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affordable post process software
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Feb 21, 2019 12:07:03   #
kmohr3 Loc: Rockford, IL
 
I'm retired also, on a limited income, however I think the Adobe CC package for ten bucks is the best way to go. It comes with Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Camera Raw, and Bridge. Photoshop is the industry standard, there are all sorts of videos and help available, I highly recommend this.

Also, as far as layers go, learn them, and learn masks and selections. Learn them well. It's not that difficult of a subject. Layers and masks - it's what Photoshop is all about.

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Feb 21, 2019 12:09:25   #
tropics68 Loc: Georgia
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
Crippled?? 🙄


The Photoshop bundle is far more expensive over time than is PSE. The OP is looking for something he can afford to PP his digital images. Suggesting Photoshop CC as a way to start out is like suggesting putting someone taking a drivers training course into a Joe Gibbs Racing 900 horsepower Nascar Toyota.

For a PP newbie I would recommend the following.

1. Faststone (a free download and is very versatile )
2. PaintShop Pro (frequently offered for under $50) a very powerful program.
3. Photoshop Elements (list price about $99 but frequently offered on sale) This would be the choice for
learning a whole lot about Photoshop for not a whole lot of moola.

Once you have spent time with these applications you find you need more steam I can guarantee that Adobe will still be selling subscriptions.

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Feb 21, 2019 12:18:10   #
jwn Loc: SOUTHEAST GEORGIA USA
 
Canon supplies it's editor free DPP4

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Feb 21, 2019 12:21:08   #
rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)
 
Gene51 wrote:
especially over PSE, which is a crippled version and not upgradeable.


You can also get back a goodly portion of PS CC by buying Elements + (for about $15) .....

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Feb 21, 2019 12:24:43   #
rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)
 
G Brown wrote:
The Gimp Photo is a free program and now looks and works like PSE. (It has recently upgraded) Look at PSE Tutorials and then work out the different tool names in The Gimp.
Raw Therapee or Ufraw will open your camera raw files and are a plug in for Gimp.

Check out other free programs - there are a lot out there responding to the cell phone camera users. Some have different 'add ons' than the 'established' programs do not - cartoons etc.

Faststone and Inkscape are quite large programs than some of the free ones but people here use them.

Lightroom is primarily an image database which has many search options. It needs either PSE or PS to fulfill its Post processing capabilities. (hence the 'dual deal' on subscription)

If you are new to PP I suggest that you look at tutorials online. Google + Keywords will throw up hundreds of sites....browse a few till you find a couple or three that 'suit you'. Different sites appeal to different people. (Different content also) Add your choice to a bookmark for easier return. Also look out for PSE books in thrift stores....every update brought out a new book BUT the basics stayed the same.....They will give you a great starting point (or more).

The image file can usually be post processed in many programs.....they are not specific to a single program....So you could 'borrow' a colleagues pc to work on an image. !! it may give you a 'breather' before you commit.

No matter how brilliant your camera work is....you will need to process the image in a program.....It isn't cheating nor is it making an image 'unreal'. Consider it like a 'Darkroom' a process that is necessary to get an end product.

Have fun and 'keep it fun'! Photography is about YOU and what YOU want to explore. There might be 'better' but there isn't a wrong!
The Gimp Photo is a free program and now looks and... (show quote)


Actually GIMP 2.9 is more like PS CC than PSE.

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Feb 21, 2019 12:33:26   #
kmohr3 Loc: Rockford, IL
 
I think of Photoshop Elements as a subset of Photoshop. I also have purchased several versions of Elements, (and others), over the years, and could have avoided those purchases if the CC had been available then. A person can still start out (gently) with Photoshop just as they can with Elements. There will be a learning curve either way. You don't have to get into that 900 horsepower Nascar Toyota and immediately floor the gas pedal.

One other thing, Adobe will try to make you subscribe for a minimum of 1 year. As I understand it, if you leave at that point, you will still have the usable versions of PS, LR, ACR, and Bridge. (on up to 2 computers).

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Feb 21, 2019 12:41:40   #
adamsg Loc: Chubbuck, ID
 
I can enthusiastically recommend Luminar. It is easy to learn, has a powerful set of tools and is yours for $69 - no subscriptions - and they send free updates. Definitely an excellent program. Luminar 3 is essentially Luminar 2018 with a cataloging application built in. The first version had some issues, but these have been corrected and the updates provided at no cost.

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Feb 21, 2019 12:45:11   #
PhotosBySteve
 
Gene51 wrote:
The best value (price/performance) software out there is the PS/LR CC bundle. It is a complete editing/image management solution. There are other things that are cheap or free, but support is often limited, and capabilities uneven. At $120 a year, even very popular programs like On1, which sells initially for $100 - if you wan to stay current, will cost you an additional $80/yr for updates. With PS/CC you pay a little more every year, but you get more than you get with On1. Little by little, On1 is closing the feature gap, and I do like it's presets and filters for photo editing - but I also do image restoration, graphics and other things with PS that just can't be done with just On1.

