David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

Then you should try Affinity Photo's erase tool ("inpainting brush tool") and compare.

11bravo

I too am an amateur in PP and find Topaz very useful and have been impressed with their quick and accurate customer support answers. Nice when impressive software is matched by customer service.

I have Luminar 4.3 working on windows 10, but have not been pleased with their customer support (e.g. bought Aurora a week before a price drop, but no offer of a price difference refund. Took their offer of some "looks" compensation as could not use to buy books on their marketplace, but in hindsight should have just asked for a full refund and purchased again at the discounted price.)

albacore569

fotobyferg

I just read your comments re: LR and Luminar and you mirror my thoughts and issues I am having. I also am an amateur trying my best to work with LR and getting nowhere fast. I just turned 80 last week and I now realize that I am spending too much time (wasting) and getting bogged down using LR. So I will be switching to Luminar asap. Right now I am attempting to catalog my photos using LR and know I can be putting my time to better use.

What did you use to catalog your photos (LR?) prior to using Luminar? I am now trying to get rid of all the duplicate pictures I have accumulated. What did you use to accomplish dumping junk? Hey, I am 80 so every minute must be productive or my kids will shit can my work.

Thanks, Fred

fotobyferg

Hi Fred...I am a very organized person by nature, and always placed images in folders under either their actual name (ie trips) or subject matter (horses, cats, boats, etc.). I know that system isn’t perfect by LR cataloging ability...but again, it works for me. Even if I have to sort through dozens of pictures to find the exact one I am looking for, I enjoy the process because it is like a trip down memory lane.

My process is rather straight-forward. I import to a folder on my desktop, then into whichever editing program I am using. After I complete the edits I export to another folder labeled “same name2”. Since that converts my images from RAW to jpeg, I then...GASP... delete the RAW files folder because I don’t have the time or patience to re-edit an image. I’m a once-and-done type of gal.

Finally, I drag the completed folder into my Pictures folder in Finder on my MAC. It’s not unlike how your Favorites and/or Bookmark folders work on your computer. I have over twenty years of images arranged this way and, thus far, it’s a system that works for me. All images are also backed up in multiple places via external hard drives, my photo website, or other online storage methods.

For me, it’s all about the KISS method and not getting stressed out or bogged down by some arbitrary “I must keep up with the Jones” mentality. I don’t even know any Jones, lol!

As for duplicate files...there are programs you can download that will find and eliminate them for you. I don’t worry about that too much because I have a large hard drive (3tb) and, as already mentioned, offload older files to other storage devices.

Hope this helps!

fotobyferg

Hi Fred...me again.

Some thoughts on kids shit canning your work. You can’t take it with you! I struggled with this a bit myself, and have concluded the following:

* though the digital age has reduced printing of images in favor of online storage, I still have a lot of hard copy images
* I appointed my older son in charge of my Facebook Legacy account. I joke that Facebook is an alternate reality and decidedly unsocial in many respects but, the fact remains that I have a lot of memories stored there
* I have a SmugMug account. If my kids choose not to renew it each year (it’s under $100) then it will disappear. Their loss...I’ll be dust floating on the breeze with other things to deal with!

Have fun....I should probably stop hijacking this thread now. My apologies to the OP.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Early pre-ordering and the loyalty discount are both the same. They don’t give both--it’s one or the other.

tjw47 Loc: Michigan

Works on my Windows 10 desktop..

lschiz Loc: Elgin, IL

Yes a tool kit asset, not a one tool to do it all.
I am a Lightroom in Photoshop 10 year user, a pro/amateur😏. Enjoy and love learning these. Also appreciate the variety Luminar offers even in its imperfect and state.
By the way, does anyone remember windows 3.0 3.2? None of that was ever released perfect.