ddelabar Loc: Pennsylvania

Don'r rule out Corel Paintshop Pro or Aftershot Pro. They often have periodic specials of up to 40 -50 % off:

https://www.paintshoppro.com/en/products/paintshop-pro/standard/?sourceid=psp10-xx-ppc_brkws&x-vehicle=ppc_brkws&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtPYBRD6ARIsAKs1XJ4iZYy8oISpQ4uFVfKc3DMD120pkCmKuCC--HQgv4IgFHlhlL2xWfEaAt-UEALw_wcB

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Use photos program to start, then graduate to the above suggestions
Have fun

augieg27 Loc: Central California

Faststone Free - Easy to learn and use, is fast and has everything I need. Of course, I am not a professional.
Try it before spending money.

augieg27 Loc: Central California

Faststone Free - Easy to learn and use, is fast and has everything I need. Of course, I am not a professional.
Try it before spending money.

Photocraig

Given that it is the standard, lots of help is available for Lightroom and Photoshop from folks who already have years of experience with it. And YouTube is loaded with free tutorials and reasonably priced educational classes. I'm on a tight budget, but I never complain about my $10 to Adobe.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

I have Elements 15 only update about every other year, not every time.

MidnightManiac

Everybody's needs differ. Over many years I have used various post processing programs (some free and some paid). Still have the original version of lightroom (not compatible any longer). Over the years cameras, lenses and operating systems change. This results in the program being non compatible with older versions of photo programs. Adobe lightroom and photoshop for $10. a month gives you all you will ever need. Something new comes out and an update is right behind. There is plenty of free information out there to get you started and advance. A paid book I bought years ago written by Tony and Chelsea Northrup on Lightroom CC was a great read and very reasonably priced. Lightroom is not to hard to learn but not the easiest, photoshop does have a bit of a learning curve to it to get the most out of it. Practicing with both, transferring from lightroom to photoshop to get that perfect result. Give up a 12 pack of beer a month and bang it's paid for.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Easy to learn is very relative term. Many people have had their eyes glaze over trying to learn Lightroom and Photoshop

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I call that “Gimp Syndrome” 😜

Bill_de Loc: US

Photoshop Elements 2018 is probably the best for somebody starting out. It has 'elements' of Photoshop including a very robust cataloging feature. It is designed to grow with you, and if you decide in the future to go to the Photoshop subscription you will have a leg up.

With Elements once you pay for it the program keeps working without any additional payments. Adobe even provides a free converter so if you by newer cameras in the future you will still be able to use your program.

Photoshop/Lightroom is the most popular, or seems to be. It is a great package and those who become proficient with it are doing fabulous work. Photoshop's biggest accomplishment is their marketing. Many, maybe most, who buy into the 'rental plan' are lured by the low monthly payment but are not accomplishing any more than they could do in Elements or any of the free programs. If you decide to stop paying the ten dollars a month you lose the editing features and have to shop for a new program. In short, it is better to grow into Photoshop, if that is the ultimate goal, than to feel trapped in the recurring payment plan. It should always be there when you are ready, and if you go that route there is no penalty for waiting.

The most important thing is for you and your wife to have fun along the way.

--

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I really don’t disagree with anything, except that buying a “subscription” to a continually updated complete digital darkroom for ten bucks a month is the better starting point. If Adobe jacks the price unreasonably, or even boils the frog slowly, you can always bail to one of the many freeware/shareware/cheapware alternatives.

Andy

MidnightManiac

Lightroom, Photoshop, and (the free open source, which I don't care for) Gimp are all not easy to learn. Practicing with our DLSR's and lenses got us better. The same will get you better in post processing. The tools in Photoshop are incredible (once learned) and I don't even know all of them. It takes lots of time and effort. These programs are not a one click fixes all. You try to learn these in a few weeks you will get eyeball burn...it takes time a effort but the results in the end are worth it...My opinion.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

I have been using Elements for a LONG time and thus do not have a steep learning curve at each new version. There are more helps to learn it than when I started (I believe version 1?). But one of the first things I learned was "undo", so not afraid to experiment. Just play with it and learn at your speed.

Yeti Bigtoe

Affinity is a great program. Buy once for less than one years subscription and only upgrade if you want. Decent resources are also available as is a nice workbook. Subscription software is fine and good value if one makes good continual use of it but for a casual user who could go a couple months without doing PP a few months of non use can quickly make for an expensive couple of photos.