What are your favorite free photo editing programs?

[johnhotkins]

I recently came across this article about some of the top free photo editors out there. I agree with maybe 4 out of these 5 (I'm not a huge fan of Photoscape). What's your favorite one to use? I'm a pretty big fan of GIMP myself.

 

[john.margetts]

I use Gimp nearly all the time. I use UFRaw for RAW conversions which offers four demosaicing algorithms and is 16 bit. It takes the photo straight into Gimp when it has finished.

Never been bothered about Gimp being only 8 bit as the main adjustments have been done in UFRaw and only very slight adjustments are required in Gimp.

 

[jcdeboever]

GIMP for me.

 

[Didereaux]

If you shoot Canons then there DPP editor is as good as LR for processing RAWs. Unlike Nikon the Canon software is free. It will also do the other formats TIF jpg etc. But it shines with RAW.

 

[john.margetts]

If you shoot Canons then there DPP editor is as good as LR for processing RAWs. Unlike Nikon the Canon software is free. It will also do the other formats TIF jpg etc. But it shines with RAW.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work with Linux.

 

[KmH]

It's hard to ignore the Adobe Photography subscription @ only $9.95 a month.
The $9.95 a month gets us 2 professional grade applications - Lightroom CC 2015, an image database manager and parametric Raw converter - and Photoshop CC 2015, the industry leading raster/bitmap image editing application that also has some vector graphics capabilities.

Nikon includes a free Raw converter/editing application- View NX2 - with every DSLR Nikon sells.

 

[john.margetts]

The Adobe suit is very expensive, though. Had I took that out when I first got interested in digital photography it would have cost me £1,200 by now. UFRaw and Gimp have still cost me nothing.

 

[ronlane]

The Adobe suit is very expensive, though. Had I took that out when I first got interested in digital photography it would have cost me £1,200 by now. UFRaw and Gimp have still cost me nothing.

As Keith posted just above you, it's $9.00 a month and you get Photoshop and Lightroom. I understand that the OP said free but for the power these two have $120 a year is practically free.

(I was going to say that LR was my favorite free software. Because I pay for Photoshop CC and and get LR for free, lol)

 

[john.margetts]

As Keith posted just above you, it's $9.00 a month and you get Photoshop and Lightroom. I understand that the OP said free but for the power these two have $120 a year is practically free.

(I was going to say that LR was my favorite free software. Because I pay for Photoshop CC and and get LR for free, lol)

That is nowhere near free unless you are extremely rich. And you pay that year after year after year . . .

 

[ronlane]

Considering what PS used to cost (what $600+ USD) and you get all the updates during that time. That is six years for one copy of PS with all the updates (that you wouldn't have gotten the old way) plus you get LR as well and it was something like $149 per version.

Heck of a deal to me.

 

[Didereaux]

It's hard to ignore the Adobe Photography subscription @ only $9.95 a month.
The $9.95 a month gets us 2 professional grade applications - Lightroom CC 2015, an image database manager and parametric Raw converter - and Photoshop CC 2015, the industry leading raster/bitmap image editing application that also has some vector graphics capabilities.

Nikon includes a free Raw converter/editing application- View NX2 - with every DSLR Nikon sells.

try using that expensive crap out in the boondocks!!!! I do quite a bit of wildlife and nature shooting, and always have a my laptop along. In the evening, or during breaks etc I like to have closer looks at the shots, as well as backing them up. Damn few places in the world have wifi in their national parks, and wildlife refuges. Adobe's monthly thing is for companies, yuppies and a few professionals. Also what big fans of it ignore and don't speak of is the fact that Adobe can shut that service down anytime they want to. Yeah, that's a bargain alright, you get the use plus the entertainment value of guessing when you won't be able to access it anymore. People who think $10/mo is nothing are people destined to eventually wind up in the poorhouse.....or they inherited a bunch.

I OWN a copy of LR6 , and an older copy of PS CS3 they do me fine, and don't cost me a dime.

 

[ronlane]

That's funny. I use LR and PS all the time at my parents house "in the boondocks" with no internet or wifi. You only have to connect to the internet like once a month or something like that.

Yes they can stop anytime they want to but as a company model, a subscription based income stream seems more steady than people buying off the shelf copies.

What works for one person may not for another.

As for you owning the LR6, I believe you are mistaken there as well. You have rights to use it, the same as the cc person does. And as for it and CS3, you are just waiting for the time when those are no longer supported by adobe.

 

[table1349]

Not free but Photoshops rival. Affinity Photo. Well if your a Mac that is.

 

[Didereaux]

[QUOTE="ronlane, post: 3644352, member: 129851"

Yes they can stop anytime they want to but as a company model, a subscription based income stream seems more steady than people buying off the shelf copies.
.[/QUOTE]

I believe most people would put there needs, and security above the monetary success of some company. And as for no longer supporting CS3 who cares it runs, I have backup copies, I can reinstall anytime I need to. Same for LR. One thing has been proved a certainty in technology the last 30 years and that is NOTHING is permanent, hardware, software, or companies. So the individual has to take what steps they can to ensure they can operate for the longest period possible with the least chance of loss of data and lowest cost.

USing PS/LR on a monthly basis is exactly the same thing as renting your home on a month to month basis on an owners discretion contract.

 

[table1349]

Actually owner discretion provisions are for the building of a property, not the sale of a property. Monthly subscriptions are the same thing as your water utility, electrical utility and gas utility. You pay, you use, you don't pay, they turn off you utility.