Aaron Braganza Loc: Sydney, Australia

Having spent a ton of $$$ on Nikon Camera Body and Many Lens. Am now looking for some (lets say for me to experiment) free software that can do Photo Editing, Watermarking in batches and heaps more.

Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks

1eyedjack

Try "Picasa" it's free, if you don't like it ,try another. "GIMP" is also free,but it's more like "Photoshop"..

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Free forever stick with the recommendation fron 1eyedjack. You can also try both Abode Lightroom and Elements free for thirty days. Right now Costco is selling Elements for $50.

Aaron Braganza Loc: Sydney, Australia

Thanks. Can both do Watermarking in batches

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Lightroom can, sorry I am not sure about Elements. I just upgraded from Elements 7 to 11 but have not installed it yet. My best guess is yes. You can post a question on Adobe Fourm and get an answer or you might just try Googling it.

Wahawk Loc: NE IA

Picasa can by using the EXPORT and that saves the original without the watermark.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

If you are a student or are involved in education you can buy Lightroom 4 for $79.
For all the state-of-the-art features and free support and hundreds of plug-ins you can get, this is as close to free as possible.
It is also the #1 choice of photographers, tyro and professionals alike.

See: http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-Lightroom-Student-Teacher/dp/B007BG9Y44

Picdude Loc: Ohio

The 2 links below reference past threads here regarding watermarks. The first one is a tutorial by Matt Keely on how to make a simple text watermark with Photoshop. The second is a link to find a free watermark package.

I made my own watermark using text and clip art to make a picture in Photoshop, then used the picture to make a brush. I can alter the size, color and opacity of the brush to meet the needs of the picture then click to "stamp" it wherever I want to mark the image.


http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-53468-1.html
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-64623-1.html

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

I don't know... something about this question just irritates me. Not because it's a newbie author request for help on equipment or software usage which we all welcome, but because of the general skin flint attitude behind it.

Are you so bad at handling money that you blew your whole wad right down to the change in your pocket and now must carry the camera and lens around in a paper grocery bag with them individually wrapped in newspaper? Will you sling a Nikon over your shoulder with a piece of twine looped through the strap hooks? How about using a circular piece of window glass duct taped onto the front of the lens as a UV filter? I think not.

You buy the best photographic equipment possible then want to purposely surround yourself with the worst freebie software you can find that has no technical support and want it to also be reliable and do everything $600 PhotoShop does.

I supposed you also want the software to feature an "auto everything" button so the software will edit for you because all software has a steep learning curve you won't want to climb. Or you'll search for a free training course for the free software that somebody teaches to thousands for free. Everything free, all advice free in retail stores without buying anything there, all software free, all music free, all art copied for free, all movies free, shipping free, everything royalty and patent free. Yee-ha! Have and get everything you need and want in life for free and don't spend money to support anybody in anything until all those capitalist profiteering pigs are gone! But then there's reality:

The best dollar value is NOT always zero. Quality products are SOLD for a reason - to have enough profit to create newer, more innovative, and supported versions that constantly improve for decades and to pay employees who need their jobs. Reliable long term software companies can't give their products away free any more than Nikon can hand you a free camera.

ANYBODY who has enough money to own a computer and a dSLR system can spend $59 to $100 for a fairly easy to operate, legal, upgradeable, highly capable software package like PaintShop Pro or one of several Adobe's products to keep these companies alive and well. The software companies are not getting filthy rich by making $25 to $50 profit on amateurs once. Adobe is as big as they are because of PhotoShop and their graphics programs used by industry professionals. And they're used by professionals for a reason - innovation, improvements, and support funded by sales of their products.

Give companies the opportunity to stay alive for the good of the whole photography industry as a whole by buying their products. It's what you've done for Nikon, the company who made your car, the workers who repair your home infrastructure, those who built your washer and dryer, the grocery store chain where you get your food. Why is a software company any different? Since when did software residing on your hard drive become a non-tangible that you shouldn't have to pay for?

What's really ironic is that you want watermarking to protect your photographic product from being stolen yet you are willing to pick the pockets of the software industry by struggling with inferior freebie clones of their products.

Graham Thirkill Loc: Idylic North Yorkshire, England UK.

Gordon Benett, I wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of you. In saying that, what you say is perfectly true, especially stopping the theft of images with stolen software, excellent point.
Thirkers

rcirr Loc: Gilbert, Arizona

A few thoughts about using free software with an expensive camera...
1. The poster sounds like me. He bought the best equipment his budget could afford and will now have to wait to get the software he really wants. He is looking for something to learn with in the mean time. You mention a $600.00 price for Photoshop then say he can afford $60 to $100.....which does he need? We don't know but why shouldn't he play with some free software to get an idea about his needs?
2. If the software in question is an inferior clone (I assume you mean stolen), then I agree with you. However, this is not true of most free software I am aware of. You mention washers, dryers and groceries....software is unlike these items because unlike manufactured goods, the cost of a copy of software is virtually free. As a result there are some legitimate companies that give away software for legitimate business reasons (even though they paid to develop these programs). I have seen companies give away light versions of software to get people hooked on their program so they can then sell them the paid enhanced version. Some companies give away software to sell hardware. I've even seen companies give away software just to sell tech support. There is also some software that is open architecture. The source code is available and people are encouraged to make their own enhancements and share them. My point is not all free software is stolen or damaging to the companies that write the software. It is often just the opposit. So if a company profits from giving it away and the user profits from using it, why not?
3. Regarding paid software, I spent over $100 for my Adobe Ellements 9 and I'm not all that impressed. I realize it's not $600 for pro software but I am not a pro! Now, let's assume part of the reason is I just haven't really learned enough about how to use it. That may be bacause it didn't come with a manual (and I read manuals cover to cover). Whatever I have learned has been learned using help. The problem is to use the help, you have to be online and when it come up, it often shows you help from other versions that doesn't apply to my version. In addition, there are some capabilities that I found in my old Photo Explosion that I bought for $40.00 that PSE 9 doesn't have. Last but not least, it loads slow as s&*t! Expense doesn't always = value!
4. One last thought. I do not expect everything for free...a glance at my check book shows I pay a lot of people for a lot of things. I don't expect nor do I receive much of anything for free....but there are a few things I do get free that I find very valuable. One good example is this forum. I have gained a huge amount from this forum in the form of people giving of their knowledge and expertise. If you don't think this is appropriate, why are you here?

walter628 Loc: tahlequah, ok

Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about "Alamoon"? It is a program for watermarking photos. Has a freeware and paid program. I have had bad dealing with digital river before so I am not sure I want to deal with them again.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Picasa is no longer supported by Google. It might work right now for your camera, but you never know when it will become a liability overnight.