Lightroom does image management with a catalog, raw editing and conversion, geotagging, publishing, and it has a printing module. It has an API and many third party developers have written excellent plugins to extend the capabilities of LR. PHotoshop is a full blown image editing/image browsing/raw conversion/printing solution. If it can be done to an image, you can count on being able to do it in Photoshop. Together they are pretty much an industry standard.

I strongly suggest you consider the bundle, especially over PSE, which is a crippled version and not upgradeable.
The best value (price/performance) software out th... (show quote)



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Feb 21, 2019 13:01:53   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
Once a topic gets to 6 pages, I'm not sure anyone reads it anymore. That said.....

1. The Elements programs for video and photo editing are NOT subsets. They are developed (coded) by a separate team and don't share code with the "real" versions.

2. Regarding the $10 per month price, what did older, fixed income photographers do when you had to buy film? Did they limit themselves to a dozen shots a month and develop quarterly?

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Feb 21, 2019 13:39:37   #
nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY
 
Does FREE sound good? There's GIMP, which gives up little if anything to Photoshop. I still can't believe that no one mentions Paint.NET. Developed as a grad student project in cooperation with Microsoft.. ...Very full-featured. Upgraded and supported very well online. Compared favorably with Photoshop while far less complicated. You owe it to yourself to look at it.

Starting out with Photoshop is a daunting proposition. You can, of course, "graduate" to it should you come across some feature or another you want. But there's much to be said for starting simpler.

Go to getpaint.net

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Feb 21, 2019 13:40:38   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
Try GIMP. It's free. It's powerful.

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Feb 21, 2019 13:48:35   #
louparker Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
 
gofast wrote:
I went back to college to learn more about digital so I can get better, and early on they're talking about post processing, etc. The only tools I currently have is what came with Win 10. I know a little about Photoshop. A little. Don't understand layers, what it means, how it works or how to. Yet.

I do know it is expensive software, like $500-600. Not exactly in my budget-pension only goes so far.
I've seen some talk about Lightroom (I think that's the name). How does that compare, and what's it cost?
I prefer as user friendly as possible. Later, if I get really into it, I would save up for PS.
Also, is there any good freeware out there?
I went back to college to learn more about digital... (show quote)


Check out ACDSee's offerings. They have several levels of programs to do what you need and want for a lot less money than PhotoShop. And, only their most expensive program uses layers. I have used what is now ACDSee Photo Studio Professional 2019 for many years for less than $80, and again, no layers -- you have to go to the "Ultimate" version to get layers, which I don't need or want.

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Feb 21, 2019 13:55:59   #
jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania
 
gofast wrote:
I went back to college to learn more about digital so I can get better, and early on they're talking about post processing, etc. The only tools I currently have is what came with Win 10. I know a little about Photoshop. A little. Don't understand layers, what it means, how it works or how to. Yet.

I do know it is expensive software, like $500-600. Not exactly in my budget-pension only goes so far.
I've seen some talk about Lightroom (I think that's the name). How does that compare, and what's it cost?
I prefer as user friendly as possible. Later, if I get really into it, I would save up for PS.
Also, is there any good freeware out there?
I went back to college to learn more about digital... (show quote)


------------------------------
You can check out these:

"Affinity Photo" is $49.99 https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/desktop/
"ON1 Photo RAW 2019.2" is $99.99 https://www.on1.com/products/photo-raw/
"Luminar 3" is $69.00 https://skylum.com/luminar
"Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019" is $99.99 https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

These are all software without any monthly fee, buy it once and it is yours to use as long as you want. "Affinity Photo" is an affordable replacement for Photoshop. "Photoshop Elements" is a scaled down version of Photoshop without a monthly fee. "ON1 Photo RAW 2019.2" is a good replacement for both Lightroom & Photoshop all in one program. It is the one program that is actually designed by and for photographers. "Luminar 3" is designed as a replacement for both Lightroom and Photoshop too, and it is improving all the time. Some people find it a little slow but the latest release has improved speed. Between it and the "ON1 Photo RAW 2019.2" I would recommend ON1. It is an exceptionally good program that will handle just about anything you would want to do. I believe all 4 programs offer free trials so I would take a look at the sites and download and try the ones that interest you the most and then after trying them buy whatever you prefer As far as free programs go there are a number available but I think the one I hear about the most is "Gimp" and is available here: https://www.gimp.org/

.

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Feb 21, 2019 14:16:52   #
pnittoly Loc: Mountainside, New Jersey
 
What is the free Nikon software mentioned above ? Anyone have experience with Luminar ?

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Feb 21, 2019 14:20:36   #
Toment Loc: FL, IL
 
I use Luminar 3
Reasonable price, easy to use
Lots of presets, and gets as complicated as you want...
Have fun

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