Post processing apps or programs (Page 5): digit-up: I used to be in your corner and took pride at shooting JPEG straight out of camera. I gradually became dissatisfied with SOC...

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

digit-up:

I used to be in your corner and took pride at shooting JPEG straight out of camera. I gradually became dissatisfied with SOC because my highlights were usually burned out or the shadows were too dark or whatever.

I started with the free software from Google (OH, NO! I FORGET ITS NAME!!!) and graduated to Photoshop Elements and started shooting in RAW. I am "guilty" of swapping out skies, but I always take the original photo with the knowledge that it would look better with a different sky. I do HDR to save the highlights AND open up the shadows. I did my own black and white processing back in the day, so I'm not adverse to "manipulating" a photo. I did it back then and I do it now.

PICASSA! I now remember the name, I just don't remember how to spell it!

tomad Loc: North Carolina

rook2c4 wrote:

....The 16 megapixel maximum image size is just one example. There are far better no cost options available than PS Express.

What do you mean by 16 megapixel image size? I can open images that are 20 mp.

dandev Loc: Enumclaw, WA

I went with Affinity Photo to get away from the subscription. I also feel that it's a bit easier to use vs. Photoshop.

If you shoot in raw (which I think is a good thing), you have to do some post processing.

jlg1000 Loc: Uruguay / South America

digit-up wrote:

I don’t care about “doing the math” I also don’t c... (show quote)

Well, then you will definitively LOVE Capture One Pro.

Besides cataloging and tagging your photos, it allows for very subtle enhancements (like reveal detail in the shadows, maybe make the reds stronger but leaving the blues alone, etc.).

Of course you have to shoot RAW to fully use it.

Just give it a try... if you like it, it is a one time purchase of $299 or $99 if you own a SONY or FUJI camera.

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

jlg1000 wrote:

Well, then you will definitively LOVE Capture One Pro.

Besides cataloging and tagging your photos, it allows for very subtle enhancements (like reveal detail in the shadows, maybe make the reds stronger but leaving the blues alone, etc.).

Of course you have to shoot RAW to fully use it.

Just give it a try... if you like it, it is a one time purchase of $299 or $99 if you own a SONY or FUJI camera.

Thanks for that TIP. What if I own Nikon, Pentax & fuji? And would like to tweek images from any and all of those??

jlg1000 Loc: Uruguay / South America

digit-up wrote:

Thanks for that TIP. What if I own Nikon, Pentax & fuji? And would like to tweek images from any and all of those??

Then the price is $299 and supports 500+ cameras.

This is the supported camera list: https://www.captureone.com/en/features/supported-cameras

Just download from https://www.captureone.com/en/download/pro and test for yourself if your make/model is supported.

They have a 30 day free test period, so there is nothing to lose.

digit-up Loc: Flushing, Michigan

jlg1000 wrote:

Then the price is $299 and supports 500+ cameras.

This is the supported camera list: https://www.captureone.com/en/features/supported-cameras

Just download from https://www.captureone.com/en/download/pro and test for yourself if your make/model is supported.

They have a 30 day free test period, so there is nothing to lose.

Thanks again.A few people suggested “AFINITY” I will take a look.. and a look at “capture one,TOO.RJM

K.Cole

digit-up wrote:

I’m in a photo/camera club that seems to think (as... (show quote)

I'll just say, I lean toward as little post shot processing as possible. Maybe a tweek in brightness, contrast or color balance and an occasional cropping or straightening. Otherwise, I like to see and let others see what I shot as close as possible to the image as it was viewed live.

dhughes900

I have struggled with the same question. Some photos are so over processed that they are gaudy.

On the other hand, it is hard to get a really interesting photo without some post processing.

So, here is what I have decided: Some fine art photography can have a lot of post processing and have bright colors and aren't photo-realistic. But that's ok, they are about art, not reality. For fine art, then, the test. for me, is "Do I like the photo, post processing and all?" If I like it, its art. (Or maybe I have bad taste!)

Another area is B&W. I think it is perfectly proper to convert a color shot to B&W and refine it in post. Ansel Adams did it, so that's good enough for me.

Even the notion of "perfect" exposure is out the window. Perfect exposure used to mean that taken from an 11% gray card. Now, perfect exposure is that which preserves the details you want most, whether highlight or shadow.

Better technology has given photographers more choices about how their photos look. Good is in the eye of the beholder.

Hope those thoughts are useful.

bentvalve

I look at post processing on a computer just as I did using a dodging stick or a burning in a spot with my thumb and index finger in the wet dark room. Very few negs or images are perfect.

BENT

lsupremo Loc: Palm Desert, CA

digit-up wrote:

I’m in a photo/camera club that seems to think (as... (show quote)

I too am in a photo club that gets together every two months in a meeting we call Critsig when we are invited to post any two images for creative suggestions from the group. The suggestions are about technical things like composition, focus, lighting, etc., but also post processing suggestions like cropping, lighting and other more creative adjustments. I personally generally find that after the suggestions I like what I see. We as photographers are, or should be, really artists who create art in the photographic medium.

Ansel Adams once told a group of us students “if you can’t create an image that is bigger or more important, then don’t push the button. Just remember it for what it was, and be happy with that”.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

K.Cole wrote:

I'll just say, I lean toward as little post shot processing as possible. Maybe a tweek in brightness, contrast or color balance and an occasional cropping or straightening. Otherwise, I like to see and let others see what I shot as close as possible to the image as it was viewed live.

I used to agree with you. Until I got a really great shot with somethings behind the image, I did a major job on it and it was one of my all time best sellers.
I have found that I can ENHANCE what I viewed live to make it even better.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

digit-up wrote:

So....how do you augment that income to survive??

I sell drugs on the side.

DrDon Loc: Hingham, Ma

Luminar seems to work well for Macs however complaints come from Windows users. I find Luminar a beautiful program that is impressive but it needs to run on updated video card drivers! Do not harp at Luminar unless you have done your job and updated your video drivers. It’s free and you pay for the program only once. They do send free upgrades.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

For Windows, Mac or Linux, GIMP is free, and compared very favorably with Photoshop in capabilities. Download it and look at it. 2.10.8 is latest version.

For Windows, Paint.net is a fine, free very capable app. Less complication than GIMP or Photoshop. Get it and read about it at getpaint.net