Help with photos

[Tiffany]

Can anyone recommend some either very cheap (or free would be even better) software for editing photos.

All I want to do is take my own photo and then make the background to the photo white.....very simple but I don't know how to do this editing.

Don't want to go to the expense of something like photoshop as I don't need something this complex and don't have time to learn how to use it all and don't need all it has to offer either.

Thanks

[paul1664]

Try photoshopexpress (dot) com

[Brian McIntosh]

As Paul says, Photoshop express is free. The only downside being that you have to upload your picture, work on it and download it back to you computer which could be a bit time consuming. How many pics do you have to do?

[derren]

http://picasa.google.com/

[David P]

Some people less honest than me would suggest getting a dodgy version of photoshop.

Or gimp is free I think and has a very memorable name.

[Steve2507]

Not free but very easy to use is Paint Shop Pro.

We use photoshop for the main package but any simple tasks like cropping, resizing etc are done in Paint Shop Pro.

[Dawg]

Photoplus 8 from Serif will do what you want, is fairly easy to use, and is on offer for a tenner here (http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PhotoPlus/default.asp?SP=G600_UK&gclid=CIinov3s4JYCFQuY1QodrhdNOw).

Note that getting a good result from doing a cut out is a tad more work than "very simple", but with a bit of practise you'll be fine, (and use on the web in small sizes is fairly forgiving.)

[HelenSH]

Second for the gimp, it really is quite good for a free program. Very much like photoshop

[bobgentry]

Yes I also would recomend Gimp.
It's a very powerfull package and it's FREE.
Some of the facilities it has are beter than photoshop.

[musicbusiness]

GIMP rocks. Always think about Opensource software rather than free. All the free ones are naff. Opensource are designed by people wanting to do something really good and build a product that really delivers.

[artona]

Hi Tiffany

Email me the photograph and let me show you want our IT guys here can do for you

stew

[Dawg]

All these mentions of Gimp are all well and good, but the OP gave the impression that she wanted to avoid a Photoshop-like learning curve, and Gimp's learning curve is similar to PS because both are overfeatured for her needs.
What is needed is something in the middle ground between Picassa, (which doesn't do cut outs, thanks poster...) and Photoshop/Gimp. Hence suggestions like Photoplus 8 and Paint Shop Pro.

(I still find Gimp clunky compared to PS, altho' the new release is meant to be better. Does it do CMYK yet?)