ronsphotos

As a rank amateur I am more than perplexed about processing software for photos. I only shoot jpg and have used Picasa for years. Color blindness and Raw dont mix well!
Given Picasa’s demise . . I’m lost. Where might I go next? I surely do not wish to pay $120/year to rent LR. My editing interests are simple. Would appreciate your suggestions.
I use an Fuji XE2S.
Thank you.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Perhaps Photoshop Elements is what you need.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Serif’s Affinity Photo.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Look at the free ones. I think Digikom is MS as well as Linux.
Over the last few years there has been a increase in free offerings for post processing.

RLSeipleSr Loc: North of Boston

Don't forget GIMP ... !

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Did your camera come with any software for post-processing?
If not, there is some software available (for free) on the Fuji website.
I don't know which one to choose, as I am totally unfamiliar with Fuji.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

Affinity Photo would be a good program for you. A lot of versatility.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Paint Shop Pro is quite reasonable when it's on sale, which is frequently, no need to update every year, does almost everything, in fact I've never come across anything it couldn't do, I have had to learn how to do things and sometimes my old brain takes a bit of practice but it gets everything I need done.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

I use LightRoom but still return to ELEMENTS for some of the editing.
There is a ton of YouTube videos - probably for all of the suggested
editing programs. Why don't you look at a few from each editing program
that explain the particular editing that you like to do.
Compare the methods that each program uses and choose the one that you like the most.

Drewline Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I've been using Fast Sone Image Viewer for quick edits, especially cropping images.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

If you have an Apple, the Photos program already installed on it will do you well. Use it for a time until you decide you need something better.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I agree with the recommendation by Drewline above, FastStone Image Viewer is pretty easy and free:
http://www.faststone.org/

If you want to think longer-term and and at some point venturing into more complicated edits, look into Photoshop Elements. I used version 13 for a long time, recently bought the newest, 2018.

The best part for beginners is that the work space and tools are divided into quick, guided and expert. So you aren't overwhelmed right off the bat

Jeffers

Photoshop Elements is excellent. Regardless of what you settle on, the most important thing you can do is never work on your originals. You can copy/paste JPEGs with no loss. Do that and work on your working copies, sequester the originals. No matter how good you get, you'll still make mistakes. If you're not working on the originals, there's no loss.

tomad Loc: North Carolina

Adobe Photoshop Express is free and will do most simple editing tasks; adjusting light, color, white balance, cropping, straightening, sharpening, etc., and it's easy to use.

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

It really depends on what your photographic goals are. You have a great camera, that has much better capability than what can be realized by just shooting jpegs. If that is not important to you, I suppose anything, including Faststone Image Viewer and Irfanview should be all need. But, if you are in the least bit curious about what your camera can really do, then a more robust editing package may help you grow into your camera and allow you to produce technically better images.

BTW, paying 120/yr is not a rental, any more than buying a "perpetual" license and upgrading it, usually for a fee, every 12-18 months is. Bottom line, regardless of how you pay for it, you are only buying a license to use it. What you refer to as the "rental" model is just a payment plan, and in return your software is always up to date. The purchase of a "perpetual" license is just that. You buy the license, and it is irrevocable, but when you want the newer features of the next upgrade, you need to purchase it all over again, but usually at a small discount compared to your initial purchase. You still only own the license to use the software. It is not yours to do with as you please, such as transferring it to another person.

The $10/mo, or 120/yr licensing fee is one of the greatest bargains in photographic software being offered today in the marketplace. Especially when you consider that LR alone is not a photo finishing program.

But it may be all you need. Everyone's mileage differs.