burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Serif's Affinity Photo. It's less than $50, fully supported, and is available in the same version for both Macintosh and Windows computers. If I had nothing, I'd start here first.

Photoshop Elements is popular, but you're editing 8-bit images, which isn't ideal. The good news is, much of it is like its big brother, Photoshop, so the knowledge is transferable to the pro CC version.

GIMP is free. Google "public domain photo editing software" and similar phrases and you'll find TONS of links to free or low cost solutions.

The only problem with freeware and shareware is that the documentation can be spotty, training can be non-existent, and compatibility can be unpredictable with new hardware and operating systems.

That said, one of my all-time favorite software packages is the Mac ONLY Graphic Converter 10, a Swiss Army Knife-like tool that is a $40 shareware package. You can try it free. I have it running right now. It does great batch conversions, can be used as an image sorter, slide show viewer, image re-namer...

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

GIMP

Glasgow

Sounds good and will give them a try

Thanks

advocate1982

But you are not forced to upgrade with every upgrade. The only reason for an upgrade is because the software now does something that you need to complete you work. I haven't found anything in Photoshop that I would need to upgrade for and am quite happy with my CC3 version of Photoshop even though because I have the photo package at $10.50 a month so can have the 2017 version it offers nothing that I use, and I never upgrade a piece of software just because. Too often the upgrade breaks a working system.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

If you are new to doing post-processing, buy Adobe Elements 15. It's about $100, sometimes on sale for a bit less. No "rent" payments.

It's got a lot of built-in support for new users. It's also in very wide use, so there are plenty of third party books, tutorials... even plug-ins.

You can download a free 30-day trial of Elements from the Adobe website, at the end of which you can decide if you want to buy it or not. If you do this, I suggest you buy one or another of the guide books in advance, so that you don't waste time fumbling around with the new program and get as full benefit as possible from the trial period.

Elements can do all most users really need. It's got both organizational and image editing tools. In contrast, Adobe's other, more pro-oriented programs are not "all in one": Lightroom is primarily an organizer, while Photoshop is the Mac Daddy of all image editors. They are designed to work together and complement each other.

Elements is designed to stand on its own and provide all you're likely need (if you also want to handle videos with it, get the more expensive Premiere version).



Not true.

Yes, one of the relatively minor limitations of Elements is that it's an "8-bit program". And, yes, it's best to "work" with images in 16-bit mode. HOWEVER.... Elements actually does work in 16-bit whenever you use it to handle RAW conversions, same as you would need to do with any other editing program (in-camera JPEGs are already reduced to 8-bit). The Adobe Camera Raw "engine" built into Elements is the same as what's used in Lightroom and Photoshop. It's only a few of the specialty filters and such that aren't available in Elements until after the image has been saved as an 8-bit JPEG. Really no biggie.

For most people it doesn't matter that Elements is only able to output/save 8-bit JPEG (and similar) files, because those are more than adequate and even what's wanted for the vast majority of purposes. Typically only commercial, pro uses might call for 16-bit TIFFs (and similar). In fact, many printing services require 8-bit JPEGs. Even if you were to use a 16-bit TIFF to make a print yourself, assuming your photo quality inkjet can handle it, there will be no visible difference in the final print. The human eye cannot differentiate between 8-bit and 16-bit. Likely the only difference would be that it takes a lot longer to print.

Leopardo

I use DXO Optics Pro 11 to work my RAW files. So little else is generally needed that an outdated lightroom or photoshop (non subscription) can usually suffice.

pkgoldberg

Check out : https://macphun.com/luminar Free trial period and only $69.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Professionals just expense it. It is a TINY expense for what it provides. We may need only 10% of it, but every now and then, the developers add a real gem that is worth hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars in time saved, or product sold. And for job preservation, pros must keep skills current.

The biggest complaint about the old $700 Photoshop package and its $400 upgrade package was that if you had a number of seats, you had a substantial charge every 12 to 24 months. Adobe didn't meet a particular schedule, so we didn't know how to budget for it. A subscription is predictable, and businesses like predictability. At the lab I worked for, we had 50 seats of Photoshop! We skipped at least every other upgrade before they came out with the CC plan. Each time we did upgrade, we had a training nightmare, and some older computers couldn't handle the new software.

Most hobbyists could care less about upgrades — I get that. But pros do. They upgrade their computers about every three to five years, as Apple and Microsoft upgrade their operating systems (The Microsoft users often stay one version behind, deliberately, because it is tested and stable!). New operating systems are often incompatible with older software, so there is a tendency to need the latest version. Older computers can be relegated to secondary tasks as word processors, accounting computers, print servers... Newer operating systems are most compatible with new hardware, so... At my former employer, we expensed all computer equipment under $2500, unless it was part of a capital project, which we depreciated over a three year period if it was IT related. The assumption was that it was probably going to be replaced rather quickly...

At home, of course, I'm typing this on a late 2013 iMac I bought in 2015. We have two MacBook Pros from 2012, and a Mac Mini from 2010. But all will still run all current software sufficiently for our needs. With multiple startup drives and Parallels Desktop, we can run several versions of MacOS and Windows, so we can run PAST software that newer operating systems break. We also have a very old (1999!) Power Mac G4 that runs the very old OS 9.2.2 and OS X 10.4.11. We turned it on twice last year to retrieve and modify old PageMaker 6.5 and 7.0 documents my wife's company still needed. It is so quaint!

I have a Microsoft Office 365 family subscription, because we all use Word and PowerPoint, and my wife uses Outlook and Excel. We have the Adobe Ps + Lr + Bridge + ACR CC bundle. At work, my wife has the full CC suite. We don't look back... Keeping up with our training is easy, because new features are available as developed, and the incremental increase in knowledge is small.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

I used to never upgrade unless it was a major upgrade. Still don't. When CC came along I let upgrades, even minor upgrades, do their thing automatically when I slept at night. Got up one morning and the working system was broke. Fortunately, I always create a restore point at the end of the day, as well as backing up all that day's work. So I was able to restore to the previous day, and then I turned automatic updates off. That includes not only Adobe products but ALL my products. Except one. Malwarebytes gets to run uncontested 24/7 and all of my computers, from the old Windows 7 to the 8 computer, the 8.1 computer, and my fine fine fine new Windows 10 $2,100 super computer (<url>http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-461559-1.html</url>).

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Yes it is available for Mac and the current version is 15.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

Bears repeating since I could not have said it better myself for my own situation.

chepo1956 Loc: Puerto Rico

Affinity Photo from Serif works for me and it continues to receive great reviews.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

There are a few new tools and techniques in PSE 15 not found in PSE 12. But, the core and key tools are about the same.

PSE 12 will handle RAW images from any camera produced through the end of the one year of PSE 12's marketing life. If you have a camera newer than that, there are two choices with PSE. One is to buy the current version. The other is to use a free and current converter from Adobe to make raw DNG files from whatever newer camera you have.

Paul Buckhiester Loc: Columbus, GA USA

I think you are being a bit shortsighted. The Cc subscription includes syncing w Adobe mobile apps, a powerfully to convenient capability. I also use CC store my catalog backups. Sharing collections w clients and friends/family is also immensely helpful. LR's connectivity w Blurb and social sites is seemless. Plus adobe throws in a free gallery website. I can't imagine a better deal. I just hope they don't increase the price.

Bill_de Loc: US

Corel Paint Shop Pro can do everything I have ever done in Photoshop. Corel has excellent video tutorials. It has pop up instructions you can turn on and off.

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