good editing programs

[birdbonkers84]

Everyone has their own preference.............., I use Lightroom, it works for me, there are plenty others to choose from, try their 30 day trials and decide for yourself.

 

[nerwin]

Darktable is pretty decent for free.

At the end of the day, I choose Lightroom because it works for me but for others it doesn't and that's why there are alternatives. There are a lot of free options so I'd suggest downloading some of them and give them a try and go from there. $10/mo is cheap really for what you get. Lightroom + Photoshop and access to to features like Adobe Portfolio which I use. Years ago, Photoshop would cost you like $1500 haha.

I'd say, GIMP, DarkTable, RawTherapee are probably the best options. I guess Affinity photo is good from what I hear but its not free.

Good luck.

 

[chuasam]

If $10 a month will break the bank, you have other pressing problems. Get photoshop, learn it.
It’s the industry standard and it’s a marketable skill

That being said, I have affinity photo on my iPad Pro for touching up on the road.

 

[john.margetts]

If $10 a month will break the bank, you have other pressing problems. Get photoshop, learn it.
It’s the industry standard and it’s a marketable skill

Many people do have pressing problems but that does not mean they cannot enjoy photography. When I was working, I financed my photography through Christmas and birthday gifts and only used bottom of the range kit. Why is that wrong?

 

[KmH]

It's not wrong, just limiting and more time consuming, which slows down learning if you're new to doing photography.

 

[DanOstergren25]

From what I hear, Affinity is pretty good and is low cost. Not sure if they make you pay for future updated versions though.

I use photoshop, as it's what I was taught from an early age so I'm very proficient with it. I've been using it for 16 years and have no complaints. As for the subscription model, the subscription made it so I could finally afford to pay for Photoshop rather than pirating it. It's not expensive to me, it literally costs the same as two days bus fare per month.

 

[nerwin]

From what I hear, Affinity is pretty good and is low cost. Not sure if they make you pay for future updated versions though.

I use photoshop, as it's what I was taught from an early age so I'm very proficient with it. I've been using it for 16 years and have no complaints. As for the subscription model, the subscription made it so I could finally afford to pay for Photoshop rather than pirating it. It's not expensive to me, it literally costs the same as two days bus fare per month.

I remember those days haha. No way I could ever afford $1500 piece of software.

 

[ElNico]

If $10 a month will break the bank, you have other pressing problems

I feel you have this backward. It's not that people can't afford $10 in their monthly budget, it's that they can afford to pay more upfront for something that's cheaper overall. $10 per month may not sound like a lot (which of course is the genius of the business model), but I'm betting that a lot of people with a bit more of a flexible budget would rather pay $200 at once than $240 over two years; much less $600 over five years or $1,200 over ten years.

 

[BananaRepublic]

but if you're a amateur/hobbyist than there is no need to hand over $120 a year for ever.

To each their own. LOL But here's another way of looking at it the monthly subscription is roughly (2) packs of cigarettes/month (I haven't smoked in years), (4) cups of coffee/month at Starbucks, (5) 20oz Cokes at the quick shop, or (12) bottled waters at the store. It's all in how you look at things, I figure I'm still way ahead of the game.

Ya well adobe are highwaymen no matter which way you look at it.

 

[smoke665]

If $10 a month will break the bank, you have other pressing problems

I feel you have this backward. It's not that people can't afford $10 in their monthly budget, it's that they can afford to pay more upfront for something that's cheaper overall. $10 per month may not sound like a lot (which of course is the genius of the business model), but I'm betting that a lot of people with a bit more of a flexible budget would rather pay $200 at once than $240 over two years; much less $600 over five years or $1,200 over ten years.

You may be missing something. Adobe Ps last stand alone version was running around $350, with updates in the $175 range. Lr added another $100 or so. Similar full feature professional editing packages were in the same range. Add to that the built in obsolescence of software. New camera models require updates, new features require updates, new operating OS or updates to same require updates to your software. In business we considered ourselves lucky if we got to skip a year of updates. I dropped $150 In two years on Corral and it still didn't do the job.

 

[chuasam]

If $10 a month will break the bank, you have other pressing problems

I feel you have this backward. It's not that people can't afford $10 in their monthly budget, it's that they can afford to pay more upfront for something that's cheaper overall. $10 per month may not sound like a lot (which of course is the genius of the business model), but I'm betting that a lot of people with a bit more of a flexible budget would rather pay $200 at once than $240 over two years; much less $600 over five years or $1,200 over ten years.

$1,200 over 10 years is a pittance compared to what Adobe Photoshop used to cost. $10 a month is not a deal breaker. The increase in revenues with Adobe has proven that this is the right decision.
Do you think that the programmers should make a complex graphics editing program and not be adequately compensated? Photoshop has a whole ecosystem around it. You can take classes in Photoshop, get into the industry and everyone simply assumes (correctly) that you know how to use the software. I'm looking into getting my Adobe Certification in Photoshop probably next year. The dominance of Photoshop has allowed all these peripheral industries to bloom.

Far more expensive (time wise) to invest time into a program and then have to relearn it in the future. $10 a month is less than the hourly minimum wage in California.
How Adobe Got Its Customers Hooked on Subscriptions

 

[chuasam]

From what I hear, Affinity is pretty good and is low cost. Not sure if they make you pay for future updated versions though.

I use photoshop, as it's what I was taught from an early age so I'm very proficient with it. I've been using it for 16 years and have no complaints. As for the subscription model, the subscription made it so I could finally afford to pay for Photoshop rather than pirating it. It's not expensive to me, it literally costs the same as two days bus fare per month.

Affinity on the iPad Pro is far better than Photoshop on the iOS (which is pretty much rubbish). I've been meaning to get proficient at Affinity Photo (iOS) but add that to my long list of things to do.

 

[ElNico]

Do you think that the programmers should make a complex graphics editing program and not be adequately compensated?

I have no idea whatsoever what Photoshop ought to be worth. I was just commenting on the difference between an upfront purchase and a monthly subscription.

 

[chuasam]

If want to pay $10 every month for the rest of you're life for an ancient application which every now a then is coated with a can of cynical paint and lathered with absolutely awful customer service then go with adobe.

It's more of a choice for me, as I know that over the course of several years, I will pay one way or the other. In business and personal I've spent well over $200k on software during my lifetime. I can't tell you how many times I've paid for software, only to find it didn't work right, plus I got tired of the constant need to update every time something new came out, either software or operating systems. I've had no problems with Adobe that weren't resolved quickly, professionally and successfully.

As to the "ancient application" then a question? Why do others keep aspiring to be a "clone" of Adobe products. Even you in a previous comment referred to Affinity as a "Photoshop clone". If it's so antiquated then why so many imitations?

Now that I'm retired it's not that much of an expense for me on the monthly plan, I even switched my MS Office over to the subscription. It is the way of the future as more and more switch to the subscription model. Going through it now on our personal accounting software. They just announced that effective January 2019 it will be a subscription only service.

Paying monthly for software, is the same to me as paying monthly for my alarm service, or my garbage pickup, or phone bill, it's just another monthly service expense. May not be for all, but for me it works.

the Adobe folk gotta eat
if Free is so good, why is Adobe Photoshop by far the most dominant player?
$10 is literally the price of lunch at a fast food restaurant

 

[john.margetts]

if Free is so good, why is Adobe Photoshop by far the most dominant player?

For the same reason every other successful company is successful - they have a good marketing department. Dominance and quality are not even slightly related. Compare a Ford to a Rolls Royce - only one is dominant and only one is quality.



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