Beginner Photo editing software

Brooxy85

Brooxy85

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Name
Andy
Edit My Images
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Hi all,

I am relatively new to the photography scene and I am starting to play around with photo editing. I am currently using the software that came with my camera (Nikon viewNX 2) to edit my photo's, but would like to venture into something a bit more advanced.
I know there are many options available, but what software would you recommend?

Thanks.
 
Hi, Photoshop Elements as a starter, Google NIK although no longer supported by our friends at Google still a good software and it's free (before anyone says you need a host program you don't it can be used stand alone)
ON1 Photo (free in part), Lightroom along with PSE.
Russ
 
Brooxy85 said:
would like to venture into something a bit more advanced.
Click to expand...
•


There are indeed many solutions.

Answering directly your question, I would recommend
you a Danish made Capture One Pro as a powerful
RAW converter. As pixel editor, I would recommend you
the UK made Affinity Photo if you are on MAC. If not,
they will publish a PC version by the end of September.

Both come in free full version 30 day trial!
 
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Hello Andy.

I use Photoshop Elements (PSE) quite a lot (I got PSE11 fairly cheaply when PSE13 released). It does most of what I want and the organiser part of Elements is good at organising photos.

Have a look at some of the free editors before you spend anything.

GIMP - https://www.gimp.org/ - will do just about anything you are likely to want. The learning curve is fairly steep but that might be the same with any editor with a lot of features.

Photoscape - http://www.photoscape.org/ps/main/index.php It does have a RAW converter but I do not like it. However, if you are working with jpegs it is very easy to use.

However, there are others that are worth having a look at - http://www.techradar.com/news/softw...e-10-top-image-editors-you-should-try-1135489

Dave
 
Brooxy85 said:
Hi all,

I am relatively new to the photography scene and I am starting to play around with photo editing. I am currently using the software that came with my camera (Nikon viewNX 2) to edit my photo's, but would like to venture into something a bit more advanced.
I know there are many options available, but what software would you recommend?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Short answer is Lightroom. It's basically Photoshop adapted specifically for photographers with several key advantages. I find it easy and intuitive. It's pretty much the default choice for enthusiasts and professionals. Try the free 30-days trial (y)
 
Nikon's free Capture NX-D allows some limited processing on Nikon camera files, might be useful to try it out and get used to options/results before committing to extra expense :)
 
I would stick with Adobe programs like elements or lightroom purely for the reason that as a beginner there are many YouTube tutorials and help forums to help you.
 
I would recommend Gimp 2.8 as a new user myself it is a steep learning curve as a member has already stated however the features on the software are fantastic for a free open source program
 
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Craig1969 said:
I would recommend Gimp 2.8 as a new user myself it is a steep learning curve as a member has already stated however the features on the software are fantastic for a free open source program
Click to expand...
Yes. I'd add that the new Gimp version 2.9.4, is a significant upgrade and is well worth trying out if you have used old Gimp.
https://www.gimp.org/news/2016/07/13/gimp-2-9-4-released/

- Revamped user interface and usability.
- Color management gets a complete overhaul
- GEGL high bit depth processing for layer modes, filters and on canvas rendering.
- New selection tools
- New painting tools
- Enhancement to Raw integration

Version 2.10 will be the stable release. But until then, people are reporting 2.9.4 to be quite reliable for production work.

You can upgrade for free too!
 
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+1 for lightroom, after a year trying to get to grips with Paintshop pro I finally realised that getting Lightroom opened the doors to hundreds of helpful tutorials on the net I could follow and teach myself the basics. Photoshop CC will be my next hurdle though o_O
 
Try Picasa. Simple and straightforward. Does all the basics. If the original shot is poor it's not worth mucking about PP.

And it's free.
 
Hi, I use PhotoDirector, mostly because I got a free trial via a photography magazine. It's was to use though and the full version is cheaper than photoshop. I'd recommend trying before buying!
 
Picasa is the simplest. Lightzone and Gimp are free variants of Lightroom and Photoshop. I have just discovered NIK EFEX PRO and its free and has loads of pre-sets that are great. If you use it independently (without Lightroom or Photshop) it will only work with JPEG and not RAW. I still prefer it though. And im an amateur.
 
Started with Lightroom and still using it! It's a photo editor and organizer in one, would highly recommend
 
How does Affinity photo compare with Lightroom?
Does it have any advantages over Lightroom or is Lightroom still the best by a mile?
 
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