mlkddk Loc: Colorado

I have used Picasa for years, but since google doesn't support it anymore and Google Photo sucks, what say you on what I should graduate to for storing photos, making DVD's to share with family and/or groups, and either individual edit or batch edit. I usually take a bunch of photos in the same setting so batch edit usually makes everything look professional. But for those special photos, I tried Lightroom for better editing and liked it, but it seems clunky and hard to master all the choices.
So, I am looking for what you use and recommend.

Thanks
Mark Kaiser

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Mark Consider Adobe Lightroom 6 you can buy and own. No monthly fees.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1132136-REG/adobe_65237578_photoshop_lightroom_6_download.html

Drip Dry McFleye

I went from Picasa to PS Elements. Elements gives you about ten times the capabilities of Picasa and there are plenty of tutorials, you tube videos and Adobe instructional articles to help out. I got my copy on sale at Christmas time from Costco. It5 was only $39 or $49. Can't remember which. I have no regrets.

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

Photo Shop Elements works for me!

achesley Loc: SW Louisiana

Might look at Faststone which I use as a viewer now instead of Picasa. I used it for awhile for minor editing of raw files but finally went back to LR CC Classic cause I was spoiled to it. ;-)

bigdukeor

I use Picasa for a quick shot like cropping, etc. Then use Photoshop Elements for fine tuning. Not hard to learn, and does an excellent job.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Lightroom is great, but I would caution about buying soon-to-be orphaned software. If you go the Adobe route - the $10/mo subscription is the best deal in the industry. Small cost, big software, and you get unparalleled and outstanding user community support.

Once you spend a little time with LR, you'll find that you can edit hundreds of images in batch mode in seconds, by just getting the representative one edited correctly. I've come back from a wedding with over 1200 images taken on several cameras (some by a second shooter) and was able to cull and correct all the remaining (about 1000) and upload them to my client site for viewing in about 90 minutes. Nothing clunky or slow about it. The editing is limited to a series of adjustments on the right side of the screen, and to make your life easier, you can import your images with a preset that will individually optimize each image and allow you to specify sharpening and noise reduction to the entire set of images you are importing, which is a real time saver. You may have to review them to do some final tweaking, but all in all it is a very fast and capable editing platform for raw files.

I use Lightroom to import all of my images, and for editing them. I also use Capture One for images taken with my Sony camera, mainly because of the results I get with it compared to LR with Sony arw files.

MidnightManiac

A couple years ago went to the Adobe pay service, Lightroom and Photoshop. The $10.00 a month was more than worth the investment. It's a few $3.00 cups of Starbucks a month or a 12 pack of beer. I import all my images into Lightroom, edit or batch edit them and if any need tweeking I send them to photoshop for the final tweek. You never have to worry about purchasing an updated version. Adobe updates as new cameras and lenses hit the street.

Years ago I owned the original Lightroom program which I purchased and it lasted for many years, than Abobe stopped updating it and my newer computer caused it to lose many of the options. After windows XP the program to me was useless. Bounced around to different photo programs but none to me were as good.

Lightroom and Photoshop are not the easiest to learn but once you master them they will give you the best results and save valuable time.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Lightroom is neither clunky or hard to manage if you take the time to read the LR Help Manual, found online, and perhaps a book or two: I like the Martin Evening books. Any program you choose has a learning curve and if you've already started learning LR it would seem to be a good direction to continue in. Choices are what helps us to create the final image we desire, so the more choices the more opportunity to get what you want. LR offers endless opportunities to create art, and combined with other great programs, is a tool that you will be happy to have mastered at some point in time.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I can identify with your "clunky" reference in a slightly different way: along with Picasa I had been dabbling in Corel Paintshop Pro. But I really grew to hate it

When I joined UHH someone recommended PS Elements, and it turned out to be the perfect fit! I've never used the catalog for organizing so can't help you there. And while I absolutely loved the clean-looking interface and ease of finding the right tools and such, I did have quite the challenge learning how to use layers and layer masks. People on this site helped, as did a couple of books (I much prefer reading lessons than viewing videos).

It's relatively inexpensive if you want to give it a try. But as we find every time this subject comes up (and it's once or twice a week), each of us has our own favorite, and the reasons may not be applicable to your own needs.

mlkddk Loc: Colorado

Thank you all for the positive feedback. Gave me lots to consider!

Haydon

Stan for some photographers, older (now unsupported software) is fine. I'm using a LRCC whereas an acquaintance is still using LR 3.6 and Photoshop CS6. He's very happy with that combination and never gets GAS for new equipment. His motto is, why pay for something if your needs are already met.