Elements is kind of a dumbed-down beginner/private consumer version of Photoshop which lacks a lot of features compared to its big brother. If you are a beginner though, it's unlikely that you would be able to tell the difference, and what Elements offers should be plenty if you're only looking to kind of get your feet wet with some simple covers. It'll get as advanced as you make it though -- I have used Photoshop for over 15 years so over time I've gotten used to doing a lot of things a certain way, and I've grown accustomed to having all the bells and whistles accessible, so personally I tend to feel like I've got my hands tied behind my back if I'm stuck with Elements (or Paint Shop Pro, or anything else that isn't what I'm used to...). But at its core it's still Photoshop, and like I said if you don't have prior experience or bias, you should be fine with Elements.
