Photo editing/catagorizing software for beginner: I'm a beginner with about 9 months using my first dslr. I'm retired and travel full time taking mostly landscape photos for personal...

Valinda Loc: Washington

I'm a beginner with about 9 months using my first dslr. I'm retired and travel full time taking mostly landscape photos for personal use and sharing on fb. I want to be able to catagorize photos easily and apply basic editing tools. The software offered by Canon with my t3i doesn't include straightening. I purchased Photoshop Elements 13 and it's way more sophisticated than I need. Suggestions.....?

mtparker Loc: Cape Charles & Springfield, Virginia

Stick with PSE 13. You'll grow into it.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Valinda wrote:

I'm a beginner with about 9 months using my first dslr. I'm retired and travel full time taking mostly landscape photos for personal use and sharing on fb. I want to be able to catagorize photos easily and apply basic editing tools. The software offered by Canon with my t3i doesn't include straightening. I purchased Photoshop Elements 13 and it's way more sophisticated than I need. Suggestions.....?

Go to youtube and dial up elements. There are a zillion for Lightroom and would expect the same for elements. Videos are thr way to learn by watching.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

If I already had PSE13, I would work to learn that, it'll do everything you need and you'll grow into it. For the organizing part, Lightroom is like the PSE Organizer on steroids and is the gold standard. I'd venture to say that the majority of workflows start for serious amateurs and pros in Lightroom, might end there because many times it's all you need, or your project may take a diversion into PSE or Photoshop or another editor before returning to Lightroom for final exporting. Regardless of any Adobe solution you end up with, Adobe's own tutorials on their web site, scads of youtube videos and other online sources are plentiful and will help you along. Good luck.

KCurtis Loc: Claymont, Delaware

Valinda wrote:

I'm a beginner with about 9 months using my first dslr. I'm retired and travel full time taking mostly landscape photos for personal use and sharing on fb. I want to be able to catagorize photos easily and apply basic editing tools. The software offered by Canon with my t3i doesn't include straightening. I purchased Photoshop Elements 13 and it's way more sophisticated than I need. Suggestions.....?

Paintshop Pro has a straighten toolbar button, plus rotate right or left, and free rotate. It also has a perspective correction button. One of those should cover your situation. What are you going to do with your Elements 13?

topcat Loc: Alameda, CA

Elements is a very good tool, but lightroom is a great organizer as well as a correction tool. Lightroom was developed for photographers.

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

Lightroom

donrent Loc: Punta Gorda , Fl

Tr Picasa.com.. Very easy to use....

Valinda Loc: Washington

Since my main focus is organizing I'll probably go to Lightroom and sell Elements along with the Dummies book I purchased with it.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Valinda wrote:

Since my main focus is organizing I'll probably go to Lightroom and sell Elements along with the Dummies book I purchased with it.

Elements will do some things that Lightroom can't, like layers and pixel level editing. Don't get me wrong, I spend 95% of my time in LR, but for that 5% where you just have to remove that guy from the background of your picture or maybe replace a sky, PSE is necessary. Also, no one mentioned yet that instead of giving Adobe $125 or more for Lightroom, you can try it AND the full blast Photoshop for free for 30 days. After that, $9.99 a month. Might be a better deal for you, for many it is because you are always up to date. Just go to:

http://www.adobe.com

to check it out.

kayakbob Loc: Placerville, CA

You an download 30 day trail versions of Corell's PaintShop Pro & AfterShot Pro from their Web Site.
AfterShot Pro is their product to compete with Lightroom.
PaintShop Pro has a scripting editor to create macros for automating tasks, as well as the typical mouse/keybord action recorder.

Canon's Digital Photo Professional (DPP)does have image straightening and cropping, I believe that the keyboard shortcut is Alt + C.
I have found Digital Photography School a good resource for tips as well as ebooks for photography.
Understanding DPP by Andrew Gibson is the best book I have found on Canon's DPP program.
You may find that DPP is all you need as a RAW editor.
Canon has added video tutorials on using DPP in their on line learing center as well.

Bob

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

Valinda wrote:

I'm a beginner with about 9 months using my first dslr. I'm retired and travel full time taking mostly landscape photos for personal use and sharing on fb. I want to be able to catagorize photos easily and apply basic editing tools. The software offered by Canon with my t3i doesn't include straightening. I purchased Photoshop Elements 13 and it's way more sophisticated than I need. Suggestions.....?

Try Anthony Morganti's videos on elements They break it down into easily understandable segments.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Lightroom for organising and cataloguing.
Your Elements 13 is a very good program and will do some things that LR wont.
Your Canon software does have a levelling feature but it is hidden in the Crop section.

ralphc4176 Loc: Conyers, GA

I have Lightroom and Photoshop. Mostly use Photoshop. But I also have Cyberlink's PhotoDirector and use it from time to time. I have found it very easy to use and effective for less complicated tasks. For my money, it is the best of the "cheap" photo editing software.

Junior 74

I am new also. The best advice I have found is from a video by Tim Grey on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSwkDC3q7uk&list=PLghsRhwoGCd_8gcK-5GuzPucTLsQc5Xxd&index=1
It's actually a video on Lightroom 5, But he starts with organizing photos.