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affordable post process software
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Feb 21, 2019 06:49:16   #
MikeMck Loc: Southern Maryland on the Bay
 
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)


Some will laugh, but I have been using Picasa 3 for years. Google has stopped supporting it, however, it is available by downlown (google.com). It is user friendly and I have never had a problem with it. Good luck.

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Feb 21, 2019 07:03:46   #
mborn Loc: Massachusetts
 
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 07:06:31   #
rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines
 
rjaywallace wrote:
Abobe Photoshop Express is a relatively inexpensive one-time charge. It is a full-featured editing package used by many UHH members.


Adobe Photoshop Express is absolutely free - and would be an excellent starting point for a beginner. It does not have nearly the degree of sophistication (many tools) of some other programs, but is very capable software, and meets the needs of many. You can "get your feet wet" with PSE, and when you get an understanding of the basics and/or wish to get into layers and such, then you can make a better/more informed choice as to possible purchased postprocessing software.

Loren - Baguio City

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Feb 21, 2019 07:07:12   #
pico
 
I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019 which is a scaled down version of Photoshop. Software, on sale, was $69.00. Easy to use for my purposes.

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Feb 21, 2019 07:16:35   #
BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA
 
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)


First, currently Adobe photo Suite will cost you about $120.00 year.
Second, as a student you may be able to get a steep discount.

HTH

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Feb 21, 2019 07:17:50   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Wanderer2 wrote:

.....

I don't understand the $10 per month for the Adobe programs being considered inexpensive. $10 my be cheap for a month but adds up over time. I purchased Elements 4 1/2 years ago for about $40 on the Costco Thanksgiving sale, and am still using it, not having felt a need to upgrade it, the yearly upgrades not being extensive in new features. For the Adobe CC programs it would have cost me $540 for 4 1/2 years, or $500 more than Elements cost me. On my budget that's not cheap.

I'm with you here, but I did upgrade Elements from 14 to 2019 last year. One other package is from 2012.
They all do what I need.

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Feb 21, 2019 07:20:23   #
Chief_Warrant
 
Look into Affinity Photo...$60, and you own it! None of the bleeding you with monthly fees and, from what I've seen, the cloud service ain't the best. Most folks will tell you there is NO option to PhotoShop or Lightroom...I beg to differ. Affinity has a learning curve, but there over 200 video tutorials that are quite good at instruction. Try it, I think you'll like it...I do!

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Feb 21, 2019 07:24:50   #
eadler
 
Definitely get Luminar 3. It's $69 and it's yours. No subscription. It's easy to learn and there are many You Tube videos to help. (search for Jim Nix).

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Feb 21, 2019 07:32:39   #
BebuLamar
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
Crippled?? πŸ™„


I am not so sure about PSE is a crippled version of PS. Long time ago I tried PSE and it looked different than PS so it's not a crippled version. To me a crippled version is identical to the full version but many functions simply don't work. The programmer didn't rewrite the program but rather simply modified it a bit to inhibit a number of functions. The program while does less than the full version would require the same disk space, memory and CPU power as the full version to work well. If the programmer rewrite the program that does less but smaller, requiring less resources then it's not a crippled version.

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Feb 21, 2019 07:39:24   #
bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY
 
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 Paint Shop Pro, and wait for a sale

Reply
Feb 21, 2019 07:45:50   #
dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia
 
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)


$500-600 has not been true for years. Ever since Adobe started their subscription, PP prices across the board have dropped.

I have found that, over time, my costs using the subscription have been much lower than purchasing and then upgrading stand-alone programs. And that is with a constant subscription with no suspending for a few months for planned lack of use. I know some people will subscribe for a period and then suspend their subscription for months planning to do all their PP later. Does not work for my workflow, but some people save money that way.

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Feb 21, 2019 07:46:51   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
There are many good choices, and you don't need PS to make your pictures look better.

Affinity
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/software-review-affinity-photo-1-5-2
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/affinity-photo-1.5,review-4257.html

Others
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-lightroom-alternatives
http://digital-photography-school.com/a-beginners-guide-to-choosing-the-right-post-production-software/
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/photo-editing
https://www.reviews.com/photo-editing-software/
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-photo-editing-software,review-1972.html
http://www.redmondpie.com/best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives-for-windows-and-mac-list Affinity
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
https://photographypro.com/photo-editing/

For free -
https://www.darktable.org/
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59324818
https://www.lightstalking.com/how-to-edit-rawtherapee/
https://www.lightstalking.com/free-photography-software/
http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-photo-editor
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-best-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free-5974500
http://lightzoneproject.org/

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Feb 21, 2019 07:58:05   #
Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington
 
MikeMck wrote:
Some will laugh, but I have been using Picasa 3 for years. Google has stopped supporting it, however, it is available by downlown (google.com). It is user friendly and I have never had a problem with it. Good luck.
You cannot download it from Google. Some folks have had good luck with using third-party sites (I don't have any names offhand, but you can, umm, Google that info ).

With third party sites come the possibility of additional downloads you don't want; be careful.

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Feb 21, 2019 08:07:32   #
Edia Loc: Central New Jersey
 
Corel Paintshop Pro Ultimate is available on Amazon for $60. This package includes Aftershot 3, with the power of Lightroom and other goodies. It is compatible with most PS/LR add-on’s. Like with all PP programs, there is a learning curve to use it but it is more user friendly than PS. Paintshop has an interface like PS elements with all the power of the full blown PS. Corel updates the program every year, but the updates are minor. As for camera Raw, Aftershot lets you download updates for new cameras soon after the camera is released. No need to buy an updated program.

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Feb 21, 2019 08:08:50   #
ABJanes Loc: Jersey Boy now Virginia
 
Linda From Maine wrote:
Crippled?? πŸ™„


I agree....sometimes you have to walk before you run, thus the reason for Elements.

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