DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

Many people say they don't like Photoshop but IMO they are really saying they don't know how to use it or they are not willing to put forth effort to learn how to best use it. Photoshop is by far the best photo editing program there is. It is only complicated because it does so much. On the other hand there are so many free and subscription tutorials on the net that it really isn't an excuse. Ten dollars a month for the most powerful editing programs is a very cheap price to pay considering you get PS and LR in a bundle and it is updated on a very regular basis. The tutorials vary from poor to fantastic. Lynda.com, KelbyOne.com and PHLearn.com (all subscription) have some fantastic and comprehensive classes that are well worth the money. PHLearn has a 22 hour program that is over-the-top great that explains in detail every tool and method available that makes great sense and will give one confidence. If you're serious about your photography and you want to get the most out of your images this is IMO the way to go. That doesn't mean there aren't excellent programs produced by others because there is a lot out there that works extremely well.

DyanCB Loc: North Jersey, USA

Try Affinity. Cheaper and much more customer focused than Adobe.https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/

Zaydewise Loc: Nashville TN

ON1 10 is a great addition to Lightroom. It is easy to use and the there are great YouTube videos on how to master the software. You can use it as a plug-in to Lightroom or it can be used as a separate software for photo processing. I think it is so much easier to use than Photoshop.

sailor2545 Loc: Victoria, BC

on one raw is coming out in november...they have great programs..on one 10 is great

Bike guy Loc: Atlanta

For what it is worth, I am a guy who liked to try out all sorts of versions of software, not only photo processing. It was a hobby that turned into a semi-consulting job. I also taught many of the various office products. One thing I learned is that for the average user, availability of learning resources (books, videos, etc) are important as support items.
I continue to 'experiment' or try out new versions of digital processing software. However none of them have the plethora of information available as do the Adobe products.
So, yes, I subscribe to the Adobe CC Cloud for $9.99/month. Remember also, that you can have one subscription on three devices. So I have one copy on a laptop, another on Imac and another on desktop PC.
Can't beat that. Yesterday I spent about 2 hours watching Youtube videos on Photoshop. And don't forget all the online forums of users. So now I just concentrate on getting better with one software program AND improving my photography.
Just my opinion.

titco62

try Corel Prox8

Shaker Loc: New England

I am just starting to use LightRoom. Once I am finished with LightRoom, if I wish to do something else, I use Gimp. I've been using Gimp for years. It is a great Photo editor once you have converted the RAW into another format (jpg, tiff, etc). It is Open Source and safe to use.

The thing is, it is free. So it costs you nothing to download it and try it (download only from the Gimp web site). It really is an amazing program. It has always been able to do anything I could dream up wanting it to do.

TheDman Loc: USA

Exactly.

My favorite complaint is "it's not user-friendly". It's a professional tool, you're not suppressed to be able to just open it and figure it all out! It's like sitting in the space shuttle and saying "I didn't find it very easy to drive".

Good photography and photo processing takes work, lots of practice, trial and error, learning. I think people who have never seen Photoshop and have spent years dismissing photos as 'Photoshopped' are shocked to learn that it's so complex, and there's not just one big button in it labeled "Enhance".

People used to come in my art show booth and ask me if the photos has been Photoshopped, but now that Instagram is so prevalent they now ask if I "used a filter" on them. People can't grasp the idea that image processing can be more complicated than picking the Juno or Ludwig filter.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I've stated this before and I know a lot of us don't like the $10 a month for Lightroom and Photoshop CC but put it in perspective. If we were still shooting film how much would you be paying out for the film cost and development. When I was shooting film I spent a fortune on film and development cost even though I was developing a lot of it myself. $10 a month is nothing! And on top of everything else these two programs give you so much latitude in your workflow and creativity, worth every penny.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Photoshop Elements - otherwise known as PSE14 will work fine with LR

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

Almost any program can be used by specifying the "Edit In" in the preferences tab.

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

There's probably as much stuff out there for GIMP, just have to know where to look for it....

BudsOwl Loc: Upstate NY and New England

David, I'm with you all the way on that. When I bought my first DSLR, I took a course at the local community college on Photoshop. This, in the days of PS versions 2 and 3. I bought and upgraded each time, so I am quite happy that subscription CC came along.
Bud

Carpenter16

I didn't like Gimp but that's just me

Jim216 Loc: South Carolina

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