Photo Editing Software - Where to start?

[fmw]

I would insert Affinity Photo in third place on that list. Powerful and affordable.

Photoshop is the best...
Affinity Photo...I have that too and I'm still struggling to use it.

Affinity photo doesn't work like Photoshop. That is clear. But the OP wants a place to start so I put Affinity at #3 because I think that is its proper place in the lineup. It is far, far, less expensive than #1 or #2.

 

[chuasam]

If you're going to spend time learning, must as well start with the best.
Go with AdobePhotoshop and save yourself the time

 

[trinidadgonzalezsardi]

Lightroom! It's a good place to start. Then Photoshop, starting with curves, levels, etc. There are a lot of good tutorials on Youtube for begginers

 

[JoeW]

As I mentioned earlier, Affinity Photo is my primary "go to" program. I understand the argument about "go with the industry standard" etc. But here's a consideration for someone who is either budgeted on where to spend their money or is not a full-time professional at this:
--I've been using Affinity Photo 2 years. It cost me $40.
--If I'd been using Adobe PS for the same period I was using AP, I'd have paid $240.
--If I'd been using GIMP I'd have paid $0.
And it's not like I am going to suddenly stop editing photos.

If I were to use Adobe PS for a decade at the same pricing plan, that is $1,200 (assuming they don't raise the plan or change the licensing arrangement). That's the cost of a decent 500mm zoom I'd like for wildlife photography.

I completely understand the position of "that's the cost of doing business...like renting an office or leasing a car or hiring an administrative assistant (or some other full-time staff)." Totally true. And if you're not in business or money you spend on your software is money you do NOT have available to spend on a lens or body...

 

[chuasam]

$1,200 is only a cheap 500mm.
Going with the Industry standard means that I have access to a lot more resources and help.
$10 a month is really nothing to spend on a hobby if you're serious about it.

 

[john.margetts]

$1,200 is only a cheap 500mm.
Going with the Industry standard means that I have access to a lot more resources and help.
$10 a month is really nothing to spend on a hobby if you're serious about it.

It is nothing to spend if you are rich. For most of my adult life, I could not justify spending that much on me - I had a family to support. Until this year, I used Gimp which is excellent as well as a lot cheaper than Photoshop. I still do not use Photoshop as Elements is more than enough once I have done the raw conversion in Lightrom.

I also would rather spend that $1,200 on a decent lens ( and it will get you a decent lens. It is a foolish fallacy to think a top of the range lens is required if you are not printing above A2 size).

Sent from my 8070 using Tapatalk

 

[Delfuego]

My vote goes to Photoshop Elements 15, it can be had for $59 right now. This year I have tried a couple versions of Corel Paintshop Pro, Gimp, and Photoshop CC 2017. I played with Adobe Lightroom for five minutes (I know that I didn't give it enough time for a review) and I didn't like it. I don't want to spend days working on a photo. I want to get in and out in a couple of minutes. Elements has a ton of wizards that walk you through a bunch of cool edits, like facial manipulations, taking a subject out of one picture and putting it somewhere else, haze removal (really cool tool), plus many more. Photoshop CC is very much like the expert mode in Elements 15. Yet, I find that some things are easier and faster to do in Elements. If you don't plan on becoming a professional re-toucher, save some money and get Elements 15.

 

[Tomasko]

$1,200 is only a cheap 500mm.
Going with the Industry standard means that I have access to a lot more resources and help.
$10 a month is really nothing to spend on a hobby if you're serious about it.

Affinity photo currently offers about 210 official tutorial videos and youtube search easily yields about 110 000 results. If that isn't enough for you, I'd reckon you're doing something wrong. Serif provides a very viable alternative and in my opinion a much more approachable even for total beginners.

One time €54,99 or every year €144... That's a tough one.

Maybe for someone who draws using Photoshop every day and does some REALLY crazy stuff, Adobe provides the edge, but for most photographers a cheaper alternative (for instance from Serif) is a much better choice.

By the way, a computer software is still just a tool. It's you who is the deciding factor and everyone should make the decision based on what they are personally more comfortable with. Not based on some "industry standard", which is just an artificial marketing from Adobe. Unless you are working for some company (which also provides you with the license for the software and probably with the necessary training as well), "industry standard" argument is simply useless, especially after Adobe decided to milk their customers even more.

 

[JoeW]

$1,200 is only a cheap 500mm.
Going with the Industry standard means that I have access to a lot more resources and help.
$10 a month is really nothing to spend on a hobby if you're serious about it.

There are a couple of situations where choosing Adobe PS is a no-brainer:
--if you are in business full-time/a professional and have to interact with others so you need to use similar software
--you only plan to edit photos for 1-2 months and then never again
--you are rolling in bucks and how much you spend on all of your photo stuff (from software to lens to equipment) isn't a consideration for you

If any of those situations apply, choosing PS is the obvious choice. If you're not in one of those situations, it may still be a wise choice or it may be a dumb one.

The argument that $10 a month is nothing if you're serious is a bit misleading. I gave Adobe the benefit of the doubt. If they don't change their model, a photographer could end up paying for 2-3-4 decades of PS, $10 a month. That's thousands of dollars. You could make the same argument about "it's only $10 a month" to justify why someone would be a Leica body or a D5 b/c you're spreading out that $10 a month over a couple of decades in a payment plan or on a credit card.

I respect people who chose to go with Adobe PS--lots of good reasons for doing so. But I also respect people who chose to go with alternatives. For someone who doesn't fit in one of the 3 scenarios I laid out and who is just starting out with software, the argument that it's only $10 a month and they should go with the best software ignores that a 20 y.o. may actually prefer to own their software rather than still be paying for it when they're 30 or 40. Or that it may be a serious hobby or even side job but they're on a serious budget and have to cut corners in most areas (like creating DIY reflectors rather than buying them, etc. or buying a used body rather than a new one, or buying an off-brand lens like a Sigma rather than a Nikkor or Canon version).

 

[katsrevenge]

$1,200 is only a cheap 500mm.
Going with the Industry standard means that I have access to a lot more resources and help.
$10 a month is really nothing to spend on a hobby if you're serious about it.

It is nothing to spend if you are rich. For most of my adult life, I could not justify spending that much on me - I had a family to support. Until this year, I used Gimp which is excellent as well as a lot cheaper than Photoshop. I still do not use Photoshop as Elements is more than enough once I have done the raw conversion in Lightrom.

I also would rather spend that $1,200 on a decent lens ( and it will get you a decent lens. It is a foolish fallacy to think a top of the range lens is required if you are not printing above A2 size).

Sent from my 8070 using Tapatalk

I'll 3rd (4th?) Affinity. It's cheap, there are tons of tutorials and it's fairly easy to use. Edited to add, I run it on Win 10.

Renting software is just not good return for value. Even more so when this is a hobby and there are bills to pay so hobby spending has to be carefully controlled.

 

[chuasam]

I run both. I have had years of training on Adobe Photoshop so I am loathe to switch I admit.

I also got Affinity for my iPad Pro so that I can retouch during downtime when I'm not at my computer or if I want to really play with my vacation photos while I'm on vacation.

I still maintain that $10 isn't much at all to pay if you want to play.