Help with PP software
Feb 2, 2020 17:02:05 #
kkdji1 wrote:
Hi. I upgraded from a D7100 to the D500 and for t... (show quote)
I tried the Nikon software and found it ok if all I wanted to do was duplicate my camera settings. But after trying Capture One I found what I was missing. Ditto for Lightroom, DXO and ON1 Raw. I use these all, and finish my images in Photoshop - which does things with a level of accuracy and control not possible in raw converters.
BTW - don't believe what you read when it comes to editing raw files. It is faster and the results better than messing around with a raster editor and jpegs.
There are many tutorials and videos, packages that you can buy that offer courseware, but my favorite suggestion is to join a local photo club - most have deep resources, pros both retired and current, and lots of support for wanting to step up their game. The annual costs are extremely reasonable. Certainly worth considering. . .
Feb 2, 2020 17:42:46 #
kkdji1 wrote:
My stated goals are in conflict but I also want to take my photos to the next level and trying to figure out the software that will help me to do that. I guess I mostly was wondering if folks out there use the Nikon software and if that would be a good place to start. I would like to only take the time to learn one software. I have used I-Photo to edit my photos so I have basic understanding of what to do.
To see if the Nikon software is right for you try it out. It costs nothing since you have a Nikon and get it with the camera. Shoot in Raw and JPEG, develop your Raw file to your liking and compare it to the JPG for a reference point and take it further or dial it back. You can also try LR and Photoshop for 30 days, well worth the money. The only way to learn any of the software is to use it and experiment. Remember the raw image can always be reverted back in any of the products you choose.
Feb 2, 2020 18:20:19 #
There are many competitive programs out there. But the standards are, basically, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. The advantage of popular programs is that there are lots of tutorials, books, you-tube videos that will help you learn to use the programs and help you solve problems. After you standardize on a program, it's common to add other programs that do special things, such as Silver Efex for b&w images, which is packaged with Viveza. Viveza has "control points," which is an entirely different way of burning and dodging, meaning it can do things that the burning and dodging tools in Lightroom can't do. There's also, for instance, Luminar 4, which allows you to add skies with a keystroke, rather than with time-comsuming layers.
I'd basically recommend starting with Lightroom, which can do 95% of what you probably want to do. Since the current package ($9.99 per month) includes Photoshop, you can gradually learn Photoshop. I actually haven't quite gotten around to that yet, but I will.
I'd basically recommend starting with Lightroom, which can do 95% of what you probably want to do. Since the current package ($9.99 per month) includes Photoshop, you can gradually learn Photoshop. I actually haven't quite gotten around to that yet, but I will.
Feb 2, 2020 23:03:05 #
I shoot the highest quality Jpeg and edit my pictures with Paintshop Pro 2020 (I've been using Corel Paintshop Pro for years and I am very pleased with their products). I'm quite happy with the results. I've taken a number of photo courses and I've received favorable comments on my work. I'm not convinced that my pictures would have been any better if they had been processed from Raw. My dad was a commercial photographer. He always said customers aren't concerned with how you got the shot or what you did in the darkroom its the picture that sells. I think he was spot on.
Feb 2, 2020 23:43:15 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Your stated goals are in conflict. See rgrenaderph... (show quote)
Dear CHG,
Primarily concerning light levels, colour, and apart from not doing layers
and other fruit salad that Photoshop offers, (and not initially loading
very quickly.) do you know of any downsides to the
free photo processing program RawTherapee?
Regards,
Alan.
PS. One of the things I dig about RawTherapee is how easy it
is to fix vertical perspective.
Feb 3, 2020 00:21:09 #
cahale
Loc: San Angelo, TX
If available, software proprietary to the camera manufacturer is always the way to start. Not being a Nikon fan, I don't know what they have, so the advice is generic.
Feb 3, 2020 09:43:29 #
kkdji1 wrote:
My stated goals are in conflict but I also want to take my photos to the next level and trying to figure out the software that will help me to do that. I guess I mostly was wondering if folks out there use the Nikon software and if that would be a good place to start. I would like to only take the time to learn one software. I have used I-Photo to edit my photos so I have basic understanding of what to do.
I understand your dilemma. When I got my first NIKON DSLR, I shot JPEG only and used Photoshop Elements. With time, I accumulated lots of photo software but was master of none. By the time I upgraded my camera, I changed to RAW+JPEG & knew I needed to decide on ONE program to learn well. The NIKON program was NEVER good for me and Lightroom seemed too hard, which it is if you try to jump in with both feet and no instructions or guide.
My final decision was to learn Lightroom. Anthony Morganti has a Lightroom tutorial that was instrumental in getting me up and running with Lightroom (and it’s FREE).
Five years later and several camera upgrades and I now only shoot RAW and have progressed to learning Photoshop. For $10/month to get both Lightroom AND Photoshop with continuous upgrades included in the cost is definitely the best decision I made. Of course, I am still learning and so will you.
Hope this helps.
Feb 3, 2020 13:26:55 #
GrandmaG wrote:
I understand your dilemma. When I got my first NIK... (show quote)
Grandma:
I'm glad to see that you have seen the Light(room). Hope you have learned to put keywords on all your images. That is how my aging brain gets around the problem of finding things later in life. Keywording is an art. You have to put enough keywords on an image to be complete, but not so many that it takes you forever to type them all in. Completeness allows you to find things using different search criteria. For example, I try to put the names of everyone in a photo into the keyword list for that photo. It takes some time when your're downloading to add the keywords but it saves much more than that time later when you're looking for a photo of something or someone.
Feb 3, 2020 20:25:09 #
DirtFarmer wrote:
Grandma: br I'm glad to see that you have seen the... (show quote)
Every photo imported into Lightroom gets a keyword such as Event, Birthday, etc that applies to all pictures in that import. Then I run face recognition when I am done with the edits and trashing the losers. Occasionally, I add more keywords; but I find these two most helpful. Plus every photo is renamed with the date and name of event. I can easily find any picture I want. I love the organization of Lightroom. Plus, I do at least 90% of my edits there. Special pics get the Photoshop treatment. Thank you for showing me more ”light”
Feb 4, 2020 16:24:45 #
Thank you Grandma. I have reread all the posts and am going to give Lightroom a try after I read a few of the free tutorials. I appreciate this forum and those that take the time to give responses.
Feb 5, 2020 00:07:38 #
Adobe Camera Raw has the power and capability to process your photographs to bring out their potential.
kkdji1 wrote:
Hi. I upgraded from a D7100 to the D500 and for t... (show quote)
Feb 5, 2020 08:36:48 #
kkdji1 wrote:
Thank you Grandma. I have reread all the posts and am going to give Lightroom a try after I read a few of the free tutorials. I appreciate this forum and those that take the time to give responses.
Once you learn it, you’ll see a big difference in your photos. Anyway, I did! This forum has been a great help to me as well.
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