GEngel-usmc Loc: Spencerport NY - I miss Lakeland, FL

[quote=EkingbirdRI]I am a birder and because of this hobby I picked up on photography as I'm

Nice photo. Nice composition. Welcome to UHH.

neillaubenthal

The problem with Luminar is that they keep promising to fix bugs and add new features…but then at least yearly they come out with a new version they want you to pay for and the now no longer current one gets essentially abandoned. Their software is good for what it does…but their constant upgrade churn is not a good thing.

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

Questions relating to the PSE elements and Affinity programs…. Do they both process raw and jpeg, do they allow background adjustments (sky) apart from the picture, what about signatures.
Interested in getting one of these.
Thanks

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Yes ish. They both, as well as most all digital edit software, handle JPEGs just fine. As I mentioned earlier, the camera manufacturer's software will tend to be more RAW focused as the RAW files are camera-model specific.

Regarding replacements, PSE will tend to force your 12- or 14-bit RAW down to an 8-bit image to invoke the PSE layer-based tools that handle these replacement functions. At 8-bit, that's the same as working on a JPEG. I don't have working-experience with Affinity.

I work with PSE layers nearly every day, but just on JPEG images. As a RAW shooter, though, I don't use PSE for those images, except in very rare cases. Rather, I do all my RAW work with LR that retains the original RAW bit-depth.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

I just received an email from ON1 today with this in it.

10 Reasons to Try
ON1 Photo RAW 2023

1. Advanced raw editing capabilities, allowing for full control over the editing process.
2. Wide variety of built-in filters, effects, and presets for unique and creative edits.
3. Advanced AI-based noise reduction, sharpening, portrait editing, and image enlargement for superior image
quality.
4. Built-in AI-masking and selection tools for precise editing & 1-click masking.
5. Powerful retouching tools for effortless cleanup for your photos.
6. Revolutionary Super Select AI feature for quick styling and easy adjustments.
7. Comprehensive layer support for advanced compositing and editing.
8. Non-destructive editing, allowing for easy adjustments and changes without compromising the original image.
9. Support for over 800+ cameras, and use any feature to edit JPEG, TIF, PSD, PSB, PNG, and DNG file types.
10.Completely free for 14 days, no watermarking, access to all features, and no credit card required.


Try It Today
Works on both Mac and Windows
No credit card required

steveo52 Loc: Rhode Island and Ocala Florida

You may also want to try Hunt's Photo in Providence, they offer classes on a regular basis.

fantom Loc: Colorado

Good advice.

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

Gimp works great but can have a big learning curve.
Photoshop at $10.00 a month wont break the bank but again a steep learning curve . but lots of videos on PS and lots of help here on UHH.

JBGLADSTONE Loc: Oregon

I just signed up with ON1 2023 for $7.99 a month.I could have bought the stand alone version for $59.99.
ON1 grows with you. I can have ON1 do all the adjustments with just a few clicks an you are done. Less than 30 seconds. Sure a little more , if you want to crop. Oh yes you can make all the adjustments your self. In fact I recommend completing auto edit then look at the levels adjusted by AI. what a way to learn and grow.
I recommend going to YouTube and watching a few videos about ON1 2023.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

For the use you describe perhaps your camera manufacturers software will suffice. I struggle with ALL pp software once I've got past the very basics but I'm using AFFINITY 2 as my go to at the moment. There's a lot of help on You Tube and some good guides. Have a look at those before even downloading the free trial.

Try this (it's AFFINITY 1 - but you'll get AFFINITY 2 if you opt for a trial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RChxuWyjaYc

Canisdirus

Adobe user ...yes another recommend for them.

But if you want basic...and simple...to begin with...to just dip your toes in...Paint.net

It's free...it's basic...it's a starting point that will not overwhelm you...at all.

You may outgrow it quickly...it depends on what your shots look like to begin with...good technique up front saves edits on the back end.

Shooting in your yard...set up your yard to take advantage of light...color...dof. Potted plants are your friend...movable outdoor studio. Play with it...half the fun.

Cameralark Loc: Torrington, CT

For Mac only users take a look at Pixelmator Pro. It can be as easy as you would like it to be but can do most anything. You can do a one button “machine learning” correction or specific edits. The item removing and cloning tools are especially good.It is not free but not expensive.

topcat Loc: Alameda, CA

You can also use Photoshop Elements. It lists for $99 but is often for $60. It is not a monthly cost. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the real Photoshop, but it has most of what a photographer needs.

You can add Elements+, for $10, and that gives you more of the real Photoshop structures.
You can also add Tony Kyper Luminosity masks, I think that they are free for Elements. The luminosity masks are easy to use and are a fantastic addition. If you want to add them to the real Photoshop it will cost a little, but they are worth it.