Simple editing program: Hi friends....I am looking for a very basic/intro editing program. I'm not opposed to 'free' for the moment to get a feel for how much I would use certain...

SewClever

Hi friends....I am looking for a very basic/intro editing program. I'm not opposed to 'free' for the moment to get a feel for how much I would use certain elements. I have tried a couple free programs in the past, but although the editing was relatively simple and successful, I could not open the newly edited photo on my computer. It all gets quite frustrating after awhile. Any suggestions?

BebuLamar

Try Photoshop CC and Photoshop Elements. If you like either of them pay for it.

SewClever

Thank you! Rita

amersfoort

BebuLamar wrote:

Try Photoshop CC and Photoshop Elements. If you like either of them pay for it.

I would suggest that neither of these programs are simple or basic.

Have a play with Picasa which can be downloaded free here:-

http://picasa.findmysoft.com/

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Both Windows and iOS have "very basic/intro editing programs" in them.

As already suggested, the Adobe CC subscription and Adobe Photoshop Elements are so prevalent that there are loads of books, tutorials, classes and other learning resources.

Photoshop Elements has a "Quick" mode that is about as basic as it can get.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

If you use Windows, take a look at the first free download in this list:
https://www.faststone.org/

It says "viewer" but actually has quite a few editing tools.

It might be instructive to know what caused your inability to open edited photos from previous apps. What software was it? And were you editing jpg or raw files?

ralf Loc: NJ

DxO Photolab 3 is nice -- I use it all the time. Quick, simple, and pay for it once. They have an add-on for making pics look like certain popular kinds of film, which I use occasionally for B&W conversions.

Film, just for the record, is the medium of photography used in the previous century. Anyone over 70 years old will remember using film.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Take Linda's advice. Fastone is great for beginners. Also; Irfanview. Both are free.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I'm not sure what operating system you're using, but both Windows and Mac have basic editing programs that will allow you to make simple adjustments such as cropping, brilliance, saturation, etc. It's amazing just how much you can adjust using the editing programs that come with the O.S.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

The manufacturer of the camera provides editing software. Canon has Digital Photo Professional 4 (DPP4) which is free, and used to have a simpler Zoombrowser, also free. DPP4 is available online from Canon. You need the model and serial number of your camera. Look under Support/Drivers and Downloads. I expect the manufacturer of your camera has an equivalent.

Also, as suggested above, Picasa is simple and, while no longer supported, is still a great program (app).

CO

ralf wrote:

DxO Photolab 3 is nice -- I use it all the time. Quick, simple, and pay for it once. They have an add-on for making pics look like certain popular kinds of film, which I use occasionally for B&W conversions.

Film, just for the record, is the medium of photography used in the previous century. Anyone over 70 years old will remember using film.

I also have DxO Photolab 3. I also purchased DxO ViewPoint 3 with it. I like how the ViewPoint 3 menus are brought into Photolab 3 when you have both programs. ViewPoint 3 has the most sophisticated lens distortion and perspective corrections of any software program. DxO does extensive lens testing and creates lens correction profiles. You can download these profiles for automatic corrections or do your own corrections. Highly recommended.

If you use Nikon cameras, you could download Nikon Capture NX-D and ViewPoint NX-i. They're both free downloads from Nikon's website. Not nearly as powerful as the correction tools in DxO software though.

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

GIMP is a popular free editor. Open Source and works on Mac OS and Windows. Does just about everything

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

SewClever wrote:

Hi friends....I am looking for a very basic/intro editing program....

C'mon guys. Think basic/intro editing. That rules out Photoshop, Elements, GIMP, DxO, and things like that.

You should probably look at one of:
(1) IrfanView or Faststone (on Windows only)(freeware)
(2) Basic editing programs included in your OS (either Windows or Mac)(they're free since you already have them)
(3) Basic editing programs from the manufacturer (usually free).

Leave anything you have to pay for until you get some experience with the basics.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

PhotoDemon may be what you are looking for. Fairly easy to use and offers all the basic tools, but also with a number of advanced features. Includes a variety of layers tools when you need them. And it's free. I use it occasionally, as it comes with some interesting effects I have not seen anywhere else.

CO

SewClever wrote:

Hi friends....I am looking for a very basic/intro editing program. I'm not opposed to 'free' for the moment to get a feel for how much I would use certain elements. I have tried a couple free programs in the past, but although the editing was relatively simple and successful, I could not open the newly edited photo on my computer. It all gets quite frustrating after awhile. Any suggestions?

What camera are you using?