drboss56

After spending a lot of time learning lightroom I find that since I don't have photoshop cc I cannot access many new features. Is there any software out there that works with lightroom but does not come with the complexity and expense of photoshop cc?

UXOEOD

Might I suggest, a large pot of coffee, and Google "Alternatives Photoshop Free", get comfortable and start you research. Good luck, and don't hesitate to share here your results.

Good luck!

drboss56

I have researched some options, such as GIMP but what I don't know is how theses programs work with lightroom. I would hate to have reorganize my photos yet again.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Lots of people that don't like monthly subscriptions buy Photoshop Elements. Lightroom will "Edit in.." Photoshop Elements as well as it does with Photoshop CC. Tools and techniques are similar.

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

What version are you using ?

airbusking Loc: Great State of Texas

I was researching for a Lr replacement and I found a free program called Darktable, it is for iOS. I have not used it (yet) but found it interesting. I also have ordered On1 RAW. I did not like Adobe's monthly subscription and I thought Lr and Photoshop were not user friendly. If you find something good, please post it.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

My advice - get over your issues with a "subscription" model for paying for software. Look at it this way - you are paying for the benefit of having software that is up to date, answers your concerns about software that works with Lightroom, and only costs $120 a year for both PHotoshop and Lightroom. The sooner you get used to the notion that it is actually cheaper than the alternatives in the big picture, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of a solid, efficient workflow, like a very large number of professionals and advanced enthusiasts that have realized the value of what I am saying and have embraced CC. It works, it works well, and if you make a small investment of time to learn it, you will realize that they are not wrong. Or you can waste your valuable time looking for an alternative. Your money, your choice. Oh, and LR and PS do have a learning curve, but once you learn what you need to know to process your images, you will find it one of the most user friendly methods for editing your images. Really.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I agree!

bioteacher Loc: Brooklyn, NY

Try Corel Paint Shop Pro. A lot of the plugins for Photoshop work with it.

micolh Loc: NYC

Spend $10.00 a month and you will not have to worry about plug ins or add ons. LR and PS are the way to go.

ejrmaine Loc: South Carolina

Well said, I concur.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I had Paint Shop Pro® for years, but had to go to something else because it was removing the GPS coordinates from the EXIF of my photos and there was no option to turn that off. I ended up with Lightroom®.

I'm sure some will suggest that I wait to put the GPS data in until after I've processed my photos--that is not compatible with my mode of operation. When on a tour, each night I download my photos of that day to my laptop (which I take with me), and I also download the GPS logger data of that day's travels. I then reconcile the two sets of data and write the coordinates where the photos were taken into their EXIFs. Although I do have my photo processor on the laptop, there is not sufficient time while on tour to process the photos before resolving the coordinates, and the coordinate resolution takes very little time, so I prefer to do it first. I don't massage the photos until I get home after the tour. It is true that I could wait to resolve the GPS data, but it is much easier to do it each day, since that day's data is more or less compartmentalized.

At any rate, I ended up with Lightroom® I originally bought standalone version 4, but when I had to migrate to a different computer, I upgraded to version 5 and that was Creative Cloud. I wasn't happy about it then, but I got used to it.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Right On!!!

Picdude Loc: Ohio

If you're looking for something specifically that works well with Lightroom, takes advantage of all the available features and provides smooth workflow capabilities your best bets are either Photoshop Elements or......Photoshop CC. One of the decisions you have to make is how up-to-date you want to keep your software. If you are happy with installing a software package and getting the maximum use from it without regard to new features as they come out, then the Lightroom\Elements combo could suit you well. If you would prefer to use the most current software revisions and learn to incorporate new features into your workflow as they come out, there really is no substitute for the CC package.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Here are some alternatives.

http://digital-photography-school.com/a-beginners-guide-to-choosing-the-right-post-production-software/
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/03/23/best-photo-editing-software-photoshop-cc-and-7-photoshop-alternatives-tested/1/
http://www.redmondpie.com/best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives-for-windows-and-mac-list/

And for free -

http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-best-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free-5974500
http://lightzoneproject.org/