Hi guys.
I'm new at 365, but I already LOVE it, people are so helpful and nice, so THANK YOU :)
But I actually wanted to ask about some good editing programs? Do any of you have so really great ones? I currently use Camerabag2, which probably is more like an amateur program/app. Is PhotoShop difficult? And is it worth using?
@marienzz Photoshop does have a steep learning curve to it, but it offers so much creativity, it's ridiculous. You could always start out with Lightroom, which also offers a lot of editing potential and is a Library coordination tool also. So your images can have keywords attached to them, for finding them later on, when you have thousands and thousands of images. You can set up collections of images too, which doesn't actually group the originals together, they remain where you want them, but are linked to as collections, so you don't have duplicates. Lightroom is also a non-destructive editor. So it doesn't actually alter the original file, it just keeps a note of all the changes you have made to the image and has that stored with it. There are trials of both programs available and plenty of youtube tutorials to get you started. There's also the kindly folks hereabouts to assist you too. Lightroom and Photoshop Elements would be a powerful package to have together for editing at an advanced level.
@6plus1blurred has said it all. Lightroom 5 from Adobe is certainly worth a look. Adobe have a US$9.99 a month subscription for photographers to Lightroom and Photoshop CC. There is a 30 day free trial at adobe that you might consider.
Do you have the editing software that comes with your camera? You might try that to start with.
If you are just starting out, think about using picmonkey online -- the free version, just to get used to what editing provides. Then you can upgrade fairly inexpensively or move to another more complex free one. I used Aperture (Mac version of Lightroom, I think) for several months, then added Nik Suite which is fantastic and gives you a ton of options. There are also a lot of apps on iPad and iPhone (snapseed is great). Before investing in a complex purchase one, I strongly recommend just trying different things to figure out what you need.
I agree with @taffy. I use picmonkey online. I pay for it though. It's pretty inexpensive. The only trouble with picmonkey is it's good enough to have held me back from moving on and learning more. I can pretty much do whatever I want with it. I am planning on learning photo shop someday.
@edie I use PicMonkey too and pay for it. I was using a program called BeFunky.com but it's not as flexible as PicMonkey. But I agree with you - if you are going to really be a photographer, you have to move on to more advanced editing programs. I'm a teacher so I'm hoping to have some time to learn this summer!
@lbluejaye8 I have it, and it's half the price of a single app CC two year contract. It will give you all the upgrades now and in the future. It's way too expensive if you just want Lightroom, just buy the single (non CC) app. Photoshop CC is a huge program with so much in it I find some new miracle almost weekly. But you have to be prepared for a learning curve. And a big enough PC. 8GB RAM is just adequate and an Intel i5 processor at least. If you aren't willing to invest in that, 12-16 GB even better, stick with Lightroom.
I'm using the Lightroom and Photoshop subscription, can't imagine using anything else now. They do take some getting used to but the more you play with them the better it gets ;-) Kim Klasson's courses have taught me a lot. She has some free tutorials here and I believe she will soon be releasing a free Lightroom course http://www.kimklassencafe.com/free-video-tutorials/
@lbluejaye8 Oh sorry. CC is Adobe's "Creative Cloud" which is their umbrella packaging for their new subscription-based, rather than one time right to use fee, software.
I agree with Frank. I got Lighroom about a month ago after having photoshop elements. It took a little while (and some swearing) but I now love lightroom. Give it time... and I'm sure you will love it too.
Picmonkey, ribbit.com, and as far as apps on p hones/tablets: Snapseed, Photowizard, and Picsart...even befunky but I don't use it as much. For some special fun: Waterlogue (turns it into a water color) or Percolator (makes a design with circles and your photo and turns it into folk art)
I personally could never do without Photoshop but I have a long history with it and I use it daily in my career. I would definitely recommend light room for beginners. It is well worth the investment. I probably will offend some by saying this but I can spot an edit done in freeby programs a mile a way and not in a good way.
@marienzz I've used Photoshop since it was introduced into the UK in 1986, and although I've tried others, I still think it's the best. I use Photoshop every day in my job, so I find it easy, but it's big program and could be a bit daunting for a newcomer. The trick is just to use the bits that are relevant to you. There's lots of web stuff and video stuff in there which I just ignore. If you are in fulltime education (or you know someone that is) you get a huge discount on the purchase price - as Jenteal says, it's well worth the investment if you're serious about your photography
I would definitely do the free trial of Lightroom. I downloaded both Elements and Lightroom before landing on Lightroom. But I don't use it exclusively. I also use Picasa (free), Picmonkey (free), iPiccy (free). There are lots of free sites for processing which I used for quite a while. Good luck!
Marie, I use Photoshop Elements for all of my editing. I've added a couple of plug-ins to it that really help edit for the style of image I enjoy producing. They are:
Topaz B&W FX - where I do all of my b&w conversions.
Topaz Adjust - where I do all of my color editing (primarily).
Neat Image - which I use for noise reduction if photographing with a very high ISO.
I also use Photomatix Pro for HDR tone mapping.
I've tried Lightroom and really don't care for it. Rather, I prefer to use an editor as opposed to a workflow tool. With the plugins I have for Elements, I've never been able to justify the cost of upgrading to the full Photoshop.
Like Charles I use GIMP. It's free and from what I've seen it does look a bit like photoshop. Not the easiest program but there are tutorials as well and once you get to know it you can use some photoshop tutorials on this program also.
There is also a free downloadable adobe photoshop ( CS2 ), an old version. It probably doesn't have all the applications the more modern ones have but I guess it is an option if you want to get a glimpse on how photoshop works.
I have lightroom, and use it for RAW processing to JPEG. It has some basic editing tools as well that aren't hard to master at all. There are TONS of Youtube videos on this.
I use GIMP as well. It is very powerful and FREE. BUT, the learning curve is a little steep. Again, depends what you want to do. Search "How do I cut a person out of a photo and paste them into another in GIMP" and you will get a video showing you how to do it in 3-4 minutes. GIMP is bascially Photoshop for free.
I have tried PS Elements and found it to be clunky and hard to work.
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Do you have the editing software that comes with your camera? You might try that to start with.
Here's a Lightroom link at Adobe. http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-lightroom.html?promoid=KGSTK
You can try for 30 days free, no obligation, if you follow the "try" link rather than the "purchase" link.
Good luck! The Adobe technology is wonderful. I know you will enjoy it, especially in comparison to what you currently use.
Topaz B&W FX - where I do all of my b&w conversions.
Topaz Adjust - where I do all of my color editing (primarily).
Neat Image - which I use for noise reduction if photographing with a very high ISO.
I also use Photomatix Pro for HDR tone mapping.
I've tried Lightroom and really don't care for it. Rather, I prefer to use an editor as opposed to a workflow tool. With the plugins I have for Elements, I've never been able to justify the cost of upgrading to the full Photoshop.
There is also a free downloadable adobe photoshop ( CS2 ), an old version. It probably doesn't have all the applications the more modern ones have but I guess it is an option if you want to get a glimpse on how photoshop works.
I use GIMP as well. It is very powerful and FREE. BUT, the learning curve is a little steep. Again, depends what you want to do. Search "How do I cut a person out of a photo and paste them into another in GIMP" and you will get a video showing you how to do it in 3-4 minutes. GIMP is bascially Photoshop for free.
I have tried PS Elements and found it to be clunky and hard to work.
FastStone is good, a free download. You will be just asked for a small one-off OPTIONAL donation. I like the program.