How to justify the expense of Photoshop

I have been using photoshop for many years since CS. You only have to upgrade if you buy a new camera that is not supported by your current version of photoshop and/or now with their new policy can only update to a newer version from the current version which upsets a lot of folks. That being said I think 99.5% of people do not need photoshop. Those who want the best and the program that can do everything (ie layers, masks, plugins) usually use photoshop. You can get photoshop as a student version for about $250.00 but must present proof that you are a student. I have also seen specials on Amazon for a much lower price than $699.00. Look for a special (from a reputable company) if you decide you want photoshop.

I tried lightroom and personally disliked it - too limiting for me. Others of course, love lightroom. Many years ago I had Photoshop Elements 2 which I thought was good but soon after upgraded to Photoshop as I found Elements too limiting, however the current Photoshop Elements is a good alternative to Photoshop CS6.

If you are really serious about photography and have a passion for photography and money not a concern then I would recommend photoshop. Also remember there is a steep learning curve with photoshop. I would recommend the Photoshop book called "classroom in a book" - it is a very good way to learn photoshop.

--
Bert D