Surely Lightroom can do the different exposures levels in land and sky...

Yes you can but in one photo so you can't combine photo's like HDR.

Very true. I think after learning to use GIMP moving to elements meant I noticed the things that were missing.